Disclaimer: This is AU. I do not own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy. I just manipulate them to my will. Also, any line or phrase or setting that seems remotely familiar from any other show, movie or book, also not mine. I borrow…
AN: Enjoy!
Chapter 14
Something is going off. An alarm is blaring. Loud and unceasing. Somewhere. It's shrieking dragging a sleeping mind back into consciousness. The first thing she feels is a throbbing. A throbbing so deep and engrained that if feels as if it's coming from the other side. The bone deep pain of her body, which is dry as a sponge forgotten amongst the vastness of the Sahara, only contributes to the impression that she is in hell. Her tongue feels like it's made of sandpaper and she is sure that her joints have actual sand in them. And if she were able to form words, she'd pray to God to end her suffering and just take her now.
"Turn it off." She groans, her hands clutching either side of her head in hopes of blocking out the shrill screaming of the alarm. "Mother of God, make it stop." A blue eye peeks open and the first thing Arizona sees is red.
Bright auburn hair spills across from the other side of the bed where yet another body slowly becomes aware of her surroundings. Thankfully the alarm stops, giving each woman a respite from the awful noise, and the sounds of a waking downtown Seattle comes back into focus. A dump truck rattles the dumpsters just downstairs, an ambulance blares its warning of another incoming victim to the hospital just across the street, and further off some unknown dog decides to challenge a passing postman. But that's not what Arizona focuses on as she pushes herself into the sitting position. What has her attention is the woman sleeping next to her, and better yet, the amount of clothes that are strewn over her floor.
She rolls out of bed, literally, ending up on the floor and then stumbling to her feet, and she shuffles out of her bedroom. While in search of a glass, Arizona tries to sort through her clouded memory of last night. There was alcohol, obviously. And a lot of it. A few flashes of red, and laughing. A lot of laughing. She had a good time, she knows that. But how they got from Joe's to her apartment, undressed and in bed, Arizona can't recall.
"Another brilliant move, Arizona." She mumbles to herself, popping two Tylenols and washing it down with a half glass of water.
Refilling her own and grabbing another tall glass, the blonde returns to her room and to the heap of red hair and long, lean limbs sticking out from beneath her sheets. And at the faint sound of footfalls, a single hand pushes back just enough of the covers to reveal two bleary and sleep filled green eyes.
Some sort of sounds comes from Arizona's guest, but the blonde can't make it out and instead sets the glass of water down next to the woman. "Drink this." She whispers, which is still too loud for the two very hung-over women.
She sits at the opposite corner of the mattress, nursing her own cup of water, and Arizona tries to walk herself through what she remembers of last night. The woman in her bed is pretty, gorgeous really. And by the way she is sitting up, holding the sheets in front of her like she is, tells Arizona that she herself is very confused right now.
"Where-" The red head starts, but finds her throat too dry to speak. With a quick sip of water, she asks, "Where am I?"
"My apartment." Arizona answers. "It's above Joe's."
"Right. Right." She whispers, then downs half of her water in single gulp. "Do you remember-"
"Not a lot, no." The blonde says, "Was kinda hoping you'd remember."
"But we didn't-"
"I'm pretty sure we just passed out." Arizona answers yet again. She doubts, in their haze of alcohol, that she wouldn't have the coordination to put her bra and panties back on after… any sort of activity.
They drink at their water for a minute, awkwardness heavy in the air, until the screeching of the alarm starts to bounce off the bedroom walls yet again. Both cringe at the sound while the red head tears through the pile of clothes strewn throughout the room.
"Damn it." She groans. "I'm late. Shit."
Within five minutes the woman is dressed, and without meeting each other's gaze, Arizona walks her to her front door. "Thank you," She says, trying to press out the wrinkles in her high dollar skirt. "Uh-"
"Arizona." The blonde supplies. "Arizona Robbins."
"Addison-"
"Montgomery." Arizona interjects. "Yeah, we've run into each other a few times over at the hospital."
"Oh, yeah. Right." Addison suddenly finds herself blushing, and wishing she had remembered her night with the stunning blonde half dressed in front of her. She reaches into her purse and finds a pen then takes hold of Arizona's hand, turning it palm up, and starts to write on it. "If you ever want to get together, you know… without consuming a whole bar full of alcohol first, give me a call. I'd love to see you again some time."
Blue eyes linger at deep, sea foam green before trailing down to look at the digits graffitied across her palm. "Yeah," She mumbles. "Maybe."
With one more dimpled smile from the blonde, Addison leaves the small and obviously weathered apartment. Her six hundred dollar heels do little to aid her in her hurry, and it's nearly twenty minutes later that the red head is striding through the sliding glass doors and arriving at work more than two hours late. She doesn't even want to think about how pissed off the Chief will be when she finds out that one of her surgeons, one of her premiere surgeons whose name and face has brought a good deal of revenue to the hospital, has lost a half a day's worth of earnings just because of painful hangover. …And that's if Dr. Ellis Grey hasn't already found out.
After setting her own personal record of changing into her scrubs, the neonatal surgeon makes a beeline for the surgical floor while spitting out orders to her residents as she walks. And when she gets to the surgical board she sees just how badly she's screwed the whole day up, and not just for her, but for her fellow surgeons as well.
"Look who finally decided to show." A voice says calmly, and Addison spins around to find Dr. Torres at the nurses' desk. Brown eyes look up from the chart she is signing over and Callie adds, "Damn, girl. You look rode hard and put away wet. What happened to you?"
Despite the churning in her stomach Addison forces a half smile on her face. "From the feel of it, about 37 gin and tonics." Her friend can only offer her a sympathetic look.
"Well, if it helps you, my 11 o'clock is no longer scheduled. Nor is my 2 o'clock." Callie offers, silently wondering yet again why she went with a specialty with a patient mortality rate as high as Cardio instead of something like Ortho. She liked Ortho. "You can take my slots if you want them, to try and catch up on the ones that were bumped this morning."
"Yes, thank you." Addison breathes a sigh of relief then quickly marks in the empty white space before another surgeon can grab it. "The next time I say that I'm going over to Joe's for a few drinks, please, shoot me in the head."
"It couldn't have been that bad. Judging by the state of your eyeliner I'd say you didn't do much sleeping last night." Her friend plays. "So, was she cute?"
