Catherine Avery put her jacket across her arm as she finished speaking to the board members. "The meet and greet is about to begin in the lobby and the finalists will be arriving from their hotel very soon, so if you could all be there, that would be fantastic."
A murmur of agreement went around the room as Catherine kissed Jackson's cheek and left, while the rest of the board was still staring at Callie and Arizona. The silence was deafening as Callie was mesmerised by the piece of paper she still held in her hands, Arizona silently waiting to see what Callie's reaction would be to the news that the woman she cheated on her with would once again walk the halls of Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital. Callie finally looked up at Arizona and wondered what her reaction was to the news that the first and only other woman she slept with was coming back too.
Jackson cleared his throat and rose out of his chair, moving slowly towards the door. "I have to see my Grandfather so I gotta go."
Derek stood too and straightened his coat. "Yeah, I suppose we should all head down to the meet and greet." Derek looked over at his wife and Cristina who were both still staring across the table at Callie and Arizona. "You coming Mer?"
Meredith pushed her chair back and stood, her hands in her pockets as she looked over at Callie and Arizona and tried to lighten the mood. "Hey, if you guys still want to organise a play date with Zola and Sofia soon just let me know. She keeps asking me when Sofia's coming over again for another princess tea party."
Arizona gave their friend a half-smile. "Sure, we'll let you know."
Meredith nodded and walked towards Derek and the door before she noticed Cristina was still sitting in the chair. "Cristina, come on, let's go."
Cristina sighed and reluctantly pushed her chair back and with a groan stood and walked towards Meredith and Derek. Derek held open the door for his wife and her best friend to walk through before glancing once more at Callie and Arizona and giving them a comforting smile before starting to quietly shut the door. Before he could they could hear the conversation between Meredith and Cristina.
"Why'd you make me leave? I wanted to stay for the fireworks Mer."
Meredith scolded her friend as the door finally closed and it was just the two of them. Callie was staring straight ahead, finding the opposite wall very interesting until she finally leaned forward on the board room table and covered her eyes with the palms of her hands, gently rubbing at her eyes and then covered her whole face, slowly shaking her head from side to side. Arizona was at a loss about what to do or say until she saw Callie's body moving in what appeared to be silent tears. Arizona quickly turned Callie's chair toward her to comfort her wife. When Callie removed her hands it became clear to Arizona that Callie wasn't crying, she was laughing.
"Cal...what...are you okay?"
"Oh I'm just freaking perfect. I mean seriously? What did we do to deserve this? Walk under a ladder inside the house holding an open umbrella while kicking a black cat on Friday the 13th. No, you know what it is?"
Arizona shook her head in response as Callie continued her rant. "I'm happy, that's what it is. I moved home, you and I were getting on better than ever and talking about everything and I was finally ready to have sex. I have a long weekend away booked for the two of us and we were gonna have sex. Earth shattering, scream at the top of your lungs, sex. And then this. Yep, that's what it is, I was happy."
Arizona took Callie's hand. "Callie, you have every right to be pissed off at the world and believe me, I am too, but we're in a good place, no, an awesome place. Lauren Boswell coming back into our lives changes nothing. What she and I did will always be the most horrible and disgusting thing I ever did in my life, but you have to believe me when I say it will never happen again. You have nothing to worry about. I don't want Lauren Boswell, I want you and I love you Calliope Torres."
Callie pursed her lips but didn't say anything as Arizona continued. "Do you trust me Cal?"
"Of course I do, it's her I don't trust."
"Well it doesn't matter what she says or does, I need to know if you trust me."
Callie took a moment and looked deep into Arizona's eyes. "I trust you Arizona, it's taken time, but I do, I trust you. But I swear, if she makes one move on you, it'll be, hey face, meet my fist."
Arizona smiled at the protective side of her partner and leaned over to kiss Callie slowly and gently on the lips. She pulled back to find Callie giving her a grin of her own. Arizona ran her thumb over Callie's hand and decided to address the other elephant in the room.
"So, Erica Hahn. Do I have anything to worry about?"
