"Dr Callie Torres, My Girlfriend"
"Dr Callie Torres, My Girlfriend"
"Dr Callie Torres, My Girlfriend"
This line kept running in Callie's mind on a loop. Suddenly this was all she could focus on. It took multiple calls from the journalist and an elbow nudge from Clyde to come to sense.
"I am sorry what?" Callie asked the journalist.
"I was saying that I have heard about your cartilage research; it was incredible Dr Torres. Are you are working on something new now?"
"Oh well, In Seattle I was working with bionic limb making it as close to the actual limbs as possible with Late Dr Derek Shepherd. Now I am working with sports medicine to implement the bionic limbs in sports which could help the amputee sports person to attain the new heights" Callie responded and looked towards Arizona who was looking towards her with only pride in her eyes.
"That's amazing!" The journalist replied, "By the way, if you don't mind me asking, I know both you worked in Grey Sloan before now you are here together… I sense a story here," she said gesturing between Arizona and Callie "would you care to share a little?"
Callie and Arizona chuckled "well nothing much to elaborate" Arizona replied, "we are just two people who met fell in love, drifted apart only to meet again... her... for a new beginning. " She concluded with her beaming smile which matched Callie.
"Fair enough" Journalist said smiling Back and concluding the interview
…
After the interview, Callie and Clyde were sitting at a corner Table and Arizona was busy attending guests. Clyde was staring at Callie nonstop while she was trying everything to avoid eye contact.
"oh, common Torres" Clyde Exclaimed after some time losing his patience.
"What!?" Callie said with clenched teeth.
"Girlfriend? When did that happen? When did you get the " Girlfriend Tag".
Callie raised her eyebrows in question "Girlfriend TAG? What the sweet hell is that?"
"You don't know that? everybody is using this nowadays" Clyde said smirking
"WHO? Who uses this?"
"I'm am telling you... it's a thing…Ryan was saying the other day that " I-know you are gay but did you ever have a girlfriend… like before coming out and stuff? You should total do Husband/boyfriend tag with Daddy."
"Cly I think you are using this slang wrong" Callie laughed loudly " and do it? Do it Where?"
"He has this crazy idea to start this YouTube channel about queer family… its big hit"
"Really? About time don't you think?" Callie said excitedly "you should do that… the channel I mean…"
"Haha me and YouTube… never… it's Stefan's thing… I don't have that confidence… in fact, I think-… hey! wait-a-second!" Clyde said suddenly "you sneaky little minks, you changed the topic!"
Callie threw her head back laughing "I know! … see how well I did that?"
"Mmm-hmm," Clyde said "don't change the topic and spill"
"There is nothing to spill, we haven't talked about it, today was the first time she called me her girlfriend and by looks of it, she didn't even realize it. So, your guess is as good as mine" Callie replied.
"So are you going to talk to her about this?" Clyde asked
"I don't know… should I … I should … right? Callie replied.
"Of course, you have to… better keep things clear," Clyde Said nodded his head enthusiastically.
"Ok I should … I will… yes… now?" Callie rambled and before Clyde could reply she said " no… this is not the right time right? She is busy, very busy … after all, she is the host…I...I... I'll talk to her tonight… or maybe tomorrow… or-"
"Torres!" Clyde said loudly "breath before you pass out"
"Sorry! I am just nervous" Callie said shyly taking a deep breath.
" talk to her tomorrow once she is free and you will have your answer… till then enjoy the quiche," Clyde said pointing at the food at their table.
…
The rest of the evening went without any further incident.
Nicole and Arizona made small talks with the guest and Callie, Sophia and the Goodwin's stayed together enjoying the various food and drinks which the party had to offer.
Around midnight; Callie, Arizona and Nicole were the only ones left so they sat at the table to have something as both of the hosts were too busy to eat anything before. Sofia was asleep on the sofa at the corner of the hall.
"So Torres, long time no see," Nicole said "well, technically I still can't but you get the picture" she added jokingly
"Yeah! New York and work kept me captive her" Callie replied
"Well, Grey Sloan lost many of its rockstars, most of you either left or died or you know got blinded by the fellow surgeon," Nicole said winking, in her usual dark humour mode which, for Callie was a new thing, so saying that she was shocked at this bluntness was an understatement.
Understanding the expression on Callie's face Arizona interrupted "Nicole! Not everybody is. Used to of your weird sense of humour. If you could see Callie's face right now, you'll know."
Nicole laughed out loud and said "Sorry Torres, most of the time I forget that not everybody carries my sense of humour" on which Arizona scoff
"More like sadistic humour" Arizona mumbled under her breath but clear enough for both of them to hear.
