It's No Sacrifice Chapter 14
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Author: Mcstout
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Summary: Arizona is kidnapped and Callie is dealing with the aftermath
A/N 1: Sorry, sorry and sorry again for the long overdue chapter. I had such a difficult time with this. I actually had a whole nother story planned. I was supposed to finish everything in one chapter but this idea kept popping into my head. Hope it's not too repetitive (if it is then you'll probably know what I'm talking about and if it isn't then nevermind :P).
A/N 2 A very special thnx to kelly_085. I decided to post this straight away or else I know I would've probably chickened out and opted for the other chapter you read lol. Thnx for all your advice and support.
A/N 3 I've never been to NY, Washington or Minnesota so I pretty much invented everything. Sorry if I completely changed some things.
A/N 4 Not much CA going on here but I promise that is drastically going to change in the next chapter. I just wanted to delve a little into their state of minds in this one.
All GA characters belong to Shonda Rhimes, no infringement is intended. Oh! And all mistakes are mine.
As Always, any and all comments are greatly appreciated.
It's No Sacrifice Chapter 14
Arizona Robbins struggled with her keys as she opened the door to her apartment. A small dark haired little girl slept peacefully in her arms, resting her round, rosy cheek on her left shoulder. Before stepping through the threshold, Arizona looked around uneasily, adjusting her ears to any out of place sound in the dark apartment. Not hearing anything out of the ordinary, she stretched out her arm and switched on the light, illuminating the small space with a soft, yellow glow.
She made her way through the living room, careful not to trip over any of the haphazardly placed moving boxes strewn throughout the floor, and entered her bedroom, quickly turning on the small lamp on the nightstand beside her bed. She walked over to a crib in the corner of the room and gently placed the slumbering two year old in it, tenderly brushing the dark bangs out of her beautiful, heart shaped face.
Arizona stared at her bed and briefly contemplated the idea of lying down and taking a few minutes to rest but she quickly dismissed it; there was still much to do before she could even think about sleeping tonight. She entered her bathroom and turned on the lights, grimacing somewhat as her eyes focused on the reflection in the large mirror. She had dark circles under her eyes and her face was drawn and tired. She threaded her fingers through her dark black tresses, sighing heavily as she tore her eyes away from the exhausted looking woman staring back at her and thoroughly washed her hands. She then made her way into the kitchen and started to quietly open and close cabinets, taking out different ingredients; preparing to cook an early dinner.
As she was chopping some carrots a sudden knock on the door startled her from her silent work. She looked suspiciously at the door; not expecting any visitors. A few seconds later, she heard another knock, this time a little more insistent. Not wanting the noise to wake the sleeping toddler in the other room, Arizona quickly walked over to the door. As she stopped, she briefly noticed she had taken the cutting knife with her. She squeezed the dark handle tightly, trying to force down her growing anxiety. It was probably just a neighbor who wanted to get to know the new tenants. She made sure the chain lock was fastened before placing her hand on the door knob. She cleared her throat and licked her dry lips before she spoke.
"Yeah, who is it?" She asked, relieved that her voice sounded light and bubbly despite her nerves.
"Arizona"
Her heart instantly stopped at the sound. It had been two years since she had last heard that beautiful, enthralling voice. Last time though, it had been filled with adoration and love. Now it seeped contempt; it was anything but loving.
Arizona took a deep breath and leaned her forehead against the door, cursing inwardly. Her hands were shaking slightly and she felt her body break out into a cold sweat. She needed to think. What was she going to do now?
"Arizona, I swear to God if you don't open this door right this second I'm going to break it down"
Well, opening the door was a start. She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to prepare herself as best she could for what was to come. She unlocked the chain and as she opened the door she kept her eyes lowered, wanting to prolong the inevitable moment when she would have to face the one person she so dreadfully missed but never wanted to see again. As she looked up, she could feel her heart pounding frantically against her chest, instantly reacting to the gorgeous woman
"You bitch!" A seething Callie remarked as she walked passed her into the apartment. Arizona's eyes watered over at seeing the anger and pain in those deep brown eyes she still so desperately loved. Arizona closed the door and stood, waiting silently for her former lover's next move.
"Where is she?" Callie barked without preamble, looking around the small room, clearly trying to focus on anything other than Arizona.
"Callie, please lower your voice" Arizona pleaded, wanting to calm the incensed woman down.
