Title: Skinny Love
Author: MysteriousSwaggerOfScrubs
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: M
Summary: A haunting tale of wealth and power, love and loss. Are one night stands ever meant to last for longer than just one night?
Disclaimer: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
AN: Thank you all for your continued support of this story! I really hope you enjoy this update!
Thirty-Five
With tanned fingers swiftly tapping against the keys of the computer keyboard beneath them, Callie's eyes suddenly lit up with excitement when she discovered just what she had been looking for in her Google search.
She had so much to do, but so little time. She needed to figure things out with Lillian's grandparents, but more importantly - first and foremost - she desperately needed to make things right with her fiancé. She had apologized, and Arizona had seemed okay that morning - more than okay, really - but Callie wholeheartedly felt that she needed to do more. She needed to make sure they were on the same page - an impenetrable force, a united front - so that they could successfully weather this latest storm.
And, as Callie scrolled down through the results of her search, a brief knock on her open, office door quickly drew her attention. "Barbara, hey," she happily greeted, briskly standing from her chair to cross the room toward the other woman who had just stepped inside. "Thank you so much for coming."
"It's no problem, Callie. Really," Barbara happily greeted, though her tone was clearly reserved. "Everything okay?" she hesitantly asked, painfully aware of what had happened between Callie and Keira's parents from the nearly frantic and obviously irate telephone call she had received from Arizona less than two hours before.
And, with a simple nod of her head, Callie then motioned for the older woman to make herself more comfortable in the sitting area of the office so that she could further explain. "Can I get you something to drink? Water? Coffee? Tea?" she asked, once again making her way to her desk so that she could grab the desk phone.
"Coffee, please," Barbara politely requested as she settled herself into a leather armchair in the corner of the room.
Offering the other woman a nod of her head and a bright smile, Callie held up one, long index finger to ask Barbara to please give her a moment as she deftly pressed a number into the phone. "Hey, Mer. Do you have a minute?" she asked, anxiously grabbing something from within the top drawer of her mahogany desk. "Great. Oh, and can you check to see if Aria is available, too? And, bring some coffee?"
With a sincere thank you spoken into the phone, Callie then gently placed the handset back onto its cradle before again joining Barbara. And, taking a seat on the love seat across from her, she then let out a cleansing breath before once again offering the other woman a sincere smile.
"What's going on, Callie?" Barbara suspiciously asked, curiously eyes her daughter's fiancé. "I have to say, you're making me a little nervous," she honestly continued.
Blowing out a cleansing breath, Callie appeared sheepish as she cautiously regarded the other woman. "I, umm. . .I have something to ask you," she finally stated, unbuttoning her suit jacket and removing it from her body as she settled further into her seat. And, draping the garment over the arm of the love seat, she nervously fidgeted with the small, deep purple box she held in her hand. "Barbara, I hope that I don't really need to say this - I mean, I hope it's more than obvious - but, I love your daughter very much," Callie finally began, a wistful smile covering her entire face as she leaned forward with her elbows now resting on her knees. "Arizona is. . .she is the most beautiful, intelligent, loving, amazing woman in the entire world. She and Lillian are more than I could ever have asked for," she earnestly continued, her eyes suddenly beginning to well with overwhelmed tears as she spoke about the blonde pair who had completely captured her heart. "And, I know Arizona and I have only been together for a little while - less than a year - but, in that time, I have come to realize that I simply cannot imagine spending my life with anyone else but her."
Smiling at Callie's heartfelt words, Barbara offered her an understanding smile as the younger woman quickly wiped at her own eyes. And, then taking the small box once Callie had offered it to her, blue eyes suddenly went wide when she saw what lay inside. "Oh, my. . ."
"I know Arizona and I are already engaged. She already asked me, and. . ." Callie momentarily trailed off, her smile growing wider as she allowed her thoughts to stray to three weeks prior when Arizona had popped the question, the fingers and thumb of her right hand, reverently fiddling with the engagement ring that was now lovingly nestled on her left hand. "That is a moment I will never ever be able to forget. It was just so perfect and so romantic; Arizona is. . ." Callie again paused, a bright blush tinting her cheeks as she once again thought about her fiancé. ". . .she is the most perfect person for me. But, sometimes I'm really terrible about showing her that. Sometimes I'm horrible about pushing her away, and I know that I need to be better; I need to make sure she knows that I'm all in. So, I want to ask her to marry me," she earnestly clarified, feeling very strongly about making things right, as well as the idea that every girl deserved a proposal - every woman deserved a ring. "So, I asked you here - today - for your blessing. I love Arizona and Lillian more than anything, and so, I really hope you'll agree."
More than a little surprised by Callie's request, Barbara took a silent moment to consider Callie's ardently delivered words, carefully closing the lid of the ring box before gently placing it on the table that currently separated them. "Arizona is a tough nut to crack," the older woman finally stated, the candor present in that statement, causing both women to softly laugh. "But, she is the most loving person I have ever known. She is kind and generous, and when she loves, she loves hard."
Nodding her head in agreement, Callie anxiously shifted in her seat, her right leg crossing over her left.
"And, after the car accident - after she lost Keira - I never thought she would love again. Not really and not completely, and certainly not. . .like she loves you," Barbara earnestly stated, slowly standing from her seat to settle herself at Callie's side. "So, yes, Callie. You have my blessing. Not that you really need it. You are the person who breathed life back into my daughter, and I will never be able to show you enough thanks for that."
Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the other woman's words, Callie sheepishly tipped her head to the side, more than a little speechless in the wake of Barbara's sentimentality. "Thank you, Barbara. I. . ."
But, just as Callie was about to express her gratitude, Aria and Meredith nonchalantly breezed into the room, a tray of coffee and Danishes in the latter's hands. "Oh, Mrs. Robbins!" Aria suddenly exclaimed, abruptly stopping short when she realized her sister wasn't the only person in the room. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were here," she genuinely apologized, the concern evident in her eyes when she glanced toward her sister for any sign of what might be going on.
"It's fine, dear," Barbara honestly stated. "Callie and I were just talking about this stunning ring she plans to give to my daughter," the older woman genuinely gushed, reaching out to once again take the ring box into her hand. "Have you seen this thing?" she incredulously asked.
With both newcomers emphatically nodding their heads, Callie again blushed as she motioned for her sister and best friend to join them. And, after Meredith set the tray on the coffee table in the middle of the sitting area, Callie then poured a cup for each woman, perfectly adding the appropriate amount of cream and sugar to each cup.
"So, things haven't really started off the greatest between Mr. and Mrs. Winthrop and myself, but. . ."
"That's one way of putting it," Aria facetiously grumbled more loudly than she had intended.
And, with stern, brown eyes glaring at the identical ones of her twin, Callie chastisingly shook her head. "Anyway. . ." she continued, causing Aria to exaggeratedly roll her eyes. "I need to set things right with them, but first, I feel like I need to make sure Arizona and I are okay."
"Did things not go well, last night?" Meredith curiously asked. But, then surreptitiously glancing in Barbara's direction, her eyes widened when she realized she may have said too much.
"It wasn't great," Callie simply stated, her eyes, too, moving in the older woman's direction. She assumed Arizona had taken the time to discuss the events of the previous night with her mother - at least some of them, anyway - but, choosing not to elaborate any further on the fact that she had chosen to go out and get drunk instead of going home to her future wife and child, she quickly changed the subject. "Things are okay, though. Arizona and I are okay," she further clarified. "But, I want to do more. I need to do more. And, if you're willing, I'm going to need all of your help."
And, with all four women then conspiratorially leaning inward, as if they were about to devise the greatest military strategy in all of history, Callie offered them a smile of gratitude at their willingness to assist her in any way they possibly could.
"Okay. This is what I need you to do."
"And the lung is up, and it looks amazing," Arizona happily stated from her position standing over the four year old child who was currently on her OR table. "5-0 Vicryl," she then professionally requested, her words sounding into the OR at the same moment a buzzing emanated from the surgical instrument tray positioned to her left.
"Dr. Robbins, your phone is vibrating," the circulation nurse informed.
"Who is it, Anne?" Arizona sweetly asked, her voice calm as she began suturing the extremely tiny human lying before her.
And, glancing down at the device, a smile was soon evident on the nurse's face, even behind the shroud of her mask. "It's Callie, Dr. Robbins," Anne happily replied, her eyes flicking upward from the phone's display.
With her own dimpled grin quickly forming behind her own mask, Arizona's eyes never left her patient's chest as she spoke. "Could you put her on speakerphone, please," she softly requested. And, when she was sure that Anne had turned on the speaker, she continued to smile as she spoke. "Hey, Calliope. I'm in the OR, so you're on speaker," she soon informed.
A soft chuckle then sounded from the phone before Callie's voice filled the operating room. "I just wanted to check to see how your day is going, but I can call back," she honestly stated, the sound of horns honking and someone shouting in the background loudly filling the OR.
"Are you in the car?" Arizona curiously asked, thoughtfully looking up at the clock that hung on the OR's wall. "Oh shoot! I didn't even realize it was so late," she anxiously rambled as an afterthought, suddenly realizing that Callie was most likely in the car on her way to pick up Lillian from school.
"Yeah, I. . ."
But, before Callie could finish her statement, sudden realization struck Arizona - the other woman had offered Jackson to Keira's parents earlier that day. And, with her brow now furrowing in worried consideration, she slightly shook her head. "Please tell me you aren't in a cab, Callie. You know how I feel about putting Lillian into a cab."
"I'm not in a cab, Arizona," Callie instantly informed, once Arizona had allowed her a silent moment to do so. "I had DeLuca on standby with the SUV in case Jackson was still out, but apparently the Winthrops decided they didn't need to utilize his services for the day. So, I'm with him in the car," she honestly informed from her position in the back seat of the vehicle, her left hand holding her phone to her ear as she diligently typed on her iPad's keyboard with the right. "Oh, and I talked to your mom, today. She asked if she could take Lillian for a while after school. I assumed that would be okay, but I told her I needed to talk to you about it, first."
Narrowing her eyes in question, Arizona diligently placed her final stitch. "Of course that's okay, Calliope," she genuinely stated, curious as to why her fiancé even felt the need to ask. "You didn't have to talk to me about it."
"Ok, good," Callie replied, her tone seemingly relieved. "I know you didn't get to spend the time you wanted with her last evening, so I thought I would check to be sure."
"It's perfectly fine with me," Arizona genuinely replied, smiling at her fiancé's thoughtfulness.
"Great!" Callie happily stated, flipping her iPad case shut. "Alright, well, we just got to Trinity, so I have to run. But, I'll see you in just a little while. I love you, Arizona," she continued, her voice sounding wistful when she said the last four words.
