One Month 6/7
Title: One month
Author: Arizona_foreva
Rating: M
Pairing: Arizona/other, Arizona/Callie
Summary: What if Callie had left when she found out she was pregnant? What happens when she returns to find that Arizona had moved on?
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings are the properties of their respective owners.
Authors Note: All medical procedures and diagnosis/diseases etc are completely fictional. I am not a surgeon… just a writer. J Please review!
Chapter 6
Sofia’s second surgery came and went successfully and once she was out of the induced coma, everybody could breathe once again. There had been no complications and she was well on the mend, her whole life ahead of her. And it was all thanks to Dr Tahan Cooper and her team.
“Did you tell Arizona?” Teddy asked Tahan, glancing across at her best friend quickly before returning her eyes on the road.
“This was booked months ago Teddy,” Tahan finished packing her handbag, satisfied she hadn’t forgotten anything, “I’m sure she’ll figure it out. I just didn’t want her to feel obligated to come still. Give her some time with Callie.”
“You’re only going for the weekend though, right?” Teddy asked concerned and Tahan chuckled.
“I will be back Tuesday night. I’m not running away Teddy, it’s my parents’ anniversary.”
“I know, I know,” Teddy sighed, looking in her side mirror before switching lanes for the off ramp to Seattle-Tacoma airport.
“Thanks for dropping me off too,” Tahan added, reaching over and giving her friend an affectionate squeeze, “I expect daily updates on Sofia by the way. Any complications arise, I want to be called right away. I’m not expecting any but… you never know.”
“I will call you myself every single day,” Teddy nodded.
“Think she’s going to be mad?” Tahan asked timidly and Teddy chuckled.
“I know she’s going to be mad,” she said and Tahan cringed slightly before looking out the window of the car.
“Robbins!” Arizona turned around and saw Chief Bailey looking at her confused, “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Chief?” It was Arizona’s turn to look confused.
“I recall having two surgeons in my office a little while back, begging me to give them five days off at the same time…” Bailey started to say and Arizona’s mouth dropped wide open as she looked at her watch to see the date.
“Shit,” she whispered, running off from the Chief of Surgery who was shaking her head slowly at the retreating surgeon. Tahan switched her phone on as she climbed into the hired car. She saw she had four voice messages and she plugged her cell phone into the cars system, hitting the button to retrieve her messages as she reversed out of the car park and made her way toward her parents’ house.
Message one: I am so so so so sorry! I can’t believe I forgot we were going away this weekend. Why didn’t you remind me? End of message.
Message two: I hope you aren’t mad at me baby. Again, so sorry. Please call me when you land. End of message.
Message three: It’s Teddy here. Yep, she’s mad. Mad at me. Apparently it’s my fault you didn’t tell her and my fault she forgot. End of message.
Message four: I love you! End of message.
Tahan shook her head to herself before hitting speed dial.
“Babe? Oh my god, I am so sorry. Please tell me you aren’t mad at me!” Arizona sounded flustered.
“Calm down Ari. I’m not mad, I promise,” Tahan smiled to herself.
“Why didn’t you remind me?” Tahan could hear the pout in her girlfriend’s voice.
“Because you have other things on your mind. Seriously, it’s fine Ari. Take this time to… you know…” Tahan didn’t want to actually say it but Arizona got the message.
“I love you,” Arizona said lovingly and Tahan felt the tears in her eyes.
“I love you too Arizona,” Tahan did all she could to not break, “I’m about to get on the freeway. I will call you later.”
“Bye,” Arizona whispered but Tahan had already hung up.
“You okay?” Callie asked concerned, handing over a cup of coffee to the blonde.
“I’m an idiot,” Arizona cried, the tears escaping from her eyes.
Tahan groaned in protest as she was rudely awakened by a glaring light overhead.
“Oh buck up little sister,” Tahan smiled as her brother grabbed her socked feet and dragged her onto the floor from the sofa she was sleeping on, “It’s time to get up and join the family for the morning 6 mile run.”
“Seriously?” Tahan groaned, reaching behind her to the sofa and grabbing the blanket and pulling it over herself on the floor.
“Come on squirt!” Tahan’s brother ripped the blanket from her.
“You suck!” Tahan sighed, holding her hand up for Chris to pull her up. He fell for it and Tahan laughed as Chris fell to the floor beside her.
