AN: I wrote several versions of this chapter and I honestly wasn't sure which way to go with it. In the end, I went with the original version. From the reviews it sounds like you guys are still enjoying this story. I admit I've struggled a little bit lately to find motivation but you guys keep me going. There may be a few bumps along the way but it is a Calzona story, do you expect any less? I hope you are all having a great New Year thus far. Happy reading :)
Chapter Forty-Nine
Callie
Callie woke the next morning to a knock on her hotel door. She fumbled for her phone to check the time and saw that her alarm would be going off in one minute anyway. With a growl she stood and walked to the door, opening it suddenly and grumpily. On the other side stood a young man in a delivery uniform with a big bouquet of red roses in a glass vase.
"Dr. Calliope Torres?" The man asked, as he looked up with a goofy look on his face. The freckled face slaughtered her name and Callie couldn't help the cringe that usually occurred when someone other than Arizona called her by her full name.
"That's me." Callie answered. She noted his eyes were on her chest and she looked down to see that her tank top had moved in the night and one breast was completely hanging out of her shirt. Callie quickly adjusted her shirt, her cheeks warming with a blush as she mumbled, "Oh God, I'm so sorry."
"It's ok, it was a nice boob." The guy said with a shrug as he handed Callie the flowers and walked away quickly. Before she could shut the door or register what had just happened though, room service arrived with a tray of food for her.
"I didn't order breakfast." Callie said as the woman wheeled the tray into her room.
"A...Dr. Arizona Robbins called and ordered it for you with instructions to deliver it promptly at this time." The woman said, reading from the card with the instructions she had written down before turning back to Callie, "Do you need anything else Dr. Torres?"
"No, no thank you." Callie stuttered as she shut the door behind the woman. She pulled the lid off the tray and a smile crossed her face. A steaming cup of coffee, a mimosa, a fruit and yogurt parfait, and a veggie omelet with a side of bacon sat on the tray in front of her. Callie pulled the card from the vase of roses and she smiled as she read the cute note from her fiance.
You've got this babe. Go show them who the rockstar is. I love you so much and I wanted to be there to take care of you today but since I can't be, I wanted to make sure you at least have a good breakfast. The roses are simply because I miss you. The mimosa was instructed to be made with mostly orange juice but I thought you might need just a touch of liquid courage. Good luck Calliope, although I know you don't need it! -Xoxo, your fiance.
Callie took a picture of the breakfast and roses and sent them to Arizona with a thank you text. She grabbed the coffee and contemplated if she should eat or shower first but was surprised when her phone chimed right away with a call from Arizona. Smiling a giant, mega-watt smile, the brunette pressed talk on her phone.
"Good morning, fiance. That was a nice surprise. The roses are beautiful, Arizona."
"Good morning my brilliant ortho goddess. I am so glad that you enjoyed the roses. They are nothing compared to you though. Have you had a chance to eat breakfast yet?"
"No. The tray literally just got here when I sent you the picture. What are you doing up so early?"
"I wanted to make sure my girl was taken care of. I really wish I could be there, Callie."
"I know, me too."
"I know you can't talk for long but how has the conference been? Are you excited for your presentation?"
"The conference has been great, babe. I am very nervous about the presentation but after the lecture yesterday, I am also very excited to share it."
"I am so proud of you. Jo is going to try to get a video for me of part of your presentation. I wanted to watch the whole thing but since it's nearly a full day long, I will have to do my surgery right in the middle of your presentation."
"I will make sure Jo gets a video for you, babe."
"Have you gotten to do much sight-seeing?"
"Not a lot but Jo and I were talking about going shopping after the conference today. We've been to a few places so far but we have plans to spend all of Saturday afternoon sight-seeing."
"Well I hope you get to. One of these days we will have to visit New York together. I haven't been since I was very young."
"You would love it. I had lunch at this hot dog stand the other day and ate lunch on a bench at the park. The whole thing just made me think of you and it made me miss you."
"I miss you too, babe."
"Arthur is here, at the conference, I mean. I know I told you there was a possibility that he would be here but I haven't had the chance to tell you that he is actually here. I didn't see him until Tuesday night and then he followed me to the park at lunch yesterday."
"I kinda wish you hadn't told me that. I mean I am glad you did but I hate knowing he is there and gets to see your presentation today when I can't be there."
"We can celebrate together when I get home, babe."
"I'm going to hold you to that, Torres."
"You better. I really have to start getting ready now though."
"Ok. You will completely wow them, Calliope, I just know it. Go kick some ortho ass."
"I will babe. I love you." Callie laughed.
"I love you too."
With Arizona's morning surprise and phone call, Callie found herself in a very good mood. Aside from the wardrobe malfunction in which the delivery man got more than a tip, she was off to a great morning. Callie was feeling more confident in herself, her research, and in her abilities than she ever had before. She knew she was about to nail this presentation and that was exactly what she did. The presentation could not have gone better. The conference even ran half an hour later than scheduled so Callie could answer all of the questions from the other surgeons. Many of the doctors sought her out after the conference to ask her even more questions and she had several offers for dinner and drinks. With encouragement from Owen and Jo, Callie finally agreed to joining several other physicians for dinner at the hotel restaurant. After dinner, Jo, Owen, and Callie had agreed to celebratory drinks at a local club with several of the other physicians who all wanted to buy Callie drinks.
"Are you still up for a little shopping?" Jo asked as they finally broke free from the crowd to head to their rooms.
"I definitely am. Meet you in fifteen minutes at the elevator? I just want to change into more comfortable clothes and shoes for walking." Callie asked.
"I'll bring my credit cards."
Half an hour later, Callie and Jo were walking the streets of New York, exploring different shops and just enjoying being in the city. Dinner wasn't until eight, giving them roughly another hour and a half to shop before they had to get ready. Callie had missed New York. She loved Seattle but there was something about New York City that she just fell in love with. She couldn't wait to bring Arizona here and spend some time in the city with her favorite blonde. She decided with Valentine's Day coming up quickly that she would see if she could find something for Arizona at one of the shops in New York. Less than five minutes after thinking that, Jo pointed out a store and upon entering it, Callie found the perfect bracelet to give Arizona.
"I could shop all day but my bank account says it is time to call it quits." Jo said an hour later.
"Yea I think I've shopped enough. Besides, if we get back soon, I can call Arizona and talk to her for a few minutes before dinner. Hopefully I can catch her between surgeries."
The two women entered the lobby of the hotel ten minutes later after a short taxi ride. They hadn't been far from the hotel but the amount of bags they were carrying made walking back to the hotel more of a chore than either of them cared for. They laughed over the lame pickup line the taxi driver had used on Jo as they waited for the elevator, both in a fit of giggles by the time the doors dinged open and they stepped on.
"Hold the elevator!" A voice shouted and Jo flung out an arm to stop it. All it took was one look from Callie and the giggles started all over before the man stepped into the elevator with them. "Looks like I'm missing all the fun."
"The taxi driver hit on me." Jo replied, her giggles stopping as Callie's face grew serious.
"Must have been some pickup line. Did it work?"
"Um no." Jo laughed again.
"Hey Cal, I'm glad I ran into you. Just wanted to see if I could buy you a drink tonight."
"I've already agreed to dinner and drinks with a group of doctors."
"I know, Dr. Entil invited me to join."
"I don't think Arizona would like that, Arthur."
