Hey guys! Thanks for your reviews on the last chapter. You are great. You are. Here's a new one for ya, and I doubt i'll have another one up before Christmas so Happy Holidays!
Callie was anxious. She was anxious and she wasn't sure why. She knew something was up with Arizona and it worried her. The blonde had seemed distant and secretive lately and it was really starting to freak her out. After spending the weekend with Aria and going to a few touristy places in Seattle, the last of which being the Space Needle, Arizona had made some quick excuse about having to go to into the hospital last minute and Callie didn't buy it. When Arizona got home she had fed Callie some story about needing to consult on an emergent ped's case but the story seemed rushed, almost fabricated. Knowing Arizona so well made it easy for Callie to realize when she wasn't being totally honest. Over the next few days Callie had gone up to the ped's wing to say hi, only to see Arizona duck away into her office with Teddy. A very small part of her wondered if something was going on between her girlfriend and the cardio surgeon, but she knew Teddy wasn't gay and that she was in a relationship so that couldn't be it. And she trusted Arizona enough to know that she would never do to that to their relationship, not when things were going so well. She was racking her brain trying to come up with reasons for why Arizona had been so quiet and different but couldn't come up with the answers she was looking for.
"Hey Callie," Teddy said as she sat down beside her at a table in the hospital cafeteria.
Callie was lost in her own thoughts and staring across the room at nothing. Teddy waved her hand in front of Callie's face, trying to grab her attention. "Earth to Callie..."
"What?" Callie turned and looked at Teddy who was looking at her intently.
"You okay there?"
"Oh yeah...yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking, sorry."
"What were you thinking about?"
"Has Arizona seemed off a bit lately to you?"
Teddy took a bit of the apple on her tray and shook her head as she swallowed. "Not really. Why, did something happen?"
"I-I don't think so. But she's been really secretive lately. Like she's keeping something from me and it's freaking me out a little bit."
Knowing exactly why Arizona was acting that way was driving Teddy crazy. The reason was sitting across from her, in the form of a tall brunette. She wanted so badly to be able to tell Callie everything but she knew it would ruin all of Arizona's plans.
"She seems fine to me, must be just really busy with work or something. I know a lot of people have needed her lately, lot's of consults and stuff. She doesn't really get a break and always has to do something."
"Really? I didn't know that. It's weird that she wouldn't talk to me about it..." Callie said and picked at her salad with the cheap plastic fork the cafeteria provided.
"Don't know what to tell you Callie, she seems okay to me. Don't worry about it."
Callie sighed. "Yeah I guess you're right. I'm probably just overthinking it?."
"Exactly."
The pager attached to Callie's hip beeped, she read it and saw that it was a page from the ER. Working would take her mind off everything. Bones would help clear her head. "I've got to go," she said and stood up. "Thanks for the talk Teddy."
"Anytime Callie," Teddy said as she watched Callie leave. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and texted Arizona to let her know that her girlfriend was freaking out a bit.
Callie is kind of worried, Arizona. She feels like you're keeping something from her and I think she's a bit scared. - T
She set her phone back down the table and continued to eat her lunch until the phone vibrated and she saw that Arizona had replied.
I'll talk to her tonight and tell her that it's just work and that a case really got to me or something. I'm not ready to make a move yet, not everything is in place. - A
Teddy typed in a quick reply then finished her lunch and headed off to prepare for her next surgery. She hoped that whatever Arizona decided to tell Callie would ease the brunette's mind.
When Callie got home from work she poked her head into Aria's room to say hello, only to find her passed out with a book laying on her stomach. The day before, Aria had gone into the hospital for some medication and a meeting with her doctor. All the news was good but hen she got home she was pretty drained and it seemed like the loss of energy transferred over into the next day. Arizona wasn't home yet so Callie poured herself a glass of red wine and went to into the bathroom to take a shower. She wasn't normally the type to have long showers unless Arizona was with her but that day she just stood and let the warmth of the water flow through her body for quite a while. There was still that fear that something was wrong with Arizona and it was a nagging feeling what wouldn't go away. Had she done some wrong? Had she said something that offended Arizona? She didn't know, but she did know that whatever the reason, she couldn't stop thinking about it. Callie was so lost in her thoughts that she never heard someone come into the bathroom. She was so focused on the shower wall in front of her, her eyes fixed on the drops of water as they rolled down the tile, that she didn't even notice that the same someone who just entered the room had joined her in the shower until she felt arms wrap around her from behind.
"Hi beautiful," Arizona said quietly as she pressed kisses across Callie's back.
