Wow, I'm so sorry that this took so long, but it just wouldn't happen on paper the way it was happening in my head. I hope everyone had very happy holidays and an awesome new year.
Anything recognisable belongs to Shonda and GA. Enjoy!
Chapter 17
After a leisurely breakfast and walk around the city, the couple retreated to the hotel to prepare for the ceremony. Arizona was explaining how the night's events would unfold as they soaked together in the bath.
"Basically there's different presentations about the company's accomplishments over the year, and then individual awards are given out, speeches are made…"
"Speeches?" Callie asked, lying behind Arizona, running her hand along the blonde's arm as she relaxed in her embrace.
"Yeah, why?"
"Ugh, better you than me. I can't talk to a room full of people." She shuddered, feeling nauseous at just the thought.
Arizona chuckled.
"Seriously?" You're a doctor."
"Yeah, exactly, not a public speaker. I'd hurl all over the front row."
Arizona's nose scrunched in disgust at the image forming in her mind.
"Ew. Well you'll have to get over it if you ever want to win one of those Harper things that Cristina's always talking about."
"The Harper Avery? I doubt I'll have to worry about that." Callie chuckled, tightening her embrace on the blonde and dropping a kiss onto her shoulder. The flight attendant turned her head, inviting Callie to place the next kiss onto her cheek.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, sweetie. You could definitely win one."
"Well I'd have to win it for curing stage fright."
As Callie watched Arizona walk confidently towards the stage, there wasn't a question about her girl having stage fright. Her dimples popped as she accepted the crystal plaque, her midnight blue, strapless sweetheart-neckline dress hugging her body perfectly, stopping just short of her knees.
"Thank you. As you've just been told, I'm receiving this in recognition of my ongoing and outstanding service to Éclat. Tonight I'd like to thank Éclat for their ongoing and outstanding service to me. To my fellow cabin crew and pilots, to our check-in staff and most importantly to our customers. It's a wonderful feeling to know that the company you work for shares your values and trusts your instincts. I have been allowed the opportunity to grow and flourish within Éclat, and for that I am grateful. Thank you."
Callie was worried that she might actually burst with pride as Arizona left the stage amidst a roar of applause and headed back to their table. She stole a quick kiss from Callie's lips as she sat down again.
"You were incredible up there." Callie gushed, taking Arizona's hand and squeezing it tightly.
"Thanks." Arizona beamed.
"How were you not nervous?"
"I address hundreds of passengers a day. It's the same thing." Arizona shrugged, lifting her champagne glass and clinking it with Callie's as their lips met again.
"Well I am very proud of you. Just wait until we get back to our suite, then I'll show you just how proud."
"I can't wait."
A couple of hours, and a couple more glasses of champagne later, the couple's hands were entwined as they hurried back to their suite; Callie's earlier promise hastening Arizona's steps.
The blonde opened the door, reaching to deposit the key card into the suite's power slot when she noticed that one sat there already. And all of lights were on. And a man stood waiting.
"Holy shit."
Callie came to an abrupt stop right behind her.
"What? Oh you have got to be kidding me…"
"Calliope." Mr. Torres began.
"No, dad. Don't Calliope me. You cut me off, remember? You wanted nothing to do with your bisexual daughter, so why the hell are you here?
"You don't seem to mind using the best suite in my hotel, Calliope."
Callie huffed. Of course the hotel would have contacted him to let him know that his prized suite was being used for free. Carlos was a generous man with his family, but seemingly no longer with his daughter.
"Oh believe me, this hotel wasn't my choice. We're here because my amazing girlfriend just won an award, and her company use your hotels all over this country." Callie explained.
"Do you even care about meeting her?"
Carlos glanced at the woman by his daughter's side as Arizona politely offered her hand.
"Arizona Robbins. I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, sir, but my parents raised me to always tell the truth." She turned to Callie, squeezing her hand discreetly.
"I'm going to go down to the bar and let you two talk. Call me when you can?"
The look on Callie's face nearly stopped Arizona from leaving, but she knew better than to get involved when it was clear that her input wouldn't be welcome. She left quickly, making sure to turn her ringer on for when Callie called her.
"I went to see Father Kevin." Carlos stated.
"Oh, and let me guess, he told you I'm going to hell too?"
"No, Calliope, but he is willing to give you counselling. Now I understand that you don't want to come back home, but I will pay him to go to Seattle, -"
"No, no! You can't just throw money and priests at everything you don't like in life, Daddy. Do you have any idea how hard this was for me to try to figure out on my own?"
"We can fix it, Calliope."
"Fix what, dad. Me?" Her tone was softer now. Upset.
"These feelings aren't natural Calliope, they're not right, but we can help you."
"Get out." She hissed through gritted teeth.
"I'll set up a call with Father Kevin, we'll straighten all of this out." Carlos nodded.
"No, no you won't. You can't pray away the gay!" Callie yelled. "Get out!"
Carlos left without another word, the expression on his face inscrutable as Callie's carefully constructed façade quickly crumbled.
Arizona hadn't even had time to order a drink when she spotted Callie's father storming through the bar to the hotel's reception. That hadn't taken long, and that couldn't be a good thing.
"What can I get you?" Asked the waiter as he approached the blonde.
"Nothing. Sorry. I'm fine" Arizona smiled, heading quickly back to the elevator.
Moments later the doors opened into their prized suite.
"Well that didn't take long…" She said aloud, peering around the corner for her girlfriend.
"Callie?"
Muffled sobs could be heard from the bedroom, and as she quickly made her way there, it took everything in her not to run back downstairs and punch Callie's dad in the face. Shattered sobs wracked Callie's body as she buried her face into a pillow, currently still unaware of the blonde.
