I honestly couldn't wait to post this and I've been traveling coast to coast this week so I had to the time write. I am aiming for updates every Friday or Monday..

Oh..and Callie's date :) ...

Chapter 17 – Strippers in Suspenders

"Why is it that every time I have a date you somehow end up in the picture?! And WHY are you dressed like..." She paused dramatically and eyed the woman up and down, "like a stripper?" Deadpanned the woman on the other side of the door.

"ME!? I was suckered into building shelves for the rest of the evening after a wake AND don't you dare look at me like that!" G threatened back.

"Like what? Like your some player? Whore? Or like you're actually fooling me Gaetana?" The other woman began laughing. "Who builds 'shelves' dressed like the Men in Black? Better yet, who even WEARS suspenders anymore?!" She grabbed one and snapped it back on the taller woman. "Besides like men in their 70's or strippers?" She emphasized the last word especially loud and cynically.

"Hey – I agree with you mystery lady!" Piped in Meredith in the background.

G spun around back into the house shouting back, "Sehen Sie den verdammten Mund Meredith!"

"Yeah, well you're a, a Wiener Schnitzel!" Meredith replied back in a fit of laughter.

The other two women couldn't help but laugh. G whispered to the woman in front of her, "Should I let her know she just called me a veal cutlet?"

"Abso-lutely not Gia. But, why on earth are you actually wearing suspenders? In a tank top at the end of September in New England? I swear I have sports bras that show less than that piece of fabric you call a t-shirt. I guess you have to put work into the ladies now, apparently they make you strip for them now."

"Oh, you do? Says 'Ms. Perfect Perky Tits'? What are you wearing anyways? Are you trying to sell Girl Scout cookies door to door or vibrators to soccer moms? I can see directly down and through your shirt Miss 'I'm a misunderstood Catholic school girl please don't spank me I'm only guilty by association Head Master'. Give me a break here!"

Not even twenty feet away from the bickering women, Callie finally made her way down stairs after freshening up for her new date.

"Where did G go?" Callie stated slightly irritated. Both the red head and dirty blonde nodded towards the front door. "And neither of you are capable enough to answer the door when she clearly has work to do?" She gestured to their lumber yard of a living room. Both women shrugged again and took a simultaneous sip from their wine glasses.

Callie lost a bit of patience at this point: Gia had only one purpose at this point and that was to build Meredith's shelf and desk, and her date was due in 20 minutes. So who ever Gia was insulting at the door, couldn't, shouldn't, be her date.

Marching up to the front door and into the mud room Callie realized she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Shit.

Earlier that morning...

"Thank you for breakfast G."

"No worries Doc, what do you have on the agenda for today?" The taller woman stood up and gathered the plates and started to clean her kitchen.

"There's a lecture I have to go to from 2-6, then I have some cases Dr. Wineberg wants me to get caught up on, nothing exciting seeing as I have work at 8AM tomorrow."

"Well, I'm stuck in the same boat I guess. We have a double wake, 1-7, which is never any fun. Than the funeral tomorrow. The wake is actually by the hospital, would you like a lift to and from? I don't mind, plus it gives me more of a reason to drive that sexy car out front." G wiggled her eyebrows up and down in a suggestive manner.

"Actually, if you don't mind. That would cut my commute down significantly."

"Then it's done." Looking at her watch, "Since its 11, I'll just shower here quick, put on my suit and we can drop by your place, then go from there?"

"Sounds good."

Making herself comfortable in the luxurious office again, she figured she could check her emails while G got ready. She looked at all the photos around the desk, it was easy to point out who her parents were and cousins as well. She had all types of gadgets and things on her desk: a Swarvoski crystal solar system, a coffin business card holder, even a miniature sized solar power hockey rink with moving skaters. You'd imagine it was a child's desk and not a full grown business woman. However, what was most alien was the rotary style rolodex next to a light up LED cube-clock from Tokyo.

Callie remembered as a child her father had several rolodexes on his expansive desk. How she would spin them around, make pretend phone calls while Aria and her would play office. She gave the rolodex a few quick twirls for old time's sake until it landed on a very familiar name...