"Come on, Cal, it's a drink. What's he so scared of? It's just a celebratory drink amongst friends."
"We will see." Callie said as she stepped off the elevator.
She elbowed Jo sharply in the ribs as she mouthed "He?". Callie didn't know why she hadn't corrected Arthur on assuming Arizona was a man. Somehow, she knew that finding out she was engaged to a woman was not going to go over well with Arthur so for now she was content with letting him believe what he wanted to. It wasn't any of his business anyway.
Callie showered and changed, she had plenty of time to get ready so she took her time, hoping that by the time she was ready, Arizona would be out of surgery and would be able to call her back. She had sent her a text letting her know the plans for the evening and asked her to call if she got the text in time. Just as Callie was thinking she would have to leave without talking to Arizona, her phone rang.
"Hey there rockstar." Arizona said as Callie answered the call.
"Hey you."
"I haven't gotten to watch the video yet but Alex said you kicked ass." Arizona said, pride evident in her voice.
"I kind of did, yea. It was awesome." Callie said. She rolled her eyes at herself, that word popped out of her mouth entirely too easily these days.
"Are Jo and Owen going to celebrate with you?"
"I wouldn't go without them. I think they might be more excited than me at this point."
"Who all is going?"
"I'm not entirely sure who all will be at dinner. Dr. Entil, the chief of Ortho at New York Pres is buying me dinner. He invited Jo and Owen to join us, along with a few other doctors. I doubt very much that he will be joining us for drinks at the club after dinner though."
"I am so proud of you, Callie. I can't believe the chief is buying you dinner."
"Yea well if I accepted all the drink offers, I would die of alcohol poisoning."
"Hmmm, should I be jealous?"
"Maybe of the delivery guy who brought my roses this morning. I was half asleep when I answered the door and an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction with my tank top gave him a pretty good show."
"What kind of show?" Arizona asked, her voice revealing a hint of possessiveness that made Callie's heart race in a good way.
"He saw my boob."
"He what? Callie, are you serious right now?"
"I'm afraid so. I opened the door and didn't realize my tank top was all twisted." Callie explained and was relieved when she heard Arizona's bubbly laugh on the other end.
"What did he say?"
"He said 'it's a nice boob'"
"He did not."
"Scouts honor."
"I should revoke his tip, he got enough of one. Those boobs are gold." Arizona said, her tone so serious that Callie couldn't help but laugh. God she loved her and missed her.
"I love you."
"I love you too. And I miss you. Like crazy miss you. Alex is sick of hearing it."
"I miss you too."
"You should probably go, I don't want you to be late for dinner with the chief."
"I know. Listen, the chief also invited Arthur. I just wanted you to know that."
"Is he going with you for drinks after?"
"I'm not sure, I would assume so. It's an open invitation to the doctors, I didn't organize it so I can't really tell him that he can't go."
"I trust you."
"I know. Are you ok with this?"
"The right answer, the adult answer is yes and I am, mostly."
"But?"
"But I can't help but worry about him being there. And being a little jealous that he's there with you and gets to celebrate your success with you and I'm stuck in Seattle."
"We will celebrate when I get home, promise. And I also promise there is no reason to worry."
"I know. Have fun tonight, ok? And be safe. Text me when you're back in your hotel room so I know you're safe."
"I will babe. Have a good night. Love you."
"Love you too, Calliope."
Callie no sooner hung up her phone and a knock at her door sounded. She looked at her watch and smiled, Jo was more excited about this night than she was, the young resident clearly needed a break from the hospital. She took one last look in the mirror, smoothing out invisible wrinkles in her killer red dress and snapped a quick selfie to send to Arizona before grabbing her purse and coat and flinging the door open.
"I swear Jo, you are more excited…" Callie started as she flung the door open but her words faltered as she looked up to see Arthur.
"Wow and by wow I mean, holy cow, Cal, you look hot."
"Eyes up here, Arthur. What are you doing here?"
"I thought a lady deserved an escort down to dinner." Arthur said, handing Callie a small bouquet of forget-me-nots. She stepped in the room quickly and placed them on the table beside the door.
"Um, thanks Arthur but Owen, Jo, and I were planning on walking down together." Callie said, placing her coat over her arm. As if on command, Jo and Owen emerged from their rooms down the hall from Callie's and walked toward them.
"Oh hi." Jo said with a strange smile.
"Jo, right?" Arthur asked, holding out his hand to shake Jo's. Jo nodded enthusiastically as Owen stuck out his hand.
"Dr. Owen Hunt and you are Dr. Blake, correct?"
"The one and only."
"Actually you're not the only, we work with Mrs. Dr. Blake." Jo replied awkwardly. Callie shot her a look from behind Arthur and Owen chuckled slightly. He didn't like the guy. He didn't know him but he felt protective of Callie and the guy just gave him the wrong kind of vibes. He could tell the man did not enjoy the fact that Jo had brought up his ex-wife and Owen was reveling in the other man's discomfort.
"Shall we head down?" Owen asked, breaking up the awkward silence as he offered his arm to Callie to escort her to the elevator. Callie gladly accepted, leaving Arthur no choice but to offer his arm to Jo causing the resident to blush fiercely.
Dinner was exhausting for the young surgeon but in the best way possible. It was difficult for Callie to eat her meal with so many questions being sent in her direction. Though she hated public speaking, she was confident in her work and she was bursting with pride and excitement at being able to share it all with surgeons she had looked up to and learned from during her time in New York. Arthur seemed put off and she wasn't sure if it was due to the lack of attention he was used to receiving or Callie's persistent disinterest in rekindling anything romantic with him. More than likely it was a mixture of both. Her phone buzzed part way through the meal and she smiled as she saw a response from Arizona.
"Sorry, I just need to check this." Callie said, pulling out her phone and smiling as she read Arizona's response.
You look absolutely stunning, Calliope. Have an amazing night celebrating with your friends and when you get home we will have another kind of celebration. Be safe. Love you -AZ
"Who is putting a smile like that on your face, dear?" Dr. Hanlan, the only female orthopedic surgeon Callie had learned from at NYP, asked her.
"My fiance."
"Oh? Do tell us all about this fiance of yours."
"Well, Arizona is a pediatric surgeon, a brilliant one."
"Arizona Robbins?" Hanlan asked.
"Yes, that would be my fiance." Callie replied, her smile growing at the mention of her beautiful blonde.
"She is quite brilliant. I sat in on a presentation of hers and I was on the board of the Carter Madison Foundation when her proposal came through. I heard she was injured in Afghanistan and had to return from Malawi earlier than planned as a result."
"She was but she has healed now, luckily it was nothing terribly serious. She's about to go back to Malawi for two weeks to work at the clinic. I am so proud of her, she is one of the most talented surgeons I have met."
"Will you be joining her in Malawi?"
"Unfortunately, no."
"I heard that one of the doctors that was supposed to be on the two week surgeon tour had to drop out due to injuries and they are now looking for an orthopedic surgeon to go." Dr. Patterson said nonchalantly from the other end of the table.
"Yes, Dr. Grey was in a car accident but I haven't heard who will replace her." Callie replied.
"Well, you are quite the dynamic duo, aren't you?" Dr. Entil replied.
"And they are such a cute couple, it's kind of gross actually. They make you want to be in love or severely depressed that you're not. Sometimes both on the same day." Jo replied, earning her a kick under the table from Callie and a laugh from the group around the table.
