AN: Wow, the response to the last chapter was pretty united in that you were very nervous and did not appreciate where this is headed. I know it was hard to read, it was hard to write as well. I know some of you are worried that this will turn Callie's parents into villains. That is not my intention, though it may seem that way. Thank you for trusting me and sticking with this. I want to do this story justice. I know you many of you would love fluff and smut all the time but that's just not realistic, especially in a Calzona world. Since this is AU, I do have to find some alternative ways to add a little drama to the story. I actually rewrote this entire chapter and the next one. I'm hoping that it flows a little better and it's easier to get them in the direction I want them to go without getting too far off course. For those of you leaving reviews, I really appreciate them, it's how I measure what you guys think about how things are going. I generally am a few chapters ahead of where you're reading but I do consider your input. Hope you enjoy this chapter, happy reading :)
Chapter Twenty Eight
Callie woke early the next morning, confused initially in her half asleep state as she reached over and found the bed beside her cool and void of the blonde she had craved. Remembering what had transpired the night before, Callie groaned loudly. Both she and Arizona had a rough week and the emotional roller coaster was getting to them both, she had realized almost immediately that she overreacted. Arizona was reluctant yesterday in coming into her home when her family, even her parents, had been so welcoming and that had not set well with Callie. She understood the hesitancy but she also wanted them to all get along. She still planned on having a serious talk with her father about the hotel incident but she hadn't wanted to do that in front of everyone. She also couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more going on with Arizona since arriving in Miami so finding her outside in the middle of the night with Nick smoking and drinking had just set her temper on fire. Especially after waking from a dream where Arizona had broken up with her and left her a note saying she was going to marry Nick.
Deciding to go check on the blonde, Callie pulled on her robe and went to the living room to find it empty. Everyone must still be sleeping, she thought to herself. A quick scan of the visible area showed the blonde sitting out on the balcony staring off into space. Callie made her way to the door and opened it, startling Arizona in the process.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Callie said. Arizona scooted over and patted the spot next to her on the lounge chair. "How long have you been out here?"
"A while. What time is it?" Arizona replied, still staring off into space.
"7:15."
"I'm sorry, Callie."
"I'm sorry too, Arizona. I overreacted last night. A lot has happened in a short amount of time and I'm sorry it all spilled out onto you."
"No, Callie, it's ok. I haven't exactly made any of this easier for you. You have to worry about how I'm going to react in addition to how your parents react and I really am so sorry. You don't need the added stress. I will do better, I promise."
"If it makes you feel any better, making you sleep on the couch last night also felt like a punishment to me too. I regretted it right away but felt like I had to follow through. I was just so mad."
"I know you were mad. It wasn't Nick's fault though, Callie. I'm not making excuses for him or taking his side and I know why you are worried about him. I get why you think what you do and I think you might be right about some of those things. But I am gay, there is zero chance that I have any romantic feelings toward him or that I would allow anything inappropriate to happen between us. He's just my buddy. I admit, when I was ten, I had a crush on him, he was my brother's best friend and he was nice to me and I wanted to be "normal". But I'm not a little girl anymore and I know who I am now. There's a line he knows not to cross or he will lose me and maybe now that I have you in my life, I need to change that line for your comfort as well. I am willing to do that, Callie."
"I appreciate that, Arizona. I really would settle for him not kissing you or being so handsy."
"Done. I'm not a fan of those things either."
"I can't help but feel there's something else going on though, Arizona. You're a terrible liar and I just felt like there was something you weren't saying last night. I really wish you had come into my parents home with me to get Teddy, Tim, and Nick. My parents weren't out there initially but when they did come out, they both asked about you and wanted you to be a part of everything. I wanted you to be as well."
"I want to be too, Callie. I told you I will do better and I will." Arizona replied. She now knew what she was up against. Lucia and Carlos planned to be pleasant to her and pretend to include her while they secretly tried to pry her from Callie's life. She had gotten very little sleep after tossing and turning for hours with the little sleep she had gotten being riddled with nightmares. Giving up on sleep altogether, she had gotten up, made coffee, and come outside for some peace. She still had no idea what to do but she had time to think and knew she wanted to fight for Callie. She hoped to get Nick alone today though to discuss everything. Her plan had been to tell Teddy but the more people who knew, the more likely Callie would find out, which she was starting to feel might be the best scenario, for her sake at least. So for now, Nick was going to be her person, until she had a plan.
"Ok. How about we go order some breakfast and make some coffee then I will call Aria about plans for the day. Do you still want to go out on the boat?"
"Of course I want to go out on the boat. I'm going to pass on coffee though, I already drank a whole pot."
"A whole pot? Did you get any sleep?" Callie asked, softly. She brushed blonde hair out of Arizona's eyes and could see the sadness there.
"Not much."
"Come on, it's still early and everyone else is still asleep. Let's go lay down for an hour. I missed holding you." Callie said, pulling Arizona up. Once in the bedroom, Arizona made her way straight to the bathroom and quickly removed Callie's clothes, almost forgetting to remove the letter and check from the back pocket of her jeans. At the last moment, she picked the jeans up and removed both the letter and the check, placing them back into the inner zipper of her makeup bag. Satisfied with her hiding spot, she made her way back to the room where she slipped into bed next to Callie naked. Callie pulled her close so she was spooning her after removing her own robe and sleep shirt. Arizona instantly felt the drowsiness wash over her once their skin was molded together, even with a full pot of coffee in her system she was asleep in minutes.
When Arizona next woke, Callie was gone. She looked at her watch, 9:44 am. She grabbed a pair of sweatpants and Callie's discarded sleep shirt and went to the living room where she found everyone, including Aria and Jared, sitting around drinking coffee and eating breakfast.
"Hey baby, I was going to give you fifteen more minutes before I woke you up. We have to be at the docks at 11:00, that gives you time to shower and get dressed before we have to leave."
"Sounds good. I thought you were just going to let me sleep for an hour though."
"You need some sleep if we're going to be in the sun all day. I also ran down to the gift shop and got all of you some sunscreen and some motion sickness medication just in case." Callie replied, remembering a story Arizona told her about Teddy's last experience on a boat.
"That was really sweet of you, Cal." Teddy said.
"Yea but, Cal, sunscreen is for sissies." Tim complained, Nick nodding in agreement.
"You're an adult but don't come crying to us when you have a burn." Teddy said, pulling the hair on Tim's leg, causing him to howl and everyone else to laugh.
"There's one more thing, Arizona." Callie said, cautiously.
"What's that?" Arizona asked with all eyes suddenly on her. Nick was trying desperately to make eye contact with her but she kept her eyes on Callie.
"Mami and Papi would like to join us for lunch on the yacht. After lunch, we can go sailing and they will stay behind so we can have some fun without the old people around, their words, not mine."
"I think that's great, Callie. Will Nonna and Maria be joining us as well?"
"Maybe. Nonna isn't a fan of the boat but she will probably want to join us for lunch."
"Sounds perfect." Arizona replied, plastering the best fake smile she could muster across her face.
"Really?" Callie asked, a giant, genuine smile spreading across her own face. The smile on Callie's face made it worth it. They would get through this somehow.
