Push & Pull-sequel to Trading War Stories (2/?)
Title: Push & Pull-sequel to Trading War Stories (2/?)
Author: asirnay
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Summary: As Callie tries to handle her issues with Arizona, Addison returns to Seattle.
Trading War Stories
Push & Pull-chapter 1
“So, no one’s heard from Addison today?” Sam Bennett couldn’t hide how frantic he felt at the moment. “Anybody?”
“Nope.” Cooper Freedman shrugged as he stirred sugar into his green tea.
“You, Charlotte? You heard from her?”
“Do I look like her babysitter to you?” Dr. King’s Southern drawl added an extra sting to her remark. “Last time I checked, she’s a grown woman.”
As she hurriedly left the break room holding a cup of coffee, Sam looked towards Cooper as he shrugged again.
“I walked right into that one, huh?” Dr. Bennett wondered aloud.
“Mm-hmm.” Dr. Freedman replied before taking a sip of tea.
Violet Turner entered the break room; carrying her son, Lucas. During her sabbatical from Oceanside Wellness Center, she realized that it was time to take a more active role as a mother. The psychiatrist handed custody over to Pete Wilder, Lucas’ father.
“Hey. You wouldn’t happen to have heard from Addison, have you?” Sam was still anxious to uncover his colleague’s whereabouts, yet managed to restrain himself.
“It’s time to feed Lucas.” Violet’s voice was devoid of any emotion. “Cooper, can you take him for a minute?”
“Sure.” Lucas clapped as his mother handed over to the pediatrician. “Hey, buddy.”
Violet retrieved a baby bottle from the refrigerator and ran it under some warm tap water. As the infant chortled with glee, Cooper looked over at Sam, who was stunned at the way Violet brushed him off.
“If you shrug your shoulders one more time...”
Cooper immediately turned away from Sam, bouncing up and down to amuse Lucas. Dell Parker walked briskly into the break room.
“Hey, Coop. Your 3:00 appointment is here.”
“Thanks.” Dr. Freedman was relieved that he had the chance to escape Sam’s vindictive gaze. “Can you...?”
“Yeah, of course.” The midwife took Violet’s son from the pediatrician before he even finished his sentence. Cooper headed off to his office, where his patient awaited.
“I don’t suppose you know where Addison is.”
“No, not really.” Dell gently cradled the infant in his arms. “All I know is she called to clear out her schedule for the rest of the week.”
“The rest of the week? Where in the hell could she be?”
Music blared from a pair of speakers connected to an iPhone. Addison and Callie were dancing to the sounds of the eclectic duo known as J*DaVeY. Hips gyrated as red and black hair flailed about in tune with the song, “Mr. Mister”. Their troubles were the furthest thing from their mind at the moment. Callie sang along, having known the lyrics by heart. As “Mr. Mister” drew to a close, both surgeons flopped down on the bed in Addison’s hotel room.
“Dancing it out...” Dr. Montgomery paused to catch her breath. “...waaaay better than therapy.”
“Told you.” Dr. Torres slowly exhaled. The next song began with a twangy guitar that was all too familiar to her. It prompted the ortho surgeon to quickly skip over to the following track.
“Hey, that sounded kind of nice. Why did you cut it off?” Addison sat up, as she swept her auburn locks away from her face.
“It’s our song. Me and Arizona’s. I can’t even listen to it right now. It’s... it’s too hard.”
“Awww.” Addison placed her hand on Callie’s shoulder after she sat back down on the bed. “I never had a song with anybody.”
“Not even Derek?”
“Oh yeah. We sure did. Uhhh....” The fiery redhead snapped her fingers. “‘Don’t Stop Believin’’. Man, that was a long time ago.”
“You and Derek were into Journey?” Callie began to giggle. “Oh, that just made my day.”
“Shut up!” Addison mildly whacked her good friend on the shoulder. “It’s a nice song.”
“Did you pick that out or did he?”
“I did.”
“I knew it.”
“I was trying to get him into other music. He was heavily into punk rock at the time. The only album he ever listened to back then was ‘London Calling’ by The Clash.”
“Never pegged McDreamy for a rock n’ roller.”
“I think he did it just to piss everyone off. Sure got under my skin.” The former Mrs. Shepherd laid her head upon Callie’s shoulder. “It’s kinda what made him hot, too.”
“Addie?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way. I mean, I’m beyond happy you’re that you here and all. But, why did you come back? What happened in L.A. that was so bad you came back to the rainiest city in the world?”
