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 : I have every intention of lying everything out in this chapter, but it gets too long and I'm writing a particular scene that is way out of my comfort zone, I'm gonna need more time. I know that you all hate to wait for so long, so... here the first half of the final chapter. Hope you like it.
As always, all mistakes are mine, sorry about that.
Callie's POV
Standing in front of Arizona's front door, I take a deep breath, and then another one, and then another one.
When she told me that her parents are coming back to Seattle, I couldn't say that I was not happy. I've got to play her loving girlfriend one more time. But I just couldn't pull my mind out of the conversation we had right before that.
"We've said that we'd break up afterward." I asked, silently wishing that she'd say otherwise. "This is what you want, right? Break this up?"
"Yeah, you're right." She answered, casually.
What do you expect, Callie? Looking at my reflection on the glass window of the door, I sigh again. I didn't sleep much after the phone call with Arizona. I had back to back surgeries today thank to a collapsed building. My hair looks ruffled and unloved, the small amount of make-up I threw on before leaving the hospital does nothing to cover my tired eyes and my skin seems to be even more dull than normal...
I find myself wondering how on Earth Arizona's parents believe that we're a couple as I stare at my appearance. Arizona could have anyone she wants, she has dated women so out of my league they probably don't even know my league exists and yet here I am about to have dinner with her and her parents, as her girlfriend.
The door opens before me abruptly. As soon as I see Colonel's face, my lips pull to a wide smile. I don't have to fake it. The warm smile on the old man's face has me smiling from my heart.
"I've heard your car pulling in for a while, guessing that you need a man to open the door for you." The colonel jokes while leaning forward to give me a greeting hug.
"No, I just... I just had to answer a quite text." Returning in the hug, I'm glad that he couldn't see the blush on my face. "How was the flight?"
"It wasn't bad. And I think that the three on us slept it through the whole flight." He shifts slightly letting me entering the house. "Barbara's taking a shower washing off the smell of the plane, and Arizona's on the phone ordering Chinese for dinner."
"Rough party, huh?" I chuckle. "Arizona told me that you danced in the party."
"We danced the whole night. My knee was killing me this morning when I woke up." We walk side by side down the hall, and I could see that the colonel indeed is limping slightly.
"I'm on a day off tomorrow, but we can still go to the hospital, have a check up if you want to?" I offer while looking down at his leg with concern, but he shakes his head.
"Barbara and I have something to do in the morning, and our flight leaves in the afternoon. I don't think that I'd have time tomorrow. Next time, I promise." He pats my shoulder in a gesture of appreciation as we enter the living room. "We'd absolutely come back."
Arizona has her back to us putting down the telephone, hearing the conversation between her father and me, she turns around giving me her magic smile that brighten up the whole room.
"Hey baby." She takes the few steps toward me about to greet me like the dozens time she did in front of her father. I brace myself for having the lips that I've been craving for in the last 2 days on mine, but she seems to change her mind halfway to doing so and instead catches me on the corner of my mouth.
I don't know what have gotten into me. Maybe because I really miss her soft lips, and this probably the last chance that I'd have got to kiss her, I lean forward giving her a peck before she pulls away.
"Hey baby." I try to act nonchalantly. "We're ordering in tonight?"
"Yeah." She doesn't see that coming and her face turns to an adorable shade of red. "I saw the news about the collapsed building. I've talked to Karev asking if he needed any help, and he told me that there had no Peds case but you were running between ORs the whole day. I don't want you to worry about making dinner."
"You must be very tired, Callie." The colonel gives me a sympathetic look. "Shouldn't there be more than one Ortho surgeon in the hospital?"
"Dad, Calliope is the best. Everyone wants to have her and only her in the OR when they need an Ortho surgeon." Arizona explains to her father while we sit down on the couch. It's my turn to blush.
"I can imagine that." The man nods his head, looking a little concern. "But is everyone okay now? I don't mean to drag you out to have dinner with us, keeping you from taking care of the patients."