At that Addison's smile becomes genuine, and she answers, "God, she's gorgeous. Blonde, bright blue eyes. Dimples. And she has this very subtle southern draw that just so sexy." As her friend describes her apparent one night stand the blood from Callie's face drains. But surely there is more than one blue eyed blonde with dimples and a cute twang in the city of Seattle, right?
And then Addison delivers the death blow. "Yes, Arizona Robbins. …That's one bed I wouldn't mind waking up in again, if you know what I mean."
Two days, that's how long Callie waited. That's how long she held her breath. Arizona said she needed time and space. And Callie gave her that. She wanted to respect her- what was Arizona to her? More than just a mistress. Her lover? Her girlfriend? Can you even have a girlfriend when you're already married, to a man, and two kids, a house, and a whole world of responsibilities? –whatever she is, Callie was trying to respect her wishes. Time and space. …And apparently that meant time to woo other women and space to have hot, drunken sex with them all damn night.
She doesn't even remember leaving the hospital, but somehow she finds herself pounding on the door of Arizona and Tim's apartment. Her emotions are swirling around her like a deep, black maelstrom. Anger. Guilt. Jealousy. Fear. It's all there, each one quickly replaced by another merely seconds later. Her pounding quickly becomes frantic, almost as if she's begging for Arizona to still be behind the door, afraid that she has missed her chance and that the blonde has moved on. But then the door opens, a sliver of sunlight cascading into the dark and quiet apartment.
A cringing Arizona meekly grumbles "What the hell-"
Callie pushes past the woman and storms into the apartment. "Really?!" She exclaims. "Really?! I can't- You just- How could- REALLY?!" The words aren't coming to her. She wants to yell, to rant, to rip the blonde a new one but the words are getting so tangled up with each other on her tongue that they just comes out as nothing.
Each shouted syllable slices through Arizona's brain like a chainsaw. "Jesus-Can we take it down from foghorn level?" She growls, shuffling over the stained carpet and into the yellowed linoleum flooring of her kitchen. It's only been a few hours since her overnight guest left and after saying goodbye the blonde went back to bed to try and sleep off a bit more of her hangover. That is, until some crazed Latina surgeon started pounding on her door.
It's only after she's grabbed a beer from the fridge and taken a gulp, hoping that it will help mellow out her raging headache, does Arizona look directly at Callie. The fierceness of those brown eyes nearly knock her off her already unsteady feet, and the slight trembling of skilled hands on curvaceous hips tells Arizona that the woman is very upset.
"What?" She asks, "What happened?"
"You happened." Callie spits.
A beat passes and then the blonde starts, "I don't know what-"
"Is this a joke to you, Arizona? Huh? Am I just some big… challenge to you? A prize to be had? Another notch on your fucking bedpost?" She's trying to keep her voice steady but her body is betraying her, just like the tears that are starting to pool at the corner of brown eyes despite Callie telling herself she will not cry over this woman. "I mean, is this your thing? You ride into town, find some unsuspecting victim that you can sink your teeth into, and then once you've had your fill you just move on to the next?"
"I- What the hell are you talking about?" Arizona asks, completely lost as to what has wound the surgeon up so much that she's nearly crying in the middle of the blonde's kitchen.
"Addison! I'm talking about Addison. How you brought her here and you- you-" Even thinking about it makes Callie's stomach clench. "You asked me for space. I gave it to you. You asked me for time. I gave it to you. And for you to go behind my back and sleep with someone else-"
"No!" The blonde shouts while taking a step closer to the fuming doctor. "No, you don't get to play that card, Calliope. You don't get to tell me who I can go home with. You don't get to tell me who I can and can't fuck."
"So you did, then." Callie states, taking a step closer. "You and-"
"What if we did?" Arizona sneers, and closes the distance between them to all of a foot while brown eyes go black. "What if I said we spent all night with my head buried between her legs? That I could still feel her fingernails clawing at my back while Addison was screaming my name, begging for more." They're standing toe to toe, their breathing heightened as adrenaline pumps through their system, eyes locked. Challenging each other. "And when she came-"
Lips rush forward and press against lips, Callie's hands frantically taking hold at Arizona's neck as she pushes them back. Anger and jealousy flash before both brown and blue eyes. Their kiss is hard, and rough. Demanding. Conquering. Completely different than any they've shared before.
The edge of the kitchen counter digs sharply into Arizona's back, and she pushes off of it to turn and pin Callie to the refrigerator door. But, fueled by red hot desire to whip any other woman from the blonde's mind, Callie slips her hold and reverses them, now pinning Arizona against the cool, textured white fiberglass door. With their hands raised above them, caramel fingers interlaced with ivory, Callie's lips leave those of Arizona's and trek south to the tender flesh of her neck.
"Fuck." Arizona growls while pearly white teeth leave a mark against her skin. She struggles against the Latina's hold but finds herself weakened by the heat coming off of Callie's body.
Another push and the intertwined women blindly stumble their way around chairs, table legs and trash cans in search of Arizona's room. A navy scrub top is pulled up and over tied up raven hair, while Arizona's worn and tattered t shirt gets tossed over the back of the couch. As soon as they cross the threshold of her room, Arizona bats wildly at the door behind her until it slams shut, and quickly shoves Callie down on to the mattress.
It was only two days ago that Callie was in this same position, but instead of fear and uncertainty her body is filled with hunger and need. Just the way she touches Arizona is completely different. Her hands have felt this body before, this beautiful specimen with her strong, yet subtle muscles hidden beneath very feminine curves. She's felt the pleasure Arizona is able to give to her, and she's craved it during their time apart. But that craving is nothing compared to how badly she missed just being with Arizona. Around her. Near her. Being able to close her eyes and feel Arizona's presence.
"Shit-" Callie gasps, Arizona on her knees before her and ripping her scrub pants from her legs. "Fuck, Arizona, touch me." The fire between her legs is almost too much to bear, and when a strong hand cups her sex Callie's moan fills the room.
"Jesus-" Electricity shoots from the doctor and travels throughout Arizona's body, her blue eyes closing shut as her mind gets overrun. Her palm presses against Callie's mound and a shiver runs down Arizona's spine from the way the woman responds to her touch. Every tease, caress, and graze is seems to be multiplied a hundred times over.