“I was stupid enough to get involved with a man that I knew was in love with someone else. And that someone else came back to claim what was rightfully hers.”
“Ouch.” Callie pat Addison upon her thigh. “So, what do we do now?”
“I don’t know, Callie. I just don’t know. If I had all the answers, I would still be in L.A.”
“And I wouldn’t be here hiding out with you.”
“Hmm. This is really nice.” Amelia Shepherd looked around the house her brother now called home. “Comfy, even. I can’t believe Ellis Grey used to live here.”
“You make it sound like we’re in a museum.” Derek Shepherd removed his coat and placed it upon a hanger in a nearby closet. “It’s just a house. Four walls, a roof , and some windows.”
“But, you don’t understand, Derek!” Amelia’s husky voice echoed in the hallway. She removed her coat and handed it to her brother. “Ellis. Grey.”
“Amy, I met the woman before she passed away. And I married her daughter, which you already knew.”
“So, where is she? I wanna meet her.”
The siblings turned around once they both heard the sound of creaking wood.
“I thought I heard someone downstairs.” Meredith Grey gently held on to the rails as she made her descent towards the bottom of the staircase. “I was wondering when you were getting in.”
Derek greeted his wife with a kiss. The sandy blonde turned around and extended a hand to her sister-in-law. “Hi, I’m Meredith.”
“What’s up with the handshake?” Amelia opened up her arms, much to Mere’s surprise. “Come here. We’re family now.”
“Okay.” Grey slowly settled into the younger Shepherd’s embrace. Her eyes quickly darted over to Derek, who simply smiled and nodded. “We can do the hugging thing.”
“Relax. I’m not gonna bite.” Amelia released Meredith from her clutches. “I’m not like our sister Nancy, all judgmental and what not.”
“Hmm. I like her already.” Grey smiled back at her husband. “You hungry? All we have is leftovers in the fridge. Chinese takeout. Help yourself. No one really cooks around here. Just Izzie, but she doesn’t live with us anymore.”
“So what’s the deal with this Izzie person?” Amelia wasted no time accepting her sister-in-law’s invitation, retrieving a white carton from the top shelf of the refrigerator. Meredith and Derek followed the younger Shepherd into the kitchen. “If you don’t mind me asking. It seems like no one wants to talk about her.”
“She was a good friend of mine. We started out as interns together. Me, Izzie, my best friend Cristina, George-who’s no longer with us, and Alex-who also lives here.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Izzie left here on bad terms. She cut us off. So it’s kinda hard to talk about.”
“Sorry I brought it up.”
“It’s fine. The more I say it out loud, the easier it is for me to accept that she’s gone.”
An uncomfortable silence enveloped the kitchen.
“So,” Meredith resumed the conversation. “Derek tells me you’re a neuro surgeon, too.”
“Yeah.” Amelia heated up the carton of shrimp fried rice in the microwave. “I’m kinda in between jobs right now.”
“What happened to the fellowship with Dr. Ginsberg?” Derek injected himself back into the conversation.
“She fired me. We had a difference of opinion on the case I worked on with Addison.”
“Isn’t that the same case Addison e-mailed you the scans for?” Meredith asked her husband. “The case you said was a lost cause?”
“Yeah. But, Amelia here managed to wake the patient up.”
“Seriously?” Meredith looked to her sister-in-law with admiration. “Ginsberg should hire you back then.”
“Yeah, she should.” Amelia removed the carton from the microwave after the bell rang. “But, she won’t. I already asked. I guess I burnt that bridge when I contradicted her in front of the patient’s husband.”
“Amy...” Derek sighed. “That was out of line. I would’ve fired you myself for that and you’re my sister.”
“Derek, I managed to something that you and Dr. Ginsberg said couldn’t be done!”
“That’s not the point, Amy!”
“What do you mean it’s not the point?!”
“Okay! Okay! Enough!” Meredith stood in between the quarreling Shepherds. “Relax. There are no scalpels here. It’s just us. Take a moment and just breathe.”
“Dude, what is this? Yoga class?” Alex Karev entered the kitchen, followed by Lexie Grey
“Hmm.” Amelia perked up once she laid eyes upon the brash young resident, something Meredith immediately took notice of. “I see what Addison meant about this being a frat house.”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you.” Derek leaned towards his wife. “Addison’s back in town. She’s visiting Callie.”
“Well, isn’t that nice.” Derek couldn’t tell whether or not Meredith was being sarcastic.