"Calliope, I really do want your family to love you and accept you. I'd do anything for that to happen for you. Whether they like me or not no longer matters to me, what matters is that you're happy. If you're happy, I'm happy." Arizona replied, placing a soft kiss on Callie's lips.
"Told ya she'd be fine with it. And you were worried." Tim said to Nick and Teddy, earning himself a jab in the ribs from Teddy's bony elbow.
"Ouch." Tim yelped.
"Ok, go hit the shower babe." Callie said, kissing the blonde once again and swatting her bottom playfully.
Arizona stood under the hot stream for as long as she could. She let the tears of frustration flow without anger this time. She just needed to release them. If she was going to go down, she wouldn't make it easy on them by making herself look like a jerk to Callie and Aria. She also wouldn't be fake, they would get a dose of the real Arizona Robbins and maybe, just maybe, Callie's happiness could change their minds. Arizona's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Arizona, you ok in here?" Teddy's voice rang out. She was surprised to hear Teddy's voice, having expected it to be Callie.
"Yea, sorry, the hot water just feels so good. I think I'm slightly hungover. Did Callie send you in here?"
"No, Aria did. Callie was going to come but Aria thought she might take advantage of your nakedness and make us late." Teddy giggled.
"Aria's a smart girl." Arizona said with a giggle.
"You ok?"
"Yea, we'll talk later, ok? Right now, I need you to leave so I can get out of the shower."
"Oh, yea, right. Ok, I'm leaving now." Teddy giggled. Arizona took one more deep, cleansing breath before she turned off her water and stepped out of the shower, ready to face whatever the day brought.
An hour later, the group boarded the Torres yacht and were dispersed along the front of the boat; some of them sunbathing on deck, while others sat and chatted, or in Carlos and Tim's case, manned the grill. Arizona wandered over to the front of the boat and stared out at the water. It was a beautiful sight. She had always found peace and energy near the water and now was no different. Even in the humid Miami air, she smiled as she closed her eyes and felt the gentle breeze and salty air wash over her. She imagined it taking her stress with it.
"Looks like you're enjoying yourself." Maria said as she walked up beside Arizona.
"I am." Arizona replied with a smile.
"Even after what my son did?" Maria asked. Arizona froze, unsure what Maria was talking about. "With the hotel. I gave him a good tongue lashing when I found out about that."
"Oh that. Callie was furious and I wasn't happy either. But, they are Callie's parents and I want Callie to be happy. She won't be happy if I'm fighting with them. And she won't be happy if they can't accept her. I don't need them to like me or accept me, I only need them to love and accept Callie so she can be happy." Arizona replied, facing the water once again with her eyes closed, trying desperately to find a way to be the bigger person.
"I'm glad to hear you say that. Don't let them chase you off, girl. Callie needs someone like you in her corner. And you both have Aria B, Aria, and I already there in your corner."
"Thank you, Maria, that means a lot to me. And no matter what happens, I very much enjoyed dinner with you and Nonna. Callie loves you both so much. It was nice getting to see her interact with you and hearing some embarrassing stories too." Arizona said with a smirk that made her dimples pop. Both women turned and found Callie who was talking with her parents as Carlos grilled with Tim's assistance. Callie's eyes found Arizona's and the two shared a smile, Lucia noted the smile and followed Callie's gaze to Arizona. Since Lucia and Carlos were onboard, the two had refrained from physical contact as the older couple had requested but that didn't mean that Arizona's heart rate didn't increase or she didn't feel butterflies erupt in her belly everytime Callie looked at her.
"Well, we really enjoyed having you. I've never seen Callita so happy."
"Really?"
"Really." Maria replied with a smile. She patted Arizona's cheeks and said, "You don't let them run you off. They aren't as powerful as they seem and I happen to know that both my son and Lucia like you. They are trying hard not to but they can't help it. Just like our Callita couldn't help falling in love with you. It must be those eyes."
"She makes me happy too, Maria."
"I know. Now, Speaking of magical eyes, your brother tells me he's single and though I find you beautiful and charming, I am a big fan of the male species. I'm going to go flirt shamelessly with him while I can." Maria said. Arizona laughed and watched on as Maria approached her brother and whatever she said caused his cheeks to turn a flaming shade of red.
"Hey Phoenix, how ya holding up?" Nick asked as he approached her.
"I'm doing alright. Can you do me a favor though and play buffer. If either of Callie's parents try to get me alone could you swoop in and suddenly have something super important to discuss with me?"
"Of course. Callie apologized to me this morning by the way."
"Good. I'm sorry I got you yelled at to begin with. Thanks for covering for me by the way."
"Why did he have to cover for you though?" Teddy asked. Arizona hadn't realized she had approached them. She had been sunbathing on deck with Aria last time Arizona had seen her.
"I'll tell you about it later, I really can't discuss it here, Teds." Arizona whispered frantically as she saw both Lucia and Callie approaching them.
"I'm assuming they have something to do with this." Teddy said as she saw the panic in Arizona's eyes. "Fine, but you better tell me later."
"I will." Arizona promised.
"You will what?" Callie asked.
"Go for a swim with me later." Teddy said with a laugh. She knew swimming in open water where there could be sharks was one of Arizona's fears but hey, she was keeping secrets from her so she figured it was only fair.
"Lunch is just about ready. Arizona dear, you're not a vegetarian are you?" Lucia asked.
"No ma'am."
"Well, ok, then. The shishkabobs and steaks are coming off the grill as we speak."
"Sounds amazing, Mrs. Torres." Teddy said with a smile.
"Call me Lucia." The older Torres woman said as she looped her arm through Teddy's and the other through Callie's and led them to the back of the boat where they were eating.
"Shall we?" Nick asked, offering his own arm to Arizona who gladly accepted.
"Thanks, Nick."
"I've always got your back, Phoenix." The duo followed Callie, Lucia, and Teddy to the table where everyone else was already seated and chatting happily with each other. To any outsider, it would look like two families coming together as one big one.
"Arizona sit by me!" Nonna called, patting the seat next to her like it was the elementary school cafeteria. She looked to Callie who nodded and followed her.
"Callie, I hoped you would sit over here with me so we can catch up." Lucia called.
"Then come down here and sit with us Mami." Callie replied, waving her mother over. Having no choice, Lucia followed and so the couple was sandwiched between Nonna and Lucia.
"Arizona, when you return from Malawi will you come visit again. For a proper visit, I mean. Maria and I would love to teach you some recipes and tell you some more stories about Callie." Nonna said.
"I imagine when I return, I will be very busy with the move and my new position to begin with but yes, Nonna, if Callie and Mr. and Mrs. Torres are ok with that, I would love to visit in the future."
"You know I want you to visit Miami. I want you to feel as comfortable here as your family made me feel in Boston." Callie replied.
"I know." Arizona said with a soft smile.
"I was telling Arizona earlier, we've never seen our Callita so happy." Maria said from across the table as she joined the conversation.
"Callie's happiness is important to me. It makes me so happy to hear you say that, Maria. Having dinner with you and Nonna last night was so very special, I will never forget it." Arizona replied with a genuine smile as the older lady reached across the table and took Arizona's hand.