XXX

"Hey, Andrew are you off shift yet?" It had been a grueling 14 hours for the petite resident, she was more than ready to sleep away the next 12 hours.

"I am right behind you Teddy, let's get the hell out of here."

The pair picked up coffee and some breakfast pastries before heading home, since it was technically time for breakfast. Making way into their kitchen, they were greeted with a not so pleasant sight.

Arizona had her face planted against the kitchen table, lightly snoring and drooling on herself and the table. Beside her head stood an empty bottle of Jack Daniels and a half empty pack of cigarettes. Her hair was plastered to her face and she was still wearing her hospital scrubs.

Andrew rolled his eyes and sighed while Teddy couldn't help but notice the package that she left on the table days prior. It didn't even dawn on her that it was from Timothy until she got a closer look at it. Now seeing the blonde in this shambolic state made sense.

"She got a letter, from her brother, Drew."

Andrew sat across from Arizona at the table, devouring his cranberry apple scone. "Okay? I don't get it Teddy?" Saying between bites.

"It's a letter first responders, cops, firemen and soldiers alike write in the untimely event they perish in the line of duty. Andrew, this package, was meant for Arizona only in the event that Tim died, and well." She shrugged her shoulders and sat beside her friend. "I think this explains why she's drunkenly passed out, reeks of cigarettes, and looks like shit."

Finishing his breakfast and coffee, he tilts his head to get a better look at the blonde. "I take it this means we should be good friends, wake her up, move her to bed, and probably give her some ibuprofen considering she's going to be deathly hung over in a few hours, huh?"

Teddy shook her head in agreement and began to gently nudge Arizona awake. "Hey, Arizona, you have to wake up sweetie." Nudging a bit more aggressively, "Arizona, wake UP!"

Nothing.

Becoming bored with Teddy's delicate handling of the blonde he stood up and grabbed the hose from the sink. He signaled Teddy to move out of the way and everything else in his path. "Move. And move the package too."

"Drew no!"

"Theodora, if there's anything I know, it's how to wake a drunk up. Now, MOVE!"

Teddy barely had time to remove everything from the table before a stream of cold water sprayed down on Arizona. Drenching the blonde locks further, soaking the scrub top and bottoms, Arizona picked her head up to an animalistic growl. Which was met with another jet stream directly in her face.

"ARGHHH!" She began choking on the water and put her hands out to stop the impromptu shower. "WHAT THE- cough – FU – cough – AHH STOP!"

"See, that's how you wake up a drunk Theodora."

"What the HELL Andrew?!" Arizona began to wipe her face down and wring out her shirt. "What the, good god my HEAD! What day is today Teddy?" Planting her elbows on the table, she began to rub her temples with the newly onslaught of pain shooting between them.

"Monday, September 30th, and it's about 930 in the morning. Are you okay?"

"No, I think I'm still drunk. Goodness, I need my bed." She was swaying in her chair to prevent the spins from setting in.

Andrew swept up the blonde in his arms and carried her right into bed. Teddy followed behind them with water, ibuprofen, and a Gatorade. Placing the blonde on top of the duvet he nodded at Teddy and headed out of the room to clean the kitchen. Teddy placed the hangover remedies on the night stand and made sure Arizona was okay.

"Hey, Z, are you okay?" Sitting beside her in bed rubbing her hair back.

"I'm smashed at 9AM on Monday and I smell like an ashtray. I'm fucking fantastic Teds."

Rolling her eyes she got a change of clothes for the woman and figured she'd do the same. Coming back into the room, Arizona was just sitting on the side of her bed, finally changed, and clutching the envelope.

"Arizona?"

The woman didn't move, she sat completely still, statuesque. Teddy made her way to sit beside Arizona, wrapping her arm around her back and resting her head on her shoulder.

"He sent this for me Teddy. And I don't know what to do with myself." Her voice was monotone and cold. "He's dead. And this is all I have left of him." Her tone became filled with rage, "A fucking note, his journal, his first trident and a picture." Breaking out of her confines she threw the envelope at wall and started to sob again. "What am I actually supposed to fucking do with those things Teddy?"

She removed her arm and knelt down in front of her sobbing friend. "Whatever you want to Arizona."