With a round of sickeningly sweet awwws erupting throughout the OR, Arizona shyly rolled her eyes as she ripped off her gloves before tearing off her mask. "Oh, shut up. All of you," she playfully chastised, a slight blush rising to her cheeks at Callie's sentiment, as well as the surgical staff's saccharine attention. But, with a twinkling gleam in her whimsical, cerulean eyes, Arizona then pulled off her gown, a giant, dimpled grin tugging at perfect, pink lips as she dreamily spoke. "I love you, too, Calliope. I'll see you soon."
At just before 5:00pm, Arizona quickly made her way toward her office, intent upon gathering her things and making her way out the door and into the BMW luxury sedan she knew would be waiting to take her home. The previous afternoon and evening had been a complete shit show -for lack of a better description - and she desperately needed tonight to be better.
As far as she knew, Lillian was still with her mother, and so, she hoped she and Callie would have just a bit of time to sit down with each other, and then with the Winthrops, to discuss whatever it was - exactly - that had caused them to be so clearly unwelcoming and bitterly cold toward her future wife.
So, now, she was definitely a woman on a mission - a WO-man with a plan - but, stepping through her office door, she suddenly pulled up short, her heart beginning to rapidly race within the confines of her chest as she took in the sight of the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers she had ever seen.
By her best estimation, there had to have been at least ten dozen antique garden roses in the bunch - in subtle shades of white, pink, and lavender - all beautifully arranged in a cylindrical, glass vase lined with green ti leaves.
It was quite simply. . .stunning.
Spectacular.
And, curiously stepping up to where the bouquet now sat in the center of her desk, Arizona's face immediately split into a beaming smile when she saw a very familiar handwriting scrawled across the card.
A kiss is just a kiss,
Until you find the one you love.
A hug is just a hug,
Until you find the one you're dreaming of.
A dream is just a dream,
Until the day that it comes true.
Love was just a word,
Until the day that I met you!
I love you so much more than words can say.
Callie
And, as Arizona read over the sappy - albeit, romantic as hell - poem for the fifth time, the tips of her fingertips reverently brushed over the flourishing pen strokes as she comfortably settled into her desk chair before retrieving her phone from the pocket of her starched, white lab coat. Then, pulling up her camera app, she quickly snapped a picture of the beautifully classic bouquet, her thumbs then setting about the task of excitedly texting her fiancé.
'Thank you, Calliope. These flowers are breathtaking.'
With barely a second of hesitation, the thinking bubble popped up in her iMessage screen, alerting her that Callie was, indeed, drafting a response.
'Not nearly as breathtaking as you...❤️'
Smiling in reply, Arizona suddenly found herself feeling absolutely and overwhelmingly giddy. She wasn't usually that girl who gushed over flowers or went to mush over sappy love letters or romantic words, but today, apparently Callie had struck a chord. Arizona absolutely adored it when her fiancé got like this - not that she wasn't usually incredibly loving and super romantic - but when the other woman started sending flowers and writing sweet little love notes, well, Arizona literally melted into a puddle of passionately enchanted goo.
'Stop. You're making me blush,' she quickly replied, ripping off her lab coat and crossing the room to shut and lock her door.
'I bet you look adorable. I love that, even after all these months, I can still make you blush."
Removing her scrubs and replacing them with the dark wash jeans, a flowy and feminine blouse, black, ruched sleeve blazer, and strappy sandals she had worn to work earlier that day, Arizona then fluffed her hair and reapplied some make-up in the mirror behind her door.
'You make me do a lot of things,' she vaguely replied, grabbing her bag and finally making her way back toward the door. She momentarily thought to take the flowers home with her, but choosing, instead, to leave them behind so that they could brighten her office - at least until the end of the week - she then stepped onto the hallway before closing and locking her door.
'Like what, exactly? What else do I make you do?'
Oh.
So, Callie was in that kind of mood.
Arizona softly chuckled as she once again read the words written across the screen; not only was Callie in a romantic mood, she was also in what seemed to be a teasingly seductive mood and, sensually smiling as she rode the elevator to the bottom floor, Arizona excitedly typed her response. 'Well, Calliope. That all depends on the setting.'
A thinking bubble again popped up onto her screen.
'So, do you think I could make you play a little game with me?'
With her eyebrows knitting together in confusion as she stepped out the exit doors and into the sweltering, late August sun, Arizona pulled a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses from within her bag, her thumbs once again tapping out a response. 'Probably. What kind of game?' she curiously asked.
And, almost automatically Callie's answer instantaneously popped up, Arizona's confusion growing even further when she read the texted reply.
'Great! Jackson is pulling into the ambulance bay right now with your first clue.'
Looking to her left, Arizona immediately saw that her fiancé was, indeed, correct, the familiar vehicle rolling to a stop right in front of her so that she could make her way inside. And, with an anxiously curious grin on her face that twinkled all the way up to her eyes, she hastily opened the back door, quickly sitting down and closing it before buckling her seat belt and making herself more comfortable.
"This is for you, Dr. Robbins," Jackson flatly stated, turning in his seat to hand Arizona a deep purple envelope before resuming his position, facing forward, in the driver's seat.
And, questioningly accepting the offering, Arizona pushed her sunglasses upward to rest atop her head before momentarily regarding the offering with bemused inquisition, her fingers running over the golden swirl embellishment that graced the envelope's front as her eyes flicked across what was her name written in what was obviously Callie's immaculate cursive handwriting. Then turning over the papery sheath, she gently pressed her index finger under a golden seal before pulling out a matching piece of purple stationery that had the same pen script emblazoned across it.
I am sorry I run,
And you have to chase.