“Mean,” he grumbled, “Kids, attack Aunt Tahan!”
Tahan braced herself as nine year old Mathew and six year old Madison ran into the room and launched themselves at her.
Chris and Tahan met their father outside the back door. It was something the three of them have done all their lives, running together. Tahan stretched and checked that her laces wouldn’t come undone before slapping her brother on the back and kissing her father on the cheek.
“Last one home is a rotten egg,” she announced before jogging down the back steps and onto the path that took them out the back fence and around the lake.
“So, when do we get to meet the beautiful Dr Robbins?” Tahan’s father asked as he jogged by his daughter.
“Daddy,” Tahan warned her father and he held his hands up in surrender.
“I get it, the subject is off limits. You’re still together but you don’t want to talk about it,” Geoff Cooper repeated his daughters words when his daughter arrived the previous day, “Your mother is worried.”
“Mom always worries,” Tahan sighed, slowing down to a walk and her father followed suit, “I love her Dad.”
“I know you do baby girl, does she not love you too?”
“She does,” Tahan wiped the sweat from her forehead, “it’s complicated and I’m scared I’m going to lose her.”
“Maybe you need to let her free then. I’m guessing there is another woman involved here somewhere? The only time I hear ‘it’s complicated’ in regards to relationships, there is usually another person involved,” Tahan’s father still managed to amaze her.
“I did,” Tahan whispered, feeling the need to wrap her arms around her father.
“Oh sweetie,” Geoff wrapped his arms around his daughter, giving her the affection she needed.
“I can’t believe I’m crying,” Tahan chuckled as she pulled away from her father’s embrace, wiping the tears from her eyes and seeing her brother catch up to them, “Come on slow coach, I can have an emotional breakdown and still kick your ass.”
“Them’s fighting words little sis,” Chris chuckled, running past his father and sister.
“Should we give him a head start?” Geoff chuckled and Tahan shook her head, feeling heaps better already, “Yeah, nah!”
The trio were chuckling and the siblings teasing each other as they entered the back gate, the morning sun barely in the sky and their appetites huge after that run.
“Mom! Hope you’ve got breakfast on, we’re starving!” Chris yelled out, his two kids running out the back door to greet their arrival home.
“Aunty Tahan’s girlfriends here,” Mathew sung out and Tahan looked at her father before up at the house, seeing Arizona standing on the back stairs.
“Come on you kids, lets get these pj’s off and see if Nanna needs a hand with breakfast,” Geoff ordered everyone inside, smiling at the blonde woman as he passed her.
“What are you doing here?” Tahan asked from the bottom of the stairs, looking up at the peds surgeon who had a huge smile on her face.
“Damn,” she whispered, looking behind her to make sure they were alone before heading down the stairs toward her girlfriend slowly, “You look really, really hot right now.” Tahan blushed as her girlfriend bit her bottom lip as she came to a stop in front of her.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Tahan whispered, closing her eyes as Arizona put a hand on her cheek, her thumb gently rubbing along Tahan’s lips.
“I am here because there is nowhere else I would rather be right now,” Arizona whispered against Tahan’s lips before kissing the woman she loves. Tahan accepted the kiss, her hands holding onto the blonde’s hips until air became an issue.
“I don’t mean to sound desperate, but does that mean you’ve made a choice?” Tahan couldn’t help asking.
“You gave me a month,” Arizona whispered and Tahan nodded.
“I know, I’m not pressuring you. I was just… never mind. You’re here and thank you,” Tahan smiled before nodding to the house, “So you’ve met my mom and my niece and nephew. Ready to meet my dad and my brother?”
“Can’t wait,” Arizona beamed, Tahan chuckling as she led her girlfriend up the stairs.
Callie was sulking. She knew she didn’t have the right to sulk but she couldn’t help it. She was missing Arizona. It felt like she had only just got her back and she was about to lose her all over again. But she didn’t know what the future held. Sofia would be discharged in two weeks and then what? They return to LA and Arizona would still be in Seattle. Arizona had said it once before, long distance relationships don’t work. But would Mark be prepared to leave LA behind and move back to Seattle? Would he be able to leave Addison behind? Or would she have to leave Arizona behind again?
“You’re thinking too much,” Addison smiled as she walked into Callie’s hotel room.
