I don't own anything…all credit goes to ABC/Shondaland
Chapter Thirty-One
Callie's POV
Boards. Boards. Boards. That has been the only thing on my mind lately. Besides the usual Sofia and Arizona, the boards haven taken over. I'm excited, anxious, nervous, and confused. I've been pretty much working towards this my whole life. Once I made the decision to go to medical school I wanted to become a surgeon. A full-fledged surgeon. I can almost taste the victory, if that makes sense. First, attending, second is Head of Orthopedics, but I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. I still have a major examination to pass. I'm confident that I'll pass, but you can never be too sure until you get the results. Cristina Yang, who is basically the golden child of this hospital, has been getting interviews and offers from all the major hospitals and she hasn't even taken the test yet. Everyone wants a piece of her, and I can't blame them. She's a genius and deserves everything that is coming her way. Meredith, Alex, Jackson, and the other residents are getting offers too. Some better then others, but at least it's something. As of lately, I've been getting calls for interviews too. To say I was surprised would be an understatement, not in my professional ability, but I've pretty much secured my position here at Seattle Grace. The current attending and Head of Ortho only has a few years left, and I still have a lot to learn, so I was just going to study under him until I could interview for the job. Something about a female orthopedic surgeon is attractive to some hospitals, there aren't that many of us out there and it would sure to bring some attention to any hospital. That being said, I have been fielding some pretty good offers. I have yet to accept any interviews, but Cristina is convinced that I'm crazy for at least not going for an interview. At the very least I'll be flown out first class to a hospital, given a tour and a personal interview, all while sleeping in a five-star hotel. Cristina is right, maybe I should at least see what others have to say and offer. Seattle Grace is one of the best, but it's not the best. That being said, it doesn't hurt to look.
"Another day, another basket…it's good to be Cristina Yang." Cristina says walking into the resident's longue with a gift basket.
"So not fair…" Alex grumbles while looking through Cristina's basket for something to snack on.
"You can look and snack on anything in there, but you still won't get an offer from Hopkins, Alex." Cristina says.
"Hopkins? Geez Yang, save some for the rest of us." Alex says while taking a bite from a cookie.
"What is the list up to now…Hopkins, Stanford, Mayo, Duke, Yale…" Jackson rattles off.
"UCLA, George Washington, a few other small ones…" Cristina says satisfied.
"It must be good to be you, Yang." Jackson says with his dreamy eyes.
"Oh shut it, Avery you have any school locked up because of your name."
"Don't hate, Alex. It's not cute on you." Quips Meredith.
"Excuse me Ellis Grey's daughter…how many offers do you have?" Alex asks.
"I don't know and it doesn't matter, I'm staying put. Derek is the head of neurology; we have a comfortable life here. Lexie is a few years behind and we're in a good place. Plus I have Torres sticking around and probably you since we all know you not going to Toledo."
"What a waste." Karev. "Seriously Torres, you too?"
"Hey, I like it here. Give me five years and I'll be the head of Ortho, plus Sofia is here and so is Arizona. We can't just move."
"Uh yeah you can, Sofia is like one she won't even remember Seattle, plus Arizona is a teacher, she can basically get a job anywhere." Cristina says.
"She has a point, Torres." Jackson agrees.
"I don't know I haven't given it much thought."
"Bullshit, I saw that basket that came from Harvard a few days ago. I know you were looking." Alex says.
"Uh yeah I was looking because there were some good brownies inside, I'm not just going to pass up free food, Karev."
"Don't sell yourself short, you got offers from Stanford and Miami as well." Jackson says.
"Oh no, don't do Miami. I know you're from there but that's like going from the starting line-up to the bench. Seattle is way better then Miami." Cristina scoffs.
"I know, plus I'm trying to get away from Miami and my family. Besides Aria, there isn't anything positive for me down there."
"Well what does Arizona think?" Meredith says speaking up.
"I haven't told her yet…" I say sheepishly. "Only because I haven't given any offer serious consideration. We like Seattle, she just moved her too like a year ago. A lot of moving and change has been going on. I would like some consistency in my life."
"Well I would love it if you would stay, but you should at least take an interview. Let yourself get the royal treatment." Meredith replies.
"Listen to Grey, Torres. I mean even Karev got the royal treatment, and that's saying a lot." Cristina says.
"Hey I don't like being the punching bag, use Kepner." Alex says agitated.
"Where is she anyway?" Jackson asks.
"I heard she got an interview at Northwestern." Says Cristina.
"That's a great school, I couldn't handle the cold though. Chicago is a freakin' ice berg in the winter." Meredith says.
"She'll come back to Seattle, right?" Jackson inquires.
"Uh duh, she wasn't offered the position yet, why do you care anyway, pretty boy?" Alex utters.
"No reason…I'm headed out to UCLA in a few days. Nothing like L.A. weather."