She's not gentle, not like their first time. It's not about introducing Callie to a woman's body, showing her how to make love, or how well Arizona can take care of her. No, it's about making a point. Proving to Callie that she'll never find another person who can make her feel the way Arizona makes her feel. Her fingers don't tease, they stroke. Her tongue doesn't caress, it dominates. As opposed to three nights ago, where breathless gasps and whimpers made her slow, they now make the blonde dig deeper and thrust harder. She doesn't think twice about lowering herself to between Callie's legs and tasting the woman's essence from its source, and the taste of Callie on her tongue only adds fuel to her fire.
There doesn't seem to be enough oxygen in the world to sate Callie's body. Whenever she tries to breathe Arizona's tongue takes the air from her chest. Every single nerve ending is pulsing, and it's making Callie see stars. Her back arches against the mattress beneath her and her hips writhe on against the blonde's mouth. Her hands seek a hold in something, anything that will keep her planted firmly on Earth because she's not exactly sure if she is actually alive anymore. She's a doctor, she knows the body can't survive without oxygen, and yet the woman who is doing magical things between Callie's legs keeps stealing the air from her lungs. And Callie never wants her to stop.
"Wait." Her whisper is lost beneath her own cries and whimpers, but the tugging at Arizona's ears pulls the blonde back up. "I need- I need to know." Callie pants. Her juices glisten across Arizona's pale, beautiful skin, and Callie can smell her own arousal heavy on the blonde's breath. "Did- Did you…"
A tongue licks at her lips and Arizona shakes her head. "No." She answers mutely. "We didn't."
It's in that moment, when their lips meet again, that all anger and jealousy subsides. The world fades away, along with their husbands and marriages and responsibilities and bills. It's just to two of them, as it was out in the cabin three nights ago. No one else exists.
Except for the man who does an about face just inside the door of the apartment, very much wishing he hadn't heard what he just heard.
The heel of her boot taps repeatedly against the polished linoleum floor and the beat echoes up and down the hallway. Fingernails pick at their brethren while teeth naw at the delicate flesh of pink lips. She has every right to be nervous. And not just because she's banging one of the board member's wives on the side. Apparently the board of directors for Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital has finally come to a decision on whether or not to take Tim's case pro-bono. Hundreds of thousands of dollars, pretty much every cent that Arizona and Tim would ever make for the rest of their lives, is being held over their head like some kind of guillotine. And who is behind the decision of whether to let the blade fall or to allow them to walk free? The husband of the woman whom, not more than 24 hours ago, had her legs spread wide open for Arizona to feast on her.
"So what exactly is your plan, Z?" Tim asks casually, tapping out his own beat on the metal frame of his crutches.
"What do you mean?" Arizona replies confusedly.
Her brother just gives her his signature half crooked smirk and he sighs. "After this whole pro-bono thing comes to a close, when you and I no longer need to stay in that shithole of an apartment, what then?"
"I don't know." Arizona answers in a breath.
"You think she's going to leave her husband for you?" Tim asks in disbelief. "You think she's going to give up the penthouse to live in an outhouse?" All he gets is silence from his sister, but he can see her gears moving.
He leans across their dividing arm rest and continues in a low voice. "I just don't want to see you get hurt, Z. You and me, we've been through enough these last few years. First mom getting sick, then dad dying. Losing the farm. Putting Momma in a home. …We're all we got left, and I don't want to see you hurt anymore."
She places her hand on his and squeezes. "I know, Tim. I know."
It's that scene that Max Castillo interrupts as he peeks his head out from behind the conference room door they were waiting outside of. "We're ready for you." He says dryly, not offering any semblance of a smile to either of them.
The conference room is just as cold and silent as it was the last time they were in there, and the squeaking of their chairs as they settle across the table from the five board members sounds as loud as an airplane landing. She'd be lying to herself if Arizona said she hadn't hoped that Callie would be present, but by the way the suits are shuffling their papers and clearing their throats, she knows that they aren't expecting anyone else in this meeting.
"As you were told on the phone, Mr. Robbins, the board has come to a decision." Max Castillo announces, staring directly across at the man that is as opposite him as night is to day.
After a beat, it's Arizona who says, "And…"
She doesn't miss the slight clenching of Max's jaw, but he quickly pulls his mask back on and answers, "And we've decided to take your case."
Both Tim and Arizona let out a sigh of relief. The guillotine has been stayed. "Thank you." Tim says breathlessly. "Thank you, so much."
The other four board members actually seem to smile at having delivered such news but Max remains unmoved. "We will require both of you to sign legal waivers, of course and-"
"Wait." Arizona interrupts, slapping down the piece of paper Max has slide in front of both of them. "Waiver? What are we waiving?"
"Your right to any legal action against either the hospital or Dr. Torres herself." He answers, words as unmoving as his face.
Tim leans forward, trying to shift the focus from his sister a bit. "Why would we-"
"It's just a formality, I assure you." Max interjects, his tone professional but still having an edge of condescension, almost as if neither Arizona or Tim could possibly understand it even if he wanted to explain it to them. "You'd be surprised at how underhanded some people may be." He adds, his gaze shifting from Tim, to his sister, and then landing back on Tim.
The atmosphere suddenly becomes tense, and Tim shifts beneath Max's cold, hard glare. Arizona knows from experience how easily Tim bends under that kind of pressure. More than once she trusted him with a secret, or what is considered a secret when she was five years old, and all their father had to do was look crossways at Tim and he was singing like a canary. So in hopes of keeping her brother from cracking, she grabs the fancy pen Max has offered and quickly signs her waiver.
Five minutes later the board has officially declared Tim Robbins free of any outstanding debt towards Seattle Grace Mercy West, and both Robbins' are given a handshake and swift kick out the door.
"Well, that was awkward." Arizona sighs, her hand sweeping through golden locks.
"You're right…" Tim acknowledges, "It's almost as if he knew someone was banging his-" But the rest of his sentence turns into cries of pain thanks to the heel of his sister's boot digging into the toes of Tim's one good foot, silencing the man just as Max goes walking past them. When those cold brown eyes cast a sideways glance at them, Arizona offers him a small, forced smile, which is enough to keep him on his way.
