In The Mind's Eye
Disclaimer: This is an AU story that combines The Godfather and Greys Anatomy together. I borrowed these characters, I own nothing.
Chapter Twenty
Lake Tahoe
"Are you peeking?" Callie had blindfolded Arizona for this surprise that she knew would top anything she had ever given the blonde.
"No. I can't see a thing." Peeking from under the small opening, Arizona tried her best to see what was so special that it required a blindfold.
Guiding Arizona, Callie could tell that her wife was peeking under the heavy cloth that covered her eyes. "Are you sure?" the brunette asked.
Arizona didn't answer. She was caught. Shaking her head, she begin to giggle.
"You are peeking...Arizona!"
"Don't worry. All I can see is the ground." she said with a dimpled smile.
"Just a few more steps and we are there. I promise." As they got closer, Callie halted their steps.
"Okay are you ready?" Rubbing her wife's arms in a manic fury, Callie could hardly contain the excitement herself. She knew this was going to appeal to her wife.
"Yes! Very ready!" The blonde couldn't wait to get the blindfold off. The suspense was too much.
Untying the blindfold, Callie stood to the side to gauge her wife's reaction. She knew Arizona would love this. Who wouldn't?
"Callie, who's house is this?" Arizona questioned. She was amazed. This lake house was absolutely the most beautiful property she has ever seen.
"Yours." the brunette replied.
"I'm sorry, what?" Confused by her wife's answer, she needed clarification. Had Callie just told her this was her house?
"Happy anniversary baby! What do you think?"
"Callie it's beautiful! The house is...oh my it's gorgeous! And the lake, look at the lake Callie! And the dock! Where are we?" Arizona's rambling was endearing to her wife. Callie loved to watch Arizona get excited. She had a child-like enthusiasm that Callie adored.
"Lake Tahoe." Watching the blonde doctor's astonishment meant one thing...mission accomplished.
Looking around Arizona was overwhelmed. The Lake was magnificent. The views spectacular. The house was enormous. The expansive grounds that surrounded the property were unlike any Arizona had ever seen. Arizona stared in amazement at her surroundings. This was her dream home, if she ever had one. She could see herself living here...and dying here.
"You bought this house for us?"
"Yes. This was the surprise for our anniversary. So...Surprise!" The look on Arizona's face was priceless.
"Come on. Let's go inside!" Pulling her wife through the front door, Callie smiled as Arizona looked around in amazement. She knew Arizona would love this house. And Arizona loved the water. The blonde had always had a fascination with boats. This lake home would be the perfect place for her wife to sit and relax. She even had two adirondack chairs placed on the dock just for Arizona.
When Callie saw it for sale on the market weeks ago, she knew it was the one. She had wanted a home away from New York. When she came to check on the casinos in Nevada, she would have her own house to stay at.
"You're happy?" Callie knew Arizona was happy. By the look on her face, she was more than happy. Ecstatic was more like it.
Looking around the bottom floor, Arizona answered, "Very happy. When did you buy this?"
"Six weeks ago. It is perfect for us. When we come and check on the casinos, we have our own home. No more hotels. And, there is plenty of room outside for our children to play."
"I love it!" Placing a soft kiss on her wife's lips, Arizona wrapped her arms around her wife. Placing her head against Callie's, she could smell the citrus scent of her wife's shampoo. Her growing belly was clearly visible now. Protruding between the couple, it was a reminder of their loving commitment to each other.
"I love you so much." Callie said as she embraced her wife. Pulling Arizona closer, Callie began to kiss down the blonde's neck. That always drove Arizona wild.
"I love you too." Arizona said as her breath hitched while Callie's hands roamed over her body.
"Why don't we check out the master suite." Callie wanted to make love to her wife. She missed the intimacy they shared. They were electric together. She needed to feel her wife. To touch her silky skin. "We have some catching up to do."