But, if you're up for a challenge,
I'll tell you the place.
We've been there before,
Several hints you will get.
Please follow your memories
to the place we first met.
A loud chuckle of pure amusement soon left Arizona's lips as she once again read over the rhyme, the smile on her face so large, her cheeks were literally beginning to ache. "Are you in on Callie's little game, Jackson? Or are you just along for the ride?" she teasingly asked the man who was still facing forward.
Shaking his head, Jackson turned toward his passenger, bright blue eyes gleaming with mischief as he spoke. "All I know is that Ms. Torres asked me to give you that envelope and then get you to wherever you need to go as safely and as efficiently as possible," he simply replied, though Arizona could tell that he definitely knew more than he was willing to say. "So, where to?" he dutifully asked, turning back around to look out the front windshield of the car.
Ruefully shaking her head, Arizona again glanced down at the paper before pulling her sunglasses back down to cover her eyes. "Torres Hotel, please," she softly requested, tucking the stationery back into its covering.
"Which one?" Jackson immediately asked. "Tribeca, Times Square, or Midtown?"
Somehow surprised by his question, Arizona didn't directly respond. Even now, she sometimes forgot just how impressively abundant and thoroughly expansive the Torres Corporation - and their fortune - really was. And, thinking back to the very first night she had met her now fiancé, she momentarily counted her blessings - considering it complete kismet that she had chosen that particular Torres Hotel.
And, with her heart now seriously about to burst from within her chest with the fortuitous gratitude and mysterious excitement she was currently feeling, Arizona briefly worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she considered her response. "Do I really need to be that specific?" she jokingly asked with a soft round of laughter.
"Just doing my job, Dr. Robbins," Jackson coyly replied. "Ms. Torres said not to give you any hints."
Shaking her head at Callie's sudden playfulness, Arizona curiously wondered what exactly the infamous Ms. Torres was up to with all of this, but deciding to play along - she was already enjoying herself way too much to stop now - she crossed her right leg over her left as she more accurately spoke. "Jackson, could you please take me to the Torres Hotel in the Midtown East? It's located on 5th Avenue at Central Park South," she jovially stated, purposely choosing to exaggerate every last syllable of her response.
And, placing his own sunglasses on the bridge of his nose, Jackson merely nodded his head before checking his mirrors for any other vehicle in the ambulance bay. And, surprisingly finding none, he then expertly guided the sedan onto the street, knowingly smiling as he spoke. "Torres Hotel, 5th Avenue. Got it."
Arriving at her destination less than thirty minutes later, Arizona quickly made her way into the enormous lobby of the Torres Hotel-Manhattan before immediately moving in the direction of the hotel's restaurant and bar. And, confidently stepping through the large, mahogany doors leading to where she assumed Callie would be, Arizona briefly paused in the door frame to smooth her jacket before momentarily allowing excited, blue eyes to sweep over the overly crowded room.
As usual, off to the left, she noted Alex standing behind the spacious and sophisticated bar, the same thoughtful selection of notable wines and unique beers that had been there on the night she had proposed to the love of her life, still lining the shelves.
"So, are you in on this thing, too?" she curiously asked as she carefully hoisted herself up to sit on a high stool, her face alight with confusion combined with liveliness as she intently watched Alex expertly mix a gin and tonic before offering it to the patron seated next to her. "How exactly does this work, anyway?" she deliberately asked. "Is Callie actually here? Or am I just here for another clue?"
Conspiratorially looking around to make sure that all of his customers were happy - at least for the time being - Alex then leaned in toward his friend's fiancé before pulling a deep purple envelope from the inside pocket of his Brunello Cucinelli gilet, his hand then covertly sliding it across the bar. "I don't have time, tonight, to play Callie's games, but she is one of my best friends, so here," he gruffly stated, finally pulling his hand away from the envelope before turning on his heel and making his way toward the back of the bar.
With a slight roll of her eyes at Alex's crotchety behavior, Arizona spun herself away from the wooden bar top, her back resting against it as she pressed her index finger beneath the golden seal.
The next time I saw you,
I was taken by such surprise.
But, there was no mistaking
those gorgeous blue eyes.
I know you were shocked,
But it was so meant to be.
Please follow this clue
to the place named for me.
Worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, Arizona then smiled as she lovingly considered how much time and effort Callie had put into this little game.
But, for what?
And, why tonight?
It was a Tuesday, for goodness sake.
Arizona knew her fiancé felt badly about what she had done the night before, but as she carefully slipped off the padded stool, Arizona suddenly realized that this was more than just an apology - more than Callie just being romantic and having fun.
Arizona wasn't sure what, but there was definitely a greater reason for Callie's little game.
Deciding to walk the two blocks that separated the Torres Hotel from her newest destination - Calliope & Co. - Arizona quickly glanced around the neighborhood of Midtown East, momentarily taking in the front of the jewelry store, her mind immediately travelling back in time to the first morning she had ever entered this building.
At that point in time, she had been in the store for an entirely different purpose - for a completely different woman. She had traveled from Seattle to New York to purchase an engagement ring, but unfortunately, that ring had not been for Callie. And, with an ironic shake of her head at just how much her life had changed after she had entered this building for the very first time, Arizona finally tugged on the heavy, metal door before quickly making her way into the store.
And, just like on that very first day so many months before, she was immediately greeted by a man - who she now knew to be Mark Sloan - who was dressed in an impeccably tailored, black Armani suit, his smile as lecherously inappropriate as usual.
