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 36
A brisk wind rushes across the open waters and brings a taste of salt to Arizona's lips as she explores Boston's pier. Only an hour ago she was racing home to make sure everything was shut off and locked up before starting her week long spring break with her beautiful girlfriend. With just a small bag as luggage, blue eyes scan row after row of boats, hoping for some small hint that will point her towards the one she will be living on for the better part of eight days.
Down yet another row of nearly identical looking sailboats and Arizona hears a sound of something getting bumped, like a head on a low hanging ceiling, quickly followed by a string of what she can only assume are curse words in Spanish.
"Calliope?" Arizona calls out, and the cursing stops.
A head pops out from below deck, one that a tanned hand is fiercely trying to rub the pain out, and huge smile appears. "You found it!"
"Permission to come aboard, Captain?" The blonde plays from the dock.
"Granted." Callie replies, holding out a hand to help her girlfriend onto the boat that is slightly rising and falling with the waters.
"Wow, it's bigger than I thought." Arizona muses as she climbs the shaky ramp.
"She. Not it. She." Her girlfriend replies. Once safely on, the Latina grips Arizona's hips and pulls her close to whisper, "Hi."
"Hey." Arizona murmurs, her hands looping at the nape of the woman's neck and drawing Callie down for a slow, passionate kiss. "Mmm… I'm new to this whole sailing thing but if that's how you're greeted on a boat, then I think I found my new hobby."
"Come on, let me show you around." The Latina says, stealing one last kiss before grabbing her girlfriend's bag and heading below deck. "Watch your head." She warns, touching the still pulsing bump on her forehead. "Trust me, it hurts like a mother." Down a small flight of stairs, they end up below deck in the cramped yet efficient living space. "Ok so, here's the kitchen. I got all the supplies we'll need, plus enough wine and beer to keep trailer park happy for a month…" And she turns around in her spot and gestures to the other side of the cabin, "And here's the table, you know… for eating. …Um, further down is the bathroom and at the end of the cabin is the bedroom."
Arizona just nods as she takes in the small space, and when brown eyes meet hers the blonde smiles and says, "Good tour."
Callie playfully slaps her girlfriend on her shoulder then tosses the bag onto the polished table for heading top side. Continuing the tour, Callie says, "Alright now… this boat is small enough to be operated by just one person but you still need to learn some of the terms. Ok, the left side of the boat is port, and the right is called starboard. The front is the bow, and the back of the boat is called the aft."
Arizona nods in confirmation, trying to absorb all the new information immediately, then asks, "Why aren't they just called left, right, front, and back?"
A beat passes as Callie tries to come up with an answer, but when she can't the Latina just says, "I don't make the rules, ok? Now, no questions unless you raise your hand." A giggle spills from pink lips and the blonde lets her girlfriend go on. "Now, this vertical beam is called the boom. Most accidents that occur during sailing are because of this. It swings back and forth across the width of the boat as the wind changes, so when I call out 'Boom!' I need you to duck and get out of the way."
"Boom. Duck. Got it." Arizona replies.
Callie moves behind the ships wheel and says, "As far as maneuvering, it's all about how much sail the wind catches. Once you get the hang of it it's not too difficult." Opening up a small counsel next to the wheel, blue eyes see several pieces of equipment that are all light up and blinking. "This is our GPS and weather radar. I've looked ahead already and we should be good while we're out. There is a small tropical storm forming south of Florida but it shouldn't get anywheres near us for a week and a half."
"Wait… I thought you said we were getting lost at sea." Arizona interjects. "But there's…" She points to the dotted line depicting Callie's projected course of travel. "…there's a line. Are we going somewhere?"
"Maybe." The Latina replies mysteriously. "You're just going to have to wait and see, sweetness."
Another half hour of some simple instruction, as well as double checking her list, Callie unties the boat and they begin their trip. For the most part Arizona just stays out of the way as she watches her girlfriend expertly maneuver the vessel through crowded waters, and only takes a breath when the bow breaks through the imaginary barrier of the port and they head out to open waters.
"Oh, I brought you something!" The blonde announces as the city of Boston grows smaller and smaller behind them. A quick trip below deck and Arizona returns with something hidden behind her back. With a flourish, she reveals a perfectly white captains hat, black brim with gold trim and all. "Taa-daa…"
"Seriously?" Callie sighs, trying to fight the smile that is pulling at her lips when she sees how into her girlfriend is.
"Oh, come on!" Arizona plays, placing the captains hat on the Latina's head and taking a step back. "You're the captain, so you need the proper uniform."
"Does it come with the white shirt and pants?" The Latina jokes.
But a sly smile appears on a dimpled face and Arizona sensually asks, "Would you have worn it?"
Suddenly the temperature beneath her hat rises by about twenty degrees, and that warmth starts to flow through her veins. "Really? That does it for you, sweetness?"
"What can I say? …I've always been partial to a woman in uniform." The blonde purrs, then moves into her girlfriend's body and kisses the Latina.
The wind carries them further and further away, and once clear of any major obstacle Callie lets Arizona take the wheel. There's not a lot of turning to be done but the sight of a smiling and giggling blonde behind the wheel makes Callie glow with pride. The bright sun beats down on them but the chilled wind keeps both women from stripping down to their bikini's, and after popping open their first of many beers to come during their trip, a new found warmth keeps them from getting cold.
"When did you learn to sail?" Arizona asks when the shoreline is nothing but a thin line separating ocean from sky.
"My dad taught Aria and I when we were growing up." Callie answers, taking a seat on the cushioned bench and kicking her heels up on the beer cooler. "I can still remember how red his face would get when we didn't listen or pay attention. This scar…" A mocha finger traces the very faint, nearly invisible line just above her hair line, "…I got it when I was 16. The boom came swinging around and my Dad called out but I wasn't paying attention. Knocked me overboard." Arizona gasps in shock, never having heard this story before. "Yeah, the next thing I remember is coming to with my Mom madder than I've ever seen her."
