A/N: I'm sorry for the huge gap between updates. But I finally managed to sit down and churn out the next chapter. Thanks for all the reviews from the last chapter and those that PM'd me between then and now to check up on me.
The feeling of her legs being squashed wakes Arizona from her slumber as she fights against the need to open her eyes. Blindly trying to kick off the reason for her discomfort, Arizona discovers that this object will not be budged. Finally relenting, Arizona opens her eyes and comes face to face with an Asian lady who is sitting on her legs and scowling at her.
"Torres, your bimbo is awake," the woman yells out in the general direction of Callie's room as she sips from the coffee cup in her hands as she shoots a death stare to the blonde she is sitting on. Both occupants of the couch hear the sound of Callie reluctantly getting out of bed from the curse words that are exclaimed as the Latina trips over the various pieces of junk on her floor.
"You're sitting on my legs," Arizona says as she points out the obvious, wondering if this woman is like Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory who has a particular sitting spot for perfect lighting and air flow with nothing coming between her and the spot. And this includes someone already occupying said spot.
"And you're sleeping on my couch so let's just call us even," the woman replies in an unconcerned tone as if they are talking about the weather.
"I'm sorry…" Arizona manages to stutter out as she tries to get a bearing on this odd situation. "I'll get off the couch if you would be so kind and get off my legs." Arizona adds as she makes the connection that this woman is Callie's roommate who is fond of giving Christmas presents that have no real use for the receiver.
"You snooze, you lose," the woman replies as she settles into her position on the couch and turns slightly to face Arizona. "Out of curiosity, were you that bad in bed that Torres kicked you out? Because that's got to be a first for her because she is usually the Good Samaritan for Seattle's lesbians. Seek and you shall orgasm," the woman says with a completely straight face.
"What? We never slept together," Arizona exclaims in a slightly insulted voice. "I just got out of a very serious relationship and we just met."
"Yeah, that's what they all say. I'll let you come up with a better excuse for why you are so lousy in bed."
"It's true," Arizona replies. "She just gave me a place to stay due to some personal issues outside of my control."
"Yeah, a place to stay - in her pants," comes the reply causing Arizona to scowl in annoyance. "You are so Torres's type and because of the stream of women coming in and out of this apartment – I know way too many details of what is Torres's type is." the woman replies, already bored with the conversation about her roommate's sex life. Silence settles between the two women as Arizona slowly loses feeling in her lower extremities as the blonde tries to think of a solution to her predicament – both her physical entrapment and her homelessness.
"Yang, I would get off her if I was you," Callie says as she finally stumbles out of her own bedroom and makes a b-line for the coffee machine.
"Why?" Yang questions as she has been secretly enjoying making this woman's morning as uncomfortable as possible. Yang always gets the short end of the straw of hearing way too much from the occupants of Callie's bed and she finally has an opportunity to get her own back.
"Because you are sitting on Doctor Arizona Robbins, the new pediatric surgeon at the hospital and I'm sure she could use a good set of hands on her floor."
"I thought that was what your hands were for," comes Yang's quick quip before her mind can discern the dreaded word of pediatrics from the rest of the sentence. As her mind catches up with her mind, Yang jumps off the couch as if she has been burnt by the woman she had been sitting on. "Oh, I am sorry… you enjoy the couch for as long as you want. In fact, keep the couch if you have enjoyed sleeping on it so much," Yang says with a slight bow. Yang slowly backs away from Arizona as she doesn't want to put her foot in her mouth any more than she already has. There is only one thing worse than being on a Ped's service and that's being part of the Gynecology Brigade. Yang had been sitting on a woman who could make her life a living hell.
Callie lets out of a snort of laughter as Yang scowls as the tables have been well and truly turned. "If I end up on Ped's service, I will make you pay," Yang snarls quietly to her roommate as she stomps to her own room, shutting the door behind her.
"So I see you've met my roommate and it's good to see that you are building a close relationship with your new work colleagues." Callie says as she silently offers Arizona a cup of coffee.
Arizona massages her legs to increase the blood flow to her legs as she nods for a cup of coffee. "What can I say; I have a way with people." Standing up, Arizona takes the offered cup from Callie's outstretched hand and broaches a subject that was so delicately raised by Yang. "So, your roommate seemed to think that I was your latest conquest due to the stream of women that grace your bed," Arizona says with slightly raised eyebrows.
Coughing slightly, Callie feels as if those brilliant blue eyes are staring right into her soul and stripping her bear with the ugly truth of her nocturnal companions shown as clear as day. "Oh, you know Yang, she likes to exaggerate things and stir up trouble," Callie says trying to brush off the veiled question about her past.
