A/N: The title of the last chapter is a song by KT Tunstall. Besides the fact that I think she makes great music, she also wrote the song 'Universe & U' that was sung by Callie and Arizona in the musical episode.
Chapter 9: Radioactive
From the moment Arizona had left Callie, she had been sucked right back into work. While on her way back into the city, she had gotten a call. Another dead body had been found and she was now making her way to the new crime scene. She had groaned at hearing the news and knew deep down it was all connected. She appreciated how Callie had given her a thorough reaction, discussing several options with her. But Arizona had known from the beginning that it had been a vampire problem. Her instincts had told her so.
When she arrived at the crime scene, it was already taped off and Pete O'Donnell was guarding the entrance to the house.
"Hey Pete," Arizona greeted her old co-worker with a bright and earnest smile.
"Arizona," Pete replied with just as bright a smile. "Fashionably late already, I see," he winked at Arizona to indicate he was joking. "You're not letting this promotion get to your head, are you?" He teased.
She playfully punched his arm. "I was on the other side of the city when I got the call." Even though he was just teasing, she still felt the need to defend herself.
Even standing outside of the quaint townhouse, Arizona could feel the fog of dread tainting the crisp Seattle morning. She removed her sunglasses and stepped inside the house, her stomach clenching slightly at the grim atmosphere of the scene. In the middle of the living room, she found the dead and naked body of another young woman.
Miranda Bailey, the Medical examiner Arizona regularly worked with, was bending over the body. The smaller woman shook her head while gently moving her gloved fingers through the dead woman's lush blonde hair. "Such a shame," she looked up at Arizona and flashed her an all-knowing look.
"Hi Miranda," Arizona greeted her with a warm smile. "What's the verdict?"
"My guess would be hypovolemic shock," Miranda said with a shrug as she pointed at the two puncture wounds in the dead woman's jugular. "But you know I don't guess. I'll have to get her back to the morgue."
Arizona pressed her lips together and nodded. "Another one?"
The dark woman got up and nodded as she took her gloves off. "I'm afraid so. This one is more like the recent case, but still looks like the same M.O. I'm just wondering why these new victims have blood left in their bodies while the others were completely drained. It baffles me."
"Still sticking to Renfield's?" Arizona asked her co-worker.
Miranda nodded confidently. "One is an anomaly, two a coincidence, but this is number five, this is a pattern." The woman might be small, but it did not impact the great presence she had when she stepped into a room. Despite her size, it was impossible to ignore the confident ME.
"What do you make of the change in MO?" Arizona's brows furrowed as she thought out loud, wondering what Miranda's input would be.
"This perp is evolving," Miranda started. "Or devolving, depending on how you look at it." She shrugged before sending Arizona an all-knowing look. "But that's off the record, you know I don't speculate."
Arizona knew better and flashed the ME a warm smile. "Your secret is safe with me, Miranda."
Both of their heads shot up as a loud thump disturbed the silence. Arizona looked towards the back door of the house, just in time to see a form rushing away from the house. Her hand automatically went to her hip, cradling the gun in her holster. "Tell O'Donnell to go around the block," she said before taking off through the back door.
The form had quite the head start on her, but Arizona felt light on her feet. He, or she, jumped over the fence with ease after using a misplaced chair and Arizona wondered how she was going to get over it. She was not as tall, nor had she ever tried free running. She surprised herself as she used the same chair and lunged over the tall fence with ease, landing on both her feet like a cat. She was not stiff by any means, but this agility surprised her.
She took off in the direction of the form, realizing she was gaining terrain on the person she was chasing. "Seattle PD," she shouted. "Stop right there!"
The person stopped for a second and turned back to look at Arizona. It was a woman. Long black hair stuck out from under the hood of her sweater and as their eyes connected, Arizona saw a flicker of doubt in them. It was a mere second though, and as Arizona kept closing in, the woman turned on her heels and sped off.
"Stop!" Arizona shouted, shaking her head at having to chase the woman further. She hoped O'Donnell would show up soon to help her. This woman was fast. Something about the look in the woman's eye had piqued Arizona's interest and she now wanted to catch up to her even more. She kept running and noticed she was closing in fast. She was actually faster than the woman she was chasing. By far.
The woman suddenly made a sharp turn into a park and Arizona barely managed to slow down enough to follow suit. She quickly inspected her surroundings and felt, more than saw, that the park was deserted. It was a sunny Sunday morning, but it had rained most of the night, the park was covered in puddles and the playground was fenced off due to remodeling. The woman in front of her had not stopped running, but still, Arizona was getting so close she could almost catch her. Getting a little impatient, Arizona pushed off and lunged at the stranger in front of her, tackling them both to the ground with a loud oomph.
"Fuck," the woman groaned as Arizona sat up, her knees on both sides of the slender woman, and grabbed her wrists behind her back.
"Seattle PD, you are under arrest for trespassing on a crime scene," she informed the woman sternly. She was not nearly out of breath as she had expected to be and was slightly proud of that fact. "Do you have any weapons on you?" She asked while she got up and hauled the woman up on her feet with ease.
The woman shook her head.
Arizona pushed the hood back, revealing a thick, shiny head of hair, haphazardly pulled into a long ponytail. The dark-haired woman squinted her eyes in the sunlight and muttered something under her breath. "ID?" Arizona asked, already knowing the answer.
The woman shook her head again.
Just then Arizona noticed O'Donnell had pulled up to the park's parking lot. "Our ride is here," she said with a sweet smile, enjoying that she had caught this person like she had. She pushed her towards the car while she read the woman her Miranda rights. She then proceeded to push her into the backseat before getting into the passenger's seat.
"Damn, Robbins," O'Donnell said, flashing her an all-knowing look.