Tears sprung to Arizona's own eyes as she quickly slipped her shoes off and joined Callie on the bed, taking her into her embrace from behind. Callie, although still sobbing, seemed to relax a little as she turned to face Arizona.
"Sweetie…" Pale fingers wiped futilely at Callie's cheeks, the tears she made disappear immediately being replaced by more.
"What did he say?" She asked softly.
Callie took a deep, shuddering breath before speaking.
"You heard most of it. It's not natural, we'll pray it away…he wanted to fix me, Arizona." She finished quietly, looking into the blonde's understanding eyes for the first time since she had returned.
Anger bubbled inside the blonde as she cupped Callie's tearstained cheeks gently in her hands.
"There is nothing wrong with you, Calliope. Nothing. You are perfect. If your family can't see that, it's their issue, not yours." Arizona sealed her statement with a kiss.
Callie smiled softly, pulling away and letting their noses touch.
"You're perfect, Arizona. Thank you."
Emotionally exhausted, Callie had fallen asleep only a little while after Arizona's return. Arizona separated herself from Callie, reaching for her purse to check their flight details for the morning. Quickly rummaging in the small bag, the blonde began to panic a little when she couldn't find her phone.
Thinking back to when she'd had it last, it dawned on her that it had been during her brief time at the bar.
"Shit." She mumbled, getting up and pulling her shoes on as she scribbled Callie a quick note. She doubted very much that the surgeon would stir, but she didn't want her to feel alone if she did.
As she approached the bar, the waiter smiled.
"Looking for your phone?"
"Yes, did I leave it here?"
The waiter nodded.
"We handed it to the reception.'
"Thank you." Arizona grinned.
"Do you want a drink?"
"Sure. A white wine please."
She disappeared to the reception to gratefully retrieve her phone.
Upon returning, the waiter had produced her wine.
"Room number?"
"The premiere suite."
"Nice. Enjoy." He smiled, placing the glass on top of a small napkin.
"Thank you."
As she was about to take a seat at the bar, she noticed a familiar face at another table. Making her way over, she pulled out another chair and took a seat as Carlos looked up. He sighed, taking a long sip of his red wine.
"I don't know you well enough to talk about her. We're not going to do that."
Arizona was silent for a moment before speaking.
"Most people think I was named for the state, but it's not true. I was named for a battle ship. The U.S.S. Arizona. My grandfather was serving on the Arizona when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and he saved 19 men before he drowned. Pretty much everything my father did his whole life was about honoring that sacrifice. I was raised to be a good man in a storm. Raised me to love my country. To love my family. To protect the things I love."
She paused, pleased that Mr. Torres was at least listening to her.
"When my father - Colonel Daniel Robbins, the United States Marine Corp - heard that I was a lesbian, he said he had only one question. I was prepared for, "How fast can you get the hell out of my house?" But instead, it was, "Are you still who I raised you to be?" My father believed in country the way that you believe in God. And my father is not a man who bends, but he bent for me because I'm his daughter. I'm a good man in a storm. I love your daughter. And I protect the things that I love. Not that I need to. She doesn't need it. She's strong, and caring, and honorable. She's who you raised her to be."
She stood, smiling softly at her girlfriend's father before making her way back to the elevator. She cradled her glass of wine in her hands as she waited for the doors to open. Once back in their suite, Arizona was glad to see that Callie was still fast asleep. She slipped her shoes off again, scrunching up her now redundant note before climbing back onto the bed, smiling as Callie instinctively snuggled close.
"Did you give me both of the key cards?" Callie asked the following morning as they were checking out.
"Yeah, they're in your back pocket." Arizona smirked, tapping Callie's ass gently as she pecked her cheek.
"I'm going to meet the cab and grab us some coffee. Meet me outside when you're done?"
As she made her way out, Callie was glad that she was leaving the hotel. She'd had a magical couple of days, but she felt bad that things had been somewhat spoiled by her father.
"Calliope."
Turning, Callie sighed when the man in question stood behind her.
"I can't do this anymore. You'll see me in hell." She grabbed the handle of her carry-on luggage and began to wheel it through the hotel reception.
"Calliope please." Carlos started. Callie continued to walk.
"I have to catch you."
"What?" Callie frowned, turning to face her father.
"Your whole life…you've always been on a bridge, Calliope, ever since you were a little girl." He began.
"And you don't just walk on it either, you climb on the railing, and you're ready to leap! And when you do…when that happens…I have to be there. I have to catch you."
"You don't have to catch me, dad." She spoke softly.
"Yes I do. It's my job." Carlos promised.
"Listen, if this works out between you and Arizona, is there a chance that maybe you'd…give your mother a wedding?" He asked. Callie's heart immediately felt ten times lighter.
"If Arizona wanted to spend the rest of her life with me? Yeah, I'll put on a big white dress and dance down the aisle." She smiled at the thought.
"How about grandkids?"
"Yes, I would imagine, when the time came, there would be kids."
"Does she make you happy?"
Callie grinned; Arizona made her very happy indeed, but her father's acceptance was something even more special.
"Yes dad, she makes me very happy."
Pulling her father close for a hug, Callie sighed in relief as she felt the most comfortable and familiar arms wrapping around her. She felt protected. She felt home.
"I love you, you know that?"
Carlos pulled away, looking seriously at Callie.
"She's not a vegetarian, is she? 'Cause I don't know how much more I can take-"
"She's not a vegetarian." Callie chuckled, cutting his sentence short as she pulled him close for another hug.
"I feel very old." Carlos admitted, hugging his daughter close.
From outside, two coffees in hand and a cab driver waiting to load their luggage, Arizona grinned as she spotted her girlfriend and her father embracing.
"God, I'm good."
Thankful reviews, or shouting at me for taking so long will both be accepted :P