It's been so long since I've updated this fic and I am so very sorry for that! My muse took off when things got rough at the end of Season 6, but she has now safely returned. : ) I hope you enjoy this next part of my What Happened After… series.
Title: The What Happened After… Series (4/5)
Author: laurenxx3 (iheartcallietorres on ff)
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: T
Summary: The lives of Callie and Arizona between the scenes we see on Grey's, separated into different parts, all beginning with the title "What Happened After…"
Disclaimer: You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. If I did, I'd be a lot richer than a poor college student. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.
A/N: I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).
016. What Happened After… Callie's Gauze Paws (6x12) [T]
I Will be There For You - Jessica Andrews
[Callie's POV]
My entire body ached and itched. I tired to ignore it and go to sleep, but I was finding that task next to impossible. I loved the hospital atmosphere when I was working, but being a patient really sucked, especially since I couldn't even talk to the one person I wanted to.
I sighed heavily and rolled onto my side facing away from the door and brought my hand up to brush my hair out of my eyes, only to be reminded of the gauze that had been secured around my hands like I was a little kid.
I lay there for several minutes, willing myself to fall asleep but unable to concentrate on anything other than the hundreds of itchy welts on my skin that were begging for attention.
I was so caught up in my chicken pox that I didn't even hear the door slide open behind me. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my hip and a soft kiss was being placed on my cheek. I opened my eyes and was met with the sight of blonde hair.
"What are you doing?" I asked sleepily. "You'll get the chicken pox."
Arizona moved up onto the hospital bed, curling up behind me. "So, I get the chicken pox," she said and kissed my shoulder.
I smiled. I really didn't want her to have to go through this crazy itchiness, but my desire to have her here with me far outweighed that for the time being.
"I can't sleep," I whispered miserably.
She kissed my should again before lightly pushing on it. "Roll onto your stomach," she said. I did as she said and was immediately rewarded with her rubbing her hands over my sore back.
"Hmm," I sighed, closing my eyes. As much as I appreciated Mark trying to alleviate some of my pain earlier, nothing compared to Arizona's delicate touch as she ran her hands over my entire back.
I was nearly asleep when I felt her lean down and kiss my temple. I swore I heard her whisper, "I'm sorry," but was too far gone to ask what she meant. I was asleep within seconds afterwards.
[Arizona's POV]
"Calliope, just get in the chair," I ordered for the tenth time. She was being discharged from the hospital having been deemed no longer contagious.
"I am perfectly capable of walking out of here on my own," she argued, eyeing the wheel chair with disdain.
"You know very well that it's hospital procedure, so sit," I said, pushing the chair further into the room.
"But-"
"Callie, get in the chair!" I half-yelled.
"Alright, alright," she complied, sitting heavily in the chair, an adorable pout on her face. "Anyone ever tell you that you're bossy?"
I smiled at my triumph. It was no easy task getting my hardheaded, badass ortho surgeon of a girlfriend to be wheeled out of the hospital. "On occasion," I quipped. I picked up her bag and pushed her out of the room.
"Nice wheels, Torres," Mark teased when we entered the elevator he was already occupying.
Calliope muttered something under her breath that I couldn't quite make out and I'm pretty sure that that was for the better.
"Oh, leave her alone," I berated Mark as the elevator doors opened on the ground floor. I pushed the chair out into the lobby, stopping at the entrance, and set Calliope's duffle bag down. "I'll go bring my car around."
"Nope, no way," Callie said firmly, standing from the chair. "I can walk. It's just across the street."
"Calliope," I started.
"Nope," she said, shaking her head. "I've been laying in a bed for three days. I don't have a fever and I'm not dizzy. I rode in the damn chair. I'm walking to the apartment."
I rolled my eyes, but gave in. "Fine, but you're taking it easy for the next week," I teased. I still felt guilty about lying to her about not having had the chicken pox.
She rolled her eyes. "I'm fine," she stressed as we exited the building. "You don't have to coddle me."
"Why? Afraid it'll ruin your badass reputation?" I asked as I looped my arm around hers. She grumbled something I thought was a Spanish curse, but I wasn't sure, and I chuckled. "Think of it this way, Calliope," I said in a low voice as we waited to cross the street. "I'm going to spend the next week lavishing you with attention and doing my best to get rid of your… headaches."