"It's okay, I've finished up all surgeries and we have a team of residents and nurses monitoring everyone." I give him a small smile ensuring him. "You're not dragging me out of my job."
"Are you sure?" He seems not convinced. "You were answering text messages before getting in. Just a few minutes away from the hospital and they have already called you..."
"No, that was not about..." I start to panic because I wasn't actually answering a text by the door. "Just... I have a big surgery next week and have asked a few residents to help me with the research. One of them just gave me an idea and wanted to talk about it."
It isn't truly a lie. The said resident caught me before I left the hospital and asked to arrange a meet to go through it.
"You doctors never rest." The colonel looks between his daughter and me before getting up from the couch. "I'm gonna open a bottle, you deserve to relax tonight."
"Was it Wilson? The resident that texted you?" Arizona continues the conversation after his father left to the kitchen. "She spends a lot of time on Peds because of Karev, but I think that she actually has her heart on Ortho. Her face lighted up the last time she assisted you on a multiple fractures."
"No, actually it was Blake." The words left my mouth before I remember last night Arizona seemed a little upset knowing that Blake and I were at Joe's. I twist the corner of my lips, observing her facial expression secretly. "She finds some studies and thinks that would be helpful. Since I'm not going to work tomorrow, she asks maybe we can meet up in the evening, going through the papers over dinner."
"Oh." Arizona blinks up at me seemingly dumbfounded.
"I haven't confirmed to her yet." I add quickly. "I don't..."
"No no, that's... good... that's... you need the studies and... and you need to eat." She reacts a little too ecstatically. "You should totally go for it. I mean, having dinner with Blake, going over the... the studies."
"Okay, I'll shoot her a text later then." I force my lips to a smile, hiding the disappointment I have inside.
We sit side by side in an awkward silence. Luckily it doesn't last long because the colonel comes back with the wine, and Barbara joins us after she finished the shower.
Dinner arrived shortly after. We moved to the dinner table continuing the pleasant conversation. In a couple of hours I feel like I've been with the Robbins in San Diego the whole time. Barbara spares no expense when it comes to details. Arizona on the other hand said hardly anything, even when invited to join in on the conversation. She seemed blissfully happy sitting by my side with her arm around my shoulders just listening.
I realize that I haven't reciprocated very well, so during a story about Nick pulled Arizona into the dance floor and spun her around like a couple of kids, I casually move closer to her, resting my hand on her thigh. She jumps slightly at the contact but places her hand over mine as I make to pull it away. I squeeze her thigh in reassurance and Arizona responds by tightening her grip around my shoulder and kisses my temple.
"You two make such a cute couple." Barbara says suddenly from the other side of the table.
My cheeks start to color instantly.
"They do, don't they?" The colonel adds causing my cheeks to turn an even darker shade of red.
Arizona jumps up from her seat and starts picking up plates to take them through to the kitchen. I follow suit and grab the rest of them.
"Hey, you okay?" I ask as soon as we're inside the kitchen. "You seemed a little off."
"Yeah, I'm fine." Putting the plate onto the sink, she turns around, reaching out a hand for the ones that I'm holding.
"No, it's okay." I put down the plates and then pick up the plastic gloves. "I'll take care of it. You should go out there be with your parents."
"It's my duty, Calliope. You cook and I wash." She gives me a small smile while trying to take the gloves from my hand, but I pull back before she could snatch them.
"I didn't cook tonight." I say firmly with a raise of my eyebrows, telling her no more argument. "I can wash a few dishes, go and relax with your folks."
"You're amazing, do you know that?" Her blue eyes bore into mine and I feel the color rushes into her cheeks. Quickly, I turn aside trying to hide my face.
"Just go." Nudging her with my hip playfully, I urge her to move on. With my back toward the door, I put on the plastic gloves still have a smile hanging on my lips.