Callie snorted and chuckled to herself. "Let me see. She left me in the car park, dumped me without even so much as a Dear John and then quits her job without saying goodbye to anyone and leaves the next day. Believe me, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. You know, except maybe me telling her what a bitch she is."
Arizona joined Callie in a round of laughter before squeezing the hand she held in hers and meeting Callie's eyes again. "Thank you for trusting me Callie. I promise, I won't let you down."
Callie nodded and stood up, pushing her chair back before putting out her hand for Arizona to take. As they exited the board room Arizona asked the question she wanted to ask. "So this Earth shattering, scream at the top of my lungs sex. When's that taking place again?"
Callie laughed and put an arm around Arizona's shoulder. "So not the time Arizona. How about when we get a moment to ourselves I can tell you all about it."
"Deal." Callie and Arizona walked hand in hand to the lobby where the meet and greet with the Harper Avery Foundation was gathering and to see the finalists arrive. The first three finalists to come in were the one's they weren't familiar with, but then Erica Hahn and Lauren Boswell entered the fray, both smiling as they shook hands with Harper Avery and the other members of the awards committee. Callie and Arizona kept their distance, letting the others do the talking.
Callie leaned over to Arizona's ear and whispered. "Come on, let's sneak out while no one's watching and we can have that moment to ourselves we talked about before. I know the perfect place."
Arizona smiled and was about to follow her wife when Catherine spotted them. "Dr Robbins, Dr Torres, I'd like you to meet Dr Bradley Smith from the Foundation."
Callie and Arizona took turns shaking hands as Catherine continued to speak. "Dr Torres, Dr Smith here is very interested in your cartilage research and has been itching to have a chat with you about it."
"Really?" Callie had heard of this man before, he had perfected a different type of hip replacement a few years back that cut recovery time in half. Callie herself used his method all the time. She was kind of blown away that someone she respected from afar was interested in her work.
Catherine spoke up again as Arizona looked on, her face showing her amusement at her suddenly star struck wife. "Dr Torres, if you aren't busy, would you mind showing Dr Smith around."
"Please call me Brad."
"Of course, it would be an honour." Callie turned to Arizona and asked her silently if it was okay to go. Arizona gave her wife a dimple popping smile before she answered.
"You go ahead, it's fine. I have patients anyway. I can wait 'till tonight and we can our moment then."
Callie planted a kiss on Arizona's cheek. "Thank you." Callie turned back to Brad and pointed towards the elevator banks. "Shall we?"
Brad nodded. "After you Dr Torres."
Callie waved Brad away. "Call me Callie."
Callie and Brad left in the elevator leaving Arizona standing there, alone and looking for a way out, when the one person in all of existence she was hoping to avoid locked eyes with her from across the expanse of the hospital lobby and gave her a smile. Lauren Boswell excused herself from the gentleman she was talking to and started to make her way across the room. Beep, beep. Beep, beep. Arizona looked down and had never been so grateful to hear the sound of her pager and to see 911 NICU on the screen. She hurried towards the elevators, pushing the call button repeatedly and waiting impatiently for the elevator to arrive when a hand touched her shoulder just as the ding announced the arrival of the elevator.
Arizona turned to find a still smiling Lauren Boswell right behind her. "Hello again Arizona."
"Dr Boswell. If you'll excuse me I have a 911 to attend to in the NICU."
Lauren continued to smile. "That's fine. I was headed there myself. Dr Avery told me to go on up and he'd be there in a minute or two. I'll just tag along if that's fine."
Arizona decided to play this as professional as she could and simply shrugged as Lauren entered the lift. Arizona frowned and sighed as she pushed the button for the Peads floor and looked towards the ceiling, wishing this elevator ride would be the fastest she ever experienced in her life.