"I'm going to call you, Alegre from now on."
"Oh no, Abuela gave her a nickname, she's a keeper now, hermanita." Aria teased.
"She was already a keeper." Callie replied with a smile.
"Alegre?" Arizona questioned as she smiled back at Callie before turning her attention back to Maria.
"It means happy, cheerful...it's the closest I could come to perky blonde." Maria giggled at her own joke.
"It suits you." Callie said, swiping a piece of blonde hair from Arizona's face as she had a tendency to do. It was something intimate between them and Arizona could feel that Callie meant it as an affectionate gesture. Arizona popped her dimples at Callie and mouthed "I love you" to her. An echo of "awes" came from across the table as Maria, Aria, and Teddy witnessed it.
Two sets of eyes watched the gesture carefully, having also witnessed the moment, before they met each other's gaze, one blue, one brown, the husband and wife spoke without words. The two felt differently about this, they had even argued about it. Lucia was trying desperately to understand and accept Arizona but her husband was not ready to give up yet. He truly felt his daughter's soul was on the line and Lucia had chosen to stand beside her husband. As much as she wanted to accept Arizona, she would not have chosen this life for her daughter if there was another way, so, when her husband suggested this, she was initially willing to go along with it. Now she was having second thoughts and she had to admit, seeing her daughter and Arizona together made her decision feel wrong. Her daughter was truly happy and as much as she hated to admit it, she was clearly in love. And Arizona had not responded how they had expected. They figured she would refuse their invitations and alienate herself in the process. It seemed she was willing to put her own comfort aside to make Callie happy. It frustrated Carlos and captivated Lucia. Somehow, she knew getting rid of this woman would take much more than a bribe. She would need to talk to her husband, maybe they should reconsider.
After lunch, the three eldest Torres family members, along with Nonna, disembarked the yacht and the two younger Torres women, along with their guests, set out for a little trip at sea. Callie was manning the wheel or whatever you call driving a yacht, which Arizona found extremely sexy. Walking up behind the sexy Latina, Arizona placed a hand on a curvy hip, leaned forward and whispered huskily in her ear, "Not that I don't love your grandmas or your parents but I'm glad they're gone. I've missed touching you."
"Mmm, me too." Callie replied. She turned her head and kissed Arizona passionately.
"How far is this little trip?"
"Not far. We're just going to sail out a bit and then come back closer to this little sand bar we found and like to swim around."
"Is there any chance of getting you alone?"
"Not unless you want to head below deck." Callie replied with a smirk. She knew this little trip was going to be torturous for both herself and her blonde. Especially since she decided to play dirty and wore the gold bikini Arizona loved. She secretly hoped Arizona was wearing her red one even though it would drive her crazy and with Jared and Nick around, she might have to remove some eyeballs.
"Tempting but somehow sex on your parent's yacht just doesn't get me in the mood."
"What if I told you this particular yacht is technically mine? It was my grandfather's and he left it to me. That's why it's named Lyrica. I thought it was super cool at fifteen."
"Hmmm, that might change things." Arizona replied with a smile.
"Jared, you know the way, come take over for me. I'm going to give Arizona the tour." Callie shouted. Jared said something to Aria and Tim before they followed him over and he took over the wheel.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Aria called with a knowing smile.
Callie gave Arizona a quick tour of the yacht that ended below deck in a small room with an attached bathroom. It was plain and very unCallie like Arizona noted but clean and cozy. "How many people have you brought below deck, Calliope?"
"I don't think I want to answer that right now." Callie replied as she attempted to open the jean shorts Arizona wore over her bikini.
"Oh, no, if you think you are getting in my bikini bottoms while my brother, your sister, and our friends are just upstairs in a room where you've brought..I don't know how many boys, you are sadly mistaken lady." Arizona replied, stopping Callie's attempts at unbuttoning her shorts. Callie brought her lip out in a pout that made Arizona giggle but she was completely serious. Unfortunately, her brain and her body were reacting differently. Her body would always react this way to Calliope, despite what her brain was shouting.
"We can be quick and quiet." Callie said.
"How about you let me in your bikini bottoms first and then I will think about letting you reciprocate." Arizona offered, feeling much more comfortable at the thought of being in control of the situation.
"Hmmm…" Callie replied, pretending to think about it. She didn't think for long though as Arizona pushed her hard backwards onto the bed and quickly climbed between her legs. She peppered kisses along a tan collarbone and neck while her fingers worked on the ties of the short, white board shorts Callie wore over her own bikini.
"Too many ties." Arizona growled as she grew frustrated with the strings she was trying to undo quickly. Having the last one undone, she shouted a little victory that caused Callie to laugh. "Mmm, I love this bikini babe."
"I know you do." Callie replied as Arizona got her first glimpse of the gold bikini. Not wanting to waste precious time, Arizona slid her hand into the loosened shorts and straight into the bikini bottoms. Her fingers immediately found the wetness between Callie's legs and she wasted no time circling her clit and then sliding down and entering her swiftly with two fingers.
"Oh God, yes." Callie whispered as Arizona's expert fingers worked their magic on her needy core. She had been thinking about the blonde all morning while she watched her from across the boat. It had been torture not being able to kiss her or be too affectionate with her.
"I'm going to make you cum so hard that you'll walk back upstairs funny and everyone will know that I fucked you, hard." Arizona whispered into Callie's ear as she inserted a third finger. For some reason, Arizona was feeling possessive after her morning with the Torres family aboard the yacht and she wanted to remind both Callie and herself that they were, in fact, together. And if the rest of the group were also reminded of that too, so be it, Arizona was marking her territory even if she usually found that a bit caveman and not her style. They loved each other and at least for the moment, nothing else mattered.
Using her hips as leverage, Arizona worked up a fast and hard pace, her fingers coming nearly completely out of Callie before she pushed them back in repeatedly with her hips. Her forearm began to burn but the little moans and whimpers coming from the Latina writhing below her made it worth it. Just as Callie was about to cum, her walls trembling around Arizona, a voice was heard on the stairs. Callie sighed in frustration as Arizona temporarily halted her movement.
"Hey, you two hurry it up. Aria is coming down in two minutes if you're not back up here. We're at the sandbar." Nick shouted a warning. Callie tried to push Arizona away but Arizona doubled her efforts and had Callie coming undone beneath her in under a minute. The blonde kissed her fiercely to cover the moan that escaped her as she climaxed.
Callie lay breathing heavily with Arizona sitting up beside her, a smug grin on her face as she licked her moisture from her fingers then gave Callie yet another heated kiss so she could taste herself, a moan falling from both of their lips. They heard footsteps on the stairs a second before Aria's voice was heard, "Get your horny lesbian assess up here!"
"Uh oh, little sis is mad." Arizona whispered through a giggle.
"Come on you. I'm paying you back for that one." Callie said, grabbing Arizona's hand as she stood and led her up the stairs. Arizona smiled as she noticed Callie was walking just a tiny bit funny.
"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots." Arizona teased as she followed her, earning herself the famous Torres glare.
