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: Once again, thank you very much for reading my fic, and I am grateful that you guys like it even though their romance is building in a slow progress. The backstory of this Callie is slowly revealed in this and the next chapter, I am kind of nervous about this, hope you would like it.

P.S./ I thought I won't care about the reviews, but I was wrong, it feels great ;-)

Chapter 6

Callie was in a shitty mood for days, everyone in the pub knew it but didn't know why, except Joe, her co-bartender who worked with her alongside for over 5 years. The two spent long hours together worked side by side, it wasn't hard to build up a bond between them, especially after all those late night heavy drinking heart-to-heart talks.

When Callie decided to close down the pub in New York, she made an incredibly tempting offer to Joe, that she would transfer the business to her loyal ex-employee with only half of the market value. But Joe turned her down, because Callie was going to start over again in Seattle, he was going to follow her to the world. The big guy had a soft spot for the Latina.

Today when he went back to work, he found the perkiest waitress in the house, April was weeping in the corner of the storage room, he immediately knelt down and put a comforting hand on her shoulder "What's happening honey, something's wrong?"

"I… I… arrived, Cal.. Cal… Callie said she… she... wanted... coffee.."

"Breathe honey, breathe or we won't go anywhere, take a deep breath and then talk." Joe was coaching April to breathe like she was going in labor. After a couple of deep breaths, her breath sounded more even and the tears stopped trickling down, she continued.

"Callie said she wanted some coffee but someone was cleaning the machine, so I offered to go over to the coffee shop to pick up something for her, and she said she wanted a scone. When I returned she was angry that I got her a small coffee instead of a big one, and she threw the scone in the trash because I got a blueberries one instead pumpkin… And she started to talk to me in Spanish... " The water work was about to start again when April revived the boss's outburst of anger.

Joe scowled his disbelief at Callie's behavior, because Callie wasn't the kind of boss who liked to voice her appreciations to her employees superficially, but she also wasn't the kind of boss who would throw a tantrum to her helpers. They need to talk, and soon

After consoled April and told her to fresh up a bit before opened the door, he found his way to go up to Callie's apartment.

Obviously Callie ran back home in a raging mind, the door wasn't closed. Joe knocked on the door gently then pushed it open "It's very dangerous to leave the door opened, even though you think it's safe in here. I could be a burglar, you know."

Callie reposed on her red couch with her eyes closed, glimpsed at Joe for a split second, then shut them again.

"Callie…"

"I am fine, just tired and headache, I am going to take a nap for a while, I'll come down before happy hour started."

"This is not going to work Callie." He moved further into the apartment "I don't mean me handling the bar, I mean you have to deal with your emotion."

"I am fine, I'll go to apologize to April later, just leave me alone for the moment, OK?" Callie was getting annoyed, she just wanted to have a moment to herself.

"Not just April, everyone knew something was off. You used to make jokes with the customers, you never yell at waitress but you scolded at Reed the other day just because she broke a tumbler, and you almost threw someone out because he quipped you couldn't mix a mean screwdriver."

"Hey, that was a serious accusation to a bartender, he said his great grandma could make a better screwdriver. He was lucky you were there to stop me." Callie shot up from her seat, still heated from the memory of that jerk.

"My point is, you are not in your good shape honey." Joe sat down on the coffee table right in front of Callie, landed his giant hand on her knee. I don't think it will get any better if you still refuse to face your true feeling toward Arizona."

Callie just looked down on her knee staring at Joe's hand, so the big man continued "Of course I knew you like her, you were happy when she was around, I haven't see you like this since… you knew who. I know you are scared, but you can't be too afraid to love, my dear. If you don't try, you'll never know you'd get hurt, or you'll gain the love of your life."

"But Mark was right, I just escaped from a place, I shouldn't jump to another relationship so fast."

"You are thinking too much, wasn't you said that life is short, talk fast?"

"No, that was Lorelei Gilmore." Callie gave a hearty laughs, he always had a way to lighten the mood.

"Whatever. Listen, you got burnt, badly, boo hoo! You can't stop live your life. You made bad decision, so terrible that I couldn't even believe someone smart like you could do, but you learned from it, right? Just let it run its course, maybe this will lead to a love affair, maybe this will lead to a BFF situation, who knows? If it goes south and you want to pack and going again, I have your back 100%."

"Joe…"

"I'll go down to get the pub open, you just take your time, Wednesday won't be too busy so you can take a break, we will be fine."

Leaned over to kiss the Latina on the cheek, Joe left her alone in the apartment.

