Chapter Forty
Arizona
"Tim, wait!" Arizona yelled from down the beach. She was out of shape, she had known that but trying to run in the sand coupled with keeping up with her brother's pace and she felt like she was going to die right there in the muggy July air. Red tide had come in and the stench wasn't helping as she struggled to catch her breath.
They had landed at Logan airport late that morning and rather than getting a chance to rest with Callie, Tim had dragged her out to the beach, in Lynn, twenty minutes away for a run. As much as she loved her brother and was so happy for his safety, she was ready to kill him herself right now. Callie was back in Salem at the house with Daniel, Barbara, Sara, two of their cousins and their wives and kids, and their Uncle Barrett and Uncle Lance enjoying festivities while Arizona was out getting her ass kicked by her brother.
"What's wrong speedster, have you gotten lazy in your old age?" Tim asked as he ran back to her, jogging circles around where she sat in the sand.
"Old age? You're older than me Timothy. Why did you drag me out here anyway? Why couldn't we just run on the beach near mom and dad's?" Arizona asked grumpily. Her blonde hair was tucked under a baseball cap with the red sox logo on it, the short ponytail hanging just below her shoulders. Tim was wearing the lucky cap he had forgotten at her house and she had returned it to him only a few hours ago.
"I just wanted to talk, in private. Without the chance of anyone overhearing or interrupting us or coming to look for us."
"Ok." Arizona replied hesitantly. She followed Tim up the beach and to the steps that led to a big grassy open area. Tim continued through the grass to another set of small steps that lead to a group of rocks in the water. The two of them walked down to the rocks, perching on the biggest one, and sat in silence watching the waves for a moment. Tim waited until Arizona's breathing evened out and then he turned to her.
"I want you to know that I talked to Nick and we worked things out. It's going to take some time to get back to normal, we both went through some things but he's my best friend so I want to forgive him but only if you're ok with that."
"Tim, I've already forgiven him, of course I'm ok with it." Arizona replied with a smile.
"Well I let him know that he needs to move on. You're with Callie and you're happy and even if you weren't with Callie and you were miserable, you're still not going to be with him in that way. I didn't realize he was actually in love with you. I mean I suspected some of his joking was more than joking but I didn't know until that night before you left Afghanistan just how serious it was."
"I talked to him too, Tim. I appreciate you looking out for me but I can handle Nick. I don't want you to ruin your friendship over me, especially since you're dating Sara."
"You are not ruining anything. Sara is great and I really love her, Zozo. I know it seems awfully soon but I already have a ring picked out. We've been dating for two years now. I know I was deployed for most of it but we've known each other since we were kids."
"Wow."
"I know."
"Any ideas on when or how you're going to do it?"
"No I haven't bought the ring yet and I'm not ready to propose quite yet but I just wanted to make sure that things were ok with Nick and with you before I do. You two will most definitely be in the wedding. I wanted to give you a heads up that it's coming in the near future though."
"I'm so happy for you. Callie's sister is getting married too. Seems like it's weddings everywhere. We just went to the engagement party last night. I met the whole family."
"How was that?"
"It went well actually, most of them are really nice."
"Most of them?"
"There may be an uncle and cousin that I'm not a fan of."
"We have cousins and uncles I'm not particularly fond of at times." Tim replied with a laugh.
"Good point." Arizona replied. The siblings sat staring off into the ocean for a few more minutes before Arizona grew antsy.
"Come on, let's go home so you can wash the stink off of you." Tim said. He stood and pulled Arizona to her feet and they hopped across the rocks to get back to the cement leading them up to the grassy area. Once their feet were on solid ground Arizona reached out and stopped him.
"Tim, before we go back. Are you sure you're ok? I know you went through some things and I know we aren't talkers in this family but I'm here if you need to."
"I know that, sis. Thanks but I really am good."
"Promise?"
"Of course. But can I ask you one more question before we head back?"
"Sure."
"Are you planning on popping the question anytime soon?"
"Wow, all this wedding talk has people acting crazy." Arizona replied, deflecting the answer to that question.
"That's not an answer."
"We're currently looking at houses so this is serious. I am committed to Calliope. And when I'm ready to get married, she is the one I want to be marrying but I'm not ready to get married quite yet."
"Well, don't let that one go."
"I have no intention of doing that."
"Good. Now, let's go see our women." Tim said, wrapping an arm around Arizona's neck and pulling her into him so he could kiss the top of her head. She wouldn't have minded especially since the cap was covering her head but they had just been for a run and the height difference caused her face to be terribly close to his armpit.
"Gross, Timmy, get off of me." Arizona protested but Tim just laughed as he released her.
"Here, you drive, I don't want to have you nagging me the whole way home about my driving skills." Tim said, tossing her the keys to his thunderbird.
"Really?"
"Really!"
"Oh man, Callie is going to be so jealous that you let me drive your baby before her." Arizona replied with a giant smile. Tim smiled at her in return and laughed at her giddiness when she squealed and revved the engine.
That night they enjoyed a cookout with the people in their parent's neighborhood, as well as Barrett, Lance, and Sara. Arizona's cousins, Thomas and Travis were also there with their wives and Travis's two boys. Though they weren't identical like their brothers, Thomas and Travis looked a lot alike and not only that, Tim could pass as their triplet. Callie found herself trying not to stare as they sat around the grass at the park eating hot dogs that night.
Callie hit it off extremely well with Lance, the two chatting about shoes like they were old friends. Arizona had always loved her two uncles, she hadn't known they were a couple growing up, being too innocent to question their relationship, they were just Uncle Barry and Uncle Lance. She had only started wondering about it when she herself started questioning her own sexuality. When she asked her mom about their relationship, she had simply told her that Uncle Lance and Uncle Barrett were in love. That had been enough for the young Arizona. She smiled as she watched Lance and Callie write their names in the air with sparklers at the edge of the water.
"You've got a good one there, kiddo." Barrett said as he sat down in the empty chair next to his only niece.
"I know." Arizona replied with a smile as she watched Callie throw her head back in laughter when Lance wrote Bananas with his sparkler.
"I don't even want to know what he just said." Barrett replied with a laugh.
"Probably for the best."
"Is this thing with Callie serious?"
"It is."
"Good, I like her."
"How did you and Uncle Lance do it?"
"Do what?"
"Make it this long. You make it look so easy and it must have been harder for you two back then."
"It's been far from easy my dear. It was very hard at times, especially when we were in the closet for the first twenty years of our relationship. But when you're with someone that is just so flawed but completely perfect to you, it gets so much easier. He's my partner, regardless of what happens, we're a team."
"I love her."
"I can tell." Barrett replied with a smile.
"Do Grandma and Grandpa still think he's your roommate?"
"They do."
