Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy, I just borrowed the name of the characters for entertaining, no intention to violate any copyrights.
A/N : Sorry for taking so long, and sorry for the mistakes. As always, all mistakes are mine.
Chapter 10
"Mom, I'm going to Callie's apartment for a minute. Would you be okay to be here alone?" Arizona asked her mother after they stepped foot in her apartment. They stayed in the hospital for a while longer after dinner with the colonel. Now it was only 9pm, the blonde decided that she had time to talk to her girlfriend living downstairs.
"Of course I would be okay. I'm actually kinda tried after spending a day with those children in the daycare. I'm going to take a shower and then turn in. Don't have to worry about me, honey." Barbara smiled sweetly to her daughter. She practically pushed the young woman toward the door. "Go, go to Callie. It's Valentine's day tomorrow, I know you want to see your girl. I'll lock up after you."
"Shoot! It's Valentine's..." Arizona cursed under her breath. So many things had happened in the last few days, she totally forgot about it. It's the first Valentine's day with Callie. And she cursed herself again knowing what she was going to say to her girlfriend. Walking toward the door with her phone in one hand, she turned back to pick up her keys just in case. "Don't lock the door, mom. I'll be back in a little bit."
Standing before Callie's front door, the blonde took a deep breath and then knocked on the door. She knew Callie was at home. The brunette had texted her twice while she was with her parents, but she didn't replied anyone one of them. She had a lot of thoughts in her mind.
There had no sound of movement from the apartment. She knocked again and waited for another few seconds, still nothing. Lucky that she had brought the keys with her, she said to herself as she opened the door. The lights were on, and the TV was on. Walking deeper to the living room, she found out why Callie didn't answer the door. The brunette fell asleep on the couch.
Callie startled when the TV was being turned off. Blanking slowly, a dreamy smile spread on her face seeing who was standing by the couch looking at her.
"Go to sleep in your bed. You must be very tired." Arizona said softly, still standing at her spot.
"No, I'm up. I'm totally up." Callie quickly sat up on the couch. Yes, she was tired, but she also didn't want to miss the time to be with her girlfriend. They hadn't had any alone time in the last few days. Rubbing the sleep off of her eyes, she asked. "I was just taking a nap. What time is it?"
"A little past nine." The blonde sat down on the coffee table facing her girlfriend. "Have you had dinner yet?"
"Nope." Callie brought her arms over her head for a stretch. "I don't have any appetite. But if you want, I can order us some pizza."
"It's okay, I ate with my parents." Arizona shook her head with a sad smile. "So, how did it go with your father?"
She knew Callie had met and talked with her father through one of the two texts, and she kinda had an idea how it went from the not very enthusiastic short message.
"He was there in the waiting area. I saw him when I updated the patient's parents about the operation." Shrugging a shoulder nonchalantly, Callie got up from the couch, walking toward the kitchen to get a drink from the fridge.
"And?" The blonde asked impatiently, eyes following her girlfriend. "What did he say?"
"He told me that he had a plane waiting to take me home. And I told him that I'm not going anywhere with him. Not when he threatened me like that." Leaning against the breakfast bar, Callie said placidly between sipping the water, but the sadness in her eyes couldn't be hidden.
"Callie..." Arizona dropped her head onto her hands and sighed despondingly. "You shouted at him again?"
"No, I didn't. I was calmed, like you told me to." Playing the bottle in her hands, the brunette gave her girlfriend a dramatic eye rolling. Yes, she was a firecracker most of the time, but she did keep her promise and it would be appreciated if the blonde had a little more faith in her. "I didn't yell at him, I swear. I tried to explain to him but he just doesn't get it. If he wants to see this as me bringing disgrace upon his family, if he wants to disown me because of this? There's nothing I can do."
"Callie, he is your father. He is the most important person in your life. You can't just cut him out of your life." Arizona shook her head with another sigh. She wished the brunette would make up with her father, just liked she did with her own.