As Lauren stood in the back a sense of de ja vu hit Arizona like a tonne of bricks. She felt it roll over her in waves as she remembered the moment it all began. It started with Lauren telling her she had pretty eyes, then the line about knowing she had only one leg and admitting that she knew exactly who Arizona was. It escalated from there to the flirting and the teasing about being control freaks and finally to the loss of control in the on call room after the surgery as the storm raged outside. Except it wasn't a loss of control, Arizona knew exactly what she was doing and why. Arizona wished she could go back, tap herself on the shoulder and ask herself if it was worth hurting Callie the way she did. If getting revenge for losing her leg and not being honest with her wife about what she was feeling, what she was going through, was worth hurting the love of her life and nearly losing her forever. Arizona knew it wasn't, she knew it then and she sure as hell knew it now, so that no matter what Lauren Boswell said or did Arizona Robbins was in love with her wife and she would never again betray the trust Callie had in her. It was as simple as that.
"So, how are you Arizona?"
"I'm fine Dr Boswell, how are you?"
Lauren sighed. "Arizona, could we please talk."
"There's nothing to talk about Dr Boswell, we have nothing to talk about." The elevator slowly shuttered to a holt on the Peads floor. "If you'll excuse me." Arizona hurrying ahead as her pager went off again, not stopping when Lauren tried to call her name.
"Arizona, wait up."
Arizona pulled her stethoscope from her coat pocket and entered the NICU to find Alex and Jo frantically working on a one week old boy who had a heart defect. Arizona rushed over as Lauren entered the NICU, watching from afar as Arizona barked orders to the nurses and her fellow doctors.
"Page Cardio, stat. Get me Yang if you can, she's familiar with the case. Call the OR and let them know we're coming. Alex, let's get him ready to move, we need to open him up now."
Arizona took one side of the bed and started to help Alex and Jo push it down the corridor. Lauren jumped out of the way as they all but ran towards the elevators, nearly running over Jackson who stepped out of the elevator as they were rolling in with the patient. Lauren gave Arizona one last smile before she disappeared behind the closing doors. Arizona rolled her eyes at the gesture, maybe she should let Callie beat her to a pulp, she might take a hint. Alex stood across from her checking the patients heartbeat again before he locked eyes with his boss.
"Was that who I think it was?"
Arizona nodded and read over the chart. "Yes it is and no, I don't want to talk about it."
Alex held up his hands in a gesture of surrender as the elevator arrived on the OR level, quickly rolling the gurney to the waiting nurses and anesthesiologist. Arizona, Alex and Jo quickly scrubbed and entered the OR. A moment later Cristina Yang flew through the doors, a blonde woman Arizona only knew from seeing her moments ago in the lobby, following close behind. Cristina was gowned by the nurses and came to stand beside Arizona.
"Dr Robbins, this is Dr Hahn. Dr Hahn, Dr Arizona Robbins."
Erica nodded behind her mask. "I'm sorry to intrude Dr Robbins, but Dr Yang explained the case when she got the page and I asked if it was alright to observe, maybe assist. I'm extremely familiar with this procedure."
Arizona took a nanosecond to decided and turned to the scrub nurses. "Can we get Dr Hahn a gown please. Wilson, could you go observe my pre and post op patients." Jo nodded and headed back to the NICU as Arizona turned her attention back to the patient. There was no way she was saying no to a world-class Cardio surgeon assisting, her oath as a doctor and her compassion as a person meant she pushed aside all other thoughts when a baby was on the table before her, fighting for his young life.
"Ten blade."
Two gruelling hours later Arizona stood with Cristina, Alex and Erica after a successful surgery, scrubbing out together. Erica dried her hands and patted Cristina on the back.
"You've come so far Dr Yang, I'm seriously impressed. Keep this up and you'll be in line for you own Harper Avery one day."
"Ah, thanks."
"It was good seeing you again."
Alex mouthed to Cristina, 'What was that?'. Cristina shrugged and mouthed back, 'I don't know'. The two of them continued to scrub as Erica threw her towel in the bin and held out her hand to Arizona.
"It was a pleasure working with you Dr Robbins. I've heard good things about you and I can see why."
Arizona tossed her own towel aside and accepted the offered hand. "Thank you again Dr Hahn. I've heard a lot about you too."
"Would you care to join me for lunch? If you have time I'd like to talk to you about something."
Cristina and Alex head's both popped up and looked at Arizona with raised eyebrows. Arizona cleared her throat.
"I just have to speak to the parents, but sure, I can join you."