"Uncle Barry, they know about me and they've been ok with it. I don't want to hide Callie from them."
"It's different with you. I'm their son. And when your Uncle Tim died, I became their only son. It doesn't make sense and I'm not saying it's fair but I've come to peace with it."
"I'm sorry."
"Me too, kiddo, me too." Barrett said with a pat to Arizona's knee before he stood and joined Lance and Callie with the sparklers.
Callie
Callie woke the next morning to blonde hair splayed across her chest and abdomen as Arizona lay sprawled across the bed horizontally on her back, using Callie as her pillow. Her right arm was thrown across Callie's chest and shoulder and her hand rested on Callie's pillow with dark hair gripped tightly between her fingers. Callie traced her fingers over the skin peeking out between Arizona's tank top and sleep shorts and the blonde sighed. The Latina smiled as she looked down at Arizona's face and a blue eye squinted up at her.
"Hung over?" Callie asked. Arizona had stayed up the night before stuck in a drinking battle between herself, Lance, Thomas, Travis, and Tim. Arizona, ever the competitive monster, had been unable to back down from the challenge. Thankfully it had been a game she was good at and the four men would be in far worse shape than the petite blonde laying across Callie. Of course that didn't mean Arizona hadn't had more than her usual alcohol intake.
"I actually don't feel too bad. You make a good pillow babe."
"Well, I'm a little sad that I had to go to bed alone. How did you get past the Colonel anyway?"
"He was asleep long before we went to bed, Callie. Besides, I told him that we're moving in together so he's backed off a little." Arizona replied, bringing her arm up and running her fingers through her hair.
"Oh my God." Callie shouted, sitting up suddenly and grabbing Arizona's arm, jumbling Arizona off of her chest unceremoniously.
"Ouch, what the heck? I thought since we're buying a house, we were telling people." Arizona rambled, completely confused as to what just happened and a little miffed at the disturbance of her comfortable position. She could only assume Callie was freaking out about her telling the Colonel their plans to move in together with the timing of her shouting.
"Your arm. What the hell happened?" Callie asked, inspecting the tender flesh on the inside of Arizona's elbow. Arizona opened her mouth to say she didn't know but as her eyes fell on the bruises Callie was referring to, it was apparent that it was a handprint and her confrontation with Callie's cousin suddenly popped into her head. Shit, she had forgotten all about it.
"Oh, that." Arizona replied, stalling but as Callie placed her fingers over the bruises, realization hit and brown eyes met blue.
"Who did this, Arizona?"
"Don't freak out, ok."
"Arizona, these bruises are in the shape of fingers, someone wrapped their hands around you and squeezed hard enough to leave their fingerprints in bruise form. Since the hand is much bigger than mine, I'm assuming it was a man or a very large woman, either way it was someone much bigger than you. Who was it? I swear to God if you and Tim were wrestling around last night…."
"Callie, relax, it wasn't Tim."
"Ok, well I'm not sure that makes me feel any better."
"I will tell you but first, please promise me you won't freak out."
"I'm already freaking out, Arizona. When did this happen? If someone hurt you, why didn't you say something to me?"
"Honestly I forgot about it until now and it really didn't hurt."
"Arizona, don't lie to me, clearly if someone grabbed you that hard, you felt it."
"I did but I'm ok, I swear."
"Explain." Callie said, sitting up completely and crossing her arms over her chest. Arizona followed suit, mimicking her position as she faced her but she reached up and grabbed Callie's hands holding them both in her own.
"Promise me you're not going to freak out and make a huge deal out of this."
"I promise to listen before I decide if I'm going to make a big deal or not. And I'm already freaking out so just tell me." Callie replied, it was the best she could do.
"The other night at your sister's engagement party…"
"Someone at the engagement party did this? Arizona that was two nights ago." Callie interrupted.
"Callie, please just listen to me. I was going to tell you about it that night but then I seem to remember you pouncing on me and distracting me the moment we got to your room." Arizona said, earning herself a small smile from the brunette as she remembered the scene Arizona was referring to.
"Go on." Callie said, unable to argue.
"Anyway, the other night at the engagement party when your dad was making his speech, I went looking for you but there were so many people and he was going to start his speech so I just stood in the back of the room to listen. I felt breath on my neck and your cousin, J.J. was standing there. He was drunk and he said some inappropriate things and I may have gotten slightly defensive and challenged his manhood. That pissed him off so when I turned to leave he grabbed me. Rita saw the altercation and said something to Sam who came over to check on me. J.J. released me and I went over to stand with the Walker's for the rest of the speeches which is where you found me."
"J.J. My cousin, J.J. did this to you?"
"Callie, he was drunk."
"What did he say?"
"You really want me to repeat it?"
"Yes, Arizona, word for word."
"He asked me if I had ever been with a man before. Then he suggested that you think you're a man but you're lacking the equipment. He wanted to know how I know that I don't like being with men if I've never been with one. So I asked him how he knew he didn't like being with men if he'd never been with one. He didn't like that so much so he grabbed me when I went to walk away. That's basically what was said and what happened." Arizona said. Callie chewed on the inside of her cheek for a minute.
"I need to make a phone call." Callie said, suddenly standing up and grabbing clothes from her bag to put on.
"Callie, no, please. I really don't want to make a big deal out of this. He was drunk and he probably doesn't even remember it."
"No, he put his hands on you, Arizona, it's unacceptable and he has a history of this sort of behavior."
"Calliope, your sister is getting married. The last thing I want to do is rock the boat and cause family drama when your mom just gave me that necklace and your parents actually sort of like me. And what about your Tia Fatima and Abuela? Please, just let this go." Arizona pleaded.
"Fine, I will let it go, for now but I am going to bring this up with J.J."
"Ok, I won't stop you but I really don't think it's necessary."
"It is. He's just like his dad. Did you know that J.J. stands for Junior Junior. I'm not even kidding my Uncle named him Junior after himself and then added Junior so everyone would know he's a Junior."
"You have to be kidding."
"I'm not."
"J.J. has a history of this?" Arizona asked.
"He's always been a bit of a bully, him and his dad both. There was an incident when we were younger that I didn't find out about until just before I moved to Seattle. Juan isn't so bad when he's hanging around with the rest of us and J.J. isn't around but the two of them together tend to be trouble."
"We can talk about it more later, let's just enjoy the day today, ok?"
"Ok. Are you sure you're ok? He didn't do anything worse, right?"
"No, I promise. And Callie, I intended to tell you immediately about this but I really was distracted by you and then I really forgot we've been so busy and I didn't even notice the bruises until now."
"Ok, I believe you. I'm sorry this happened, Arizona. I promise, it won't again."
