AN: Sorry that this took so long guys. I have been in France for a little more than 3 weeks now and I have been busy to say the least. The French know how to party. Chapter 21 for your reading pleasure :)
Chapter 21:
Arizona is completely distraught after ending things with Callie. She walks to the nearest on call room and essentially breaks down on the bed. She can't believe she just ended things with perhaps the most beautiful person she has ever met. She has never felt this way about anyone before. She is so drawn to and enamored by Calliope. She wants nothing more than to be with the brunette, but can't continue doing it the way they have been. She needs to be able to claim Callie as her own. She doesn't want to have to share Callie with anyone but Sam. Callie promised to tell Owen and Arizona hoped she would have done it by now. But, Callie hadn't told Owen yet and Arizona knows this drastic move will let her know once and for all how Callie really feels about her.
Arizona is sitting alone in the dark on call room balling her eyes out. She doesn't even know how long she has been there, but it has probably been a while. She hears a soft knock on the door and quickly tries to pull herself together. After wiping away her tears and stopping the sobs that are wracking her body, she quietly answers the knock.
"Come in," she says weakly. She looks up as the door slowly creaks open revealing the last possible face she expected to see. "Sarah," she mutters to the nurse she once dated before a sexy Latina invaded her life. "What's up?" Sarah looks at Arizona's disheveled state and tear stricken cheeks and doesn't say a word. She just enters the room closing the door behind her and sits down next to the blonde. She immediately starts rubbing Arizona's back soothingly and patiently waits for Arizona to calm down before asking.
"Arizona, are you all right?" She asks quietly and with utter sweetness. Even though they haven't spoken in a couple months, Sarah still cares deeply for this woman. Arizona takes a moment to look at Sarah before answering her question.
"Not really," she nearly whispers. She knows she can't tell Sarah what is really wrong, due to the obvious secrecy of her and Callie's relationship. She decides to try to elaborate without giving away too many details. "I lost someone I really cared about today." Sarah automatically assumes that Arizona means a patient or friend in the hospital. Arizona can tell she hasn't been clear enough with her words. "No one died," she says dryly and Sarah breathes a sigh of relief instinctively. Arizona gives her a death glare.
"Sorry I don't mean to be relieved in lieu of your pain, but I am glad no one is dead." She pauses while Arizona refocuses her view on the floor. "So if no one died, whom did you lose?" Arizona doesn't answer at first and Sarah thinks of another question during the silence. "And how or why did you lose them?" Arizona looks at Sarah and raises an eyebrow at her new query. "Well if they didn't die, and you are clearly upset they are gone, why are you letting them go?" Her words sink in slowly to Arizona's distraught brain. Sarah is right, she doesn't really have to lose Callie, but she knows this is the only way.
"It doesn't matter," she says coldly shrugging off Sarah's hand from her back and standing up from the bed. "What time is it?" She knows her shift is probably done and she desperately needs a drink. Sarah looks down at the watch on her left wrist.
"It's a little after seven," she responds. "Why?" But, Arizona is already half way out the door by the time the words leave her mouth. Sarah quickly stands from the bed and follows her into the hall. "Hey, where are you going?" She speeds down the hall after a retreating Arizona. Arizona ignores her and continues toward the attending locker room to change back into street clothes. Sarah follows her, trying to keep up with Arizona's brisk walk. She tries a different tactic. "Is your shift done? You wanna get a drink?" Arizona stops suddenly and Sarah barely misses running into the back of her. Arizona turns to face her with a look of disdain. She wants to get a drink but not with Sarah. Sarah senses her hesitation and tries to do a little convincing. "Well my shift is done and I am going to Joe's for a drink anyway, so if you want to join, you can."
Arizona thinks for a moment. She is going to go to Joe's also, and if she says no to Sarah and goes anyway, that would be rude. If she says no, she will have to go home right now and she isn't sure she can handle being alone with her thoughts right now. She looks up at Sarah who is smiling and waiting patiently for her to respond.
"Fine," she spits the word. She turns and continues walking to the locker room and Sarah follows close behind.
"Don't be so sour, it's just a drink." Sarah walks with her toward the locker room. "You seem upset so I thought a drink might help. It will be fun." Arizona enters the locker room and Sarah leans in after her.
"Sarah, I'm gonna change now so why don't you go do the same and we can meet out front," she says so condescendingly Sarah is tempted to rescind the offer to get drinks. She shakes off that thought and looks at Arizona, the woman she has been dying to go on another date with. She knows it will be worth it if they go home together.
"Okay, Sassy," Sarah answers. "I'll go change and meet you out front in fifteen minutes." She leaves the locker room and rushes toward the nurses' lockers to change quickly. She doesn't want to keep Arizona waiting and give her a chance to change her mind.