Erica smiled. "Great. I'll meet you in the cafeteria. Cristina, Alex."
Erica acknowledged her fellow surgeons once more before exiting the room, leaving the three of them staring at the door. Cristina threw her towel in with the others and stood next to Arizona, pointing to the door.
"Okay, that was not the Erica Hahn I knew. I was showing her around and she kept being nice to me and telling me how good it was to see me. She either had the stick removed or she's been replaced by a pod person. "
Alex nodded his agreement. "Either that or she'd getting laid."
Arizona turned to Cristina. "What do you think she wants to talk to me about? I mean, does she know Callie and I are married? Is she here to try to get her back."
"Only one way to find out. Have a great lunch Dr Robbins."
"Gee, thanks. You two are no help."
Cristina and Alex left the room laughing, not just at Arizona's predicament, but how different Erica was now. Arizona sighed, left the scrub room and went back to the NICU to speak to the parents. After assuring them their little boy was okay Arizona went to the cafeteria and met with Erica. After five minutes of talking to her she send a text to Callie.
"I'm having lunch with Erica Hahn. Care 2 join me? A:)"
In the research lab Callie took out her phone and checked the message. Callie fired off a quick response. "B there in 15. C:)"
Callie put her phone back in her pocket and watched as Brad continued to inspect the lab, looking over every part of the research she and Derek were working on now. Callie had already showed Brad how she came to creating her miracle cartilage and was answering all of his in-depth questions with gusto. It was flattering having a complete stranger tell her how brilliant she was. Callie had been having a wonderful time with her fellow Ortho surgeon until she got that text and now all she could think of was her wife having lunch with the only other woman she ever slept with. Brad interrupted her thoughts as he sat on the edge of a desk.
"This is amazing. You are amazing. First the cartilage out of thin air, astounding. Then this trial with Derek Shepard, creating realistic nerve receptors for prosthetics, not to mention giving paralysed patients a new lease on life. Just, wow."
Callie smiled and blushed at the attention. Brad smiled back and looked at his watch. "I have some official committee business to attend to, but I would really like to pick your brain some more. Callie, would you like to join me for dinner tonight?"
Callie stumbled over her words. "I...I ah, I can't. I'm sorry."
Brad smiled again. "Are you sure? It's just dinner. A friendly dinner amongst colleagues, just with booze."
Callie felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She knew Brad had flirted with her a little, paying her compliments that went above and beyond what a fellow doctor would say and as flattered as she was Callie would never betray Arizona like that. She loved her wife too much.
Callie laughed at the charming doctor standing before her and in no uncertain terms let him know she was most definitely unavailable. "I really can't Dr Smith, but thanks anyway. I have plans tonight with my wife. You met her earlier, Dr Robbins. Not to mention our little girl Sofia wants me to finish reading her Cinderella."
Dr Bradley Smith accepted her answer and with one last smile left the room. "I understand. If you change you mind let me know Dr Torres. Excuse me."
Callie breathed a sigh of relief as Brad left the room. It was one thing to have someone flirt with you, especially a learned colleague who made her feel really good about herself, it was something entirely different to take that any further and why would she. She and Arizona had taken their time and worked things out. Arizona had made great strides in therapy and they had worked on their communication with each other. Callie did however gain some perspective as to why Arizona cheated on her with Lauren Boswell from her little encounter with Bradley Smith. Nothing could excuse what Arizona did to her, to their family, but Callie could see how easy it would be to turn that attention into infidelity when someone who knows nothing of your baggage, the pain you deal with everyday, wants you just for you. Arizona had been in a dark place when she did what she did and as hard as it had been for Callie to forgive and move on from they really had come a long way. Callie just wished she didn't have to see the object of Arizona's infidelity ever again, but life loves to throw you curve balls.
Callie sighed again and headed to the cafeteria to deal with the other thorn in her side, Dr Erica Hahn. It boggled Callie's mind why she would be having lunch with Arizona in the first place. How the hell did they even meet? Callie entered the cafeteria and looked around, finally finding her wife sitting with another blonde, both of them laughing. Callie cautiously approached until Arizona noticed her presence. Arizona smiled at her wife and pulled out the chair next to her. Callie rounded the table and sat before coming face to face with...a complete stranger. She looked sideways at Arizona with one eyebrow raised before addressing the stranger.
