Chapter Eleven: Gladly
"Look, I get it," Arizona said, trying to get the attention of Dr. Wren, who was pretending not to hear her as she updated their patient's chart. "You have every right to be hurt and pissed with me. But being so rigid and angry with me isn't doing our patients any favors." The younger surgeon sighed and turned to look at the blonde directly for the first time since Arizona had left her hanging.
"It's not just about you," The honey blonde began, looking around to see nurses and interns staring at them but resuming their activities when Estie saw them. "Ugh, come on." The peds surgeon took Arizona by the wrist and pulled her to the nearest on call room, stopping short when the blonde pulled out of her grasp.
"I'm not going in there with you," Robbins said firmly, crossing her arms.
"I'm not going to try and kiss you again," Estie promised, rolling her eyes as she opened the door. "Get your fine ass in here, now." Arizona obliged, looking around to make sure Callie wasn't watching. She didn't want to give the fiery brunette any more reasons to murder her colleague.
"What is it?" The blonde demanded, hands on her hips, "Why couldn't you have just said it out there?"
"I don't want the whole hospital hearing things that aren't their own damn business, that's why," Estie retorted, mirroring Arizona's hands-on-hips stance. "My parents came to town when they heard the surgery went successfully. They're going to be touring the hospital today and they're going to want to meet you eventually."
"So?" Arizona interjected impatiently, "I'm great with parents."
"I know that," Estie replied, waving her hand dismissively, "My parents don't know I'm gay."
"Oh." The pieces clicked in the blonde's mind. "Don't worry, I won't say anything."
"It's really, really important that you don't. My dad, he's-" The younger surgeon paused, looking down at the ground to avoid eye contact. "He's really abusive. He would hurt me if I got anything less than 100% on anything in school. He's the reason I graduated high school at 16 years-old and became an attending at 27. It wasn't my passion for helping kids, it was survival."
"Estie, I'm so sorry," Arizona consoled the peds surgeon softly, "I had no idea."
"It's fine, I'm fine." The younger surgeon asserted, shaking her head and standing up straighter. "He's just really religious and to him being gay is like a cardinal sin so I'd really rather not find out what he would do if he knows. Point is, don't say anything. Okay?"
"Okay." The blonde agreed, her heart breaking for the woman in front of her. "Can I give you a hug?" Estie went back to studying the floor, biting her lip as she tried to hold back the tears. Arizona moved in without waiting for an answer, gently wrapping her arms around the honey blonde.
"It's okay, you'll be okay," She soothed, rubbing small circles on the peds surgeon's back, "You are strong and you will make it through this. We've all got your back." Estie hugged her back, burying her tears into the other woman's blonde hair. A few moments passed by, only the honey blonde's sniffling disturbing the silence.
"Thank you." Estie pulled back, taking a deep breath and wiping the tears off her face. "Is my mascara running?"
"A little bit," The blonde admitted, unable to hold back a half-smile at the other woman's state.
"Oh god," The peds surgeon exclaimed as they dissolved into giggles. "I'm such a mess."
"Well," Arizona started, half smiling. "It might not hurt if you cleaned up a bit before the gala tonight."
"Damn I forgot that is tonight," The young surgeon replied, ducking to look into the mirror at her reflection, "Is it okay if I bring my parents? I'm not sure how to keep them occupied."
"Sure," The fetal surgeon replied, pulling out her phone. "I'll just let Hayley know we'll be expecting a few more guests."
"Thank you, Scottie." Estie said appreciatively, "Maybe we can talk more about what happened with us later tonight?"
"That sounds good," The blonde agreed, squeezing the peds surgeon's shoulder gently, "I've got patients waiting." Arizona slipped out of the on-call room, deep in thought about everything she had just learned. How could I not know so much about a person I've literally spent hours with one on one everyday for the past two weeks? They had talked a lot, falling into an easy rhythm of Estie flirting and Arizona mostly deflecting it but occasionally teasing back. That's a heavy past.
. . .
"You paged?" Arizona asked, poking her head into Callie's OR and covering her face with a mask. Her ex-wife was on top of the table, about to snap a man's hip back into place.
