[fic] the song remains the same [26/?]
Title: The Song Remains the Same
Rating: M
Spoilers: 8x13
Summary: I had a dream. Crazy dream. Ellis Grey is alive and well. Seattle Grace is the premiere hospital in the country. Callie Torres is married to Owen Hunt, with a home and three children, while Arizona Robbins does who and whatever she pleases. The history is different, the world itself has changed, but the song remains the same.
*If/Then* Calzona - Picking up where 8x13 ended
*****
The glow of a screen beyond her eyelids dragged Arizona awake, one hand fumbling for Callie's leg without opening her eyes. “No electronics in bed,” she grumbled. “That was the rule, Calliope!” That wasn't actually the rule - the rule was no TVs in the bedroom (theirs or any of the kids') but she was pretty sure the sun had only just risen, so the rules were being adapted. She fumbled as she attempted to shove her partner's thigh.
“I thought I was the one who barely slept last night,” Callie noted, her voice hoarse and scratchy. She'd started to come down with a cold sometime late last night and it was only getting worse as the sunrise had approached.
Arizona's eye cracked open to peek up at her, squinting against the hazy sunlight. “You sound sick,” she stated obviously. “When did you get home?”
“It was late,” answered Callie, still browsing on her laptop. One hand rubbed her bleary eyes under her glasses. “Shit,” she muttered as she read an email, the inbox cluttered with unread messages.
Blonde curls were mussed as Arizona’s head popped up to look over her shoulder. “What is it?” She pushed her hair back with one hand and squinted at the screen. “Nick?”
“Oh, no, sweetheart. It's not Nick. It's my dad.”
Arizona's brows furrowed and she sat up against the headboard. One arm stretched out over Callie's shoulders and steered the other woman to lean against her. Callie went without protest, adjusting her legs and laptop as she made herself comfortable in the new position. “What's he say?”
“That he's coming here, to Seattle.” The email was actually dated three days earlier. He was probably already in town, though it didn't surprise her that he hadn't called. Showing up when and where he wanted was more her father's style. Whenever he wanted to see her he'd appear.
“Oh, okay. Well, that's good, right?” Arizona checked, not sure how to respond.
Callie didn't say anything for a long moment, taking a congested breath and letting it out raggedly. “Remember how we're not talking about your parents not knowing that we live together?” Arizona kissed under her ear instead of answering, not pushing. “My dad doesn't -”
“He doesn't know you're living with someone?” Arizona guessed, the hand over her shoulder tracing Callie's collarbone gently. Her partner didn't answer and she pushed her next guess a little further. “He doesn't know you're with a woman.” It didn't have the intonation of a question because it was a statement. Her confirmation was in the stiffness of Callie's shoulders. Arizona ducked her face to kiss the crease of her neck and shoulder. “You've been with women before. You never told him?”
“I did,” Callie said quickly. “I told them, but -”
“But you married a man,” Arizona finished the thought for her when Callie's voice fell quiet. “It's okay. Whatever you decide to tell him, whatever you want to do, I'm not going anywhere.”
“I'm not going to hide anything, Arizona,” Callie denied without hesitation. “We're together, we live together, and the kids adore you.” She coughed and sighed.
Arizona nuzzled into her neck. “My parents have a suite at the Archfield. I could stay -”
“Shut it. The kids will revolt on me if you leave,” Callie argued, coughing again. Arizona's hand rubbed her back gently.
“I'm not going anywhere,” Arizona promised. “But no pressure. If you want to see your dad one on one, or with just the kids, I'm sure I can find somewhere else to be - temporarily.” Callie couldn't answer for a coughing fit. “Sit up,” Arizona requested, hands gently pushing her up so she could slip off the bed. She returned to Callie with a glass of water, guiding her back between her legs. “Of course both of our parents decide to come to Washington on the same weekend,” she noted with a heavy breath.
“How was dinner last night?” Callie asked curiously after her first long sip of cool water. Arizona had already been in bed by the time she'd gotten home, the kids all safely tucked in and sleeping, with no sign of the Robbins parents in the house. She'd fallen into the sheets and Arizona's arms without asking any questions.
“It was okay. It took the kids a few minutes to warm up, but everyone played nice,” Arizona answered, her voice soft and low. “How was working last night?” The question wasn't as innocuous as it sounded, her curiosity and anxiety about her friend's condition veiled in her voice.