Callie smiled and even though the thoughts that were driving her crazy were caused by Arizona, the blonde was still the one person who could instantly calm her down and make her feel better. Callie turned around and the sight of Arizona made her breath catch in her throat. Arizona was already covered in water and Callie watched as it trickled down her soft skin, much like the water on the shower tiles was just doing. The sight of Arizona was definitely one she enjoyed more.
"Hey, nice of you to join me in here," Callie said and lifted her hand to Arizona's cheek and brushed some wet golden locks behind her ear.
"This was a chance I could not pass up when I heard the water running" Arizona replied and smiled brightly, one of her special smiles that Callie felt were meant for only her.
"I'll never say to no to having you in here with me."
Arizona leaned in and kissed Callie. It was a loving and soft kiss, perfect for the moment. "That's good to hear," she said as she pulled away. She could sense a little uneasiness with Callie and really wished she could just be honest with her but it had to be perfect. It had to be special and meaningful, and as much as she loved the intimacy of the shower, it was not the time or place for her to say what she wanted to say yet. Callie deserved an extraordinary and memorable experience and Arizona wanted her to get that. It was taking some time to arrange everything for her plan to propose, and she was having to sneak away to make phone calls and meet people which is why she could understand how Callie might worry but soon enough she wouldn't have to.
"Are you alright?" Callie asked when she noticed Arizona's sudden silence.
"Yeah...I'm just... I don't know, tired I guess. I've been so busy at the hospital lately and we've had some hard cases. I've just been so focused on work and the surgeries keep piling up, it's a lot to think about and i'm sorry. I know I've probably been a little scatter brained lately. I just can't seem to get away from the place."
Callie breathed an internal sigh of relief. It was all just because of work. What she was feeling was nothing to be worried about. Sometimes she forgot that Arizona was the head of an entire department and that a lot rested on her shoulders. She didn't give Arizona enough credit sometimes, she was an incredible doctor and gets so invested in her job it often takes her away from her personal life.
"It's okay, don't worry about it. I totally understand. We're doctors Arizona, as much as we love each other and our lives outside the hospital, a part of us is always still there even after we've gone home. You don't have to apologize because of it. But don't forget that I can carry some of the weight sometimes if you want. I'm always here to talk about anything, either work related or non work related."
Arizona leaned into Callie and the brunette put her arms around her and held her close. Even though it was a partly fabricated story chosen as a way to stop Callie from worrying too much, she had actually been very busy at the hospital as of late but not as much as she let on, the fact that Callie was so understanding and supportive about it was something that made Arizona incredible happy. Every day she fell more in love with Callie and moments like that were one of the reasons why.
"Mmm, thank you," Arizona said and kissed Callie's neck. "Have I told you how much I loved you lately?"
Callie pressed her lips to Arizona's forehead and ran her hands up and down her back, fingers moving easily because of the water that still rained down on them. "You have. Just not today."
Arizona looked up and met Callie's gaze, she looked into the brown eyes she knew she wanted to be able to stare into for the rest of her life. "Well then I'll tell you now, I love you so much." Arizona looked away for a moment but Callie smiled and put her finger under her chin, tilting her face back up so their eyes met again.
"And I love you. More than anything."
Arizona pushed Callie back a few few steps until she was pinned against the cold shower tile. They hadn't taken a shower together in over a week and Arizona didn't like that. Showering with Callie was one of her favourite things to do, and their showers usually ran long due to the fact that not much actual showering was taking place.
"What's got you all worked up?" Callie asked as Arizona started kissing and sucking her neck.
"You've gotten into me," Arizona replied as she broke her contact with Callie's skin to speak. "You complaining?"
"No way. I will never complain about something like this!"
Arizona looked up at Callie and smiled mischievously. "Good, because we're just getting started."
Two hours later, Callie and Arizona were sitting on the couch watching a movie on tv after making something quick for dinner. Two empty glasses of wine sat on the coffee table in front of them and rain splashed against the window in the world outside of their apartment. One of the biggest downsides of living in the state of Washington was the frequent rain. It had been raining a lot over the past few days and that night Callie and Arizona wanted to do nothing but get dressed in warm comfy clothes and relax on their big plush couch. The storm raging outside made them more appreciative of the comforting warmth their home provided. Arizona was leaning against Callie's side, legs curled up onto the couch, with a blanket covering both of their laps as they watched some cheesy romantic comedy unfold on the screen in front of them.
A groggy Aria stumbled out of her bedroom and wandered into the living room. She plopped herself down on a chair and rubbed at her eyes, trying to wake herself up a bit.
"Good evening sleepyhead," Callie said and picked up the TV remote to click mute.
"Evening?" Aria asked.