"Awe, that is so sweet. I remember being young and in love." Dr. Hanlan replied with a giant smile on her face.
"I'm sorry, you're engaged to a woman?" Arthur asked quietly as he leaned across the table to whisper to Callie. The motion didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the table though.
"I am." Callie replied simply. She shot him a look that was meant to warn him against causing a scene at the table.
"So, where are you young people headed for drinks?" Dr. Entil asked, breaking up the awkwardness.
"Oh Graham said he would take care of organizing and reserving a place for drinks. I ordered a car for the group of us so we wouldn't have to worry about getting enough taxis for this big of a group and it's a bit too far and too cold to walk." Corey Burbank, one of the younger attendings at the convention said.
"Well, you young people have a good time. I think I am going to have a glass of wine in my room and take advantage of having an afternoon conference tomorrow by catching up on some Netflix." Dr. Hanlan said. She stood and wished the group goodnight, as did most of the guests around the table.
"Are we the only ones going?" Owen asked. He looked around the table and only himself, Corey, Arthur, Jo, Callie, and a young woman he had been introduced to but didn't remember her name were left.
"No, a few others are meeting us in the lobby. Sheila, will you message Graham that we are ready to leave?" Corey replied.
The group walked to the lobby and one by one they were joined by others, including two older doctors that Callie was surprised to see. The club scene didn't seem like their thing. Callie did a quick head count, there were twelve of them all together, including Owen, Jo, and herself. She was slightly annoyed to see that Arthur was still joining them at the club but she wasn't going to let it ruin her fun or her good mood.
"So where are you taking us?" Owen asked Graham, he was the one who had organized the event.
"It is a surprise, in honor of my old pal, Callie." Graham said, throwing an arm around Callie. He was a good friend of Arthur's, one she had actually liked. He had actually been one of the only friends of Arthurs that she had genuinely cared for and he had been the only one to make an effort to get to know her.
"Graham Fletcher, what are you up to?" Callie asked with a smile, hugging him back.
"It's good to see you, Cal." Graham replied.
"It's good to see you too. Now, where are you taking me?"
"Like I said, it's a surprise but I promise you will like it. I'll give you a hint, you told me once that you always wanted to go."
"Was I drunk?"
"Absolutely." Graham replied with a giant grin.
The group of twelve made quick introductions, Callie knew several of them from her time at New York Presbetaryian, the rest she didn't know personally but she knew of them. It seemed that only the big names in the ortho world had been invited, along with Jo and Owen at Callie's insistence. Callie noted that Sheila Johnson and Brooke Crane were the only two women invited aside from herself and Jo. Both of them had impressive careers as well, Callie had just read an article of Brooke's and had been in awe of the research she was doing on bone marrow. They separated into two SUV's that pulled up, Callie, Owen, and Jo being joined by Arthur, Graham, and Arthur's best friend, Drake Shields.
The conversation was kept light, the earlier awkwardness between Callie and Arthur seeming to have disappeared. Try as they might, Callie, Jo, and Owen could not get the other three surgeons to tell them where they were going for the evening. After fifteen minutes, they pulled up to a building that was in the higher end of town. Callie could honestly say she had never seen the building before and doubted very much that she had ever said she wanted to go to this particular club. Still, she could hear the music playing and there was a long line of people waiting to get in.
Drake walked up to the security guards at the front of the line and said, "Shields, party of twelve."
"Yes, of course Dr. Shields, your table is ready for you. Follow Emmanuel please."
The group followed behind Drake and Emmanuel to a row of three tables, each sitting four. Callie immediately sat with Owen and Jo. She was relieved when Graham sat beside her, leaving Arthur to sit at the table beside them with Brooke, Sheila, and Drake. Callie's back was to the rest of the club, Jo sat across from her though and was taking in the sights. The young resident had her phone out and was scrolling through something excitedly.
"Oh my God, this is club Risque!" Jo exclaimed. Graham smiled widely while Callie and Owen looked at her with questioning looks.
"Yea, that's what the sign said, Jo." Owen replied.
"Is this THE club Risque?" Jo asked Graham.
"It is." He replied.
"Oh my God, I've always wanted to go to a strip club!" Jo squealed excitedly.
"What?" Callie and Owen asked at the same time. Callie took Jo's offered phone from her hand and looked at the club's website that was pulled up.
"Relax Cal. It's a classy place. The strip club is separated from the main club, you don't have to go behind the curtain if you don't want to. The ladies will come out here and do different dances on the bar throughout the night though. But remember, you once revealed to me that you always wanted to go to a strip club so I figured when in Rome or New York." Graham replied with a boyish grin and a wink.
"I was drunk, Graham. I only vaguely remember telling you that. Arizona is going to murder me with her bare hands." Callie replied, her head falling into her hands. How had she let herself get into this predicament? She honestly wasn't sure how Arizona would handle this. She knew if it were the other way around, Arizona would most likely be in the doghouse over this though. So far the blonde had surprised her and taken Arthur being there and celebrating with them in stride. She worried this might be pushing the limit for the blonde surgeon though.
"Yea I'm not sure how Cristina is going to feel about this so can we just keep it between us for now?" Owen asked.
"Group picture time!" Sheila yelled, pulling out her phone.
"No!" Owen shouted, clearly panicked at the thought.
"No, no pictures please." Callie agreed, not wanting Arizona to find out from a picture.
"I'll take one with you." Jo said, jumping up and joining the other two girls for a picture.
"You should probably start looking for a tux for my funeral instead of my wedding." Callie said to Owen, causing them to both break out in a nervous laughter.
"Is this Arizona the jealous you have to ask for her permission for everything, type?" Graham asked.
"No, not at all but I'll be honest, if Arizona was at a strip club across the country with her ex…"
"You would not be happy." Graham stated.
"I would be very upset, I don't even know what I would do. I would probably show up and make a scene and then drag her out of there."
"Shot time!" Jo said, returning to the table with a tray of shots for them.
"What the hell is this? It's pink." Owen asked.
"It's called a Barbie shot." Jo replied.
"What's in it?" Graham asked.
"Don't ask." Callie replied. "Thanks Jo but no shots for me tonight."
"Oh it's not from me. Sheila bought the first round and everyone has to take one." Jo replied as she pointed at the rest of the table holding up their shots.
"Oh for love of...one shot Jo, I mean it." Callie said holding up her own shot and clinking it against everyone's glass who was within reach.
"To Callie." The group said and they all threw their shots back.
"Oh God, if Barbie had a taste, that would definitely be it." Graham choked out.
"Barbie is hot and that tastes like hopes and dreams." Jo laughed, smacking her lips at the fruity taste.
Callie managed to stick to her drink of choice after the initial shot, diet coke and rum with lime. She was feeling good, her inhibitions were lowered and she felt like dancing after her third drink. With a lot of convincing, Jo and Callie managed to pull Owen out on the dance floor. After a few songs, a few more from their group ventured to the dance floor and Owen managed to scamper back to the table. Several dances later, it was just the girls on the dance floor when the DJ announced it was time for everyone to take their seats for the first "show". Callie looked at Jo who shrugged before leading Callie back to the table.
"What's this about?" Callie asked, leaning in to ask Graham.
"I told you, they come out to dance a few times a night." Graham replied just as the lights flicked off and several scantily dressed women walked across the top of the bar directly in front of them.