"I actually don't know Yang, so please; enlighten me with what she meant." Arizona replies, not letting go of the issue. Callie had been just as evasive about her past last night and although Arizona knows she has no right to question Callie's life choices. But that doesn't stop the nagging feeling that Arizona just needs to know.
"It's like I said last night, just do the exact opposite that I do and you will be fine," Callie cryptically replies for a second time, mirroring the words she uttered last night.
"And what exactly did you do?" Arizona exasperatedly questions as she feels herself becoming increasing confused as this conversation seems to be going in circles.
"Exactly what Yang said," Callie replies as she stares straight at Arizona, daring for the blonde to judge her for her lifestyle choice. "I'm going to take a shower as my shift starts soon. You're welcome to use it after me." Callie says, as she changes the subject and she already knows that she has said too much.
Walking away, Callie doesn't see the confused look on Arizona's face as the blonde's resolve hardens to find out the truth about Callie's past.
Arizona's mission into discovering Callie's past proves to be more difficult than she had expected. As a newbie in the hospital, Arizona only has a rudimentary understanding of the social circle. Arizona had taken to badgering nurses to discern who were Callie's friends and learnt they were the Nazi and the Manwhore
Doctor Bailey, had proven to be highly unhelpful in talking about Torres as once the name had been spoken, the temperature in the corridor had dropped to absolute zero. The death stare that Bailey had leveled at Arizona had made the blonde feel like a six year old being told off for breaking her mother's favorite vase. Bailey had then berated Arizona for not acting in a professional manner and Arizona had obtained firsthand knowledge of why Bailey's nickname had been given to her.
Arizona's second attempt had also crashed and burnt as she had tracked down Callie's supposed best friend – one Mark Sloan. The man started the conversation looking at her face but had ended up staring at her chest which had made Arizona feel uncomfortable. He had also stonewalled Arizona and as he already knew that she was a lesbian, he started to question Arizona's motive. The conversation had taken a sexual turn when he questioned whether she was interested in Callie – because in his own words, "that would be hot". This had caused the man to get a glazed over expression and Arizona knew that his mind had gone to the gutter. Arizona had quickly ended the conversation as she suddenly felt the need to have a shower to wash the sleaze from the Manwhore off herself.
At her wits end, Arizona decided to have one final roll of the dice. "Doctor Yang," Arizona calls out down the hallway as she sees the roommate scurrying away from her like a frightened mouse. "If you have a minute, I was wondering if we could have a chat."
"Ah…I'm a little busy. Surgery," Yang replies over her shoulder, not even breaking her stride.
"No you don't, I checked the board." Arizona answers as Yang finally stops and waits for the bane of her existence to catch up.
"Look, I'm sorry for abusing you this morning but how was I to know that you were a surgeon." Yang says as she wants to get on the front foot in this conversation. "I was clearly wrong as you really aren't Torres's type. Firstly, she never sleeps with people from the hospital anymore." Yang adds as she tries to think of a way to escape from the Ped Surgeon.
"Just stop talking," Arizona cuts in. "I just want to ask you a question about Callie," Arizona adds.
"What's in it for me," Yang replies with a drawl as she realizes that the blonde surgeon is at her mercy. Most of Callie's circle of friends has become fiercely protective of the Latina and wouldn't take well to any nosing about from a new surgeon. However Yang doesn't have that moral dilemma as she lives and breathes surgeries.
"I won't put you on my service which seems like a win-win situation for the both of us," Arizona says as she can easily imagine Yang scaring the sick children on her floor.
"And…" Yang says, knowing that she now holds the upper hand and can get more out of Arizona.
"I'm doing a hole in the heart repair on a three year old tomorrow and you can be first assist." Arizona offers, already knowing that the way to bribe Yang is through her love of the scalpel.
"Deal, so what do you want to know?" Yang asks as she leans against the hospital corridor wall. Yang expected a question about the current Callie Torres – maybe who she was seeing or something like that.
"Tell me the whole truth about Callie's past," Arizona says, deciding there is no point beating around the bush with this woman.
Scoffing slightly, Yang responds, "That's your question? Ask any nurse and they can tell you because the whole hospital knows about that."
"I don't want the gossip, I want the truth. And as her roommate, I'm figuring that you would know the most accurate version of what happened. Sloan stonewalled me and Bailey shot me down, saying that it was none of my business."
"It really isn't any of your business," Yang replies.
"I'll put you on my service for a month," Arizona threatens, needing to know about Callie's past at any cost.