The group spent the afternoon splashing in the water and hanging out on the yacht or on the sandbar. Jared had brought a stereo and set it up to some speakers so they could listen to music while they relaxed. Teddy, being the evil friend she was, followed through in making Arizona go for a little swim with her. She had intended on getting her away from the group for a talk but it backfired as the terrified blonde couldn't do anything but ask about sharks and look around frantically. Callie had watched the scene from the sandbar and taken pity on the blonde by swimming out to them and forcing Teddy to let Arizona come back to the sandbar. Arizona had, in fact worn the red bikini that Callie had been hoping for and with her center still aching from their rough round of sex below deck, Callie had all sorts of images in her mind of what she wanted to do to the hot blonde. She spent the afternoon laying around with dirty images in her head and a throbbing center as she watched Arizona from under the cover of her sunglasses.
Just before dinner time, the group headed back to the dock. Callie tried to persuade Arizona to go below deck once again so she could return the favor but the blonde had resisted. She and Teddy were making plans on what they would wear that night. Teddy really wanted to go dancing so they had decided to go to a club down the street that night. Aria and Jared had been there on several occasions and highly recommended it. Once back at the hotel, everyone showered, changed, and they ordered pizza to eat while they got ready for the club. Aria would meet them there, the group deciding that taking taxis would be better than driving so they could all enjoy a drink or two. Teddy, Arizona, and Callie climbed into the back of one taxi while Nick and Tim climbed into the back of a second one and then they were off to start their night out on the town. Nick, Tim, and Jared were heading to a pool hall while the girls were headed to the club for a night of dancing. Teddy hadn't been to a club in nearly two years and she could hardly contain her excitement which made Arizona happy. True they had gone to the karaoke bar a time or two but nowhere that allowed the tall blonde to let loose and dance the night away.
The cover was steep and Arizona could tell this was a higher class club, certainly different from the ones she and Teddy had frequented when visiting each other in college. "I am so excited, I can't wait to get my freak on!"
"Slow down, Teds." Arizona giggled as Teddy grabbed two test tube shots from the nearest waiter and downed them both.
"I'm just so excited." Teddy squealed.
"Why don't you two go find a table near the dance floor, I'll grab the first round of drinks." Callie offered with a smile at the dirty blonde's enthusiasm.
"Thanks babe." Arizona replied with a peck to Callie's lips. Teddy was dancing her way to a table near the dance floor that had just opened up and Arizona followed her with a smile plastered to her face as she watched her friend having a good time. If anyone deserved this, it was Teddy.
"Ok, the bar is packed, it's going to take Callie quite a while to get us drinks, Aria isn't here yet, so spill it." Teddy said, turning around suddenly as they staked their claim on the high top.
"I want to talk to you and I will but I want tonight to just be about us letting loose and having fun. I don't want to bring the mood down, Teds." Arizona replied but she could tell that Teddy wasn't going to let this go.
"Well I know something is going on. I want to know what it is so you can tell me now while we're alone or you can tell me with Callie and Aria here, your choice."
"Fine." Arizona huffed and sat in the chair next to Teddy. She looked toward the bar, she could feel Callie's eyes on her. She always could feel Callie's eyes on her. "Mr. and Mrs. Torres gave me a letter with an ultimatum and a check for two million dollars."
"What?!" Teddy exclaimed, catching the attention of not only the people nearby but Callie, who was looking at them with a questioning look from the bar. Arizona just shook her head and pointed to Teddy with a shrug and mimed drinking. Callie smiled and turned her attention back to the bartender who was seemingly ignoring the Latina.
"Teddy, I'm going to need you to stay calm because Callie can't find out about this. Neither can Aria."
"Ok, tell me everything."
"There's not enough time but to summarize, if I leave Callie, I get to keep the two million dollar check plus a foundation in my name to get needy kids surgeries. Plus my parents will be set and so will you and Tim. I can't tell Calie, Aria or their Abuela or Nonna about any of this. And if the money isn't enough of a carrot, which by the way, it's not, then if I don't break up with Callie Lucia and Carlos will cut her off. Completely, not just financially. And not just from them but from Aria, Nonna, and Abuela as well. I have until we leave tomorrow to let them know what my decision is."
"Wow. I can't even…but they've been so nice, it seemed as though they were coming around."
"I think that's part of their plan. They want to look good, like they're trying so they can swoop in when I break Callie's heart." Arizona replied, now feeling fully depressed. She stopped one of the waiters with the test tube shots and grabbed two more for Teddy and two for herself.
"One of those better be for me." Aria said, showing up suddenly beside Arizona.
"Of course it is." Arizona replied, handing one of Teddy's shots to Aria, she chanced a nervous glance at Teddy, unsure how long the younger Latina had been standing there.
"Where's my sister?" Aria asked curiously.
"Getting drinks at the bar." Teddy replied, pointing to the gorgeous Latina who now seemed to have the attention of the bartender.
"I'm going to make sure she ordered me one." Aria said, making her way to Callie.
"Jesus, do you think she overheard any of that?"
"I don't think so but she did sort of come out of nowhere. So, what are you going to do?"
"I have no idea, Teds. I mean I think I'm going to tear the check up in their smug faces but aside from that...Do you think Callie will forgive me if I find a way out of this without breaking up with her and she finds out later?"
"I don't know. How would you feel?"
"Betrayed." Arizona replied, already knowing the answer.
"What if you just tell her, Arizona?"
"I'm considering it. I just need more time. What if I tell Lucia and Carlos that I will break up with Callie but only once she has returned from Afghanistan? That will give me some more time to try to figure things out or to decide whether or not to tell Callie. The money was never a question, no matter how this turns out, I don't want their money. They can't buy me off. The only reason I'm considering this is because I don't want her to lose the rest of her family."
"Arizona, if this is who her parents are then maybe losing them isn't so bad. Do I miss my family? Of course I do but I don't regret choosing my values. And looking back, we were never really happy. Callie won't be happy if she has to fit into their mold."
"You're right."
"Incoming but this conversation isn't over."
"I know."
"Here babe, I got you and Teddy each a sangria." Callie said, placing the drinks in front of them then wrapping her arms around Arizona's body.
"Who wants to dance? Let's get this party started." Teddy shouted excitedly.
"I'm game." Aria said, throwing her drink back. Teddy followed suit and they both looked at the couple expectantly.
"I don't want to lose the table. You two go ahead, we will join you soon." Callie said, wanting some alone time with Arizona and the mini skirt she was wearing.
"Ok, if you see the waiter, get us more drinks!" Aria said, handing Callie a wad of cash before following Teddy to the dance floor.
The couple watched Aria and Teddy dance for a while, just content with each other's company. Once they each had another drink and a shot each, Arizona and Callie joined the other two on the dance floor. The four danced as a group for a while, laughing, and goofing off. It was clear the Torres sisters were the dancers in the group but Teddy and Arizona didn't mind, they could follow the beat and were having fun. The more Callie began to drink, the handsier she got, which Arizona loved even if it was slightly inappropriate in the presence of Teddy and Aria. Callie's hands were roaming freely and her lips seemed to have a magnet attached to Arizona's pulse point. Teddy managed to pull Arizona away from Callie, much to Callie's dismay, so the two could take their turns buying rounds for everyone. As they stood waiting for their drinks, a tall dark, and handsome man approached Callie on the dance floor. Arizona waited patiently for the Latina to give him the shrug off, she was eager to see his deflated face once the gorgeous woman told him she was taken and would then point to the hot blonde at the bar, but it never happened. Instead, Callie placed her hand on his upper arm and laughed at something he said before the two started dancing together.