Callie watched with wide eyes as the women started dancing. She knew she should avert her eyes but she was human and they were basically wearing the same thing she and Arizona themselves had worn on the beach, she reasoned with herself. The first bra flew off and landed precisely on Owen's head. The people at their table cheered for Owen but the redheaded surgeon turned beet red. He turned to Callie and mouthed "help" as the dancers climbed off the counters and made their way to the tables throughout the club.
"Jesus." Callie said as a blonde hair blue eyed dancer stepped up onto the table next to them.
"She looks a little like Arizona." Jo said, her phone out as she recorded the dance.
"I heard you were the guest of honor, sugar." The blonde said, climbing off the table and straddling Callie's lap.
"You are very lovely and beautiful and I appreciate what you're trying to do…" Callie said, slipping a fifty into the blonde's g-string for her troubles.
"But?" The blonde asked as she continued her dance.
"I'm happily engaged and my fiance is going to murder both of us if you don't get off my lap."
The blonde stopped dancing and looked at Callie questioningly, "But I was already paid to do this."
"Well, I'm not engaged and I've always wanted a lap dance." Jo exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Is that ok?" The young woman asked Callie.
"By all means." Callie said, holding out her hand toward Jo.
"I want a video of this, Torres." Jo said. Callie shook her head and pulled out her phone to record the scene.
Callie couldn't help but notice the similarities between the blonde stripper and her fiance as Jo enjoyed her lap dance. It made the Latina's stomach hurt thinking about Arizona dancing in a club like this. She suddenly realized these were people's daughters, sisters, mothers, girlfriends and just as quickly as the excitement came, it left.
"Jo, I know you're having fun but this really isn't my thing. Can we go?" Callie asked after the young resident's dance was completed.
"Yea, I've had my fun. Owen you ready?"
"Right behind you guys."
"Hey, where are you going?" Arthur asked, stopping them as they stood to leave once the dance was over.
"We're just going to go back to the hotel and have a few drinks at the bar there. This really isn't our scene." Callie replied.
"Didn't you enjoy the lap dance I bought you? I found the one that looks the most like Arizona's picture." Arthur said, holding his phone up to show Callie he had searched Arizona's name and found a picture of the blonde surgeon.
"No."
"I should have known, you've always been a mood killer. Being a lesbo now doesn't change that." Arthur snarled nastily.
"Hey, watch your mouth." Jo said, stepping between Arthur and Callie.
"Come on Jo, he's not worth it." Callie replied, grabbing Jo by the hand and leading her out of the building where Owen had gone out to hail a taxi. She was fuming though, she should have known Arthur wouldn't let his ego getting bruised go so easily.
"Well that was one hell of a night." Owen said as the three of them squished into the back of a taxi.
"I'm so sorry guys." Callie said.
"Don't be, I had a great time. One thing knocked off of my bucket list." Jo replied with a laugh.
"What's this?" Callie asked as her phone dinged several times.
"I just sent you the videos and pictures I took in case you wanted to remember that blonde." Jo replied with a wink. Callie just shook her head and glared at the resident but she was unphased.
The three ortho surgeons made it back to the hotel where they celebrated with a few beers and a few shots. Owen made sure the two women got back to Callie's room safely as it was closest to the elevator and Jo was much too far gone to walk any further and Callie wasn't far behind her. Making sure his coworkers were safely locked in Callie's room, Owen went to his room down the hall and fell straight into bed. Jo passed out in the middle of Callie's bed the moment she entered the room. Callie shrugged and peeled off her dress, replacing it with a T-shirt before she grabbed a pillow and made her way to the sofa. She was really too long for it but it was better than getting kicked or vomited on if she slept in bed with Jo. She checked her phone but there were no new messages from Arizona even though she usually sent one to let her know she made it home safely.
Hey babe, just wanted to make sure you made it home safely. I'm back in my hotel room ready for bed. Wish you were here. Goodnight -C
Callie fell asleep quickly, phone still in her hand, hoping for a reply from her beautiful fiance. A knock at the door woke her and she was surprised to see it was only a quarter to four in the morning when she looked at her phone still clutched in her hand. There were still no messages from Arizona she noticed with a heavy sigh. The knocking persisted and Jo groaned from her position in the center of the giant bed. Callie got up with a huff, grabbed her robe and opened the door, leaving the chain in place.
"What are you doing here?" Callie asked through the crack as her eyes adjusted, letting her focus on the unwelcome guest.
"I have something to say." Arthur slurred.
"You're drunk."
"Can I come in?"
"No. Jo is sleeping, it's the middle of the night, Arthur. Whatever you have to say will have to wait until morning. Go back to your room."
"I lost my wallet with my room card, I'll just sleep out here if you're not going to let me in."
"Suit yourself." Callie said, attempting to shut the door but Arthur's foot stopped her.
"Callie Torres, I still love you! I never should have cheated on you, I know that now. Arizona is not the one for you, I am, Cal." Arthur shouted loudly. Loud enough for it to echo down the hall and Callie was sure he was going to wake guests but he didn't stop there. He continued with a loud booming voice, switching from confessing his love to describing in detail a very intimate, very private memory and as an older woman down the hall opened her door, Callie undid the chain and pulled Arthur roughly into the room.
"Are you crazy? It is the middle of the night, you're going to wake everyone on this floor." Callie shouted, rounding on him.
"I just couldn't go another minute without telling you how I feel. I messed up, Cal. And you're not gay. Trust me, I know."
"Arthur, you're drunk and I should have told you from the beginning that Arizona is a woman but I am very happy, very much in love, and I am bisexual."
"Trust me, they are in love." Jo said from her position on the bed.
"You need to go." Callie said, pointing toward the door.
"Can I use your phone? I need to call Graham to see if I can sleep on his couch. You still have his number?"
"Yes." Callie said, unlocking her phone and handing it to Arthur with a huff. Arthur stepped out on the balcony to make his call.
"That was some story. Did you really do that?" Jo asked, looking at Callie with curiosity. She knew Callie was strong but she didn't know she was that limber.
"Stop looking at me like that, you're weirding me out." Callie replied. Arthur returned a few moments later and handed Callie back her phone. "Did you get a hold of Graham?"
"No, he must still be asleep."
"Here, take my room key. You can sleep in my room since I stole Callie's bed." Jo said, handing Arthur her key.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Jo." Callie said, not liking the idea of Arthur being alone in Jo's room with all of her belongings.
"It's ok, I'll just crash on one of the couches in the lobby or one of the halls."
"Don't be ridiculous. I'll share the bed with Callie. You can take the couch." Jo suggested. Callie groaned, she didn't like the idea but it was the best option given the current situation.
"Fine. You can sleep on the couch until the front desk opens to give you a replacement key." Callie said.
"Thanks Cal."
"Scoot over Jo. No snoring and no hogging the blankets or the bed."
"As long as you don't spoon me, we have a deal." Jo giggled as she scooted over and let Callie climb in the bed. Three hours later when Callie and Jo woke up, Arthur was gone.
Arizona
"Ok, everyone be quiet, Callie is about to show them her cartilage." Arizona said, shushing the room. She couldn't watch the entire conference in which Callie was most definitely the star but she had been able to get a recording from Jo to watch as Callie wowed them with the cartilage she had grown. It would be past nine in New York already but it was dinner time in Seattle. It was the first real break Arizona had all day aside from the short conversation she squeezed in with Callie not long ago.