The sobbing stopped and narrowed her glare, "What does that even mean?" she nearly spat at the woman.

"It means, you can do whatever you want with those things. Light them on fire, give them away, put them in storage, whatever you see fit."

The range of emotions Arizona was exposing was only amplified by the remnants of Jack Daniels filtering through her liver. Teddy had only seen this side of Arizona once, and that was when her high school sweet heart Carli dumped her at the beginning of their first year as undergrads.

Picking her chin up to force the miserable blue eyes on hers, "Arizona, Tim loved you so very much. But he knew very well that this could happen as did you. You can't be mad at him forever and you can't beat yourself up over this every day."

"I miss him Teddy. I was supposed to become a surgeon and go there. Protect him. Help him. Now I can't even do that. It wasn't supposed to happen like this Teds." Quiet sobs left her mouth.

"Hey, hey, hey. You can still help so many others Arizona. And you will and you are doing that now. Okay?" Arizona barely nodded. "Listen, you need to get some sleep okay? You're exhausted and need to relax."

Teddy stood up and helped the blonde into her covers. Arizona was laying on her back, looking at Teddy more broken than ever. She stroked the side of her face, "Get some rest, and try to turn off your brain. Alright?"

"Thanks Teddy."

"Don't mention it." Teddy got up and left the blonde to rest for the remainder of the morning...

'Phoenix, come in. Phoenix can you hear me?'

'I hear you Tin Man, what's your status?'

It's dark, like blinding darkness. Arizona can't see or sense anything except for Timmy's voice. It's sounds so close but so far away. She's lost all means of direction except for her brother's voice. There's a deafening silence followed by the sounds of airplanes and bombs in the background. It's hot, unbearably hot. The woman can barely breathe through all the smoke and dry air.

'It's looking grim, we we're hit with another mortar assault, and they're coming in fast. Phoenix we can't hold them back, you have to leave now.'

'Hold on TinMan, I'm coming now.'

'Phoenix you have to go – it's not safe over here. Go help the others who are injured'

'Timothy I am not going to let you die. Where are you? Are you injured?'

'Arizona you have to go, it's not safe and I am not making it out alive. Please leave, save yourself and the others.'

'Timothy NO!'

Muffled sounds of gun fire fill the air. Unsuppressed bullet rounds ricochet around the blonde – hostile fire.

'TIM! Where are you? Answer me! Can you hear me? TIM!'

The gun shots become louder and closer. Arizona tries to run but she can't see anything, only hear the sounds of bullets and jets flying above. Panic seeps into her veins, 'TIM! Please answer me!'

Running aimlessly in the blackness, kicking up sand and drenched in sweat, she screams his name again. Her voice is horse and dry, until coming to the end she sees a light. 'TIM! TIM! I'm coming please wait! Hold on, please! TIM!'

Sprinting as fast as she can toward the light, faster and faster into the sound of war: the screaming, the spent bullet rounds hitting the ground, the planes, using everything in her being to get to her brother before it's too late.

She's so close, so freakin' close to where she needs to be. She can hear her feet slamming into the sand, her breathing is ragged, sweat dripping into her eyes, the body armor weighing her down. She can make it, she has to make it.

Pushing and pushing onward, until she falls…

She fires up from her sleep, gasping for air, almost wheezing. She's home, in bed, in her PJ's, in Boston. She's alive. Her chest is heaving from the surreal dream. Her body is covered in a cold sweat. Closing her eyes again, she tries to calm herself down.

'Just a dream Arizona, just a dream.' She repeats to herself. Reaching for the bottle of water on the nightstand, she quenches her dry pallet, and begins to unwind. Resting her back against the headboard she steadies herself even further, trying to recall the events prior to her macabre nightmare. 'Just a dream, just breath.'

A blinking red light from her Black Berry gives her the much needed distraction she desired. Picking the mobile device up, she scrolls through emails, several text messages from her ex, a text from Cling-on Colleen, another nurse, and…'Wait a second, 305 area code? Who is that?'

'Hey Arizona, its Callie, wanted to know when you'd like to get that coffee ;-)' – C

'How in the world did Callie get my number?' she thought to herself. Realizing it was already 4 in the afternoon and this message was sent at 1130, she probably didn't want coffee anymore.