With his toes still throbbing, Tim watches Max as he moves further and further down the hall, head held high and briefcase clenched tightly in his hand. "He didn't stay long." He muses.
"Must be uncomfortable with that stick up his ass." Arizona growls, and is surprised to hear her brother chuckling beside her.
They're on their way towards the elevators when Arizona suddenly says she'll see Tim back at the apartment, and leaves the disabled man waiting for a carriage. It doesn't take a genius to figure just where his sister is going, but Tim knows that no matter what he says he can't keep Arizona from doing what she wants. She's stubborn that way. Stubborn to a fault. He gave up trying to talk her out of things years and years ago, right around the time she rode her first bull and ended up with a broken arm because of it. And of course she was back on that bull the very next day, cast and all.
It takes all of three minutes to walk to Callie's office, and Arizona finds herself becoming happier and happier the closer she gets. Yesterday was… amazing. She hasn't been able to get it out of her mind, the look of Callie's deep brown eyes burning with passion. It's all she's been able to think about, even while sitting across from said woman's husband.
Her office door is open and Callie's back is turned, so Arizona tip toes in and shuts the door with a gentle click. She steps up close behind the engrossed woman and slides her hands around the hips Arizona has felt pressed against her body all day.
"I said I can't, Ma-" Callie groans, thinking it's her husband who has decided to try his luck again despite her saying no to his advances just a few minutes ago. But then she peeks over her shoulder and sees blonde instead of black, blue instead of brown, and a big beautiful smile instead of Max's ever present nothingness.
Her mood lifts completely and Callie's lips turn up into a smile. "Well, hey there. What brings you here?"
"You." Arizona purrs, and her hands run up the front of Callie's lab coat to fist her lapels and pull the woman in for a kiss. "You. Are amazing." The rumble of the blonde's lips against hers, Arizona's whispered words and her entrancing touch makes Callie weak at the knees.
She pulls away enough to gaze up into welcoming brown eyes, and, with her words springing from deep within her soul, Arizona says, "Thank you. For… everything. For saving Tim, for being there for us-for me, throughout his recovery. And now, with the pro-bono thing… Just, for you being you. I don't- I don't think I could have made it through this last month without you."
"Wait, you- the board made a ruling?" Callie asks, her interest suddenly peaked as to why her husband, who arrived back in town last night just in time to miss the kids going down, never mentioned anything. Especially since she's the one that has been pushing so hard for a decision.
"Yeah. They granted it. And I- I know you were the cause behind it all." The blonde says brightly. "You were there for us. For me. So… thank you, Calliope." She can feel a rush of emotions coming forward, something she does not want to deal with right now, so Arizona ends their discussion by pulling Callie back in for a kiss.
They're on their way towards the doctor's office couch, Callie very much wanting to help celebrate with Arizona, but the sound of something metal raping against the door makes the couple freeze.
"Mr. Castillo-" A voice announces from outside.
Blue and brown eyes go wide. "Shit."
Tim sways on one foot as he attempts to block Dr. Torres's office door. "I just wanted to say thank you, again. I mean, you have no idea how much it means to me that-"
"I know very well how much it means, Mr. Robbins. I'm picking up the tab." There's just enough judgment in Max's voice that Tim has to clench the handles of his crutches to keep from punching the man out. He may not be the best under pressure, but was raised to be proud and he will protect his honor to his dying breath.
A tense couple of seconds pass and then Max asks, "Are you visiting my wife or…"
"Uhhhh… Yeah." Tim mumbles. "No! I mean, uh, I just visited her. You know, to thank her for… everything. But, I'm going now. So- yeah…." He can't stall anymore so Tim just smiles and limps away, praying that his sister was able to dig a hole in the floor, climb in, and pull the hole in after her.
He finds his wife hovering behind her desk, trying to appear like she's working but not really working. She's flustered, cheeks red and lips a little more plump than normal, almost like someone was nibbling on them. And her reaction at his sudden reappearance is just… too acted.
"Are you alright?" He asks skeptically.
Callie smiles at her husband and rounds her desk. "Of course I am. What, uh, why- Did you leave something?" Her gaze slips to the door that her secret lover is hiding behind but quickly returns to Max. He's studying her, that look in his eyes being something she's seen many times. The look he gets when he's onto something but doesn't want to reveal his hand just yet.
So she smiles even brighter and caresses his cheek. "You look a little tired, honey. Maybe tonight you should go to bed early." She coos, the sweetness in her voice sickening even herself. "How about I make you your favorite dinner, huh? That'll help you relax."
And as they say goodbye, Max aggressively deepening their kiss, Arizona pretends that she's far, far away. Somewhere where she can't hear the scum of the earth's lips smacking against the ones she's so desperately become addicted to.
"How is everything tasting this evening, Mr. Castillo?"
Max taps the corner of his mouth with his perfectly white cloth napkin then answers, "A little dry to be honest, Russell."
The general manager's face registers surprise and regret. "Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. Please, let me get you another-"
"That's not necessary." Max replies politely but still sending a clear message about how he really feels about it all. And as Callie glances at the face of the manager, she knows that someone is getting canned tonight for good measure.
Russell then turns to her and see's most of her plate uneaten. "And yours, Mrs. Castillo? Might I get you another-"
She smiles at the obviously perturbed man and says, "No, no, mine was delicious, really. I'm just not feeling all that well tonight." In fact she's been feeling weird a lot lately, but the doctor just chalks it up to the stress and guilt of being a cheater. Of carrying on an affair behind her husband's back. The mental and emotional shame her religion, her parents, her spouse… pretty much every person on earth, would place on her if they really knew what she were doing.
Their dinner date progresses much like their usual dinner dates do. Dressed up to impress people they don't even know, go out to a pretentious restaurant, talk about very little while pushing around a fifty dollar piece of meat, and then they go home. The house is quiet when they pull into their garage, and the nanny always silently accepts the few extra bills Callie slips her before she heads home for the night. And just like always, Callie peeks her head into her kids' rooms, making sure that they are sleeping peacefully. By the time she makes it to the master bedroom Max has already shrugged off his jacket and tie, leaving them draped over the back of his leather dressing chair that Callie will eventually hang up.
