AN: Wow…Talk about mixed reviews for last chapter…some of you loved it, and some of you hated me/Callie for it. I'd explain why I did it, but that's like explaining why a joke is funny, doesn't quite get the same effect. Anyway, I decided to update quickly in hopes of moving past the last chapter, because while ALL reviews are certainly welcome, the negative ones are very unsettling for me. I hope this chapter clears some things up and helps grant some forgiveness for me and Callie. Have a great day, and keep letting me know what you think.

"Hey, Teddy." I chirped cheerfully into the phone.

"Hey, Arizona. You sound happy. I like it." I could hear some shuffling of papers from her end, meaning she was probably at work.

I offered a light laugh, "I have to admit, I am a little happy. Which brings me to the reason for my phone call. I wanted to thank you for sending Callie here, it's been quite the experience…"

Teddy scoffed, "I cannot believe that you're actually admitting I was right. The world must be ending."

My grin widened slightly, "Yeah, well, it happens. But, I also wanted to give you a heads up, that I am going to fire her today. But, since you went through all the trouble of hiring her and everything, I wanted to tell you first."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What? Why? She's made it three and a half weeks, what would make you toss her out now?" Teddy sounded frustrated.

Flashes of red streaked through my eyes as I got angry all over again, "She brought some woman to my home to have sex. That's not okay. It's not professional, it's rude, it made me uncomfortable in my own home, which is the opposite of what she should be doing, and it's weird. How can I trust that she respects me and my home after that? So, I'm calling around today to find someone else, and then I'm letting her go. Sorry, it didn't work out." I folded the blanket in my hands and tossed it over the couch.

Teddy sighed, "Yeah, well, I guess that's a good enough reason. You're sure, though? I mean, I really do think in all others ways, she's good for you."

"Yep, I'm sure. So, thanks again. And, we totally need to hang out soon."

"Of course. I gotta run, so I'll talk to you later, Ok?" Teddy said quickly, hospital cacophony ringing in the background.

"Ok, bye." I sighed as I looked around. My house would be mine again very soon. My morning started out crappy, until I realized that I now had a legit reason to fire Callie. Now, granted, since she had her own practices for in home care that most other nurses didn't, there probably wasn't a specific rule or anything against what she did. However, no one would fight me on it. No one would say that I was being petulant or impossible or unrealistic with my expectations. Therefore, my day had gotten considerably better.

About an hour after I got off the phone with Teddy, Callie walked into the room with her bag that she had arrived with. I must have looked at her funny, because she offered with a small gesture to her belongings, "I heard you on the phone, and figured I'd just get to it."

A brief survey of her face told me that she was disappointed, but complacent. I arched an eyebrow, "You're not going to fight me?"

Callie smiled softly, "No, you're right. It was wrong. And, if it makes a difference, it wasn't planned. I hadn't meant to bring her in with me. It just sort of happened." Callie explained quietly. I remembered Addison saying something similar, about it not being planned and them just falling together.

"Come on. You were all cocky about it this morning. You can't tell me that you really feel all that bad." I felt the need to point this out, because seriously, who was she kidding?

Callie let out a mirthless chuckle, "I suppose I was hoping that if I played it off like no big deal, then you'd think you were mad because of the whole hating me thing and not focus on the fact that I screwed up, then we'd just move past it…Stupid, I know…I was just didn't want to ruin your progress because I'm an idiot."

I scoffed, "That has to be the dumbest excuse I've ever heard."

"Yep…I can try to explain what led me to messing up in the first place, if you want." Callie offered as she sat on the arm of the recliner in front of me.

"I guess, that's up to you, but you're still done here." I couldn't determine exactly why I was even giving her an opportunity to continue to talk.

"I know, I'm only proposing a motivator from my past, not asking for an acquittal." Callie said as she gazed into my eyes.

"Oh, I just assumed you were insensitive, inconsiderate, and selfish… But, fine. Give it your best shot." I waved my hand dismissively, granting her the floor.