Teddy and Arizona arrived in Horizon side by side, quickly gazed out to the bar, they only saw the big guy over there serving beverages. Arizona was slighted relaxed that she didn't have to enter the place under the beautiful Latina's sight, she thought she couldn't handle another time without the radiant smile to welcome her.

Teddy led Arizona toward the seating area where some of their colleagues were already there, Alex was talking to Cristina and Meredith, and Derek was saying something to a defeated looking Lexie, and he looked very serious.

"What is happening about those two?" Teddy whispered to Cristina and gestured her head indicated that she was asking about the in-laws.

"She criticized a decision made by the neuro god during a surgery, in front of everybody." Cristina replied indifferently, then returned to the conversation between the other friends.

Sensing the tension on that side of the table, the new comers decided to stay out of it, turned their focus on the other companions.

"So Yang, you really are not going back to Hunt then?" Alex asked while he popped another peanut in his mouth.

"It's not your business."

"Come on, you are living above a pub together with the owner of this place, I'm sure she keeps boozes everywhere, or you can sneak down here to immerse your liver into tequila anytime you want. And as you said she stuffs the cabinets and the fridge, she cleans, she even brought a freaking big flat screen TV putting in the living room. And don't forget you live across the street from the hospital now, you could get in there faster than anyone of us. You are like living in a paradise, who would want to leave?"

"Alex…" Meredith tried to stop him.

"The flat screen had delivered?" Arizona burst out asking, made everyone looked at her. "I… I were just surprised, the store said they were unable to deliver until next week."

"I don't know how, but it was upstairs in the living room now." Cristina answered nonchalantly, 'cos she really didn't care.

"I'm telling you, if you go back to Hunt, I call dibs on the room upstairs, I can't stay in Meredith's forever anyway. Hey hey, Callie has three rooms right? Maybe she won't mind to rent me one of them. A hot woman likes her need a dude likes me to stick around to protect her." Alex went on and on with his pompous speech, that earned an eye rolling from Cristina, and smirks from both Arizona and Teddy.

"First of all, I don't know if I would ever go back to the fire house. Secondly, you protect Callie? Did you see her forearms? She could easily lift a case of beer and throw it across the room, she could be the one protect you. And you can't call dibs to the room because it is depends on Callie, not your dibs."

"But Cristina, there had nothing could not be solved, it's a pity to throw a marriage away." Teddy couldn't help but to interrupt the young doctors, after all, she was Owen Hunt's best friend for years.

"I don't know Teddy, and I don't want to talk about this any more, I need drinks." Then the Asian stood up and walked toward the bar.

"I'll go to help her." Arizona followed.

On their way to the bar, Arizona tried to have some small talks with the sad woman "So, how are you holding up?"

"Peachy. Hey Joe, we want another round." She looked around the pub and continued "Where is Cal? She's not working tonight?"

"She wasn't feeling very well, having a rest upstairs, I don't know if she's coming down tonight." Joe answered while pouring the tequila into the shot glasses.

"What is wrong with her? She'd been moping around for days, even worse than me." Cristina grumbled under her breath, but both Joe and Arizona could hear her.

"She will be fine." Joe answered and placed the beer in front of the 2 women. Cristina grabbed the tray of tequila and turned her heels back to the table, and Arizona was about to take the beer, Joe stopped her and said "Ah Arizona, would you mind to go upstairs to check up on Callie? She was having headache hours ago, I don't know how she is doing now, what's better than to have a doctor to check if she's still alive?"

"I don't know, Joe…."

"Just go up to see if her headache's getting worse, oh and make sure she eats something, she tends to skip dinner when she isn't feeling well."

"I really don't think I should go up…"

"Listen, I can't leave and we both know that we couldn't count on Cristina to take care of Callie could we? Just go, I'll have April brings the bottles to the table. I know Callie stocked foods in the apartment, but if she needs something else, just call and I'll get it for her."

Arizona was about to protest again but man, who would know those small eyes could stare. Besides, deep down she would like to see if Callie was alright. That was why, she found herself outside of Callie and Cristina's loft, knocking on the door genteelly.

Moments later the door opened and there was the sleepily looking Latina, who looked stunned to see the blonde stood outside her home.

"What are you doing here?"

"Ummm… Joe said you were not feeling well and sent me up to check up on you. I… If… It seems you are resting, I should better get going." Arizona backed herself to leave, but Callie grabbed her wrist to stop her movement.

"I am sorry of being rude, I just got up from the nap, a little fussy. Do you want to come in?" Callie loosed the grip and stepped aside, made room for the visitor to pass.

Arizona slowly entered the apartment, looked around in the living room and found most of the purchases they made already delivered, indeed included the flat screen TV.

