A/N-I bring you chapter 18! I just finished chapter 19 and will start going over it soon and making revisions. I will start on chapter 20 but I might not get it up tonight. It is my first week of school so I hope I can get it up by Friday before I have to go back into hibernation. I just want to remind everyone that this is Callica endgame for any Calzone (yes I know the pairing name is Calzona. The cool kids say Calzone.) readers. Please don't go looking for bricks as this story will be turning more to Callica in the coming chapters. I will be writing a Calzone endgame ending after I finish this. Thanks again to all those reading and reviewing! Without further ado I give you chapter 18.
Callie sits up at the use of her full name. Arizona is not looking at her as she chews on her bottom lip and takes another deep breath.
"Hey, you are scaring me. Just tell me." Callie's heart is racing because her gut is telling her it has something to do with Boswell.
"She was found unfit to stand trial. They are shipping her off to a mental health facility for treatment." Arizona looks up at Callie and what she sees in Callie's eyes breaks her. The complete disappointment and anger in the brunette's eyes is only there for a few seconds at most but it is long enough to affect the blonde.
"Hey, it's okay just so long as she is out of our lives." Callie reaches out to Arizona cupping her chin in her hand making the blonde look at her. "Okay?"
Arizona nods halfheartedly and pulls away from Callie's hand.
"Meredith dropped off Sofia last night while you were sleeping. I am going to go check on her and see if she is awake and start breakfast." Arizona gets out of bed and pulls her robe on. Callie's hand drops down and wraps around her legs that she has pulled to her chest.
"Okay." Callie replies not willing to argue with the blonde. Arizona gives her a smile but Callie can see the sadness and guilt in her wife's eyes. She knows that Arizona blames herself for everything that has happened no matter how many times Callie has tried to relieve her of the self-imposed guilt. Arizona's eyes flicker to her legs even though they are covered by a sheet. Jackson did a really good job stitching her back up and making the scar almost invisible on her leg and arm, but because Arizona knows where to look there will always be a small reminder of what she feels is her fault. Arizona leaves their bedroom and Callie buries her face in her lap willing herself not to cry even though she can feel the tears coming. Callie knows everything has changed and Arizona will let the guilt consume her.
Callie wipes at her eyes and pulls on her robe. She can hear Sofia giggling from the living room. She isn't sure how many more mornings they will have as a family so, if they are numbered she doesn't plan on missing any.
"What's going on with Torres and Robbins?" Jo sits next to Alex at the cafeteria table and busies herself with opening her sandwich container and misses the uncomfortable glances. When she looks up again she can almost feel the discomfort radiating off her fellow table mates. "Oh" Jo replies solemnly.
It would explain her mentor's lack of enthusiasm as of late. They just set the bone of a truly obnoxious patient. He would not take the hint that Callie was not interested in his not so subtle advances until she set the bone and it made him cry. Normally she would share a good laugh with Callie when patients like that came along but not today, in fact not for the past two weeks. A few more minutes of silence before another conversation starts. Jo is unsettled when she kisses Alex and heads out of the cafeteria to find Callie. She finds her twenty minutes later by chance. Jo enter a supplies closet and freezes when she hears someone crying, Unsure of what to do she is about to leave when she sees Callie through the rows of shelving. Callie looks up at the intruder and sighs when she sees Jo.
"Uh, Cristina saw me when I was looking for you and sent me in here to..." Callie waves here off.
"It's okay. I was going to come out in a few minutes." Callie stands and attempts to gather herself. "Sorry."
"For what?" Jo shrugs as if the whole situation was no big deal. Callie looks at her in appreciation. She wipes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Jo grabs what she came into the supply closet for and follows Callie out.
"She won't talk to me." It has been an hour since Jo stumbled on to Callie crying in the supply closet. Jo looks up surprised that Callie is talking to her about this. "I haven't told anyone else this yet but Lauren isn't going to stand trial. They are carting her off to some mental health facility." Jo is at a loss of words at the news even more so still that Callie is sharing this information with her.
"Don't look so surprised. You found me crying in a supply closet. I need you to know I haven't completely lost my mind there is a reason.' Callie smiles at her and Jo smiles back.
"Everyone has their limit." Jo offers. Callie nods her head.
"Sadly I think Arizona and I maybe reaching ours." Callie finishes some notes on a patient chart and places the tablet back on its dock. "Are you on call tonight?" Jo shakes her head.