“How serious are you and Mark?” Callie blurted out and Addison chuckled, knowing exactly where this was going.
“We’re just friends Callie, you know that,” Addison told her and Callie rolled her eyes.
“You might think you’re just friends, with benefits. Trust me, Mark doesn’t think the same,” Callie sighed as her other best friend sat down beside her and took Callie’s hand in her own.
“Mark told me from day one that he goes wherever you go. If you were to move to Antarctica, he would be right behind you. You’re thinking about your future with Arizona?”
“She doesn’t do long distance relationships. And I know she hates LA,” Callie nodded, “I need to let her know that I’m prepared to move back here. That I’m prepared to move my kids and their father back here just so I can be with her.”
“If she chooses you,” Addison hated to be the voice of reason but Callie needed to accept the fact that Arizona might not choose her.
“You think she’ll stay with Tahan?” Callie sounded so wounded.
“You need to look at it from her point of view Cal,” Addison sighed, “You left her. You just walked away from her, you were pregnant and you walked away. And then you never once contacted her in five years. She had moved on with her life and got over you.”
“If she truly got over me then why would she be dating me now?”
“Because Tahan told her to,” Addison had gotten all the gossip from Teddy and Mark over drinks one night and already knew what the outcome would more than likely be.
“Not because she wants to?” Callie sounded really hurt by what Addison said.
“Of course she wants to,” Addison tried to think of the right words to say here, “Take yourself back to the days of Erica. Imagine Erica returning after you’d started dating Arizona. Erica broke your heart and walked away and you moved on with your life. But then she walked into Joes one night and said she made a mistake, she loves you and she wants you back. What would you do?”
“Tell her to take a hike, but that’s different Addie,” Callie argued and the redhead raised her eyebrows.
“Is it?”
“Where are we going?” Arizona giggled, following her girlfriend along the rocks.
“I told you, it’s a secret,” Tahan turned around to help Arizona up, “we’re nearly there.” They walked, stumbled and climbed for another ten minutes before Tahan turned Arizona around.
“Wow,” Arizona whispered.
“Chris and I used to climb up here all the time when we were kids,” Tahan wrapped her arms around her girlfriend from behind, resting her chin on her girlfriend’s shoulder and taking in the familiar view as the sun set over the horizon.
“It’s beautiful,” Arizona felt tears in her eyes.
“You’re the first girl I’ve brought up here, and no, I’m not just saying that, it’s true,” Tahan tightened her hold on the woman in her arms.
“You deserve so much better than me,” Arizona cried, her emotions overcoming her. Tahan turned the blonde around, wiping away the tears that fell from the blue eyes she loved.
“Don’t say that Arizona,” Tahan felt sad.
“I’ve been sleeping with Calliope,” Arizona’s words fell out and Tahan felt like a knife had just cut her heart in two, “Please say something.”
“What do you want me to say Arizona?” Tahan let the blonde go, her arms falling limply by her side.
“I shouldn’t have come,” Arizona whispered, turning around and making her way back to the house so she could pack and get back to the airport.
Arizona glanced nervously at the man beside her, knowing he knew more than he was letting on.
“Thank you Mr Cooper, I do appreciate you driving me to the airport,” Arizona broke the silence.
“It’s no problem,” Geoff offered the blonde a smile, sensing her nervousness.
“And thank you for inviting me and putting me up in your home,” Arizona added.
“No need for thanks Arizona,” Geoff shook his head before glancing across to the blonde, “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
“I slept with someone else,” Arizona blurted out, her tears spilling over and her sobs escaping from the back of her throat. Geoff nodded to himself and pulled the car into a diner on the side of the road.
“Time for coffee I think, come on,” he handed the distraught woman his handkerchief, “you come inside when you’re ready and we’ll have a little chat hmm?”
Arizona settled herself down and walked into the diner several minutes later, sitting opposite Tahan’s father in a booth where he already had a cup of coffee waiting for her.
“I’m sorry,” Arizona was embarrassed but the older man shook his head.
“Don’t apologise,” he said, offering her another smile that made Arizona miss her own father.
“You must think I’m a horrible person,” she looked down, covering her coffee mug with her hands.