The walk signal lit up and I left her standing there stunned for a moment before she caught up to me, grasping my elbow and pulling me across the street quicker.
"In a hurry, Calliope?" I asked smugly.
"Uh, yeah, I have one of those killer headaches all of a sudden."
017. What Happened After… Mark (innocently) Joins Callie and Arizona in Bed (6x13) [T]
Valentine - Martina McBride
[Callie's POV]
"Seriously, Calliope, no more sleepovers with Mark," Arizona said as we stood side by side at the bathroom sink brushing our teeth, both wrapped in towels from our showers. "I know he's your best friend," she continued around the toothbrush in her mouth. "And I know that he's pining over Lexie or whatever, but I draw the line at sharing a bed with your ex-sex buddy." She leaned over to spit before rinsing off her toothbrush.
I followed suit, sighing as I placed my toothbrush in the cup next to hers. I still smiled every time I saw her hot pink toothbrush nestled next to my purple one.
I stepped behind Arizona and put my arms around her waist and placed my chin on her shoulder. "He was really upset," I began. "But I agree. It was a one time thing, okay? You're the only one I want to share a bed with." I kissed her shoulder. "Besides, he's a cover hog."
She turned in my arms and placed her arms around my neck. "So no more sleepovers?"
"No more sleepovers," I said, kissing her softly. "I promise."
"You know," she said sweetly with a grin. "I was about to give in last night before he barged in."
I knit my brow in confusion. "Give in to what?" I asked.
She smiled before walking out of the bathroom, leaving me even more confused. I replayed the events of the previous night right before Mark arrived and a light bulb went off. I quickly chased after Arizona, tackling her to the bed and situating myself on top of her. "You were gonna give in, huh?"
"I was before Mark interrupted us. Now you'll have to work for it." She shot me a smug grin and I groaned. "Now get off me," she said. "We have to be at the hospital in fifteen minutes."
I rolled off her with a groan. I was going to kill Mark. This was all his fault.
[Arizona's POV]
It had been fun teasing Calliope the next two weeks after Mark unknowingly spoiled her plan. I didn't withhold sex. I wasn't that mean and, in all honesty, that would be punishing myself as well as Calliope. Have you seen the woman? How could I go a week without sex with her? Even after nearly a year, the sex was as satisfying and mind-blowing as it had been when we first started dating.
Now it was Valentine's Day, our first Valentines Day together. With us both being on call in the evening, we'd decided on an early dinner at Marcella's, a nice Italian restaurant. I checked my make up and smoothed out the invisible wrinkles in dress that I'd purchased just last week for this particular day. It was a black satin sheath dress that fit closely to my body, plunged a bit in the front and fell to a few inched above my knees. It had a red sash that tied in the back and red trim on the bottom. Thin straps over my shoulders held it in place. I paired it with red peak-toe heels and diamond earrings.
"Arizona? Are you almost ready?" Calliope called from the living room.
I gave myself one last glance in the mirror, grabbed my black clutch bag, making sure the small jeweler's box was safely nestled inside, and exited the bedroom. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Calliope standing by the door, ready to go. She wore a fire engine red dress that perfectly accentuated her curves and fell several inches above her knees. She'd curled her hair and it hung loose around her shoulders, framing her exotic features and million-watt smile.
"You look amazing," Calliope said, looking me up and down.
I grinned. "I was going to say the same about you."
She reached out her hand which I took, and we left the apartment.
018. What Happened After… Callie Offers to Help Mark Raise Sloan's Baby (6x14) [T]
Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Lady Antebellum
[Callie's POV]
As soon as the words left my mouth I regretted not considering Arizona first. I didn't regret the offer to help Mark with Sloan's baby in particular. Let's face it, Mark Sloan would need help, a lot of help, raising a baby. But I regretted not talking to Arizona first. I knew I'd be in trouble when she found out about it.
I could have easily not said anything and possibly gotten away with it since Sloan was now gone. But I knew that wasn't fair to Arizona, and there was always the possibility that she'd find out another way. No, I had to take responsibility for my actions and come clean.
In preparation, I cooked Arizona's favorite meal, which happened to be the Chicken Piccata I'd tempted her with that night at Joe's, and bought a bottle of her favorite wine. I topped off the meal with dessert; plump, juicy strawberries and whipped cream to dip them in.