Arizona slumps down onto a bench in front of her locker and sighs dejectedly. She can't believe she has broken up with Callie, possibly forever, and is going to get drinks with Sarah. She doesn't even like hanging out with Sarah anymore. She just wants to get a drink alone, but maybe having Sarah around will keep her just distracted enough to not think about Callie.
Arizona's plan backfires in the worst way. She thought that maybe with Sarah around she wouldn't think about Callie. Having Sarah around has the exact opposite effect. They have been at the bar for about an hour and Arizona has had two tequila shots and a beer. Being with Sarah makes her brain automatically compare everything Sarah says or does to things Callie says and does. She needs to drink alcohol and quick to cloud her brain that is filled with thoughts of a certain brunette.
Arizona opens her eyes and immediately clamps them shut again. She has a pounding headache and feels slightly nauseous. She knows it can't be that late because she started drinking at about seven. She instinctively brings her hands to her head and massages her temples. She has a sudden realization that she is very naked. Her eyes fly open again and she sees that she is definitely in her own bed in her own apartment. She slowly sits up and brushes against a warm body that is lying next to her. She has a feeling she knows who it is and starts shaking her head at how stupid she is. She turns to look at the person lying next to her and her suspicions are confirmed. A naked sleeping Sarah is tucked into the bed next to her.
Arizona quickly gets out of bed and grabs her robe. She starts pacing around her bedroom. How the hell did this happen? She tries to remember the events of the evening. Her mind is still fogged with an alcohol induced haze. She goes to the kitchen to get some water. After taking several large gulps she tries to replay the night again. She remembers being at the bar and Sarah annoying her beyond belief. She remembers ordering many drinks and Sarah not drinking very much at all. She recalls Sarah offering to bring her home and, although she tried to argue, Sarah walked outside with her and pinned her against the brick wall. Sarah kissed her deeply and in Arizona's drunken mind she imagined it was Callie kissing her.
She finishes her glass of water and starts pacing again. She knows that she definitely slept with Sarah, but the whole time she was imagining it was Callie. She shakes her head violently. How could she have let this happen? She wanted to end things with Callie so that Callie would tell Owen and they could be together, not so she could sleep with someone she doesn't even like. How could she do this to Calliope? She is in love with Callie and never wants to hurt her. And now she has gone and done something that could potentially end their love affair for good.
She checks the time and it's only about ten at night. How did the night go so wrong in such a short amount of time? She stops pacing when she hears movement coming from her bedroom. She is about to go see what the hell Sarah was thinking tonight, when someone knocks on her door. She is torn whether to answer it or not, but decides she should.
She strides to the door and opens it to see a gorgeous smiling Calliope standing in front of her. As soon as Callie sees Arizona she grabs her and pulls her into a deep kiss. She pulls their bodies together and kisses Arizona like they have been apart for years, not hours. She pulls back from a confused Arizona and smiles brightly.
"I did it," she says breathlessly. "I told Owen." She pauses for a moment waiting for Arizona to react. Arizona is hopelessly trying to figure a way out of the mess she is currently knee deep in. She knows Sarah is probably about to walk out here and Callie will never forgive her. "Arizona," Callie starts looking confused. "I told Owen. Not only that I want a divorce, but that I love you." She pauses again waiting for some type of reaction from the blonde. "Did you hear me? I love you Arizona." Just as the words leave her mouth she hears someone moving around in Arizona's bedroom. Her hands drop from Arizona's face and she turns toward the bedroom door. "Is someone here?" she asks, her voice strained with confusion and disbelief.
Arizona is about to speak when a sheet clad Sarah walks into the living room. Sarah looks up to see Callie and her face blushes. She instinctively tightens her grip on the sheet that is wrapped around her and looks from Callie's paling face to Arizona's.
"Sorry," Sarah says innocently. She has no idea the problems she has just caused. "I didn't know anyone else was here." Callie stares at the other woman for a few moments while Arizona refocuses her vision on Callie's pale face. Callie's eyes fill with tears and her face turns to Arizona's almost in slow motion. She opens her mouth as if to speak, but no words make their way to the surface. She blinks several times sending tears rolling down her pale cheeks. She shakes her head.
"Callie," Arizona says almost silently. "Please Calliope this is not what it looks like." Callie turns and walks swiftly past Arizona and out the open door next to her. "Callie!" Arizona yells after the retreating brunette. "Please!" she says loudly chasing after Callie and grabbing her arm. Callie spins around and her face is splashed with fierce anger and her checks are beet red.
"No, Arizona." She says sternly. She turns around and continues walking, leaving Arizona glued to the floor. "I should have known this meant nothing to you!" She yells over her shoulder as she bursts through the door to the stairwell.
Arizona is left in the middle of the hall, tears welling up in her eyes. She drops her head and shakes it. She can hear Sarah getting water in her apartment. She thinks to herself, what the hell have I done?