'Hey Callie, do I even want to know how you got my number ;-)?' – A

'Anyways, I had a long nite in the ER, maybe we could grab dinner 2nite instead?' – A

'Smooth Robbins.' She thinks to herself. 'I doubt she'll even answer me. Sort of sound like Cling-on Colleen'

A couple hours later…

"Wait, wait, wait…You lost me at the part where I have to speed to your house because you have a HUGE date at 815 AND I have to build Meredith's Ikea collection AKA the lumber yard in your living room?"

"Precisely Gaetana. See, you didn't miss a thing, now GO – it's a green light."

Accelerating down Mass Ave. G couldn't help but shake her head at dominate and demanding Calliope. It had been the first time she's seen this side of the woman, but she was thoroughly enjoying it.

"Okay, Ms. Torres, anything else I can do for you while you're on your date?"

"Nope, just as long as that awful mess is cleaned up, I don't care. I'm promising food and beer in exchange as well."

"You're lucky I am even doing this Callie. While I'm in my suit. AND I'm letting you drive my cousin's car. I mean, really?"

"Really." And she flashed her biggest smile at the other woman.

Gaetana was historically a sucker for a gorgeous woman, and Callie had her wrapped around her finger. Although this was very unlike Callie, she really wanted her date to go off without a hitch, and G was the only person she knew who could do that. They mutually agreed to no longer have sex and see other people and G promised she'd always be a good friend to Callie whenever she needed it.

And right now, Callie needed a friend like G.

"So, aside from you having me pussy whipped, no pun intended, who is this magical date with anyways? I've never seen you this excited or nervous before."

"No one you'd know. Or I hope you didn't know. But it was spur of the moment, she's a very busy woman."

G had her suspicions it was Arizona, she would have put money on it actually. But she didn't want to press the issue. She was secretly hoping it was Arizona anyways. She'd grown fond of the woman beside her and personally wouldn't want any other old woman dating Callie, she deserved the best. Same for Arizona, poor woman has seen her share of grief, she needed that megawatt smile to brighten her up. Speaking of megawatts, the electricity between the two could give anyone within five feet of the pair a third degree burn. They needed one another.

"Okay Callie, well since this seems like a very important date, what are you wearing?"

Cocking her head to the side, "Going K.I.S.S. – keeping it simple stupid."

"Haha okay Casanova, are you aiming for a K-I-S-S too?"

"Maybe I've already had one." She side smirked at the woman.

"I really can't believe I'm building all of this shit for your roommates right now."

"Get over it."

Present time…

"Gaetana, who is at the door?"

The two woman stopped insulting one another, and G turned on a heel to face the woman.

"Oh, Calliope, I think you know who's at the door. Let's all go inside, shall we?"

The trio walked into the house, with Callie leading the way. Stopping in the living room, "Guys, I think you both know Arizona. Arizona, you know Meredith and this is uh, Addison. My third roommate and best friend from Miami."

Addison couldn't help but look at all four women in front of her, it was like a really bad lesbian dating square.

G noticed the glare from Addison and challenged it, "What are you looking at red?" she teased.

"Well, for one this looks like a really bad lesbian porno. Between your ridiculous suspenders and tattoos, from Arizona's flannel, and Callie's knee high boots. Fuck it, just throw in Meredith because – why not make it an orgy!"

"Don't make fun of my boots Addison! Arizona looks cute in that flannel, but the suspenders, I am at a loss. But what I really think is you're just jealous you can't be part of our bad porno lesbian orgy."

Addison stared directly at G responding to Callie, G had long left the conversation after the 'lesbian porno' jab and picked up the instructions to build the shelf. She didn't even notice the fetal goddess burning a hole through the fold out of instructions.

"Oh, believe me Callie, I could if I wanted too."

Callie quirked her brow at Addison and nodded and turned to Arizona who looked just as confused.

"Well, I uh, we'll be back in a couple of hours. Have fun building that shelf G."

"Oh I will Arizona, don't worry about that."

Callie and Arizona waved their good byes and made way into the September night. Despite everything around them, this felt incredibly right.

XXX