I was just dishing up the Chicken Picatta when the door opened and a tired looking Arizona entered the apartment. "Ooh, I smell Chicken Piccata!" she said excitedly as she hung up her jacket.
I smiled and greeted her with a kiss. "Sit and I'll get everything together." I placed a wine glass in front of her after she'd sat down and poured a healthy amount into the glass.
"Mmm, Calliope, what's the occasion?" she asked, taking a sip.
"What?" I asked, stalling as I set a plate in front of her before sitting next to her.
"You only make my favorite when you're really excited about something or you think you may be in trouble. I'm hoping for the former."
Damn, she knew me too well. I took a bite of the flavorful pasta, avoiding her gaze.
I heard her sigh and take a gulp of her wine. "Alright, Calliope, what did you do?"
"I may have… ," I rushed out.
"All I got out of that was 'Mark' and 'baby,' and I really don't like where my mind goes with that one, so I think you need to say that again. Slower, this time."
I made a face before sighing and placing my fork down and turning to face her. "Sloan told Mark that she was going to give the baby up for adoption and Mark was upset because he'd finally gotten used to the idea of being a grandfather. He was actually excited to help raise the baby. He even bought a crib! By himself! Which is a totally un-Mark-like thing to do and-"
Arizona stopped my rant by placing a hand on my thigh, which was good because I probably would have started speaking Spanish before too long. "Calliope, what does that have to do with you being in trouble?"
I took a deep breath and took her hand in mine, squeezing it reassuringly. "When I saw how upset he was, I kind of offered to help him raise the baby," I finally said.
Arizona was silent for a moment and I felt my heart race in my chest as I started down at our joined hands.
"Sloan's gone," Arizona finally said softly.
I looked up at her. "What?"
"Sloan's gone and you still telling me this?"
I shrugged. "I thought you should know."
"Why?"
She didn't seem upset, which confused me. I'd been expecting her to yell, maybe even cry a little. I shrugged again. "I didn't want you to find out later and think I was trying to keep it from you. I regretted not thinking about you as soon as I offered. I should have taken you into consideration first and I didn't and I'm sorry."
"You're right," she said. "You should have. And the only reason I'm not pissed off at you right now is that you owned up to it and didn't try to hide it. But you still have some serious making up to do, Calliope Torres."
I was shocked. "You're not mad?"
She sipped her wine. "I'm miffed," she said. "And you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight and will pretty much be my slave for the next month or so, but I forgive you."
I groaned. "I really have to sleep on the couch? I made your favorite meal." The couch was short, much shorter than I am, and was lumpy.
She turned back to her food and took a bite. "We'll see."
[Arizona's POV]
Having Calliope as my personal slave was quite fun for me. Technically, it was fun for both of us since most of my demands involved sex, but I was okay with that.
I'd never told Calliope, but I had already known about her offer to help raise Sloan's baby by Mark's side from one of the nurses that had overheard the conversation. When I'd come home that night, I'd decided to see if she would tell me or try and pull a fast one on me. I'd been fully prepared to call her out on it, but wanted to give her a chance first. I would have given her two days.
But she'd told me the same day, which I gave her credit for. The old Calliope that I've heard about probably would have brushed it aside, especially since Sloan left and it was no longer an issue. But she'd owned up to her mistake with no prompt from me, which actually had me a little bit proud of her. I was still angry about the offer to help Mark, of all people, but her ownership had drastically reduced that anger.
I glanced down at my watch and smiled. My shift was over in ten minutes, as was Calliope's. I went off in search of her, first checking the OR board to see if she was in surgery. He name wasn't on the board, so I tried the locker room. When she wasn't there, I wandered to our favorite on-call room, where I found her fast asleep under the covers.
I closed the door softly behind me and grinned. Calliope was not what you'd deem a "pretty sleeper." She lay on her stomach with the covers tangled around her legs, arm hanging over the edge of the bed, mouth open, a small puddle of drool forming on her pillow, and her hair in disarray around her face. A soft snore escaped, making me chuckle. She may not be a "pretty sleeper" to most people, but I found her sleeping habits and positions adorable.
I sat on the edge of the mattress and brushed her dark hair back before leaning down to gently kiss her cheek. "Calliope," I said softly, running, my hand over her back.
