Disclaimer: This is AU. I do not own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy. I just manipulate them to my will. Also, any line or phrase or setting that seems remotely familiar from any other show, movie or book, also not mine. I borrow…
AN: Another update! Yay! Enjoy!
Chapter 6
Amelia was just staggering back to the Quads early one morning when her eyes fall upon the beat up old Jeep that she remembers the new girl driving. It's been a couple days since the shorter brunette was shown up around the bases, Arizona leaving her in the dust as the new pitcher sped from bag to bag, crossing home plate like her hair was on fire. Since then, Arizona has somehow gotten under the young Shepard's skin even more. The mix of perky and competitiveness just grates at Amelia's nerves. And for some reason… no one else see's it. In the last few days, that blonde bimbo has managed to gain even more points with most of the team. Sure, there are a couple of old timers who still don't really acknowledge Arizona's existence, but still… Amelia feels the walls starting to build around her.
Looking around, making sure no one is up and about at this ungodly hour, she tip toes to the Jeep and gives it a hard look. Its not an OLD car, but it's not what one would call 'new' either. It's dented, and has layer after layer of caked on red dust, hinting at the amount of time the blonde spends around ball diamonds. Inside is neat and tidy, save for a few crumpled up pieces of paper and some discarded water bottles. Nothing would hit to the blondes true being, something only Amelia herself knows about at this time.
Some small part in the back of her mind tells Amelia to just let it go. They are all on the same team, and they all have the same goal. One person wins, everyone wins. But… the need to be the best. The need to be seen and worshiped is almost too much for the young Shepard, and the devil wins out.
With one last look around the area to ensure no onlookers, the brunette squats down next to one of the Jeep's tires and unscrews the tire knob. Pushing the pin aside, air slowly leaks out and the vehicle starts to dip. She then moves onto the rear drives side tire and does the same thing. If her mental facilities were functioning correctly, Amelia would have thought that two flat tires would seem suspicious but somewhat plausible. But since the brunette had been having some extracurricular fun for the past few hours, she's not as sharp or forward thinking as she usually is and decides that the blonde bitch deserves four equally flat tires.
"Suck on that, Alabama." Amelia says, then lets out a cackle that would be eerily close to those villains of old Disney movies.
Callie Torres wakes to the sound of her apartment door opening and closing, then the not so nimble footing of one of her roommates trying to find their bed. Normally the Latina can sleep through a freight train rolling through the living room, but when Amelia never came home last night, Callie knew something was up. She's walking a fine line. The team is just a week and a half from going on the road, but Callie has spent so much time training and working with the she-Shepard that the Latina can't believe Amelia would do anything to jeopardize their position THIS close to the Games.
Deciding that it would be best to confront the brunette while in the act, the Latina rolls out of bed and heads out to the living room. But on her way to the other side of the apartment, a lone crying redhead curled up in the corner of the couch makes her veer off course. Addison is clutching her knees and sobbing into the pillow in her lap, and Callie knows that her friend needs her more than Amelia needs to be lectured at the moment.
"Addy…" Callie breathes out while gently sitting next to the woman. "Talk to me."
"It's over." Addison gasps, finally looking up. Green eyes stick out from the mess of mascara and eye liner running down the redhead's face. A nose bright red from crying and clothes wrinkled beyond saving. To the catcher, its evident that Addison Montgomery had been in this position most of the night and a pang of quilt hits her as she realizes her friend was suffering while Callie, herself, slept in the next room.
"You don't know that." The raven-haired woman replies. "Maybe… maybe you two just need a break. Need some time to realize how much you love eachother."
"No." The redhead cries. "No, he's already moved on, Cal. He says that he hasn't. That he and GREY aren't… aren't…"
"Together?" The Latina chances.
"But I can see it in his eyes! The way he looks at her. The way his…. His bug eyes pop when her wiry ass runs past him." Addison sneers, jealousy and hate quickly picking up pace. Callie can sense that this is moving in a very dangerous direction. She is already trying to play some interference between the new girl and the rest of her team. Callie doesn't want to have to break up a cage match between Meredith and Addison on top of it.