She's already in her silk robe, toothbrush in one hand and toothpaste in her other, when Callie finally blinks.
"I'm not happy." Her words seem foreign even to herself, but Callie's eyes lock with her husband's in the mirror before them. But that's all she gets. Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds pass and all they do is stare at each other.
"Did you hear me?" Callie asks, toothbrush and toothpaste still in hand.
"Of course I heard you, Calliope." Max replies bristly. "I'm standing four feet away from you." He unceremoniously throws down his towel and returns to the bedroom, anger fuming below the surface.
Forgetting brushing all together, Callie follows after her husband and says, "Well?"
"Well what?" Max sneers.
"Don't you have anything to say?" She watches him get ready for bed just like every other night. Like he would if she wasn't there at all.
"There's not much to say to that, is there?" Her husband replies, then pulls off his undershirt and reveals his sculpted body. Callie tries to remember just when those abs and pecs and biceps stopped making her knees go weak. It was probably around the time she wished he spent a little less time making himself look like some Greek sculpture and a little more time helping her care for their kids.
She just stands there, staring at her husband, the man whom she has raised a family with, as he brushes her off. Just like always. Her feelings aren't important, her job isn't important. Hell, she allows herself to be called Mrs. Castillo, even though she has worked hard and earned the right to use the title doctor. But because Mr. and Dr. Castillo or Mr. Castillo and Dr. Torres makes Max feel like the inferior one in their relationship, she demotes herself. For him.
Max takes a deep breath and settles his emotions. "It's not news, Calliope. I've known you've been unhappy for a while. Why else do you think I suggested having another baby?"
Words were spoken, Callie knows, but somehow they aren't making sense to her. "Wait, w-what?"
He pushes back the covers of the bed and sits on the edge, just as he has every night before, and pulls his wedding ring from his finger. "Oh, come on. You were 'unhappy'-" He uses air quotes and all, "-three years ago. Then you got pregnant. And you weren't unhappy anymore."
"That's-" She starts to contradict him but then suddenly stops. It all lines up. Three years ago she was unhappy, and then they got pregnant and Callie wasn't focused on her marriage. She became focused on the life she was growing. And, come to think of it, about seven years ago she was unhappy too. She and Max had already passed the 'newlywed bliss' stage of their relationship and Callie was feeling neglected. She wasn't important to him anymore, he had his prize. He got the pretty arm candy, and a very lucrative spot working for his father-in-law's company. Yes, Max Castillo had fallen into a pretty comfortable life. But then, even though she were on birth control at the time, she got pregnant with their first child, and nothing else seemed to matter anymore.
"Did you even want them?" She asks, kind of fearing her husband's answer. "Junior and Val, tell me you wanted them."
"I love our children, Calliope." Max snarls, his fierce, if hidden, pride of being a father coming through. "Why else do you think I work as hard as I do? Busting my ass for your father, putting a roof over my family's heads. I don't do it for my health." He can feel himself losing control again, much like that night he chased his wife and children from their own home, so Max takes a deep, calming breath.
"What do you want?" He asks, each word falling from his lips heavily. "Tell me what will make you happy. You want more clothes? Don't have enough? Fine, go shopping. You want another car, get it. You want to spend more time with the kids, quit your job."
"That's not what I what." Callie whispers, falling to the edge of her side of the bed and covering her glistening eyes with her hands. She's so lost, and confused. And the image of Arizona hiding behind her office door that keeps flashing through her mind isn't helping at all. "I don't… I don't know what I want."
"Then how the hell am I supposed to know what you want?" Max grumbles, dropping his wedding band in the small dish on his bedside then flicking off his light.
Without another word he sinks into the soft, silk sheets covering their plush, king sized mattress while Callie stares off into the darkness. Everything is wrong. Nothing makes sense anymore. A month ago she was fine. She was oblivious to her misery, or at least she would have been for a while long. At which point she'd probably end up pregnant again because her husband would probably end up pregnant again, placing her own career on hold… again. And wondering why Max retreats even deeper into work… again. But now? Now her eyes are wide open. And she's not liking what she sees.
"Val, for the last time, stop trying to wipe your nose on your brother's sleeve!"
That is the first thing Arizona hears as the heavy front door of the Castillo resident opens.
As soon as brown eyes fall upon blue, Callie sighs in relief. "Thank god- Thank you, Arizona. Please, come in."
When she woke up this morning Callie had no idea how quickly her day would turn on its head. All it took was a call from Lolita, the nanny, telling Callie that she was sick with the flu, and that started the chain reaction. Because Lolita wouldn't be working today that meant Callie would have to not only get her kids up, fed and dressed, which she does everyday, but she would have to go nearly an hour out of her way to drop her son off at school. And then nearly an hour back to the hospital to where she would place a very cranky Valentina in daycare. Chaotic, yes, but still doable. Only… Valentina is just recovering from an ear infection and still has a slight fever, which means the hospital daycare won't take her no matter how much Callie, Dr. Torres, the one with the medical degree, swears that her daughter is not contagious. Thus bringing Arizona to her front door.
It's been a couple weeks since Arizona has been in the woman's house, or mansion, but she can still see Callie in her pink robe, sitting at the kitchen table and sharing a pot of coffee with her. That touch they had, innocent and comforting, sparked something that has taken Arizona by surprise. Which is why, when a stressed and frantic Callie called her earlier this morning asking Arizona to do her a huge favor, Arizona didn't hesitate to say yes. …Even though Arizona has no idea what to do with a two year old all day.
"Thank you." Callie breathes, her hand finding one of Arizona's and their fingers interlacing together. "You have no idea how much you're saving me right now."
As they walk into the kitchen their hands fall away from one another's and distance is added between them. "Max, honey, if you're done then please put your bowl in the sink and go get your shoes on." Callie says, busying around the kitchen as she readies her own stuff.
"Where Lolo, mami?" Valentina mumbles around a partially chewed mouthful of Applejacks.
"Lolo is sick, mija. And you can't come to work with me because you still have a little fever so Miss Arizona is going to spend the day with you."
Big brown eyes dart to the blonde and Arizona smiles at her. "You and me, yeah? We're gonna have a blast."