"Wow, Torres is seriously a rockstar." Cristina said, in awe.
"She totally is." Arizona said with pride.
"Um Arizona, I'm kind of in love with your fiance." Meredith said with a teasing smile.
"Good thing you're with McDreamy or I might be jealous, Grey."
"Alright people, back to work." The Chief said, breaking up the small group of doctors that had gathered to watch Callie's presentation. Some of them had already been able to see it on the live feed earlier in the day but those who hadn't been able to, Arizona had invited to watch the video Jo had sent with her in the small conference room.
"She did good." Mark said as he and Addie approached Arizona.
"She was awesome, I told her she would be." Arizona replied with a dimpled smile plastered to her face.
"I thought for sure with Arthur there that she would be a bit more nervous but maybe seeing him gave her just the edge she needed." Addie replied nonchalantly.
"Arthur is there? As in Albert Arthur Blake, Callie's ex-fiance?" Mark asked.
"Yea, he's a great orthopedic surgeon and he works at New York Presbyterian." Addie replied with an elbow to Mark's ribs as she noted the look on Arizona's face.
"I never liked him. Too cocky and rich for my taste."
"Oh give me a break, Mark. You had a man crush on him, admit it. He was cocky because he was good and he was quite the looker. You know all of you were jealous of him."
"Ok, maybe a little. Callie did tell you he's there, right?" Mark asked, turning to Arizona.
"Yea, of course she did."
"And you're not upset by that at all?" Addie asked with an arched eyebrow.
"I trust Callie."
"So you are upset." Mark said, an amused smile on his face as he took a bite of his apple. Addie hit him and Arizona rolled her eyes.
"I'd love to sit here and chat with you two about Callie's handsome, talented, loaded ex-fiance that is celebrating her awesomeness with her at this very moment while I'm working but I have to go. I have a meeting about one of my kiddos." Arizona said, waving off Callie's best friends as she made her way back to her floor. She was actually done for the day but now going home to the empty house was the last thing the blonde wanted to do. She pulled her phone out and saw the picture Callie had sent her of the brunette dressed up for dinner in that amazing red dress. A dimpled smile crossed her face and her mood softened.
You look absolutely stunning, Calliope. Have an amazing night celebrating with your friends and when you get home we will have a different kind of celebration. Be safe. Love you -AZ
Having sent the message, Arizona went to her office and spent a few hours on paperwork before gathering up her things for the night. She had surgery in the morning, even though it was technically her day off, and with Lexie being out, she had rotating residents and interns on her service. This week it was Leah Murphy and though the resident wasn't terrible, she spent more time flirting than preparing for surgeries and Arizona's patience was wearing thin with it. Deciding to do one last check on Steven before leaving for the night, Arizona was halfway down the hallway when she heard Joann.
"AAAAAArizoooooona!"
"Joann, we are in the hospital, what has gotten into you?" Arizona asked, whipping around as the woman screamed her name down the hall.
"You're soooo pretty when you're mad." Joann slurred.
"Are you drunk?" Arizona asked.
The blonde surgeon was fuming. They had told Joanie about Steven's prognosis that morning and the little girl had been inconsolable. Stephanie had taken her back to the hotel for the night so it was Joann's night to spend with Steven. Arizona had gotten familiar with their schedules and knew Steven was seldom left alone if it could be helped, the moms alternating between being with Joanie and Steven. Joann had left hours ago to get clean clothes and let her parents visit with Steven alone but Arizona had seen the elder Carters leave before she watched Callie's presentation, meaning Joann should have been back hours ago.
"I just had a smidge to drink." Joann said, holding up a wobbly hand and trying to use her index finger and thumb to show a miniscule amount.
"Oh God, you smell like cigarettes and a brewery. I can't let you go into Steven's room like this Joann."
"Take me to your room then." Joann said, catching Arizona off guard as she caught her by the arm, pulling her close and sucking her earlobe in her mouth, biting it hard between her teeth before the smaller blonde was able to pull away. Joann swayed and Arizona caught her just in time, preventing her from stumbling into the adjacent wall but the blonde's phone crashed to the floor instead, sliding into the wall and smashing the screen.
"Damn it! Callie just replaced that from the accident."
"Oh Azoooona your phone is broke." Joann said, pointing out the obvious.
"Murphy, Pierce, Edwards, come here." Arizona called the resident that was on her service as she passed by with the other two. Joann was now leaning heavily on Arizona, barely able to stand and barely conscious. She had no idea how the woman had even made it to the peds floor on her own in this state.
"What's up?" Leah asked, looking questioningly at Joann.
"Here's the keys to my office, I need you to take Joann to my office and stay with her until I get there, Murphy." Arizona said, handing Leah the keys.
"Uh, ok. Come on Mrs. Carter." Leah said, taking the woman's weight from Arizona.
"Edwards, can you run down to the locker room and grab some clean scrubs and a few towels and then go to the cafeteria and get some bottled water and a large cup of coffee, please?" Arizona asked, handing the resident her credit card. She took off without further questions leaving Arizona with Maggie.
"What can I do?" Maggie asked.
"Can you stay with Steven tonight? I'm not sure whose service you are on or if you're on call but I could use extra help in my surgery with Sloan tomorrow and I can't let Joann in to see Steven like this. I don't want to call his other mom, she's at the hotel with Joanie, she doesn't need to deal with this as well."
"No problem. I am actually not on anyone's service at the moment because Dr. Hunt is gone and Dr. Minnick said she doesn't need my help."
"Thank you so much, Pierce. I will put you on to assist Leah and I tomorrow at nine am if you are available."
"I'll be there."
"Thank you Pierce." Arizona said as she walked her to Steven's room. The teen was sleeping with his headphones on. Arizona hated to wake him so she wrote him a little note and told Maggie to page her if they needed anything. Having Steven settled, she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and made her way to her office.
"Oh thank goodness you're back, Dr. Robbins." Leah said, standing up quickly from the couch where a snoring Joann had been sleeping on her shoulder.
"Sorry Dr. Murphy. I didn't mean to put you in this position but I needed to check on Steven before dealing with this."
"No problem." Leah replied, looking as if she was about to leave when Edwards returned with the items Arizona had asked her to retrieve.
"Are you busy tonight Dr. Murphy?"
"I was just planning to go home and study for the surgery tomorrow."
"Well, I thought maybe you could stay here. I can help you study and I could order us a pizza. I don't think Callie will be too pleased with Joann sleeping in my office. I'm kind of in a bind here. I can't leave her alone in my office where there is access to patient information but I don't want to stay here alone with her either."
"Count me in. As long as I can have pizza and learn about this surgery." Edwards said.
"Shouldn't we call the chief?" Leah asked.
"We could but he's likely to call security or Joann's wife and they've been through enough. She can just sleep it off on my couch and shower in my office in the morning before she goes to see Steven."
"Ok, I'm in." Leah replied.
"Great! I'm going to go grab my text books and some pillows and blankets for us." Edwards replied, leaving the office quickly. She wasn't exactly excited about babysitting a drunk woman; and peds wasn't her field of choice, but she knew Arizona was a brilliant surgeon and she was excited to learn from her.