“So, you must be Alex.” Amelia’s expression didn’t hide how enamored she was with him. It made Lexie very uncomfortable. “Hi, I’m Amelia. Amelia Shepherd.”
“Dude,” Karev looked angrily towards Derek. “You got another ex-wife you didn’t tell Meredith about?”
“Alex...” Mere starred daggers at her fellow resident.
“No, silly.” Amelia’s husky voice cracked before she began to laugh. She touched Alex on the arm, causing Lexie to exhale through flared nostrils. “Derek’s my brother. You know, you’re funny.”
“Yeah, he’s a regular laugh riot.” Derek knew for sure that his sister-in-law was being sarcastic. “Hi. Lexie Grey. I’m Meredith’s sister.”
“Hi.”
“Well, it’s been a long day.” The newly minted blonde gestured upstairs. “I’m about to turn in. Good night, everybody.”
“Good night.” Those remained in the kitchen replied in unison.
“Yeah, I’m about to turn in myself.” Karev announced after he yawned. “Good night, everybody. Nice to meet you, Amelia.”
“Likewise.”
Derek took notice of his sister’s smile before Alex left the kitchen. He then looked towards his wife, who responded with a nod. Once the creaking sound of wood from Lexie and Karev walking upstairs ceased, Meredith cleared her throat.
“So, do you want to take this?” The older Grey asked her husband. “Or should I handle it?”
“Be my guest.” Derek fished a bottled water from the fridge. “She never listens when it comes to stuff like that.”
“Stuff like what?” Amelia exchanged looks between her brother and Meredith. “What are you guys getting at?”
“I know we just met.” The sandy blonde directed her attention to the younger Shepherd. “And I don’t mean to get all in your business, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to get mixed up with Alex.”
“Huh? What do you mean? We were just talking.”
“What I saw went way beyond ‘just talking’.” Mere emphasized her point by using air quotes.
“I thought I was going have to hose you down.” Derek interjected before taking a sip of water.
“You know my friend, Izzie, that you asked about?” Grey continued. “Her and Alex, they were married. Right now, they’re going through a divorce. And it’s pretty rough on him. He may not show it, but it is. He’s not emotionally available right now. It’s just not a good idea.”
“I appreciate your concern, Meredith.” Amelia picked up the carton of shrimp fried rice from off the counter and grabbed a clean fork from the dish rack. “But I hope you had the same discussion with your sister because obviously, there’s something going on between her and Alex.”
The feisty brunette walked into the living room.
“That well went.” Mere stood, looking dumbfounded.
“Don’t worry about it. She doesn’t hate your guts, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Derek took another sip of water before kissing his wife. “You did good.”
The sandy blonde smiled, reassured that she did the right thing.
An exhausted Arizona Robbins rode the elevator downstairs. After performing two lengthy surgeries back to back, she looked forward to leaving the hospital for the day. However, she wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of going back to her own apartment alone. The peds surgeon cursed herself. She told her girlfriend to give her some space and got exactly what she asked for. It seemed like a good idea at the moment. But, that decision seemed to do their relationship more harm than good. No matter how awkward it would’ve been, Arizona was hoping to at least get a glimpse of Callie’s beautiful face. Those piercing dark brown eyes. That sparkling smile. Her flawless olive complexion. The long, curly jet black hair that she loved to run her fingers through. She longed to hear that deep, infectious laugh and feel her vivacious curves. Arizona had to settle for a picture of the two of them on her Blackberry. The same picture Callie accidentally cued up at her lecture.
The elevator bell dinged, prompting the blonde haired beauty to put her phone away. As the doors slid open, someone she wasn’t eager to see was waiting to step aboard. Mark Sloan stood towards the front of the elevator. At the moment, he regarded Arizona as the enemy.
“I hope you’re happy with yourself.” Mark broke the silence, his back still facing Arizona.
“Excuse me?”
“I know you heard me.” The plastic surgeon turned to face Dr. Robbins. “But I’ll repeat it for you. I said I hope you’re happy with yourself.”
“Mark, if you’re mad at me over what happened with Callie; then quite frankly; it does not concern you.”
“This is coming from someone whose whole existance revolves around butting in other people’s business! You were the best thing that ever happened to that woman, and then you just up and walk away when it gets a little tough! And guess who’s left to pick up the pieces again? Me!”
“Oh! You would love that, wouldn’t you? You’d get have her all to yourself again!”