Helping her wife out of her clothes, Callie sat on the bed and pulled Arizona on top of her. Arizona's skin felt so good. So soft. As they kissed, Callie slipped her hands down, cupping two perky breasts. Massaging pink nipples through her fingers as her wife moaned in satisfaction. Needing more contact, Callie pulled the blonde closer, her hands kneading Arizona's tight rounded bottom.
"You feel so good. I've missed this," pulling the blonde's nipple into her mouth, she began to suck gently.
"Me too Callie."
As Arizona made her way down Callie's stomach, she was flipped over by the brunette.
"Callie!" She called out in an aggravated tone.
"It's been four days. I want to taste you." As she made her way to her wife's now very wet center, Arizona grabbed Callie by her hair, pulling her slightly as the brunette slowly teased her wet entrance with her tongue. Moving up and down Arizona's wet slit with precision.
"Oh God." Pulling Callie's dark hair, Arizona met each lick with a thrusting of her hips. This was heaven right here. The feeling of bliss consuming the blonde.
"Smiling, Callie responded to her wife's cries, "Call me Callie, please."
Not paying any attention to her wife's remarks, Arizona continued to keep her hand on Callie's hair, pulling her wife in closer. She needed more. As intense as the feeling was, she needed more. At this phase of her pregnancy, she couldn't get enough sex. The last few days of not having sex had begun to take a toll on the blonde.
"Oh, oh God. Yes!" Throwing her head back, Arizona's moaning was uncontainable.
"Right there, right there Callie."
Hearing her wife moaning only drove the brunette further. She wanted to make Arizona feel good. She wanted to be inside of her, touching her, making love to her.
Inserting two fingers, she continued licking her wife's clit with fierceness. She knew this would drive Arizona over the edge.
"I'm close. So close." The blonde panted.
Continuing her ministrations with perfect precision, Callie moved up, closer to her wife. Laying on top of her, she continued thrusting inside Arizona at a fast pace. The blonde's juices coating the brunette's fingers as she continued her assault on her wet center.
"You like that baby?" Kissing her neck, Callie knew this wouldn't take much longer.
As Arizona's hips met each thrust, her orgasm grew closer. Grabbing onto Callie, she dug her nails along the brunette's back, digging in as waves of intense pleasure filled her body.
"Oh my God! Callie!" She screamed, shutting her eyes. Her body overloaded as the most intense orgasm she had ever experienced ripped through her body. Her walls tightening, gripping Callie's fingers.
"Let it go baby." Seeing Arizona come undone gave Callie immense pleasure. She loved making her wife feel good.
"Callie... that was..."Opening her eyes, Arizona was not able to finish her sentence. Her breaths were labored, her heart beating rapidly.
Seeing her wife like this, ignited a fire in Callie. She wanted to give her wife more. As she slowly and softly kissed her wife, Callie began to massage Arizona's breasts again. Feeling the budding erect nipples, Callie moved to begin sucking them gently. Throwing her head back, Arizona was once again feeling the burning need for more contact. The desire to be taken by her wife grew every second. This was how they spent the majority of their day.
As late afternoon approached, they were still wrapped in each other's arms. Tangled limbs, soft whispers...no rush to be anywhere. They had the entire weekend to spend in Lake Tahoe.
"Are you hungry?" Hearing Arizona's stomach growling, Callie knew food was next on the agenda.
"A little." Sheepishly looking away, Arizona moved to retrieve her shirt at the end of bed.
"What if I fix us grilled cheese and soup. How does that sound?" Callie asked. Over the last couple of days, grilled cheese sandwiches had become a staple at the Torres house. Arizona couldn't seem to get enough of them.
"That's sounds good. You want some help." Slipping into her pants, Arizona was once again dressed.
"I've got it. You just sit back and rest."
Moving around the kitchen with practiced ease, Callie began stirring the soup. She had sent her guys here with all the necessary kitchen supplies, bedding, and personal items they would need for this weekend. Picking out dining room furniture and a sofa for the great room, the house felt a little less empty than it had six weeks prior. Still the enormous house lacked many necessary items. It needed a special touch that only Arizona could give.