"Addison, look at me." The catcher states, shaking the redhead slightly and pulling her out of her thoughts of revenge. " I don't what has happened between you and Derek, but I KNOW Derek. At least, I'd like to think that I know him and his character. And I can promise you that he WON'T cross any lines with Grey. …Not yet." Green eyes hint of belief as the redhead listens to Callie. "Derek wouldn't do that this close to the games, Addy. He's worked too hard. We all have."
"You're right." Addison finally breathes out. "Of course you're right. He's… he's got principles." The redhead dries her face, then collects the masses of tissues around her. "I'm ummm… I'm going to go grab a couple hours before practice. I'll need all the energy I can to keep from ringing Derek's neck these next few months." Brown eyes look quizzically at her friend, making the redhead shrug. "He may be a coach, but he's my husband. I have the right to ring his neck if I want." With that, the tired and dehydrated woman retreats to her own room, intent on sleeping a few hours before putting on a brave face in front of the rest of the team.
Callie sighs and shakes her head as she thinks about how her Coach could have just screwed the team big time. How could Derek do this? Add this drama to the mix, pit one player against the other. Is Callie the only person on this entire team that see's how easily it would be to break just ONE player, and in turn, bring the rest down with them.
Once the Latina hears her friend's body hit the squeaking mattress of her bed, Callie stands and heads to Amelia's room. But instead of finding an alert pitcher, brown eyes fall upon a sickly looking body curled up into itself under the heavy comforter on her bed. Seeing her teammate unconscious to the world, she decides to let the woman get some much needed sleep. Even if she has become a screw up with her personal life, Callie has to admit that the She-Shepard has never dropped the ball when it came to the game.
"You do something to screw this up for me, I'll end you myself." The Latina whispers, then leaves the sleeping woman, closing Amelia's door behind her.
"What the hell? !" Arizona yells, coming out of her apartment and finding a greatly deflated Jeep. Blue eyes find one flat tire, then another, then another… then another.
"Four flat tires?" Teddy questions, her brows knitted together in confusion. "That's… that's-"
"Not a coincidence." The blonde cuts in. "I'm getting tired of these damn pranks." Just then, four women file out of Apartment 16, all heading to the fields for practice. Callie exits first, and finds Altman and Robbins staring at a very dirty Jeep. When Arizona sees a very haggard looking Amelia saunter out, her bat bag slung over her shoulder, the blonde raises a finger and asks "Did you do this?"
"Do what?" Amelia snaps, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Arizona points to her car, and all eyes land upon the crippled state of the vehicle. Callie's teeth grind in irritation, certain that this was the work of her pitchers evil mind. "Why would you think it was me?" The brunette questions, meeting sharp blue eyes again.
"Who else would do it? No one on this team has been as spiteful to me as you have been." Arizona bites back. "If you have a problem with me, how about you-"
"Enough!" Callie jumps in, breaking the two up before things get ugly. "We got practice, and if you two have a problem you settle it on the field." The Latina adds, grabbing Amelia by her arm and pulling her towards the ball diamond. Teddy finds purchase on the back of Arizona's practice jersey before the blonde tears after the other pitcher.
"You can't let her get to you, Arizona." Teddy whispers in the seething blonde's ear. "She's just trying to get you riled up. You want to get back at her, you do it on the dirt." Once the first base man sees the other group of women a good fifty feet ahead of them, she pulls the newcomer after her and heads for the fields. All the while, Arizona grumbles under her breath, thinking of ways to get back at the veteran pitcher.
"Alright ladies, circle up." Coach Webber announces after his team gets all warmed up and stretched out. The players congregate towards him, gloves tucked under arms and women pull their hair up and away from their faces. The Oklahoma sun is still high in the sky, and the heat is slowly baking their skin. Arizona has noticed that she has the making of a softball tan, and can only smile as it brings back memories from long ago. Many summers did she have stripes of tanned flesh over her knees. Shorts coming down to her mid thighs, and then long knee hi-socks stretching just up and over her calves, and her left hand nearly ghost white while her right is as tanned as it can be.