"Hi, I'm Callie Torres and you are?"
The stranger wiped her mouth and hand with her napkin and extended it across the table for Callie to shake. "Hi, I'm Dr Natalie Roberts, Peads, but you can call me Nat. So you're THE Callie Torres, it is great to finally meet you."
Callie looked perplexed and just as she was about to ask Arizona who the hell Natalie Roberts was and why she was having lunch with this person when another blonde approached, this one carrying a baby wrapped in a blue blanket. She sat down next to Nat and excepted a peck on her lips as she handed the sleeping baby to her.
"All changed, now where were we." Erica finally noticed Callie and gave her a hesitant smile. "Callie Torres."
"Erica Hahn, in the flesh." Callie turned to Arizona. "Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on."
Erica sighed. "I met your wonderful wife in the OR and I asked her to lunch so I could ask her if she would help me to talk to you. I wanted to apologise for the way I treated you, the way I walked away without so much as a goodbye."
Callie leaned back in her chair, her hands on her thighs under the table. "Go on, I'm listening." Arizona put her hand under the table and squeezed one of Callie's, giving her reassurance.
"I know you probably hate me and believe me I hated myself for a long time too. I walked away from you because of my stupid pride. I knew you didn't have anything to do with what Izzie Stephens did but I was so pissed I took it out on you. I was a coward to not even call you and you didn't deserve what I did to you. You helped me to see the leaves and I will always be grateful to you for it so I need to ask your forgiveness for the way I treated you. I have regrets in my life, but disappearing on you, leaving you in a car park like that, is one of the ones I regret the most. So I need to ask you Callie Torres if you can forgive me."
Erica felt Nat's arm around her shoulder and a kiss to her cheek as the little boy in her arms stirred. They both looked across the table at Callie and Arizona waiting to see what Callie's response would be. She was all for telling Erica what a bitch she was this morning but what came out her mouth surprised even her. Callie took a moment and with one last look at Arizona opened her mouth.
"Actually Erica, I should thank you."
"What?"
"Well yeah, we helped each other see the leaves, but you dumping me in a car park led me to the person I'm supposed to be with. If you hadn't left like you did I might have missed meeting Arizona and God knows what my life would be like if I hadn't met and fallen in love with her. Sure, we've had our ups and downs but we love each other and we wouldn't have had that if you hadn't left. So yes, I forgive you Erica."
Erica smiled at her former lover. "Thank you Callie, you have no idea how much it means to me for you to say that."
Erica kissed Nat on the lips and took the little boy from her arms, his little cries becoming louder as he woke up. "Shh, it's okay little man, Mommy's here." Erica continued to rock her son as he calmed down and looked up at her with his Mama's eyes. Callie leaned over the table and looked at the bundle in her arms before turning to Natalie.
"He looks so much like you. What's his name?"
"Steven, Steven Roberts-Hahn. We named him after my Grandfather."
Callie smiled and linked her hand with Arizona's again, feeling surprising good after forgiving Erica and leaving the past in the past. "So how did you two meet?"
While Erica continued to rock Steven, Nat started to tell their story. "Well actually, we met in college. We had all the same pre-med courses and we went to John's Hopkins together but after that we sort of lost touch until one day Erica turns up at my hospital, consulting on a patient of mind who had a heart defect exactly like the one she and Arizona were operating on this morning. I always knew I was gay and I admit I had this crush on Erica for years but I always thought she was straight. Then she comes to Mt Sinai and we catch up. She tells me all about her new-found lesbianism and it all went from there. We fell in love, all though I admit it was a long time coming for me."
Erica looked up from Steven with a smile. "It was like, once I admitting how I felt it all fell into place. We got married three years ago and we started our family with this little guy. How about you two? I know you're married but what about kids?"
Arizona smiled at Callie and answered for them. "We have a little girl, Sofia. She looks just like Callie."
Callie laughed. "Yeah, but she totally acts like you."