As they ate at the island bar in their gourmet kitchen, Callie sprung an idea on Arizona. She knew what her wife's answer would be. "I was thinking, maybe we could go into town tomorrow and you pick out everything you want to furnish this house. What you don't find here, just order it and have it shipped."
Smiling, Arizona nodded her head. "I would love to do that." The blonde loved to decorate. Callie knew this shopping trip would be an all-day affair. Shopping with Arizona was always an adventure. Her wife never seemed to get tired.
"Oh I almost forgot, I have an anniversary present for you too." Standing, Arizona walked over to her purse and pulled out a blue box.
"I hope you like it."
"Whatever it is I will love it," Wrapping her arms around the blonde's waist, Callie kissed the soft pink lips that felt magical an hour ago. "Because it came from you."
"Open it." Separating herself from Callie's embrace, Arizona waited with anticipation. This was probably the most expensive gift she had ever bought for anyone including herself.
"Arizona. It's beautiful. And perfect. I don't have anything like this..." The 18k gold mesh scarf necklace shined as Callie lifted it from the blue box. The brunette had an extensive jewelry collection. No piece in her possession however, was quite like the one Arizona had just given her. It was elegant. Unusually stunning.
"Thank you. I love it." Slipping tanned fingers into pale slim hands, Callie leaned in and placed a tender kiss on the blonde's lips.
Wiping the small red lipstick smudge from the corner of Callie's bottom lip, Arizona smiled when the tanned hand pulled her pale slim finger into the brunette's mouth and gently sucked, grazing perfect teeth across the blonde's soft fingertip ever so slightly. One of the most sensitive parts of the body are the finger tips. They have the most sensory perception of all the other senses. As Callie gently sucked on the soft flesh it was very stimulating to her wife. So much so that Arizona began to let out a soft moan.
The intimate moment shared between the couple became interrupted by a ringing cellphone. The familiar tone was instantly recognizable. "Baby I need to get that," Arizona said as she reached around Callie with her free hand. Which proved useless, she could not reach her cell from the angle she was at, and the seductive brunette had no intention of letting go.
"Baby please. It might be important," Arizona begged. She and Callie had agreed that these next two weeks were a vacation. No calls would be taken, only for family and emergencies.
This probably wasn't an emergency call, but Arizona still wanted to answer it. She always answered it. She never missed a call from her parents. Throughout this entire year, Arizona had done her part and kept the lines of communication open. As Callie darkened her eyes, she released Arizona's finger giving it one last nip before letting go, but not fast enough to catch the call.
Missing the call, Arizona turned to Callie and said, "Why don't you let me clean up, since you cooked? I will call my parents back, and you can go on ahead and start us a bath," the blonde suggested.
Standing up, Callie said, "Hurry up, don't be too long." As she took to the stairs, the brunette looked back toward her wife as the blonde dialed her mother's number. Hearing Arizona say, "Hi Mom," Callie smiled. Having spoken with her mother earlier, Callie understood the need to hear from one's parents. She too would be a parent very soon, and always wanted her children to communicate with her the way she had with her own parents.
Knowing that her wife was due to be upstairs soon, the brunette eased into the tub. The warm water felt good to her sore muscles. Their earlier activities in bed had caused Callie's back to feel tight. A long hot bath was just what she needed. The only thing missing was…Arizona.
Thirty minutes passed and Arizona had still not joined her. This was supposed to be a relaxing bath for them to enjoy together. Knowing there was not much to clean up, Callie began to question her wife's whereabouts. Arizona should have been upstairs by now. Calling Arizona loudly from the bathroom, the brunette received no answer.
Stepping from the tub, Callie grabbed a robe and tied it around her waist. Padding into the master suite, she found it empty. As she trailed down the stairs, she looked around. Through every room, every closet, nothing. The first floor was completely empty.
"Arizona?" "Where are you?" Worrying that something had happened, she walked outside. Looking around from the deck, there was no sight of the blonde. Panic now set in.
How does someone just disappear, vanish into thin air? Calling Clemenza and the security that were in the small house next door, Callie voiced her concern. Stating that they had not seen the blonde come out, proved more baffling. Arizona was missing. And no one had seen her.
