Crossing Borderlines - 4/?
A/N: Sorry this chapter took even longer than I thought. I handwrote some while I was on vacation, but it took me forever to even have a chance to type it up.
Chapter 4
December 2002
“Arizona!” Callie whined as she opened her apartment door. “Do you really miss me that much? I know I’m irresistible, but we’ll see each other tomorrow in…” Callie’s voice tapered as she took in Arizona’s tear-streaked cheeks and trembling chin.
"I didn't know where else to go. I don't know that many people here and I just...this was a stupid idea. I'll talk to you later," Arizona said with a shake of her head. She spun on her heels and began to walk down the hallway, shaking her head and muttering under her breath something about being stupid.
After a few seconds of trying to process what had just happened, Callie ran after Arizona and gently tugged on the blonde's arm, stopping her from walking further. "Whoa, wait! Arizona, what's wrong?"
Still shaking her head and sniffling, Arizona finally turned to look at Callie. Callie took the time to really take in Arizona's appearance. Her usually clear blue eyes were bloodshot and the skin around them was swollen and red. Her hair was unkempt and tangled. Her rosy lips were dry and cracked. She looked like she'd aged ten years overnight. Callie reached out and laid a comforting hand on Arizona's shoulder, attempting to bring her in for a hug, despite Arizona's resistance. "Honey..." Callie tried again.
Arizona sighed and started to walk back towards Callie's dorm. More confused than before, Callie simply followed her. Once inside the dorm room, Callie shut and locked the door. She sat on her bed while Arizona paced up and down the length of the room.
"Arizona," Callie said softly as her patience began to wane. "Please tell me what's wrong."
Arizona stopped pacing and shut her eyes, breathing deeply. She sat on the bed, leaving a comfortable space between the two of them. "It's Timothy," Arizona said simply as if it explained everything.
"Who's Timothy?" Callie asked while laying her hand on Arizona's knee.
"My brother," Arizona whispered.
Callie scooted closer to Arizona, wrapping a tentative arm around her back. “What happened?” Callie asked softly.
Arizona shook her head, willing her tears to subside.
“Did you two fight?” Callie asked patiently.
Arizona shook her head again. “No. God, no. I wish we had,” she whispered.
“Honey, what happened?”
“He died,” Arizona whimpered. “He just…he just…he’s not…he’s gone. And I don’t know…oh, god,” she cried, burying her face in Callie’s shoulder.
Callie had literally no idea what to say and knew that any words that she could think of would sound trite and clichéd, so she simply held Arizona as tightly as possible and stroked her hair with her free hand.
When Arizona’s tears began to abate, she pulled back and sighed. “The funeral’s this weekend and I just don’t even know how I’m going to survive it.”
“I’m coming with you.” Callie had no idea why she’d said that. She knew exactly what Arizona’s answer would be.
Arizona jerked back. Any sadness in her eyes had been replaced with anger. “Um, no, you are not.”
“Yes, I am. I won’t stay with you all the time. I’ll just get a hotel, come to the funeral, and if you need me, I’ll be there.”
Arizona jumped from the bed and immediately began pacing around the room, muttering under her breath.
“I can’t hear you!” Callie finally interrupted.
“I said it’s inappropriate!”
“Why?”
“You didn’t know Tim. In fact, you just had to ask who Tim was! That shows you how little you know about me and how freaking inappropriate it would be for you to come with me.”
“I’m not coming for Tim, I’m coming for you! As your girlfriend, I want to support you. I don’t have to go the funeral. I know you well enough to know that you might need someone.”
Arizona stopped pacing and turned to look at Callie, a fury in her eyes that Callie had never seen before and never wanted to see again.
“Girlfriend? Sure, I said that this wasn’t a fling, but that doesn’t mean we need to start U-hauling or making marriage plans or going to my brother’s funeral together!”
Callie rolled her eyes. “Look, I get it. You are hurt and angry and upset because of your brother and you are taking it out on me. I don’t care if we break up now, in England, or when we come back, I am going with you, because whether you like it or not, I know you’ll want me to be there.”
When Arizona opened her mouth to yell some more, Callie put her finger up. “And that is final.”
o0o0o
December 2012
To: arobbins@gmail.com
From: ctorres@torreshotels.com
Date: December 2, 2012
Re: Hi
Arizona,
Thanks for contacting me. You heard right - Torres is taking over Brittania, so I’ve been traveling back and forth. I’m trying to find someone to run the hotels in Britain, but I haven’t found anyone suitable. You should see the people who have applied. One guy wore jeans to his interview and managed to work in his list of sexual fetishes after the “what makes you qualified for this position” question. No joke. Our grand opening is in May and I have to train someone before then! Needless to say I’m busy. And I’ll be in England a lot. And I know no one there except for you and the boring people I work with…so you should keep me company.