"What's the plan today, boss man?" Callie asks as she pulls the material of the front of her shirt up and wipes at the sweat collecting over her brow. She doesn't see how two sets of blue eyes, from two very different blondes, snap to her tone stomach and marvel as strong core muscles flex underneath.
"Scrimmage." Webber says with a smile and everyone applauds. After days and days of drill after drill, they are ready to actually play. Even if it IS against one another. "Torres and company is the red team. King and co, blue. Grey and co, white. Hahn, you're on the white team with the Grey's. Bailey, blue team." Richard adds, dividing the fourteen woman team up by their rooming assignments, since there aren't enough to play a full team against a full team. So one team will be batting and the other two will be fielding.
After a three way rock, paper, scissors battle, the blue team ends up batting first. Arizona, Teddy, Charlotte, April and Miranda all get their batting gloves and helmets ready while the rest of the team takes their positions. Even though its just a little friendly competition, everyone feels the game atmosphere settle over them. None of them would have made it this far if they didn't have an innate need to win.
Decked out head to toe in her special made red catcher's equipment, Callie hands her pitcher a brand new ball and asks "Ready to light them up?" Brown eyes stare into brown eyes, and the Latina notices that Amelia's seem a little blood shot and her flesh paler than usual.
"Let's do it." The younger Shepard replies, then takes her stance on the rubber. The Latina retreats back to behind the plate and scans over her field. She loves the view from here, she can see every single one of her teammates, and they all look to her for direction. Brown eyes lock with green ones at first base where Addison is playing, then shift to the ice blue eyes of her fellow co-captain at third. Naomi is playing short and Lexie is positioned at second, with the twisted sisters cover the outfield corners and Julia playing center.
Teddy approaches the plate first, being lead off for the blue team. Webber steps up behind Callie and declares "Play ball." With that, their little scrimmage is underway. Amelia lights up the strike zone, throwing burning pitch after burning pitch. Teddy grabs a piece of a few, and when the count is full, she manages to make enough contact to put the ball in play. It flies down the third base line, but Erica is quick enough to snag the ball and fire to first. A second before Altman's foot touches the bag, Addison uses the very large reach her lanky body has, and stretches out to catch the ball for an out.
"Out!" Hunt exclaims since he is the one playing the field umpire. The infield moves into the pitching circle, slapping quick fives all around before Addison hands the ball back to the pitcher.
Next up is Charlotte King, a fiery little player who bites just as hard as she barks. A crossbreed of a power hitter and speedster, she can be deadly with a bat. Callie catches the signs from Mark and relays them to Amelia, who willingly accepts the plan to play away from her teammate's sweet spot. The spitfire blonde looks to her batting coach at third and immediately gets the 'swing away' sign. Amelia pitches right to her teammate, going nail for nail as they battle each other. The brunette sends a curve, and Charlotte chases it. Amelia pitches a drop, and King tips it. But finally, Amelia lets out a curve that hangs just a second too much and the batter sends it flying to the gap between center and right.
Arizona, Teddy, Miranda and April cheer Charlotte on as she takes off like a bat out of hell. Not nearly as fast as Amelia or the newcomer, but King can make tracks and is soon rounding first and chugging it towards second. The blonde slows and easily makes it to the bag safely by the time Yang has fielded the ball and thrown it to Lexie, her cutoff man.
"Alright, new girl. Game time." Teddy says, slapping the top of Arizona's helmet then pushing her friend towards home plate.
Arizona steps up to the plate and glances down the third base line to catch her signal from Coach Shepard while Callie looks down the first base line and catches Coach Sloan's signal. The blonde touches the rim of her helmet to signal she has her sign, then steps into the right batter's box. Callie gives the pitching coach a nod, then relays the sign to her pitcher. The brunette gives a single, tight nod, accepting the pitch, then sets up.