The ride to the precinct was quiet and Arizona felt a familiar tension in her stomach. She was excited. She was getting closer to the truth and she had an inkling this woman had something to do with it. She hoped getting information out of her would be as easy as it had been to catch her in the first place.
About twenty minutes later, Arizona slid a paper cup of water over to the silent woman on the other side of the table. She had removed the cuffs and was looking at her intently. "So…" she started. The woman had been booked and her identity had been verified. Arizona made a bit of a show going over the file folder she was holding in her hand as if she was reading about her suspect's deepest darkest secrets. "Elena Mendoza…" Arizona was more than ready for this conversation.
"Lawyer," the woman said simply, her stare hard and unyielding.
Arizona inwardly rolled her eyes and sighed. Somehow she knew it was not going to be easy. "Alright," she said as if she was not fazed in the least.
She had left the woman in the interrogation room, giving her time and space to call a lawyer, and made use of the spare time to get herself a little break and a cup of coffee. After putting the file away and checking her inbox, she made her way into the break room. Pete joined her at the coffee machine. "Wow, Robbins," he said while sliding his cup next to the one Arizona was filling for herself. "Or should I say 'Gump'?" He teased. "I didn't know your promotion also came with a personal trainer. I almost had to put in an effort to keep up with you."
Arizona chuckled and shook her head while filling Pete's cup as well. They had chased their fair share of people while working together and Pete had always been the faster and stronger one. She just shrugged. "I want to crack this case."
"I can see that," he replied, "I have never seen you run that fast though….." Whatever he wanted to say next died on his lips and his eyes fixated on something behind Arizona. His lips formed a perfect circle before he puffed out a surprised 'oh'.
She pressed her lips together, hard, and closed her eyes for a second. Arizona did not need to turn around to see what had surprised Pete. She already knew.
"Well, damn," Pete continued. "This is going to be interesting."
Her coffee all forgotten, Arizona turned around to see Callie walking towards the interrogation rooms with an air like she owned the place. Interesting was an understatement. This was going to be hell. Callie was dressed to the nines and, as usual, perfectly groomed. There was no sign of her earlier compromised state, even though Arizona knew that technically some of the effects could not have waned off yet. She unconsciously bit her lip as her eyes secretly roamed over Callie's body and down her long, elegant legs. For a second, she let herself bask in the memory of those legs wrapped around her in the heat of passion. But just for a second. She needed to break this case, she wanted to find the truth and Calliope Torres was not getting in the way of that, no matter how delectable the woman was.
This brought her to the second mystery. How the hell did someone like Elena Mendoza have Calliope Torres on speed dial? It had been a mere twenty minutes since Arizona had left to give the dark-haired woman the privacy for a call. Callie was not known to work for the little guy and certainly not for being available at a whim. And Callie was a corporate lawyer, not a criminal defense attorney. Yes, she represented people in court, like most lawyers could not. But she only did that in white collar cases.
And also, this was going to be a problem. A big problem.
"Good luck with that," Pete said, stressing his last word as he pointed his finger toward Callie. He did not know about Arizona's recent escapades that involved Callie, but he did know about her obsession with the woman while she was investigating her. He had experienced the elusive Callie Torres firsthand and knew all too well that getting any information from their suspect was going to be next to impossible.
Arizona let out a long breath as her hand hovered over the doorknob. Elena had been given ample time to confer with her lawyer and Arizona was about as ready to face the music as she would ever be. She had spent a good few minutes forcing all her not-so-business-like thoughts about Callie to the back of her mind by recounting the facts of the case. The manila folder in her hand was slightly shaking and she forced her hand to still. She needed her human side to calm down.
It was not only the attraction she was going to have to ignore. It was also the dread she felt. This situation right here was proof of why Callie and her could never work. Less than twenty-four hours after she had decided to give it a go and let the other woman in, she was being punished for it. As good as it had felt at the time, she had always known it was a bad idea. Arizona shook her head as if physically trying to clear her mind before opening the door.
With confidence Arizona entered the interrogation room, closing the door behind her. "Miss Torres," she acknowledged the object of her affection coolly.
If Callie was shocked, she did not show it. Her posture was all business, no trace left of the party girl Arizona had encountered earlier this morning. "Detective Robbins." Callie's voice was just as cool as hers but the by now familiar warmth in her dark brown eyes was burning a hole in Arizona's soul.
Arizona swallowed and sat down. "So, Ms. Mendoza," she started. "Would you care to explain what you were doing at my crime scene this morning?"
Lena looked at Callie, who gave her a gentle nod. Arizona noticed the lawyer look at Lena with almost the same kind of warmth as she had just experienced. So, they probably knew each other? Was Elena a friend? A vampire friend? Was Callie protecting her? And why?
"I was out for a run and heard the commotion," the woman replied flatly. "I went to check it out. When I noticed you cops there, I realized I wasn't supposed to be there so I left."
"You ran," Arizona corrected her.
"Because you chased me like a…." Elena stopped mid-sentence when she felt Callie's hand on her arm and looked at her. Callie did not say a word, she just shook her head at the woman.
"Somehow I don't think that's the full story," Arizona said calmly. "If you didn't do anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about. But…" she paused, making her words sound even more ominous without changing the pitch of her voice. "Withholding information could be seen as obstruction of justice," she added.
Callie cleared her throat and glared at Arizona. "I believe psychological coercion is against the law, Detective Robbins," she said calmly. Although, was there a gleam of amusement in Callie's eyes? "You are not lying to my client, are you?"
Crap. It had come so naturally and usually, people actually talked when she said those words. It was far from coercion, but leave it to Callie to make it sound like Arizona was crossing boundaries here.
