Title: All Bets Are Off 28/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: So I think this little (or not so little) fic is coming to an end. At this point, I think I've got one more chapter, an epilogue, which barring unexpected problems (or the real possibility of me going out with the guy I like tomorrow), should be posted tomorrow night, New York City time. I want to thank you all for reading. It's been a blast to write and I've truly appreciated each and every comment. I'm probably going to take a little time off to recover from the rigors of daily posting, but fully intend to be back with a new fic shortly. I've got several ideas floating around in my brain, we'll have to see which one takes hold. After all this writing about poker, I'm off to Atlantic City next weekend to play some poker . . . maybe if I'm lucky, I'll run into Callie or Arizona. And if not, at least I'll have some time in the hotel room to spend thinking about my next fic. Sorry for the ramble. Again, thanks so much for all the feedback – and if there's anything in particular you'd like to see me write, let me know. I'm always open to suggestions and keep a running list of story ideas.


As Callie made her way under the bright lights of the TV cameras to the final table, she couldn't help but grin. Maybe her insane girlfriend was onto something. Her new blue shoes were in place and though she'd never, ever admit it aloud, especially to Arizona, they did boost her confidence just a little bit. She also had to smile as she thought about the reason she'd chosen that particular pair of Chucks. Blue, though never a real favorite of hers, had quickly become her favorite color. Undoubtedly because blue was the shade of a certain perky blonde's eyes. Callie could no longer look at the color blue without thinking of Arizona and those beautiful eyes. And though she hadn't told her girlfriend, she'd brought along her own lucky charm . . . safely residing within her pocket was a coin . . . a quarter to be exact. And this quarter, one of a series featuring U.S. states, featured the state Arizona. As play got underway, Callie felt her nerves creep back in. Instinctively, she reached into her pocket and rubbed the coin, remembering how thankful, how lucky she was to have found Arizona and her fears quickly subsided.

Callie glanced up into the stands that the casino had erected, searching for Arizona. After scanning the crowd, she finally locked eyes with her gorgeous girlfriend. As she did so, a giant grin spread across her face. Though part of that expression was due to seeing Arizona, the real cause was the two people sitting next to her. Arizona's parents were there. They had come to cheer her on, to watch her try to play her way into poker history. Arizona had kept their arrival a secret. Callie took a few deep breaths, trying to retain her composure. It meant so much to her. These people, who'd she'd only spent a short time with, were willing to make the trip just to support her. Because she was important to Arizona. Her heart swelled and she closed her eyes briefly, willing away the tears that threatened to form. She was moved beyond words. After their weekend in San Diego, she considered them family already . . . and clearly they felt the same way. Reaching into her pocket once more to feel her Arizona quarter, she took a deep breath and focused on the game.

After folding a bad hand, Callie took the opportunity to study her opponents. She recognized only one player, a professional she'd heard of named Jackson Avery. He had a reputation for being a young, aggressive player and for playing lots of hands that other players would throw away. She knew that he could be a force to be reckoned with. She looked around at the rest of the remaining players, many of them as-of-yet unknowns. Just in the short time they'd been playing, she'd been able to pick up a few tells on some of them, which she knew she could use to her advantage down the road. After sizing up her competition, she had a feeling that, other than the unpredictable role that luck would play, Avery was probably her biggest competition. She felt she could make quick work of most of the other players, that the young pretty boy with the piercing blue eyes was her only real competition. She smiled to herself as she realized what she'd just been thinking. She was, for one of the first times in her life, sure of herself. She had this. She could do this. Whether it was the magic of the Chucks, the coin in her pocket, her cheering section in the stands, she couldn't be sure. But somehow, deep down, she knew that it was none of the above. That she was here because she'd earned it. And she could do this, not because of any superstitions, but because she was a great player. This tournament was hers to lose.

Arizona couldn't help but smile as she watched her Calliope play at the freakin' final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. She was so proud. Callie had come such a long way in terms of her confidence. It was written all over her face. She was a strong, smart, aggressive player and Arizona knew, without a doubt, that her girlfriend had a real chance of winning this tournament. Yes, she was biased, but even studying Callie from a detached, poker pro's view, she really thought so. Her mom reached over and took her hand, before leaning in to whisper in her ear. "She's amazing, Arizona. She doesn't look scared at all. I know I'd be petrified, with all those TV cameras and bright lights. She's playing like she owns the place." Arizona smiled and nodded, grinning with pride. And Callie was playing as if she owned the place. She quickly took down a few substantial pots and even knocked out one of her opponents, bringing her one place closer to glory.