The gently domestic air between us is lovely. How wonderful it would be if it was real?
A pair of hands on my hips making me jump and draw me out of my thoughts. Next I know, the familiar scent invades my sense when Arizona nuzzles her head against my shoulder. She hasn't left to the living room after all.
"Are you really okay?" I watch her in the reflection from the window in front of us, trying to read her face.
"I am okay." She whispers quietly. "It's just... maybe I shouldn't go back out there so quickly. You know, keeping up the illusion that we're madly in love and all that."
"Are you worried that they don't believe we are?" I whisper back, turning on the water to rinse the dirty dishes.
"Definitely not," She admits, resting her chin on my shoulder. "All they've talked about in the last two days was you."
"Then why do you seem... upset?" I frown at her in the window.
"I'm upset because..." She trails off. I could see from the reflection that she's watching the movement of my hands. "My parents are really leaving tomorrow."
"Your dad said that they'd come visit again. And you can always go to them during holidays." I take a deep breath, secretly sad that I wouldn't be a part of their future plans.
"Yeah, I can." Arizona sighs. The hands on my hips slide forward wrapping around my waist fully. I could feel her front pressing against my back that makes my heart skipping a beat. "I'm just gonna miss having them around, you know. My house is going to be so quiet and empty without them, and you."
"I'm not going anywhere, Arizona." I say trying to keep my breathing at a normal level. "We'll see each other at work. And I'd still come over for girls night. Dinners, movies, drinks... You name it, and I'll be here."
"Not tomorrow night though." She leans down and presses her lips on the crook of my neck hiding a soft sigh. "You have the thing with Penny Blake tomorrow night."
"I don't have to..." I turn my head slightly toward her. I want to tell her that I don't have to... actually I don't really want to go out with Blake, but she interrupts me.
"No Calliope, I can't stop you from seeing... I mean, going out with anyone." Arizona tightens the hold on my waist before letting me go, giving me the space to place the rinsed plates into the dishwasher.
A lull falls between us as I work in silence, and she leans against the kitchen island watching me in silence.
After putting everything in place, taking off the plastic gloves, I stand in front of her.
"Are you really okay?"
"Just get a lot on my mind. That's all, nothing for you to worry about." She gives me a smile, the one that her mouth smiles but her eyes keep thinking. It's the thing she does with her patients when she has bad news and doesn't want to say it.
"I do worry about you." I say softly, picking up one of her hands. "I haven't seen you like this."
A long and somewhat awkward silence follows. She doesn't answer me, just looking down at our joint hands and chewing the corner of her lips.
"You can tell me, Arizona." I push as I offer her a cheesy grin trying to look into her eyes. There's only one reason that I could think of causing her sudden sullenness. "I know how much you love your parents, and I know how hard it is for you to lie to them. If you think that it's getting too out of hand and you want to tell them the truth, I..."
"I'm just thinking how hard it would be..." She shakes her head and attempts to smile but her expression doesn't alter, her blue eyes look watery and read nothing but sadness. "It'd break their hearts if we broke up."
"Arizona..." I've never seen her look as vulnerable as she does in that moment. Her eyes are on the floor, her whole body seems to sag further with every word coming out from her mouth. Her normally happy and sunny disposition appeared to be gone and I find myself couldn't help to pull her into my arms.
"In fact, it breaks my heart just thinking about it, even if it would be a fake break up." She mumbles against my shoulder.
"Me too..." I hug her tighter.
We stand there wrapping into each other's arms for I don't know how long. Finally, she pulls away, still unable to look me in the eyes.
"I'm really tired." She jerks her head toward the door of the kitchen. "I think maybe I'm gonna head up to bed early."
"Do you want me to stay?" I ask.
"Yeah, my parents would be happy to spend some time with you." She nods with a tight lips smile. "I'm sure that you'd find an excuse to slip out..."
