Oh wow I am SO sorry! I didn't mean to make you guys wait this long for an update! Especially having you wonder if Callie passed her boards! Work has been crazy and I've started to learn to drive [about time!] and so that's sucking up a lot of my free time - and this chapter was driving me insane.
Anyway, Happy Holidays lovely readers!
Previously:
Callie's smile widened with every word Arizona said.
"You mean you want to be my girlfriend?"
The blonde nodded.
"You don't think it's too soon?" She asked nervously.
"I mean we haven't even…" She trailed off as Callie grinned wickedly.
"There's plenty of time for that. Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes."
Chapter 11
"You're…very good at…distractions, you know." Callie smirked, speaking against Arizona's lips. The blonde giggled against Callie's mouth.
"I'm aware. This way, midnight will be here before we know it and you'll have your results." She smiled, pulling away momentarily and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Callie lay beneath Arizona, pulling her back within kissing distance.
"I like your thinking. Did you want to order some dessert from room service?"
The blonde pulled away again, biting her lip and shaking her head.
"I want something. Not dessert."
The surgeon grinned, sitting from her place on the couch and grabbing the blonde around her waist. The flight attendant squealed, allowing Callie's strong arms to lift her in the direction of the bed.
"Calliope!"
She was placed gently on the matress whilst nimble fingers made quick work of her flesh-colored tights. Arizona's hands snaked through Callie's dark raven hair as she brought their lips together again. Their flight home wasn't until the morning, so they planned to savor every moment of the night before them.
"Aw do you know how happy I am for you?" Teddy squealed, hugging Arizona as the roommates were reunited.
"And she passed, right?"
Arizona smiled, leaning into Teddy's embrace.
"Of course she passed, she's a rock star. My girlfriend is a rock star in the OR. And in the bedroom."
She lowered her tone as she closed the door to their apartment. The rock star in question had been paged 911 to the hospital within minutes of their return to Seattle.
"Ok I need to meet her properly! Tell her to come over when she's done at work."
Arizona dropped her luggage by the door, removing the blazer of her uniform and placing it neatly on the arm of the couch.
"I don't know when she'll be done, Teds. You don't mind her coming over here?"
Teddy shook her head.
"God no! I mean I mind if you have really, really loud sex, because I'm not getting any and that's just cruel…"
Arizona chuckled as she sent Callie a quick text.
Here's my address, if you want when you're done you can come crash here, Teddy wants to meet you!
Miss you already,
A xxx
A few seconds later, a reply arrived.
Running from OR to OR, and missing you a lot!
Should I be scared of Teddy…?
C xxx
Arizona laughed, typing a quick reply.
Not at all, she's harmless, and really friendly. Please remember to drink something! Let me know when you get off.
A xxx
"So she'll come?" Teddy asked, grabbing two bottles of water from the refrigerator and passing one to Arizona, who nodded in reply.
"Yes, she'll come. Please be nice to her. I know you've got my best interests at heart, but try to promise me?"
Teddy smiled, taking a drink.
"Promise."
Callie's day had gone from fantastic to hectic within the space of a few hours. She'd had to rush to the hospital straight from the airport, so she was more than glad that she had been able to celebrate her success the night before. A wide smile stretched across her face at the memory of the night she had just shared with Arizona.
As soon as she was confident that her patients were stable, Callie left them in the hopefully capable hands of the interns and stepped out from the hospital. Knowing that she was going to meet Arizona's roommate for the first time, and also wanting to score some new-girlfriend points, the surgeon decided to stop by a local florist and pick up some flowers. The cashier made small talk as she totaled her purchase, but frowned as she handed Callie back her credit card.
"It's been declined."
Callie chuckled.
"I doubt it. Here, try this one." She handed the girl another, but with no more luck than the first.
"Can you give me a minute?" Callie asked as she stepped outside, scrolling through her phone contacts until she found who she was looking for.
"Calliope…" She frowned. Her voice sounded nicer when it fell from Arizona's lips.
"Dad, I think there's a problem with my credit card, it's not authorizing any purchases. Have you and mom had any issues?"
"Calliope, I blocked your cards."
"Excuse me?"
"When you decided to leave without even a goodbye, or an understanding that we could help and fix things, you gave me no other choice."
Anger swirled in the pit of Callie's stomach, but she fought to keep her voice calm.
"No other choice? So because you don't approve of my lifestyle you cut me off?"
"We're just trying to help you, Calliope. It's an abomination. It's..."
Callie didn't let him finish.