Arizona has yet to bat against Amelia, but from what she has seen in practice, the woman has some heat as well as a very wide arsenal. The catcher props up on the balls of her feet, and gets ready for some action. The pitcher sees a clear opportunity here to send the new comer a message. The blonde takes her bottom lip between her teeth as she waits for the windup, then gets set as Amelia starts her pitch. Driving off the mound with force, the brunette pitcher flings the ball at break neck speed.
Arizona squares around to bunt, but pulls back when she sees that pitch veer inside. WAY inside. …As in, the type of pitch meant to send a message to a batter. The blonde backs out of the batter's box and locks eyes with the pitcher, who has a satisfied smirk playing at her lips.
"Ball." Webber declares, and Callie grinds her teeth because she knows EXACTLY what her pitcher is trying to do. Catching Amelia's gaze again, the Latina signals another pitch, this one down and away now that Callie knows to expect a bunt. Amelia confirms and Arizona steps back into the box. Again, the pitcher drives off the mound and sends the ball flying. The blonde takes a step back just in the nick of time to avoid having stitches sear their way across her arm.
"Ball." Webber announces, even though people in the outfield could have seen that. The blonde grits her teeth, not daring to take the bait the veteran is dangling right in front of her face. With a 2-0 count, Arizona steps back into the box and prepares for what she can only assume will be another brush off. And she's right, lunging out of the box just as a curve ball moves a little too far inside.
"Ball." Webber states, this time catching the gaze of his pitcher on the mound. An unspoken conversation is had, and with a stiff nod from the brunette, Webber has said his last to the woman. Blue eyes glance down to the third base coach, catching the 'take one' signal. A tap to her helmet and Arizona steps back up. Being ahead with a 3-0 count, its standard practice to always take the next pitch since the chances of getting a free ride to first are high. Usually the blonde does what she wants, because she can never lay off those big juicy fastballs right down the center, but this is her first time in a game like situation and she wants to show her coaches how much of a team player she is. So when Amelia sends a scorcher right into Callie's glove, Arizona bites her tongue and looks for the next signal.
"3-1." The head coach announces. Brown eyes dart to her friend's down the first base line and catches the signal for an up and away rise ball. Passing the sign to her pitcher, Callie squares up and prepares for a tipped foul. Arizona steps back in, getting the 'swing away' sign, and scoots to the furthest edge of the box. Amelia takes a breath and finds her grip, then sends a heater flying. As soon as the ball is released, the blonde starts to run in the batter's box, bring the bat around just in time to slap the riser to make it dribble down the third base line. Callie snaps up and rips her helmet off after the ball as Arizona races down the first base line. Erica, having been playing back because of Charlotte on second looking to take third, rushes forward to field the ball but her Latina co-captian scoops it up first. Working off instincts, Callie lets the ball fly towards first, not even taking the time to visually find her target.
Arizona's red cleat has already hit the white rubber base and passed by the time the bright neon yellow ball slaps Addison's glove.
"SAFE!" Hunt exclaims loudly. A curse falls from plump lips, realizing that if anyone else had been the runner, she would have gotten that out.
"New girl got the drop on ya…" Erica says as she playfully slaps her teammate's ass.
"Suck it, Hahn." The Latina sneers.
"When and where, hot stuff…" Hahn replies with a wink as Callie retreats back behind the plate. During Arizona's play, Charlotte had advanced to third, leaving second open for the blonde at first to try and steal. After signaling his batter to feign a bunt, Derek turns to his runner at first and signals to steal. Robbins readies herself, and just as the ball leaves Amelia's hand, Arizona takes off like a drag car.
Callie, knowing that the little speed demon would more than likely try to steal on the Latina, is already up and out of her stance by the time the ball hits her glove. Amelia barely has time to hit the dirt before Callie is firing the neon object back the way it came. The blonde pumps her arms with all her might, and at ten feet out, falls into a perfect slide. Naomi barely makes it to second in time to catch the incoming ball, but the tag is too late and Arizona has successfully stolen the bag.
"Safe!" Hunt exclaims again, theatrically throwing out his arms to either side which makes Teddy and April cheer from the sidelines.
