AN : / Here is a chapter a little lighter. I hope you'll enjoy it.
Thanks Jax ;)
« It's been so long since we hung out in bars... » Arizona sighed. « I feel so old... »
« Don't remind me. » April pouted. « I'm a mom now... I'm a single mom with a two year old, who can't get over her ex-husband... »
« Well, that makes two of us... » Arizona pouted too. « So, cheers to that... »
It had been a long time since she came to Joes.
It was Callie's place before hers and she didn't want to intrude, or to see her flirt with Penny Blake, she couldn't watch that.
« It hasn't changed a lot. » She said looking around, as April served them another shot of Tequila. « It's so sad... »
« What's sad? » April frowned.
« It's here I kissed Callie for the first time. Did you know that? In the bathroom...» She replied, a hint of nostalgia in her tone. « And as soon as our lips met, I knew she was the love of my life... »
« Oooooh. » April sadly said, the alcohol showing its effect on both women after their seventh shot.
« Yeah... » Arizona sighed, taking another shot. « And now, she's so far away... But at least we can talk without screaming at each other. We are doing the co parenting thing like grownups. We are respecting each other, and we are trying to give our two little monsters all the love they deserve. »
« I'm proud of you... » April said. « You have come a long way. I wish I could say that about Jackson... »
« You'll get there. » Arizona patted her friend's shoulder, emptying another glass. « Who would have thought that my wife and I would manage to talk normally after everything we've gone through... »
« Ex-wife. » April corrected her.
« What? »
« Ex-wife… Callie is your ex-wife. You said MY wife. » April explained.
« No I didn't. » Arizona retorted.
« Yes you did... » she insisted. « Press the rewind button in your head.
Arizona knitted her brows for a moment and opened her mouth.
« Oh... » The blonde said. « I did... Well, I mean it's just an old habit. I mean she was my wife a very long time ago. It's just silly... »
« Robbins! You're here! » A loud voice made Arizona jump, nearly falling off her stool.
Mark Sloan was walking toward her, surprised to see his friend back in the pub she used to frequent when she was still working at Seattle Grace.
« What are you doing here Mark? » the blonde asked clumsily, her gaze shifty. « And why are you screaming my name? »
Mark smirked as he noticed the two women in front of him were clearly drunk.
« I'm not the one who used to scream your name here. You know in that nasty bathroom... » Mark replied as April gasped.
« What? You told me you kissed her in the bathroom, not that the two of you... » April gasped again.
« The two of them what Kepner? Come on, you can do better than that without saying the S word... Like goose your gander...Tickle your tail feathers...Cut your coconuts, Wall up your wonderland. »
April's cheeks reddened with embarrassment as Arizona stood up to put her hands over Mark's mouth.
The red head excused herself and walked out of the bar to breathe some fresh air.
Mark took her place and looked at Arizona ordering another round of shots.
« You should slow down Robbins... » Mark said, grabbing April's glass which had been filled.
« Mark Sloan I'm in a good place, and you're not my mother. I don't have the kids tonight so I'm... Celebrating... »
« I know you don't have the kids. » Mark smirked. « I was stuck in an OR for five hours with Torres today. »
« Oh... » Arizona replied. « So... You had time to talk? »
« Yes, a lot of time... » Mark smirked again. « And I'm so glad you two finally made up! Its about time! »
« Hey! Slow down! We didn't make up... » Arizona retorted, making a sign to the bartender to get another round. « I realized some stuff, and she figured out some things, and we talked... a lot, and we're on the same page now. There's a lot of things we haven't talked about yet. But at least we are on friendly terms. »
« I know what you said. I know everything... » Mark smirked again. « I know you finally admitted you still love her. »
« Well, so what? I'm not proud of myself Mark. I'd prefer it if she didn't know. I don't want her to feel pity for me... » Arizona sighed. « But now that I've put my feelings out there, I can work on it and move forward. »
« What do you mean move forward? » Mark worried. « Because if it means moving on with someone else, I'm going to stop you right here... »
« No Mark, it's not that... » Arizona said. « I'm not going to move on with some random girl. But I hope one day I'll find someone, even if I'm totally scared and rusty... I mean I just want to try and forget how I feel about Calliope, she doesn't feel the same and I want to be able to see her as a friend, see her as someone I will be able to co parent our kids with. »
« This is bullshit. You know she loves you right? » Mark said.
« I know, well I think she loves me. But like I love you, and the way she loves you. » Arizona sadly smiled.
« Let me be clear... She's in love with you moron. » Mark repeated.
….
One hour later, the two friends walked hesitantly to Seattle Grace.
Callie was about to end her shift and Mark wanted to win the bet he had just made with Arizona.
The two surgeons had drunk a lot of tequila and had been arguing about Callie's feelings for Arizona.
The blonde was sure there was no way her ex-wife could be still in love with her. She had been with so many people since their divorce. It was impossible, totally crazy idea to think she was not over her.
Mark insisted it had been Callie's way of coping with their separation. It was not the healthiest way to mourn a relationship, but as Arizona didn't fight for their marriage and had signed the divorce papers immediately, for the brunette, it was Arizona who didn't love her anymore.
Mark had explained how broken Callie was the night Arizona moved out and she was alone. She was crying for Arizona, asking how she could have lost her wife so quickly without noticing she didn't want her anymore.
It had made Arizona feel sick, because she had been doing the same thing, asking herself the same questions.
The bitterness, the grief and all the anger had made them totally forget what was really important, and what they were to each other.
« You'll see, I'm going to ask her, and then you'll owe me 500 bucks! » Arizona mumbled.
« You'll ask her? No, you'll stay away, and I'll ask her. If she sees you she's going to freak out and she's gonna lie! » Mark said.
« No way. » Arizona mumbled. The two of them were about to enter the hospital and literally bumped into Callie.
« Oh my god, what are you doing here? » The ortho surgeon said, knowing exactly what the two surgeons had been doing, they clearly weren't in a sober state.
« We were at Joes. » Mark said. « Well, she was with Kepner, and then they were talking about the stuff you did in the bathroom when you were married... »
Mark began to laugh hysterically, remembering how uncomfortable April was.
Callie looked at him with a confused expression.
« And you, you are drunk too? » She asked Arizona who was trying her best to stay on her feet.
« I think I'm more drunk than him ». She confessed. « But be nice to him. He's a good friend. »
Callie's face softened. Arizona was right, Mark had always been amazing, when they were going through their messy divorce she didn't know what she would have done without him.
He had never picked sides and had always been there for both of them.
« I know... » Callie said as Mark was standing there laughing alone. « I'm going to call a cab for you, okay? »
« No! » Arizona suddenly said as she approached Callie. « No! You aren't going to do that. »
Callie sighed. She just wanted to go home and sleep. Her shift had been hard and long and she didn't want to waste time with two drunken surgeons.
« Arizona, you have to go home, and so does he. » Callie said. « So, let's call a cab, okay? »
« I... yes you are right. But I have some things to ask you... » Arizona replied, the alcohol talking for her. « I need to know if something Mark told me is right? »
Callie sighed, annoyed.
« I don't want to hear whatever stupid stories Mark Sloan has told you Arizona. » Callie warned. « I'm exhausted, the kid's babysitter is waiting for me and... »
« Mark said you love me... He told me that you love me Calliope. I think it's stupid. But Mark Sloan told me you were still in love with me... »
Callie gulped. Her head was suddenly spinning, she looked at Mark, but he was still laughing to himself.
« So, I need to know Calliope. I need to know if you are in love with me or not, because me, I love you so much, it hurts. So, tell me, are you in love with your ex-wife? »