This is awkward to write via email, but I wanted to send my condolences about your brother. I know today is the 10-year anniversary of his death, and I’m sure that can’t be easy for you. I just wanted you to know that I’ll be thinking of you. As always.
Love,
Callie
o0o0o
December 2002
Callie noticed Barbara Robbins first; Arizona was almost a clone of the older woman, with their blonde hair, blue eyes, and rosy cheeks. As Arizona greeted her parents, Callie stayed behind, awkwardly watching other families and friends greeting one another. Eventually, Barbara turned to Callie, an inquisitive look on her face.
“Oh,” said Arizona sullenly, “this is Callie.
Callie would have rolled her eyes if it wouldn’t have been obscenely rude.
“Oh Callie! We’ve heard about you!” Barbara said pleasantly, pulling Callie in for a warm hug. “Haven’t we, Daniel?” she asked pointedly, trying to bring him into the conversation.
“Mmm,” he grunted in agreement.
“I’m very sorry for your loss. I, uh, wanted to be here to support Arizona, and…”
“Even though I told her I didn’t need it.”
“And will get out of your way,” Callie continued, speaking loudly over Arizona. “I’ve booked a room at a hotel, but if any of you need anything at all, Arizona knows how to reach me.”
“Nonsense! We’ve got a spare bedroom. You’re staying with us.”
Arizona and her father wore matching grimaces when they heard Barbara’s words.
o0o0o
The Robbinses were quintessential WASPs, and like any good WASP, every Robbins was well versed in keeping his or her emotions hidden from public view. As soon as Callie entered a room, she would notice them straighten their backs, subtly wipe away unwanted tears, and smooth invisible wrinkles from their pants.
Arizona had remained stoically cold, most of the time ignoring Callie’s presence, much like her father. Her mother, on the other hand, overcompensated by being bubbly and warm and offering Callie her weight in homemade meat pies.
It wasn’t until the night after Timothy’s funeral - at which Callie had sat dutifully at Arizona’s side waiting in vain to be able to comfort her - that the cracks began to show. Barbara Robbins had pulled out a worn photo album, containing captured moments from the Robbins siblings’ childhoods. Staring back at Callie were hundreds of pictures of a tiny pigtailed Arizona with a lightly older male clone of herself. Their matching impish smiles showed off their charming dimples. Clearly, they had been two peas in a pod, and, no doubt, partners in crime. As Callie flipped through the photos, Barbara regaled her with their antics, including, when the two were teenagers, how they always went after the same girls. Arizona had interrupted at that point, saying, “no way would I have let him get to Calliope first.” Having been essentially ignored for the past few days, Callie had beamed.
Despite that small glimmer of hope, Callie was still surprised when she was awakened at 2am, Arizona straddling her and pressing fervent kisses all over her neck and chest. When Callie got over the initial arousal she felt and realized that they were in Arizona’s parents’ house, and more importantly, why they were in Arizona’s parents’ house, she sat up and tried to push the blonde backwards.
“What are you doing?”
“Well, I’m horny, and you’re here, so you might as well make yourself useful,” Arizona snapped.
“Whoa, whoa, hey! Did you seriously think you could just come in here and start assaulting me and I would just go with it? You think I’m that easy?”
Arizona looked down at her hands and picked at her fingernails. She actually looked a bit embarrassed. “No.”
Slowly, she slipped off Callie’s waist and threw her legs over the side of the bed. She rested her hands on the edge, ready to push herself off the bed, when Callie’s hand jutted out to stop her by grabbing her wrist. “Arizona, you can stay if you want.”
Arizona shook her head. “I just wanted to forget.” She turned to face Callie. “I’ve been having dreams, good dreams, where he’s alive, but then every time I wake up, I realize he’s not.”
Callie patted the empty spot in the bed next to her and Arizona crawled into the space and under the blankets. “How about you stay here tonight? I know that in the morning, the situation will be the same, but I’ll try to remind you that life will still be okay.”
“Just seeing you will help,” Arizona confessed.
“Yeah?” Callie really hadn’t intended to sound so insecure, but she couldn’t help it.
“Yeah,” Arizona reaffirmed. “I’m sorry for the way I treated you. I’m…really glad you’re here,” she murmured tentatively.
“Nowhere else I’d rather be.”