"Damn it!" Callie growls to herself. No one steals on the Latina. Normally it's not even a close call, they are always out, but now she has met her match. Arizona and Charlotte are left on base as April strikes out and Bailey sends a blooper into left where Meredith Grey easily makes the third out. With that, the blue team gets ready to field with the white team while red team heads in to bat.
"Blondie!" Mark hollers from the first base coaches box, making both Erica and Arizona snap up to meet his gaze. "Suit up, Hahn. Robbins is on the mound." He says, making Arizona's mouth go dry.
As Callie pulls off her suit, Erica steps up next to her and starts fastening her blue set over her body. With a helping hand from the Latina, the blonde is soon behind the plate a catching a couple warm up pitches while everyone gets set on the field.
"Batter up!" Webber announces, and Erica fires the ball back to her pitcher.
"No outs, plays at one!" Erica yells as Addison steps into the batter's box.
Arizona stares down her first opponent and can feel all her teammate's eyes on her. Usually she pitches off to the side in one of the bullpens where a select few congregate. But now she is the center of attention, sharing the mound with some of the best players in the country. Her eyes lock with the ice blue ones behind Erica's catcher's mask. Even after the many practices the two have worked together, Arizona still doesn't feel completely comfortable with her catcher. Hahn just doesn't… flow with her. It's just basic chemistry. Like trying to mix oil and water. …They just don't play well with each other. But the newcomer doesn't voice her concerns because, after all, she IS the new girl.
Erica relays the first pitch and Arizona shakes it off, wanting a different one… an up and away pitch to someone as tall as Addison would be like sending her a big fat steak right to the sweet spot. But the catcher is persistent, giving the same signal over and over again. With a huff, Arizona finally accepts, then prepares for her first pitch. A flash back of her first pitch with Mark watching flashes across the pitchers eyes, but she quickly clears the image. Just as most sports, its 10% physical and 90% mental. Tell yourself you can't… that you're going to screw up and you're right. You will. The blonde imagines the pitch tearing a hole through Erica's glove, then takes a deep breath and lets the pitch fly. With a smack, it hits Hahn's glove dead center.
"STRIKE!" Webber announces a bit theatrically. Addison Montgomery takes a step out of the batter's box and catches her newest teammates gaze. An inkling of a smile cross her thin lines, and Arizona thinks that she might have just earned a little respect amongst one of her harder peers. The pitcher tries to keep her face neutral, not wanting to be the immature player who smiles at getting a simple strike, but when blue eyes lock with Teddy at first, who is sending the newcomer a thumbs up, Arizona can't help it.
The newcomer ends up showing the redhead five pitches, and when Addison hits a hard grounder to Lexie at second, it's an easy out. Arizona gets a round of high fives as her next victim steps up to the plate. Amelia and Erica's gazes lock, and the two friends give each other a smile. When the pitcher turns back around to face the next batter, Arizona finds her nemesis just staring at her. Daring her to bring the best she's got.
"You got it…" Arizona growls quietly to the brunette. Unbeknownst to them, all eyes turn to the two pitchers who are about to battle out. Round one went to Robbins, and now it's up to Amelia to even the score. Callie watches from the on-deck circle as she takes a couple warm up swings.
Arizona shakes off the first pitch, and then the second but settles on an up and out curveball, thinking that Amelia will expect a little of her own treatment in return. So while the brunette will be halfway out of the box, Arizona's pitch will slide the opposite way, well out of the reach of the first string pitchers bat. Dark eyes narrow as she focuses on the blonde at the rubber. When strong legs push off the mound, Arizona flicks her wrist and sends the ball flying.
And just like the blonde predicted, Amelia is already bailing on the pitch when a loud slap echoes across the field quickly followed by the booming voice of Coach Webber exclaiming "Strike!" Wanting to rub it in with a bit of salt, Arizona catches the ball thrown from her catcher and then sends a small smile and wink to the batter. Amelia grits her teeth and mumbles a few choice words under her breath, then prepares to show this blonde bitch who, exactly, is number one on this team.