"He is my father and I love him, but he is not the most important person in my life, Arizona." Placing the bottle of water on the counter, Callie strode back to the couch. "You know..."
"Don't say it, Callie." Arizona interrupted abruptly what the brunette was saying. She was pretty sure that Callie was going to say that she was the person that meant the most to her. If it was in any other time, Arizona would be thrilled. But not now. Not when she was the reason of breaking up the relationship of a father and daughter.
"What?" The brunette stopped to a halt with her eyes widened.
"Please don't... just... don't." The blonde held up a hand. She wetted her lips not looking at Callie as she was gathering the thought in her head. She had a plan. She had made a decision and the sweet declaration from the brunette would just make it much more difficult for her to put it into action.
"What's wrong?" Brown eyes looked at the blonde confused, and concern.
"Listen, Callie. We... I mean... you..." Finally, Arizona lifted her head, her hand motioned between them. "You're taking this too serious."
"Too serious? What are you talking about?" Quickly sat back down on her previous position on the couch, Callie stared at her girlfriend with an uncertain chuckle. "We are in a relationship, of course I take this seriously."
"See, this is the problem." Taking a deep breath, Arizona tried hard to mask her emotion before looking back at the clueless brunette. "I think... I think we should take a step back..."
"Excuse me?" A shiver ran down her back. Callie took Arizona's hand in hers, asking with panic in her voice. "Have I said something upset you? Is my father scared you off? I promise you, he won't be the problem. I'm not going to let him be our problem."
"It's not you or your father, it's me. I thought that I could do it, but... I am not the committed kind of girl, okay?" Arizona pulled her hand back, extending the distance between herself and Callie by standing up from the coffee table and slowly backing away. "The last few months were new and fun and it felt good, but I... I don't think it's working for me."
"I don't get it, Arizona." The brunette could felt her heart seemed to block her throat. And though she cudgeled her brains, she had no recollection of doing anything so terrible that caused her girlfriend to ask for a break. "We were good. I mean... we were okay this morning when I went to your office."
"I've thought about it... for a while." Blue eyes were looking everywhere but the upsetting woman before her.
"Since when? Since me father showed up? Or your parents?" Callie questioned, and she gasped with hands covering her mouth. "Oh god, they don't like me, do they?"
"No Callie, it has nothing to do with anyone of them, or you." Arizona felt a clench in her heart. Her parents liked Callie, a lot. Why wouldn't they? Callie was loveable. Callie was perfect. And Callie always had doubt in herself. This woman had no idea how amazing she was. Feeling the burn in her eyes, the blonde looked down at the floor trying to hide her moist eyes. "It's me, okay? It's me. I think... I know that you want this to work but I just... I don't think I can make you happy."
"Don't give me the 'this is not you' bullshit, Arizona. You know very well that you make me happy. We are happy." It was a long day. The brunette was exhausted beyond description. The vague excuses coming from Arizona just made her patient running thin. Standing up from the couch, she stared at the sheepish woman who was avoiding her eyes. "You say to take a step back. Do you mean you want to break up with me? If that's what you mean, if you're here to break my heart, the least you can do is to look me in the eyes and tell me the real reason, Arizona."
"I..." The blonde sucked in a breath without looking up.
"Tell me that you're sick of me. Tell me that I don't deserve you." The brunette gritted her teeth. The truth might hurt but screw it, she needed to hear it.
"That's not true, Callie!" Blonde head snapped up, an uncontrollable tear rolling down the pale cheek.
"Then why?" Seeing the blue eyes clouded with tears, Callie softened her posture. "You're breaking up with me and you're the one crying. What is going on?"
"Just... just leave it, okay? It's over. We're over." Arizona wiped her face with the tips of her fingers before another teardrop fall. She thought it would be easy. She thought that she would be strong and just rip the bandage quick and easy like she did with her previous hookups. But Callie was not one of those women to her. And it hurt so bad. Turning around toward the front door, the blonde had to get out of there before she broke down. "I hope... I hope we can still be friend."