"Hey, Mark. Is Callie here?" she curiously asked, completely ignoring the fact that his eyes never quite seemed to be able to focus on her face.
But, when he didn't respond - when he seemed to actually start to drool over the sight of her completely clothed boobs - Arizona loudly cleared her throat. "Eyes on my face, Mark," she fervently scolded, completely cognizant of the fact that Callie had already warned him - and threatened to fire him - over his less than discrete and thoroughly indecent behavior around her woman.
With a wistful shake of his head as he visibly pulled himself from his clearly unbecoming musings about Arizona's breasts, Mark finally managed to drag his eyes up from that area. And, finally sliding his hand into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, he then pulled out a deep purple envelope before gently placing it in her hand. "Callie left hours ago, but she asked me to give you this," he vaguely offered before moving back to his post at the front of the store.
And, with amused, cornflower eyes immediately moving around the showroom to take in the impressive display of gleaming, diamond jewelry, magnificently glistening in brightly lit cases that lined the walls, Arizona suddenly found herself yearning for a bit of bling to call her own.
Because, after all, diamonds really are a girl's best friend.
Callie had given her a gorgeous bracelet - which she absolutely adored and wore every single day - but these diamonds, well, they were just . . .WOW! And, as she continued to longingly peruse the selection, she realized, now more than even when she had proposed, how very much she wanted rings - commitment. She had given Callie a gigantic rock when she had proposed, and selfishly she now wanted one of her own. But, knowing her day would come - knowing that if she just had patience, Callie would eventually give her absolutely any ring she desired.
And, so, with the briefest of sighs, she diligently decided to return to the current task at hand, her fingers deftly pressing beneath the golden seal of the third, purple envelope she had received.
So, then I chased you,
I just could not let go.
I found you at the airport,
But, you told me no.
I won't make you go there,
That might be too far.
Go instead to the place
where several fighter jets are.
At just before 7:00pm, Arizona anxiously ran her hands up and down her jean clad thighs as she nervously sat in the back seat of the BMW luxury sedan. "I mean, it has to be the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. . .right?" she apprehensively asked, hoping the younger man would offer her just the slightest tip as to whether or not she was correct. "Jackson?" she indignantly questioned when he did not reply, for some reason needing the only other person in the car to at least acknowledge her existence.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Robbins. You've already been informed of Ms. Torres's rule. I'm not allowed to tell you," he again reiterated, deftly flipping on the left hand turn signal just before navigating the car off of 55th Street to travel South on 12th Avenue.
With a slight huff of exasperation, Arizona impatiently tapped her right foot against the floor of the vehicle, a sunglass covered stare shooting daggers into the back of the driver's head. "You really are no fun, Jackson Avery," she petulantly grumbled. "And, trust me, I will totally remember this when Callie and I are married, and I become your boss, too."
Wait. . .
Thinking over what she had just said, Arizona's face suddenly blanched, her lips falling slightly agape. Was that actually going to be the case? Would she actually be Jackson's boss when she and Callie got married? And, what about all the rest? The companies, the fortune, all of those employees. . .
She knew Callie had joked about giving her half of the company - about her not actually having to work - but, Arizona suddenly realized that they had never actually seriously discussed it in depth. Wow. . .they really had a lot to talk about.
But, deciding that could wait - there was absolutely nothing she could do about it right now - Arizona's lips again turned upward into an infectious smile as she heckled the younger man. "Come on, Jackson. Just a little, tiny, infinitesimal hint."
She had been having so much fun with this; it was like Callie was leading her on a some sort of nostalgically romantic trip down memory lane, but when she had received this latest clue, she felt as if she had momentarily stumbled. She just wasn't quite convinced that her hunch was correct, and she really wanted to get all of these clues just right. Her type-A, know-it-all personality just couldn't fathom the thought of being incorrect.
"Well, okay, then," she sarcastically stated when the driver didn't say anything more, though a lighthearted chuckle left her mouth as she again spoke. "So, she said not to go to JFK. That's actually where she found me. So, she wouldn't have wanted me to go to LaGuardia, either. Right?" she rapidly continued to speak, more so just verbalizing her own thoughtful conjecture than anything else.
Of course, if Jackson were to accidentally give her a clue, she certainly wouldn't have minded. "Are there any other museums in the city where several fighter jets are?" she impatiently asked, this time, actually expecting an answer.
"I can't tell you, Dr. Robbins," Jackson again stated, quickly approaching Pier 86 at 46th Street in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood on the West Side of Manhattan. "We're close, though. Are you sure this is where you need to be?" he coyly asked.
"I have no idea where I need to be!" Arizona loudly huffed in utter irritation - not necessarily at Callie, but more so at the fact that she could tell that the man knew exactly where she needed to be, but was being purposely evasive. "I mean, there is no other place. Right?"
"There's the 911 Memorial Museum," Jackson thoughtfully suggested, safely pulling the car to the side of the road, as close to the Intrepid Welcome Center as he possibly could manage.
"There aren't fighter planes, there, Jackson. So, don't you dare try to trip me up," Arizona warningly replied as she once again read her latest clue. "This has to be it," she then stated, quickly opening the door and stepping out of the car.
And, then shutting the door behind her, Arizona quickly turned toward the Aircraft Carrier Intrepid, diligently looking around the entrance of the vessel for any sign of Callie or any other familiar face.
The place was quite literally sprawling - 912 feet long by 192 feet wide, the equivalent of around three football fields - as they had recently learned during a trip there with Lillian a couple months before. And, as Arizona considered her next move, a gentle smile tugged at pink lips as she recalled just how interested in this military and maritime history museum both of her girls had been.