"Where is she?" Callie repeated, stopping in the middle of the living room and turning around to finally face the other woman. The Latina's heart swelled in her chest. It had been two long years since she had last seen Arizona. She looked nothing like the woman she remembered. Her once beautiful golden hair had been dyed black and fell well passed her shoulders in long heavy waves. She had dark circles under her eyes and she had lost some significant weight; she was the most beautiful thing Callie had ever laid eyes on. She pushed back the rush of emotions that assaulted her at seeing those sky blue eyes and concentrated on the anger she had felt ever since she had found out about Arizona's whereabouts.
Callie distractedly made her way through the doors of New York Presbyterian Hospital. Her face was cast down, completely engrossed in the text message she had been rereading over and over again for the past few minutes. It was a simple, direct sentence from Teddy; but it had planted a seed of anxiety in her heart.
'Need 2 talk, B there 2moro at 8' it read.
Although Callie had remained more or less in touch with the cardio-thoracic surgeon over the past year and a half, (ever since she had left Seattle) their brief conversations had always remained light and almost reserved. It seemed neither one of them could actually voice the one subject they so desperately wanted to talk about: Arizona.
Callie had been completely devastated when she had found out that Arizona had fled, taking her small newborn child with her. Once again, the ortho-surgeon had suddenly found herself without her lifeline. And to make matters worse, it had been that same lifeline who had chosen to leave her behind. Teddy knew that this time, Callie's shattered heart would not be mending. Even though she loved Arizona and was deeply worried about her and despite understanding the reasoning behind her decision, Teddy couldn't help but feel a sharp pang of anger at the thought of her best friend leaving Callie; after all they had been through, all they had shared. And Arizona had not only broken the brunette's heart, she had broken hers as well not to mention her family's and friends'.
She had come back to them, only to leave them in the dark to perpetually fret over her and the baby's safety.
Callie knew that Teddy worried about her, but they never really talked about anything other then work. They had never exchanged more than a few sentences prior to Arizona's first disappearance. Teddy had been Arizona's closest friend at Seattle and that, added to the fact that the heart surgeon was an amazing doctor and an inspiring teacher, had earned her Callie's undying respect and admiration. But, when it came down to expressing actual feelings, both surgeons had come out with the short end of the stick. They had both been distraught and angered by the beautiful blonde's actions but both opted to keep everything bottled up, dealing with their pain in different ways.
For Teddy it had been to submerge herself in her work and to practically hound Lieutenant McKee for information on her friend's whereabouts.
For Callie it had been to pack her bags and leave; leave her friends, leave the hospital, leave everything that reminded her of her previous life. She had taken Dr. Bennett's offer and had accepted the position as head of the Orthopedics Research Facility in New York Presbyterian. Once settled, she went back to her old ways. She worked endless hour shifts only to come home and obsess over finding either Seger or Arizona. One thing she had not dared share with anyone, not even Mark, was that she had dug into her rarely used trust fund and spent large amounts of money hiring private investigators and investigative firms to locate either that scumbag Seger or her runaway lover. At this point she didn't know who she wanted to confront first; who she was angriest with.
The fact that Teddy was coming all the way over to New York to talk to her was disconcerting to say the least. There was only one possible reason for it; Teddy had found out something about the ped's surgeon. A knot had formed in her stomach ever since she had gotten the message and it was only getting tighter as her mind went through every possible scenario. What news would Teddy be bringing her? Was Arizona alright? What about the baby? Had Seger found them?
"Dr. Torres"
Callie snapped out of her dark thoughts at the sound of her name. She looked up and saw Dr. Bennett walking towards her. She quickly closed her cell phone and pocketed it. She walked up to her boss to meet her half way, intent on asking for the day off. She needed time to think and to prepare herself for Teddy's arrival.
"Good Morning Callie" Angela said with a smile and her usual good mood as she handed the young attending some case files they had been working on for the past couple of days. Callie took them and smiled awkwardly at her boss. "Hey Angela. Listen I know I said I'd help you with your case reports but someth-"
"Dr. Torres, please tell me you're not bailing out on me today" Angela's smile was still in place although it faltered somewhat as she studied the Latina's face. "-Cause you know I have a board meeting this afternoon and if I don't finish these case reports by then I might as well hand in my resignation" She continued, her voice light but her eyes giving her friend a somewhat pleading look.
Callie huffed lightly and internally rolled her eyes at the beautiful woman in front of her. She could never say no to Angela; at least not when she was asking for help. Besides, she was probably exaggerating about Teddy's text. There was a Cardio Thoracic conference at St. Francis Medical Center this weekend in New Jersey and Teddy probably wanted to take the opportunity to catch up with her. She forced the knot in her stomach to loosen up and decided right then and there that it was probably best to keep her mind busy so she wouldn't drive herself crazy with hypothetical questions and situations.