"Are you seeing this?" Arizona asked, nudging Teddy with her shoulder. She narrowed her bright blue eyes at the man dancing with HER Calliope. She had never been the jealous type and still didn't consider herself to be that way but something about the Latina provoked whatever spark of green monster that she did possess.
"Mmmm, looks like your sexy Latina found a hot, hot, hot Latino to dance with." Teddy replied, her words slightly slurred from the alcohol she wasn't used to consuming. She narrowed her own green eyes at the dancing duo.
"They're flirting right and I mean, they're dancing kind of close, right?"
"They are definitely dancing close."
"Too close, right?"
"Arizona, if Callie was my girlfriend, I'd already be over there kicking some ass." Teddy replied, with that, they grabbed their drinks and headed toward the table where Aria sat. Setting their drinks down on the table, Teddy followed Arizona to the dance floor, she had her friend's back. Aria, realizing too late what was going on, jumped up and reached out to stop them.
"Arizona, wait, it's just Miguel." Aria replied, holding onto Arizona's upper arm.
"Miguel? As in "the Miguel"? As in, the Miguel who was Callie's first boyfriend and the guy she lost her virginity to?"
"Well yeah, I guess, but it's not like that. He just got divorced and hasn't been doing great. Mami thought he could use some fun so she told him where he could find Callie and I."
"Of course she did. This just keeps getting better and better." Arizona replied, her eyes flooding with tears. She knew this wasn't going to help the situation but she could only take so much and she currently just felt defeated. Callie looked up at the small commotion that was happening on the other side of the dance floor and her fun with Miguel ended as she saw tearful blue eyes meet hers.
"Shit, Miguel, this has been fun but you know I'm involved and I think she is getting the wrong impression. I wouldn't be happy if she was dancing like this with an ex." Callie said, excusing herself and making a beeline for Arizona. When she finally reached her, without a word she grabbed onto her wrist firmly, and pulled her to the bathroom.
"What are you doing, Callie?" Arizona asked, her voice slightly raised as the Latina kept a firm grip on her wrist while she checked the three stalls. Arizona tried to pull her arm free but Callie kept a firm grasp on her. Confirming they were alone, she locked the bathroom door and pushed the blonde against it, pinning her with her own body. "Callie, stop. What are you doing?"
"I want you." Callie replied, as if it were obvious, her lips already on the blonde's neck.
"So Miguel gets you all hot and bothered on the dance floor and then you think you're going to have a quickie in the bathroom with me?" Arizona asked, thoroughly annoyed.
"Arizona, I'm hot and bothered from you being on the dance floor with me. And from watching you in that skimpy, sexy red bikini all day. And this mini skirt, my God, you've been driving me crazy all day. Miguel doesn't do it for me anymore. I know I was flirty and I shouldn't have been dancing with him that way. But you are the only one I want, Arizona. You've ruined me for anyone else."
"Don't say that, Callie."
"Why? Haven't I ruined you for anyone else."
"Of course you have."
"Then what's the problem?"
"Nothing." Arizona said before she plastered her lips to Callie's. Maybe she wasn't in the mood but they were treading dangerous waters here and her body responded to Callie regardless of what her mind was telling her for the second time that day.
When the kiss ended, before Arizona could catch her breath, Callie moved them to the sink and lifted Arizona up on top of the vanity. Her strong fingers massaged a path up bare, pale thighs and snuck under the mini skirt the blonde was wearing. The Latina used her body to spread milky thighs further apart. As Arizona's body responded to Callie's touch, her brain caught up and she placed hands over Callie's just as they reached her panties.
"Stop, Cal, we shouldn't do this. I...you...Mi..Miguel." Arizona attempted to speak as Callie's thumbs rubbed circles strongly into the flesh just outside of her panties.
"You really want to talk about Miguel right now?" Callie challenged, as she latched onto the blonde's pulse point.
'No...Yes! Yes, Callie, we should talk about it." Arizona replied, fighting an inner battle.
"What if I don't want to?" Callie asked, licking the soft spot below Arizona's ear that she knew drove her crazy.
"Callie, would you be happier if you were with him?" Arizona breathed out. She opened her eyes as she felt Callie tense her body.
"Is that what you think?"
"I don't know what to think. You only dated men before me and your parents wouldn't cut you off if you dated Miguel or some other man. It would be less complicated. I really need to know, would you be happier?"
"Arizona, listen to me carefully. I don't care that you're not a man. I love you, so very much. I've never felt this way about another person. I. Love. You. So no, I wouldn't be happier. My Abuela, Nonna, Aria, they all love you and my parents are coming around. And even if they don't, I don't care, as long as I have you. So please, let me show you how much I love you." Callie replied as she continued kissing Arizona's neck. Callie was determined, now more than ever to have the blonde right now. Arizona knew this wasn't a good idea and she shouldn't give in so easily to Callie but unable to resist the burnette any longer, she released Callie's hands that were still pinned beneath her own on her thighs.
Wrapping her arms around Callie's shoulders, she buried her face into Callie's neck and held on as the brunette wasted no time hiking her mini skirt up over her hips and pulling her panties down to her knees before she plunged two fingers into Arizona. She bit Callie's shoulder to prevent herself from crying out at the sudden entrance of Callie's strong fingers. Once her brain was working again, she brought her own hand down to Callie's jeans, making quick work of the button and zipper before she dipped her fingers into Callie's thong and found her bundle of nerves. Arizona circled her fingers insistently around the erect tissue as the brunette continued sliding her fingers in and out of the blonde. Callie felt her whole body light on fire as the blonde's magic fingers manipulated her body so effortlessly. She was approaching an orgasm quickly and she wanted to bring Arizona over the edge with her. She doubled her efforts and brushed her thumb over Arizona's clit as they clung to each other, reaching climax and tipping over the edge together.
Callie pulled her fingers out of the blonde reluctantly and helped her stand, pulling her in close, not ready to lose the contact. She knew Arizona was feeling insecure about this whole trip and the way she had danced with Miguel hadn't helped matters. Oddly enough, Callie found herself needing to feel the blonde after her encounter with Miguel. She needed to confirm that Arizona was hers, stake claim on the blonde that had stolen her heart so effortlessly. She was confused by how possessive she felt over the blonde. She had been the one dancing provocatively with an ex and yet, she felt the need to claim and mark the blonde as hers.
"Arizona…are you ok? Are we ok?" Callie asked. She rubbed her hands up and down the smaller woman's arms as she waited for an answer. Arizona smiled genuinely at her and nodded, "We will be."
Callie still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She was hesitant to let go of the blonde as she studied her. Arizona leaned in for a hug and captured her lips, causing all thought to leave Callie's head. After a couple of soft kisses, they cleaned themselves up in the stalls, then the couple washed their hands and exited the bathroom to find Aria and Teddy.