“I don’t think any such thing. I think that my daughter loves you very much and that’s enough for me,” he said and Arizona lifted her head to look at the man in front of her, “Tahan has spent her whole life doing what is best for everyone else. That’s the kind of person my daughter is. She loves with all of her heart and she forgives. The only person my daughter has never been able to forgive, is herself. The incident with that child, after Iraq? I didn’t recognize my daughter at all. She was full of hatred and her pride had been hurt. Her reputation was about to come crumbling down and if it wasn’t for her going to Seattle? Meeting you? I’m scared to think that I could’ve lost my daughter to that hatred forever. I guess what I am trying to say is thank you. You gave me my daughter back. I understand that things are ‘complicated’, that my daughter wants to give you the time and the space to do what is right for you but if I may, I’d like to go in for bat for my daughter. Because I know that she will never say these things to you, not want to influence a choice that is yours entirely. But I am and her father and I want what is best for her. My daughter loves you with all of her heart Arizona and she is in a world of hurt and uncertainty right now. If you want me to take you to the airport, I am more than happy to do that. Or, we can get back in the car and go home. Spend the last two days you have here together, give my daughter a chance to show you just how much she loves you. She’ll forgive you with all of her heart but the question is, do you want to be forgiven?”
They sat in silence as they finished their coffees and when they got back into Geoff’s car, the older man turned to face the woman that his daughter loved.
“So where are we going?”
“Home,” Arizona whispered, knowing she couldn’t just run away.
Tahan was sitting on the front step, waiting for her father to return. Her heart broke when she had returned home only to find out that her father was running her girlfriend to the airport. She smiled sadly as her brother sat down next to her.
“You doing okay?” he asked her and she shrugged, leaning into his side.
“You?”
“Better than I was,” he admitted, “But we’re getting there.”
“You know, I really am sorry,” Tahan whispered but Chris shook his head strongly.
“We have never blamed you Tahan,” Chris said and Tahan sighed before giving him a pointed look.
“Where was Jasmine all week then Chris?”
“Sitting at home being an idiot,” Chris answered, speaking of his wife.
“I should never have gotten involved,” Tahan whispered.
“I don’t believe we left you much choice,” Chris said, “You need to forgive yourself Tahan.”
“How do I forgive myself for killing my nephew?”
“You didn’t kill him. As hard as it to accept, Logan’s fate was already decided the minute he fell from the boat,” Chris blinked away the tears in his eyes.
“I hesitated Chris,” Tahan’s tears fell freely, “I was a pediatric surgeon and I hesitated when I saw that blood.”
“That’s because you were an aunty first and a doctor second. And that’s okay Tahan.”
“Are you and Jasmine okay though?” Tahan asked concerned and Chris shrugged.
“Jasmine and I are… I don’t know what we are but we’re not husband and wife anymore. We haven’t been since before the accident Tahan so don’t even think about trying to shoulder that blame either,” Chris chastised his sister before she could say something.
“I think I’m going to lose Arizona,” Tahan said after a few moments of silence.
“I think you should hold onto a little bit of hope yet,” Chris said, nodding toward the car that pulled up in the driveway in front of them, Arizona sitting in the passenger seat beside their father.
Tahan hadn’t moved from the front step and Arizona hadn’t moved from the car. Geoff and Chris had both gone inside, giving the two women some space. Tahan pulled her ringing cell from her pocket and looked up at the car in question when she saw Arizona’s name flash across the screen. She pressed ‘Answer’ and held the phone to her ear.
“Your father is sort of awesome,” Arizona whispered and Tahan ducked her head to hide her smile, “He really went into bat for you.”
“But it’s not my father’s choice who you decide you want to be with,” Tahan said, looking up and staring at the woman she loves through the windshield of her father’s car.
“No. You’re right. It’s not,” Arizona whispered.
“We’ll go back to Seattle in the morning,” Tahan said, “Now, are you going to come inside to sleep or are you going to sleep right there?”
“Will I get a hug if I get out of the car?”
“I’m sure Mathew or Madison would be happy to indulge,” Tahan smirked, “Get out of the car Arizona.”
Arizona hung up her cell phone and got out of the car, walking slowly to her girlfriend who was still waiting on the front step. Arizona went to walk by the brunette inside but Tahan stuck her hand out, taking Arizona’s in hers and pulling the blonde down onto her lap.
“I’m sorry,” Arizona whispered, wrapping her arms around Tahan’s neck.