"So… I'm guessing that's when you started taking it seriously?" The blonde muses.
"No, I just stopped sailing all together." The Latina replies, making blue eyes narrow in confusion. "I started again about five years ago, after I quit med school. I decided I was going to sail around the world."
Now Arizona is really lost, and she mumbles, "But I thought… What? Did you go sailing and crash into Botswana or something?"
The wind swallows up Callie's laugh and she says, "Well, that lasted all of two weeks of living on this thing. Then, during one of my supply trips, I started talking to this woman who just got back from her tour with the Peace Corps and… a few days later I was Africa bound."
"And here I thought you were this noble and self-sacrificing woman…" Arizona sighs.
"Hey hey, I am." Callie rebuts, then adds, "And keep your eyes forward huh? Or else you're the one who will be telling my father that his precious Bella is swiss cheese."
"Bella?" The blonde asks.
"Mariposa Bella." Her girlfriend answers, tossing her empty beer bottle in the trash and stepping up behind Arizona at the wheel. "It means beautiful butterfly. …He got her when I was little and I kinda had a thing for butterflies so… he named it the Mariposa Bella after me."
"That's sweet." Arizona whispers, melting into Callie's embrace when those strong, caramel arms wrap around her.
The hours pass and soon Arizona is treated to her first open water sunset. Colors she's only seen in pictures paint the sky in a breathtaking display and it's almost as if Callie is experiencing it again for the first time as well. Yellows and reds darken to purples, until the last sliver of light peeks over the horizon before the sun disappears from sight. And just as with the sunset, the night that comes is filled with a darkness Arizona has never felt before. No streetlamps or TV screens or headlights. Just stars. Millions and millions of stars stretched out across the heavens.
Huddled together under a warm blanket, Callie and Arizona set their gazes to the skies, perfectly content to enjoy this miraculous experience in silence.
"Makes you think, doesn't it?" Callie whispers, just the faint light from below deck setting a glow to their surroundings. "About how… small everything is. One boat, in one ocean, on one planet, in one solar system, of one galaxy, out of the infinite number of galaxies there are. …It really humbles you, doesn't it?"
"Wow…" Arizona breathes out. "I've never experienced the philosopher side of you, Calliope." She teases, nestling in tighter in their embrace. Lips met lips in a wine tainted kiss, hands slowly roving clothed bodies beneath the blanket.
Somehow the blonde ends up on her back, Callie looking down at her, and an ivory hand reaches up to cup the Latina's cheek. "Where are we going?" She asks softly.
A sly smile pulls up the corner of her girlfriend's mouth, and she replies, "That's a secret, sweetness."
"No… I don't mean that." Arizona says, a seriousness clouding blue eyes. "I mean… us. Where do you see us going? I love you, Calliope, and… I know you're committed to me. But after next year you're… you're moving away. Way away."
"That's not decided yet, Arizona." The Latina rebuts.
"It should be." The blonde counters. "I mean, I get that you want to go to the best Ortho program in the country. And that's in Seattle. But… that's a long ways away. I'll still have another year of med school and I don't know where I'm going to end up with Peds. I know it's a long time off but still… It makes me sick thinking about being away from you like that."
"Then don't think about it." Callie whispers, trying to massage the stress lines off of her girlfriend's forehand by softly brushing back her hair. "I don't know what's going to happen, so… why worry about it? I just want to be here with you. That's all. I just want to be here, right in this moment, with you. …Can you do that?"
"Yeah." Arizona replies, pulling the Latina down for another kiss. Waves gently rock the boat and the night wind laps against the sail as the two lovers get lost in themselves. Lips move slowly against lips, taking their times to explore each other as if it were their first time again. Soft tunes pour from the open door leading down to the cabin and the smell of fresh air cleanses their minds. Months and months of hard work and studying and tests have finally ceased for just over a week, and now the couple are ready to make up for lost time.
But then the song play fades out and another begins, making Callie pull out of the kiss. "Hey!" Arizona cries when her girlfriend quickly gets to her feet and disappears, only to return again the next second after cranking up the volume.
"They're playing our song, sweetness." Callie purrs, helping the blonde up to her feet. The melody is sweet and soulful, sexy hips falling right in time with it as a smoky voice sings along to the lyrics. Arizona doesn't know what her girlfriend is saying but she readily molds her body with the Latina's and they start to move as one.
"Eres tu, La que llena, y alimenta mi amor, eres tu…" Callie sings, "Tu complementas, todo mi universe, lo logras todo, solo con un beso…" When brown eyes find blue in the darkness surrounding them, she starts to translate the words so Arizona can know just how perfectly the song captures her feelings for the blonde. "It is you, the one that fills and nourishes my love, it's you. …Don't delay, that I'm going to love you. …Tonight, when I see you, when I have you, the hours pass me. When I feel you, when I kiss you, it's very natural. There is something in your eyes, something in you, that makes me love you, and live…"
The song dies out and they are left holding each other in their embrace, and Arizona whispers, "I love you, Calliope."
"I love you more." Callie replies, and Arizona knows it. The way rich brown eyes look at her, the way the woman holds her and protects her… it makes everything seem alright. Like they are just two people in an infinite universe, but they are the universe to each other. And they share a kiss, right there for all the heavens to see.
AN2: Ok, couple notes. One, the only things I know about sailing are what a simple Google search brings up so if something is wrong just go with it, ok? Thanks. And two, the song playing at the end is Price Royce 'Eres Tu'. I highly recommend you give it a listen.