"Horsey rides?!" The girl shrieks.
"Uh-"
"No no, sweetie. It's too cold for you to see the horses today. Maybe some other time when it's a little warmer and you're not just getting over an oww-ie, ok?" Callie answers, then glances at her watch. "Max!" She shouts towards the stairs, "Put a move on it, buddy. Let's go!"
Feet come running down the stairs and a tousled hair six year old appears with his back pack and coat. Callie grabs her thermos of steaming coffee and her briefcase before giving her daughter a kiss goodbye. The blonde follows mother and son to the side door off the kitchen and smiles when Callie turns back towards her.
"Thank you, Arizona. You have no idea-" She starts.
"I'm happy to do it, Calliope." Arizona replies softly. "Honestly, it's the least I could do after all you've done for me."
Her fingers fidget with the keys in her hand and Callie has to remind herself that they are in front of her kids right now. "Um, she's pretty picky about what she'll eat but I've made a sandwich for her lunch and put it in the fridge. Help yourself to whatever. And, uh, Junior will be dropped off by car pool at around 3:30 so you'll have him too for a few hours before I get home." She waits for, and pretty much expects, Arizona to say that she can't do it. And Callie wouldn't blame her, not after what happened in her office a couple days ago.
But to her surprise Arizona just smiles and says, "We'll be fine, Calliope. I promise not to break them."
Apparently they're taking too long because a grumpy Max Junior yells from next to the car, "Ma! Come on." And almost as if they timed it on purpose, a crash comes from inside the kitchen where a milk filled bowl is dropped from slippery fingers.
Before Callie can even say anything, Arizona tells her, "I got it. Honest. Now you get going, Dr. Torres."
"Ok. …Bye." Callie smiles, and without even thinking about it, she leans in to kiss Arizona. But halfway there her brain kicks in again, remembering the two sets of innocent eyes looking on, and Callie redirects her lips to a dimpled cheek instead. "Bye."
"Bye." Arizona says, a blush rushing to the point of contact. She watches Callie and Max Junior from the porch, waving back until she can no longer see them. Only then does Arizona turn around to find her charge for the day sitting in a pool of spilt milk, and very happily splashing around.
She takes a deep breath and puts a smile on her face. "…Alrighty then."
The first hour or so is pretty rough, with Valentina all but throwing a tantrum when Arizona insisted she get out of her milk soaked clothes. But then Arizona remembers Callie once mentioning how obsessed her daughter had become with horses after her first ride, and that's when Arizona pulls out her belt buckle. It's not the gold and shiny on her brother won, or stole from her, but it catches the little girl's attention.
As the day wears on Valentina becomes more and more enamored with Arizona. To the little girl this blonde stranger can do no wrong. Her stories, and her jokes, even her crayon drawings are new. When it comes to lunch time she doesn't even put up a fight when Arizona sets out the sandwich her mother made for her. Even though it has cheese on it, Valentina puts aside her unwillingness to eat yellow foods just so Miss Arizona can see what a big girl she is.
After lunch and a half hour nap, in which a tuckered Arizona also grabs a few winks, Valentina saddles up and dons her sitter's hat while taking a blonde pony for a ride around the living room. Then the kitchen. Up and down the hallway, and ever a few times around the dining room table. By the time Junior comes in through the side door Arizona is sure she's going to be crippled for life.
"I'm hungry." The boy announces almost immediately.
Val hope up from the coffee table where she was coloring and adds, "Me too."
"Does your mom let you have snacks after school?" Arizona asks, not wanting to call the woman yet again with another question. She's been able to limit it to, like, five, and calling a sixth time would just scream incompetence. "What, uh, what do you usually have?" But all she gets is some babbling from the two year old while Max Junior seems to be shying away from her. "Alright then, I'll just introduce you two to the Robbins special. Grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches."
By the time Callie is able to slip out of the hospital without getting pulled back in by a 'quick' consult, or a 'quick' discussion, it's after six. Her cell phone has been silent for hours, and she's half tempted to call the house just to make sure it hasn't completely burned down yet, but for some reason she trusts Arizona. It took Callie days, weeks even, to become comfortable with the nanny she has. Even though Lolita came with stellar recommendations and answered all of Callie's interview questions perfectly, a mother's worry never leaves. But with Arizona, she doesn't have those concerns.
When her car rounds the corner of her block Callie does let out a small sigh of relief to see her home still standing, and knowing just who is behind that door waiting for her makes Callie even more excited to be coming home. Her kids always bring a smile to her face, but her kids and Arizona? That's something special.
No matter what Callie was expecting when she walk through the door, nothing would have prepared her for what she sees. In the family room just off the kitchen where she enters from the driveway, she sees all three sitting on the floor, her son studiously working on his homework as he always does. But it's what Valentina is doing to Arizona that kills Callie.
Arizona peeks over Max's shoulder after his pencil has been still for a minute. "Ok, think about it in terms of cookies. You have 24 cookies but I want half, so we have to divide all your cookies until we both have the same amount." It's like a light has been flipped in his six year old brain and that pencil immediately starts scribbling.
Once she's sure the boy is on the right track again Arizona turns back to Valentina and closes her eyes, at which point the little girl continues her make over. And what a makeover it is. Bright blue and pink eye shadow is painted across her dimpled cheeks. Lipstick has been applied in plenty, in a manner Arizona is sure closer resembles a clown than a woman, and the mascara, well… she hid the mascara for the safety of her eyes. Golden locks stick out at odd and unpleasing angles thanks to the horde of barrettes and hair clips Val has styled it with and stick on ear rings are not only on her ear lobes, but carpeting much of her forehead and neck areas.
It's then, after her fifth layer of eye shadow, that Arizona hears a very familiar chuckling. The chuckling of someone trying to keep quiet but just can't manage it. As a blue eye peeks open that someone gives up trying to be quiet and their chuckle evolves into a full bodied laugh.
"Well don't you look purdy." Callie plays, the smile on her lips quivering from the effort of trying not to laugh directly in Arizona's face.
"Look, mami." Valentina boasts proudly. "Mwiss Av-zona let me put on makeup."