"It's not your fault, Callie. Now, come on, let's go get breakfast. Mom always makes the most amazing homemade biscuits and gravy and cinnamon rolls and my brother and cousins will eat them all if we don't get there soon."
"I'll be right up babe, you go ahead."
"Callie, please don't call your dad."
"I'm not going to." Callie lied, looking guilty even as she said it.
"Don't lie to me. Please, can we let this go, at least until we get back to Seattle?"
"Ok, I'm sorry, I'll let it go but only until we get back to Seattle." Callie said, putting her phone down and having no choice but to follow Arizona.
"I love you." Arizona said, turning suddenly and planting a kiss on Callie's lips.
"Love you too." Callie replied, deepening the kiss before releasing the blonde and following her up the stairs.
The rest of their vacation in Salem was busy but fun. It truly did take Callie's mind off of her cousin, though when she did remember, it caused her a plethora of emotions most of them wanting to do things to him that would lead to jail time so she pushed it aside and focused on enjoying her time with Arizona and the rest of her family. They had a blast flying kites on the beach with Travis's two little boys, Oliver and Harry. She didn't know who was enjoying it more, Arizona or the two toddlers she thought as she watched the three of them giggling together as the rainbow kite dipped and recovered several times in a row. After flying kites, Callie, Sara, Tim, and Arizona joined an impromptu game of soccer with a few strangers that invited them to join their game. The sand and heat wore them out quickly as Callie and Sara gave up and sat cheering on Arizona and Tim.
They spent the hottest part of the day cooling off in the water, the entire family joining in. Sand castles were built and water fights ensued. Barbara finally pulled them from the water as the sun was beginning to set and they ate their sandwiches, much to Arizona's dismay, while they waited patiently for the fireworks to start. Callie laid sprawled out on the blanket with her head in Arizona's lap when they finally began and they remained cuddled that way as they watched the fireworks over the water.
Being a military family, the Robbins took the Fourth of July celebrations seriously and Callie was grateful to have been invited into their holiday tradition. She experienced Independence Day in a way much different that she was used to but she had loved every minute of it. The couple strolled down the beach hand in hand later that night in silence, just enjoying the quiet and each other's company. Their vacation had been a whirlwind of celebrations with their two families and Callie found herself both rejuvenated and exhausted.
Like all good things must, their vacation came to an end the next day and before they knew it, the two were back on the Torres jet heading back to Seattle. Callie didn't have to work again until Monday morning while Arizona was on call on Sunday but at least they would have some time to recuperate the next day before reality set in. Arizona fell asleep on the couch beside Callie halfway into the flight. The Latina decided to take the opportunity to call her mother, knowing she would be less hot headed than her father. She laid Arizona down gently on the couch and covered her with a blanket before she made her way to the bedroom and closed the door.
"Hola Callita." Lucia answered.
"Mami, I don't have much time but I need to talk to you about a situation."
"It sounds serious, go ahead, mija, you have my complete attention."
"It is serious, are you alone?"
"Si."
Callie spent the next ten minutes explaining what happened at the party between Arizona and J.J. Her mom listened patiently, letting Callie rant. She knew her daughter was upset and with good reason. She contemplated not telling her what had occurred in the time since the girls left but decided with their current standing, honesty was the best policy.
"J.J. told Aria that Arizona came onto him at the engagement party. He said she made a pass at him."
"He what?" Callie exclaimed, peeking out the door to see if her raised voice had woken her sleeping blonde.
"Shh, Callita calm down. Aria told him she didn't believe him and she doesn't. She only told me so she could ask my advice on how best to tell you."
"Mami, this is not my business to share but under the circumstances you should know, Arizona has never been with a man. She is not interested in men, Mami."
"I'm not questioning that, Callie. I promise, I am not. I believe Arizona. Even if she were into men in the past, I've seen you two together, she loves you. I have no doubts about that."
"What are we going to do about J.J.?"
"Leave it to me. We will figure something out. Don't worry, Callita. And tell Arizona I am so sorry about what he did and said."
"She doesn't know I'm talking to you. She's asleep on the couch. She asked me to let this go but I can't. She has bruises on her arm in the shape of his hand print."
"I'm sorry Callie, is she ok?"
"She said she is but I'm not."
"We can try to keep her out of it if you would like. I'm hoping your father and I can put a stop to all of this before it goes any further. I will talk to him this evening."
"I will have to talk to her about it eventually but for now, let's just see what happens. I will leave it to you and Papi. She doesn't want to cause family drama."
"She's not to blame for whatever drama happens, Callie. J.J. has always been trouble."
"I know."
"Did you two have fun with Arizona's family?" Lucia asked, sensing the need for a subject change.
"We really did but we've been on the go nonstop, we're both exhausted."
"Get home safely, mija. And get some rest."
"I will, Mami. Love you."
"I love you too, Callita."
XXXXX
Arizona
It had been a week since the couple had returned from their short trips to Miami and Salem and the couple was out for a drive. Callie had wanted to go look at a house but the directions seemed to be wrong, leading them to get lost. The brunette was quickly losing her temper as Arizona told her to make another turn in the opposite direction of the way she thought they should be going. Their leisure Friday afternoon was quickly turning into a potential fight.
"Just pull over for a minute if you think I'm incapable of reading directions, Calliope and you can read the map yourself." Arizona said in exasperation after Calliope snapped at her for the third time.
"Fine!" Callie shouted, pulling the car over in front of a random house.
"Here." Arizona said, handing her the printed mapquest directions along with the atlas and her phone. All of them showed different areas for the street they were supposed to be heading.
"This makes no sense." Callie said in frustration.
"I've been trying to tell you that for the past fifteen minutes, Callie. But you and your hot temper just wouldn't listen to me." Arizona huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and slouching back against her seat.
"I'm sorry. I'm tired and I have no patience and I really just want us to find a house."
"Me too. Let's just go home. You need to get some food and sleep. You're kind of mean when you're tired and hangry. And you're going to end up on the couch if you keep snapping at me."
"Fine." Callie said, pulling the car around in a u-turn to come to the other side of the street.
"Callie, wait, look. It's for sale." Arizona said, pointing to a light grey house that neither of them had seen on the app before.
"Wouldn't hurt to look around and take down the number, we're already here."
"Ok." Arizona said, a smile gracing her lips for the first time in half an hour.
"Looks like an open house." Callie said as they walked up the walkway together, the brunette quickly linking their hands.
"What are the odds?" Arizona asked rhetorically with a dimpled smile, already feeling excited about the prospect of this house.
"Oh wow, I love the entrance." Callie said with a smile as they entered the house.
The couple walked through the house after briefly speaking with the realtor, Carla. The living room was off to the right with a grey brick fireplace in the center of the room. Off to the left and down three stairs was the wood floors of the dining room and a giant open kitchen.