"I just got curious, okay? As soon as I figured out I was trespassing, I left," Elena said. It was obvious she was pretty willing to say whatever she needed to say to get out of this situation. It sparked some hope in Arizona.
"Trespassing is a misdemeanor," Arizona stated. "You could end up in jail for this. I doubt that's worth any kind of curiosity."
Callie huffed and put her hand on Elena's arm, stopping her from speaking further. "Does this mean you are going to charge my client?" She asked.
"I don't see another option if I don't get more information," Arizona answered. "What were you doing there in the first place?" Maybe using a different route would get her some information.
Elena leaned in and whispered something in Callie's ear. Right now, Arizona cursed the fact that Callie's presence seriously affected her abilities and she could not read people as well as she usually could. Elena had seemed pretty innocent and had shown no malice, but Arizona still felt there was a story there. Something that could help her case along.
Callie looked at Elena for a moment and then shook her head again. "Are we free to leave?"
Her question made Arizona's heart sink into her shoes. She had so hoped to get information to further her case. She had not really had the intention of charging Elena with anything, it would probably not stick since the woman was right. She had been so quick in chasing her that somehow she understood the woman ran. Plus, the backyard of the crime scene had not been taped off as well as the front had been. It had not been that obvious she was trespassing in the first place.
"Yes," Arizona answered, sounding a little deflated.
Callie got up and motioned for Elena to follow. "Then I think we are done here," she said to Arizona before she got her leather bag and walked out of the room.
###
"What the hell, Lena?" Callie said angrily once she steered her car away from the police station. "Is this what you call laying low?"
"Wasn't that the same human that saved your father?" Lena asked, ignoring Callie's question. "The world can be a small place, funny," she added, her voice sounding slightly amused.
"Lena! I barely had any sleep, don't test me." Callie had to seriously control her anger right now. She had been pissed off, to begin with, having to save Lena from a silly little charge. But it was a million times worse now she knew it was linked to the case Arizona was investigating.
"Right, sorry," the black-haired woman said ruefully.
"What the fuck were you thinking?"
Lena bit her lip and looked away from Callie in shame. "I was just trying to help," she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest defensively.
"You were not supposed to be there in the first place," Callie started. She knew full well her anger was not only directed at Lena. The woman really was just trying to help. She could not have known Arizona was investigating the case. She knew her anger was more directed at the Universe for once again putting her and Arizona in each other's paths. In a bad way. It was like she was being told over and over that whatever this was between Arizona and her, it would not end well. They lived in different worlds. Even their jobs were on opposite sides of the law and it could become a serious conflict of interest, even though Callie usually did not operate within criminal law.
"I found the address scribbled on a note on Oscar's fridge," Lena said. "I went to check it out to see if it was anything I could pass on to you. I didn't know I was going to find a crime scene. Or that I was trespassing," she huffed. "When I realized I turned on my heels but this woman….Jeeze, she chased me like a bat out of hell."
She snorted and pushed on the inside of her cheek with her tongue to stop herself from speaking out loud. If only Lena knew. Callie took a deep breath, pushing the thoughts of Arizona out of her mind for now. "You need to be more careful," she said. "I can fix this for you, but you might not be so lucky the next time."
Lena grinned. "You had that Detective by the balls," she said triumphantly. "The proverbial ones, of course," she added with a wink.
"Arizona…." Callie swallowed and quickly corrected herself. "Detective Robbins is a good cop."
"Arizona, huh?" Lena had been studying Callie, her lips curling into a smirk. "So she is the one that saved your father."
Callie stopped the car in front of Lena's house and looked over at her. "She is, but she is also investigating the murders. You need to lay low and stay out of trouble. You were getting very close to be caught." The way Callie stressed the last word of her sentence made it clear she did not only mean trespassing. She also meant Lena's being a vampire that had almost been outed to the world.
"I let her arrest me without resisting," Lena replied in defense. "I could have easily fought her off, but I didn't. I knew you'd get me out."
"You shouldn't have gotten caught in the first place."
"I know, I know," Lena paused. "I'll be more careful."
"You better," Callie said, her anger had ebbed away and she was flashing her friend a worried look. "Stay safe, Lena. Don't do anything stupid."
Lena nodded and leaned in to press a kiss on Callie's cheek. "Thank you," she said softly before getting out of the car.
Once the other woman was out of view, Callie drove off, gripping the steering wheel tightly. The shit was very close to hitting the fan and things were getting more complicated by the second. She was going to have to come clean to Arizona about Lena. The blonde was like a Pitbull, she was not going to let this go. But if she did tell Arizona, she would force her to withhold even more information. Her body almost literally shuddered at the idea of having to make Arizona break yet another rule.
She sat in her driveway for a good five minutes, staring at her phone. Callie was feeling incredibly conflicted. She usually was not hung up on making the right decisions. Callie was the type of person who made a decision and then made it right. She could help Arizona along by telling her the truth, telling her about Lena. But that also meant breaking every rule in the book. She could not just 'out' Lena as a vampire. She also realized that if she was not going to break any rules, Arizona would be the one having to do that. She could not win either way and it sucked.
###
After watching Callie and Elena leave, Arizona rushed into her cramped little office and sat on her creaky chair with a huff. Elena had seemed like she had wanted to talk, Arizona felt it. But Callie shut it all down as any good attorney would. It made her think of Callie telling her to do her job less good and them both agreeing that was not a possibility. Callie was damn good at her job, unfortunately that did mean Arizona had hit another dead end in her case. Of course, she could not expect Callie to do her job less good because they were intimate. But still, she felt disappointed that it had been Callie that had stopped her from finding out more.