"Pizza!" Callie blurt out before Arizona reached for the door knob. She went on seeing the blonde didn't make another move. "Remember our first fight? We have a safe word. No one's leaving when we say the safe word, and I'm calling pizza."
"We're not fighting, Callie..." Arizona sighed, pressing her forehead against the door.
"Yes, we are. I'm fighting for us, Arizona. I don't know what has gotten into your head but damn I'm fighting for us." Walking closer, Callie put her hands on the blonde's shoulders from behind, saying determinately. "I am your girlfriend. We are in a relationship. You don't get to dump me without telling me what is going on."
"I told you, I don't do commitment." The blonde said weakly, still facing the door.
"I don't believe you." The brunette shook her head. She knew it wasn't true. They hadn't talked about future but she knew that she had something with Arizona and she knew that the blonde felt the same. "After all we've gone through, we're finally together. And suddenly you're telling me that you don't want this anymore?"
"No, I don't want this anymore." The voice left the pink lips was almost inaudible.
"Is it because..." Callie could hear the pain in Arizona's voice and that made her even more confused. She searched desperately for reasons in her head... Gasping aloud, she dropped her hands and took a step back. "It's because I cried in your office this morning, is it? You think I'm a basket case and you're afraid that you'd have to deal with my craziness? That's why you keep saying that you don't do commitment. That's why you want an out."
"It is my responsibility, Callie." Arizona turned around instantly, red and puffy eyes watching the brunette backing away from her with shoulders slumped. "You fought with your father because of me. It is my fault."
"How is that your fault, Arizona? My father is the pigheaded old man refused to accept that I am..." The brunette flung her hand with frustration, but Arizona cut her off.
"Without me in the picture, you're still his perfect daughter." The blonde said desperately. She was going to walk away. She was going to be the good man in a storm for the woman she loved. "You wouldn't have to choose between me and your father. You wouldn't lose your job, again. You love your job. You love your family."
"So you think by breaking up with me, I'll go back to being 'normal'." The brunette held her fingers up to a sarcastic air quote. "I'd marry to a man who is approved by my father, having children, being a happy housewife to my husband?"
Arizona shut her eyes tight with her lips biting to a thin line. That picture broke her heart but yes, if that meant Callie could reconcile with her father, her own pain was insignificant. Swallowing her tears, she nodded her head.
"This is the stupidest thing that I've ever heard!" That was not the response she wanted. Frustration got the best of her, Callie raised her voice at the woman with hands on her hips. "Don't you think I have a say in this, Arizona? As I said, we are in a relationship! It's the two of us in this relationship!"
"Callie, you are not thinking rationally." The anger in Callie's voice made the blonde winced. Taking a deep breath, Arizona tried to be the voice of reason. "There are things bigger than us. You wear your heart on your sleeve and I love you for that, but sometimes love just ain't enough."
"You love me?" Callie stood rigid for a moment, the anger on her face slowly faded away.
"I... I..." Blue eyes widened. Arizona wouldn't believe that she let the word slipped, the word that she yet hadn't said to Callie.
"You want to break up with me so that I'd make up with my dad." Well-shaped eyebrows raised as the puzzles cleared up instantly. A hint of amuse playing in the corner of the brunette's full lips. "Even though you're absolutely miserable about it, because you love me."
"Callie, I..." The blonde was petrified. She had never said the L word to anyone. And even though she loved Callie, but it was too soon, wasn't it? They were officially being together for just a couple months. And she was going to end this...
"Do you?" Stepping closer, Callie asked the question that she already knew the answer. "Do you love me?"
"I love you, but..." Arizona sighed out, and an arching eyebrow stopped her from saying further more.
"There is not but, Arizona. You love me, and that is enough." Full lips spread to a wide grin, but her smile wasn't reciprocated.
"No, Callie. I know how it feels to have your father mad at you. It took me years to get my father opened up to me again. I... I know how important your family is to you. You wanted to say that it is not, you wanted to say that I'm the most important person in your life but..." The blonde wanted to say it was enough, she truly did. However, blood is thicker than water. "Callie, he is your father."