"Oh my God, this kitchen is amazing."
"I love how open it is." Arizona replied with a dimpled smile. Off the kitchen was a small hall that led to a bathroom and one of the three bedrooms. At the end of the hall was a set of french doors that opened onto the patio of the backyard. It wasn't a giant backyard by any means but it was a decent size, bigger than they had hoped for and Arizona smiled as she saw the treehouse low in the branches of a giant tree at the edge of the property line.
"We could totally fit a hot tub out here." Callie commented to which Arizona eagerly nodded her head, a pool too if they wanted she thought with a smile. Back in the house, they climbed the half flight of stairs up to the second floor where the master bedroom and bath were located along with another bedroom and bathroom.
"Three bedrooms, three baths." Arizona commented as they viewed the smallest of the three rooms along with the bathroom. At the end of the hall and to the left was an open area that looked out over the yard, another set of french doors there opened onto a small upper deck that also connected to the master bedroom. It would be a nice place to put a desk and have a small office space. Callie led them to the master bedroom and they both smiled widely. It was large with a nice walk in closet that almost made Callie squeal but when Arizona mentioned this, Callie reminded her that she was badass and badassery definitely did not involve anything remotely close to squealing. Arizona rolled her eyes and did her own squeal as they stepped into the adjoining master bath and saw the separate shower and jacuzzi tub.
"I'm sold." Callie said as Arizona turned to face her.
"Should we make an offer? It's above what we talked about." Arizona replied, still feeling uneasy about the money aspect. With both of their salaries they could easily afford the price, it wouldn't break them but this wasn't meant to be their forever home and she didn't want to get carried away. But this house had more than what they had hoped to find, she really didn't want to pass up the house when it basically had fallen into their laps.
"Arizona, it's perfect, exactly what we were looking for. And it's ten minutes from the apartment which makes it less than fifteen minutes from the hospital. We can afford this." Callie assured her.
"Ok, let's do it."
The pair talked with the real estate agent and placed their offer, even going slightly above the asking price in fear of someone else snatching it from them. The realtor took them down to the partially finished basement to show them the brand new water heater and then out to the two car garage, both were bonus spaces and made the asking price more than worth it. They both were giddy as they drove back to Callie's apartment, stopping for celebratory pizza on the way. They spent the evening in their sweatpants enjoying their takeout and watching a romantic comedy Arizona had conned Callie into watching with her. The evening ended with a joined shower and some celebration sex. Even if they didn't get the house, Arizona knew they were going to find one eventually and in the meantime, she would do whatever she needed to in order for them to live together. She fell asleep tangled around Callie's body with visions of their future together in that house in her head.
By the end of that weekend, the pair were growing anxious as they hadn't heard back about their offer and they had all but given up hope on the house. Just as Arizona was closing her book and reaching for the light to go to sleep, her phone buzzed. Thinking it was Callie, as it was after ten on a Sunday night, she picked up the phone without looking at the ID and was momentarily confused as a perky, unfamiliar voice responded.
"Hello may I speak with an Arizona Robbins please?"
"This is she."
"Hi, this is Carla Clemson, the real estate agent that is selling the house that you placed an offer on this past Friday."
"Yes, yes, Carla, of course, I remember you."
"Oh great! Well, I was just calling to let you know, the offer has been accepted."
"It has!" Arizona exclaimed, now fully awake.
"It has. I'm sorry to call so late but I knew you were anxiously awaiting news. I was going to call Miss Torres next if you think that's ok."
"No, no, she got called in for a surgery and I'd like to tell her myself."
"Ok, I will leave it to you then. I'll bring the papers by the hospital tomorrow, what time works for you?"
"I could be available at one. I'm on the fourth floor but Callie and I could meet you in the cafe across the street if that's easier, she's off tomorrow."
"Sounds great. Congratulations Miss Robbins."
"Thank you!" Arizona exclaimed excitedly. It was a good thing the woman had given her this news over the phone or she may have kissed her flat on the mouth she was so excited. Now that sleep was completely off the table for the time being, Arizona threw on a pair of jeans and one of Callie's hoodies and made her way across the street to the hospital.
Checking the OR board, she saw that Callie was still in OR 3 so she made her way to the gallery. Callie was working on the arm of what looked to be a man but was hard to say as the patient was mostly draped. Bailey was working on the abdomen and Jo and April were assisting them. Callie looked up and met Arizona's eyes giving her a look of concern. Arizona switched the intercom on.
"Everything ok?" Callie asked nervously, her heart rate picking up as she thought about what possibly could have brought Arizona to the gallery this time of night when she had her own surgery at seven in the morning.
"Everything is fine, relax Callie. How much longer will you be?"
"Not too long, we are getting ready to close."
"Ok, meet me in my office when you're done."
"No, something important brought you over here and I'm going to be a nervous wreck until you tell me, Arizona."
"Ok, well, Carla Clemson, the real estate agent called."
"Yea?"
"They accepted our offer. She's going to bring the paperwork over for us to sign tomorrow at the cafe across the street at one. As soon as we do that and fork over our down payment the house is ours. We will likely be able to close by the end of the month. The family has already moved out."
"Really?" Callie exclaimed.
"Really, we finally found a house!" Arizona squealed in excitement.
"Give me half an hour and we can go back home together, ok?"
"You've got it rockstar."
XXXXX
Three weeks passed in a blur and before they knew it, it was moving day. The papers had been signed and their down payments made three days after they had made their offer. Closing had happened by the end of the month and as the family had vacated the home before even placing it on the market, everything had moved quickly from there. Arizona was in the process of double checking Alex's house for anything she may have left behind when Alex appeared in the doorway.
"Callie called, they're on their way with the U-Haul."
"Perfect. My parents called half an hour ago, they will be here first thing tomorrow morning, right on schedule with Tim and Sara."
"You're lucky you're my boss. I don't just give out free manual labor." Alex huffed.
"Uh, this wasn't free. I've been cleaning and doing laundry for you for months. Not to mention all the surgeries I have observed so you could cut while I couldn't do surgeries."
"Yea, yea." Alex said before he turned and went back downstairs. Arizona picked up her purse and phone and grabbed the last box that was on her bedroom floor.
They had opted to splurge on a new bed, though Callie's bed was arguably the most comfortable bed the blonde had ever slept in, she had unfortunately learned from a drunken Mark all about the dirty things he and Callie had done in that very same bed. Now it was ruined for her. She had been refusing to sleep in Callie's bed for the past two weeks and Callie had threatened to murder Mark for opening his mouth. Offering to pick out a new bed together had been a peace offering to which Arizona happily accepted but still refused to sleep in Callie's bed much to the ortho surgeon's dismay. Which meant they had spent a lot of time on Arizona's blow up mattress.