Erica ignores Coach Sloan's signal and decides to take over the reins of this little bitch fest. She calls for a down and in drop, knowing full well that down and inside is Amelia's pot of gold. But Arizona shakes it off. Again Erica calls the same pitch, but blonde hair shakes alittle harder as she brushes the pitch off again. When her catcher calls for the same pitch a third time, clear blue eyes nearly roll their way right out of her skull. Finally, Arizona just nods and decides to pitch what she wants anyways. The catcher sets up, the batter's grip relaxes, and the pitchers fingers find their grip on the softball lace.
Placing the heater high and inside the just nips at the corner of the strike zone, giving Amelia just a taste of what Arizona has, the blonde smiles wide as Webber calls out another strike.
"Time." Erica states, then stands and jogs out to the mound to have a word with her pitcher. Roughly slamming the ball back into Arizona's glove, the taller woman growls "What the hell was that?"
"Slipped." Arizona says innocently with a shrug of her shoulders, even those she knows Hahn doesn't believe a word of it.
"You pitch what I sign, got it?" The older woman states.
"Yes, ma'am." The pitcher answers, adding a small and very sarcastic salute at the end.
The Latina, who has been watching the battle between the three women from the on-deck circle, just laughs quietly to herself and mumbles "Battleship indeed."
When Erica is back behind the plate, she calls from a fastball low and inside. Not wanting to test the authority of her co-captain too much too soon, Arizona complies and sends a heater right into her glove.
"Ball." Webber announces, making Arizona purse her lips. Amelia and Arizona battle it out a couple more pitches, but soon, a sneaky little change up makes the skilled veteran swing way too early with results in a loud "Strike Three!" from their head coach. As Erica sends the ball flying to third and around the horn, Amelia stalks off the dirt, grumbling the entire way.
"What was that?" Callie asks, hearing a few of the very mean words her pitcher was mumbling to herself.
"Batter up!" Webber announces before the Latina can press the She-Shepard anymore. Callie gives the shorter brunette one more look before stepping on to the dirt and glances down the third base line. She doesn't need to because her sign is always the same, Coach Shepard knows better than to try and contain the beast that is Calliope Torres. With a 'swing away' sign, the Latina steps into the batter's box and gets set.
A rush races down Arizona's spine as Torres turns her look of concentration and determination towards the pitcher's mound. Taking a step off the rubber, needing a minute to compose herself, Arizona turns her back to Erica and Callie. The blonde behind the plate chuckles, but quickly stifles it when Callie gives her friend a warning look. A second later Arizona turns back around and takes her stance. Accepting the first sign, she winds up and lets it rip. The Latina lays off it, and takes the strike as well as the two balls that follow. One of the reasons Callie is such a star hitter is the fact she has an eagle eye for pitches. Spending game in and game out catching means you get a read on those who stand on the mound. The Latina can spot a change up a mile away, as well as the subtle difference of release between a rise or a drop. That, plus the added fact that she can outline the strike zone with both eyes closed and standing on her head, she's a tough batter to take out.
"3-1." Webber calls the count after Callie watches another pitch barely miss the strike zone. The batter gives Arizona a cocky little smile, just playing with the newcomer while she has the blonde on the ropes. Another pitch, and this time it's just the one the Latina has been waiting for. With a twist of her strong hips, powerful arms bring the aluminum bat around like perfection and connect with leather. Brown eyes watch the hit, and follows through with power. All eyes watch as the yellow ball bounces off their co-captains bat and flies through the air. Only to land on the other side of the fence.
"Jesus…" Arizona breathes out, watching the ball during its entire journey.
As Callie rounds first at a nice, leisurely pace, brown eyes find blue and the Latina gives her newest teammate a wink. Arizona can't help but smile ruefully back at her captain, and takes the walk off homerun in stride.
AN2: So Arizona and Amelia seem to… not getting along. Surprise? And Arizona and Erica? Also not getting along. While Callie watches it all from the outside. Will she finally step in, or let the blonde fight for herself?