"I'm so sorry, Arizona," The ortho surgeon began, frustration in her voice. "This guy is more messed up than I thought and I'm not going to be able to make it to the gala on time."
"Oh," Was all the fetal surgeon said, looking down at the floor in disappointment. She had been really looking forward to an excuse to dress up with her ex-wife, especially after she had missed the surgery the week prior.
"Don't make that face," Callie said, not having to turn around to know the blonde was disappointed. "I swear I'll be there the second I finish. The universe is NOT going to keep me from being with you tonight - missing your surgery was torture enough. I'll just be a little late so I didn't want you to wait for me, that's all."
"Okay," Arizona said more brightly, straightening up though she knew full well the surgery could easily go longer than predicted. "Do you have your dress in your locker?"
"Shit!" The ortho surgeon exclaimed, climbing off the table and turning towards her ex-wife. "I forgot to pick it up from the dry cleaner's."
"No worries," The blonde assured her, "I'll get it and leave it in your locker for you. Is it at that place on 21st?"
"Yeah, it's already been paid for so all you have to do is pick it up," Callie instructed, relieved. "Thank you."
"No problem," Arizona replied, smiling to herself at the thought of Callie in her dress, "See you when you're done giving this man new legs."
. . .
The donor gala turned out beautifully, the hotel chandeliers casting a warm glow over the guests swaying to the music and mingling amongst themselves with champagne. Arizona spotted Herman off in the corner, talking to the chief of Presbyterian hospital. She moved forward, stepping lightly down the stairs in heels that showed off her good calf and barely noticeable fake limb. A slit on her right side went up to her mid-thigh showing off the definition of her good leg. Her new dress was a beautiful red, hugging her figure in all the right places and contrasting her blue eyes so that they sparkled. Her hair hung in perfect golden curls that fell to frame her face and Estie stopped, stalk still, at the sight of her descending the stairs.
"Want to meet the fetal surgeon that pulled off our historical surgery?" She asked, quickly recovering to explain to her parents who she had been looking at. They nodded in the affirmative and the peds surgeon guided them through the crowd towards the blonde bombshell.
"Dr. Robbins!" She called out, trying to get the fetal surgeon's attention. The blonde turned around, spotting Estie with her parents. The peds surgeon was wearing a tight-fitting dark blue dress that went to her mid thigh and hugged her every curve, the color bringing out the flecks of blue in her green eyes.
"Dr. Wren!" Arizona returned, taking in the powerful build of the man by her colleague's side and feeling a slight twinge of fear.
"Mom, Dad," Estie began introductions, gesturing to her parents, "Meet my mentor and esteemed fetal surgeon, Dr. Arizona Robbins."
"Pleasure to meet you," Mr. Wren spoke first, reaching out his hand, "We've heard great things."
"Aah, well, your daughter is incredibly talented," Arizona replied, looking at the other woman warmly, "She's the youngest pediatric surgeon I have ever met."
"Yes, I would say she excels in everything she tries," The large man said, turning to evaluate his daughter, "Besides finding a suitable man."
"Dad," Estie complained, her cheeks coloring in front of the fetal surgeon. "I'm only 27."
"Your mother had you when she was four years younger than that, darling," The man replied easily, his tone pleasant despite the hardness his eyes portrayed. "We want grand-babies, is that too much to ask?" He directed his last question at Arizona, taking her by surprise.
"Babies are great," She stated with a smile, not wanting to pick sides. "Do you have any other children?"
"Oh no, Estelle is our one and only," He flashed a big smile as he pulled the peds surgeon under his arm, much to the young woman's discomfort. "We wanted more, but she was just so perfect we didn't want to ruin a good thing." He took a sip of champagne, spotting someone he knew in the crowd.
"Excuse me," He pardoned himself cordially, "I've just spotted a dear friend of mine. It was lovely meeting you." He patted the fetal surgeon on the shoulder and moved on with his wife.
"Thank god," Estie breathed, waiting until they had moved out of earshot. "Could I talk to you in private for a second? Dad's with one of his old college buddies and we're probably not going to get a better moment. Meet me at my car in a few?"
