Title: Moving On (3/3)
Author: iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on Live Journal)
Pairing: Callie/Arizona, Callie/Mark (friendship), Mark/Lexie, with appearances by other GA characters, including one Dr. Erica Hahn
Rating: T
Summary: (I've always wanted an Erica/Callie closure scene/episode on the show, but I highly doubt we'll actually get one, so I wrote my own. I love being creative.) Set four and a half years after 5x07 (Rise Up) when Erica walked out of Callie's life. How will Callie, Arizona, Erica and other Grey's characters react to her return?
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*).
A/N 2: In Lauren-Land (i.e. in this story), Washington State has legalized gay marriage (yayness!).
__________
Callie sat eating her lunch alone, a rare occurrence at SGMW. Mark and Lexie were AWOL, probably hauled up in an on-call room doing the McNasty, Arizona and Owen were in emergency surgery on a 10 year old kid, Cristina and Teddy were off being Cardio Goddesses, Bailey had the day off and Meredith was with Derek, busy being the Chief's wife.
She sat in a corner, eating alone and reading the latest issue of Women's Health Magazine. So, she was startled when a tray was placed on the table across from her. She glanced up and was shocked to see Erica looking down at her, uncertainty in her eyes.
"May I join you?" she asked tentatively.
"Ah, sure," Callie said carefully and sat up straighter. She closed the magazine she'd been reading and placed it on the table.
Erica sat and Callie finally took the time to really study her former lover. Erica's hair was longer by several inches, falling straight to about her elbows. Her usually confident expression was replaced by one of nervousness with a hint of fear and anxiousness and her shoulders were slumped as if she were exhausted. This was not the Erica that Callie had befriended several years ago, but she still had the ability to turn heads as she walked by, Callie had to admit.
Erica also took the opportunity to study Callie in return. Even with her own nervous expression, she was as gorgeous as ever, from her straightened raven hair, a bit longer than Erica remembered, to her chocolate brown eyes and full lips. And the navy blue scrubs, which told Erica that Callie was now an attending, suited her well. And it was obvious to Erica that she was truly happy.
There was a moment of awkwardness before Callie took a deep breath and broke the silence. "So, where are you working now?" she asked.
"Mass Gen," Erica replied, picking at her salad.
Callie raised her eyebrows. "Another teaching hospital?"
Erica shrugged, but grinned. "What can I say? I like to challenge myself."
Silence fell again. The tension was high, but Callie knew she had to say something or the opportunity would pass her by.
"I know this is difficult and, well, just damn awkward. I hate how things ended."
Erica knit her brow met Callie's eyes. "You mean how I just walked away?"
Callie gave a small nod. "Yeah. I realize I was an idiot. A big idiot, but you just… left. Without a word. I deserved more than that, Erica."
"Callie, you have to understand what I was going through—"
"I know what you were going through," Callie cut her off, only now beginning to feel a bit of anger. "I already said I was an idiot, a complete bitch. But you can't just run away every time you fight with someone. You stay and talk it out. You try and compromise. Then, if you still can't agree, then you walk away. But not without saying goodbye at the very least."
Erica studied her intently for a moment. "You really have changed," she said softly, knowing she was right. "And I mean that in a good way. She's good for you. Arizona."
Callie smiled at the mention of her wife. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me." And just like that, her anger vanished once again. She sighed. "I hate that I hurt you, I really do, and I wish that I could go back and change that, but I can't. But you hurt me, too. You weren't willing to give me time to figure out what was going on. Fine, whatever. I respect that I wasn't what you needed. But I've missed you, Erica. I really have."
Erica swallowed and nodded. "I've missed you, too, Callie. We had something good."
Callie raised her eyebrows.
"I meant our friendship," Erica clarified.
Callie chuckled. "Yeah, we were pretty disastrous as more than friends. Partly, well, mostly because of me."
"I'm as much to blame as you, Callie," Erica said sadly. "I should have been more patient, more understanding…"
"Hey, if the rolls had been reversed, I'm not sure I would have been all that patient either," Callie said. "And, I really am sorry about the way it all ended."
"Me, too," Erica agreed. "I haven't really made any good friends at Mass Gen. Not like I made friends with you."
Callie nodded and grinned. "Awkward and bad at small talk, right?"
Erica chuckled. "You got it," she said. "Look, I know we won't just magically be the best of friends again, but how about if we just start over?"
Callie sighed and rested her elbows on the table in front of her. "Alright," she said with a sigh. "We can try that." Like Erica said, they wouldn't suddenly become best friends again, but she was willing to try because, if she were completely honest, other than Arizona and Mark, Erica had been the best friend she'd ever had before they'd crossed that line.
"Good," Erica said. There was another moment of awkward silence before Erica shook her head. "Bad at small talk," she muttered.
Callie laughed. "How's Boston?"
"It's alright," Erica said. "A little colder than Seattle and a lot less rain. But I like it."
"Good," Callie said. "Seeing anyone?"
Erica felt her face redden and Callie laughed aloud.
"You are! Tell me!"
"Ah, well, her name is Madison and she's a scrub nurse at Mass Gen," Erica said.