“What the hell are you talking about?! She’s my best friend! I’m not in love with Callie! I never was! I’m in love with...” Mark briefly looked away from Arizona as the image of Lexie flashed in his mind. “Never mind, that’s not the point. All I’m saying is every time she gets her heart broken, I have to pick her back up!”
“If that’s what you think of her, then you don’t know her at all! She’s not delicate! The Callie I know is strong and independent and brave! She doesn’t need anyone to pick her back up! She takes her lumps, and then she gets back up and stands on her two feet!”
“You don’t understand. I have to pick her back up, because that’s what she would do for me.” Mark’s voice was much calmer, in an attempt to an appeal to Arizona’s reasoning. “That’s what she would for you, Cristina or anybody else she cares about. No questions asked. Like when Sloan wanted to give her baby up. I offered to take him in. Then, Callie stepped up and said she would raise him with me. That’s the type of person she is.”
“She what?” Arizona was stunned by what Mark had just told her. In her head, she saw the image of him, Callie and Sloan’s son as one big, happy family. It brought tears to her eyes.
The elevator bell rang once more. The doors opened, revealing that Teddy Altman was waitng to step aboard.
“Excuse me.” The peds surgeon spoke gently as she rushed past the cardio goddess.
“Arizona?” Teddy called out to her. “Arizona!”
As the doors of the elevator began to close, Dr. Altman braced herself in between them. “What just happened?”
“We had some words.”
“There had to more than just words or she wouldn’t have ran off in tears like that.”
“Maybe she didn’t agree with what I had to say.”
Teddy looked at Mark in disbelief. He stood there before her with no remorse for what he said to the peds surgeon.
“So, this is what Mark Sloan is really like, huh? You’ve been so nice and the last few weeks have been really great. I was actually convinced that you were a good guy, in spite of what everybody says about you. I guess you weren’t the man I thought you were.”
Owen Hunt walked towards the sound of Teddy’s voice with concern. He didn’t approve of his friend dating Mark Sloan, and not just because of his reputation. Dr. Altman stepped away from the elevator and briskly walked down the hall in search of her friend. A glance at Mark Sloan braced in between the elevator doors caused the trauma surgeon’s jaw to clench.
“Teddy!” Owen’s baritone voice commanded the attention of those nearby. “Teddy, are you alright?”
“Not now, Owen! Not now!”
Dr. Hunt redirected his attention towards Dr. Sloan, exhaling through flared nostrils.
“What the fuck are you looking at, bug eyes?” Mark stepped back from the elevator entrance, allowing the doors to slide. “Go grow some eyebrows or something! You’re freaking everybody out!”
Owen’s gaze was fixated on the elevator moments after the doors closed. Nurses, interns and those who came to visit their loved ones whispered amongst themselves about the insult that Dr. Sloan hurled at him.
Teddy continued walking down the hallway until she noticed an on-call room. She knocked upon the door. There was no response.
“Arizona? Can you hear me?” Still, no response. “Alright, whoever’s in there, I’m coming in.”
Slowly, Dr. Altman opened the door. She found Dr. Robbins sitting on a bed, wiping tears away from her eyes. Teddy placed her purse on the floor nearby and sat down next to her friend.
“I’m fine.” Arizona sniffled before wiping her nose. “Don’t worry about me.”
“Arizona, sweetie, you are not fine.” The cardio goddess put her arm around the blonde haired beauty. “And I am worried. You once told me you like to fix people. Let somebody fix you for a change.”
After a few silent moments, Dr. Robbins stood up. “Teddy, can you come with me? There’s something I need to do.”
Dr. Wyatt was locking up her office as Arizona rapidly approached her.
“Oh, good. I caught you before you left.”
“How may help you, Dr. Robbins?”
“I was...hoping I could schedule an appointment.”
“Hmm. Well, I don’t have my datebook handy. But, I tell you what. Come see me first thing in the morning and I’ll fit you in as early as I can. How does that sound?”
“Sounds good.”
“Great.” Dr. Wyatt slightly grinned. “See you tomorrow, Dr. Robbins.”
“I’m so proud of you right now.” Teddy threw her arm back around Arizona, who smiled in response. Her dimples hadn’t been seen in a few days. “Come on, let’s go to Krispy Kreme. Donuts on me.”