The bed that had belonged to Arizona and was currently being driven her by her parents was being used for the smallest of the guest rooms. Callie's old bed in which the steamy Mark sex had occurred would be used for the bigger guest room. The bed Arizona had previously used for her guest room in Baltimore, along with all the furniture that went along with it, was being donated to Teddy. As Teddy had been in the army her whole adult life and had a bedroom at the Robbins home, she had never spent the time or money to get her own things. She had never even had her own place. Barbara and Daniel had assured her that the things at their house were hers to keep and she was welcome to them but she had wanted to keep her room just how it was for when she visited them.
"They're here." Amelia called up the stairs. Arizona did one last thorough sweep of the room she had been staying in since arriving in Seattle before switching off the lights and heading down the stairs. She really only had a few items. Most of the kitchen things were being left for her roommates, as she and Callie already had two kitchens worth of stuff to sort through. They had agreed to go through all of their stuff together and whatever didn't match their new decor would go in the basement to be sold or gifted to their friends.
"Arizona, you do know we could have hired movers." Aria said as she greeted her in the driveway. Arizona had left Callie's that morning before Aria had arrived to make sure everything was ready to go at the house before the Torres clan arrived. The U-haul with Callie's apartment stuff had been loaded the night before with the help of their work friends. She had only had a few items left to load that morning when her family arrived.
"Aria, it's so good to see you. I didn't realize you were going to help with the move."
"Jared insisted. Mom and I are very good at ordering people around." Aria replied with a wink and a smile not unlike Callie's.
"Arizona, how are you dear?" Lucia asked as she approached.
"I'm well, how are you Mrs. Torres?"
"Please, call me Lucia. Goodness, I forget how beautiful you are dear." Lucia replied with a genuine smile as she hugged Arizona.
"Thank you." Arizona replied with a blush. They both looked up to hear arguing in heated Spanish while Jared tried desperately to intervene between Carlos and his eldest daughter. Arizona couldn't help but smile. She didn't understand much of what was being said when they talked this fast but she knew Callie's tone and the Latina was enjoying whatever they were arguing over. The smile on her face confirmed it wasn't a serious argument and Arizona relaxed a bit, sending a wink in her direction.
"No heavy lifting, Arizona." Callie called to which Arizona rolled her eyes. She had been cleared two months ago to resume surgeries and had eased back into normal activities without difficulty since then but her girlfriend was over protective and she found it equally endearing and maddening.
"How is your shoulder?" Aria asked curiously.
"Much better. I have been cleared for normal activity months ago even though Calliope is still a worry wart."
"Fun sucker, that's what Callita is." Aria teased.
"Where can we start?" Lucia asked.
"I really don't have much here to move. My parents will be here in the morning with the U-Haul from Baltimore. There's some boxes of clothes, some bedding, some books, and a few random things I've accumulated in the past few months. It will probably fit in the back of Callie's jeep. I told her she didn't need to drive the U-haul here."
With the help of Amelia, Lexie, Mark, and Alex as well as the Torres clan and Jared, it took less than fifteen minutes to load up Arizona's things. Arizona drove Callie's jeep to the new house with Lucia, Jared, and Aria while Callie rode in the U-Haul with her dad. Amelia followed in her car with Alex, Lexie, and Mark.
The group worked quickly and efficiently with the direction of Lucia and Aria who Arizona suspected thoroughly enjoyed their jobs as "supervisors". Arizona had meticulously packed Callie's apartment, labeling and color coding everything so it was clear where every box and item of furniture would be going. Having grown up in the military and being accustomed to frequent moves, Arizona had a system down and Callie found it best to just let her take the lead. By dinner time, the beds that were there were set up and made, the kitchen was semi put together, and the living room was starting to look like a living room.
"Pizza is here, break time." Callie announced as she and Mark carried the pizza boxes into the house. Alex was right behind her with a case of beer in one hand and a case of bottled water in the other. The three had left about an hour ago to get food for everyone and return the U-haul. Arizona snagged a beer and piece of ham and pineapple pizza the second they were placed on the counter and found a seat next to Callie on the hearth of the fireplace. She leaned her head on Callie's shoulder and smiled as she counted to three in her head.
"Pineapple does not belong on pizza, Arizona." Callie said, looking down at her with equal parts disgust and adoration.
"I knew you were going to say that. And don't think for a second you're going to kiss me after eating all those onions and jalapenos on yours." Arizona replied, scrunching up her nose in mock disgust.
"We'll see about that."
"Calliope, leave her alone, pineapple on pizza is one of the most creative culinary experiences and I enjoy it immensely." Carlos replied with a wink in Arizona's direction.
"I'm with Cal, pineapple is delicious but belongs nowhere near pizza." Amelia said, clinking her beer in solidarity with Callie.
"Personally, I like meat on my pizza. Fruit and veggies are just offensive to pizza." Aria replied, earning a collective laugh and several nods of approval from the men around the room.
"What time should we be back to help tomorrow?" Mark asked.
"My parents will be here pretty early but I think they are dropping off the stuff for Teddy at the house first. Tim and Sara are driving my car out for me so they will be here to pick me up in the morning. We are supposed to be at the house to unload Teddy's stuff at seven thirty sharp. It shouldn't take us too long, maybe plan on nine tomorrow." Arizona replied. Alex moaned at the mention of the early hour for the second day in a row and Arizona shot him the evil eye.
"Thanks for the pizza and beer boss." Alex said, trying to get back into good graces.
"You're welcome Karev."
"Well, we should get going. The house is really beautiful. Unfortunately, Derek and I start the second phase of our clinical trial tomorrow so I won't be able to help. It was a pleasure meeting you, Aria, Jared, Mr. and Mrs. Torres." Amelia said, standing and grabbing her jacket. Alex, Lexie, and Mark got up and began gathering their belongings as well.
"Thanks for your help guys." Callie said as she and Arizona made their way to the door to hug their friends goodbye.
"You have quite the friend group, Calliope." Carlos commented when the couple returned to the living room.
"We do." Callie replied with a smile.
"They were all in Afghanistan with us. We became pretty close." Arizona added.
"Well, we should get to the hotel." Carlos said.
"We have two guest rooms and the one down here has the bed already set up. We can put the air mattress in the other room for Aria and Jared. You are welcome to stay here if you would like to but only if you want to." Arizona invited, shyly, earning her a look from Callie.
"We couldn't impose. We already have a room at the Archfield, Arizona. Thank you so much for the offer though." Lucia said, standing so Carlos could slip her jacket on for her.
"Please stay. You traveled all the way here and I want you to be as welcome here in our home as you made me in yours."