"Arizona!"
Quickly whipping around at the sound of her name, Arizona squinted her eyes behind the dark lenses of her sunglasses but, seeing no one, she then moved closer to the museum's visitor's center, the entire complex berthed on the Hudson River.
"Arizona! Over here!"
Again looking around, Arizona finally spotted the familiar face for which she had been searching - well, she would have much preferred Callie's face - but, at this point in time, Meredith Grey's would certainly do.
"Oh, my goodness. Thank God I found you," Arizona earnestly breathed, quickly making her way toward the other woman. "I thought maybe I wasn't in the right place," she honestly informed.
Smiling at her best friend's fiancé, Meredith mischievously smiled, her eyes lighting with amusement and mirth. "Nope. You definitely got it right," she prankishly divulged with an impish grin.
And, with suspicious blue eyes slightly narrowing as she took in the other woman's jocular antics, Arizona pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head. "What?" she shyly questioned, feeling suddenly self-conscious under Meredith's coquettishly scrutinizing glare.
"Nothing, it's nothing," Meredith evasively insisted, dismissively waving off the other woman. "But, as I'm sure you already know, Callie asked me to give you this," she flatly stated, though her lips continued to tug upward at the ends into a sly smile.
"What's with the face?" Arizona uneasily asked, though she excitedly accepted the fourth, deep purple envelope, her fingers already impatiently fiddling with the golden seal that held it shut.
"No face," Meredith guiltily replied, nodding her head toward the envelope before hastily turning and walking away.
By this point in Callie's game, Arizona had gotten used to each and every delivery person's strangely blithe - albeit nonchalant - behavior and, brushing it off with a rueful shake of her head, she quickly made her way back toward the car, hurriedly tearing into her next clue, anxiously flipping open the seal.
Next, you came to me,
But I turned you away.
Until I showed up
in Seattle one day.
We talked about our pasts,
And made much ado.
If this would have happened,
I'd have never met you.
What the hell?!
"Where to, boss?" Jackson facetiously asked once Arizona had made her way back into the car.
But, not biting at his provoking comment, she gently shook her head, cerulean eyes thoughtfully squinting as she befuddledly considered her latest rhyme. "I honestly have no idea," she dismally informed, her enthusiasm for this game visibly deflating.
The clues Callie had provided her - up to this point - had been fairly obvious, the first two, a piece of cake. But, this one, well. . .the correct answer could potentially be so many places; it could mean so many things. And, urgently reaching for her phone that lay in a pocket within her bag, she anxiously retrieved it, seriously pondering whether or not she should just swallow her pride and call her fiancé for some much needed assistance.
"Were there any rules about phoning a friend?" she teasingly asked, though her tone was clearly hesitant.
Glancing up into the rear view mirror, Jackson smiled as he nodded his head. "You are allowed one call or one text," he knowingly replied, repeating the instructions and stipulations Callie had given him earlier that day. "But, use it wisely," he then warned. "It's the only one you get."
With a slight huff, Arizona reluctantly looked down at her phone before allowing her eyes to once again scan over the clue Meredith had just given her. Then, diligently perusing the catalogue of her memories, she desperately attempted to make some sense of the riddle in congruence with their very first date.
She remembered how shocked she had been when she had opened her front door to find Callie standing on her doorstep; so shocked, in fact, it had taken a sarcastic suggestion from her mother for her to finally find the manners necessary to invite the brunette inside. Callie and Lillian had then immediately hit it off; Callie had given her an antique music box that Lillian still cherished and adored to this very day.
And, then they had gone on a date - a family date as Callie had so happily called it - shopping, manicures and pedicures, ice cream, and a trip to the park. But, as Arizona laboriously scanned the memoirs of their relationship, she simply could not remember anything significant that they had discussed during that time.
Well, at least, not until their first real date.
They had dined at Canlis, enjoying the stunningly spectacular view of Lake Union and the Seattle skyline as they ate and, as Arizona thought back, she could vividly recall how she had unwittingly - and heart-wrenchingly - made Callie cry, not once, but twice, during their meal.
Arizona had simply been trying to engage her date in lighthearted conversation, but she had somehow managed to stumble upon the fact that Callie had just recently suffered a miscarriage. She had then succeeded in changing the subject; they had talked about Callie's dream of going to Juilliard, though that dream never had the chance to come true. And, then, Callie had spoken about her double major in college, as well as the fact that she had ended up graduating with an MBA and a Master of Music Performance and Collaborative Piano with a secret audition with the New York Philharmonic never coming to fruition due to the untimely death of her mother.
And, with blue eyes instantly going wide with sudden realization, Arizona once again read back over the words written in golden font on the piece of deep purple paper she still held in her hand.
If this would have happened,
I'd have never met you.
Was Callie trying to lead her to The Juilliard School?
To the New York Philharmonic?
"The Philharmonic performs at Lincoln Center, right, Jackson?" she curiously asked, her phone still tightly held in her hand as if it was literally her lifeline.
Nodding his head, Jackson continued to watch his passenger in the rear view mirror. "Yes, ma'am. I believe their home is David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center," he deliberately offered. "Is that where we're heading?" he then asked, glancing sidelong into the side mirror in search of even the slightest lull in traffic so that he could safely navigate the car back onto 12th Avenue.
But, momentarily caught off guard by the fact that Jackson had just willingly supplied her with so much seemingly pertinent information, Arizona didn't immediately respond, instead, sighing as she mindfully considered her options.