"If that is what you want to know, I'll tell you. But if Torres finds out that I told you I will hurt you because she will break my face. So settle down and I will tell you the story. Torres married O'Malley also known as 007 for his tendency to kill patients in our intern year or Bambi because of the clueless expression that always graces his face."
"The guy who always looks like he is about to cry?" Arizona questions, surprised that Callie could fall in love who seems to be her complete opposite. Arizona had seen O'Malley around the emergency room and hadn't thought there was much of a man to him.
"Yeah that's him, she was head over heels in love with him. He was fond of her kind of like someone is of the nice, little lady down the street," Yang continues as Arizona grimaces slightly as unrequited love is perhaps the greatest distance anyone can fall. "They got married in Vegas and their marriage was a disaster from beginning to end. But the crux of the matter is that he cheated on her with his best friend, Izzie Stevens."
"The resident with who use to be a model?" Arizona queries, making sure that she is putting a name to a face.
"The one and only," Yang answers as she continues to speak. "O'Malley told Callie about his little indiscretion. Torres begged him to choose her as she was willing to forgive him, move on with their lives and their marriage. But O'Malley picked his best friend over his wife and they got a divorce. The failed marriage destroyed all her self-confidence. She became a shell of her former self."
"That's terrible," Arizona exclaims under her breath as she begins to understand why Callie had been so secretive about her past. The Latina did truly understand what Arizona was going through. 'Thanks for telling me and I promise to keep you away from the Ped's floor," Arizona adds as she turns to leave.
"Do you want to know the other half of the story?" Yang asks, realizing that Arizona has no idea about the second heartbreak her roommate suffered.
"There's more? How can there possibly be more?" Arizona questions turning back around, unsure if she even wants to know what other misfortune could have befallen the Latina beauty.
"There's a lot more Blondie. For a while after the relationship after O'Malley, Callie just did the friends with benefits with Sloan. It was the no muss, no fuss relationship where no one could get hurt. But then she started her relationship with Erica Hahn, the Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery here. They went on a Sapphic journey of discovery together and Hahn started to put Torres back together. The badass Torres was coming happen. They were happy in and seeing leaves and crap."
"Hahn? I don't think I've met her yet." Arizona says as she wracks her brain to remember if she has met such a surgeon.
"You wouldn't have because she doesn't work here anymore. They had an argument about a patient's treatment which became an argument about Torres couldn't be kind of gay due to her initial confusion about having feelings for a woman. So Hahn left – simply disappeared. She handed in her resignation without telling Torres and left Seattle. Essentially abandoned Torres."
Arizona's mouth drops open in shock as she realizes her own heartache seems to pale in comparison to this disastrous love life. "She just left?"
"Yeah disappeared into the car park, never to be seen or heard from again. Torres was essentially in a catatonic state for a couple of months after that. Nothing anyone did or said could break her out of it. Sloan was essentially at his wits end as she threw herself into her work. She finally started to having a string of casual relationships and we all started to think she was rebuilding her life. But instead she had a revelation in the form that she doesn't believe in relationships anymore. One heartbreak too many and her walls are simply built too high and no one can get close to her. And that is Torres's story."
"How long ago did all this happen?" Arizona asks.
'The wicked witch of the west left about a year ago. And before you ask, Torres can't be fixed. She's become more emotionally stunted than I am – and that's really saying something." And with that, Yang walks off and leaves Arizona to her thoughts.
XXX
For the remainder of her shift, Arizona's mind churns over all that she had learnt about Callie's past and how it mirrors her own situation. Knowing about Callie's past puts to bed any doubts that Callie could be less than genuine about her concern towards Arizona. And although glad that she now knows, Arizona understands why Callie had been reluctant to share the full story as nothing positive can be gleaned from it. Arizona is pulled out of her musing by a hand being waved in front of her face. Looking up, Arizona becomes face to face with the woman she has been thinking about all day.
"What has got you so deep in thought?" Callie questions.
"My living arrangements," Arizona replies as she pushes her actual thoughts to the back of her mind as Callie doesn't need to know about her nosing around.
"You are welcome to stay at my apartment for as long as you need," Callie offers, having no issues with the blonde occupying her couch for the foreseeable future. And it will annoy Yang to no end so it's definitely a win-win situation.
"Thanks, but I think I will get a hotel room while I find myself an apartment. But I could use your help with something else."
"Anything," comes Callie's quick response.
"I need to go and collect my belongings from my old apartment and I could really use some help," Arizona asks and watches indecision dance across Callie's face. "Piper won't be there and all we have to do is pack up my clothes and medical journals. Piper can keep the rest."