Mark, Teddy, and a few of Arizona's other poker friends joined them. Mark leaned over. "Hey, what'd we miss?"

Arizona turned and grinned at him. "Oh, nothing much. Calliope's making mincemeat out of her opponents. Total rock star."

"That's my girl . . . or uh, your girl." Mark smiled as he corrected himself, proud of how well Callie was doing.

Arizona nodded and continued. "Between her and Avery, my guess is these other guys don't last more than a few hours, barring any bad beats."

Indeed, Arizona's prediction came true as Callie and Jackson ran through the table over the next few hours, eliminating player after player as they accumulated more chips. By the time they took a break, there were only four players left, but most of the chips resided with Callie and her blue-eyed opponent.

At the break, Callie made her way over to Arizona, who quickly wrapped her arms around her, pulling Callie in for a quick, chaste kiss. I am so proud of you, Calliope. You are kicking some serious ass. She reached up and ran a gentle hand across Callie's cheek before leaning in to give her another peck on the lips.

"You sure do move on fast, Callie. What's it been, a month since we split up? I never took you for a slut, but I guess I was wrong." Callie skin crawled as she turned to see her ex Steve standing there.

"Excuse me?" She said, noticing Arizona's father stand, ready to come to her defense, along with Mark.

"Come on Callie, you and I both know that you're just experimenting here. And apparently you're pretty indiscriminate with your tastes if you can switch that easily to women. What do you say that you come back home with me and I'll remind you what's it's like to be with a man . . . a real man . . . and not some dykey substitute."

Callie opened her mouth to reply, at the same time signaling to her companions to hold back. Just as she was about to respond, another familiar voice cut in.

"Stephen. That is no way to talk to a lady . . . especially one who happens to be my daughter. And I won't have you using derogatory slurs about Arizona here. I'd suggest that you remove yourself from the premises immediately before I am forced to make a scene. And I'd also suggest that you start looking for a job. Come Monday, you'll no longer be welcome at my company. We don't have any room for hateful, disrespectful weasels such as yourself." Callie turned in shock to see her father standing there as Steve stalked away.

"Daddy? What are you doing here?" She was completely taken aback by the appearance of her father.

"I've come to see my daughter win a poker world championship." A small smile spread across his face. "And perhaps afterwards, we can spend some time together and I can get to know your young lady Arizona a bit better. After all, if she's going to be a part of your life, she'll be a part of my life as well."

Callie was rendered momentarily speechless and she answered the only way she knew how. She drew her father into a tight hug as a few tears sprung from her eyes. "Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for understanding and for giving me a chance to be happy."

He rubbed a reassuring hand across her back and chuckled lightly. "You should thank Arizona. She's the one who talked some sense into me, reminded me of what's really important and of how much I love you."

Callie pulled away in astonishment, looking over at her girlfriend, who was smiling, but also holding back tears. "You did this? For me?"

Arizona nodded. "I hope that's okay. I just couldn't stand to see you hurting."

Callie released her father and immediately embraced the blonde. "Thank you, baby. I love you so much."

"I'd do anything for you, Calliope." Arizona leaned in and kissed her gently. "Now, it looks like the break is about over. Go and win your title. We'll talk more later." Callie gave her one more hug and, grinning like an idiot, headed back to the table.

Callie looked up into the stands and her whole body flushed with love. Her cheering section had expanded to include not just Arizona, but her girlfriend's parents, her father, and several of their poker-playing friends. She'd taken a giant risk and it had paid off. She still had her family, but she'd also gained a new one – her Vegas family, as well as Arizona and the Robbins family. She'd always been afraid to leap without a net, to take any big chances, afraid she'd lose everything. With Arizona's help, she'd finally had the courage to take that jump. And not only had she not lost everything, she'd gained so much. A new, stronger support system, confidence in herself, self-satisfaction, a love of her profession, and most importantly, the love of an incredible, passionate, beautiful soul named Arizona Robbins. No matter how this tournament played out, she knew she'd won. Lady luck had been extremely kind to her. With one more grin at her friends and family, she returned her focus to the game. It was time to take her final prize – the title.