"Everything ok?" Aria asked, nervously.
"Perfect." Arizona replied with a dimpled smile that the younger Latina bought. The older Latina watched her carefully though, as did Teddy. Both knowing the difference between a genuine dimpled smile and a forced one.
"I haven't gotten to spend much time with you and you're leaving tomorrow. Come dance with me." Aria pouted, pulling Arizona onto the dance floor. Teddy and Callie sat at the table for a few moments just watching the two dance and laugh with each other. Callie could tell that this was genuine at least, Arizona was having a good time with her sister.
"Do you know what's going on with Arizona?" Callie asked.
"Even if I did, I couldn't tell you, Callie."
"Just tell me if she's ok."
"I honestly don't know, Cal. We haven't had much time to chat lately."
"There's something bothering her that she's not telling me and I don't know what it is. I
wish she would talk to me."
"She will, when she's ready. And if she doesn't, it's not because she doesn't want to but because she can't."
"What does that mean?"
"Hey ladies!" Tim interrupted.
"Hey, what are you boys doing here?" Callie asked, breaking eye contact with Teddy and silently cursing Tim's timing.
"We finished up at the pool hall and decided to crash your party by showing you how to dance." Jared replied, earning him a jab to the ribs from Callie.
On the dance floor, Aria pulled Arizona by the elbow to lead her out of her sister's watchful gaze and leaned in to whisper, "I'm not sure what I heard earlier but I overheard some of what you and Teddy were talking about. My parents did something, didn't they?"
"What exactly did you hear?"
"Something about giving my parent's an answer before you leave tomorrow and you talking about breaking my sister's heart."
"It's not what you think, Aria."
"Then explain it to me and quickly because Callie is two seconds away from sending a search party." Aria said as she chanced a peak around the group dancing near them that blocked Callie's view to see her sister scanning the dance floor for her and the blonde.
"I'm not supposed to tell you or Callie but your parents gave me a very large check with an ultimatum. If I leave Callie I keep the check and she keeps her family. If I don't Callie loses not only her parents but her grandmothers and you as well."
"She's not going to lose me or Nonna or Abuela."
"Your parents threatened to take your trust fund and your place in the company. I'm not sure how they plan to keep Abuela and Nonna from Callie. I'm not taking the money, Aria. It was never a question. I just needed to think about this. I don't want to break up with Callie, I love her but I just don't know what the right thing to do is."
"First off, I can handle my parents. Second, I saved our company, it was in the red, now it's not just in the black, but the company is thriving thanks to me. Even with the purchase of five new hotels in Europe, we made a profit this year and last for the first time in nearly ten years. I know my parents, Arizona. Call their bluff. And if they are serious, I can handle them and trust me so can my Abuela and Nonna."
"What do I tell Callie?"
"Obviously there isn't a lot of time and I know my sister. On one hand she will be pissed beyond belief if you don't tell her. And rightfully so. On the other hand, if you tell her, my parents will experience world war three before she gets on that plane tomorrow. I'm not sure what you should do. Under normal circumstances I would say, tell her the truth. But she's going to Afghanistan tomorrow and I would be lying if I didn't say I would be concerned about her being there with all of this here so messed up. She needs her head in the game. Maybe tell her once you're back in Afghanistan so she can't murder my parents. It will give her time to process and calm down. Then when she comes back, we can all sit down together and talk."
"I feel like no matter what I do, it's going to be a mess."
"You didn't create the mess, Arizona, my parents did. It's their job to clean it up, not yours. No matter what, I have your back. I mean unless you cash that check and break my sister's heart."
"There is zero chance of that check being cashed, Aria."
"I believe you and if it makes you feel any better, I think my parents know that too. I'll go with you to talk to them tomorrow."
"Phoenix! There you two are, I've been looking for you." Nick said, looking Arizona in the eye. She knew what he meant by that, he wanted to check in to see if she had made a decision yet. She had, but she wasn't sure she should share it just yet and definitely not here.
"Well, I've been trying to get to know my sister's hot bombshell girlfriend."Aria replied as she wrapped an arm around Arizona's neck and planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek causing the blonde to blush and giggle.
"Hey, when I do that, Callie gets scary."
"Well, Nicholas, if you want to keep your lips attached to your body, don't kiss me like that anymore then. Callie doesn't like it and neither do I, it's crossing a line." Arizona replied. Nick looked slightly taken aback but nodded his head just as the rest of the group found him.
"Did I see another Latina's lips on your face?" Callie asked.
"Maybe." Arizona replied with a sly smile, knowing Aria loved to rile Callie up.
"Hey, she's basically my sister now, I can kiss her cheeks if I want to." Aria replied with a giggle as Callie pulled Arizona to her and pinched Aria all in one swift move.
"Don't worry babe, your lips are the only ones I want on any part of me and both Aria and Nick know that." Arizona replied, giving Callie a kiss on the lips that made Teddy and Aria hoot and Nick and Tim avert their eyes.
"Well, if that's the kiss I get every time my sister kisses your cheeks, then maybe I'm not so against it after all." Callie replied with a smile as the kiss ended. Something had changed in Arizona, she could sense it, almost like a weight had been lifted. She seemed lighter than she had earlier that evening. Or in days even, for that matter.
The rest of the evening found the group of friends drinking, laughing, and dancing. The boys had a dance off which brought tears of laughter to the eyes of the four women. Tim had won which really said something about the other two men's skill set as Tim resembled someone with ants in their pants when he danced. Arizona had even invited Miguel over to join their group, feeling less threatened by him now that her decision had been made. Everything would be ok, she told herself.
The next morning, the girls got up early and spent two hours shopping before they picked up all of their luggage and the boys from the hotel and made their way to the Torres residence where they would spend the rest of their time in Miami before their plane would take off that night. Aria and Jared met them in time for lunch. Callie watched her sister carefully and had an inkling that this thing with Jared was quite serious. She made a mental note to get to know the fire fighter a little better.
While Callie sat at the table, catching up with her parents and spending some quality time with them, Arizona took a walk out to the end of the dock with Aria. The two sat in silence for a while, just staring out at the water letting their toes skim across the top of the water on occasion.
Arizona knew Aria wanted to join Arizona when she met with her parents but Arizona wasn't sure if that was a good idea yet. She was contemplating this when Aria spoke.
"I told Abuela and Nonna this morning."
"You what? Aria…"
"Relax, I know you must be feeling miserable about all of this, I know I would be. And if they pulled something like this on Jared and I, it would devastate me. So, I enlisted the help of some people who have been through more in life than either you or I."
"What did they say?"
"That Callie will not lose them no matter what my parents do. And I promise you, Arizona, she won't lose me either. She's my sister. Yes, I've worked hard in the company but I can find another job elsewhere if I have to. It would harm the company if they let me go. And even if they do, Abuela still owns fifty one percent. Papi owned the other forty nine but when Callie and I each turned twenty one, he gave us each sixteen percent. He took Callie's sixteen percent back so he now owns his seventeen percent plus Callie's sixteen. Even if he takes my sixteen, he still only owns forty nine percent of the company. Until Abuela is gone, Papi doesn't own enough of the company to make those decisions alone. Don't worry about us, Arizona. Just be happy and keep making my sister happy. My parents, unfortunately, will make whatever decisions they are going to make regardless of what you do. And they will not only lose Callie in the process but myself, Nonna, and Abuela as well."