"No, I mean..." I cut her off, not giving her the chance to continue. "Do you want me to stay with you?"
"Are you sure?" She blinks up at me, surprise written all over her face.
I take a couple seconds to think it through. Am I sure? Not at all. I might be over-stepping the boundaries between us, but I do sure that I don't want to leave her alone when she's obviously in this miserable status.
"You are my best friend, Arizona." Picking up her hand once again, I ensure her as I lead her toward the door. "I'm here for you when you need me."
Passing though the living room, I tell the colonel and Barbara that Arizona and I are tired and heading to bed early. They give us an understanding smile. They know that I had a long day at work, and Arizona was oddly quiet the whole night seemingly exhausted. Walking hand in hand, Arizona and I go upstairs to her bedroom.
She lets me use the bathroom first. Taking out the sleeping clothes that we put in her drawer weeks ago, I go freshening up.
Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I start to question my action - what the hell was I thinking? The least she needs right now is for me to complicated things. Sharing a bed with her, being so close with her wouldn't be a good idea, especially after that morning...
Oh, that morning... Unconsciously, I touch my lips with my fingertips, as if I could still feel her lips on mine...
I shake my head and take a deep breath, steadying myself before going on with my nightly routine.
Coming out from the bathroom, I see that Arizona has one of the windows opens.
"I like to sleep with a bit of fresh air." She explains seeing that I'm looking at the window. "I've taken out the extra blanket so if it's too cold..."
"It's fine, don't worry about it." I smile at her, placing the clothes that I've changed out on the chair in the corner. "I'd like some fresh air too. But it seems that it's gonna rain tonight."
"Yeah, it smells like that." She smiles back while walk around the room toward the window, pulling it back until it just opens a tiny fraction. "This should be okay."
Then, she enters the bathroom and leaves me in her very own bedroom.
It has been 4 weeks since I was in here, preparing the arrival of her parents. The room doesn't change much but there's a photo frame on her nightstand that catches my attention. It wasn't there before.
Walking closer, I could see that it's a photo of Arizona and me outside her house on the same night that we brought my stuff over. We took so many photos that night, and this particular one brings a smile to my face. It is the one that she spontaneously kissed me on my cheek right before I pressed the button.
"My mom really likes that photo." Arizona returns from the bathroom in a thin t-shirt and a boy short. She finds that I'm looking at the photo frame. "I was surprised that she didn't steal it before she left the last time."
"Well, I think that she already has enough pictures of you and me." I laugh softly, and she agrees with a chuckle.
"Do you want to watch a movie or something?" Instead of getting in bed, she walks toward the door. "I don't have a TV in here but I can go get my laptop if you want."
"No, it's okay. I'm sure that I'd fall asleep pretty quickly." I let out an uncontrollable yawn while settling in her bed, and then I pat the empty space next to me. "C'mon, you're tired too."
Arizona turns off the lights before climbing in bed beside me. Her arm lightly brushes against mine but quick as it touches me, it is gone as she subtly folds her hands on top of her stomach.
We both sleep on our backs on our respective sides of the bed, hearing the wind outside the room in silence. It doesn't take long for me to hear the even breathings coming from my side. She must be really tired. The last I remember is that I turned my head, watching the angelic sleeping form of the blonde beauty next to me.
Perhaps an hour later I'm woken up by the sound of heavy rain, and a strong, cold breeze fills the room as the wind picks up outside. In my half sleeping mind, I could feel that Arizona snuggles closer to me for warmth. Instinctively, I press my lips against her forehead before going to close the window. Once I return, I pull the extra blanket from the foot of the bed to cover up our bodies.
"Come here." I whisper and wrap an arm around her shoulder. Instantly, she cuddles up against my side and throw an arm around my torso. She tucks her head into my chest and sighs happily, her face once again lit up by her smile.
I kiss the top of her head before drifting off to sleep once again.
A/N 2: This story is gonna change to rated M in the next chapter ;-)