______________________________________________________________________________
Author's note: The theme song to this fic is "Push & Pull" by Nikka Costa
Callie and Addison were dancing to "Mr. Mister" by J*DaVeY
Callie & Arizona's special song is "Little Pieces" by Gomez
Author: asirnay
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Summary: As Callie tries to handle her issues with Arizona, Addison returns to Seattle.
Trading War Stories
Push & Pull-chapter 1
“So, no one’s heard from Addison today?” Sam Bennett couldn’t hide how frantic he felt at the moment. “Anybody?”
“Nope.” Cooper Freedman shrugged as he stirred sugar into his green tea.
“You, Charlotte? You heard from her?”
“Do I look like her babysitter to you?” Dr. King’s Southern drawl added an extra sting to her remark. “Last time I checked, she’s a grown woman.”
As she hurriedly left the break room holding a cup of coffee, Sam looked towards Cooper as he shrugged again.
“I walked right into that one, huh?” Dr. Bennett wondered aloud.
“Mm-hmm.” Dr. Freedman replied before taking a sip of tea.
Violet Turner entered the break room; carrying her son, Lucas. During her sabbatical from Oceanside Wellness Center, she realized that it was time to take a more active role as a mother. The psychiatrist handed custody over to Pete Wilder, Lucas’ father.
“Hey. You wouldn’t happen to have heard from Addison, have you?” Sam was still anxious to uncover his colleague’s whereabouts, yet managed to restrain himself.
“It’s time to feed Lucas.” Violet’s voice was devoid of any emotion. “Cooper, can you take him for a minute?”
“Sure.” Lucas clapped as his mother handed over to the pediatrician. “Hey, buddy.”
Violet retrieved a baby bottle from the refrigerator and ran it under some warm tap water. As the infant chortled with glee, Cooper looked over at Sam, who was stunned at the way Violet brushed him off.
“If you shrug your shoulders one more time...”
Cooper immediately turned away from Sam, bouncing up and down to amuse Lucas. Dell Parker walked briskly into the break room.
“Hey, Coop. Your 3:00 appointment is here.”
“Thanks.” Dr. Freedman was relieved that he had the chance to escape Sam’s vindictive gaze. “Can you...?”
“Yeah, of course.” The midwife took Violet’s son from the pediatrician before he even finished his sentence. Cooper headed off to his office, where his patient awaited.
“I don’t suppose you know where Addison is.”
“No, not really.” Dell gently cradled the infant in his arms. “All I know is she called to clear out her schedule for the rest of the week.”
“The rest of the week? Where in the hell could she be?”
Music blared from a pair of speakers connected to an iPhone. Addison and Callie were dancing to the sounds of the eclectic duo known as J*DaVeY. Hips gyrated as red and black hair flailed about in tune with the song, “Mr. Mister”. Their troubles were the furthest thing from their mind at the moment. Callie sang along, having known the lyrics by heart. As “Mr. Mister” drew to a close, both surgeons flopped down on the bed in Addison’s hotel room.
“Dancing it out...” Dr. Montgomery paused to catch her breath. “...waaaay better than therapy.”
“Told you.” Dr. Torres slowly exhaled. The next song began with a twangy guitar that was all too familiar to her. It prompted the ortho surgeon to quickly skip over to the following track.
“Hey, that sounded kind of nice. Why did you cut it off?” Addison sat up, as she swept her auburn locks away from her face.
“It’s our song. Me and Arizona’s. I can’t even listen to it right now. It’s... it’s too hard.”
“Awww.” Addison placed her hand on Callie’s shoulder after she sat back down on the bed. “I never had a song with anybody.”
“Not even Derek?”
“Oh yeah. We sure did. Uhhh....” The fiery redhead snapped her fingers. “‘Don’t Stop Believin’’. Man, that was a long time ago.”
“You and Derek were into Journey?” Callie began to giggle. “Oh, that just made my day.”
“Shut up!” Addison mildly whacked her good friend on the shoulder. “It’s a nice song.”
“Did you pick that out or did he?”
“I did.”
“I knew it.”
“I was trying to get him into other music. He was heavily into punk rock at the time. The only album he ever listened to back then was ‘London Calling’ by The Clash.”
“Never pegged McDreamy for a rock n’ roller.”
“I think he did it just to piss everyone off. Sure got under my skin.” The former Mrs. Shepherd laid her head upon Callie’s shoulder. “It’s kinda what made him hot, too.”
“Addie?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way. I mean, I’m beyond happy you’re that you here and all. But, why did you come back? What happened in L.A. that was so bad you came back to the rainiest city in the world?”