"I hate that this is the choice that has to be made. It means the world to me that you guys have Callie's back. She deserves to have that. She deserves parents like mine. And it kills me to know that they've put all of us in this position. And now it's not just me lying to Callie but you, Nonna, Abuela, Teddy, Nick, and her parents. Tim is the only one, aside from Callie that doesn't know." Arizona whispered sadly. She knew that it was out of her hands. Nothing she could do or say now would make a difference to them but that didn't mean she wouldn't try.
"Do your parents know?"
"God no. My mom would already be here if I had told her. She is the definition of mama bear."
"I'm going with you when you speak to them, Arizona. You need a witness because Callie is going to be mad as hell when we finally tell her about this."
"I don't want her to be mad at you too, Aria."
"Well, I could have told her but I think it's in everyone's best interest, for now, that she doesn't know. Even Abuela and Nonna agree that telling Callie has to be at the right time. Let's see what my parents have to say but I think you should wait, at least until you're back on foreign soil. I know my sister and I can see how much you mean to her. She's worked too hard to become a doctor to go to prison for murder."Aria joked, though she knew Callie would go off like a bomb if they told her.
As if Aria's parents had heard them speaking, the two approached them from the house. The pair watched them as they made their way to the dock and finally joined the two at the end. Carlos spoke first, starling Arizona slightly, "Beautiful day."
"It is." Arizona agreed, following his line of sight out to sea as she stood to meet her full height. She was still much shorter than all of the Torres family but she felt like she was on more equal footing at least.
"Aria, mija, go spend some time with your sister before she leaves. Your mother and I wish to speak with Arizona alone." Carlos demanded, clearly expecting his daughter to obey him without question. Aria stood too but had no intention of obeying.
"I've been spending some time alone with Arizona and I'd like to stay and hear what you have to say, Papi."
"It's actually kind of private, Aria." Lucia replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her youngest daughter's ear.
"If it's about the check and the letter, I already know. Arizona didn't tell me, I overheard." Aria confessed.
"Well this is disappointing, Miss Robbins. At the very least I thought we could trust you with discretion."
"I apologize, Mr. Torres. I had no intention of telling neither Aria nor Callie but as you know, Aria is quite clever and may I even say, sneaky."
"Well this is unfortunate because we want to make a new offer." Lucia replied, eyeing both her daughter and Arizona.
"I'm not taking any offers. I don't want your money Mr. and Mrs. Torres, in fact, here is your check." Arizona ripped it in half and handed it to Mr. Torres, "As for breaking up with Callie, I intended to tell you that I would do that, as long as it could wait until after Afghanistan when she would be safe again. But I've really thought about this and I couldn't lie to you, I'm not a liar. I don't want to break up with Callie, I was just buying more time to find a way out of this mess without hurting her more. What you guys have done, it's going to hurt her and that is what I am most upset about. I'm not breaking up with your daughter. I'm a good man in a storm and I protect the things I love. I love Calliope, very much and I will protect her, even if it is from her own parents. You should be ashamed of yourselves, Mr. and Mrs. Torres." Arizona rambled, gaining speed and volume as she went. It was like the floodgates opened and once the word vomit started, she couldn't reign it in.
"Can I speak now?" Mr. Torres asked, slightly amused and slightly ashamed by the tongue lashing. He should be annoyed that this feisty, petite blonde had just stood up to him, again, but he just couldn't be. He respected her for standing up to them and he couldn't help but respect her answer to the situation they had placed her in. If she would stand up to his daughter's own parents then he had no doubt she would stand up for his daughter against anyone else. And that was what he really wanted. Someone to protect and care for his daughters. He just hadn't thought a woman, let alone this petite little blonde could do that.
"Yes, but make sure you get everything off your chest now because this is the last time I hide anything from Callie for anyone."
"We will back off. We will stop interfering. I saw how happy Callie is with you. I saw how genuine her feelings are. And though it's still hard for me to accept and I can't pretend to understand, I do want Callie to be happy." Lucia replied.
"As do I." Carlos replied.
"What's the catch?" Aria asked. She placed an arm around Arizona's shoulders in case her parents had any question about who she was currently supporting.
"We forget all of this happened. The bribe, the letter, the check, they never happened and Callie never finds out. She would never forgive us. We may never forgive ourselves. And I definitely don't expect you to forgive us." Carlos replied. Arizona's head shot up, she turned and made eye contact with Aria. Was this another trick? If Callie found out, it would be a disaster. They all had lied to her. Their relationship had been built on trust, it's how they had created such a solid foundation. Could she keep something like this from her?
"I don't want to lie to Calliope. We don't lie to each other. I told you, I'm not a liar. If she found out somehow, she would feel betrayed and she might forgive me but I wouldn't forgive myself if I lost her trust."
"I understand that and I respect that but Arizona, we made a mistake. A huge, monumental, possibly unforgivable mistake. Please, give us a chance to make it up to you and to Calliope. If Calliope knew about this, she wouldn't allow us the time to explain." Carlos explained.
"I don't want anything from you. I just want you to be parents to Callie. I want you to love her and accept her and support her."
"We will. From here on out, we will do everything we can to do that. I even called your mom and she put me in touch with the local PFLAG. It might take time but I want to learn, I want to understand. And even if you do tell her we will still do all of those things. But I'm afraid Callie won't forgive us and she would cut us off without giving us a chance to be the parents she deserves." Lucia replied.
"Like you were willing to do to her, Mami?" Aria replied, voicing exactly what Arizona was thinking.
"Yes, I know we would deserve that but we're trying to make this right. We just want a chance to do that. If Calliope finds out, she won't give us the chance."
Though Arizona was far from willing to trust either Carlos or Lucia, she couldn't help but feel hopeful. This was a far cry from the conversation she had with Lucia just two days ago. She wondered if this was the discussion they had intended before Aria insisted on joining them. Having no choice but to trust them, at least for the time being, she shook her head yes in agreement. She was shocked as Lucia threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly. She could see the shock on Aria's face as well.
"I have a condition." Arizona said as she and Lucia ended their hug.
"And what would that be?"
"If Callie asks me anything, directly, I won't lie to her. I promise, I won't tell her but if she finds out somehow, I will have to tell her the truth. Not telling her is one thing, though I know she won't understand that, and I hate it. But I can't and I won't lie to her directly. And I never will hide anything from her again so remember that for the future. I'm giving you a second chance but you will not get a third."
"Understood. I'm sorry we put you in the position to lie to her." Carlos replied, feeling honestly bad for having put the blonde in that position. But he knew his daughter, she wouldn't be as understanding or forgiving as the little blonde in front of him.
"Also, when we get back from Afghanistan, I want all of us, including Callie, to sit down and talk about all of this. I won't tell her, but I think you should."
"I agree." Aria replied.
"Of course we can talk and we will think about telling her. It's the best we can do for now." Carlos replied with a look to his wife.