Author: Arizona_foreva
Rating: M
Pairing: Arizona/other, Arizona/Callie
Summary: What if Callie had left when she found out she was pregnant? What happens when she returns to find that Arizona had moved on?
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings are the properties of their respective owners.
Authors Note: All medical procedures and diagnosis/diseases etc are completely fictional. I am not a surgeon… just a writer. J Please review!
Chapter 6
Sofia’s second surgery came and went successfully and once she was out of the induced coma, everybody could breathe once again. There had been no complications and she was well on the mend, her whole life ahead of her. And it was all thanks to Dr Tahan Cooper and her team.
“Did you tell Arizona?” Teddy asked Tahan, glancing across at her best friend quickly before returning her eyes on the road.
“This was booked months ago Teddy,” Tahan finished packing her handbag, satisfied she hadn’t forgotten anything, “I’m sure she’ll figure it out. I just didn’t want her to feel obligated to come still. Give her some time with Callie.”
“You’re only going for the weekend though, right?” Teddy asked concerned and Tahan chuckled.
“I will be back Tuesday night. I’m not running away Teddy, it’s my parents’ anniversary.”
“I know, I know,” Teddy sighed, looking in her side mirror before switching lanes for the off ramp to Seattle-Tacoma airport.
“Thanks for dropping me off too,” Tahan added, reaching over and giving her friend an affectionate squeeze, “I expect daily updates on Sofia by the way. Any complications arise, I want to be called right away. I’m not expecting any but… you never know.”
“I will call you myself every single day,” Teddy nodded.
“Think she’s going to be mad?” Tahan asked timidly and Teddy chuckled.
“I know she’s going to be mad,” she said and Tahan cringed slightly before looking out the window of the car.
“Robbins!” Arizona turned around and saw Chief Bailey looking at her confused, “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Chief?” It was Arizona’s turn to look confused.
“I recall having two surgeons in my office a little while back, begging me to give them five days off at the same time…” Bailey started to say and Arizona’s mouth dropped wide open as she looked at her watch to see the date.
“Shit,” she whispered, running off from the Chief of Surgery who was shaking her head slowly at the retreating surgeon. Tahan switched her phone on as she climbed into the hired car. She saw she had four voice messages and she plugged her cell phone into the cars system, hitting the button to retrieve her messages as she reversed out of the car park and made her way toward her parents’ house.
Message one: I am so so so so sorry! I can’t believe I forgot we were going away this weekend. Why didn’t you remind me? End of message.
Message two: I hope you aren’t mad at me baby. Again, so sorry. Please call me when you land. End of message.
Message three: It’s Teddy here. Yep, she’s mad. Mad at me. Apparently it’s my fault you didn’t tell her and my fault she forgot. End of message.
Message four: I love you! End of message.
Tahan shook her head to herself before hitting speed dial.
“Babe? Oh my god, I am so sorry. Please tell me you aren’t mad at me!” Arizona sounded flustered.
“Calm down Ari. I’m not mad, I promise,” Tahan smiled to herself.
“Why didn’t you remind me?” Tahan could hear the pout in her girlfriend’s voice.
“Because you have other things on your mind. Seriously, it’s fine Ari. Take this time to… you know…” Tahan didn’t want to actually say it but Arizona got the message.
“I love you,” Arizona said lovingly and Tahan felt the tears in her eyes.
“I love you too Arizona,” Tahan did all she could to not break, “I’m about to get on the freeway. I will call you later.”
“Bye,” Arizona whispered but Tahan had already hung up.
“You okay?” Callie asked concerned, handing over a cup of coffee to the blonde.
“I’m an idiot,” Arizona cried, the tears escaping from her eyes.
Tahan groaned in protest as she was rudely awakened by a glaring light overhead.
“Oh buck up little sister,” Tahan smiled as her brother grabbed her socked feet and dragged her onto the floor from the sofa she was sleeping on, “It’s time to get up and join the family for the morning 6 mile run.”
“Seriously?” Tahan groaned, reaching behind her to the sofa and grabbing the blanket and pulling it over herself on the floor.
“Come on squirt!” Tahan’s brother ripped the blanket from her.
“You suck!” Tahan sighed, holding her hand up for Chris to pull her up. He fell for it and Tahan laughed as Chris fell to the floor beside her.