The fact remained, that Arizona had gained some intel today. Elena Mendoza had Callie on speed dial, which meant they knew each other. It would not be the furthest stretch to deduce that maybe Elena was also a vampire and was checking out the crime scene. It was all a little too coincidental to be a coincidence. She usually was not one to guess, but this was a fairly educated guess and she had nothing else to go on.
So assuming Elena was a vampire, that probably meant the perpetrator was a vampire. Callie's friend did not feel like the perpetrator to her, so Arizona removed that option from her mental list. Maybe she was sent by Carlos Torres to investigate since vampires handled their own. Or perhaps she was part of that underground group Callie had told her about and she was sent to figure out just how much the police knew. No, not that last bit. The woman had not asked anything or offered any information to find out how much Arizona knew. If it had been a fishing expedition, they had sent the wrong person for the job.
Arizona's mind was reeling and a dull headache started forming. This case was getting starting to get more and more complicated, it was getting nasty. It was bad enough that she had secretly consulted Callie on this case, now she was also involved as an attorney. She had given inside information to the attorney of one of the suspects in her case. Calling that all kinds of wrong was putting it mildly. She shook her head and pressed her lips together. Callie should have sent a co-worker, this was clearly a conflict of interest. But on the other hand, that would have caused suspicion, which in turn would attract unwanted attention to both Arizona and her. God, this was complicated.
Arizona gently massaged her temples and blew out an exasperated sigh when her phone buzzed. Speaking of the devil. It was a text message from Callie.
When will you be home?
The words themselves made Arizona's stomach twitch in excitement, but after what had happened today it was unlikely this was a social call. They both needed to do some damage control and they both needed to keep their libido in check. A task that she never thought would be so hard to do.
For a short moment, anger flared within her. She had changed in the past few weeks, so much so that she sometimes barely recognized herself. Her life was no longer only about work and keeping the city safe had taken on a whole different meaning. A sarcastic chuckle left her throat at the thought that murderers and drug lords were the city's biggest adversaries. She had been so naïve. The changes of the past few weeks had also brought a new worldview and a lightness. It had been a long time since Arizona had truly enjoyed herself, even with all the things going on right now.
She could not blame this on Callie, but the woman did seem to be at the center of this change. How was it that for all those years, they had never crossed paths? And now, all of a sudden, the woman was everywhere. So much so that Callie Torres was even haunting her dreams. And Arizona was letting her.
Arizona suddenly remembered the conversation she had with Carlos Torres. The old man saying that 'a little wrong can lead to a better right'. Well, if indulging in her magnetic pull to Callie Torres had been 'a little wrong', it had not led her to anything right yet. She had to admit that it had led to finding and rescuing Carlos, but that 'better right' had opened up a can of worms of epic proportions. That could not have been what Carlos meant. That or someone upstairs was playing a cruel joke on her, a test of willpower maybe?
How could she just accept all this for what it was and move on with her life like nothing had happened? She imagined how she would explain this whole situation to an outsider and shook her head. Even she would laugh at the person telling her this story. Letting Callie Torres into her life was a mistake. A lovely mistake, but a foolish one. Whoever said 'if it feels good, do it' did not think about the consequences of that action.
Her phone buzzing again woke her up from her reverie.
It's important.
"No shit, Sherlock," Arizona mumbled. She might not have been so angry anymore, but that did not mean she was completely at peace with the whole situation. How would it look if the lawyer that had just shown up to her work would be waiting for her at home not hours later? How was she going to explain that she was friendly with one of the subjects of the investigation she had been promoted for? She chuckled at her own thoughts. Right….friendly….She chastised the little voice in her head with a roll of her eyes. When had she become so cynical?
With a sigh, she responded that her shift would end in two and a half hours and she would be home in three. At least it would give her some time to prepare for this meeting.
Three hours later on the dot, Arizona arrived at her house. In a curious case of déjà vu, she found Callie's car in her driveway and the enigmatic woman casually leaning against it. The difference was that the dark-haired woman looked a lot less smug than the last time she had stood there. Even though Arizona could still feel Callie's power, it was a lot duller than before. Probably because the drugs had worn off.
"Hey." Callie's voice was a little flat, but her eyes were sending Arizona that warm look again. She felt the look in the pit of her stomach, causing warmth to spread throughout her body.
"Hey," Arizona replied, trying not to melt under Callie's gaze. She walked towards the front door, Callie following on her heel. She needed to focus right now, the conversation they were about to have was important.
Without saying another word, they both entered the house. Callie watched as Arizona took off her coat and hung it before following suit. The air between them was like a thick, awkward fog as if they were both walking on eggshells not to set the other person off.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Arizona needed to break the silence. Awkward had never been their thing and it was making her feel uneasy.
"No, thanks," Callie declined politely. "I think we need to talk."
How very lawyer-y of Callie, getting cutting right to the chase. "I think so too," Arizona said, her eyes finally daring to actually meet Callie's. There was a worried look in those big, brown eyes and it gave her a sense of impending doom. "We have a problem."
Callie sighed and nodded. "We do."
Arizona sat down on the sofa and pressed her lips together. "This case…."
"Is messed up," Callie finished the sentence. She did not know where to even begin. She had decided that this time, she was going to be the one to break the rules. She would tell Arizona what she needed to know, simply because she wanted to protect the woman. Even though she had made her decision, it was making her feel sick to her stomach. Not only was she breaking vampire laws, but she was also breaking her oath.
"It's not Renfield's, is it?" Arizona asked Callie.
Callie shook her head. "I….I don't know exactly who is doing it, but I think I know where to look."
"Elena?"
The dark-haired woman's head shot up, her look angry, brows furrowed. "No, Lena would never do something like that!"
"I meant…." Arizona started, but she was stopped by Callie holding up her hand.