"Hmm, I don't wanna go to school," she murmured, still half asleep.
I laughed. "Calliope, wake up, baby," I cooed in her ear. "It's time to go home and I have a few special requests for you to fulfill tonight." I nibbled her ear.
"What?" she said, finally opening her eyes. She smiled when she saw me and rolled onto her back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
"I said," I whispered as I nuzzled her neck, "that I have a few special requests for you to fulfill tonight. You're still on probation, you know."
"Oh, yeah? Well, I hope this probation never ends," she said smugly. "It means more sex."
I rolled my eyes. "You aren't supposed to enjoy probation, Calliope. Now, get up and let's go home. I hope you got a few decent hours of sleep. You're going to need your energy tonight."
019. What Happened After… Callie Reveals That She and Alex Slept Together (6x15) [T]
Wait 'Til You See My Smile - Alicia Keys
[Callie's POV]
The catcalls from the audience and the look of dismay on the face of my girlfriend told me that the secret was out. I swallowed hard and forced out a smile, still feeling a bit nauseous standing on a stage in front of so many people.
My presentation finally over, I made my way off the stage to find my seat beside Arizona. I tried to read her face, but she'd put on a blank mask while she listened intently to the former Chief Webber discuss his AIDS patient.
After the lecture series had ended, we all filed out of the auditorium. I wanted to talk to Arizona and make sure she wasn't mad at me. As soon as we'd cleared the doors and made it out into the hall, Arizona grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hall.
I was confused when she pulled me into an on-call room until she closed the door behind us and turned to me with her arms crossed over her chest. The expression on her face was hard to read. It wasn't classic upset Arizona, but it was far from amused or joyful.
"I love you," I said. She just kept staring at me, rivaling Bailey's stare down look, and I sighed heavily. I sat on the edge of a bed. "It was years ago, Arizona. I'd forgotten all about it before I started thinking about this case."
Arizona uncrossed her arms and moved to stand in front of me. "I know you've had previous lovers, Callie. So have I."
I winced at the use of my nickname.
"But I don't like finding out about them that way," she continued. I conceded her point. "So, is there anyone else I should know about in this hospital? Did you and Shepherd have a thing? What about Collins from Derm? Or Hammond from-"
"Arizona!" I interjected, effectively stopping her. I pulled her down to sit next to me and I turned to face her. "You know about everyone else. I swear. I never told you about Alex because, well, honestly, it wasn't that memorable and not even worth mentioning."
I noticed her soften a bit and I leaned in to kiss her. She responded after only a few seconds of coaxing.
"How am I supposed to work with him now?" Arizona said after a moment. "He's amazing in peds but how can I work with him knowing that's he's seen my girlfriend naked?"
"Well, technically we didn't-"
Arizona placed her hand over my mouth. "Don't even think of finishing that sentence, Calliope Torres."
I grinned behind her hand before reaching up to remove it. "I have a past, Arizona," I said. "But that's where it's all going to stay. In the past. All of them. You're the one I want in my present and in my future."
Arizona smiled sweetly. "Well, I guess I can get over it, then. Eventually. I love you, but Alex is going to have to prove himself worthy of working with me."
I chuckled and buried my face in her neck as I pressed her back onto the mattress, intend on showing her just how much I loved having her in my present and future.
[Arizona's POV]
I'm not usually a jealous person, but thinking of Calliope with anyone else made my green-eyed monster appear with a vengeance. I almost felt bad for Karev when I denied his request to work along side my newly-established friend Teddy and me. Almost. He was just lucky I didn't feel like toting around a bag of bricks or he'd be in serious trouble.
"What did you say to Alex?" Calliope asked when I joined her in the cafeteria for lunch. "He won't even look at me. It's rather amusing, actually."
I smirked. "Good." I took a bite of my salad. "Oh, and tonight's been deemed girls' night. So far, it's Teddy, Cristina, Meredith, you and I. And I'm trying to convince Bailey to join us."
Calliope scoffed. "Good luck with that. How did you get Cristina to agree?"
"Booze," I said matter-of-factly.
"Ah, yeah, that'll do it," she said with a grin.
I spotted Bailey across the cafeteria and saw my opportunity. "Be right back," I said to Calliope before walking towards the shorter woman. "Bailey! You're coming out with us tonight. It's girls' night!"