Arizona ordered pizza to be delivered to her office and then they took turns changing into clean scrubs in her office bathroom. Joann was fast asleep on the couch but Arizona managed to get some aspirin and a bottle of water in her when she had briefly woken up with their pizza delivery. Leah, Stephanie, and Arizona now sat in a corner of the peds surgeon's office with pizza boxes, soda cans, and dirty napkins littering the floor around them. Arizona had pulled up an old VHS of the surgery they would be performing in the morning and the three of them were watching it intently. Stephanie was scribbling notes as fast as she could write while Leah shoveled popcorn in her mouth continuously.
Arizona woke the next morning with a kink in her neck to an odd sound. She was laying on her office floor on a pile of blankets, her head on a stiff hospital pillow and her feet across Stephanie who was still fast asleep between her and Leah. Leah was using the pizza box as a pillow and had somehow turned in the night so her feet were now on Stephanie's pillow. Arizona smirked as she sat up and stretched before remembering why they were all asleep on her office floor. She looked at her watch, it was barely six thirty in the morning but she heard the odd sound again and stood. Over her desk she saw Joann getting sick into the trash can and she thanked her lucky stars that she had remembered to put it there before falling asleep.
"Feeling like crap this morning, I see." Arizona said harshly as she rounded her desk and leaned against it with her arms folded. She fixed Joann with a hard glare.
"How did I get here?"
"Here to my office? Here to the hospital? Here in life? You're going to have to be more specific Joann but based on your behavior last night, I'd say copious amounts of alcohol is the answer to all of those questions."
"You seem mad."
"I am. Your fourteen year old son is dying and instead of having his mom by his bed last night he had a resident because you showed up completely hammered."
"Can you lower your voice, my head is pounding?"
"Dr. Robbins, should we clean up and go start rounds?" Leah asked as she and Stephanie stood.
"I'm sorry I woke you both. Let me run down to the cafeteria quickly and then yes, you can go." Arizona replied. Then she turned to Joann, "You don't go anywhere. You're showering and changing before you step foot in Steven's room."
Arizona needed a moment to cool off so she headed to the cafeteria and bought five cups of coffee and five muffins. She was distracted by her thoughts and nearly toppled the tray with her purchases on it when Addie called her name, startling her. The blonde turned slowly, taking a cleansing breath. This was not a person she wanted to run into at this particular moment.
"Hey Addie, what's up?" Arizona asked, fixing a smile on her face.
"Nothing, I was just heading up to see you. Wow that is a lot of coffee and a lot of muffins."
"I bought them for the residents. We pulled an all nighter prepping for my surgery this morning so I thought I'd offer them coffee and sugar." Arizona replied, not a complete lie. "So what were you coming to see me about so early?"
"I delivered a baby last night with tetralogy of fallot. The cardiologist has seen him and we have tried vasodilators but he's not responding as well as I had hoped. I wanted to wait a few months for surgery but I think he needs it sooner rather than later. Can you come see him today?" Addie asked.
"It's technically my day off, Dr. Phife is on but since I'm here, I suppose I could stop by. I have an issue with one of my patients that I need to tend to and then I have surgery at nine but I can come to the NICU after that. Page me if it becomes more urgent. It will be a few hours before I'm out of surgery and my cell phone is broken."
"Sounds good. I'll walk up with you." Addie said, pushing the button for the fourth floor. Sometimes having Peds, NICU, and Labor and Delivery on the same floor was a blessing and a curse. Today it fell on the curse side of things.
"Thanks for coming up with me, Addie."
"No problem. I'll drop the baby's chart off at your office later so you can review it before you see him if you would like."
"Ok, thanks." Arizona replied. She watched Addie walk away before she opened her office door and walked inside quickly.
"Where's Joann?"
"Shower. We gave her the clean scrubs and towels then we raided the supply closet for some soap, a tooth brush, and shampoo for her." Leah replied.
"Here, take a muffin and a coffee for yourselves and drop one off in Steven's room to Maggie for me. The four of us will be prepping for surgery at eight thirty sharp."
"Yes Dr. Robbins." Stephanie said. The two residents grabbed their coffees and muffins along with one of each for Maggie and quickly left Arizona's office.
"Leave the door open, please." Arizona called, not wanting to be caught in a compromising position behind closed doors with Joann. She didn't trust the woman even a little. Especially after the bruise in the shape of teeth the drunk woman had left on her ear the night before.
"Here, I have those files now. I thought it would be better to drop them off before your surgery." Addie said from the doorway, startling Arizona.
"Thanks Addie."
"Am I interrupting something here?"
"No, not at all." Arizona replied with confusion on her face before realizing Addie was referring to the bedding on the floor and sofa along with the empty pizza boxes and soda cans that were definitely not from one person. Arizona was trying to think of a way to explain her current predicament when the bathroom door opened and Joann stepped out in nothing but a towel.
"Oh." Joann said, in surprise that Addie was in the office and the office door was wide open, something Arizona was glad for given the current situation.
"I see I am interrupting something." Addie said as she turned to leave.
"Addie wait, it's not what you think." Arizona said, stopping the fiery redhead, "Joann, do not abuse my kindness. Get dressed or I will kick you out of here in your towel, do not test me."
"You used to be much more fun." Joann replied before turning and going back in the bathroom.
"Explain." Addie said, her arms crossed over her chest and her normally friendly eyes ablaze with anger. Arizona explained the entire situation to Addie while the redhead stood and listened.
"I was trying to do the right thing, Addie. And Edwards and Murphy were here the whole night. Joann was passed out on the couch and Edwards, Murphy, and I watched an old surgery and then switched to romcoms until we fell asleep on the floor."
"And Joann naked in your shower?"
"I told her to take a shower and brush her teeth before she goes to see Steven. He's dying, I didn't want her going in there looking like she did and smelling like a brewery. I got her some clean scrubs to wear until she can go back to her hotel and change."
"You do realize how this looked."
"I can imagine, yes."
"Luckily I believe you and I trust that you genuinely love Callie and would never cheat on her. Your kindness is going to get you in trouble with this one though."
"Trust me, that is the last nice thing I ever do for Joann. I didn't do it for her though, I did it for my patient."
"I'll hang out here with you until she's gone if you want." Addie said.
"I would really love the company." Arizona said.
She and Addie sat on the sofa together and chatted for a bit before Arizona picked up the two muffins offering the one she had purchased for Joann to Addie. The redhead accepted and when Joann emerged from the bathroom moments later, Arizona simply pointed toward the door. Joann nodded, dropped her dirty clothes, bent to pick them up, and then left Arizona's office with one last look at Arizona.
"Have you spoken to Callie?" Arizona asked. She hadn't spoken to her fiance since their texts the night before. She looked for her phone then and remembered the screen had shattered the night before. She picked it up but nothing but a broken black screen stared back at her.
"I got some weird videos from her phone in the middle of the night but aside from that, no."
"She sent you videos?"
"She didn't send them to you?" Addie asked, not wanting to be the one to explain the content of the videos to the blonde.
"My phone got broken in the altercation with Joann in the hallway." Arizona said, picking up her phone once again and showing it to Addie.
"I think the conference is only in the afternoon today, she probably slept in late this morning but I will text her about your phone if you would like."
"Yes, that would be awesome, Addie. Let her know I will go replace it this afternoon but maybe leave Joann out of it until I can tell her myself."
"Don't worry, I won't say how it got broken or mention Joann but you know you have to tell her."