"Arizona….." she shook her head. It was no use to tell her that Arizona could not ask her those kinds of questions. The non-answer was already an answer. "Lena is a friend of mine," she explained. "She is helping me help you. You were chasing the wrong person."
Even though Callie's words were vague, she was certainly providing Arizona with the information she needed. She hoped the blonde would appreciate it and realize she needed to leave it alone for a little bit longer so Callie could help her solve this case.
"Committing a crime is not really helping me," Arizona challenged, flashing Callie a steely-eyed look.
She fought the urge to roll her eyes and was getting slightly frustrated. "She was hardly committing a crime, Arizona. You jumped the gun on that one." Callie had not been there, but she trusted Lena had told her the truth. Trespassing was only trespassing if it was a conscious act. Lena did not know she was trespassing and once she figured it out, she left.
"You weren't there," Arizona's tone was starting to match the cold look in her eyes.
Callie sighed softly, the words cut through her like a knife. "We shouldn't even be talking about this."
"You shouldn't even have been there this morning," Arizona said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Conflict of interest?"
She got up from the sofa, holding her hands up in defeat. "I didn't know it was your case until I got there." She had to remove herself from Arizona, she could no longer handle the icy energy the blonde was sending her way. Could Arizona really not separate work from her private life? Did she really not trust Callie to make the right decision here? And why was she acting all defensive like she had done something wrong? She had not done anything wrong, she was just doing her job. When she realized she had started pacing, she stopped dead in her tracks and held her hand up again. "No," she said firmly as if trying to stop her own train of thought. "I don't have to defend myself. You should know better," Callie flashed Arizona an intense look. "You know better, Arizona."
Arizona's eyes looked up at Callie and at seeing her defensive stance, something in her eyes softened and she sighed. "I'm sorry," she said softly.
Callie closed her eyes and sighed. She pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to will away the headache that had formed right behind her eyes. It felt like someone was stabbing her in the eyeballs with an ice pick.
"This isn't going to work." Arizona's voice was barely there this time, but she might as well have screamed the words at Callie. The impact was visible as Callie's body almost recoiled at hearing the words.
Her eyes shot open and gazed at Arizona in shock. She felt tears welling up, but she forced them down. Right now, her training to hide her emotions was coming in quite handy. "What isn't?" She asked. She knew the answer and chastised herself for being so masochistic she needed Arizona to spell it all out for her.
"This," Arizona said as she waved her finger between the two of them. "I can't keep breaking the rules for you, not when I'm….." her voice trailed off. She had been about to say 'not when I'm not getting anything back'. Had her grandmother really been that right? Was Callie only taking from her? It felt like it. She was in her high tower, doing whatever she pleased and Arizona was the one constantly dealing with the consequences.
Callie's brows furrowed and the warmth in her look was replaced by a blank stare. Arizona could almost literally see the switch in the other woman as her words cut into her. She had already figured out Callie was not the simple socialite who did not give a shit about anything that did not concern her directly, but still, the look surprised her. What also surprised her was how fast the look changed again. Callie blinked slowly and took a deep breath before looking at Arizona once more. The warmth had returned and Arizona could feel it slowly melting her heart.
"So that's what it's going to be like?" Callie asked. She sounded flat, almost defeated. Her eyes bore into Arizona, searching for something she desperately wanted to find in there. "One little hiccup and you run?" Her arms were tightly crossed in front of her chest as if putting up a shield to protect her from the pain Arizona's words were causing.
"One?" Arizona asked, her tone foreign, unlike anything Callie had heard from the blonde. "This is not some fun project," she continued, her gaze avoiding Callie's, focused on a spot on the wall. "This is not some 'prove the whole world they are wrong' thing," she added, her fingers air quoting part of the sentence. "This is real life, these are both our careers…" her voice softened. "There are real feelings involved."
Callie sat back down next to Arizona and gently put her hand on the other woman's thigh. Her voice was gentle. Once again, Callie had surprised Arizona. Her demeanor had changed so fast that Arizona wondered if it was Callie's real feelings that wanted to show, but she tried in vain to hide them. "You think this is some sort of game to me?" She asked quietly, disappointment etched on her face. Arizona was not the only one breaking rules here. Callie had broken a whole bunch as well. "Arizona…" she gently squeezed Arizona's thigh, trying to get the blonde to look at her. "I don't just go around telling people I like them, nor do I invite them to my house or even cook for them. This…thing…between you and me…it's not a game to me at all." She paused and bit her lip. "I know it seems we have the Universe working against us, but it's up to us to decide how we deal with that."
It was fairly obvious Callie was a lawyer, she certainly had her captivating speeches at the ready. And as much as Arizona disliked it, they always seemed to work on her. Callie's hand was burning through Arizona's slacks and it was almost like the warmth Callie's body emanated was hugging Arizona, making her anger disappear like snow for the sun.
"You've said it before, that you don't think this will work. I am not going to try and change your mind. But…." She ever so gently traced the tip of her finger over Arizona's jaw. "I am not ready to give up on this, whatever this is."
Callie's touch was so gentle and yet it set Arizona's body on fire. She had to stop herself from moaning as Callie's finger all but ghosted over her skin. God, she wanted her and it almost made her forget she was angry. That there were so many problems they would have to face.
Arizona pressed her lips together and finally dared to look at Callie. Her dark brown eyes were rich and soft, it reminded Arizona of velvety chocolate and the look in them made her feel like the most special thing in the world. "Calliope," her voice was more like a throaty whisper.
They gazed at each other for a moment, the air between them becoming heavy and dense, making Arizona feel like she was underwater. The effect Callie had on her was undeniable, just like the problems that seemed to arise whenever they were together. Was it weighing up against each other? No. But could she really decide on whether or not she would give this a chance by way of a mathematical equation? It would be so simple to just lean in and….no, she could not let her desire for Callie cloud her judgment.