"I'm sure Mark would love to see you." I say back teasingly.
"Yeah, you guys can give a girl breast implants just like the good old days." Cristina says jokingly. "Jackson Avery, a plastic surgeon. Who would've thought?"
"Hey! It may not be the traditional 'Avery Way', but I'm good at it. My mom will just have to survive."
"Yeah, yeah. You keep thinking that," Cristina wisecracks. "Look, I have to go put this basket with the rest of them in my home, so I'll catch you wannabe Harper Avery winners later." She says before exiting. Meredith quickly follows and I make my way up to daycare to pick up Sofia. Thirty minutes later we are inside the house and Arizona is pacing the first floor watching Sofia run around.
"So how was class today, babe?" I ask while preparing dinner.
"Good. We are starting to review for the final so there is a lot of material to cover, but I'm trying to make it as fun as possible for the students."
"That's good. Junior high through medical school, finals are finals and they are a bitch."
"Callie! Language. Sofia is starting to pick up on sounds and words now. I don't really want her say B-I-T-C-H anytime soon."
"Sorry, sorry. Her next word will be 'mommy' promise."
"Let's hope so…"
"So look, I was wondering if you could watch Sofia for me for two days next week…" I say slowly transiting to the next topic.
"Um, why would I be watching her by myself?" Arizona asks walking through the kitchen into the living room to trail Sofia around.
"Well because I'm going to Cambridge, well Harvard really, but that's the same thing."
"And may I ask why you're going to Harvard?"
"Ihaveaninterview." I spit out quickly.
"Uh, try again, and slower please." She says picking up Sofia and coming back into the kitchen.
"I said I have an interview…" I say before turning around and focusing on what's cooking on the stove.
"An interview? For what?"
"A job."
"A job?" Arizona asks confused. "When were you planning on telling me this?"
"Tonight." I say nervously.
"Huh, funny how it worked out like that?" She says cynically. I turn to face her again and I see she has an annoyed and confused look on her face. "I'm still waiting for you to explain, Calliope."
"We get offers, all the resident's get offers for positions, being that we all pass our boards. I've gotten some offers and requests for interviews and Cristina thinks I'd be silly to not at least accept one."
"So you've talked to Cristina about this and not your own fiancée. Yeah, that makes perfect sense." She says sarcastically.
"In my defense I didn't say anything because I wasn't seriously considering anything, and I'm not now, but I think I should at least go for an interview. To see what's out there."
"What about Seattle Grace? I thought you had a job there." Arizona says putting down a fidgeting Sofia.
"I do, the Chief has made it more then clear to me that I have a job here at Seattle Grace. I don't think I want to leave, but I'll never know if I don't listen to what people are offering me." I say honestly. "I'm kind of a hot-shot, babe." I say trying to ease the tension.
"Callie, this really isn't a time for you to be egotistical." She says dryly.
"I wasn't being egotistical, I'm just saying…"
"So what if you like the offer from Harvard? What then?"
"Well I have to pass the boards first."
"Okay, well we all know that's going to happen, so what's next?"
"I'd probably have to move…"
"You?"
"I mean we, I hope you would come with me." I say genuinely.
"We're you even going to ask me or just assume I'd pick up and follow you and Sofia." She says defensively.
"Of course I would ask you. I wouldn't even say yes or not without discussing it with you, Arizona."
"It seems like you have everything all planned out, Callie."
"No I don't, and that's not fair, Arizona." I say sternly. "Can we just eat dinner, please?"
"Yeah, we can eat, but we aren't done talking about this." She says moving Sofia into the dining room and getting plates down for us. Ten minutes later we are seated, in silence, and eating.
"How many?" She asks breaking the ice.
"How many, what?" I ask.
"How many offers have you gotten?"
"Five, or six…I don't know." I say dismissively.
"Callie…"
"I know, I know…I've just been passing them over though. Honestly."
"How long have you been getting them?"
"A few weeks." I say shyly.
"Calliope, seriously!?"
"I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't take them seriously, but Cristina thinks I should at least listen to offers."
"She's right." Arizona says quietly. "She's right, it's the least you can do. You're smart and talented, she's right."
"I guess…"
"Do you want to move?" She asks hesitantly.
"No…I don't know…I guess it depends on what they say. Although I'm not too keen on moving to Cambridge."
"Harvard is a great school, one of the best."
"I know, but Seattle is my home, and I think I could really be head of my department in a few years.
"What is Seattle offering you?"
"Just an attending position, increase in salary, and a few other things. I think it's pretty standard. Other people are getting moving cost and relocation fees. I'd probably get the same thing if we had to move."