Callie gave Angela a deprecatory smile as she shook her head. "Fine, let's go to my office and finish this" She said as she walked passed the older woman. Angela's smile widened as she took longer strides to catch up to the brunette.
"You so owe me" Callie muttered jokingly when the taller woman finally caught up to her.
-
A few hours later, they both sat exhausted around the small conference table in Callie's office. Several paper cups that used to be filled with coffee and piles of case files were strewn around them. Thankfully, they had finished just in time for the meeting.
Angela pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes, trying to ward off the headache she felt coming. She looked over at Callie and noticed the far away look in her eyes.
"Callie?" She prodded softly, not wanting to startle the younger woman. Callie's eyes stayed focused on the open file in front of her; she had clearly not heard her.
"Callie!" Dr. Bennett said a little louder, waving her left hand in front of the brunette to get her attention.
"I think Teddy found her" Callie uttered all of a sudden, her eyes still transfixed on the same point.
"What are you talking about?...Callie, what's wrong?" Angela's eyebrow's knitted together in worry. She had never seen the brunette like this before. She had been distracted and aloof all day long.
Even though Callie was an extremely private person, when it came down to work, she had always been focused and she was usually always in a moderately good mood. This was a new side to the Latina she had not been privy to, and it troubled her. Something was definitely up.
"Arizona…I-I think Teddy knows where she is" Callie stated as she finally looked up at her friend.
"What? How do you know?"
Angela had met Arizona briefly at the Harper Avery Award ceremony a couple of years back. Callie had never really talked about her, but not even the very private ortho surgeon had escaped the gossip mill at New York Presbyterian. She had heard from some of the staff that Callie had been with Arizona when the ped's surgeon had been taken by some psychopath who had yet to be caught. The last she heard of her was that she had left Seattle with her newborn child about two years back, leaving Callie behind. She had wanted to ask the younger woman about the relationship but it was clear that Latina did not want to share that part of herself with anyone. Angela couldn't help but feel somewhat jealous of Callie's former lover. She knew it was childish and selfish of her. The woman had been kidnapped and held hostage for god knows how long but it was painfully clear she also held Callie's heart.
Angela had been instantly drawn to the younger woman, ever since she had seen her at the ceremony. To top it off, she was an extremely talented surgeon and a passionate, devoted person. When she had gotten Callie's call a year and a half ago accepting her job offer, Angela couldn't help but feel a little excited to have the young woman working for her. Even though she would never use her position to coerce someone into sleeping with her, that didn't mean she was going to back off if the younger woman showed any kind of interest. But soon after the ortho's surgeon's arrival, it had been clear to Angela that that was not the case. Callie seemed anything but interested in starting any kind of relationship with her or anyone else for that matter. She mostly kept to herself, seeming almost zombie like for the first few months she had started working at the hospital. Angela had sympathized with the heart broken woman and she took it upon herself to put her own feelings aside and take the younger woman under her wing. After a while, Callie seemed to open up to her a little, or at least she didn't seem so gloomy when they were in each other's presence and after a year and a half Angela could tentatively say that they had become friends. Although, she had to admit, that her attraction for the other woman had only intensified over time and she had always kept a small flicker of hope that Callie would one day open her eyes and look at her in a different light.
But, seeing her now, she knew that that would never be the case.
"I-I don't know for sure…I just can't get rid of this-this-" Not finding any words, Callie placed her hand over her chest, the place where this heavy, dead weight had settled and was making it difficult for her to breath or concentrate on anything else. She sighed heavily and leaned her elbows on the table, burying her face in her hands.
"What am I supposed to do?-" Came her muffled question "…I-I-I don't think I'll be able to handle this…" Callie looked up at her friend as she continued "-What if something's happened to her…or-or the baby? Or what if nothing's happened to her and she's moved on…what if she's forgotten all about me?" Came the rapid succession of angst filled questions. The brunette looked at her friend, her eyes wide open, giving the other woman an almost panicked look. Angela felt a lump form in her throat. She couldn't imagine what she would do if something like this ever happened to her and her heart went out to her friend.
"Callie, believe me when I say ..You" The older woman assured her.
Callie took a deep shuttering breath "I'm just so angry" Callie admitted softly, looking down as if ashamed.
"As well you should be. She left you without a word; you loved her and stood by her and she ran away. Anyone in your position would be livid" Callie nodded her head, a little relieved after hearing Angela's words.