"No I am on my own tonight. Alex will be here tonight." Callie turns to Jo more fully.
"Drinks?"
Cristina and Meredith meet them at the bar and Jo finds herself drinking not only with her boyfriend's friends but her bosses. She finds they can really drink. At some point during the night Callie and Meredith start singing about vaginas and Cristina keeps trying to convince Joe to let her behind the bar for old time's sake.
Callie is feeling pretty good when she sees Erica enter the bar. Jo calls it a night and catches a cab home. Callie calls Erica over to take Jo's seat and Cristina and Meredith immediately start pushing shots towards Erica claiming she has to catch up. Two rounds of shots later and Cristina and Meredith leave holding each other up as Joe coaxes them out the door to a cab. Callie has her head in her hand and is looking at Erica. She brushes a strand of hair away from Erica's face causing the blonde to shift away worried.
"Don't worry." Callie sighs. "I am not nearly as drunk as the other three."
"Callie I didn't mean it like that." She looks at Erica again.
"There is nothing wrong with protecting yourself, even from me. I tend to do destructive things when I hurt this much." Callie tips back another shot and it almost physically hurts Erica to see the brunette like this. Callie leans towards her and her head falls onto her shoulder. Erica does not move away this time.
"I am going to Wisconsin to visit Jesse in a week. Do you want to come?" Callie lifts her head from the blonde's shoulder and smiles big.
"I would love to." Both women start to plan the trip. Callie is practically euphoric and only rethinks the decision when she realizes she has to tell Arizona.
"Maybe I shouldn't go. How I am I going to tell Arizona if she will barley talks to me. She has taken on so much guilt since she told me Lauren wouldn't stand trial. She thinks I don't know but I know. She just won't listen to me anymore no matter how many times I try to tell her it's not her fault."
"What!" Erica practically yells when the news finally hits her.. Callie flinches she forgot she hadn't told anyone other than Jo yet.
"Yeah, she told me a couple of weeks ago and everything has gone downhill from there." Erica flags down Joe and orders four shots of tequila. When they come Erica slide two towards Callie and raises one of hers up in the air. Callie grabs one of her own shots and they clink shot glasses before throwing back both shots in succession. They relish the burn as it travels down their throat,
"Care to dance?" Erica asks inclining her head to an open area of the bar. Callie hesitates for a second contemplating all the things that could go wrong with such an innocent request. Callie shrugs her shoulder. What more does she have to lose at this point she reasons. When Callie grabs Erica's hand in acceptance all her worries seem to lift away.
When they dance it is not sexual rather familiar. Almost as if the years of separation never occurred. It reminds Callie of when they would go out dancing all night. For Callie the familiarity in the light of so much uncertainty make it feel like she is coming up for air. Without thinking Callie reaches for Erica and both women gasp when her hand lands on the blonde's hip. Erica moves towards the brunette subconsciously. The blonde's heart is racing as much as Callie's mind. The brunette takes a step closer leaving inches between the two women.
"Erica." Callie whispers. The blonde can hear the plea and desire that Callie outs in her name. She knows she has to stop Callie from crossing the line they are treading. She reminds herself that Callie is a married woman. Her mind is screaming at her that Callie was once hers but Erica shakes her head.
"We can't do this Callie. I won't do this." Eric takes a step back and Callie looks disappointed and relived at the same time. "I should go." Erica says gathering her things. Callie nods her head unable to ask her to stay even though she is aching to reach out and touch her again.
She doesn't move until Erica has left the bar and then its to walk back up to the bar and lean her head against it. She feels someone tap her arm and looks up to find Joe looking at her sympathetically at her.
"This guy says he know you." Callie follows where Joe is pointing to and sees Angel with a small smile on his face,
"Hi gorgeous." Callie nods her head to assure Joe.
"I know him thanks Joe." Joe smiles and goes back to the rest of his customers. "What are you doing here?" Callie asks bringing Angel in for a hug.
"Erica asked me to check on you and make sure you got home alright." Angel helps a stuttering Callie into her coat. He grabs her purse swinging it over his shoulder and puts an arm around Callie's waist leading her to the exit.
"You came all the way over here to walk me across the street?" Callie asks.
"Think nothing of it darling I was in the neighborhood." Callie accepts his answer as they finish walking up the stairs. Angel opens the door and the cool air hits Callie jolting her from the haze of the night's events. As her and Angel walk across the parking lot Callie knows that one of the blonde's hearts will be broken and quite possibly hers as well.