"I bet she's hot," Callie said, wiggling her eyebrows. "Isn't she?"
"Callie!" Erica admonished, but laughed. "You've been hanging out with Mark too much."
Callie ignored her. "Well? Is she?"
Erica sighed and grinned. "She's hot," she murmured.
"I knew it," Callie said. "How long have you been together?"
"Only about six months," Erica said. "But, I really like her."
Callie smiled. Now this was the Erica she remembered. And all it had taken was for them to talk things out and for her to mention Madison. Callie liked this Erica so much better.
"I'm glad," Callie said. "You deserve to be happy."
"So do you, and it looks like you are. Really happy."
Callie took a deep breath and smiled broadly. "I am."
"How long have you and Arizona been together?"
"We just celebrated our four year anniversary last month," Callie answered. "The State of Washington legalized gay marriage last year and we got hitched over the summer." Callie showed off her white gold wedding band.
Erica smiled. "Congratulations. I hadn't realized Washington legalized gay marriage. That's amazing."
Callie noticed Arizona enter the cafeteria and look around for her. Her face showed her surprise when she saw that she was sitting with Erica and that Erica was smiling. Callie smiled and waved her over.
"Hey," Arizona said slowly as she approached. She nodded to Erica before sitting next to Callie, kissing her cheek.
"Hi," Callie greeted her. She turned back to Erica and made the introductions. "I know you two already kind of met, but Erica, this is my wife, Arizona Robbins. Arizona, this is Erica Hahn."
"Nice to meet you," Arizona said, shaking Erica's outstretched hand. "And sorry about yesterday. I have a propensity to be a bit overprotective."
"It's alright," Erica said. "It's nice to meet you, too. Callie was just telling me you got married last summer. Congratulations."
Arizona didn't know what had transpired between the two women, but she was glad that things were seemingly alright. She trusted Callie and if she was okay with this, than so was Arizona. The fact that Callie wasn't freaking out put her at ease and she smiled broadly, thinking about the beautiful summer wedding that they'd had on a rare sunny day in June. It had been a small affair, just their families and a few close friends, including Mark, Lexie, Meredith, Derek, Cristina, Owen, Teddy, Bailey and Ben (aka "gasman"), who was now Bailey's fiancé. Even Addison had flown in from L.A. to attend.
"Thanks," Arizona said, clasping Callie's hand tightly, making sure her own wedding band, which matched Callie's, only it was yellow gold, was in Erica's line of vision. The action didn't go unnoticed by Erica, who smiled at Arizona's overprotectiveness. But she need not be so territorial. Erica knew she'd lost her chance with Callie when she'd walked away so many years ago. And that was alright. She was glad that Callie had found happiness.
A pager sounded and the three surgeons checked their pagers. Callie groaned. "It's me," she said. "Trauma." She gave Arizona a quick kiss and hurried away towards the ER.
Erica sat back and studied Arizona, who was busy watching Callie as she rushed out of the cafeteria. "She's happy," she said.
"Hmm?" Arizona hummed and turned back towards Erica. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
Erica chuckled. "I said that she's happy now."
Arizona smiled and blushed slightly.
"No, really," Erica said. "And I thought that coming back here and seeing that would be awful, but I'm actually okay with it. I'm more than okay, I'm glad that she's happy."
"You know, I was so prepared to hate you, but you're making that kind of impossible," Arizona said, sipping from her drink.
"I'm sure Yang would disagree with you," Erica said.
Arizona laughed. "Yang and I disagree on a lot," she said.
"Shocker," Erica said. Another pager blared. This time it was Erica's for Dr. Boyd, who she'd operated successfully that morning. "Damn it!" she groaned out. This couldn't be good. "I have to go," she said to Arizona before bolting out of the cafeteria to Dr. Boyd's room.
__________
"I like her," Arizona said nonchalantly that evening as they got ready for bed. Callie stood at the sink, brushing her teeth while Arizona applied lotion to her legs, wrapped only in a towel.
"Who?" Callie asked around her toothbrush.
"Erica. She's not exactly the Wicked Witch, as Cristina called her, that I imagined."
Callie rinsed her mouth out with water and eyed her wife with a grin. "Do I need to be afraid that you'll leave me for her?"
Arizona laughed and stood up straight. "Oh, yeah," she teased. "Let me tell you. We have it all planned. We're going to skip town tomorrow during lunch. I'm thinking California or maybe… Texas! I'm gonna be a cowgirl and ride horses all day." She pressed herself against Callie's back and leaned in to whisper into her ear. "And I'm gonna wear those Daisy Duke shorts you love so much with cowboy boots and a teeny, tiny tank top and—"
Her words were silenced by Callie abruptly turning around to face her and pressing her lips roughly against hers, taking her mouth in a heated kiss.
Arizona groaned into the kiss, allowing her hands to settle on Callie's hips, pulling her close.
Callie's own hands were busy roaming Arizona's back and ass as she devoured her mouth with her tongue. She pulled back only when breathing became essential. "You wanna play that game, huh?" she said into Arizona's ear while tracing the delicate shell with her lips and tongue.
"What game?" Arizona breathed out, turning her head to the side in order to give Callie better access.