"I see that, mija." The doctor walks over to the three musketeers and gives her kids a kiss on the cheek. She's about to give Arizona a kiss on the cheek as well but it's even worse up close and Callie can't keep it together long enough to kiss the woman. "I see you had a fun day." She muses, and her daughter nods happily while Arizona gives her the stink eye.
Normally Lolita, somehow, manages to make dinner, or at least start it, by the time Callie comes home but now it's up to her to get food on the table. It's getting late for the kids, and she's really not in the mood to make something fancy, so with a very decisive vote from the two tiny humans Callie starts making spaghetti and meat balls. And thanks to Valentina's pleading, Arizona stays for dinner as well, though Callie would have been insisting she stay anyways if her daughter hadn't asked first.
It's the first dinner in a long long time that actually feels like a family dinner. Arizona has washed off much of Val's handy work, leaving some bright blue and pink eye shadow to make the girl feel good, and has taken Max's usual spot at the head of the table. No one comments on the man's absence, mostly because he's absent a lot. The addition of the blonde adds excitement, and even the shy Max Junior seems to have warmed up to her.
She doesn't even realize how much time has gone by, but when Arizona yawns she looks up at the clock and finds it's nearing nine already. Callie is getting the kids washed and changed into their pj's for bed so Arizona takes the few quiet minutes to peruse the grand manor.
Her eyes are drawn to the very noticeable stain in the paint job of the hallway. It's a splatter of some kind, right around chest height, and for some reason she knows that that is from the night Max lost all control and chased his family from their house. The night two scared kids and one emotional woman wound up knocking on her apartment door.
Arizona is filled with a sudden feeling of hatred towards Max. Not because she covets what he has, but because he doesn't realize just what it is he has. After one day Valentina has wrapped the blonde around her little pinky, and Arizona thinks Max Jr is the most brilliant and the sweetest boy she's ever met. …And how could Max not see just how amazing his family is? How could he ever neglect his wife so much to the point where she…
She doesn't even know she's in his office until her eyes come to focus on a stack of files on his desk. Numbers after numbers after numbers fill the pages with hurried handwriting written around margins. Arrows and figures and totals and highlighting, it's a mess. But somehow Arizona seems to be able to follow it, at least a little bit. She keeps seeing one number over and over and over again, but can't figure out what it means. It's long, like an account number, but why would someone like Max leave an account number on a piece of paper that could very easily be misplaced or lost.
Upstairs, Callie is taking a few minutes to tuck her daughter into bed, one of her favorite parts of her days. "How was your day, mija?" She asks softly, moonlight making the soft pink of the little girl's curtains glow. "Did you have fun with Miss Arizona today? Were you a good little girl for her?"
Valentina nods tiredly, her pudgy little arms wrapped tightly around the neck of her favorite stuffed animal, a giraffe named Geoffrey.
"Good." Callie gives her daughter a smile then kisses her good night. A few more tucks for good measure and then Callie tip toes her way out of the girl's room, leaving the bedroom door cracked just enough to let a sliver of light fall into the darkness from outside.
Now that the house is finally quiet, all innocent minds drifting off to sleep, Callie returns to the first floor in search of her hero. She finds her grabbing her coat and keys, well on her way to sneaking out the back door.
"Where are you going?" Callie asks, an adorable pout forming on her lips.
"Oh, I was, uh- You've had a long day. I've had a long day- not that Val was any trouble or anything." Arizona replies, clenching and twisting her coat between her hands. "I just going to…" But the look Callie is giving her makes the blonde smile. "What about… him?" She asks, feeling herself falling yet again for this woman's charm.
"He's out of town. …And you're not going anywhere." The Latina purrs, then tips her head to the side and presses her lips against the blonde's. Callie works the coat from Arizona's grasp and hangs it back. Blue eyes have grown dark, a hunger burning beneath her flesh.
Taking one of her lover's hands in hers, Callie silently leads Arizona through the kitchen and up the stairs. She doesn't pause at her kids doors and instead walks to the end of the hallway to where her bedroom lies. It's only after the door is closed and locked, in case of tiny humans roaming the house due to bad dreams, does Callie face Arizona again.
She reinitiates their kiss but now something is wrong. The energy she felt against Arizona's lips is no longer there. "What's wrong?" Callie asks.
"I-" Arizona glances around the large and lavishly decorated bedroom, the bedroom Callie shares with her husband. "I can't do this. Not here, with the kids- and the bed where-"
Instead of trying to change the woman's mind, Callie decides to play a different tact. "No, that's… that's not why I brought you up here. I just- I wanted to know what you thought about something I just bought." The Latina doesn't wait for Arizona's response, and instead guides the blonde to a chair just off to the side of the room. "I'll be right back." She adds, giving her a wink then disappearing from sight.
A few moments of hastily shed clothes, some brushes of smoky eye shadow, and one trip into the deep cave of her wardrobe, Callie saunters out of the bathroom in a black silk garter ensemble. Dark stockings held up by tautly drawn straps over her curvaceous hips, and overflowing breasts restrained by a bra that seems to meld perfectly into her skin tone. The thin black robe she's wearing hang off of one shoulder, it's sash dangling seductively from one of Callie's loosely fisted hands. The only touch of color her entire being seems to have is the redness of her lips. …And the red heels on her feet.
"Holy mother of…." Every ounce of blood drains from Arizona's mind the moment she sets eyes on Callie. It can't be real. It's not possible. The only way someone could be so beautiful, so gorgeous, so downright sexy is if Arizona was dreaming. …A fucking awesome dream, but a dream none the less.
But then the dream moves, Callie taking one slow, purposeful step towards her, and Arizona gets to see those hips in action. The way those straps strain against the Latina's flexing thighs, how she moves so gracefully on mile high pumps… It's a dream.
"It's not polite to gawk, cowgirl." Callie purrs, and in that moments Arizona's heart stops. Just… stops.
Now just a foot in front of the blonde, Callie turns her back to the woman and slowly, painfully slow, lets her robe fall inch by inch to the floor. She can feel the intensity of blue eyes roaming her body, and it's setting the Latina on fire. The way Arizona makes her feel about herself, the power Callie has over the blonde… it's something the mother and wife has never felt before. The feeling of being… desired.