Arizona laughed and nodded. "Yeah it's like 9 p.m..."
"I was reading...and I guess I passed out."
"You did," Callie said. "When I got home at around 6, you were totally asleep with a book on your stomach. I just left you alone, figured you were really tired."
"I started reading at like 1:30. I don't even remember falling asleep, I guess I was out for a while."
A loud clap of thunder suddenly echoed throughout the room and a strike of lightning illuminated the sky outside their windows. Arizona cuddled into Callie's side more without even thinking about it. It was a natural thing to do when she felt scared, Callie was like her protector. She was afraid of thunderstorms as a little girl and it seemed to be something she had never grown out of, she couldn't remember if Callie knew that fact about her or not. When she felt an arm wrap around her shoulder and hug her close, she knew Callie could sense that the bad storm was not sitting well with her.
"You doing alright there?" Callie whispered into Arizona's ear.
"I'm okay, just not really a huge fan of thunder."
"How did I now know that about you?"
"Because usually when there's a storm it's when we're at work or at night and you're asleep."
"Wake me up next time, we can stay awake and listen to it together. I love thunderstorms and I promise I will never let the storm get you." Callie smiled and kissed the blonde's cheek, making her blush and look down shyly.
"Well only if you promise..."
Callie laughed and Arizona buried her face into the crook of her girlfriends neck. "You're a goof."
"A goof you adore," Arizona mumbled.
They almost forgot they weren't the only people in the room until another clap of thunder made them look up and around at their surroundings, Aria had picked up a magazine that was on the coffee table and had begun to flip through it, oblivious to anything else that was happening, the thunder didn't even phase her.
"I guess it's raining," Aria said while never tearing her eyes away from what she was reading.
"Thank you captain obvious, we had no idea," Callie replied and Aria just shrugged.
"You guys work tomorrow right?" the younger Torres asked.
"We do, and then i'm on call tomorrow night. Why do you ask?" Arizona said.
Aria put the magazine back down on the coffee table and moved so she was sitting cross legged on the chair. "I was thinking about maybe getting like a subway pass and going to check out some cool book stores and places like that around the city. I've been cooped up in here the past few days and I kind of just want to get out and explore."
"You wouldn't really know where you'd be going though Aria," Callie said.
"It's called a map Cal, and i've got my phone. I think I can manage finding my own way. Don't get me wrong, I like spending time you and I had a lot of fun when you took me out to see some sights but I've been reflecting a lot lately and I kind of want to do a little self discovery. You know, explore a new place while learning more about myself, blah blah blah, stuff like that."
Arizona laughed. "Sounds very poetic."
"I've never been much for words, clearly. But really, i'll be okay. If I have any problems, I can just call you right?"
"Of course," Callie said. "But that still doesn't make me feel any bett-"
"Callie," Aria said, cutting off her older sister, "I will be just fine. I'm a big girl and just because I was sick doesn't mean I can't take care of myself."
Arizona nudged Callie's side, making her look down at her. "She'll be fine Callie, and like she said, she'll call us if she has any problems. She's an adult and she'll be okay."
The older Torres sighed and eventually agreed to the idea, as much as she wished she could be with Aria. Arizona and her sister were both right, Aria was a grown up, but to Callie she was still just her little sister. Her little sister who has cancer, her little sister who had been out of her life for a very long time. The idea that she would be running around a big city alone when she didn't really have much of a sense of where she was going scared Callie a bit, but she had to trust Aria when she said she would be okay. She had to be supportive, and letting her sister do her own thing was being supportive.
"You need to make sure you have map, you need to make sure you have cash in case of an emergency and you need to make sure your cell phone is charged. Got it?"
"Geez Callie, what am I sixteen?"
"To me? Yeah basically. Since I missed out on the whole overbearing and overprotective older sibling time of your life, I'm taking advantage of the fact that I have the right to do it now."
"Well lighten up, what do you think will happen to me? It's not like I haven't already been dragged through the mud."
"You're right Aria, you should go out and see the city, explore for yourself. Right Calliope? Don't you agree?" Arizona said and nudged her girlfriend again, receiving only a silent nod and roll of her eyes in return.
Later that night after Aria had gone back to bed, Callie and Arizona decided it was time for them to go to bed also. After brushing their teeth and finishing up their nightly routine, Arizona climbed into bed, Callie following not too far behind her. . Callie turned off the bathroom light and entered the bedroom then got into bed beside Arizona. She set her alarm for the next morning then fell back against the soft plush pillows she and Arizona had picked out because of how comfortable they were. Arizona turned on her side and studied Callie, whose face was illuminated only by her bedside table lamp which was the only light still on in the room. It was quiet, luckily the thunder had stopped and now just the sound of light rain hitting the window floated throughout the room.