"Well, who can argue with that?" Carlos said, a twinkle sparking in his blue eyes.
Fifteen minutes later, Callie's parents, sister, and Jared were all in their respective rooms and the two flopped down on their new bed too tired and sore to move. They lay horizontally across the bed, one on each side with their heads meeting in the middle.
"How's your arm, babe."
"My shoulder is fine, Callie. And I am going to be helping more tomorrow whether you like it or not. How are you honey?"
"Tired. I don't think I can move."
"We should at least take our jeans off, right?" Arizona asked.
"Mmm." Callie replied, her eyes already closed and her breathing evening out. Arizona smiled as she pecked her on the nose. She got up and rounded the bed, undoing the other woman's zipper and edging the jeans down curvy hips.
"Lift." Arizona instructed so she could get them over the round bottom she adored. Callie obeyed without opening her eyes. She had done far more lifting than Arizona only because she hadn't allowed Arizona to do so. "Climb up in bed, baby."
"So tired." Callie replied. Arizona smirked and helped get the Latina's legs on the bed while she climbed up to the top, flopping down on her stomach. Arizona removed her own jeans and bra and climbed up in the bed, straddling Callie's hips and resting on her butt. She tried to ignore the pulsing between her legs that suddenly ignited with the feeling of Callie beneath her. She slipped her hands under Callie's shirt and unclasped her bra, urging her to lift her arms up so she could remove both her shirt and bra. Callie obeyed but whispered out a warning, "Arizona", as she did.
"Shhh, just relax." Arizona whispered in her ear as she leaned down, strands of blonde hair, tickling Callie's back as she did. Arizona reached for the lotion and squirted a large amount in her hands, rubbing them together to warm it up before touching the heated skin of Callie's back.
Arizona started the massage at Callie's lower back, working her way up the sore muscles before reaching her shoulder blades and neck. She took her time, working out each knot with soft groans of approval from the Latina who was putty in her hands. She protested only slightly when Arizona rubbed her calves and legs, ending with her feet. Callie was nearly asleep when the blonde got up to wash the lotion from her hands, she replaced the lotion with some peppermint and lavender oils and rubbed them into Callie's hair and skin, she massaged the back of her neck and then her temples and scalp. It had the desired effect, Callie was snoring softly within a matter of minutes.
Arizona leaned down and peppered tan, smooth skin with kisses before she pulled the blankets up over Callie and whispered, "You're lucky I love you."
The throbbing at her center wasn't going away just because Callie was sleeping. She would wait for her to do anything about it though. They had a lot of rooms to christen and she was very much looking forward to doing that with Callie and not solo. She got up once again to brush her teeth and wash her face, taking note of a box she didn't recognize below the sink. She opened it and gasped as she saw a note fall from the box. Nice collection, sis.
"Aria." Arizona whispered as she looked at the box of toys in her hands that she had completely forgotten with the move. Aria must have found it and suddenly she thanked her lucky stars that it was Aria and not one of the boys, or worse, Callie's parents who had found it. With that thought in mind, she searched for a better hiding place and stuffed the box in the closet under a pile of Callie's clothes.
She snagged one of Callie's t-shirts and changed into it before climbing into bed and cuddling up to Callie. Feeling the blonde, Callie turned and edged her butt into Arizona's already sensitive center making her moan as their bodies melded together for her to become the big spoon. They had coordinated their schedules by switching with staff and working extra nights and on call shifts so that they could have four complete days off together for the move. Tomorrow was another moving day which meant they would probably fall into bed exhausted once again but after that, Callie was going to be at her mercy. She smiled as Callie wiggled her butt a bit and mumbled incoherently in her sleep as if she could read Arizona's very dirty thoughts. The blonde smiled and kissed Callie's bare shoulder once again before she tightened her arm around Callie's waist and closed her eyes.
Callie
"I'd like to raise a toast to my parents and Mr. and Mrs. Robbins for being the amazing, supportive parents you are and taking the time to come and help Arizona and I move into our first home together. It means so much to us both." Callie said, standing up from her spot at the table with her glass of wine. The two families had ordered take out and were sitting around the new table eating Chinese food out of their cartons and drinking wine and beer from solo cups.
"I would also like to thank Aria and Jared for coming to help in the midst of planning a wedding. And my brother and Sara for taking time out of their busy lives to come help. And of course, Teddy, you are the best, I know you've been so busy with surgeries and teaching interns, it really means a lot to me that you came to help. We truly have the best families ever." Arizona added with a dimpled smile.
"We know we're awesome." Tim replied with his own dimpled smile.
"While we're all together, I'd like to let you all know that Jared and I have set a date for the wedding. It will be Saturday, December first. And in order to promote the opening of our new hotel in Barcelona, we have decided to have the ceremony at the hotel. The bridal party and our families will take the private jet and stay at the hotel for free." Aria announced.
"Oh my God, Aria. Wow." Callie replied, looking to Arizona for a reaction.
"Goodness, a wedding in Barcelona sounds amazing." Arizona replied in shock but smiled brightly at the thought.
"I'm so happy for you, Aria." Tim said.
"Congratulations, Aria, Jared." Teddy said, hugging them both.
Callie was both shocked and annoyed at Aria for getting married in Barcelona. Spain had always been Callie's thing and now she thought of Arizona when she thought of Spain. It was their place. Then again, it was a great promotional opportunity for the family business and the opening of the hotel so she understood it. Plus, she was now really looking forward to going to Barcelona with Arizona again. She just wished she wasn't having to share it with Aria. Her momentary annoyance quickly faded as she caught Arizona's eye and saw how genuinely happy the blonde was for Jared and Aria.
"So, you, me, Barcelona?" Arizona whispered.
"Sounds like a dream." Callie replied with a smile.
XXXXX
"Can you believe we are finally all moved into our new house?" Callie asked in disbelief as she fell down onto the new bed she and Arizona had purchased for the second night in a row. The couple had also splurged on the new dining room table they had eaten dinner at a few hours ago, complete with the area rug beneath it and a new sofa, leaving Cristina with Callie's old one.
"Don't fall asleep yet, babe." Arizona said as she came out of the bathroom briefly with her toothbrush hanging out of her mouth.
"I'm so tired, Arizona. I seriously could do a twelve hour surgery and not be this tired. Next time, I don't care what I have to do to convince you, we are hiring movers."
"You will forget about all of this before we move again, Calliope." Arizona said with a smile. "But seriously, don't fall asleep, I'm running us a bath."
The next thing Callie knew, she was being nudged awake by her sweet blonde that she wanted to strangle at the moment. She did not appreciate being woken up when she was so tired and sore. Arizona smiled at her, knowing that Callie was likely to bite her head off for waking her but she also knew how sore Callie already was and would be more sore tomorrow if she didn't take care of herself properly.