"Interesting…"
"Yeah." I say. We finish eating in silence and listen to Sofia babble along. I can tell she's thinking and processing, so I give her time and space. A few minutes later I decide to go upstairs and give Sofia her nightly bath, and Arizona cleans up the kitchen. Within the hour Sofia is down and Arizona and I have changed into our pajamas and are laying bed in bed.
"What are you thinking?" I ask turning to look at her.
"I'm thinking why you didn't tell me earlier."
"I know, I'm sorry. I should've told you once I start getting offers; I guess I didn't really want to think about it. About moving, and starting all over, I mean we just moved into this house."
"Callie we can always get another house."
"You're right, but I like where I am. I like it here."
"Me too, but if you have a chance at something better you can't let Seattle hold you back." She says playing her my fingers that lay on her abdomen. "I would you know."
"You would what?"
"I would move to wherever you and Sofia are. You guys are my life and family now." She says defiantly.
"It's not just us, Arizona. We need to talk about this together."
"I know, but I just want to let you know. I'm a teacher, I'm sure I could get a job wherever you moved. I really wouldn't mind. I'm not tied here like you are."
"But you want to open a school, and…"
"Calliope, you know that isn't going to happen for at least ten years. I can open a school anywhere. This is your decision. We need to make it together, but ultimately if you think it's best for us to move, we should move."
"Thank you." I say warmly.
"You're welcome, Calliope. I love you." She says before giving me a kiss on the lips.
"I love you, too. But nothing is set in stone yet. It's just an interview. I might hate it."
"Yeah, but you might love it too."
"Maybe, so are you sure you can watch, Sof?"
"Of course, you don't have to ask. She's my daughter too. Maybe she will finally say 'mommy'!"
"She better not, I don't want to miss that!"
"I'm sure when she starts saying it, she won't stop. You'll get you chance to hear it."
"I know, but there's nothing like the first time." I say moving closer to her.
"Fair enough. So is everyone leaving Seattle Grace?"
"Well we all think Cristina will because she's gotten offers from all the top schools. Meredith wants to stay put, and Karev will most likely stay because he hasn't gotten too many great offers." I say laughing. "Jackson can pretty much go wherever he wants because of his family heritage, so it's pretty much up in the air."
"That's exciting, everyone is moving on to better things. It what you guys worked to hard for, right?"
"Yeah I guess, you never think you're going to reach this point, but now it's here and it's wild to think about. New people will probably be coming to Seattle Grace. It's going to be a transition for everyone."
"What other offers have you gotten?" She asks.
"Miami, which is a definite no because of obvious reasons."
"Well maybe we should think about it, you'd be closer to Aria. It's where you're from—"
"No, we aren't moving there. Plus there hospital isn't as advanced as Seattle Grace, at least in my field so it wouldn't help me professionally."
"Hmph…okay…"
"I did get one from Stanford…" I say cautiously.
"That's great, Calliope!"
"Thank you, I don't know what they're offering me, but it's cool that they thought of me."
"They would be crazy not to. You're crazy talented!" Arizona says giving me another kiss and making me blush. "Wouldn't that mean we're closer to Mark?"
"I think so, it's a couple hours from L.A. so we still wouldn't see him as much, but we would be closer. Ultimately we would still have to travel to see him like we would from Seattle. I haven't told Mark yet because I don't want him to get excited. I don't even have an interview set up yet, so who knows. I kind of wish I got an offer from Hopkins, so we could be closer to your parents."
"Oh they don't care. Sure they want me closer, but it's not a major factor in this decision, Calliope."
"Yeah, but it be nice to have some grandparents around for Sofia, and I love your parents. Not to mention Hopkins is a great school. Probably top five in the country."
"They can't be too great if they didn't offer you anything."
"Thanks, but I'm not sure that's how it works." I say pulling the duvet cover up over us so only our heads are left uncovered."
"So do the schools and hospitals just send you letters, how does it all work?"
"Some get letters, I've gotten some gift baskets with all kinds of things in them."
"I wanna see one!" It's like they're courting you. It's kind of romantic." Arizona states.
"Babe, there's nothing romantic about it, they just kind of one up each other. Some send sweets; others send fruits; some send a little things that represent the city. Sometimes a nice note of welcome."
"Well where are they?"
"I left them in the lounge for people to snack off of."
"Callie! Bring one home." She says playfully hitting me.
"Okay, okay I'll see what I can do." I say in surrender.
"You know I never got a chance to say how happy I am for you. It's a big deal, Calliope. I really am happy for you." She says lovingly while caressing my face.
"Thanks, babe." I reply before wrapping my arms around her for a hug.
"My fiancée is smart, talented, hot, rich, and an incredible mother. I think I hit the jackpot!" Arizona says humorously.
"No, I'm pretty sure I'm the lucky one." I say genuinely. I give her another kiss before we decide to watch some television for the evening before succumbing to sleep.
AN: Moving? Maybe…thanks for reading.