“Mean,” he grumbled, “Kids, attack Aunt Tahan!”
Tahan braced herself as nine year old Mathew and six year old Madison ran into the room and launched themselves at her.
Chris and Tahan met their father outside the back door. It was something the three of them have done all their lives, running together. Tahan stretched and checked that her laces wouldn’t come undone before slapping her brother on the back and kissing her father on the cheek.
“Last one home is a rotten egg,” she announced before jogging down the back steps and onto the path that took them out the back fence and around the lake.
“So, when do we get to meet the beautiful Dr Robbins?” Tahan’s father asked as he jogged by his daughter.
“Daddy,” Tahan warned her father and he held his hands up in surrender.
“I get it, the subject is off limits. You’re still together but you don’t want to talk about it,” Geoff Cooper repeated his daughters words when his daughter arrived the previous day, “Your mother is worried.”
“Mom always worries,” Tahan sighed, slowing down to a walk and her father followed suit, “I love her Dad.”
“I know you do baby girl, does she not love you too?”
“She does,” Tahan wiped the sweat from her forehead, “it’s complicated and I’m scared I’m going to lose her.”
“Maybe you need to let her free then. I’m guessing there is another woman involved here somewhere? The only time I hear ‘it’s complicated’ in regards to relationships, there is usually another person involved,” Tahan’s father still managed to amaze her.
“I did,” Tahan whispered, feeling the need to wrap her arms around her father.
“Oh sweetie,” Geoff wrapped his arms around his daughter, giving her the affection she needed.
“I can’t believe I’m crying,” Tahan chuckled as she pulled away from her father’s embrace, wiping the tears from her eyes and seeing her brother catch up to them, “Come on slow coach, I can have an emotional breakdown and still kick your ass.”
“Them’s fighting words little sis,” Chris chuckled, running past his father and sister.
“Should we give him a head start?” Geoff chuckled and Tahan shook her head, feeling heaps better already, “Yeah, nah!”
The trio were chuckling and the siblings teasing each other as they entered the back gate, the morning sun barely in the sky and their appetites huge after that run.
“Mom! Hope you’ve got breakfast on, we’re starving!” Chris yelled out, his two kids running out the back door to greet their arrival home.
“Aunty Tahan’s girlfriends here,” Mathew sung out and Tahan looked at her father before up at the house, seeing Arizona standing on the back stairs.
“Come on you kids, lets get these pj’s off and see if Nanna needs a hand with breakfast,” Geoff ordered everyone inside, smiling at the blonde woman as he passed her.
“What are you doing here?” Tahan asked from the bottom of the stairs, looking up at the peds surgeon who had a huge smile on her face.
“Damn,” she whispered, looking behind her to make sure they were alone before heading down the stairs toward her girlfriend slowly, “You look really, really hot right now.” Tahan blushed as her girlfriend bit her bottom lip as she came to a stop in front of her.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Tahan whispered, closing her eyes as Arizona put a hand on her cheek, her thumb gently rubbing along Tahan’s lips.
“I am here because there is nowhere else I would rather be right now,” Arizona whispered against Tahan’s lips before kissing the woman she loves. Tahan accepted the kiss, her hands holding onto the blonde’s hips until air became an issue.
“I don’t mean to sound desperate, but does that mean you’ve made a choice?” Tahan couldn’t help asking.
“You gave me a month,” Arizona whispered and Tahan nodded.
“I know, I’m not pressuring you. I was just… never mind. You’re here and thank you,” Tahan smiled before nodding to the house, “So you’ve met my mom and my niece and nephew. Ready to meet my dad and my brother?”
“Can’t wait,” Arizona beamed, Tahan chuckling as she led her girlfriend up the stairs.
Callie was sulking. She knew she didn’t have the right to sulk but she couldn’t help it. She was missing Arizona. It felt like she had only just got her back and she was about to lose her all over again. But she didn’t know what the future held. Sofia would be discharged in two weeks and then what? They return to LA and Arizona would still be in Seattle. Arizona had said it once before, long distance relationships don’t work. But would Mark be prepared to leave LA behind and move back to Seattle? Would he be able to leave Addison behind? Or would she have to leave Arizona behind again?
“You’re thinking too much,” Addison smiled as she walked into Callie’s hotel room.