"Baby, I know you're tired but you're going to be more sore tomorrow if you don't relax your muscles and take some meds. Besides that, you're kind of stinky. The hot water will feel good and relax you. I also have some Motrin for you to take. Just five minutes in the bathtub, I'll even wash your hair for you."
"Fine but I don't stink." Callie growled, getting up and stomping to the bathroom. The scent of lavender and eucalyptus was in the air and Callie felt her irritation ebbing away as she saw that Arizona had the tub filled, candles lit, and essential oils ready to be rubbed into her sore muscles.
"Get undressed babe." Arizona said, joining her in the bathroom. She had planned to join Callie in the tub but seeing how tired and irritated the brunette was, she decided that the quick version would be better.
"Aren't you going to join me?"
"Not tonight babe. I'll wash your hair and let you get back to sleep."
"It's the first time taking a bath in this tub. I want you in it with me."
"Are you sure?" Arizona asked, biting her lip cutely.
"Absolutely." Callie replied. She smiled as Arizona pulled off her robe and climbed into the tub. Callie undressed quickly and joined Arizona in the water, sitting between the blonde's legs. She sighed in contentment as she felt Arizona washing her back tenderly before she wet her hair and began massaging shampoo into her scalp.
"Just relax, baby, let me take care of you for once." Arizona said quietly. Callie moaned softly as Arizona's nimble fingers massaged her scalp gently. The bath was intimate in a different way and Callie thoroughly enjoyed the gentle attention Arizona was giving her.
"Thank you." Callie said as she leaned back against Arizona's chest and relaxed in the hot water for a few minutes.
"You never have to thank me for taking care of you, but you're welcome."
"Are your parents really leaving tomorrow?"
"Yea, mom has a photo shoot on Monday morning and dad is going to D.C. to consult on a case. He's been doing some consulting since Tim got home. I think he's really enjoying it."
"I'm so happy for our family's help and I'm so excited for them to come for visits but I'm kind of happy everyone is leaving tomorrow."
"You are?" Arizona asked, clearly shocked by the confession. Callie had seemed so happy having their families there. Tim and Sara had left to stay with Nick and Nora for the week but Arizona's parents were in the guest room down the hall, having had that bed set up earlier that evening and Callie's parents were downstairs in the same guest room they had slept in the previous night. Aria and Jared had taken the air mattress for the second night in a row and were set up in the space at the end of the hall that Arizona and Callie were using as their office space.
"Yea, I mean, I'm excited to be alone with you in our new place for a while. I kind of like the idea of us putting everything together without everyone else's input. Besides that, tomorrow is the one year anniversary of our first date."
"Oh my God, it is." Arizona replied. She hadn't forgotten, not really anyway. She had been thinking about it earlier in the week but with the move it had slipped her mind.
"Can you believe it?"
"No and yes." Arizona replied. Callie laughed in response, knowing what the blonde meant but finding her flustered state adorable.
"Come on, let's get to bed, I'm beat."
"Ok, but tomorrow night, we will begin christening this place."
"Oh yea?"
"Absolutely." Arizona replied with a dimpled smile and a kiss before pushing the button to drain the tub.
XXXXX
"So what's the scoop, what happened with J.J.?" Callie asked as she and her mom worked on putting the shower curtain up in the upstairs bathroom while Arizona and her parents worked on some loose bricks on the walkway that Daniel insisted on fixing before their flight left at noon. Tim and Sara were staying in town to visit with Nora and Nick who was doing well with physical therapy and excited about getting his new prosthetic that Callie had been working on. They would be in town for the whole week and the couples planned to meet for dinner later that week as well as spend some time with Nick and Nora.
Callie's own parents, Aria, and Jared would be leaving around the same time as Barbara and Daniel. Things between Barbara and Lucia continued to be tense and it was noticeable. They were cordial to each other and Lucia tried hard to get Barbara involved in conversation but the older blonde had resisted. She had warmed up to Aria and Jared but when it came to their parents, it was like a frozen tundra of hell had blown in. Callie chose to ignore that for the time being, J.J. was her bigger concern at the moment.
"We confronted him and he denies it, though Arizona's bruises are proof, I'm glad you took photos. Needless to say, your father and I believe Arizona. That being said, it's a delicate situation. Juan has frequently visited your father requesting a part in the business but with J.J. and Junior, he just can't chance taking him on in the business right now. J.J. says he will drop everything concerning Arizona if we give Juan a job and J.J. equal shares in the business. Of course we refused. We aren't going to reward this behavior or be blackmailed. There's already some friction in the family because of it. So for now, your father has just threatened him and under no uncertain terms laid out what will happen if he so much looks at Arizona or anyone else the wrong way again."
"I can't believe Abuelo made everything go away for him all those years ago. I wish he hadn't. Abuelo was my hero, now my memories of him are slightly tainted."
"Your Abuelo was a proud man, Callie. He worked hard to create a name for the Torres family. And I know J.J. doesn't have the last name Torres but he is a Torres, your grandfather didn't want our name slung through the mud. I'm not making excuses for the choices he made but at the time, he was trying to protect the family, not J.J., though it seemed that way."
"I just wish I had known at the time. J.J. always creeped me out. I always thought Selena just didn't want to hang out with me or be friends anymore. If I had known what he tried to do to her…"
"Your father and I didn't know either, Callie. I mean I suspected he was capable of things and I always kept a close eye when Fatima and Junior brought the boys around because I didn't trust them with you or Aria but your father always thought I was overreacting. Selena was a good girl, she didn't deserve to be paid off and sent away."
"I'm telling you now, Mami, if J.J. tries anything else, if he even so much as breathes in Arizona's direction, I don't care about the Torres name, he will face consequences."
"I know, mija. You're father and I talked about it and we feel the same way. For now, we are trying to keep the peace for Abuela's sake but we will not stand for that type of behavior, I promise. And we won't give him an opportunity to hurt Arizona or anyone else."
"Ok." Callie replied, feeling disgusted that she didn't have another option at the moment. She knew Arizona didn't want to make a big deal about this but it was a big deal in the grand scheme of things. At least it was if you knew the skeletons in the Torres closet.
"Aria does not want to invite them to the wedding but we think that would cause more animosity. Thankfully with it being held in Barcelona, I doubt they will be able to attend."
"I can't say I blame her."
"Me neither. But being a Torres sometimes has a price, Calliope."
"I'm well aware."
"I'm sorry, Callita."
"It's not your fault, Mami. I just hope you are willing to back me up if he pulls another stunt like this."
"I am and so is your father and Aria."
"Good."