As the men searched the grounds, Callie went inside to get dressed. It hadn't been more than thirty minutes that she had last seen Arizona. Hurriedly, the brunette dressed and made her way back downstairs.
Coming face to face with Clemenza in the kitchen, the brunette grabbed her chest. "You scared me, I wasn't expecting to meet you in here."
"Sorry. Good news, I found her." Clemenza spoke out of breath from looking around the estate for the missing blonde.
"Where?"
"Down by the lake. Sitting in an adirondack chair."
"Did she say why she was there?"
"I didn't talk to her. I called Rocco to watch her while I came to get you. I wasn't sure you would want us to say anything to her." Clemenza replied.
Shaking her head, Callie said, "No, that's good. I will go down there."
Slipping on her shoes, Callie walked out the front of the house, towards the lake. The closer she got to the dock, she could see Arizona sitting there by herself. Not wanting to startle her, Callie spoke as she stepped onto the wooden dock. "Hey, what are you doing out here?"
Turning to meet the intense stare of her wife, Arizona shot up out of her chair. Time had slipped away from her. Looking for her watch, she realized that she had taken it off earlier in the day while she and Callie were in bed.
"Oh God Callie. I'm so sorry. I forgot you were in the tub. I'm so sorry. I just saw this huge yacht pass by through the kitchen window while I was on the phone with Mom. I came out here to watch. I got caught up I guess. You should have seen it. A wedding party on the boat, isn't that so neat. What a great place to have a wedding and a reception. On a boat. I never would have thought of that."
Dumbfounded. The feeling of being unable to articulate what you are thinking. Speechless, no words to form. This was not at all what Callie had expected from her wife. She didn't anticipate Arizona sitting out here, enjoying the outdoors. Arizona's parents had just visited their home in New York. And they had tried to appeal to their daughter to go back with them.
Callie had fully expected Arizona to decide that she wanted out. Knowing that would never be allowed, Callie had given orders to have her wife closely watched. The brunette had taken necessary steps to try and save her marriage. This time away was a last resort. This vacation was much needed. It was bonding time that Callie hoped would cement the broken pieces that she feared had taken over their young marriage.
Only a year ago had they stood and made vows. A year that had flown by too fast for Callie's liking. Now, as Arizona had so mysteriously disappeared earlier, the thought had crossed Callie's mind. Had Arizona tried to leave?
Pulling her from her thoughts, she listened to her wife, continuing to talk to her about what she had seen while she had been sitting out by the water.
"It's so peaceful out here. It's never this quiet at home, is it? Oh, and there are several people with jet skis out here on the lake. Maybe we could get a jet ski too. That would be fun. I guess I would have to wait until the baby is born, but still, we need to check into getting one."
Noticing the look of shock on her wife's face, Arizona questioned the brunette. "Are you okay Callie?"
The inability to form words was starting to cause Callie to become frustrated. She never seemed to get flustered or frustrated unless it had to do with Arizona. As of late, when the blonde was involved, Callie's ability to focus became affected. Her father had even said so. Simply put, Callie was vulnerable when it came to her wife. Unprotected. Unguarded. Her icy steel personality melted by the blonde doctor's warm, bright personality.
Arizona's health and pregnancy were enough to keep Callie's mind consumed. With the added pressure Arizona had received from her parents to end their marriage, compiled with the facts she had given Arizona about her affairs, Callie had become obsessed with making sure her wife stayed anchored.
"Callie? Hello? Are you okay?" As Arizona waived her hands in front of Callie's face, the brunette snapped out of deep thought.
"I thought you had left." Callie revealed her inner most thoughts that had been kept hidden from the blonde. It was said out loud, free for anyone to hear. She didn't think. She just blurted it out. What the hell is wrong with me, Callie thought. Callie Torres never says things without first thinking them through.
"What?" Arizona asked.
Needing to move away from this topic, Callie dismissed her wife's questioning. "Nothing. Just forget what I said."