The Juilliard School. . .
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. . .
Juilliard. . .
Lincoln Center. . .
She could just text Callie to ask - hopefully she would help lead her in the right direction - but, deciding that she might need to save her one text for another, perhaps even more difficult, riddle - and knowing that the two destinations were literally separated by only about a five minute walk around Lincoln Square - she confidently decided to take a chance. "Yes, Jackson. Please take me to Lincoln Center - David Geffen Hall."
Quickly hopping out of the car just as Jackson had barely managed to bring it to a complete stop along Columbus Avenue, Arizona briskly made her way up the steps leading to the iconic Josie Robertson Plaza - the gateway to Lincoln Center. And, with renewed excitement for this enchantingly sentimental treasure hunt on which Callie was currently leading her, she softly chuckled when she suddenly realized that she had absolutely no idea for what kind of treasure she was currently hunting.
It had to be Callie, though. Right? She had to be waiting for her somewhere along the way. Because, no matter what, Callie was always going to be her gleaming light at the end of the darkest tunnel, her elusively spectacular pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
"It's about time you got here," Aria jokingly huffed with a comical roll of her eyes from her perch near the Revson Fountain in the center of the plaza. "Was this a tough one? Callie thought this one might take you some time."
Feeling a sudden sense of longing affection and passionate devotion, for her fiancé, suddenly well within her body to effectively consume her entire form, Arizona felt momentarily dizzy at just how well Callie knew her. And, with an excited laugh - she was so happy to have gotten this destination right - Arizona briefly glanced down at her watch, noting the time to be 7:45pm. "It didn't take me that long," she penitently pronounced, anxiously searching Aria's form for what she assumed would be her next clue. "Come on, Aria. Where is it?" she impatiently asked when a familiar, purple envelope was not immediately revealed to her.
"Hold on, hold on. Not so fast, lady," Aria gently chastised, though she did pull what Arizona had been waiting for from somewhere within her oversized, designer bag. "You're really enjoying this crap, aren't you?" she teasingly asked with a beaming smirk that successfully caused her russet brown eyes to dance with mirth.
"Just give me the damn envelope," Arizona hastily replied, suddenly feeling super anxious about locating her fiancé so that she could finally find out what this saccharinely sweet scavenger hunt was really all about. "How many more places do I have to go? Am I almost finished? Where is she, Aria?" she rapidly asked, her eyes alight with the the same joy as a kid at Christmas.
With a rueful shake of her head and a loud bark of laughter, Aria slowly extended her arm to offer Arizona the envelope, but just as it was about to leave her grasp, she provokingly pulled it away.
"Aria!" Arizona petulantly whined, stomping her foot. "Please. I really just want to find Callie."
Carefully studying Arizona's face, Aria allowed herself a brief moment to revel in the unconditional love and unfettered admiration she could see devotedly reflected in those gleaming, sky blue eyes - not just now, but every single time this woman spoke of her twin. What Arizona and her sister shared was quite simply the most astonishing testament to true love - to the undying bond that the two women now shared - that she had ever before witnessed.
Aria knew, so many times, Callie had thought that she would never find someone to love her the way she needed to be loved - someone who would allow her the privilege and the honor of loving them in her own, deeply unrestricted way. But, then, Arizona Robbins had stumbled into Callie's life, seemingly from out of nowhere, and had shown her that true love - the kind of love she'd been longing for - really did exist. It was as if Arizona was the person Callie had been waiting her entire life to meet and, knowing that her sister needed her to try to stall Arizona's progress for just a bit, Aria decided to tell the blonde just that.
"You know, this. . ." Aria temporarily paused, purposely gesturing around the plaza. "This was one of the biggest turning points in Callie's life," she vaguely verbalized before deciding to say more. "Callie was - is - so talented; she totally could have gone to Juilliard, and I have absolutely no doubt that she totally would have killed her audition with the Philharmonic," she proudly continued, dark brown eyes suddenly brimming with an unexpected onset of uncharacteristic tears. "But, when mom died, it was as if all of the light - and all of the life - was sucked right out of Callie's body. She didn't sing - she didn't play - she barely talked. And, for the longest time, that's how she stayed," she sadly informed. "I mean, sure, she finally snapped out of it - kind of. She finally managed to drag herself up and out of her own depressive mind, but she was never the same. For years and years, Arizona, there was absolutely no light in her eyes. Not until she found out she was pregnant, but then, well. . .you already know how that turned out. . ."
Sadly trailing off, Aria momentarily worried that she had said too much, but deciding that there was really no turning back now, she softly cleared her throat before deciding to continue. "But, then she met you. And Lillian. And it was as if all of the light and all of the life that used to surround her was suddenly there, again. And, so, I'd like to thank you for that, Arizona. It's no secret that Callie and I haven't always been close, but I do love my sister. And, I am so very grateful to you for bringing her back to me."
Thoroughly caught off guard by such an outpouring of sincere emotion from her fiancé's sister, Arizona found herself completely speechless, an unanticipated pool of tears now welling in her own shocked, blue eyes. "Aria, I. . ."
But, not yet able to successfully make words, Arizona took a moment to gather her thoughts, smiling when she finally spoke. "I love her, Aria. Your sister is the very best thing that has ever happened to me."