"I know, I'm awesome. It's only natural she'd wanna be like me."
Callie bumped Arizona's shoulder and laughed along with her wife. Today was turning out to be a good day after the inital shock had worn off. Callie could never have imagined that running into Erica Hahn would turn out to be a good thing. While Callie and Arizona sat and listened to the couple across from them talking about the awards ceremony on Wednesday evening, they both noticed Lauren Boswell enter the cafeteria with Jackson. As Callie and Arizona continue to stare at the door, Erica turned to see what had them so fascinated. She groaned when she saw who it was.
"God, I hate that woman."
Callie stopped watching Lauren for a moment and turned her attention back to Erica. "Why? How do you know her?"
"Aside from having to be at these functions with her, she was at Mt Sinai about two years ago. That woman is total O.P.P."
Arizona looked at Erica in confusion. "What's O.P.P.?"
"Other People's Property. You know, like the song." Natalie gave Erica a look. "Honey, I'm not saying you're my property, but that is exactly what she is. If you 'belong' to someone else she wants you. It's her game. She tries to make you feel like you're the only person on the planet and then once she gets what she wants, she's gone, off to some other hospital and her next victim. It's not something you'd find out about her on Google but I've heard a few things about her on the grapevine. She's bad news. I don't care if I don't win the Harper Avery but as long as she doesn't, I'll be happy."
Arizona sat stiffly and silently while the conversation went on around her, while Callie was shocked and pissed off. Arizona might have been in a dark place when she cheated, but to target people, for sport, for a little bit of fun, was a low down dog act. Her encounter with Brad that morning had given her an insight into having a person make you feel great about yourself, but to deliberately go after someone when you know they are in a relationship was just wrong. Arizona was just as much to blame for her cheating, after all, it takes two to tango and she could have and should have walked away and talked to Callie like she had been for the past six months and maybe things would've been okay, but knowing her wife was probably deliberately targeted made her want to follow up on her threat and punch the living daylights out of Lauren Boswell.
Arizona kissed Callie's cheek and stood. "I have to head back to the NICU but it was very nice to meet you. No doubt I'll see you both around." Arizona turned to Callie. "I'll see you at home."
Callie looked up in concern at Arizona. She knew this conversation was hard on her, she could feel the tension coming off in her waves. "Are you alright?"
Arizona leaned down and kissed Callie deeply, not caring who could see. "I'm okay, I really am. I still want our moment later."
"Me too.
Callie pulled Arizona back down for one more kiss before Arizona walked away, leaving Callie to spend the rest of what turned out to be a pleasant lunch with Erica and Natalie. Soon enough they had to go their separate ways, but not before hugs and a promise to have dinner before they went back to New York. Callie headed to the OR for surgery, hoping Arizona really was okay.
Meanwhile, Arizona was checking on her surgical patient from that morning when a shadow crossed her path. She knew who it was and steeled herself for what had to happen. She had to make it clear, once and for all, that she loved her wife and what happened would never happen again. Arizona placed her stethoscope around her neck, stood up straight and came face to face with Lauren Boswell. Arizona took a deep breath and knew what she had to do.
"Hello Lauren. Let's talk."
Hello. I know some of you probably thought I would have Erica be a bitch but I always intended to make her happy. I felt in the show she never had a chance to be happy and they always made her out to have a cold heart but someone like that, once they meet the right person, becomes a better person and a happier person. Having said that, Lauren was always going to be my bad guy, but I want to ask your opinion of what should happen with her and Arizona. Would you rather see Lauren accept that Arizona is happy and leave her alone, Lauren not take the hint and Arizona having to yell at her in public like at the Harper Avery Dinner to leave her alone, or my personal favourite, Lauren tries to hint to Callie that she and Arizona slept together again when Callie sees them exit an on call room together and have it go from there. Let me know, all comments are appreciated. Until next time, Tigersforever. P.S. I had this chapter ready a day ago but my sister went into labour so I wanted to delay and share the good news. Introducing my little niece Rylie Grace born 6 Feb 2014, 8 pound 13, via C-section. Mum and bub are doing really well. Yay! Took long enough. LOL!