"But-"
Callie quickly turned her attention to Angela who apparently hadn't finished talking
"-if you do find out where she is and if you decide to go looking for her …just…just try to listen to her. Go, yell and scream and demand to know what happened if you need to, but if you're ever going to walk away whole from this…try to listen to her" Angela's spoke softly, her voice sounding wistful.
"-You haven't seen each other in over two years, so there's going to be a lot of crap you're going to have to tread through and I know you have so many things you need to tell her. So much hurt and anger inside you. But, I'm guessing she did what she did for a reason, and if she ever loved you one tenth as much as I know you love her than believe me, you're going to want to listen to what she says " Angela tried to give her friend some sound advice despite feeling her heart breaking at her own words.
Callie nodded slightly, trying to absorb her friend's words but feeling that what she was advising was going to be impossible for her. She didn't think she would be able to face Arizona, let alone sit down and listen to whatever she had to say. But, she knew that if there was even a remote chance she could find the blonde she would go after her, no matter how painful. And the reason for it had come to her so unexpectedly that it had literally taken her breath away; she wanted to find the baby girl she had waited so long to meet. During Arizona's pregnancy she had succumbed to her feelings for her and had admitted to have fallen in love with the unborn child. She wanted to finally hold her and prove to herself that her feelings towards that child had been real, that the little girl would not remind her of Seger. She would not let her feelings for what Arizona did ruin her chances to get to know the toddler.
Callie stood from her seat, not in the mood to talk about Arizona any further. "Angela, I'm sorry, I have to go" She said quietly as she walked to the door. Angela quickly stood.
"Of course, go home, get some rest and…just think about what I said" Angela uttered softly, as she watched the younger woman nod and exit the office.
-
Callie parked her car in front of her apartment building and cursed when she saw the lone figure sitting on the sidewalk in front of the entrance steps. It was Teddy, suitcase and everything.
"Shit,shit,shit…" Callie muttered nervously as she got out of her car and walked over to the blonde attending. Teddy stood as soon as she noticed Callie. Despite everything that had happened the ortho-surgeon looked good, at least compared to the last time they had seen each other. Her beautiful dark hair was longer than she remembered it; she seemed well rested and she had gained some of the weight she had lost. She almost looked like the Callie Teddy had first met at Seattle Grace-Mercy West all those years ago.
"Hey" Teddy greeted as she enveloped the younger woman in an awkward hug
"A few of my surgeries were pulled back so I decided to hop on an earlier flight, hope that's okay.
"Teddy" Callie returned the hug "Please… just tell me" She whispered, still hugging her friend as she looked up; silently pleading that whatever the news was, Arizona and the baby were safe.
Teddy pulled back and silently appraised Callie. "She called… yesterday. We only talked for a bit; she was probably afraid somebody was tracing the call. She said she missed everyone and she wanted to know how you were…She's been so careful about not contacting us over the years. I-I don't get why she would call now, out of the blue" Teddy finished, looking at Callie for answers.
"It was the baby's birthday yesterday" Callie said matter-of-factly, trying to detach herself from the disparate emotions those words incited in her. Teddy nodded silently, understanding now Arizona's sudden compulsion to call someone. It had been two years since she had left, and god knows what she'd gone through during that time.
"I told McKee about the call, I really didn't think there was much he could do, but what the hell, right?" Teddy gave the younger woman a self deprecatory smile. Callie held her breath, giving her friend a slight nod for her to continue. "He was able to trace her Callie. She was somewhere in Rochester, Minnesota at the time of the call. They couldn't pin point exactly where, and even if they had managed, she most likely called from a public phone…I-I just had to come down here and tell you myself. I'm really worried about her… she sounded so unlike herself, I barely recognized her voice. I really think she's in trouble." Teddy finished and waited for the ortho surgeon's reaction.
Callie let out the breath she had been holding. She really didn't know what to think. She looked down at Teddy's suitcase and made her way over to it, grabbing it and carrying it up the short flight of stairs to the building's entrance.
"Callie? Wh-what are you doing?" Teddy asked. She had expected some kind of reaction from the surgeon; maybe some demonstration of anger, or worry or even a little bit of contempt, but not a blank stare and a hasty retreat.
"I don't want to talk about this out here. Let's go inside. I have to make a phone call" She said over her shoulder as she opened the door and walked inside, waiting patiently for Teddy to follow suit.