"Sadistic or not... I am hilarious" Nicole replied
"Yeah! Yeah!... can we talk about something else" Arizona said.
"Let's head home I guess," Arizona said after a while.
Callie heart rate increased "home… means we will be alone… should I talk to her," she thought
"Hey, where did you go?" Arizona said to Callie bringing her out of her thoughts.
"What, nothing… umm… let's go" Callie replied and hurried to towards the exit to avoid Arizona's questioning eyes.
The drive towards Arizona's house was quiet. Callie was having an internal debate on whether to talk to Arizona or not. On one hand, she wanted to clear things out on the other she felt like she was making a big deal as Arizona seemed nonchalant.
"What's going in the pretty head of your?" Arizona asked after some time.
"What! Ah, nothing… I.. umm… it was a great party" Callie said in an attempt to change the topic.
"Mm-hmm," Arizona said with squinted eyes "Don't think I don't know what u are trying to do, I know you far too well for that to work on me"
"Seriously, it nothing…I-" Callie tried to say but Arizona interrupted
"It's okay if you need time… Tell me when you are ready" Arizona replied lovingly.
"Thank you," Callie said returning the smile.
As they reached Arizona's house Callie settled Sofia on her bed and came out to the living room where Arizona was resting on the sofa.
"I'll head out too," Callie said meekly "big surgery tomorrow"
"Alright," Arizona said getting up from the sofa "thanks for being there Callie it meant a lot to me"
"Of course, Arizona, I wouldn't have missed it for the world… it was the most important night of your life… and I am so proud of you," Callie said with a beaming smile.
Arizona was touched, after so long she felt that she finally had her family's support. They looked at each other with much pride and gratitude like partners, like family.
"Well, I should leave, you too need rest," Callie said breaking their moment.
In between the distance from the couch to the door, Callie dwelled upon her decision to talk.
As she reached the door her decision was made. "I will talk next time, it's too late and she is tired, I better go now.
Just as she was about to open the door Arizona called from behind "Callie..".
"Yeah!" Callie said turning towards Arizona's direction.
"Well, I was wondering if-" Arizona began to say but got interrupted as Callie blurted out in one breath.
"Amiyourgirfriend"
"Huh?" Arizona said confused
"In the party… you introduced me as your girlfriend," Callie said slowly emphasizing each word "so… I wanted to ask you… am I.. are we… you …ahem… am I your Girlfriend?"
"Oh!...did I" Arizona stuttered " I didn't realize" she added with a chuckle.
"Yeah…umm.. when you introduced me to that Journalist… you said Girlfriend… so I just wanted to know are we…"
"Well, are you seeing someone else?" Arizona asked with a smirk.
"No! Of course, Not," Callie said quickly
"Good! Me neither…" Arizona replied
"So"
"Soo..."
"Calliope!"Arizona said laughing. "will you be my girlfriend?"
Catching up with Arizona's teasing Callie pretended to think "Hmm… maybe" she said with a shrug.
"Maybe?" Arizona said with raised eyebrows.
"I mean … I can … you know… you are double board-certified surgeon… opening one of a kind clinic… soo…" Callie continued teasing
"Aa ha! So, I am like a golden chicken" Arizona asked smirking
Callie laughed loudly "Your words not mine… and hey, you have a thing for chickens… so it works out fine"
"You know what Calliope Iphigenia Torres… I take it back" Arizona said in mock anger.
"What! You can't take it back… you asked me to be your girlfriend" Callie said teasingly.
"It was my question and I'm taking it back" Arizona retorted
"That's not how it works"
That's exactly how it works"
"No backsies," Callie said quickly
"Callie I-" Arizona begin but before she could finish Callie interrupted
"Arizona…I. Would. love. to be your girlfriend" Callie said taking Arizona's face between her palms and kissing lightly on her lips, Calling a truce.
"You know what ...I hate you," Arizona said with a pout.
"No you don't… you …love me-"the words slipped out of Callies's mouth before she could stop.
"Yeh- ahem… well," Arizona said meekly avoiding eye contact.
There was an awkward silence for a while after which Callie said clearing her throat "I really should leave right now"
"Yeah sure," Arizona said with a shy smile
They shared a quick but loving kiss and Callie left for her house and Arizona went to get ready for the bed with a smile on her face.
They were Moving forward.
XXX
After the soft opening, the Arizona next few days went in the hullabaloo of the clinic. Some snag lists had to be completed before they could start their OR and other minor surgical procedures. With her clinic, Callie's research and Sofia's school reopening the couple didn't get time to be alone with each other until one Thursday when Clyde invited Callie and Arizona for dinner at their friend's new Italian restaurant. They decided to go together so Callie picked Arizona up after dropping Sofia at the sleepover at her friend's house.