Arizona's heels clicked loudly on the paved sidewalk several moments later as she approached a slate grey ferrari, the peds surgeon already perched atop its hood.
"Hey," The blonde greeted her colleague, unsure of what to say as she sat down on the hood next to the other woman.
"Hey," Estie replied, looking over at the fetal surgeon nervously before continuing. "I just have one question because I thought we might have had something. Was any of it real for you?"
"Estie, you are an incredible person and I really do enjoy working with you," The blonde paused, searching for the words that would do the least amount of damage. "But Callie is the most amazing woman and she's the mother of my child and, if I'm honest with myself, she's always had my heart."
"She must be pretty remarkable," Estie commented, staring up at the darkened night sky to keep the tears welling up in her eyes from spilling onto her cheeks.
"She is," The fetal surgeon replied, leaning back on her hands and looking up as well. "Someday you're going to find yourself a woman like that."
"So this is it?" Estie asked, turning to make eye contact with the blonde by her side as a traitorous tear slipped down her cheek. She already knew the answer but needed to hear it.
"This is it." Arizona confirmed, feeling guilty for breaking the other woman's heart. Estie leaned in, pressing one last lingering kiss on the blonde's lips before sliding off of the car hood.
"See you around, Scottie." The honey blonde said simply, her voice heavy with emotion. Neither woman noticed the man leaning against the building's shadows, his task of finding his wife's wrap pushed from his mind as he saw his daughter kissing the fetal surgeon. Red hot anger boiled up inside of him and his nostrils flared dangerously as he began to step forward but stopped short, a more fitting punishment coming to his mind. A twisted smile formed across his square-jawed mouth. He knew just what to do.
. . .
"Did I miss it?!" Callie asked, surveying the room with a few scattered people talking and finding her answer. Her heart sank.
"Not since I'm still here," A familiar voice behind the ortho surgeon replied, causing the brunette to turn around. An expression of surprise crossed her face as her eyes hungrily took in every aspect of her ex-wife, the mid-thigh split, the plunging neckline accentuating the blonde's cleavage, and her blue eyes sparkling against the bright red. Arizona was taking in her ex-wife at the same time, the one shouldered black dress showing off the other's defined shoulders and contrasting her darker skin tone perfectly.
"You look," Callie stammered as Arizona closed the distance between them, her heart pounding.
"Beautiful?" The blonde filled in, putting her arms around the brunette's neck, her whole body flush against the other woman. "You do too."
"Is this-" Callie began, her tongue dry as she leant her forehead against the other's, "Is this really happening?"
"I do believe it is, Calliope Torres," Arizona replied, pulling away to look up into the other's warm brown eyes. The brunette broke into a huge smile, her eyes tracing every inch of the blonde's features.
"Good." Callie said simply, putting a hand on Arizona's bare back as she pulled her in closer. "I wanted to be sure this was real." She tenderly pulled the blonde's chin up to meet hers, their lips warm and soft as they met. The rest of the room faded away as Callie's large lips moved rhythmically, pressing in with longing and then melting back softly as the other woman went up on her tiptoes. The ortho surgeon swayed on her feet, knees weak with her desire to taste more of the other woman as she deepened the kiss. Tangy citrusy traces of champagne mixed with warmer almond flavors as the brunette explored, a tingling wave of heat flooding through her.
"Take me home," Arizona breathed, her voice deep with desire as they broke apart for air.
"It hasn't been-" The ortho surgeon began, not wanting to take advantage of the heat of the moment but wanting it just as desperately.
"Take. Me. Home." The blonde repeated firmly, emphasizing each word. Callie gazed into those bright blue eyes, feeling the other woman's warm soft skin under her fingertips and leaning down to kiss her ex-wife's neck before whispering her response, her breath hot against the blonde's ear:
"Gladly."
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See now wasn't that worth the wait?! I decided to end the scene there instead of transitioning to their apartment to keep this rated teen because I didn't know if everyone was cool with it getting more heated. Vote in the reviews if y'all want a rated m version of their night and I'll write one depending on what you guys want so let me know!