"Let's go back to the table. You only have a few hours before you board that plane and I want to spend time with all of you before you go." Lucia replied. She had somehow fallen in love with Teddy and Tim and even Nick though she had her reservations about him. And now that she was able to look past the fact that the blonde was a lesbian and dating her daughter, she couldn't help but admit that she was dying to get to know her.
"You guys go ahead, I just need a minute." Arizona replied. She felt sick to her stomach over what she had just agreed to. It was better than the position she had been in two days ago though and she hoped that Lucia and Carlos were genuine. It would make keeping this from Callie worth it. But if they were doing this to create a rift between Arizona and Callie, she had just given them ammunition. It would implicate them as well, though so she just had to pray, yes she was considering praying, that this would end with Callie having two loving, supportive parents as well as the blonde by her side.
"Are you ok?" Carlos asked in a fatherly tone that Arizona had never heard from the man before. She had hoped for this, for these two people to be like this from the beginning. It was too good to be true and she didn't trust it. He could see the storm raging in her blue eyes.
"I'll stay with her, you two go ahead." Aria said, sensing that Arizona really wanted to be alone but knowing her parents were eager to make sure the blonde wouldn't change her mind by keeping her near them. Lucia nodded and she and Carlos reluctantly walked away, making the girls promise to not be too long.
"Are you ok, really?"
"No, yes, maybe, I don't know, Aria. I feel like that was even worse of a deal to make. If Callie finds out I kept this from her she will be furious. It will break our trust, I don't know if she would be able to forgive that or if I could forgive myself for breaking it."
"So tell her." Aria shrugged, earning her a glare from Arizona that she had clearly picked up from her sister. Though it wasn't as good as her own or Callie's, it might actually qualify as a true Torres glare, Aria thought with a smile.
"What are you smiling for?"
"That glare, clearly you've gotten enough of them from Callie that you can throw out a pretty good Torres glare there, sis." Aria replied with a giggle. Arizona couldn't help but smile at that. She definitely received Callie's glare on a fairly regular basis and it both terrified and excited her. Callie was mostly bark with very little bite, like her father. She had her dad wrapped around her finger since she was in pigtails, maybe even before, so getting Callie wrapped around that same finger hadn't even felt like a challenge.
"She asked me to move in with her, you know. We haven't told anyone and it's still going to be awhile before we do it because of Afghanistan and Malawi but it's a big thing for me. I've never lived with someone I was romantically involved with before, it's a big deal to me. It means something to me. It's a commitment. What if she finds out and changes her mind?"
"She won't. She will be mad, rightfully so but I know my sister and she loves you, Arizona. She's committed to you too."
"I know." Arizona said with a genuine smile, "It feels good to be included in the Torres clan. I still don't trust your parents, though."
"That's because you're a smart woman, Arizona. Now, come on, let's go gang up on my sister together before you leave. We have bonding to do and I have sister tormenting duty since it will be awhile before I get to do that again."
"You know I have to take Callie's side, right?" Arizona replied with a smile, following Aria to the gated backyard.
"What kind of sister are you?"
"The kind that wants to have sex with her very hot, hot, hot girlfriend again sometime in the near future which means, I can't help you gang up on her."
"Ugh, TMI." Aria said, covering her ears and causing Arizona to giggle.
"What are you two laughing about?" Callie asked, meeting the two at the gate that separated the back yard from the water and dock.
"Aria wanted me to be her partner in crime and gang up on you with her but I told her for the sake of my sex life, I couldn't." Arizona giggled as Aria groaned and stomped off.
"Come over here for a second." Callie whispered, dragging Arizona behind the small pool house. As soon as they were out of sight from the prying eyes in the backyard, Callie pulled Arizona in for a tight hug and plastered their lips together.
"Mmm, what was that for?"
"I've just missed you and I'm just so glad you're here with me."
"Me too." Arizona replied, placing a soft kiss on Callie's lips. "Now, come on, you only have two hours left before we have to head to the airport, let's go gang up on Aria."
"I love you, do you know that?"
"I do. I love you too, Calliope." Arizona replied. She reached up and gently pulled Callie's face to hers and they kissed softly but it was full of emotion.
"What were you and my parents talking about?"
"Callie, Arizona, there you two are! Come on, Arizona barely ate anything earlier and you have to head to the airport soon. I promised Barbara that all of you would eat before you left." Lucia said, interrupting their moment just in time.
"I am kind of hungry."
"Well, a little birdy told Nonna that you like donuts so she sent Jorge for some and they just arrived. If you want one, you better hurry before everyone else eats them." Arizona didn't have to be told twice before she left the two Latina's and literally ran to the backyard and snatched a donut for each hand.
"Did you get me one?" Callie asked, as she and Lucia caught up at a more leisurely pace.
"Ummm." Arizona replied, looking between her second donut and Callie. She sighed and offered the second donut to Callie.
"I don't really want the donut babe, I'm actually not much of a donut fan, I just wanted to see if you loved me enough to share. Lucky for you, you passed the test." Callie said with a wink.
"Mean Calliope." Arizona replied through her mouthful of donut.
"You know you have to eat real food with that too, right?" Callie asked as she watched Arizona eyeing the donut box. Callie grabbed Arizona a plate of chicken and pasta salad and handed to her, "Eat this before you get another donut."
"Fine." Arizona replied as she sat down with a sigh. But she ate the chicken and pasta salad without complaint. Her appetite returned full force after several days of stress that had caused her too much turmoil to eat.
The group sat around laughing while Callie's parents told stories about Callie and Aria's childhood, making sure to embarrass them equally for both Arizona and Jared's benefits. Lucia seemed to be trying to make up for lost time and it felt like she was trying too hard as she hugged Arizona for the third time that day. But she was trying, Arizona had to remind herself, or at least she hoped she was. She watched Callie laugh and blush as a story about her getting in trouble for kissing a boy in kindergarten was told and Arizona's heart swelled. She had wanted this so badly for her girlfriend. Carlos was a very animated and devoted story teller, no one could contain their laughter as he told story after story. When it was time to go, Arizona was surprised that Carlos had summoned one of his cars for them and he and Lucia both slid in the back of the limo to travel to the airport with them. They hugged each of them tightly as they stood outside the airport and Arizona couldn't help but get teary as she watched Callie have an emotional goodbye with her parents from a respectable distance so they could have privacy.
"You ok, baby?" Arizona asked as she took Callie's hand and they joined the rest of their group in the line to check their bags.
"Yea, it was just such a different feeling from when I arrived in Miami just five days ago. I can't believe it. I'm just so happy."
"I'm happy you're so happy. You deserve it so much."
"They absolutely adore you, Arizona. My mom whispered to me that you're a keeper as if I didn't already know that."
"Well, I'm glad both you and your mom know that now." Arizona said. She pecked Callie on the cheek and gestured for her to step in front of her to check her bag first. Everything was going to be ok. Somehow, her prayers had been answered by someone or something out in the universe. And even though she wished she wasn't carrying this secret with her, she considered that maybe Lucia and Carlos only came around because of what they did. Maybe it was some weird divine intervention. Whatever it was, she was thankful for it, she thought as she handed over her passport and boarding pass to check her own luggage.