"Trust me, I plan to. Well, now that my bathroom is free, I need to go get cleaned up and ready for my surgery. Then I am going home and not stepping foot back in this hospital until tomorrow morning."
"Good luck on your surgery. It's with Mark, right?"
"Yea, we have a kiddo we are doing some reconstructive surgery on."
"I am off to deliver babies. If you need a pick-me-up, come round in the nursery later."
"I may just take you up on that offer, Ads. I have to check in on that baby boy in the NICU for you anyway."
Arizona locked her office door behind Addison and made her way to the bathroom. She showered and did a quick version of her normal morning routine. She was grateful that she kept extra clothing in her office now and pulled out a clean tank top, bra, shocks, and underwear to put on with the scrubs she had grabbed the night before. Once she tossed her hair in a low ponytail, she grabbed her scrub cap and deemed herself ready for surgery. After rounding on the patient, checking their labs, and discussing the procedure with the patient and his family once more, Arizona made her way to the surgical floor to find Mark.
"You ready to make some magic happen, Robbins?" Mark asked as Arizona approached him. He was scrubbing out of a surgery he had just finished.
"Edwards, Pierce, and Murphy are bringing him down and prepping him as we speak. I'm still nervous about an elective procedure on a thirteen year old boy."
"The kid has boobs, Robbins. I know it doesn't seem necessary to you but this kid is suffering socially and psychologically."
"I know, that's why I agreed to it. Doesn't mean I have to like it."
The two doctors made their way to their surgical room and scrubbed in together once they noted the patient being wheeled in and anesthesia ready for them. The surgery went off without any complications and Arizona had to admit, she had been worried for nothing, Mark's work was flawless. Arizona's phone went off just as Mark was removing his gloves and leaving the operating room. Arizona was still finishing up on the bandages, something she liked to do herself. Mark grabbed his own phone from the shelf and turned to Robbins.
"Want me to answer that?" He asked.
"You can try but I broke the screen last night."
"You're right, it's dead." Mark replied, jabbing the screen with his finger.
"I'm going to grab a new one on my way home. Callie is going to kill me, she just replaced my phone that was smashed in the car accident."
"No she's going to be worried that you aren't answering her calls." Mark said.
"Well I just have to run up to the NICU and check out one of Addie's kiddos and then I will be heading to the phone store and home."
"Hey, I'll talk to the kid's family. You go check out your patient and then go home and get some rest." Mark said.
"You sure?"
"Yea I was the lead surgeon, everything went perfect, no reason for you to be here any longer than you need to be on your day off. Thanks for doing this surgery with me."
"I actually learned a few things so thanks for that, Mark. Don't work too hard. Do you need me to check in on Lexie for you?"
"I'm sure she would enjoy the company if you don't mind."
"Not at all. Key still in the same place?"
"It is. Thanks Blondie."
After checking in on the baby upstairs and scheduling his surgery for the beginning of next week, pending no further complications, Arizona changed quickly into her extra outfit and grabbed a few case files she wanted to review, shoving them into her briefcase. She made a mental note to bring in a new set of extra clothing before she locked up her office and headed across the street to Mark's apartment. She visited with Lexie for a while, ordering the young intern some soup and salad from the local deli before leaving and heading to the phone store. By the time she walked through the door of her house, it had been over thirty six hours since she set foot in her home and she was a hundred and fifty dollars poorer. Thankfully all she had to pay was the deductible on her phone thanks to the insurance Callie had placed on it. Feeling too restless to relax, Arizona set about cleaning the house, it hadn't had a good deep clean in weeks. Her phone interrupted her as she placed a load of bedding into the washer and she was surprised to see it was after five and dark out. She had been cleaning for three hours straight without realizing it but the house was now sparkling clean and smelled of different cleaning products.
"Dr. Robbins." Arizona answered without checking the caller ID.
"Hey baby, are you at work? I thought you were off today." Callie said into the phone.
"No I'm not at work and yes today was technically my day off but I had that surgery with Mark this morning."
"Oh yea, how did that go?"
"It was good, I actually learned a few things from Mark if you can believe that."
"Wow, it must have been some surgery."
"It was. So tell me all about your presentation."
"It was amazing. It actually went longer than scheduled because so many people had questions and wanted to see things again. It was incredible."
"I'm so proud of you. I told you that you would be awesome."
"You did."
"So did you have fun celebrating last night?" Arizona asked.
"We did. I may have had a few too many drinks but it was fun."
"I'm glad you got to celebrate honey, you deserve to be celebrated and I will have a different kind of celebration waiting for you when you get home."
"Oh yea? Tell me about this celebration."
"Nope, you're going to have to be surprised this time." Arizona teased.
"God I miss you. I held your token in my hand the entire presentation. It helped me be less nervous and feel more confident."
"Well good, that is what I intended for it to do. I miss you too babe. Two more days and you will be home."
"You'll pick me up from the airport?"
"Of course I will. I don't work Sunday but I am on call tomorrow night and Sunday."
"Ok just let me know if you get called in."
The couple talked on the phone for two hours, catching up on random things. Arizona made dinner while they chatted and Callie told her about the New York sights she had visited throughout the week. Several times Callie seemed like she was about to tell Arizona something but stopped herself. The blonde let it go, knowing that Callie would tell her what was on her mind eventually. She trusted Callie though. She had considered telling her about the Joann situation but thought it best to tell her in person. When Callie continued yawning and her words grew thick, Arizona ended their conversation.
"I know you're exhausted, go to bed honey." Arizona said, her tone soft and full of affection as she pictured a sleepy Callie.
"I don't sleep well without you."
"I know the feeling. Two more sleeps and you will be back in our bed."
"I can't wait, I'm getting home sick."
"I love you, Calliope. Go to sleep."
"I love you too baby. Goodnight."
"Night." Arizona said, hanging up the phone and sighing deeply. Speaking to Callie for two hours had done the trick. With her body now fed and her mind at ease, she was ready to relax. She changed into some pajamas, grabbed a blanket and a book and laid down on the couch to read. She was asleep before she finished the first chapter.
The next two days passed quickly. She had been called in in the middle of the night that night, waking up still on the couch as her pager blared. Saturday was full of surgeries and she was on call but left at a decent hour and was home and in bed before ten. She was anxious to pick Callie up at the airport that afternoon as she woke from sleep in their bed and remembered it was Sunday. She tried watching TV, she recleaned the house, attempted reading a book but she was too excited to sit still. Finally, she had less than an hour left before she would have to leave. She was trying on different outfits when her pager sounded and the blonde cursed. She picked it up and cursed again. Callie would be landing in less than an hour and a mass casualty incident involving a school bus full of kids coming home from a weekend camp was involved.
"Nick, I need a favor." Arizona said into her phone as she grabbed her coat, purse, and keys. She knew many of their friends would be unavailable since this was an all hands on deck situation.
"What's up Phoenix?"
"Callie's flight lands in thirty five minutes and I just got paged."
"Say no more. Kacie and I are leaving now."
"Thanks Nick, I owe you."
"I'll remember that. Don't worry, I've got this. Go save babies." Nick said into the phone before hanging up. Arizona sighed and willed the tears that were threatening to fall away.