"You said it for a reason. What are you thinking? And do not shut down on me." Arizona spoke in a serious tone.
"I...just thought that...maybe when I couldn't find you, you had left."
Motioning to the chair she had just risen from, Arizona answered, "I didn't leave. I was just sitting here, relaxing. I lost track of time I guess."
In a cracking voice, Callie rubbed her forehead, "Maybe your parents visit has my mind in overdrive. I am afraid that you will start thinking about all of this...and decide you want out." Callie once again was leaving herself open to vulnerability. The brunette's guard was let down. Exposed. The blonde doctor obviously held her heart in those small tiny hands.
The notable cracking of her wife's voice brought a furrowed brow to the blonde's face. She didn't like seeing her wife like this. It was most uncharacteristic of Callie. Shaking her head, Arizona gave an unequivocal answer. "I don't. I have a lot on my mind Callie. But...I don't want out."
And that was the truth. Arizona loved Callie. With all of her heart. She knew Callie loved her as well. The blonde didn't really want to leave her marriage. And, then there was the baby. That just complicated the hell out of everything.
Arizona knew leaving was not an option. She knew it would not be an easy feat. The heated conversations late last night between Carlos and Callie in the kitchen were rather lengthy and proved that point. Arizona sat at the top of the stairs listening to most every word spoken. She missed the ending of their conversation due to her cell phone beeping, paging her into the hospital for an emergency.
Flashback
Carlos was furious over Callie's admissions to Arizona. Carmela had told him as soon as he came home. Immediately the elder Torres stormed into his daughter's kitchen. As Callie was about to turn out the lights, Carlos lit into her with full force. "She knows too much. This is all your fault."
Callie assured her father that she had everything under control. "She will not say anything," she told her father.
"That would not be wise if she did. You know the rules Callie. And the consequences of not taking everything with you to your grave. Why would you have placed that on Arizona? She doesn't understand this way of life. She was better off in the dark. Without any knowledge. Now, she will always have to be watched. What if she chose to leave you? Thinking that she couldn't live with what she knows. What if she went to the police behind your back?"
"Arizona won't say anything. She will not leave. I can promise you that. I have no intentions of ever letting that happen."
"Callie, I promised her father that his daughter's reputation would be preserved and she would never be involved in anything illegal. And you went behind my back and blew it all to hell. Why? I demand an answer. Why did you do that?"
Lowering her head, Callie spoke in a sad voice, "She wanted to know. And, I am tired of secrets in my marriage. I wanted us to be normal. A normal couple Papa. I want to tell her everything just like she tells me everything. No secrets. I am tired of the lies. She kept pressing and...I gave in." The brunette answered in the most honest way.
"What is happening to you? This is not you? This is not the daughter I raised. You never cave Callie. No matter what, you can't let your guard down. You know the rules. You took a sworn oath. OmertĂ . Remember?"
"Yes. I certainly remember. I just...I hate this life...I hate this job...I hate this..." Taking a deep breath, Callie paused on the last part. She would not say what was on her mind to her father. It would break his heart. She may think it, but she wouldn't say it. No point in upsetting him further by her admissions.
"Family. Go ahead and say it. You hate this Family." Carlos spat.
Shaking her head, Callie tried to smooth it over, but it was too late. "I don't mean it like that Papa. I love my family. This career is not what I wanted. And I am stuck. And miserable. And...now my wife looks at me like I'm a criminal. And let's face it, I am."
"So, you decided to drag her down with you." The elder Torres was relentless. No matter how sorry his daughter felt for herself at this moment, the issue at hand was that Callie had let the cat, out of the bag. And, that was not acceptable. Not now...not ever.
"No. I had no intentions to drag her down with me." Surprised by her father's choice of words, Callie felt her temper start to flare. She had kept some things from Arizona in order to not drag her wife down with her.
Clearing up an important piece to this tangled web, Callie spoke to reassure her father that the conversations didn't go too far. "I never told her anything about the murders. She may assume I had something to do with Junior Brazini's murder, but I never confessed. She couldn't handle that much information."