"You-you-you…. Wow. I, uh, I d-definitely approve. Yeah, it's uh- that's a keeper." Her tongue seems to be about twice the size it should be but Arizona doesn't care. If the cost of seeing Callie like this is never being able to fit her tongue in her mouth again, Arizona would gladly take that punishment.
"You think?" Callie asks thoughtfully. "But you haven't felt the fabric yet." Her smile sends a chill down Arizona's back, and then her world stops turning when Callie takes one last step forward, straddle her legs, and then sits atop Arizona's lap.
Strong, sure hands take the blonde's and Callie guides them to her breasts. Both women moan, for very different reasons, and Arizona feels herself nearing her combustion point. Nearly naked hips grind Callie's center against Arizona's stomach while plump, luscious lips hypnotize blue eyes until finally she breaks.
The next thing Callie knows is that she is flat on her back in bed, a very hungry Arizona kissing her in desperation. She no longer seems to notice that they are on the bed Callie shares with her husband, in the room they decorated together within the home they bought shortly after marrying. Right now all Arizona knows is Callie, and all Callie knows in Arizona.
Hands roam bodies and tug at clothes. Very quickly Arizona is stripped down to much the same as Callie, only the Colorado cowgirl doesn't happen to be sporting drop dead sexy stockings or pumps. But that doesn't seem to tame Callie's hunger, or her need to take control. It's new, and for as much as Arizona loves taking the lead, she is more than willing to let Callie have her fun.
But even the blonde hesitates when Callie starts to slink lower and lower, her lips and tongue seeming to move closer to the one area the married and 'straight' woman has yet to venture.
"Wait. Wait…" Arizona gasps, tugging Callie back up just as she's crossing her panty line. "You… you don't have to-"
"I want to." Callie whispers, the seriousness and depth of her words seemingly endless. She kisses the blonde one more time, her tongue caressing that of Arizona's, and then she continues her descent southward.
Strong legs part and Callie settles herself between them. She can smell Arizona's arousal, something she never thought could be such a turn on. Her fingers play in the soft blonde curls that sit atop the woman's sex, and brown eyes dart up to find blue watching her every move. A thumb and forefinger part aroused, swollen lips, and Callie swallows when a pert pink bud comes out of hiding. She's never looked at the female body before, not really, but now, seeing Arizona laid out before her in the most exposed and vulnerable ways imaginable, Callie is struck by how absolutely gorgeous it is.
Her touch is tentative, but as soon as her tongue caresses Arizona's bud a bolt of electricity shoots through both other them. Fingers curl in black hair and hips rise against plump lips.
"Was that-"
"Yes." Arizona gasps, "Yes, that was- yes, that's good."
Arizona's very evident enjoyment spurs Callie on to touch her again. She may not have the form of the technique, the tricks or moves that the blonde uses to send her into another world. But as Callie becomes more and more comfortable with what she's doing, she starts to notice just how Arizona reacts to her. She finds that a broad stroke against the woman's clit earns her a deep moan, while a soft suckle between her lips elicits a gasp.
They get lost in each other, with only their hushed breaths and whispered words. Heated and sweaty bodies move against one another and release after release is shared. It's only afterwards, during their post-coital haze, that Callie realizes the boundary she has just crossed. This is her marital bed, the room she shares with Max, and yet tonight has been the best night she's ever had within these four walls.
With her head resting in the crook of Arizona's arm, the steady thrumming of a slowing heart filling her mind, Callie murmurs, "I wish we could just stay like this."
"Yeah." Arizona sighs, her fingers tickling the expanse of Callie's back. "Yeah, me too." And after a beat, she asks, "Why don't you leave him? You're not happy with him, so why are you-"
"It's not that easy, Arizona." The doctor sighs, and she can feels Arizona emotionally pulling away, her fingers no longer caressing her flesh. She props up on an elbow and looks down into blue eyes. "I can't just pack my bags and leave. Not with the kids, and the hospital… He's in every part of my life. Every part, except you."
After a short, sweet kiss, Callie says, "I want to take care of you, Arizona." Blue eyes screw up in confusion, and she continues, "I don't want to lose you, but I know you can't work at Joe's forever. I figured, now that he's getting better, you and Tim would be heading back home. Where ever that is for you. …But I don't want you to go." She plays at a strand of blonde hair, unable to keep Arizona's gaze for longer than a few seconds. "I can set you up in a nice apartment, somewhere comfortable. You wouldn't have to worry about working or paying the bills. And it'd give us someplace to be… us. Somewhere where we don't have to be quiet. Don't have to behave in front of the kids. …Let me take care of you."
"So… so, what? I'd get to be with you every Monday and Thursday, and whenever your husband is out of town?" Arizona asks, her words dripping with venom. She pulls away from Callie and sits up, grabbing her jeans just off to the side of the bed "And then, after you've had your fun, you'd leave some money on the dresser on your way out the door?"
"It wouldn't be like that, Arizona." Callie says. She sits, with the sheet held over her chest to cover herself, and reaches for the blonde but Arizona just pulls away. "Why are being like this?"
Arizona shoves her legs down her pants and roughly pulls her shirt over her head, not even bothering to wrestle with her bra. "Because I thought I was more than just some…. whore to you." She sneers, and Callie flinches as if she were just slapped.
"That's not-"
"Don't." Arizona snaps. She turns back to the bed to find Callie looking at her, brown eyes lost and pleading, but Arizona doesn't want to hear it. Tim was right, she did get hurt. She thought Callie cared for her, wanted some sort of… something with her. A future, as complicated as it would be. Not some sleazy side affair with code words and sneaking. And hiding behind office doors. Arizona doesn't want that. She wants all of Callie, and she's realizing that that's not possible.
"Arizona, please, come back to bed." Callie asks. "You know that's not what I-"
"I, um, I'm going to." Arizona replies, and starts to back up towards the bedroom door. "I'm supposed to be working tonight- you know, earning my nightly wage so-" Even as it's coming out of her mouth she knows it's harsh, so instead Arizona simply smiles and says, "I'll see you later."
A minute later the purr of an old truck engine rips through the night and Callie watches from her bedroom window as headlights turn out of her driveway and disappear into the night. So she goes to sleep, yet again alone and confused.