"Ok, I'm in," Callie reluctantly replies, knowing that she can't say no to the woman in front of her - no matter what the consequence is. "My shift's over so we can go now if you'd like," Callie offers, wanting to get this over as soon as possible.
While the couple collects cardboard boxes from a local store, Callie remains quiet and keeps discreetly staring at Arizona. Aware of this observation, Arizona leaves Callie to her thoughts, feeling she has done enough snooping around for one day. Whatever is on Callie's mind will eventually come out.
As they approach the front door of Arizona's apartment, Callie becomes increasingly edgy as she half expecting Piper to jump out at them from around a corner. Unlocking the front door using a key collected from the front desk, Arizona gestures for Callie to enter before her. "Are you absolutely certain she's not going to appear?" Callie cautiously asks as she steps into the apartment that she slunk away from a couple of nights previous. It hadn't been one of Callie's finest moments and she hadn't expected to have to return here so everything about this trip has put her on edge.
"Piper has her billing meeting tonight so she won't be home for hours. All those dollars to count is a lawyer's dream come true," Arizona responds as she pulls the cardboard boxes into the apartment after her. Heading straight towards the bedroom, Arizona wants to get this over and done with as soon as possible. Callie falls into the step behind her but comes to a complete standstill when she sees the bed.
Arizona turns back around and watches Callie fight with herself in the doorway. "It's all right, the bed won't bite. Or me for that matter," Arizona says as Callie looks up at her, hesitancy written all over her face.
"How can you stand to even be around me?" Callie asks in a guilt ridden tone asking the question that bouncing around in her head for a while. Having once been the jilted lover, Callie knew she had never reacted in such a calm and forgiving manner towards Izzie Stevens. In fact, Callie's relationship with Stevens was still frigid at best and both women had silently agreed to stay as far away from each other as possible.
"You didn't do anything wrong. Piper was the one that cheated." Arizona says as she starts to pull clothes out of her cupboard. "And your regret is genuine and I can't hate you for something you didn't know. My relationship was over anyway – long before I found out about you. You just gave me the nudge to finish it. So please stop beating yourself up about it." Arizona adds.
"You're a more forgiving person than I would ever be," Callie replies as she joins Arizona at her side. The two women soon settle into the groove of packing up the blonde's belonging, talking kept to the minimum as both women sink into their memories of the same woman. As time progresses, both women shift to the living room to pack up all of Arizona's medical literature.
A knock at the door breaks the silence of the room and Callie immediately tenses, fearing that Piper has arrived to rain on their parade. Chuckling slightly, Arizona puts Callie's mind at ease. "It's just the pizza that I ordered. I feed my help and anyway, Piper wouldn't knock. She has a key," Arizona says she answers the front door and pays the delivery guy.
"Oh, right," Callie sheepishly replies as Arizona is speaking common sense. Why would Piper knock at the door of her own apartment?
The couple immediately digs into the pizza in front of them as they pack up the rest of Arizona's stuff. Conversation springs up between the couple but the topic remains on neutral topics of surgeries and other medical related subject matter. As the night progresses, Arizona find she can't remember the last time she enjoyed simply talking to someone. Arizona finds that now when she looks at Callie she doesn't see a mistress – but someone who could possibly be her friend.
Suddenly, Callie reaches across and wipes some sauce of the Arizona's face and the blonde freezes instantly. Realizing her mistake, Callie also stops and both women look at each other with startled expressions on their faces. Physical contact isn't something that has happened between the couple until now and Callie feels she may have overstepped a line. Callie begins to panic and wonders what is the world possessed her to touch the blonde – even in such an innocent manner.
Unable to help herself, Arizona starts to giggle at the look on Callie's face as it's as clear as day that the Latina is having a silent conversation with herself – berating herself for her actions. Callie soon follows suit as the blonde's laugh is infectious and the moment passes. Conversation soon springs back up and the final few boxes are packed.
As Arizona closes the final box, a sense of nostalgia washes over her as it truly is the end of her relationship with Piper. But having spent too much time in a doomed relationship already, Arizona refuses to let herself fall further into this rut. "Come on, let's go," Arizona says as she grabs the final box to take down to the car.
"You don't need to have a moment?" Callie asks, expecting a little more emotion from the blonde rather than her steely resolve.
"Nope, I've already spilt too many tears for that woman and there is no reason to spill anymore." Arizona replies as she shuts the door behind her. Shrugging her shoulders, Callie follows after the blonde as she tries to decipher the enigma that is Arizona Robbins.