"Wow, thanks…" Callie grumbled. I watched as she took a deep, and slightly shuddering breath, "In med school, I met a woman named Emily Hansen. She was my lab partner during my last year. It was…it was that goofy love at first sight kind of thing. From that first day on we were inseparable…About a year after we graduated, I proposed. I would have done it a lot sooner, but I didn't want to freak her out…"

I furrowed my brows as I listened to Callie start some story about an old love, "I'm confused about what an old girlfriend has to do with all of this…I don't really want to hear your sad tale of heartbreak." That was a little harsh, but I wasn't really in the mood.

Her eyes snapped back to mine, "Hey, you said I could give it a shot, let me have it, then I'm gone from your life, ok?" When I nodded in acceptance, she continued, "So, anyway, we got engaged and finished our intern year. We did our residencies at the same hospital, and everything was amazing. We were quickly making a name for ourselves, me as a rockstar Ortho surgeon, and her as a prodigy Neuro surgeon. We were about six months away from our wedding, and I decided we needed a few days off to clear our heads. Work was insane, our parents were hounding us with wedding planning. A couple days to ourselves sounded perfect. So, she wanted to drive us up to her family's cabin. When we were about an hour away, we rounded a bend to find a female deer and baby deer in the middle of the road. On instinct, she swerved to avoid hitting them…"

Callie paused to swallow hard, and I held my breath, fearing where this was inevitably heading. "The problem with that was we were on the edge of a hill, not real steep, but steep enough, and high enough that we rolled down quite a bit before stopping…" She studied her lap as she sighed, "When I woke up we were at the bottom of the hill, kind of angled up and to the right. Right away, I could feel that my right hand crushed, I was bleeding from the head, and undoubtedly suffered several broken bones throughout the rest of my body. Then, I looked for Emily… It took two and half seconds for me to recognize that her neck was broken…" Again, I could see her visibly gulp. My pulse was racing as I imagined what she must have gone through. Her voice shook when she started talking again, "I spent a little over ten hours in a car, baking in the sun, with severe injuries, pinned next to my dead fiancée…ten hours…it felt closer to a hundred years…Finally, a hiker found us and called for help. It took a while, I healed fine, but couldn't operate anymore because the damage to the nerves in my hand was too severe…and the love of my life was gone." She hastily swiped a lone tear from her cheek. "Anyway, yesterday was the anniversary of the day we met. So, Addy took me out for drinks and when she dropped me off, the idea of being alone was too much, so she came in…I wasn't thinking all that clear…and, Addison has never been able to turn me down when I get all mopey over Emily, so she let me talk her into it…" Her eyes finally returned to mine, "I didn't even think about how it would effect you, and I'm so sorry that I made you uncomfortable and upset. I truly am."

I just stared at her. What the hell was I supposed to do with all that? It didn't change our situation. It didn't make me like her anymore. However, it did provide an opportunity for an inconvenient amount of compassion toward Callie. She was only human. I inwardly groaned at the new internal battle that Callie instigated. I hated her for making me doubt my assessment of her, and, consequently, my feelings of hatred.

Callie clapped her hands on her knees and pushed herself to stand, "Well, that's my tragic story…I just figured I'd let you know that I'm no stranger to trauma or emotional wounds. That's why I'm usually good at my job…but, you're different…" She gazed at me for another moment, then grabbed her bag. "Well, I guess, this is goodbye. I'm sorry, I couldn't help you like I thought I could…take care of yourself." When I didn't respond, she nodded and strode past me to the front door.

I didn't turn around when I heard the door being pulled open, but I clenched my fists and called out, "If you're going to be living here, rule number one is no visitors unless you have my permission."

A sharp intake of breath let me know that she heard me.

I continued, "Rule number two, until told otherwise, I am still pissed at you for last night and for being a pain in my ass, in general. Rule number three, assume I'm right more often. And, rule number four, try to stop being so pushy."

I could hear the door close softly, but I still refused look at her. Whether I liked it or not, everyone deserved a second chance. At least, the old me believed that. Her voice was docile when it broke our awkward stand off, "Are you sure?"

"Not really."

"You know, that's not why I told you that story."

"Yeah, well, it worked anyway. Take it or leave it."

"Ok, then. You have a deal…thanks."

I chose to simply nod and go back to my room, shutting the door loudly behind me.

AN: Does that help at all?