Bailey looked like she wanted to run away, but I smiled my charming smile, using my dimples to my full advantage.
"I don't do 'girls' night,'" she said, trying to sidestep me.
I moved to block her path. "Oh, come on, Bailey! It'll be fun! Please?" I pouted a bit and batted my eyelashes. I've always had a way of convincing people to do things.
Bailey sighed. "If I agree, will you stop pouting?"
"Super!" I exclaimed. "I'll give you the details when we figure everything out."
I returned to the table triumphantly. "Bailey's in," I said with a smug look.
"What? How did you manage to do that?" Calliope asked, a look of awe on her face.
I blew on my fingernails and buffed them on my scrub top. "I have my ways."
020. What Happened After… Girls' Night (6x16) [T]
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
[Callie's POV]
I stood behind my pouting girlfriend, trying to get her into the spirit of the night. I'd been a bit reluctant when she'd first come to me with the plan of a girls' night, but now I was fully enjoying myself.
"Come on," I said, dragging Arizona to home plate and taking the helmet from Teddy. I plopped it on her head and handed her a bat.
"Calliope, I don't want to swing a stick at an object flying at my head," Arizona grumbled.
"It's not flying at your head, I promise," I said as I positioned her in the batter's box. "Just swing the bat and hit the ball. It feels awesome when you connect."
Arizona held the bat awkwardly behind her as I stepped back. The pitching machine chucked a ball towards her and she swung hard, completely missing the ball. Instead, she lost her balance and fell backwards onto her butt.
We all burst out laughing at the sight. Well, everyone except Arizona, that is, who stood and wiped off her pants. "It's not funny," she grumbled again. She held the bat out to me, but I shook my head.
"Try again," I coaxed.
She stood waiting on the pitch.
"Wait," I said. I walked up behind her and fixed her grip on the bat, having her choke up a little to help with her control. "There. Now when the ball is coming towards you, don't take your eye off of it. Step forward with your left foot, keep your head down and swing all the way through."
This time when the ball was pitched, Arizona swung the back and connected. It rolled about ten feet away in foul territory. Now more determined than ever, Arizona set up for another pitch. She missed the next two, but the third she popped up into left field. She let out a girlish squeal. "I hit it!" she said triumphantly, pumping her fist into the air.
I smiled and hugged her from behind. "Perfect," I said.
"Hey! No McNasty on the softball field!" Cristina said from behind us. I rolled my eyes and reluctantly let go. Arizona handed the bat and helmet off to Meredith and we went to go join Bailey on the bleachers.
[Arizona's POV]
I honestly hadn't thought that swinging bats at softballs would be fun, but I'd eventually come around. It was more about the atmosphere and the people.
After the party had ended, Calliope and I made our way back to the apartment, helping along a rather intoxicated Cristina.
"I hope you don't have to work tomorrow," Calliope said, holding Cristina upright in the elevator.
"Pshaw! I'll be fine." Right on cue, Cristina hiccupped. Calliope led Cristina into her room, allowing her to fall onto her bed.
"Good night, Cristina," Calliope said. "Don't come crying to me in the morning when you have a killer hangover."
I took Calliope's hand and led her out to the living room. "Okay, I have to admit, that was fun."
Calliope grinned. "Told ya," she said, kissing my cheek. "I can't believe Teddy beat me, though." After Teddy's first at bat where she'd smacked one over the fence, she and Calliope had gotten into a homerun hitting contest. Calliope had hit three balls over the fence, Teddy hit four. I'd had to force Calliope to give up when it had started sprinkling, not wanting to get caught in a Seattle rainstorm.
I chuckled. "Well, you beat me," I said as she buried her face in my neck.
"You weren't playing," she said, backing me towards the bedroom.
"Hmm, what if we play another game now? One where we'll both be guaranteed to win?"
"I like the sound of that," she answered as she shut the door behind us. "I get to go first."
"You don't even know what game I'm talking about," I said as I stripped off her jacket and shirt. "Or the rules. Rules are important, Calliope."
"Rules are for sissies," she said, removing my own shirt. "I play by my own rules." She smiled and I felt my knees go weak with want.
"That may be," I said, placing my arms around her neck. "But I happen to like the rules to this particular game. Now, sit down and shut up. We're playing by my rules tonight."