"Don't get me wrong, Arizona. What I wanted to say earlier was that I am the most important person in my life." The brunette threw her head back to a belly laugh. If Arizona let her finished earlier, they would have saved a lot of troubles. "Yes, you're important to me too, but I just... I have to stay true to who I am. I can't just bend myself into the mould that others want me to be. Right now I am in a relationship with a woman, maybe later I'd fall in love with a man, who knows? But I do know that I shouldn't let anyone else define me, not even my own father."
Arizona opened her mouth, but slender fingers gently placed against her lips stopping her.
"If you want to break up with me because you don't love me, or you don't see a future with me, I'd understand that. But I wouldn't accept it if you simply think my life would be easier, or happier without you." Callie continued, brown eyes full of love and sincerity looking deep into the blue eyes. "You make me realizing who I am, who I wanna to be. And I'm grateful to have found you, Arizona."
"I am a moron, ain't I?" Arizona chewed her bottom lip to a bashful smile.
"Yes, a gigantic one." Chuckling loudly, the brunette pulled the woman in her arms. "And you're my moron."
The two wrapped their arms around each other tightly, content with the comfort between them, content that an unnecessary crisis had passed.
"Callie?" Arizona asked suddenly.
"Yeah?" Callie replied, absentmindedly.
"I just told you that I love you." The blonde breathed out, burying her head deeper into the taller woman's neck.
"Yes, I heard you." Callie answered, trying to hold back the smile in her voice.
"Is there..." The blonde rolled her eyes, a little taken aback by the nonchalant response. "Is there anything you want to say to me?"
"Ah... thank you?" Callie smiled widely. She could feel her girlfriend pouting against her skin. Finally, she pulled back and took the angelic face in her hands before mashed their lips together, muttering with a mischievous grin. "I love you too, moron."
Arizona melted into the kiss with a moan. They had shared numerous of kisses, and the first real kiss they had during their blind date was always her favorite, but this one was a close second. Pillowy soft lips lingered on hers as gentle as they ever were. The sheer affection that Callie poured into the kiss made the butterflies in her stomach flattering like crazy. Tightening the arms around the taller woman, Arizona pulled her closer forcing the kiss to deepen.
They lost in the kiss until lips parted for air. Callie nipped the blonde's sweet lips once more before pressed her forehead against the woman she loved, hands still cupping the face gently, and stared deep into the pair of blue eyes, who was looking back at her with nothing but love.
"Don't ever stop kissing me like that." Arizona uttered a whisper that made the full lips spread wide.
"Then don't try to break up with me." The brunette pecked at Arizona's nose before pulled the blonde in her arms again. "I understand that you love me so much that you're willing to let me go. But I don't want that. You hear me? I'm head over heels in love with you, Arizona Robbins."
"I'm head over heels in love with you too, Calliope Torres." Arizona tilted her head with a smile. And like a magnet attracts steel, Callie dipped her head meeting the blonde's lips to another sweet kiss.
"God, I wish you could stay tonight." Callie pursed her lips playfully. She knew Barbara was staying at the apartment upstairs and she knew that Arizona wouldn't want to leave her mother alone, but she just couldn't help to whine. "I'm exhausted but I hate to sleep alone. You've ruined me from sleeping in the bed without you."
Arizona didn't say a word but slipped out of the embrace. The brunette watched with curiosity seeing her girlfriend went over to the living room, picking up the phone and started dialing.
"Hey mom," The blonde talked into the phone with her eyes fixated on the curious woman, until she had to roll her eyes hearing from the other end of the call. "Yes, you can lock... yes, I'll tell her. Yes, we will, I promise. Okay, good night, mom."
"What?" Callie asked as soon as Arizona put down the phone, but the blonde just smiled slyly striding back to her.
"We're having breakfast with my mom in the morning." Arizona grasped Callie's hand dragging her toward the bedroom, smiling over her shoulder. "And now, I'm going to put my girlfriend in bed."