After a few seconds of thought, she was ready to give in to the pull she felt towards the other woman and Arizona felt herself lean in to move into Callie's space. But instead of feeling her warmth, she felt Callie slide back on the sofa. "Arizona.." a soft sigh escaped the dark-haired woman's lips and she shot Arizona an apologetic look. "As much as I want that," she started, not wanting to let Arizona down. "I don't think we should go there before we've talked this out." A small smirk appeared on her face. "We already know we are good at that part," she added with a wink. "I need you to use your words."
All day every day, Callie spent around smooth talkers, people that had their story ready before she even asked a question. She herself spent all day talking, pleading, making people see things her way. It would be so easy to convince Arizona she was worthy of the blonde's time. But she was not going to. She wanted Arizona to figure that out on her own. She needed Arizona to want to be with her as much as she wanted to be with Arizona. That realization alone scared the shit out of her. Her wanting this, voluntarily diving into a discussion about their compatibility, not running the second things were less fun, was new. It was undiscovered terrain and she hardly recognized herself. Or maybe she was only now discovering who she really was and had been hiding behind a mask of superficiality to avoid having to be vulnerable. And she sure felt vulnerable right now.
This was not the first time she had opened up to Arizona. And for some reason, she did it without even realizing it. It was almost like she wanted the other woman to hurt her deeply or something. The longer Arizona took to speak up, the more nervous Callie got. She was about to start fidgeting when Arizona spoke up. "You scare me."
"Okay," Callie was not sure what to do with that information, but she understood. Arizona scared the shit out of her too. At least Arizona was talking, but she did not know if that was a good or a bad thing. "Why?"
"You keep saying that losing control for a little bit is a good thing," the blonde continued. And oh, how it was. "But whenever I let go a little with you…." How was she going to tell Callie that it terrified her how much she lost herself in the other woman? How was she going to say she was terrified of what that meant for her. Now and in the future.
"Well," a dazzling smile graced Callie's lips. "We are quite phenomenal in some areas." There was no secret in what she meant and her words caused a pink blush to creep up Arizona's cheeks. "Sorry," Callie quickly added, she simply had not been able to resist this comment. "Please continue."
"It just seems that whenever we are in the same space, problems arise," Arizona sighed. "Up until now it mostly worked itself out. But it might not in the future. We could both really get in trouble. I could get in trouble. You were high this morning," she said, stating her point. "That alone is a problem. Because you looked so…" she paused for a moment and unconsciously licked her bottom lick as she thought about the way Callie looked when she came out of the club this morning. "God, Callie, you were going to get in your car and drive home. What if you had been pulled over?"
"I had you to rescue me, didn't I?" The second the words came out of her mouth, Callie regretted them. Arizona was finally speaking up and she had to go and joke around. Really? She inwardly rolled her eyes at herself. Why was she doing this? Why was she constantly trying to undermine Arizona with jokes? Was she really that scared of the outcome of this conversation?
"I shouldn't have to do that." Arizona was close to going back into her angry state but managed to force her anger down. As difficult as it was, she wanted to talk to Callie. Hearing the other woman say she was not ready to give up on her touched her deeply. It had warmed her soul. It had made her realize she wanted Callie to fight for her. The fact that Callie was once again opening up to her also did not go unnoticed. It made Arizona feel special, no matter how angry or upset she was right now.
"I know. I'm sorry I put you in that position." Callie fidgeted with the silver rings on her fingers. It was unnerving to not be in complete control when her feelings were on the line.
"And then you were at the precinct, defending a suspect in my investigation. It was all too much." Even now, Arizona could not tell Callie the whole truth. She could not say she suspected Elena was holding back information and that she felt Callie had blocked her from finding out the truth.
"You said you didn't know, Callie," Arizona said quietly. "But you also said your friend is helping you help me, so you did know."
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Arizona. Was she being accused of lying again? "I only knew that my friend got herself in a jam and needed me to help her out. I did not get the details until I arrived and spoke to her." Her eyes cast down for a moment, letting out an exasperated sigh. She was defending herself again, just like she said she was not going to do. "You're going to have to trust me, Arizona. I need you to trust me."
"I do," Arizona countered right away. She knew she could trust Callie. She felt it deep down and she did.
"No, you don't. You question me and my decisions constantly. And even if you don't, I see the look in your eyes. My powers might not work around you, but I see you, Arizona." She had always taken pride in being observant, it had gotten her far in life. She would not say she could read Arizona like a book, but she could certainly feel and read many of the looks the woman flashed her.
Her words were not new to Arizona. She had known from the beginning that Callie looked right through her. It had been part of what had drawn her to Callie. It felt good to be seen. But it was also scary as hell.
Callie bit her lip and scooted away before getting up. "I'll give you some time and space to think things through." Instead of a relieved or thankful look, Callie was treated to a glare as Arizona's brows knitted together.
"No," Arizona said firmly while she got up as well, closing in on Callie. "You always do this. You swoop in and give this heartfelt speech and...and…go all lawyer-y on me." She sounded angry, with a hint of passion in her voice. "You just waltz over every conversation and you think you know me. Before I even get to form my thoughts, you have already decided you know what I think. You're not letting me talk."
Arizona had to admit that Callie was right a lot of the time. But not all the time. And it was not fair that she did not get to form and voice her own thoughts. This day had her frustrated with Callie, but in such a confusing way that she did not know whether to raise her voice or kiss the other woman to shut her up. Callie was making her feel a whirlwind of emotions and she still was not sure if that was a good or a bad thing. The one thing she was sure of, was that it was nearly impossible to voice her emotions.