"There they are" Clyde Said to Stefan on spotting the brunette and the blond head over the crowd.
There was quite a line and waiting outside the restaurant as it was the 3rd branch of a very famous restaurant chain in America. Thanks to Stefan and his friendship with the owner and chef, they didn't have to wait in line. Once the whole party of four arrived they went inside, getting some jealous looks from the bystanders.
"Wow, this place is amazing," Arizona said as they entered the restaurant
"How do you know this guy again?" Callie asked Clyde.
"Well my amazing husband is friends with the owner of this restaurant who is also the Michelin 5 star chef no less" Clyde explained
"Ah, that makes sense… cause you? with such a classy connection?… I was sceptical" Callie teased, and Stefan and Arizona laughed
"Ha, ha… very funny Torres" Clyde rebutted.
After ordering the drinks the conversation continued with full flow. They discussed the kids and work and national and international politics. eventually, they landed upon the topic of past relations.
"What! You are married to a guy? Stefan exclaimed "ha! who would have thought… I mean I you are bi, but I still can't picture you marrying a guy, I don't know why"
"Yup, that was me a pathetic loser who married an intern in Vegas right after his father died and he was vulnerable," Callie said laughing
"Ooooh… than what happened… you realized that you were not into him after the marriage," Stefan asked curiously
"Well, he cheated on me with his best friend… so" Callie explained in short.
"Ouch!" Stefan said "who in the right mind can ever cheat on you… I mean was this guy blind or something?" Arizona squirmed a little in her seat a little, Clyde and Callie on the other hand looked towards each other not knowing how to handle the situation.
Stefan was unaware of the history of Callie and Arizona. Arizona on the other hand was feeling uncomfortable and was looking down at her wine glass. As nobody was stopping Stefan he continued "I mean why do people marry each other if they can't stay true to their relationship… I always say to Cly that if you like someone else then just tell me and leave, don't cheat on me… at least give our relation, our marriage and me that respect"
Clyde hold Stefan hand under the table to stop his husband but Stefan had one drink too many which made him incapable of deciphering subtle queues and he continued with his speech. "What happened to the love you had for our partner… suddenly where did it disappear? … now out of nowhere you like someone else… and even if you do then at least have the decency to end the relationship first… how can you do that without a second thought or regret." Stefan said vociferously.
"Not everyone who cheats is without a regret" unexpectedly, Arizona spoke meekly.
"Sometimes no matter how much you try you can't forgive yourself for that one moment of weakness. The moment that destroyed the one thing which was most precious to you… one thing which was your lifeline… cause by the time you realize what you have done, the person you held so close to you is gone… has moved on and is now with someone else." Arizona continued "Now all you can do is… watch…. Watch as that person is sharing the life with some else… the life which was ones yours…. Watch while that person loves someone else like they used to love you… just watch silently, quietly because you have lost the right to speak, you have lost the right to even fight and suddenly you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, alone in the dark with nowhere to go-" Arizona eyes were brimming with tears by now
"-All you can do now, is to try to move on without that one person who was your support, to breath without your life support…to live without your life… all because you couldn't think clearly in that moment of weakness, because at the end of the day it was you who failed," Arizona concluded still looking far away with tears flowing freely from her eyes.
There was a deafening silence on the table, Callie was looking at Arizona with her own eyes moist with tears, Clyde had finally managed to send a hint to Stefan to stop talking and Arizona was still looking at the far corner, reliving the day she destroyed her relationship.
The awkward moment was broken by the waiter who came to take the order for food, which brought back Arizona to the present and Callie quickly dried her eyes.
"Ahem!... Sorry, I got carried away" Arizona apologized clearing her throat.
"No, it was my mistake, I took the subject way too far… I am sorry" Stefan replied
"Enough apologies… no harm no foul… let's order something," Clyde said in his usual chirpiness in an attempt to break the awkwardness.
The remainder of the evening went uneventful; they talked and laugh and enjoyed the exquisite cuisine kept in front of them. After dinner, they left for their respective house. As Sofia was at a sleepover, both women decided to spend some time alone as it has been a long time since they sat together.
Ho! Ho! Ho!... look who is back. With a very small chapter... I know :-( But will update soon
I don't know if you all are still here with me on this story or not. If you are then thanks a lot… I am back now. So many things happened and I didn't get time to write at all… so here is the small one. hope you liked it.
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Stay Safe!