XXXXX
An hour later, Callie was taking a shower while Arizona drove her parents to the airport. Carlos and Lucia had offered to give them a ride in their ordered car service as they were also heading to the airport but the Robbins had politely declined, stating they wanted the extra time with Arizona, leaving the blonde no choice but to drive her parents to the airport. Arizona and Callie both suspected that it had more to do with Barbara's continued grudge against Lucia and Carlos, though they both chose to keep that to themselves for the time being. She was quite the Mama bear and what Callie's parents had tried to do to Arizona was unforgivable to the older Robbins woman.
Once showered and dressed, Callie decided to get started on putting some laundry away. She didn't want to hang anything on the walls or do too much decorating without the blonde's input. They had promised to do those things together. Her plan was to spend the afternoon unpacking while she waited for Arizona and then order some take out from their favorite sushi place for dinner followed by some very wild sexy time in their new home. She still couldn't believe they were finally living together and more than that, they bought a house together. The thought alone made her want to rip the blonde's clothes off. But in order to do that, they would at least have to unpack enough to make room for extracurricular activities. Thankfully, both of their families had been helpful and they were much further along in their unpacking than they would have been if they had been doing it alone. And thanks to Arizona's type A, neat freak personality, what wasn't yet unpacked was at least neatly organized.
Callie had moved on to putting away some stuff in the kitchen a little while later when the doorbell rang. Her earbuds were in and she was dancing to the music so she didn't immediately hear it. She and Arizona had spent some time sorting through items they wanted to keep from each of their own kitchen collections and now all that was left to do was to put it away. Knowing the kitchen was Callie's baby, Arizona had given her free reign to organize it however she saw fit. The persistent knocking at the front door finally caught Callie's attention.
She jogged over to the door, pulling her earbuds out as she did and peeped through the hole, noting a man and woman standing on the front porch that she didn't recognize. She opened the door tentatively.
"Hi, can I help you?"
"We're your neighbors, just over there." The man replied, pointing to the little yellow house to their right. Callie and Arizona's was the corner lot with no house on their left, giving them a considerably bigger side yard.
"Oh, hello, nice to meet you."
"We just brought you some brownies to welcome you to the neighborhood." The blonde woman said, handing Callie an aluminum disposable pan.
"Thank you, that was very thoughtful."
"I'm Stan and this is my wife, Trish."
"Nice to meet you both, I'm Callie."
"That's a pretty name. Is your husband home too? Which one is he? There were so many of you, it was hard to tell who was actually moving in." Trish commented.
"Oh, no, none of them are my husband. My girlfriend and I actually are the ones moving in. All the people you saw here were our family."
"Oh." Trish replied, a flush covering her cheeks as a knowing smile graced her lips. Stan still looked a bit confused.
"Her name is Arizona, unfortunately she had to run her family to the airport or I would introduce you."
"Well, we just wanted to introduce ourselves, I'm sure we will see her around sometime. Once you're settled maybe we can do dinner or a cookout or something." Trish suggested.
"Sure, that would be great." Callie replied.
"We should let you get back to work but it was nice meeting you. Have a great day." Stan said with a wave goodbye.
Callie shut and locked the door behind them, shaking her head as she replayed the encounter. They didn't seem too upset when she mentioned girlfriend, surprised maybe, but not upset. Maybe they would make friends with the neighbors after all, it could come in handy someday. She was just finishing up the kitchen when Arizona pulled into the garage and entered the house through the garage door that led into the space between the dining room and part of the kitchen.
"Looks like you've been busy." Arizona said, sliding her shoes off into the cubby of the bench they had placed by the door and sitting her purse on top of it.
"I have been."
"What's this?" Arizona asked, spotting the brownies in the aluminum pan.
"Oh, I met the neighbors, they brought us welcome to the neighborhood brownies."
"Oh I like them already." Arizona said, attempting to snag a brownie.
"Uh-huh, I have plans for us for dinner and I don't want you spoiling yours. Go take a shower while I finish up here and then I will order our food and have it delivered."
"Fine but I'm eating two for dessert." Arizona replied, defiantly as she stomped up the stairs. Callie smiled and shook her head as she stole a piece of the brownie from the pan. What Arizona didn't know wouldn't hurt her she thought with a shrug.
Callie called and placed their usual sushi orders, getting extra appetizers as she thought of all of the activities she had in mind for them. They would definitely need the food later on to re-energize, Callie thought with a smile. The kitchen was all put together and aside from hanging some things and some boxes full of odds and ends, they were pretty close to being unpacked.
"What's the smile for, sexy lady?" Arizona asked as she approached Callie, wrapping her arms around Callie's waist.
"Just thinking about all the things I'm going to do to you later."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Mhmm." Callie replied, leaning down and capturing the blonde's mouth with her own. Arizona quickly took the lead and entered Callie's mouth with enthusiasm. She withdrew her tongue moments later and looked up at Callie with a questioning look.
"Did you eat a brownie, Calliope?" Arizona asked, tasting the chocolate on the brunette's lips.
"Just a taste." Callie confessed, knowing she was busted. With that, Arizona sauntered over to the brownies and plucked one up, taking a large bite of it.
"Don't you dare say a word." Arizona said, pointing her finger at Callie as she enjoyed her brownie. Callie walked over and stole a large bite for herself, earning her a playful shove from the blonde, "Hey get your own."
"I just wanted a taste." Callie replied with a smile, licking the remnants of the brownie from her lips just as the doorbell rang.
"That was fast."
"Too fast. Do you think it's the neighbors again?" Callie replied.
"I'll answer if you're so scared of the neighbors." Arizona offered with a smirk.
She opened the door to find that it actually was their delivery and Callie had no reason to worry about the neighbors returning. Arizona smirked as she signed her name on the receipt and collected the giant bag of food from the teenage delivery driver.
"Badass my ass." Arizona whispered as she brought the food back into the house.
"The food is here already? I guess being ten minutes closer makes a difference, just another added bonus." Callie replied with a smile.
"Did you order enough food, babe?"
"We're going to need it, I plan on burning lots of calories with the activities I have planned for tonight. Besides, I've seen the way you eat."
"Hey, you should probably stop insulting me if you want in my pants, Calliope."
"Does it help make up some brownie points that I got you that tempura that you love?"
"It might if you let me add my own activity that I had in mind for tonight."
"As long as it involves one or both of us naked, I think that could be arranged."
"Deal."
"Eat up, you're going to need your strength tonight, Dr. Robbins." Callie said with a smile and a wink. She laughed lightly as Arizona visibly shivered and quickly grabbed her food containers to follow Callie to the table.
"And what exactly do I need my strength for?"
"Eat and I'll show you." Callie replied with a wink.
AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Yay, they finally live together, thank you for your patience. I'm always amazed at the support for this fanfic and look forward to reading your reviews. I hope you are all doing well.