“I was stupid enough to get involved with a man that I knew was in love with someone else. And that someone else came back to claim what was rightfully hers.”
“Ouch.” Callie pat Addison upon her thigh. “So, what do we do now?”
“I don’t know, Callie. I just don’t know. If I had all the answers, I would still be in L.A.”
“And I wouldn’t be here hiding out with you.”
“Hmm. This is really nice.” Amelia Shepherd looked around the house her brother now called home. “Comfy, even. I can’t believe Ellis Grey used to live here.”
“You make it sound like we’re in a museum.” Derek Shepherd removed his coat and placed it upon a hanger in a nearby closet. “It’s just a house. Four walls, a roof , and some windows.”
“But, you don’t understand, Derek!” Amelia’s husky voice echoed in the hallway. She removed her coat and handed it to her brother. “Ellis. Grey.”
“Amy, I met the woman before she passed away. And I married her daughter, which you already knew.”
“So, where is she? I wanna meet her.”
The siblings turned around once they both heard the sound of creaking wood.
“I thought I heard someone downstairs.” Meredith Grey gently held on to the rails as she made her descent towards the bottom of the staircase. “I was wondering when you were getting in.”
Derek greeted his wife with a kiss. The sandy blonde turned around and extended a hand to her sister-in-law. “Hi, I’m Meredith.”
“What’s up with the handshake?” Amelia opened up her arms, much to Mere’s surprise. “Come here. We’re family now.”
“Okay.” Grey slowly settled into the younger Shepherd’s embrace. Her eyes quickly darted over to Derek, who simply smiled and nodded. “We can do the hugging thing.”
“Relax. I’m not gonna bite.” Amelia released Meredith from her clutches. “I’m not like our sister Nancy, all judgmental and what not.”
“Hmm. I like her already.” Grey smiled back at her husband. “You hungry? All we have is leftovers in the fridge. Chinese takeout. Help yourself. No one really cooks around here. Just Izzie, but she doesn’t live with us anymore.”
“So what’s the deal with this Izzie person?” Amelia wasted no time accepting her sister-in-law’s invitation, retrieving a white carton from the top shelf of the refrigerator. Meredith and Derek followed the younger Shepherd into the kitchen. “If you don’t mind me asking. It seems like no one wants to talk about her.”
“She was a good friend of mine. We started out as interns together. Me, Izzie, my best friend Cristina, George-who’s no longer with us, and Alex-who also lives here.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Izzie left here on bad terms. She cut us off. So it’s kinda hard to talk about.”
“Sorry I brought it up.”
“It’s fine. The more I say it out loud, the easier it is for me to accept that she’s gone.”
An uncomfortable silence enveloped the kitchen.
“So,” Meredith resumed the conversation. “Derek tells me you’re a neuro surgeon, too.”
“Yeah.” Amelia heated up the carton of shrimp fried rice in the microwave. “I’m kinda in between jobs right now.”
“What happened to the fellowship with Dr. Ginsberg?” Derek injected himself back into the conversation.
“She fired me. We had a difference of opinion on the case I worked on with Addison.”
“Isn’t that the same case Addison e-mailed you the scans for?” Meredith asked her husband. “The case you said was a lost cause?”
“Yeah. But, Amelia here managed to wake the patient up.”
“Seriously?” Meredith looked to her sister-in-law with admiration. “Ginsberg should hire you back then.”
“Yeah, she should.” Amelia removed the carton from the microwave after the bell rang. “But, she won’t. I already asked. I guess I burnt that bridge when I contradicted her in front of the patient’s husband.”
“Amy...” Derek sighed. “That was out of line. I would’ve fired you myself for that and you’re my sister.”
“Derek, I managed to something that you and Dr. Ginsberg said couldn’t be done!”
“That’s not the point, Amy!”
“What do you mean it’s not the point?!”
“Okay! Okay! Enough!” Meredith stood in between the quarreling Shepherds. “Relax. There are no scalpels here. It’s just us. Take a moment and just breathe.”
“Dude, what is this? Yoga class?” Alex Karev entered the kitchen, followed by Lexie Grey
“Hmm.” Amelia perked up once she laid eyes upon the brash young resident, something Meredith immediately took notice of. “I see what Addison meant about this being a frat house.”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you.” Derek leaned towards his wife. “Addison’s back in town. She’s visiting Callie.”
“Well, isn’t that nice.” Derek couldn’t tell whether or not Meredith was being sarcastic.