“How serious are you and Mark?” Callie blurted out and Addison chuckled, knowing exactly where this was going.
“We’re just friends Callie, you know that,” Addison told her and Callie rolled her eyes.
“You might think you’re just friends, with benefits. Trust me, Mark doesn’t think the same,” Callie sighed as her other best friend sat down beside her and took Callie’s hand in her own.
“Mark told me from day one that he goes wherever you go. If you were to move to Antarctica, he would be right behind you. You’re thinking about your future with Arizona?”
“She doesn’t do long distance relationships. And I know she hates LA,” Callie nodded, “I need to let her know that I’m prepared to move back here. That I’m prepared to move my kids and their father back here just so I can be with her.”
“If she chooses you,” Addison hated to be the voice of reason but Callie needed to accept the fact that Arizona might not choose her.
“You think she’ll stay with Tahan?” Callie sounded so wounded.
“You need to look at it from her point of view Cal,” Addison sighed, “You left her. You just walked away from her, you were pregnant and you walked away. And then you never once contacted her in five years. She had moved on with her life and got over you.”
“If she truly got over me then why would she be dating me now?”
“Because Tahan told her to,” Addison had gotten all the gossip from Teddy and Mark over drinks one night and already knew what the outcome would more than likely be.
“Not because she wants to?” Callie sounded really hurt by what Addison said.
“Of course she wants to,” Addison tried to think of the right words to say here, “Take yourself back to the days of Erica. Imagine Erica returning after you’d started dating Arizona. Erica broke your heart and walked away and you moved on with your life. But then she walked into Joes one night and said she made a mistake, she loves you and she wants you back. What would you do?”
“Tell her to take a hike, but that’s different Addie,” Callie argued and the redhead raised her eyebrows.
“Is it?”
“Where are we going?” Arizona giggled, following her girlfriend along the rocks.
“I told you, it’s a secret,” Tahan turned around to help Arizona up, “we’re nearly there.” They walked, stumbled and climbed for another ten minutes before Tahan turned Arizona around.
“Wow,” Arizona whispered.
“Chris and I used to climb up here all the time when we were kids,” Tahan wrapped her arms around her girlfriend from behind, resting her chin on her girlfriend’s shoulder and taking in the familiar view as the sun set over the horizon.
“It’s beautiful,” Arizona felt tears in her eyes.
“You’re the first girl I’ve brought up here, and no, I’m not just saying that, it’s true,” Tahan tightened her hold on the woman in her arms.
“You deserve so much better than me,” Arizona cried, her emotions overcoming her. Tahan turned the blonde around, wiping away the tears that fell from the blue eyes she loved.
“Don’t say that Arizona,” Tahan felt sad.
“I’ve been sleeping with Calliope,” Arizona’s words fell out and Tahan felt like a knife had just cut her heart in two, “Please say something.”
“What do you want me to say Arizona?” Tahan let the blonde go, her arms falling limply by her side.
“I shouldn’t have come,” Arizona whispered, turning around and making her way back to the house so she could pack and get back to the airport.
Arizona glanced nervously at the man beside her, knowing he knew more than he was letting on.
“Thank you Mr Cooper, I do appreciate you driving me to the airport,” Arizona broke the silence.
“It’s no problem,” Geoff offered the blonde a smile, sensing her nervousness.
“And thank you for inviting me and putting me up in your home,” Arizona added.
“No need for thanks Arizona,” Geoff shook his head before glancing across to the blonde, “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
“I slept with someone else,” Arizona blurted out, her tears spilling over and her sobs escaping from the back of her throat. Geoff nodded to himself and pulled the car into a diner on the side of the road.
“Time for coffee I think, come on,” he handed the distraught woman his handkerchief, “you come inside when you’re ready and we’ll have a little chat hmm?”
Arizona settled herself down and walked into the diner several minutes later, sitting opposite Tahan’s father in a booth where he already had a cup of coffee waiting for her.
“I’m sorry,” Arizona was embarrassed but the older man shook his head.
“Don’t apologise,” he said, offering her another smile that made Arizona miss her own father.
“You must think I’m a horrible person,” she looked down, covering her coffee mug with her hands.