They took turns getting ready for bed, and when Arizona finally got out of the bathroom, she found her girlfriend was sitting up against the headboard with eyes closed.
"You don't have to wait for me. You know that I'm not going anywhere tonight." The blonde chuckled as she went under the cover. Instantly, Callie shifted to snuggle up to the soft body, throwing her arm around Arizona's midsection cozily.
"I've told you, I need my body pillow." She said dreamily that brought a smile on the blonde's face.
"I'm at your service, my love." Arizona kissed the top of the raven locks with her arms wrapped around Callie's body. She let out a content little sigh after glanced over at the alarm clock on the nightstand. "It's our first Valentine's day in a couple hours. Good thing that my stupidity didn't ruin it, huh?"
Brown eyes snapped open as she remembered what she had prepared. Callie quickly turned over and opened the top drawer of the nightstand, fumbling for something she had hidden in the back of it.
"What? Looking for the penis?" Arizona couldn't help to make fun of it. She would never forget the remark that the brunette blurt out during their first fight.
"Oh shut up. I haven't touched that thing ever since I have you. The batteries inside are probably already dead." Callie gave the blonde a playful glare before showing what she took out from the drawer. It was a long black velvet jewelry box. "Happy first Valentine's day."
"You got me a present?" The blonde sat up on the bed, looking between the box and her girlfriend who was smiling broadly.
"I got us a present. Open it." Callie held up the box, gesturing for the blonde to take it.
Arizona bit the corner of her lips as she carefully opened the jewelry box. A surprise gasp passed her lips seeing what were inside.
"How...?" Arizona asked with an incredulous smile. There was a pair of necklaces lying side by side in the jewelry box, each of them was attached with a hollow heart pendant, one was gold and the other was silver. The blonde was surprised because she saw those a week ago during one of the date night, she and Callie passed by a shop and this couple necklace in the window display had caught her eyes. She planned to go back to the store without Callie but the unexpected visit of her parents and Carlos had it slipped out of her mind.
"I saw the look on your face when you looked at them." The brunette said picking up the one with the gold pendant. "And I know that you didn't have time to buy them, so..."
Kneeling on the bed, Callie leaned forward to put the necklace around Arizona's neck. Once the buckle was secured, she pecked at the blonde's bare shoulder before turned away slightly letting the blonde did the same for her.
"How are you so perfect?" Arizona whispered as she held the silver pendant that was hanging between the brunette's chests, caressing it tenderly with her finger tips.
"I'm perfect because I have found my missing half." The brunette covered the hand on her chests with her own, looking deeply into the blue eyes. "You know, they say when you are born that your soul is torn in two. That you spend your life trying to find your other half, make you whole again."
"And when you find this person, you know that you're made for each other." The blonde nodded her head in agreement. Slowly, she brought her lips forward capturing Callie's lips for a slow, intimate long kiss.
"You're wearing my heart," Callie smiled sweetly after they broke the kiss. "Don't ever break it."
"And now you make me feeling like a terrible girlfriend. I haven't got you anything and instead, I tried to break up with you." Arizona looked down at the pendant resting against her heart with a pout.
"Hey, I know that you thought you were doing the right thing. And as for the present, you gave me something that I wanted the most." The brunette ducked her head trying to catch Arizona's eyes. And her words cough the blonde's attention and blue eyes looked back at her a little confused. "You told me that you love me. No one has even said they love me first."
"I'll get you a present. I'll make it up to you, I promise." Pink lips pout a while but then the blonde glanced up and broke into a flirtatious smile. "As a matter of fact, I know a way, if you're not too tired for it."
"Yeah? I'd never be too tired for you, but what would that be?" Callie raised her eyebrows with an affectation of bewilder. She had a pretty good idea of what her girlfriend had in mind. And when Arizona looked at her like that, any exhaustion she had got thrown out of the window.
"How about you just lay down," Arizona once again leaned over to capture the full lips, muttering with a devilish grin as she gently pushed the brunette back on the bed by the shoulder. "Let me show you how much I love you?"