Tightly nodding her head, Aria brusquely wiped at her own eyes, desperately attempting to return her demeanor to its badass, no-nonsense, true love is bullshit baseline status. But, unable to completely do so, she finally placed the deep purple envelope she'd been holding hostage for way too long in the palm of an ivory hand. "Don't let her keep running, Arizona. She knows it's wrong, but sometimes she just can't help herself," she genuinely stated before turning around and walking away.
Standing completely stunned as she curiously watched after the other woman, Arizona suddenly realized that of all the places she had been that day and of all the people who had been waiting for her along the way, this latest interaction with Aria had definitely been the most completely unexpected - albeit, the very most overwhelmingly heartfelt. And, as she felt a sudden swell of profound emotion rise upward within her chest to travel all the way to the very tips of her fingers and her toes, she took a moment to silently reflect on how very lucky she truly was.
She loved Callie. She loved Lillian. She loved her life. She loved this city; it was because of it that she had found the woman of her dreams. She had never before felt more complete.
And, with now trembling fingers gently pressing beneath the fifth envelope's golden seal, she slowly removed the card from its sheath, her eyes quickly moving across each flourishing pen stroke.
It took some more time,
Soon we were all in one place.
I still can remember
the look on Lil's face.
We went to a park,
So much bigger than she'd known.
Please go to her place
where bronze toadstools have grown.
Quickly stepping out of the car at 72nd Street and 5th Avenue, Arizona hastily entered Central Park, knowingly meandering her way along a wooded path in the direction of her next - super familiar - destination. They had just been there a few days before and, as she hurried past the Waldo Hutchins Bench, she softly chuckled as she envisioned the sight of Lillian happily running and jumping ahead of them - Callie at her side, their fingers intertwined as they strolled along the path - making their way toward the spot Lillian had claimed as her own.
And, as she diligently made her way around the Conservatory Water just as the sun was about to beautifully set, she could already see her goal, off in the distance, an unmistakable head of wavy, blonde hair bouncing up and down as the actual Lillian ran around the statue of Alice in Wonderland where bronze toadstools have grown.
Arizona half expected - hoped -to see Callie, there, with her, but when she saw the shape of her mother, instead, she suddenly realized that this was most likely not the end of her adventure.
"Mommy!" Lillian excitedly greeted from her perch atop the largest toadstool in the bunch, the bronze sculpture of Alice in Wonderland surrounded by the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, and a few of her other friends, the little girl's most favorite place to play in all of Central Park.
"Hey, big girl!" Arizona happily replied, taking Lillian into her arms and hugging her close. "Mmm. . .I missed you so much," she genuinely stated, carefully spinning her daughter around. "How was school? Did you have a great day?"
Insistently nodding her head, Lillian happily pulled away from her mother's loving embrace, now sitting crisscross applesauce atop the giant mushroom head. "Today was so awesome, mommy! We read a book about sea anemones, and then we did math. Did you know that one hundred billion plus one hundred billion is two hundred billion?"
With a soft chuckle at her daughter's contagious elation, Arizona cheerfully nodded her head. "I did know that," she proudly stated, tugging the child from the statue and carefully settling her on her hip. "Hey, mom," Arizona then greeted, smiling as Barbara pulled her in for a warm hug. "It's a little late for this one to be out and about, don't you think?" she then asked, her motherly instinct briefly outweighing the fun she was having with Callie's little game.
"Callie was worried about that," Barbara honestly explained, pulling a deep purple envelope from within a small tote bag that generally held some of Lillian's emergency supplies. "But, I told her not to worry. I assured her that I will have Lillian in bed as soon as we leave the park," she earnestly continued, curiously handing Lillian the envelope so that she could then give it to her mother.
"This is for you, mommmy," Lillian simply stated, quickly hopping down from her mother's arms to take her grandmother's hand. "It's from Callie. She told me to tell you to not even try to get me to tell you any secrets, 'cuz I'm not telling."
With a slight laugh and a gentle shake of her head - it was almost uncanny how very well Callie truly did know her - Arizona loudly pecked at her daughter's cheek before she spoke. "Callie knows me well," she softly admitted.
And, with her fingers anxiously fiddling with the golden seal of the sixth envelope she had received, Arizona ardently forced her attention away from where her name was - as with all the rest - written across the envelope, to once again regard her daughter. "Be good for grandma, tonight. Okay?" she gently pronounced, bending down to hug the little girl. "Straight to bed after your bath. You have school tomorrow."
Obediently nodding her understanding, Lillian momentarily lingered in her mother's embrace. "I love you, mommy," she innocently stated.
And, pulling back, Arizona compassionately tucked a stray blonde wave behind her daughter's ear, lovingly and proudly gazing into her beautiful, sky blue eyes as she spoke. "I love you, too."
Slipping back into the BMW luxury sedan and gently shutting the door, Arizona happily smiled as she buckled her seat belt, the unopened envelope still reverently held in her hands. And, glancing down at her watch to see that it was now 8:30pm, she then slipped her fingers under the golden seal, pulling out the note she knew would be inside.
By now you probably hate me,
I've led you astray.
But, just one more riddle,
I have so much to say.
In this place I'll be waiting,
You won't have to knock.
The best view in The City,
Is the top of the Rock.
And, with her smile then growing into an enormous dimpled grin that nearly consumed her entire face, Arizona's heart began to rapidly slam against her chest as butterflies fluttered about in her stomach at the mere thought of soon - and finally - being able to see her gorgeous fiancé. She still had no idea what would be waiting for her once she got to her next - and she assumed final - destination, but as long as Callie was there, none of the rest of it mattered.
"Rockefeller Center, please, Jackson. And, step on it!"