"You just keep your mouth shut from now on. No more answering questions for her. She knows enough. And that's too much. If you keep this up, you and I will both end up dead. Or in jail. I may be a strong presence in this organization, but that won't always keep us on top. You have to make wiser decisions. You cannot open yourself up to be vulnerable. Our wives can be careless, but not us Callie. Do you understand?"
"Yes Papa." Callie hung her head as she was scolded by her father. Never had she and Carlos been this upset with one another. Callie thrived on being perfect. The perfect daughter. The perfect head of this family. The perfect wife. And now she felt that she had failed on all three fronts.
Before he walked out the door, Carlos turned around to Callie. His demeanor was somewhat calmer, but he was still mad. "So, Lake Tahoe?"
"Yes."
"I want any and all loose ends tied up with Arizona. There will be no divorce coming from this situation that you caused. Have you given orders to have her monitored?"
"Yes." Callie answered her father.
"Good. Be sure she stays anchored. She cannot leave so it's your job to make sure she doesn't want to. Keep her happy." With that, the older man slammed the kitchen door shut.
Sitting on the counter stool, Callie put her face in her hands. That was exactly what she had already been doing, trying her best to make her wife happy. But, not in order to keep Arizona quiet, or pacified. Callie had done everything for her wife, because she loved her.
Arizona had missed the murder part of the conversation. Stepping away to answer her page, she left them to finish talking. But, she had heard enough. Enough to understand some things. Enough to clear up any lingering questions she had about leaving and getting out of her marriage.
Walking into the kitchen, Arizona pulled her jacket on. Studying her wife's face for a moment before speaking, Arizona could see the obvious hurt and the tears the brunette tried to hide. "Hey, I just got called in on an emergency case. Could you ask Paulie to get the car?"
Paulie...Shit! Arizona knew nothing about Paulie's death today. She had no way of knowing that he had been exterminated today. And, she never would. Thinking fast on her feet, Callie leaped from her seat. "Paulie left. He...um...he went to work with another Family."
"But Rocco can drive you. If you want, I can go too." Callie said as a weak smile graced her tanned face. She did not really want to go and wait while Arizona assessed a patient in the ER, but she would. After tonight, the blonde would seldom be let out of her sight.
End of Flashback
After hearing her wife say that she didn't want out, Callie nodded her head. She could stand a little straighter. Felt, a little taller. Maybe they would be okay. She and Arizona could move on from this. Gathering her emotions, the brunette took Arizona by the hand, and together they sat by the lake.
Watching the water glistening as the sun set, the blonde fell deep in thought. Arizona knew Callie was her soul mate. Love cannot be forced upon someone. Once true love is found, you can feel the difference inside. To have the mutual understanding and bonding that you've never felt for anyone else. Nothing would ever change that. Arizona loved Callie. She did. More than anything. Was this life a bad life to live? Not by financial means, no. The Torres' were a close and loving family. They had welcomed her with open arms. And Arizona appreciated that.
Was this a life that Arizona felt was morally sound? No. Not at all. There was nothing moral about this business. Could she look away, and not ask questions? Could she separate herself from her wife's business affairs? That was the question that had plagued Arizona since she was presented the facts. Knowing all of this, there was conclusion that she always came back to...She loved Callie enough.
Enough suggests measuring up to all requirements without question. There was no question in Arizona's mind about her love for the brunette. Arizona loved Callie. Enough to abide by her marriage vows. Enough to see the commitment through that they had made to one another over a year ago. To the end. Until death. She would stay and look the other way.
As the waters stirred under the setting sun, the couple sat in pleasurable silence. Silence can sometimes be a welcoming thing. What happens when one is silent for an extended period the outer noise goes first, and then the inner noise starts to dissolve completely. Soon, quite reigns everywhere. Or it feels that way. Time slows to a wriggle. Sound then becomes a thirst for knowledge. Sounds of nature- like the flowing of water or the sway of tall grass, become an opportunity for deeper listening and lead to a most profound inner calm.