Arizona entered the house as quietly as possible. She had expected her fiance to be up waiting for her and completely furious but the house was dark as she entered. After making sure everything was locked up and the alarm was set, Arizona made her way upstairs and smiled as she opened the bedroom door to find a sleeping Callie spread across the bed hazardously the way the Latina liked to sleep. She made her way to the bed and carefully tucked a foot hanging over the edge back onto the bed. She noted the brunette had tossed the blankets aside as she slept and her t-shirt had risen up revealing the dark skin of a muscular back and her bare firm bottom that her thong did nothing to cover up. Arizona licked her lips at the thought of touching Callie just then but she had just spent the past fourteen hours in back to back surgeries and she desperately needed a shower first.
Arizona took her time in the shower. It was the first decent shower she had had in nearly a week. Callie had been gone at her conference in New York for eight days so the blonde had no reason to come home between shifts. She had spent many of the nights in oncall rooms and taken a quick shower in her office bathroom with minimal water pressure and lukewarm water on several occasions. Only later in the week had she come home to sleep and shower but even those had been rushed showers and minimal time usually with her sleeping on the couch. She had missed picking Callie up from the airport, something she had been looking forward to but a school bus crash on the way home from a school camp with eighteen kids on board had foiled those plans. The Latina's plane had come in fifteen hours ago and she knew the Latina would have been disappointed when she got off the plane and saw Nick and Kacie there in place of Arizona.
Arizona turned off the shower and reached for her towel with a smirk on her face. Maybe Callie liked her sleep but there was one thing the blonde knew she liked more and it had been a dry spell for them. With that thought, Arizona dropped her towel on the floor and slid into the bed beside Callie. The brunette was laying on her left side facing away from her so she snaked a hand beneath Callie and the mattress, cupping a full naked breast in her hand. The brunette's raised t-shirt gave the blonde easy access to her exposed breast and she smiled at the feel of it in her hand. She placed her other hand on a curvy hip as she leaned into Callie and smelled her hair at the base of her neck. She had missed the brunette more than she cared to admit and now that she was home and back within the blonde's reach, she found herself overwhelmed with the need to touch and feel her. Arizona moved to Callie's neck, placing kisses along her jawline and then stopping to nibble at her ear. Callie moaned softly as the blonde continued fondling her breast even as her mouth was busy marking her neck. She could tell the brunette was still fast asleep by her breathing though and the blonde smiled as she wondered just how far she could take this.
A slender hand moved from a tan hip to the low pantyline. She wasted no time slipping her hand beneath the cotton material and she smiled again as Callie, even in her sleep, moved her legs to give her better access. She played in the neatly kept triangular patch of tight curls for a moment before her hand snaked down further and found a surprising amount of wetness for the sleeping brunette. Arizona smiled knowing she could turn the woman on even in her sleep as she began circling the bundle of nerves that seemed to be waiting for her touch. Callie's butt arched into her and another moan ripped from her but the thickness of it led Arizona to believe that the Latina was still asleep, though probably on the verge of waking up. Arizona placed a kiss on her shoulder and pulled her tighter against her, her hand beneath her sneaking up to barely brush the nipple of the neglected breast even as her other hand continued it's work.
"Arizona." The brunette whimpered in her sleep and Arizona felt her own rush of wetness at the huskiness of the sleepy voice.
"Come for me baby, I missed you." Arizona whispered back. Brown eyes shot open and Arizona saw a moment of confusion pass through them before realization hit the brunette. Strong fingers grasped her thigh as Callie's orgasm hit hard and fast. Arizona held the trembling beauty in her arms while she came undone with a dimpled smile on her face.
"Well, good morning to you too." Callie chuckled as she rolled over. "What was that for?"
"Mmm, I just missed you."
"So much so that you missed picking me up from the airport." Callie replied with an arched eyebrow. It wasn't an accusation per se, she sounded more sad and insecure than mad.
"Calliope, I wanted so badly to pick you up. Trust me, I was disappointed too. A school bus with eighteen kids crashed, it was a mass casualty incident and I am a pediatric surgeon. I had to go in."
"I know. I just missed you. I was really looking forward to seeing your face when I got off that plane."
"Will you let me make it up to you?"
"Depends on how you're going to make it up to me."
"What do you have in mind?" Arizona asked, already nibbling at Callie's ear once again.
"Hmmm, I could think of a few things." Callie replied with a teasing smile.
"I'm listening."
"I don't think you're going to want to do it."
"Oh I think you'll be surprised what I want to do." Arizona said as she gently pushed Callie onto her back and straddled her.
"Hmm, as much as I like where this is going, I'm not referring to sex babe. I told you I don't think it's something you will want to do."
"Calliope, I told you, I want to make it up to you, so let me." Arizona said, her hand trekking back down a soft abdomen only to be stopped just above the short curls she was headed for.
"I told you honey, that's not what I had in mind. You're off this weekend, right?"
"I am." Arizona said, a small pout now on her face since her hand was stopped before reaching its destination.
"Good, don't make plans. You're going to make it up to me this weekend."
"Oh a sexy weekend. Should I pack a suit?"
"It's not that kind of weekend babe."
"What's going on this weekend?"
"Teddy, Addie, you, and I have plans."
"We do?"
"Yep."
"Care to elaborate?"
"Remember you're doing this to make up for leaving me stranded at the airport after not seeing me for eight days."
"I sent Nick to get you, did he not show up?"
"No, he did but he's not as pretty as you and he sure as hell doesn't smell as nice."
"Ok, Callie just tell me."
"Well the four of us are going on a road trip. My mom, Aria, and Barbara are meeting us in Portland for a little wedding dress shopping."
"Portland?"
"Yep."
"As in Oregon?"
"Yep."
"What's wrong with Seattle?"
"Aria has a meeting in Portland and I thought it might be fun for a little getaway."
"Callie…."
"Arizona…" Callie replied. Arizona knew this was not negotiable as soon as she saw the arched eyebrow. She didn't know why it irked her so much. She knew June was approaching fast and she was excited to get married but having this sprung on her was making her feel a little annoyed.
"Why the sudden plans? You could have at least asked me." Arizona said, removing herself from Callie and sitting on the bed beside her with her back against the headboard. Callie sat up too and mimicked Arizona's position.
"I told you it wasn't something you were going to want to do."
"Callie, I do want to do this. I can't wait to marry you. I just don't like having this sprung on me. You made all the plans without even consulting me."
"Did you have plans for the weekend?"
"No, that's not the point."
"That's exactly the point, Arizona. Everyone is available this weekend. You're leaving the country for two weeks, we need to start planning if we're going to be ready by June."
"I know, I just don't know why you couldn't talk to me about it before you made these plans."
"Because you were at work, again."
"Callie, I was on call, I got paged in…." Arizona started but Callie cut her off.
"You're not on call this weekend. The plans have already been made. We're going."
"Fine." Arizona replied, turning and laying facing away from Callie.
"Fine." Callie replied, turning and facing the opposite way.
Arizona didn't know why she felt like Callie had done this for a reason she wasn't saying but her gut told her something was off. Had Callie heard about what happened with Joann? Whenever the brunette felt like things were not on track, she tended to react by holding on tighter. Arizona's mind raced but sleep evaded her. She finally gave up after an hour of worrying about what was causing Callie to suddenly make plans like this without consulting her first. She could feel Callie's eyes on her as she laced up her sneakers and threw a hoodie over her sports bra but neither of them spoke. Arizona considered trying to talk to her fiance but decided she needed to clear her head first so without a word to each other, Arizona set out into the early morning air.