THE OTHER WAY AROUND

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Summary: Callie's out, Arizona's a newborn, but slowly progressing to becoming a toddler.

Rating: T

Disclaimer: All characters referred to in this work, including the settings are the properties of ABC and Shonda Rhimes. This material was written for pure fun and pleasure and no profit is earned from it.

Chapter 24

Callie waited not so patiently at the stairwell. She kept on looking at her watch. They agreed to meet here at 8 pm since it was the only time they were all off duty. She looked again at her watch, 8:05 pm. "What is so difficult with being on time?" she grumbled.

At that very moment, Lexie came bounding down the stairs…with two clowns. Oops, my bad. It was Mark and Addison.

"What in the world are you three wearing!?" She exclaimed and Lexie just laughed. They were all wearing black suits, black boots, and dark sunglasses.

"We're keeping with the act. We are dressed like this because Addison wanted to feel like she was a secret agent. She wouldn't take no for an answer." Mark responded while fumbling with his jacket.

"You do know it's dark outside, right?" She reminded them.

"I know but we've got to keep our cover with all these secret stuff." Addison whispered and took her glasses off.

"Right and walking in here dressed like that really screams low key." Callie laughed again and stretched her arms, asking for the glasses.

"Um no, it's part of the get-up Cal." Addison argued. Mark and Lexie, on the other hand, willingly handed over their glasses.

"The clothes, I can take. But the glasses have to go." She crossed her arms, looking seriously at Addison.

"Fine, just so you know you are ruining all my fun." The redhead begrudgingly handed over the glasses.

"Great, now at least I know you guys won't draw any unnecessary attention."

"They won't even know we're here, Cal. Trust us, our plan is fool proof," Mark assured, giving her two thumbs up and a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Hmmp, famous last words. Okay, one last run-down, Lexie, how's everything at your end?"

"Done already. The kids did their tasks. Arizona already got them when she went for her rounds." Lexie reported.

"Addison?"

"All good, the package is ready and will be delivered to her office an hour before midnight, the same time her shift would end." Addison responded.

"Good. Now how about the roses and candles?"

"Already in place. All you have to do is light them as you wait for her." Mark spoke.

"How about the ones in the stairwell?"

"In place as well. The note will be waiting for her at the bottom step," Mark added.

"And the elevator?"

"Already bribed someone to stop it on the second floor," Addison reported.

"And I will be answering the emergency phone when she calls for help," Lexie added.

"And the chief?"

"Uh oh. I can feel Trouble breathing down my neck." Mark answered with worry.

"That's just the air conditioning, Mark." Addison sarcastically admonished him then she looked at Callie. "He will not know about it. The elevator will stop for 30 seconds tops," she assured her.

"Okay. I think we covered everything." Callie said, then she realized something else, "Wait, how about Cristina?" She didn't want her roommate going home to the apartment tonight. She wants privacy.

"I got that covered," Lexie spoke up. "I wrote a fake surgery on the board, scheduled for 1 am. I bribed Derek to play along with it, so he asked her to scrub in. She won't be anywhere near the apartment when midnight strikes."

"Good thinking, Lexie. So are we all on board?" Addison and Lexie nodded their assent. As for Mark, "Sure, I am your puppet, as long as you will post my bail when the chief sends me to jail." The three woman glared at him. "Fine, I'm on board."

"Okay, that's it."

"Wait," Mark interrupted. "Take this," He handed walkie talkies to Lexie and Addison.

"Wow Mark, I'm touched. You really went out and spent for this."

"No Cal, I didn't. I stole it from the EMTs." Callie's eyes widened. "I wasn't joking about the bail. They use this in big traumas, like that time in the ferry. Keep it on so we can communicate."

Callie watched as they fumbled with the gadgets and couldn't help but cry. The length they would go to help her was amazing.

"Thank you guys, you really are the best." Callie's tone was very grateful.

"Of course we are, after all we are postponing our New Year's celebration to get you your happy ever after." Addison teased her. "So you just sit back and wait in your flat while we do all the dirty work for you." Callie just rolled her eyes at the jab. "Stop crying and go be beautiful and sexy." She pushed Callie towards the door to the hallway. She sniffed as she watched Callie leave.

"You're crying," Mark pointed out.

"I do not cry."

"Oh well then it's raining on your face."

*****

"This is Maddie Addie to Manwhore. Manwhore do you copy?"

"Why couldn't I have gotten a better name?" He whined.

She ignored him, "Do you copy?

"Loud and clear," Mark spoke back, rolling his eyes. "You're crazy."

"Hence the name. Come in, Little Grey."

"That's original," Addison heard Mark through the receiver.

"Shut up Mark. What's your position, Little Grey?"

"By the phone at the guard's counter. Waiting for your signal."

"Good. Mark.. er I mean Manwhore, where are you?"

"At the pedia wing, about to deliver the goods."

"Shouldn't you have done that like five minutes ago."

"Aw shit, you're right. Copy, I'm going."

"Roger that."

"I thought I'm manwhore?"

Addison just rolled her eyes and went back to her task.

***

"What are you doing here?"

Mark stiffened and turned around. ""Happy New Year, dimples. I'm here. Another obnoxious, uninvited, unwelcomed reason to give thanks this new year."

Arizona looked at her suspiciously.

"I thought I should drop by and wish you a happy new year."

"Okay…. Well happy new year to you as well, Mark."

"Well, that's it, gotta go. More people to greet personally," and with that Mark was out of the door.

Arizona just shook her head at Mark's ridiculousness. She walked to her table and emptied her pockets. She placed several Hershey's Kisses on top and smiled when she recalled how she got all of it.

She went about her usual rounds and some of the kids gave her chocolates as they greeted her happy new year. She found it unusual that they all gave her the same kind of chocolate but dismissed it. She was not about to question the simplicity of the gift.