-
"Yes, Rochester, Minnesota…yesterday" Callie explained over the phone. After a slight pause, she looked over at Teddy who was sitting on the couch, waiting patiently for Callie to finish with the phone call and explain to her what the hell was going on.
"At what time did she call?" Callie asked her friend as she covered the mouth piece with her right hand.
"Uhm... it was exactly 6:10 in the morning when Arizona hung up" Teddy answered, remembering she had been profoundly asleep when the phone had first started ringing but she had checked her watch as soon as their conversation had ended.
Callie relayed the information over to the person on the other end of the line and remained quiet as she listened to whatever they were saying.
"Yes, I understand…as much as you need, just find her"
It was clear to Teddy that this wasn't the first time Callie had uttered those words. The brunette listened for a few more seconds before hanging up, setting the cordless phone down on the counter. She stayed like that, resting her hands on the counter with her head down and giving her back to Teddy for several long moments before she finally turned and faced the cardio thoracic surgeon.
"I hired a private investigator as soon as I found out Arizona had left me…How pathetic am I?" Callie questioned with a sarcastic laugh. She raked her fingers through her dark tresses and walked over to the couch, plunking herself down on it. She hunched over, resting her elbows on her knees and looked ahead, her mind conjuring up the events that had transpired over the past two years. Teddy rested a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder and patiently waited for her to continue.
"I have to hand it to Arizona, she was always good at avoiding…very good…It was just one dead end after another. I got my hopes up so many times I lost count. In the end it was all pointless. And I just couldn't take it anymore, so I left. Everything just reminded me of her…of them" Callie finished as she looked at Teddy over her shoulder. Teddy squeezed the raven haired woman's shoulder and gave her a small, sympathetic smile.
"I know Callie, I was there remember? I don't think I've ever seen you like that. Not even after Seger-" Teddy promptly shut her mouth, not wanting to go down that road just now.
"So, who were you talking to?" She asked after a few moments, her tone somewhat lighter, desperately wanting to change the subject.
Callie leaned her back against the couch and sighed heavily "Well, the thing is…I never stopped looking…I thought I could, but about six months ago I contacted an agency and I hired a private investigator, Tom Rivera. He was upfront about the whole thing; he said the chances of finding her were slim and that I shouldn't get my hopes up…I instantly liked him" she said with a smirk "…that was him on the phone, he said that now he could at least narrow down his search and he asked me for a couple of days to get some information together. I trust him."
"If he finds her…what are you going to do?" Teddy asked hesitantly.
"I want to go to her, I just have to see for myself that's she's alright…you know, before I kick the crap out of her and everything" Callie joked dryly eliciting a sincere laugh from the woman sitting beside her.
"Do you mind if I go with you?" Teddy asked, unsure if she had the right to ask. She wasn't kidding when she told Callie that she was worried.
"I'd like that…a lot"
Exactly two days later, Callie and Teddy were seated on an airplane headed straight to Lakeville, Minnesota. Rivera had flown to Rochester two days prior and had put Callie's money to good use. It had taken some time but he had managed to get a direction in Lakeville, a city only a couple of hours away from Rochester.
As soon as he had called Callie giving her the news, a tidal wave of fear had almost pummeled her to the ground. Now that she was hours away from confronting Arizona, she didn't think she could. actually do it. She replayed all the events that had transpired before her lover had runaway. How she had been so in love with Arizona. How they had promised to be there for one another. Seger's reappearance and subsequent attack; Arizona giving birth to the baby girl she had never even seen. With that last thought, Callie felt a searing stab of anger pierce her heart. She held on to that feeling, wanting to drown herself in it. That feeling would give her the strength she needed to do what she had to.
Callie fidgeted in her uncomfortable seat. She was trying to catch up on some reading, all for the sake of keeping her mind preoccupied but it was useless. All she could think about was her former lover and what she would do once she had her face to face. At this point, she didn't know if she wanted to slap her or kiss her. What would happen if she did either? What about the baby? She still wanted to be part of the baby's life, but her heart sank at the thought that she really didn't have any claim over the child. Her mind hadn't even begun to process that gut wrenching fact when yet another awful thought assaulted her, causing her already weak stomach to churn painfully. There was also the very real possibility that Arizona had met someone else; what would she do then? She took a deep breath, and concentrated on the rage bubbling underneath the surface. After all, all of these horrible thoughts and feelings were there because of Arizona. She had left her and now she would have to at least listen to everything she had to say.
