AN: It's been long I know. Life Sucks. Been really busy
Chapter
"Torres." Mark said hesitantly walking into her office and closing the door.
"Yes." She said not even bothering to look up from the documents that she was reading.
"Wow well that's a very warm welcome. I feel so wanted and not at all like a nuisance" his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"What do you want Mark?" Callie said with a heavy annoyed sigh, finally looking up but not making eye contact with Mark.
Mark noticing that she doesn't want to make eye contact, he simply took a seat on one of the grand red couches in the far end of her office. He knew that something was bothering her, ever since he hired Arizona Robbins, his best friend and powerful business associate had been a mess.
She wasn't handling her business contracts too well, she hadn't lost any clients but if she kept up with her actions, clients might start doubting her abilities. He noticed that she seemed conflicted, she wasn't her normal self, and she was showing much more emotion than she had in the past ten years.
At first Mark was delighted because it seemed that finally there was someone that could rattle the fearless tiger, but now his partner couldn't get a handle on her emotions and it was starting to show and everyone these past few weeks had noticed that.
She could feel his eyes on her. She wasn't sure whether to just let it all out and tell Mark everything she is feeling, but that would mean opening a part of herself, that would mean she would be letting him in and making herself vulnerable. But Mark was her friend. The closest friend she ever had, surely he would understand.
Mark could see her deliberating whether or not to tell him whatever is bothering her. After a couple of minutes Callie moved from her desk, walked over to the other end of her office, and took a bottle of red vintage 1984 wine.
She slowly walked over to the couch that Mark was sitting on, she put the bottle down and took off her stilettos one at a time. Mark was tracking her every move with his eyes, not wanting to scare her off, he quickly looked the other direction when she made eye contact with his eyes.
She sat down on the other end of the couch and put her feet on Mark's thighs, took a long swing at the wine bottle, sighed and bopped her head up on the edge of the couch and looked at the ceiling.
"I'm in love with Arizona Robbins. Have been for the past ten years. I will always be in love with her." She said emotionless. He was quiet, knowing that once she has starts talking, she will just let everything out.
"She was everything to me, I made her my everything. But she did something stupid, careless and heartbreaking. I know she is sorry, I know that she has apologized and I know that I'm supposed to forgive her. But how do I do that when she keeps screwing me over? How do I do that Mark?"
Finally looking up at Mark, pleading with her eyes, silently begging for answers from him. Mark was rubbing her feet and giving her a foot massage, knowing that she's just processing.
She lay back down, Mark wasn't saying a word, and she couldn't get a read on what exactly he was thinking, so she continued where she left off. "I'm just so frustrated Mark. I don't know how to fix this. I forgave her. I did."
She found Mark's eyes, they looked sincere and understanding. But there was also something behind those eyes that she just couldn't explain. He wasn't judging her, but rather questioning.
She answered his silent question, "I did Mark. Did I? Of course I forgave her; I mean I forgave her before she apologized. I forgave her. Right?" she looked at her friend, seeking answers. Seeking something.
Callie was now starting to doubt her own emotions and feelings, has she really forgiven Arizona? Can she ever look past her mistakes and move forward with their relationship, if you can call whatever they have a relationship.
"And now I'm losing focus on everything, I can't do my job properly, I freaking acted like a teenager the other day when she was with her best friend, I was so jealous and I had no right to be. I just….I don't know what to do." She stood up and started pacing and biting her nails, something she did when she was nervous.
"There are so many secrets Mark, so many secrets between us, between our families. I also feel like that short British twat is coming after me with every single dirty contact he has, and I'm not sure I can handle him, I'm just so….tired." she finished with a heavy sigh, plopping back down the couch.
Finally deciding to speak, Mark took the bottle of wine from Callie, which was now almost empty. He brought the Latinas hands into his own, he swiftly pulled her up into a sitting position then put the bottle down, lifting his hands and bringing them so they cup her face, forcing her to look at him.
"When everyone treated me like dirt, you stood up for me. You saw me for who I really am, you accepted me with all my faults, past failures, and took me under your wing and trained me. I'm older than you but you taught me so many things about life and forgiveness was one of them." He said softly.
To say Callie was shocked from Marks words was an understatement. He removed his hands from her face knowing that he now has her full attention.
"This cold and bitter-reckless person is not you Torres. You have the world's biggest heart, you care about people, I know that woman you call mother has taught you from a very young age not to care, I know she is your hero, and she never fails at anything, but she did fail at making you heartless. You care Callie, which is why you win all of your cases because you care."
"I don't care Mark. I'm not supposed to care. I can't care…" the brunette said her voice breaking.
"This woman has a big impact on you; even your ex-wife didn't have this kind of hold on you. I don't know your back story with her, but I can see that she means a lot to you. You have to choose. It's either you cut ties with her or talk to her and build a relationship with her, but most importantly you have to forgive her." Knowing that his words hit home, he handed Callie back her bottle of wine and walked out the office.
"Well shit…." Callie said out loud to no one in particular.
Two weeks had passed of Arizona and Callie avoiding each other, well Arizona was avoiding Callie, and Callie…well she wasn't exactly making an effort to see Arizona.
Polite smiles when they bumped into each other at the office, other than that, they hadn't spoken to each other. Avoiding the elephant in the room, frankly they were both tired of not knowing where each stood in the others life.
"Everybody please stop whatever you are doing and gather 'round" Addison said in an annoyed voice, not really wanting to speak to the associates so early in the morning, she had a late night of drinking with Callie and Mark, and the hangover she had currently, was unbearable.
The associates all gathered as quickly as they could not wanting to annoy Addison who looked annoyed as it is, but more importantly they wanted to hear what she had to say.
It was promotion time, shifts in the people they shadow, bonus time and yearly assignment time. So they were excited and scared at the same time.