She was about to eat one when she saw a box that she was certain was not there before she left for rounds. She untied the ribbon and opened it to see several donuts inside. Normally, she would question where it came from but she was so starving that she instantly ate them. After eating three donuts in succession, she reached for one more when she noticed something odd about them. The donuts were adorned with little letters on top and she spied the four remaining donuts with letters r, o, u, s.

She frowned, Was there supposed to be a message in it? She assumed it was a gift from the hospital. She tried remembering the other letters in the ones she had eaten but she could not.

*****

"Crazy Addie, come in."

"It's Maddie Addie Mark, get it right will ya."

"Fine, Maddie Addie are you there?"

"Yes, I am here, did you deliver it?"

"Yes I did, over" Mark proudly answered.

"She didn't see you, right?"

"Um… well she did but didn't suspect anything, over."

"Whatever, at least tell me you were careful with the box and you didn't shake it? And stop saying over."

"Well, I ran to get there on time so I'm not so sure." He turned a corner and entered the stairwell. He turned the receiver off and walked up to Addison.

Addison sighed deeply, "Well at least you delivered it, that's what matters. I just hope she understood the message."

"Wow, you're actually calm and not yelling at me, is that meditation or medication?"

Addison put up the drink on her hand, "more like alcohol." She offered the one to him.

"So the donuts have a message on them?"

"Yeah."

"What?"

"Is your name Arizona?"

Mark just rolled her eyes and ignored the jab. "So are you all set here?"

"Almost."

"This is actually sweet, the donuts with the message and the petals and candles. How did you come up with this stuff?"

"I saw it on one of the daytime soaps."

"You got this idea from a soap opera!?" he exclaimed.

"Well what's wrong with that? My life is one and so is yours," Addison spat back.

"Aw, you're so sweet."

"Yeah, like artificial sweetener, sweet but not."

"Regardless, I think your idea is so sweet."

"If I didn't need this drink so much I'd pitch it right on your face."


*****

The sudden jerk of the elevator startled Arizona. She remained motionless for a second and waited for it to start again. It didn't. She looked up and saw that she was on the second floor. She opened the phone compartment and dialed.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"Um… the elevator stopped."

"Hold on, I'll see what's wrong." The other party answered and oddly enough the voice sounded familiar. "Um. There appears to be a problem with the lines operating this elevator. I can manually override the doors but you have to use the stairs to go down. I'm sorry Ma'am."

"It's no problem, it's just one floor down anyway. Thank you. Happy New Year, by the way."

"You too." The operator answered and she heard at faint sound of a woman squealing when she was about to hang up the phone.

******

"She's rolling," Lexie reported through the walkie talkie. Addison and Mark scrambled to go down and hide in the hallway.

A few seconds later, Arizona appeared from the top of the stairs.

******

What is this? She wondered when she saw rose petals adorning the steps with candles on the side leading to the lower landing where a single rose lies on top of a card. She was unsure whether to proceed or not, Oh my god, please don't let me walk into some other people's sexual fantasy role play whatever.

She slowly stepped down and peered at the card. When she saw her name written on the card, she smiled and picked it up. A key fell down when she opened the card, she bent down to pick it up.

Arizona Elizabeth Robbins,

How do I love thee…

You are stubborn, willful, exasperating, impatient, opinionated,

passionate, caring, kind, forgiving, and loving.

And I love all of it.

I love the whole package of you, the good and not so good,

the sweet as well as the infuriating side of you.

I love how you make me feel.

I love the reflection of me in your eyes.

I got lost the first time I looked into your eyes. I haven't found my way out.

I'm not really trying to find a way out. Your eyes are my home.

Most of all, I love today and the promise of tomorrow in your eyes.

Waiting patiently for you,

Calliope

Arizona wiped her tears and smiled. Her heart swelled at Callie's heartfelt words. She looked over it again and saw little scribbles at the bottom. She looked closer and laughed. Written were the names of her patients followed by an arrow – indicating to turn the card over. There was another message:

Yes, they are my references. They can vouch for my credibility and awesomeness.

Below the message was a small sketch, a map. There was a representation of the hospital and Callie's apartment. At the hospital, there was a circle with the words You Are Here inside. Tiny footprints connect the circle to another one in Callie's apartment. Inside the circle, Callie is waiting patiently for you is written inside.

She didn't waste any more time. She ran out of the hospital.

******

Addison, Mark, and Lexie watched as Arizona ran out of the hospital.

"Finally!"

"Go get her girl."

The two women looked at Mark, waiting for his reaction but nothing came.

"What is wrong? Something's eating you."

"It's just my tapeworm...ignore him." The two women continued to look at him. "Fine, I just don't wanna jinx it,okay. I want to actually know our plan worked before I celebrate."

"It already worked, Mark." Addison reasoned. "We should all be happy for Callie and pat each other's back."

"You know, you should see a shrink."

"And why would I?"

"So you could discuss your problem - premature congratulations."

Before Addison could react, a voice behind them howled.

"What is going here?" they heard the chief ask and they all cringed at his voice. "Why are you all crouching in the dark?"

"Um.."

"Well.."

"We were just…"

They all spoke at the same time.

"Whoa, one at a time. Shouldn't you people be out celebrating the coming new year?"

"Oh right we are… we were just leaving," Mark pulled Lexie towards the entrance.

Addison followed.

"Not so fast, I need a word with you Addison."

Uh Oh, was all the redhead could think about.

********

Arizona blew through the flight of stairs. She was panting and breathlessly running upstairs, the elevator had simply been too slow. Finally, she reached her intended destination. She tried all her might not to jump around like a jubilant teenager. She slipped the key and slowly opened the door, to the future that awaited her.