The friction between the emotions she was experiencing had caused a big energy surge. Even though Callie had a good four inches on her, Arizona seemed to be towering over her with all the energy radiating from her body. Her blue eyes captured Callie's in an intense stare and she looked like she was ready to drop her own speech. The look she got in return seemed to say 'bring it on'.
"I literally just told you to use your words," Callie replied. "So, please, by all means….don't hold back on my account." She held up her hands in defense as if to prove her point.
"God, Calliope, you…" She did not get to finish her sentence because she was interrupted by her phone. A foreign growl left her throat as she moved to the coffee table to check who it was. With a sigh, she turned to Callie. "I need to take this, it's work."
Callie looked up at the ceiling for a moment and shook her head. God, it was like the whole Universe was against them. It was nerve wracking. These hot again cold again vibes she was getting from Arizona were driving her crazy. Her words said she did not think they would work, but her eyes looked like she was about to ravish Callie. The latter made her whole body tremble with need. One minute she felt like they were going to end up in bed together and the next it seemed like Arizona was about to kick her out of the house. It was confusing as hell.
Arizona left the room as she spoke on the phone quietly, leaving Callie to wonder what Arizona was about to say to her.
It seemed to take forever for Arizona to return. At least, it felt like that to Callie. She was getting close to biting her nails from all the tension she was feeling in her body. The sigh of relief she let out at hearing Arizona come back into the room turned into a gasp when she saw the blonde's eyes.
"Calliope."
It irked Callie greatly that she still did not know if Arizona was going to pounce on her or kick her to the curb.
"I feel so conflicted," Arizona said quietly. While she had been on the phone with her co-worker, she had also thought about what she was going to say to Callie. But looking into those big brown eyes made her forget all about it again.
She had just stood there for a moment as if she was frozen in time. But now, Callie came back to life and slowly walked over to Arizona. She was going to need to help the other woman along a little, nudge her in the right direction. At least, that was what her gut told her. "How so?"
That seemed to be the wrong question since it earned her a frown. It took a moment before Arizona replied, but her words seemed to come straight from the depths of her soul. "I want to let go a little every once in a while," she said gently. "I want to live, as you put it. But I'm afraid because of all the controversy that comes with it. You seem to be the poster child for everything that I thought I didn't want or need," she paused and looked deep into Callie's eyes. "But you are all I think about. And when you are near me…." Arizona gently grabbed onto Callie's wrist and rubbed her thumb over her skin. "I forget all about it."
The way Callie's face lit up at her words made Arizona so warm inside, her palms were getting sweaty. How could this ruthless lawyer, the daughter of the vampire king, have such a big heart? It was remarkable. Callie was remarkable.
"But then it's like the Universe keeps trying to remind me how bad it is if we are together," Arizona continued wistfully. "I don't know, Callie. Some days I feel like we should quit while we still can. It feels dangerous to be around you." Arizona knew Callie could take this literally since their lives had actually been in danger more than once when they were around each other. But what she meant was that she was dangerously close to losing her heart to the other woman. And that was an ever greater danger than any physical harm.
Callie raised one eyebrow, making Arizona shiver. It always looked so sexy when she did that. "Good dangerous or…."
Arizona chuckled and shook her head. "I'm serious, Calliope," she said, not nearly sounding as annoyed as her words were trying to indicate.
"I can't decide for you, Arizona." Callie had stepped closer to her and gently rested her hand on Arizona's shoulder. "You either want me or you don't, but don't ask me which one it is."
"I want you." The words were out before Arizona realized it. It was almost like someone else had taken control of her body and was now slipping their arms around Callie's waist. Not that it was the worst idea someone ever had. Having Callie in her arms felt so, so good. But her mind seemed to fail at keeping up.
Whether she was in full control of herself or not, Arizona had definitely said the right thing again. At hearing her words, Callie flashed her a smile so bright Arizona wondered where she had left her sunglasses. "I want you, too, Arizona," she replied in a husky tone as she looked down into Arizona's eyes.
Instead of continuing the conversation, as she should, Arizona once again chose to listen to her body instead of listening to her mind and closed the distance between them. She pulled Callie closer while she leaned up and brushed her lips against Callie's ever so gently. God, her lips were so soft. They felt so good against hers, like Callie's lips were meant for her and her alone.
The soft 'oh' escaping Callie's throat gave away her surprise, it seemed like it was not only Arizona's mind that had trouble keeping up. The ever-so-gentle brush of Arizona's lips against hers lit a fire in Callie and her first instinct was to chase those lips and capture them. But that thought was quickly replaced. This moment had been quite profound and deserved tenderness, the exact kind of tenderness Arizona had just shown. She could do this. She could be gentle.
When the blonde leaned back, Callie gently cupped her cheek and rubbed her thumb over the slightly pink blush that had appeared. "We'll figure it out." She spoke softly, her voice just above a whisper.
Arizona nodded and bit her lip. They would figure it out, Callie was right. "Do you…." She paused and flashed Callie a not-so-innocent look. "…have anywhere to be?"
Callie immediately caught on to Arizona's train of thought and her lips curled into a wicked smirk. "Well, well, Miss Robbins, you don't beat around the bush, do you?"
She pursed her lips, failing badly at the innocent expression she meant to show Callie, making the taller woman chuckle. "Well, a wise woman did tell me to use my words."
"Your words certainly seem to get you places." Callie's voice was dripping with desire all of a sudden, making a shiver go down Arizona's spine.
She pulled Callie even closer, pressing herself against her even harder as she bit her lip. "Even into your pants?" Arizona asked not so innocently.
"I'm not wearing any," came the cheeky reply.