“So, you must be Alex.” Amelia’s expression didn’t hide how enamored she was with him. It made Lexie very uncomfortable. “Hi, I’m Amelia. Amelia Shepherd.”
“Dude,” Karev looked angrily towards Derek. “You got another ex-wife you didn’t tell Meredith about?”
“Alex...” Mere starred daggers at her fellow resident.
“No, silly.” Amelia’s husky voice cracked before she began to laugh. She touched Alex on the arm, causing Lexie to exhale through flared nostrils. “Derek’s my brother. You know, you’re funny.”
“Yeah, he’s a regular laugh riot.” Derek knew for sure that his sister-in-law was being sarcastic. “Hi. Lexie Grey. I’m Meredith’s sister.”
“Hi.”
“Well, it’s been a long day.” The newly minted blonde gestured upstairs. “I’m about to turn in. Good night, everybody.”
“Good night.” Those remained in the kitchen replied in unison.
“Yeah, I’m about to turn in myself.” Karev announced after he yawned. “Good night, everybody. Nice to meet you, Amelia.”
“Likewise.”
Derek took notice of his sister’s smile before Alex left the kitchen. He then looked towards his wife, who responded with a nod. Once the creaking sound of wood from Lexie and Karev walking upstairs ceased, Meredith cleared her throat.
“So, do you want to take this?” The older Grey asked her husband. “Or should I handle it?”
“Be my guest.” Derek fished a bottled water from the fridge. “She never listens when it comes to stuff like that.”
“Stuff like what?” Amelia exchanged looks between her brother and Meredith. “What are you guys getting at?”
“I know we just met.” The sandy blonde directed her attention to the younger Shepherd. “And I don’t mean to get all in your business, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to get mixed up with Alex.”
“Huh? What do you mean? We were just talking.”
“What I saw went way beyond ‘just talking’.” Mere emphasized her point by using air quotes.
“I thought I was going have to hose you down.” Derek interjected before taking a sip of water.
“You know my friend, Izzie, that you asked about?” Grey continued. “Her and Alex, they were married. Right now, they’re going through a divorce. And it’s pretty rough on him. He may not show it, but it is. He’s not emotionally available right now. It’s just not a good idea.”
“I appreciate your concern, Meredith.” Amelia picked up the carton of shrimp fried rice from off the counter and grabbed a clean fork from the dish rack. “But I hope you had the same discussion with your sister because obviously, there’s something going on between her and Alex.”
The feisty brunette walked into the living room.
“That well went.” Mere stood, looking dumbfounded.
“Don’t worry about it. She doesn’t hate your guts, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Derek took another sip of water before kissing his wife. “You did good.”
The sandy blonde smiled, reassured that she did the right thing.
An exhausted Arizona Robbins rode the elevator downstairs. After performing two lengthy surgeries back to back, she looked forward to leaving the hospital for the day. However, she wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of going back to her own apartment alone. The peds surgeon cursed herself. She told her girlfriend to give her some space and got exactly what she asked for. It seemed like a good idea at the moment. But, that decision seemed to do their relationship more harm than good. No matter how awkward it would’ve been, Arizona was hoping to at least get a glimpse of Callie’s beautiful face. Those piercing dark brown eyes. That sparkling smile. Her flawless olive complexion. The long, curly jet black hair that she loved to run her fingers through. She longed to hear that deep, infectious laugh and feel her vivacious curves. Arizona had to settle for a picture of the two of them on her Blackberry. The same picture Callie accidentally cued up at her lecture.
The elevator bell dinged, prompting the blonde haired beauty to put her phone away. As the doors slid open, someone she wasn’t eager to see was waiting to step aboard. Mark Sloan stood towards the front of the elevator. At the moment, he regarded Arizona as the enemy.
“I hope you’re happy with yourself.” Mark broke the silence, his back still facing Arizona.
“Excuse me?”
“I know you heard me.” The plastic surgeon turned to face Dr. Robbins. “But I’ll repeat it for you. I said I hope you’re happy with yourself.”
“Mark, if you’re mad at me over what happened with Callie; then quite frankly; it does not concern you.”
“This is coming from someone whose whole existance revolves around butting in other people’s business! You were the best thing that ever happened to that woman, and then you just up and walk away when it gets a little tough! And guess who’s left to pick up the pieces again? Me!”
“Oh! You would love that, wouldn’t you? You’d get have her all to yourself again!”