Soon enough, it was down to Callie and Jackson. As was the custom at tournaments such as this, a parade of scantily clad women strutted out, dumping piles of cash onto the poker table, displaying the $8 million that the winner would take home. Callie tried to ignore it, telling herself that she needed to focus on the win, the prestige, the title. Still, it was hard not to be affected by the mountains of cash surrounding her.

Callie took a moment to pause and analyze the situation. She had slightly more chips than Avery and if she could just get him to bet all of his chips at the wrong time, the title would be hers. After a few uneventful hands, Callie decided it was time to make a move. She maintained a neutral façade as she pondered her options. She knew that Jackson was a hyper-aggressive player. If he sensed weakness, he'd go for the jugular, betting enormous amounts of chips in an effort to scare her away. Deciding to play it coy, she checked, indicating that she didn't want to bet, hoping to give him the impression she had a weak hand. She maintained her even breathing as she rubbed her Arizona quarter for good luck.

Sure enough, Jackson went for the kill, immediately announcing that he was all in. As he pushed his chips towards the center, Callie let out a sly smile.

Her expression did not go unnoticed by Arizona. She turned towards Callie's cheering section and whispered. "She's got this. Avery's a dead man unless he gets lucky."

"How do you know?" Mark asked.

"Just trust me. I see it in her eyes – she looks like the cat that got the canary. She knew exactly what she was doing when she checked her hand."

Sure enough, Callie turned over the motherlode of all poker hands – pocket aces. Avery groaned as he turned over the 7 and 8 of clubs. While he wasn't dead yet, Callie's hand was a clear favorite.

Knowing that this hand could be the end of the tournament, the crowd and the players watched in tense silence as the dealer turned over the first three community cards. A gasp rippled through the crowd as the cards were revealed. The dealer had turned over the 6 of clubs, the 5 of hearts, and the queen of clubs. This meant that if another club or a 4 or a 7 came up, Callie's hand would be beaten. A club would give him a flush and either a 4 or a 7 would give him a straight. There were suddenly many ways his hand could beat Callie's.

Callie's heart was pounding a mile a minute, as she struggled to breathe. The dealer seemed to take forever to reveal the next community card. She let out a sigh of relief as he turned over an uneventful 3 of spades.

Arizona gripped her mother's hand tightly as she leaned in anticipation. One card to go. One little card. She silently prayed to the poker gods for a good card. One more card and her girlfriend would win. Finally, unable to bear it, she closed her eyes. She couldn't look.

The dealer flipped over the final card, in what seemed like slow motion. Callie cringed in fear as she looked. There it was, the card that would decide her fate. It was . . .

The 10 of diamonds.

The crowd erupted into cheers. Arizona opened her eyes and immediately burst into tears of joy, hugging everyone around her. Before Callie fully realized what had happened, Jackson was standing, offering her a congratulatory handshake. People were hugging her, shaking her hand, offering her words of praise and congratulation.

She couldn't believe it. She'd done it. Not only had she won the biggest tournament in poker, she'd done it on her first try. And she'd been the first woman ever to do it. She searched the milling crowd for the one person she wanted to share this moment with the most. She struggled to find Arizona, everyone in the room wanting a piece of her. Finally, locking her eyes on Arizona's she beamed. They both pushed their way through the crowd towards each other, tears glistening in their eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, Arizona reached Callie and pulled her in for a deep, searing, probably inappropriate kiss, right in the middle of the poker room.

Breathless, they finally pulled apart, arms still twined around each other. Arizona reached up and caressed Callie's cheek. "I know I keep saying this, but I am so, so proud of you, Calliope. You did it. You're the world champion."

Callie grinned. "I still can't quite believe it. And I'm a little sorry."

"Sorry? Why on earth would you be sorry?" Arizona looked at her, perplexed.

"Because you've been trying to do this for a lot longer than I have. I feel like I kind of stole your thunder."

Arizona shook her head. "Never, ever think that, Calliope. I'll get my chance, eventually. And besides, I may not have won the title, but I think I got a pretty good prize myself. One that's worth way more than any gaudy bracelet or pile of cash."

"What's that?" Callie asked.

"You."