"I saw most of the things arrived, why didn't you call me? I promised to help arranging them in placed." She turned around talked to Callie who was in the kitchen now.

"I was kind of preoccupied lately, and didn't want to engage too much of your free time. Do you want something to drink?"

"Water would be fine." Arizona walked to the kitchen to take the glass of water that offered by the host. "Maybe you should sit down, how are you feeling? Headache?"

"Much better now, thanks. Didn't sleep well lately, felt better after a nap." She walked toward the couch, and Arizona followed suit.

"Do you want something to eat? Joe is worried that you don't feed yourself." Arizona tried to look Callie in the eyes, but the other just stared straight in afar.

"I'm fine, I'm not hungry." Then the both of them just sat in the couch fell in a very uncomfortable silent.

After felt like eternity, Arizona couldn't take it anymore. "Did I do something… to offense you?"

"Excuse me?" Callie snapped out of her haze.

"Did I do something to offense you? We had good time during the couple of times we were together, we were fine when we went shopping for the furniture last week. And sudden you pulled away, you cancelled on me, that was fine because I knew you could be busy or something, but when I went to the pub you literally avoided me, tried to brush me away like I was some sort of stalker. And now I am here visiting my sick friend, you made me feel like I am totally unwelcomed. Maybe I am. Just tell me what is the problem? I really thought we could be friend."

"Arizona…"

"No, seriously, just tell me what did I do wrong, it is OK if you don't want to befriend with me, I have people lining up to be my friend, I am a pleasant, genuine, desirable, awesome friend. It's your lost but I just need to know why."

"It's not you, it's me, OK?"

"What are you talking about? Are you breaking up with me? This is the most cheesy breakup line in the history." Arizona couldn't help but laughed at what the Latina just said, that made the other woman laughed along.

"Just listen to me before you started to ramble again OK?" She continued when the blond nodded. "I like you."

"I like you too."

"No, Arizona, I like you like you. Like I want to hold your hand, take you in my arms, kiss your lips, damn it I want to kiss all over your body, I want to throw you in my bed and make you writhe underneath me, that kind of like you."

Shock couldn't be enough to describe the blonde's reaction "Didn't you marry to a man? You slept with Mark…. You like men… What? Are you having a bi-curious?"

"What? No! You didn't know?" Callie's voice raised an octave in surprise.

"Know what?"

"I am a bi, but no longer curious like 15 years already. Didn't Mark tell you that?"

"Ha, he didn't." This time it was Arizona screamed.

"Consider he told me you're a gold star during the first time we met, I am surprised he didn't tell you I play for both teams."

"You'd think?"

After another moment of silent, Arizona shifted to the coffee table to sit right in front of Callie "Why didn't you tell me, talk to me, instead of avoiding me?"

"Because it is complicated." Callie let out a frustrated sigh, concentrated on the invisible thread in the hem of her shirt instead of looking at the blue eyes in front of her.

"OK let's be honest, I like you too. I like that we are comfortable together, I like that we are happy, I am happy when I am around you. And now I am happy that I am not heading to a cul-de-sac."

Still avoiding eye contact, Callie whispered "But you have a girlfriend, I don't want to get between the two of you."

"Who said I have a girlfriend?" Arizona frowned.

"I saw you two together, you were with her on her birthday, and and and… one of the night you rushed to home because she was waiting for you."

"Colleen… She was not my girlfriend." She sighed. "I need a drink, do you have any wine in here?" Callie stood up and walked toward the kitchen "white?" "Great." Then she took out a bottle and poured two glasses for them, she also needed it. All the while, Arizona kept explaining.

"I wasn't in a relationship with her, we were purely… friends with benefit, at least I thought. She wanted more but I didn't, that's why that night I had to rush out to break it with her." She took the offered wine and took a gulp of it. "Wait a minute, the king of gossip didn't tell you this? He knew the whole chaos because he was my consultant, and he was proud of it. He even shared this story with the handy man of the building when the guy came over to fix his toilet."

"He didn't! He told me Miranda Bailey was doing a male nurse in one of the room in the hospital, he told me Teddy Altman went on those online dating things and ended terribly every single time, and he filled me in with the situation of Cristina and her husband… But he didn't tell me anything about you and your girlfriend."

"I do not have a girlfriend."

"Whatever. When I talked to him, he didn't correct me…" They looked each other in the eyes, both a bit confused.

"Something's up in his sleeve..." Arizona said.

"He's trying to protect us, from each other." Recognition started to kick in in the mind of the Latina's.

"What do you mean?"

"I told you, it's complicated."

"You know, you can't just use those words every time when you don't want to explain something." Arizona raised her eyebrow.

"Well, we can start with… I am still married."