“What the hell are you talking about?! She’s my best friend! I’m not in love with Callie! I never was! I’m in love with...” Mark briefly looked away from Arizona as the image of Lexie flashed in his mind. “Never mind, that’s not the point. All I’m saying is every time she gets her heart broken, I have to pick her back up!”
“If that’s what you think of her, then you don’t know her at all! She’s not delicate! The Callie I know is strong and independent and brave! She doesn’t need anyone to pick her back up! She takes her lumps, and then she gets back up and stands on her two feet!”
“You don’t understand. I have to pick her back up, because that’s what she would do for me.” Mark’s voice was much calmer, in an attempt to an appeal to Arizona’s reasoning. “That’s what she would for you, Cristina or anybody else she cares about. No questions asked. Like when Sloan wanted to give her baby up. I offered to take him in. Then, Callie stepped up and said she would raise him with me. That’s the type of person she is.”
“She what?” Arizona was stunned by what Mark had just told her. In her head, she saw the image of him, Callie and Sloan’s son as one big, happy family. It brought tears to her eyes.
The elevator bell rang once more. The doors opened, revealing that Teddy Altman was waitng to step aboard.
“Excuse me.” The peds surgeon spoke gently as she rushed past the cardio goddess.
“Arizona?” Teddy called out to her. “Arizona!”
As the doors of the elevator began to close, Dr. Altman braced herself in between them. “What just happened?”
“We had some words.”
“There had to more than just words or she wouldn’t have ran off in tears like that.”
“Maybe she didn’t agree with what I had to say.”
Teddy looked at Mark in disbelief. He stood there before her with no remorse for what he said to the peds surgeon.
“So, this is what Mark Sloan is really like, huh? You’ve been so nice and the last few weeks have been really great. I was actually convinced that you were a good guy, in spite of what everybody says about you. I guess you weren’t the man I thought you were.”
Owen Hunt walked towards the sound of Teddy’s voice with concern. He didn’t approve of his friend dating Mark Sloan, and not just because of his reputation. Dr. Altman stepped away from the elevator and briskly walked down the hall in search of her friend. A glance at Mark Sloan braced in between the elevator doors caused the trauma surgeon’s jaw to clench.
“Teddy!” Owen’s baritone voice commanded the attention of those nearby. “Teddy, are you alright?”
“Not now, Owen! Not now!”
Dr. Hunt redirected his attention towards Dr. Sloan, exhaling through flared nostrils.
“What the fuck are you looking at, bug eyes?” Mark stepped back from the elevator entrance, allowing the doors to slide. “Go grow some eyebrows or something! You’re freaking everybody out!”
Owen’s gaze was fixated on the elevator moments after the doors closed. Nurses, interns and those who came to visit their loved ones whispered amongst themselves about the insult that Dr. Sloan hurled at him.
Teddy continued walking down the hallway until she noticed an on-call room. She knocked upon the door. There was no response.
“Arizona? Can you hear me?” Still, no response. “Alright, whoever’s in there, I’m coming in.”
Slowly, Dr. Altman opened the door. She found Dr. Robbins sitting on a bed, wiping tears away from her eyes. Teddy placed her purse on the floor nearby and sat down next to her friend.
“I’m fine.” Arizona sniffled before wiping her nose. “Don’t worry about me.”
“Arizona, sweetie, you are not fine.” The cardio goddess put her arm around the blonde haired beauty. “And I am worried. You once told me you like to fix people. Let somebody fix you for a change.”
After a few silent moments, Dr. Robbins stood up. “Teddy, can you come with me? There’s something I need to do.”
Dr. Wyatt was locking up her office as Arizona rapidly approached her.
“Oh, good. I caught you before you left.”
“How may help you, Dr. Robbins?”
“I was...hoping I could schedule an appointment.”
“Hmm. Well, I don’t have my datebook handy. But, I tell you what. Come see me first thing in the morning and I’ll fit you in as early as I can. How does that sound?”
“Sounds good.”
“Great.” Dr. Wyatt slightly grinned. “See you tomorrow, Dr. Robbins.”
“I’m so proud of you right now.” Teddy threw her arm back around Arizona, who smiled in response. Her dimples hadn’t been seen in a few days. “Come on, let’s go to Krispy Kreme. Donuts on me.”
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Author's note: The theme song to this fic is "Push & Pull" by Nikka Costa
Click to viewCallie and Addison were dancing to "Mr. Mister" by J*DaVeY
Callie & Arizona's special song is "Little Pieces" by Gomez