###
When Arizona woke up, it was dark. She blinked a couple of times to get her bearing and turned to look at her alarm clock. It was 3.15 AM. Callie and she had barely made it up to the bedroom. She had needed the other woman so much, she had not been able to wait. Once again, Arizona had fucked Callie in her hallway. The memory of it caused a slight grin to appear on her face. Callie was so incredibly sexy, so responsive to her touch, her lips.
She moved to stretch out and her hand found something soft. Oh, right. Callie. This was the first time Callie and her were sleeping in the same bed. It felt good. Great even. She moved her head to rest on the other woman's shoulder. Callie groaned and murmured something in her sleep while she pulled Arizona closer, making the blonde chuckle softly. Next to being incredibly sexy, Calliope Torres was also adorable. Arizona was pretty sure Callie would not like it if she told her that, but that did not mean she could not think it. She let out a soft sigh and let herself sink into Callie's warm body.
Yes, this felt good. Callie felt good.
Just as she was about to drift off again, her eyes opened again. Her thoughts of Callie had clouded her mind earlier and she had not realized why she had woken up. But now it was there again. She slightly tilted her head, holding her breath while she listened. The house was quiet, apart from Callie's soft, deep breathing. But something made her senses tingle. Something was up.
Like the ninja she hoped she was, she slowly extracted herself from Callie's arms. Once again, Callie murmured something inaudible as she shifted, but she did not wake up. They had given each other quite the workout, so it was not strange Callie was fast asleep. Arizona quickly and quietly slipped into a pair of her old sweats and a tank top before stalking down the stairs.
The house was dark, but since it was a clear night the crescent moon was providing Arizona with enough light to see. Everything seemed quiet, but still, there was something that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention. She walked towards the back of the house and peered into the yard. Nothing. She did the same for the front, it was quiet and dark. The street lights were lighting the street, where her car was still parked and Callie's car was still in the driveway.
What had awoken her from her slumber? All of a sudden, she turned her head. Was that a shadow, hiding in the dark? She peered outside to where she thought she saw movement, but there was nothing there. Had she imagined it? Maybe she had been dreaming and what happened in her dream had roused her instincts.
After a few minutes, the unsettling feeling died down and she gave up and went back upstairs. Arizona stopped in the doorway and leaned against it, staring at the beautiful woman in her bed. Callie had now hogged most of the bed, doing a pretty good starfish imitation. The covers had slipped down a little, showing off the other woman's beautiful, full breasts. Arizona unconsciously licked her lips as she just watched her newfound lover sleep.
Having Callie in her bed had not felt invasive at all. Where she felt she needed to leave after their last encounter, she was okay with having Callie stay the night after this one. Even though their conversation had not led to an actual solution to their problem, it had definitely deepened their bond. Arizona felt like they had taken another step towards something else, something that could become meaningful.
Was she ready for a relationship with this woman? A relationship filled with controversy, edging on dangerous? Right now, looking at Callie sleep, Arizona could wholeheartedly say yes. Even if this did not turn into a relationship, Callie was worth the risk. Half-vampire or not, Callie had made her feel things she had never felt before. It sounded super cliché, even in her own head, but Callie made her feel alive. The way Callie looked at her, touched her, kissed her. But also the way Callie kept her on her toes. Everything about the other woman was enticing and made her want more.
Even tonight, one orgasm had not been enough. Giving Callie two orgasms had not even left her near sated. The first one had been rough and fast, against the wall in her hallway, just to take the edge off. The second one, Arizona had to taste Callie. She had at least had the decency to move Callie to her bed before doing that. It was after that Arizona realized she had forgotten to worship the other woman's body, so that was what had caused orgasms three and four.
Callie was quite skillful herself and had paid her back in kind. There were parts of her body that still ached from the rough pleasure Callie had bestowed upon her. The thought of the dark-haired woman screwing her on the stairs sent a jolt of electricity to her core. God, they were explosive together and all Arizona could think of was that it was not enough. She wanted more from Callie. But that was also what scared the hell out of her. Arizona knew she had been doomed from the beginning. The way she felt about Callie now was inevitable, but she was falling for the other woman so fast it worried her.
What if it was too much for Callie? What if it made her run for the hills? Callie had been open and honest with her from the beginning and Arizona could remember tiny tidbits of conversation where Callie hinted at Arizona being the only person in her life right now. And even though Callie had quite the reputation, she knew whatever they had right now was new for Callie too.
"I can hear you thinking," Callie's groggy voice woke Arizona up from her reverie.
Their eyes met and Arizona flashed Callie a sheepish smile.
"Are you ok?" Callie scooted up to sit against the headboard and pulled the covers up.
Warmth spread all over Arizona's body as those beautiful brown eyes gazed at her, causing her to smile brightly. Sleepy Callie was definitely her favorite Callie. "Yeah."
Callie tilted her head and crossed her arms in front of her chest playfully. "Are you sure?"
Arizona just nodded and quickly moved over to the bed. She took off her sweats and tank top and got back under the covers. She slid over to Callie and settled against her as the taller woman wrapped her arms around Arizona. "I was just looking at the most beautiful sight," she said in a low tone of voice while her fingertips lazily traced patterns on Callie's collarbone.
Her eyes were closed, but that did not stop Callie from raising her eyebrows. "Did my beauty wake you up?" She murmured, her lips curling into a grin. "And if so, why did you get dressed?"
She pursed her lips and nuzzled Callie's neck. "Nothing gets past you, huh?" Arizona decided to tell Callie the truth. Maybe it would help if she took baby steps. "I thought I heard something and went downstairs to check it out. It was nothing though." She curled Callie's long hair around her finger before closing her eyes. "Go back to sleep, beautiful," she murmured, letting her tiredness wash over her this time. The house was safe. Callie was safe. The last thought on her mind before drifting off to sleep was that being in Callie's arms made her feel safe.