"Okay. We all know what time it is." Addison said not looking up from the folder she was reading from, a few mumbles of 'yeses' were heard.
"Well no one is getting any promotion; you all have sucked all year. You're whiney and none of you have impressed me…" the red haired could hear a couple of grumpy sighs and mumbling.
"The only thing you know is flaunting around your personal life all over the office…" she continued giving Arizona the side eye, the blonde merely looked down finding her shoes very interesting. While Addison was ranting about the associate's tardiness, Mark walked in wearing Ray Bans looking as if he also had a rough or eventful night.
"Anyway, let's talk about the shifts in mentors. Everybody is now mentor-less." Loud gasps were heard among the whole office. "Yes, this year's batch of associates is disappointing and Callie is not happy. I am also not happy. You work at Torres, the best law firm in the entire world and you go home before 10pm?" the tall woman said with disgust dripping from her tone.
Callie walked in the spontaneous meeting hearing the last of Addison's word, which made her laugh a bit because that is exactly what her mom used to say to them when they were associates.
Everybody's attention was now focused on Callie, who had never ever been present at associates meetings. Mark and Addison were also a bit shocked not only at her presence but at how beautiful and glowing she looked, and she drank more alcohol than the both of them.
"Miss Torres. Good of you to join us." Addison said in a mocking tone.
Callie ignored her jab and instead looked around the office with a smile, and a little laugh at everyone's blank looks.
"Good morning everyone." She said with a blinding bright smile.
Rounds of "good morning Miss Torres" and "morning" were said.
"Well as Addison said, I am not impressed with everyone's performance, as an overall average you are all at a 40%. But that's okay, I feel like we have been too easy on you. Over here..." she pointed at a bunch of files that she placed on the table. "Are cases. These cases are all pro-bono. There are 19 cases but 20 associates. The last associate will not have a pro-bono case but will be my associate…"
Everyone in the office was silent. Callie Torres never had any associate before, she works alone. She's always been a lone ranger, Mark who had been tuned out the whole time, raised his eyebrow at hearing that. 'This should be interesting' he thought.
"The associate will work with me helping me with the cases that I'll be handling. I have a lot on my plate at the moment, so I need help."
Searching around the office, looking for a distinctive pair of sea blue eyes but not finding them "Arizona" the brunette called out.
"Uh…yes" the blonde's voice squeaked at the back.
When their eyes locked, Callie couldn't help but smile. She missed those eyes. Realizing that the whole office was waiting for her, she coughed to distract herself from staring at the blonde,
"You're going to be my associate." Callie said simply.
The entire office disrupted into fits of disapproving mumbles. Clearly everyone was unhappy about Callie's decision. Addison was gaping like a fish, looking from Arizona to Callie, Mark discretely moved closer to Callie whispering "Wrong move" to her ear.
The Latina dismissed what he was saying, and brushed over him, and placed another stack of files that she was carrying, placed them on the table.
"I'm hearing a lot of mumbling, and not the good type. I don't care what you all think. This is MY firm. I make the decisions. If you don't like them, you might as well walk out that door, right this second."
Noting that no one was moving, "That's what I thought. Arizona be in my office in five." She said about to move out of the office, when she heard what she was sure, was the blondes voice saying 'No'
"I'm sorry what?"
Arizona was in still standing in the corner processing everything, trying to think about what Callie's underlying intention was.
She didn't know what exactly the brunette wanted from her, but all she knew was that she didn't want to be the Latina's toy or plaything. Something that, she used when she needed and threw away when she had, had enough.
"I said no." she simply said.
"Can we talk in my office?" Callie said not waiting for an answer before walking out, "Oh and bring those files." She shouted back.
Arizona slowly walked out making sure not to make eye contact with her colleagues, not wanting to rush towards the difficult conversation that she was about to have with Callie.
"Get back to work! NOW!" Addison shouted to the still silent and stunned junior associates, they all scampered back to what they were busy with.
Arizona knew that Callie would be angry, it was a given. The Latina was temper prone, and Arizona was about to enter the hungry lion or lionesses den in this case, but she was determined not become it's dinner.
The blonde cautiously opened Callie's office door, and stepped in, immediately meeting the brunette's eyes behind the desk.
"Take a seat please." Callie said with a small smile.
Arizona did as told, looking at the woman in front of her Arizona was mildly surprised to see that she looked calm. Frighteningly calm. After a couple of minutes of just staring at each other, Callie finally broke the silence.
"Why don't you want to be my associate?"
That was not what Arizona expected to come out of that beautiful mouth, which is always loaded with firery bullets. "Not what I was expecting."
"What were you expecting?" Callie asked nonchalantly.
The blonde didn't realize that she had said that out loud, but since she was in the 'defiance' mood, she might as well own up to it. "I just thought since, I went against what you wanted in front of everybody, you would not be so…..calm"
"Why don't you want to be my associate Arizona?" Callie asked again.
"I don't think it's best that we work together considering our history, and the tension between us. It's difficult as it hiding from you in this huge building, working together might not be the best idea, and I've also had enough of the office stares and envious looks from the other associates. I think our stint in prison also didn't help matters…"
Callie sighed out loudly, and put the pen she had down on a stack of papers she had on her desk. She stood up and walked over to the other side, and stood beside Arizona.
"Gimme your hand please." She said as she held out her hand to the blonde. Arizona took it, and allowed the brunette to lead her to the couch.
"What if we start from the beginning?"
Arizona was now confused.
"Hi." Callie said with a wide smile while looking at Arizona in the eyes.
"Hi." The blonde said mirroring her smile.
"I'm Calliope Torres." Callie said holding her hand out.
"I'm Arizona…..Robbins. Nice to meet you Calliope."