While Callie was battling with her wayward emotions, Teddy slept peacefully beside her. The attending's head was resting on Callie's left shoulder. They both hadn't slept a wink since Teddy's arrival and she was glad the blonde had finally succumbed to her exhaustion. She was also very glad she wasn't alone for this. Callie lightly rested her cheek on her friends head and tried not to wake the sleeping woman as silent tears streamed down her crestfallen face.
Now it was finally here. The moment she had both longed for and dreaded had come and gone. She had stood in front of Arizona's door, heart pounding, palms sweating and she had forced herself to knock. And now, she was standing face to face with her former lover. Callie looked down at the now dark haired woman's right hand. She was clutching a kitchen knife so tightly her knuckles had practically turned white. She noticed the slight tremor in that same hand as her chocolate eyes slowly travelled up the lithe woman's body, taking everything in for the first time since she'd arrived. She heard Arizona's breath hitch and a small surge of satisfaction coursed through her body. The taller woman was glad she still had at least some effect on the beautiful woman. Callie's gaze finally reached the ped's surgeons delicate face and that's when she noticed her deep blue eyes; Arizona was frightened, very much so. Callie's heart shattered all over again at the sight of her Arizona. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Teddy was outside and she didn't want to keep her waiting. She had really only just wanted to come here for one reason tonight. They could talk about everything else tomorrow, but now all she wanted was one thing.
"Arizona, I just want to see her" Callie uttered quietly, her voice breaking. It only took the sight of those stunning blue eyes staring back at her with fear to quench her anger…at least for the time being.
Arizona looked down at the wooden floor and quietly nodded.
"She's in the other room; I'll go get her" She said as she walked towards her bedroom. As she passed by Callie, Arizona couldn't help take a whiff of her sweet perfume; tears immediately falling down her face at the sudden onslaught of memories. It took everything she had not to turn around and envelope the younger woman in her arms. Glad she had her back to Callie, she roughly wiped at the tears as she placed the knife on the kitchen counter and entered the bedroom.
Callie waited anxiously by. She took in the modest looking apartment, the moving boxes and the assortment of toys and objects scattered throughout the floor. Arizona had obviously just moved in. Callie's eyes locked on a framed photo on one of the small tables by the couch. She walked over to it and carefully picked it up. She solemnly observed the happy couple walking hand in hand. It was a photo of her and Arizona. She remembered this day perfectly; it had been about eight months into their relationship. Mark had just bought a new digital camera and had insisted on going to the beach to try it out. He had inadvertently taken the picture of them as he tried to adjust the camera's settings. It had been taken from an awkward angle, giving the picture a slightly crooked look that only served to emphasize the two central figures in the frame. Callie was looking down, smiling almost shyly, her left hand positioned behind her ear. She had apparently just tucked a few strands of hair behind it. Beside her, Arizona looked adorningly at her, a mischievous smile adorned her face. It had been an intimate moment and the photo had captured the essence of it perfectly. Callie lightly traced Arizona's features in the photograph but quickly put it back in its place when she heard soft footsteps coming her way. She took a shuttering breath and turned towards the bedroom door.
Arizona slowly walked out carrying a small toddler in her arms. She was beautiful. She looked exactly like her mother, especially now that Arizona had colored her hair black. The child had curly dark brown tresses. Her sky blue eyes were a bit sleepy and disoriented at the moment and Callie couldn't help feel guilty at having insisted on seeing her tonight. The toddler held a small stuffed dog securely in her arms. Callie took a tentative step towards them. There was no doubt about it; they were mother and daughter. and they were the embodiment of perfection to Callie.
Arizona's eyes never wavered from the younger woman's face. She took in every subtle change and her heart soared when the other woman looked back at her. There was clear adoration in her eyes. She thought she would never again see that look coming from the woman standing before her. But, just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. Callie shifted her gaze down to the floor, suddenly feeling very vulnerable under Arizona's penetrating eyes.
A thought suddenly occurred to her. It was something she had constantly wondered about and she couldn't help the words that rushed out of her.
"What's her name?" Callie asked once she had reigned in her emotions as best she could.
Arizona lightly bounced the small toddler in her arms, feeling the drowsy girl getting crankier with each passing second. She gave Callie a shy smile and only hesitated a moment before answering.
"I knew what I was going to name her the second I laid eyes on her" Arizona began, giving Callie a meaningful look.
"She was just so beautiful...there really was no other choice" Arizona stepped forward, now mere inches away from the beautiful Latina. Callie gaped at the two of them, as if entranced by their proximity.
"This is Calliope"
_
TBC (I promise I won't take so long next time)
Thanks for reading guys!