"The teasing game. You wanna tease me? You get teased in return." With that, Callie forced Arizona back into their bedroom and onto the bed. Her towel disappeared and Callie stood beside the bed as she studied Arizona's naked form, licking her lips in anticipation.
Arizona knew then that she was in for a long night of being teased and tortured. She couldn't wait.
__________
"We should look for a house," Callie said the next morning as she stood at the stove making breakfast.
"What? Really?" Arizona asked from the other side of the island where she sat drinking a cup of coffee.
"Yeah, why not?" Callie said, sliding a plate of eggs, sausage and toast in front of her. "We've talked about it before, but the timing was never right. Why not now?" She set her own plate next to Arizona's and sat next to her.
Arizona smiled. "We're really gonna buy a house together?"
"We're really gonna buy a house together. A big house with a big back yard for Elena to play in."
"And a pool?" Arizona asked excitedly.
Callie chuckled. "Sure, why not? And we can even get a dog."
"And chickens?!"
Callie rolled her eyes and laughed. "What is it with you and chickens?"
Before Arizona could answer, the front door opened and Mark walked in, a huge grin on his face.
"Don't you knock anymore?" Callie asked.
"I'm going to be a daddy!" he practically yelled, giddy as a teenaged girl.
"Oh, my God!" Arizona and Callie said at the same time. They rushed his side, asking a million questions.
"Mark!" a mildly angry voice said from the doorway. "I wanted to tell them!" Lexie stood there, a huge smile on her face.
Arizona tugged Lexie into her arms, hugging her tightly, screaming "I'm gonna be an aunt!" over and over again.
Callie laughed at her excitement, but Lexie looked a little scared. Callie rescued her from Arizona's death grip. "Let the girl breath," she teased. "How far along are you?" she asked Lexie.
"I don't know, yet," Lexie said. "I just did the home test this morning. I did six of them to be sure and they were all positive."
"Oh! You're going to go to OB today, right?" Arizona rushed to say. "Because you need to get prenatal vitamins and—"
"Arizona, she's a doctor, too," Callie reminded her. She pulled her back into her arms.
"Oh, right," Arizona said.
Lexie laughed. "I've already set up and appointment with Dr. Warner," she said, grasping Mark's hand tightly. He still had that goofy smile on his face.
"Well, congratulations," Callie said, hugging her. "I know Elena will be happy to have someone to play with."
"We have good news, too!" Arizona said.
Mark looked them both over. "Alright, who's pregnant this time? I bet it's you, blondie. Callie did it the first time, so now it's your turn."
"You're pregnant too?!" Lexie squealed.
"No, no, no," Callie said. "We're not pregnant, we're buying a house."
"Oh!" Lexie said, a little less enthused, but still happy for them. "That's great! Have you picked one out yet?"
"Not yet," Callie said, clasping Arizona's hand. "We just decided this morning that it's time."
"Mommy!" Elena screamed out.
"I was wondering when she'd wake up," Arizona said. "I got it." She went into Elena's room.
"Alright, alright," Callie said to Mark and Lexie. "As happy as I am for the two of you, I need to get ready for work, now."
Callie was genuinely happy for her best friend and his wife. Mark had gone a little crazy after he and Lexie had broken up after little Sloan had arrived. But in the end, Mark and Lexie were made for each other and had worked through their issues. Now, they were happy and starting a family of their own.
Callie couldn't help but smile as she thought of her own gorgeous wife and daughter in the next room. She wished things could stay like this, but she knew that they'd fight, most likely their next fight would be over which house to purchase, but Callie wasn't afraid. She knew that, no matter what, she'd always have her beautiful Arizona by her side. And besides, it was so much fun making up after a fight.
Their sex life was still pretty active and incredible, even after four years, but their make-up sex was insanely hot and mind-blowing. She'd never admit it to a soul, but sometimes, if it had been a while since they'd fought, Callie would pick a fight over something stupid, just so she could get make-up sex.
Arizona would never admit it to anyone either, but she knew every time when Callie was picking a fight just to get the hot make-up sex. And she enjoyed every minute of it.
Callie finished getting ready and returned to the living room to find Arizona pouring a bowl of Elena's favorite cereal. Arizona had the day off.
"I'm going to try and get out of there early today," Callie said, knowing that as of right now, her surgery schedule was fairly light that day. Of course, that could change at the drop of a hat, but that's what came with being a surgeon. "I'm thinking I'll pick up a pizza on my way home?"
Arizona grinned and gave Callie a kiss. "With pepperoni and sausage?"
"Of course," Callie said.
"Yum," Arizona said, smacking her lips. Callie couldn't resist giving her another kiss, this one a bit longer.
"Grown ups are so yucky!" Elena said from the table.
Callie pulled away and chuckled. She walked over to her daughter and kissed the top of her head. "See ya later alligator."
"After while crocodile," Elena responded.
Callie gave Arizona one last kiss before leaving for the hospital. "Love you," she said.
"Love you, too," Arizona replied with a smile. "Go save lives," she said.
As Callie walked the short distance to the hospital, she couldn't help but think that life couldn't get any better than this.