"Something on your mind?" Arizona asked as she started to run a finger softly up and down Callie's arm.
"It's just I forget sometimes," Callie replied.
"Forget what?"
"That we're grown ups, that we're not kids anymore."
"Are we talking about us or Aria?"
"Me and...and Aria. We're not children anymore and I can't just start treating her like she's still one just because I never got to when I was a teenager."
"You're upset that you guys missed out on that part of each other's lives."
"I was around until I was eighteen. I was there for three years after our parents died, but it kind of felt like I wasn't...if that makes sense."
"It makes sense Callie, she closed herself off from you. So really it was like she wasn't there, not the other way around. I understand why you're so protective of her now, you're afraid of losing her again, afraid that since you got her back in your life and things are going well that she'll disappear again?"
Callie took a shaky deep breath and felt her eyes water at the thought. She didn't want to cry over this, it was stupid. Aria just wanted to adventure out into Seattle for the day, she would come home. She wouldn't leave or just vanish.
"Come here." Arizona opened her arms and Callie gladly accepted the offer and moved so she was laying with her head on Arizona's chest, the steadiness of her heartbeat helping to calm her.
"I don't know why I acted like it was such a big deal," Callie said quietly, almost as a whisper.
"If my brother came back into my life when I thought I would never see him again, I don't think I would let him out of my sight."
"It's different Arizona."
"No, it's not, not really. She was gone Callie, not even a thought in your mind anymore and then suddenly she was in your life again. It was a lot to take in, and then you found out she was sick, which made you want to keep her even closer. You had to adjust to have her as a part of your life. Now that's she's better and able to do things without anyone again, you for example, she could leave any time she wanted too. If Tim appeared on my doorstep tomorrow, which I know isn't possible...I-I would tie myself to him, and do my best to never let that rope be severed."
Callie thought about it and Arizona was right. It wasn't so much that she didn't get to be much of a protective big sister when she was younger, it was that she was afraid of losing the sister she already lost once. "I should talk to Aria," she said.
"I think that might be a good idea."
"Thank you Arizona."
Arizona smiled and when Callie looked up at her she leaned foreword and kissed her. She cupped the brunette's cheek and ran her thumb across her skin. When she pulled back she saw that Callie was staring right at her, like she was looking into her soul. Those brown eyes could say so much without Callie having to actually say a word.
"You never have to thank me for talking, you're my favourite person to talk to."
"Really?" Callie asked even though she knew Arizona meant it.
"Yes Calliope, really. And here in this bed with you is my favourite place to be. Having you in my arms and so close to my heart? Well there is no where else I'd rather be. But even when you're not in my arms, you're always close to my heart."
It always amazed Callie how Arizona could take her breath away so easily. Sometimes she would take a step back and look at her life and thank her lucky stars that this beautiful and absolutely amazing human being chose to be with her. Arizona picked her, and why that was, she would never understand. Arizona could have anyone she wanted, she was stunning and yet there she was telling Callie everything she ever wanted to hear. Her dream girl, the one she didn't think she would ever found, had her arms around her and was keeping her warm and safe. What could be better?
"You're incredible," Callie said. They were still gazing lovingly at each other and instead of saying something in return Arizona just kissed her again, making her head spin.
"What's with us getting all mushy and emotional all the time?" Arizona asked once they ended their kiss.
Callie laughed a little bit. "I'm not sure but I love it."
"So do I, let's do it more often."
"You've got yourself a deal."
They moved so Callie was laying on her side and Arizona's front was against her back. The blonde had a protective arm draped over her waist and their hands were intertwined. Most nights it was Callie who would be in Arizona's position, but that night Arizona wanted to be the one to hold onto her girlfriend. After she brushed away some brown locks, she nuzzled her nose into the exposed skin of Callie's neck and breathed in the scent that was uniquely her. It was one of her absolute favourite scents and it was a scent she wish she could have put in a spray can so that when Callie wasn't with her, it could at least smell like she was. It didn't take long for the two women to drift into a peaceful and relaxing sleep. With a busy day of work ahead of them, they needed their rest. Callie would most likely spend her day worrying about Aria and deciding when she should sit down and have a heart to hear with her little sister. In between the surgeries she was scheduled for, Arizona would be putting the final touches on her big plan and praying that when the time came, everything would go off without a hitch. But the only thing on their mind as they fell asleep was each other.
Me again, I bet you know what's happening next so let me know what you think! You know I love to hear your thoughts.