"An eternity in hell? No, turning your back on your kids is an abomination, so if I'm going to hell then I guess I'll save you a seat." She swiftly ended the call, breathing deeply and resisting the urge to throw her phone into the middle of the road.
She glanced tearfully back into the florist's store, the idea of buying her flowers now out of the question as she tried to work out just how much money she actually had access to. It didn't take her long to realize that it wasn't a lot, and definitely not enough to cover her rent for more than a month.
Wiping at her eyes and stuffing her hands into her pockets, she made her way to Arizona's with the directions the blonde had given her.
"I got a text from Callie ten minutes ago. She should be here any second." Arizona smiled, bending down to check the pizzas in the oven. Homemade pizzas were Teddy's specialty and Arizona couldn't wait for Callie to try them.
"Cool. Red or white?" Teddy asked, holding a bottle of each wine. The table was casually set, and all that was needed now was for the guest of honor to arrive.
"Red, please." Arizona smiled, straightening up and fetching three large wine glasses from the cupboard above her head.
Teddy smiled as she watched her best friend. Arizona had a certain swing in her step and a twinkle in her eye that she hadn't seen since Joanne had left her. The pilot was ecstatic to see to see the blonde back to her old self.
As if on cue, the buzzer sounded. Arizona grinned, lifting the phone.
"Hey, door's open." She smiled, setting the phone back and pressing the release button.
A few short minutes later, Callie knocked quietly at the door. Arizona wasted no time in opening it, and presenting her new girlfriend with a quick but sweet kiss.
"Hi."
Callie's mood brightening substantially at the sight of her girlfriend, and she smiled back.
"Hi."
"This is Teddy." Arizona beckoned, waving the pilot closer. Callie stepped towards her, extending her hand.
"It's lovely to meet you, Teddy. Arizona's already told me so much about you."
Teddy grinned, glancing pointedly at her best friend.
"All good stuff, I hope? She's told me a lot about you too. I was flying when you guys met."
Callie's eyes widened.
"Really? I don't give my number out to every flight attendant I meet…" She joked.
"Only the cute ones." Arizona winked, squeezing past the two and towards the oven.
"Callie, you have got to try Teddy's homemade pizza."
Arizona was delighted that her best friend and girlfriend were getting along so well, but in the short time that Arizona had known Callie, she could tell that something was troubling the surgeon. It was possible that the emergency that she had been called into the hospital for hadn't had a happy ending, so she didn't want to bring the topic up in front of Teddy.
Luckily, Teddy decided to turn in early in preparation for a flight early the next afternoon, so Arizona persuaded Callie to do the same. Once in the privacy of Arizona's bedroom, Callie seemed visibly more withdrawn than she had in Teddy's presence.
"Did something happen at the hospital?" Arizona asked softly, joining Callie on the edge of the bed.
"What?" Callie frowned in confusion.
"You just seem a little down, that's all. I didn't want to ask in front of Teddy. But you can tell me anything."
Callie sighed. She knew she could tell Arizona, but she didn't want to be the miserable girlfriend this early in their relationship. As she felt the blonde's hand gently take hers, she spoke.
"My dad cut me off."
Now Arizona looked confused.
"I'm sorry?"
Callie explained.
"My family is very, very wealthy. I've never had to worry about money for school, college, med school; even my rent. My dad didn't want anything to distract me from becoming the best surgeon that I could be."
"Wow." Arizona breathed. Callie noticed that her tone was one of surprise and not one of envy or interest. Her family's money had become a problem in many of her relationships.
"So I tried to use my credit card earlier. I wanted to buy some flowers for you and Teddy." She explained. The thoughtful gesture made Arizona smile.
"But the girl said my cards had been declined. So I called my dad, and he said he'd blocked my cards, cleared my accounts."
"What? Why?" Arizona questioned. "Because you came out to them?"
Callie nodded, tears pooling in her eyes. Arizona wasted no time in pulling Callie close and sighing sadly. Her thoughts drifted to her fantastic, entirely supportive parents, and briefly wondered why all parents couldn't be more like her own.
"Callie I am so, so sorry."
"He wants me to move back to Miami to work there." Callie sniffed, wiping her eyes.
"He wants to fix me." She sighed tearfully.
Arizona moved her hands, cradling Callie's face gently.
"Hey. Nothing about you needs fixed. You know that, right?"
Callie nodded, placing a hand on top of one of Arizona's.
"I just wish my parents knew that."
"So do I." The blonde sighed, her thumb wiping away a stray tear as it made its way down Callie's cheek.
"Maybe they just need some more time."
I hope you'll let me know what you think :)