“I don’t think any such thing. I think that my daughter loves you very much and that’s enough for me,” he said and Arizona lifted her head to look at the man in front of her, “Tahan has spent her whole life doing what is best for everyone else. That’s the kind of person my daughter is. She loves with all of her heart and she forgives. The only person my daughter has never been able to forgive, is herself. The incident with that child, after Iraq? I didn’t recognize my daughter at all. She was full of hatred and her pride had been hurt. Her reputation was about to come crumbling down and if it wasn’t for her going to Seattle? Meeting you? I’m scared to think that I could’ve lost my daughter to that hatred forever. I guess what I am trying to say is thank you. You gave me my daughter back. I understand that things are ‘complicated’, that my daughter wants to give you the time and the space to do what is right for you but if I may, I’d like to go in for bat for my daughter. Because I know that she will never say these things to you, not want to influence a choice that is yours entirely. But I am and her father and I want what is best for her. My daughter loves you with all of her heart Arizona and she is in a world of hurt and uncertainty right now. If you want me to take you to the airport, I am more than happy to do that. Or, we can get back in the car and go home. Spend the last two days you have here together, give my daughter a chance to show you just how much she loves you. She’ll forgive you with all of her heart but the question is, do you want to be forgiven?”
They sat in silence as they finished their coffees and when they got back into Geoff’s car, the older man turned to face the woman that his daughter loved.
“So where are we going?”
“Home,” Arizona whispered, knowing she couldn’t just run away.
Tahan was sitting on the front step, waiting for her father to return. Her heart broke when she had returned home only to find out that her father was running her girlfriend to the airport. She smiled sadly as her brother sat down next to her.
“You doing okay?” he asked her and she shrugged, leaning into his side.
“You?”
“Better than I was,” he admitted, “But we’re getting there.”
“You know, I really am sorry,” Tahan whispered but Chris shook his head strongly.
“We have never blamed you Tahan,” Chris said and Tahan sighed before giving him a pointed look.
“Where was Jasmine all week then Chris?”
“Sitting at home being an idiot,” Chris answered, speaking of his wife.
“I should never have gotten involved,” Tahan whispered.
“I don’t believe we left you much choice,” Chris said, “You need to forgive yourself Tahan.”
“How do I forgive myself for killing my nephew?”
“You didn’t kill him. As hard as it to accept, Logan’s fate was already decided the minute he fell from the boat,” Chris blinked away the tears in his eyes.
“I hesitated Chris,” Tahan’s tears fell freely, “I was a pediatric surgeon and I hesitated when I saw that blood.”
“That’s because you were an aunty first and a doctor second. And that’s okay Tahan.”
“Are you and Jasmine okay though?” Tahan asked concerned and Chris shrugged.
“Jasmine and I are… I don’t know what we are but we’re not husband and wife anymore. We haven’t been since before the accident Tahan so don’t even think about trying to shoulder that blame either,” Chris chastised his sister before she could say something.
“I think I’m going to lose Arizona,” Tahan said after a few moments of silence.
“I think you should hold onto a little bit of hope yet,” Chris said, nodding toward the car that pulled up in the driveway in front of them, Arizona sitting in the passenger seat beside their father.
Tahan hadn’t moved from the front step and Arizona hadn’t moved from the car. Geoff and Chris had both gone inside, giving the two women some space. Tahan pulled her ringing cell from her pocket and looked up at the car in question when she saw Arizona’s name flash across the screen. She pressed ‘Answer’ and held the phone to her ear.
“Your father is sort of awesome,” Arizona whispered and Tahan ducked her head to hide her smile, “He really went into bat for you.”
“But it’s not my father’s choice who you decide you want to be with,” Tahan said, looking up and staring at the woman she loves through the windshield of her father’s car.
“No. You’re right. It’s not,” Arizona whispered.
“We’ll go back to Seattle in the morning,” Tahan said, “Now, are you going to come inside to sleep or are you going to sleep right there?”
“Will I get a hug if I get out of the car?”
“I’m sure Mathew or Madison would be happy to indulge,” Tahan smirked, “Get out of the car Arizona.”
Arizona hung up her cell phone and got out of the car, walking slowly to her girlfriend who was still waiting on the front step. Arizona went to walk by the brunette inside but Tahan stuck her hand out, taking Arizona’s in hers and pulling the blonde down onto her lap.
“I’m sorry,” Arizona whispered, wrapping her arms around Tahan’s neck.