Callie's head turned into Arizona's neck, her head on her partner's chest. “It's not great. We're going to try, if he's up for it.”
Nick had never backed down from anything and Arizona had no doubt that he would opt for the surgery, no matter what Callie told him the odds were. “Awesome,” she muttered.
“Honey...”
“No, it's okay,” Arizona interjected. “I need to talk to him and I'm avoiding it.”
Callie sighed against her skin, eyes squeezing closed as she started coughing again. She pulled her glasses off as she brought her water glass up for another sip. “How long has it been since you've talked to him?”
It had been a few... years. “A while,” she confessed. “We grew up together, me and Nick and Tim.” Her voice caught on her brother's name. “But we, uh, we haven't really been close since he died.”
“Are you going to catch up while he's here?” Callie asked, no expectation in her tone. Whatever Arizona decided she would support her - whether she wanted to speak to Nick or not.
“Is he going to be here long?”
Callie nuzzled into her neck. “He's not going anywhere anytime soon if there's anything we can do for him.”
Further conversation was delayed by a chime from the doorbell downstairs, the two women exchanging confused glances. It was barely six in the morning and unless something had happened there was no reason for Arizona's parents to come over without calling first. Callie started to sit up but Arizona caught her shoulders. “You stay. I'll get it,” she said, gentle hands pushing Callie back to the bed.
“But -” She had a feeling she knew who was at her door.
“But you're sick. You need to rest,” Arizona reminded her. “I'll get the door.”
Arizona was out of the bedroom before Callie could argue, the blonde still wearing the shorts she'd slept in and that clung to her ass in a way Callie very much appreciated. She appreciated much less the idea that her father would be able to see her girlfriend's cute butt in the sleepwear. She got hit by a wave of lightheadedness as soon as she was standing though and fell a few paces behind Arizona. They'd been together now for almost a year and it still baffled her how quickly Arizona gained energy in the morning.
Callie was still on the stairs when Arizona threw the door open and she closed her eyes as she heard her girlfriend greeting their guest. “Ah, hello, Miss. Is Calliope here?” Her father's voice made her heart thump and a smile jump to her mouth even as something like dread coiled in her stomach.
“Who wants to know?” Arizona asked, knowing precisely who stood in front of her. She wasn't inviting someone into the house where her girlfriend and the kids were without him introducing himself at the very least.
He cleared his throat and Callie bit her lip on the stairs, holding back a grin that wanted to burst free. Of course Arizona would stand her ground before even knowing her father's name. “I'm Calliope's father, Carlos Torres. Is my daughter at home, ma'am?”
“She is,” answered Arizona politely. “She's -”
“Right here,” Callie jumped in, taking the last few steps in a rush and hurrying up behind her girlfriend in the doorway. “Hey, Daddy.”
“Mija,” Carlos sighed warmly, stepping forward to pull her into a hug.
Callie didn't move to meet him, one of Arizona's arms hanging at her side. She reached out to take her hand, squeezing the fingers. “Dad, this is my girlfriend.”
“Arizona Robbins,” she introduced herself, holding her free hand out to shake.
Carlos' eyes were pale blue and watery but they hardened as they fell on Arizona's calmly smiling face. “Calliope, we should talk -”
“She lives here and she's not going anywhere,” Callie stated, her breathing thick. “We've already done this, Dad. I told you then -”
“Your husband died -”
“We got divorced!” Callie countered, her voice rising. It made her cough and Arizona caught her around the waist, Callie's hand covering her mouth as she fell into a hoarse coughing fit.
Arizona's eyes rolled up toward the ceiling, listening closely for any sign that the kids were awake or waking up. “Come sit down,” she requested. Carlos seemed to take that as his invitation and followed them into the kitchen, closing the front door behind him. “Yeah, you too, I guess,” she muttered, making sure it was audible to their guest.
Callie took her seat at the table heavily, breathing out deeply and leaning her head against one hand. Arizona went to start the coffeemaker familiarly, pulling two mugs out of the cabinet before she remembered they need another and pulled one more down from the shelf. Carlos watched and Callie could see the words rolling around in his mind as he tried to decide what to say first. “Owen and I got divorced. And not because of Arizona,” Callie started before he could make up his mind. “He didn't hit me or hurt me or anything.” At the counter Arizona's jaw tightened but she kept quiet. “He didn't cheat.” Callie knew what was going through her father's mind. “We just weren't right, Daddy.”
“You weren't right? You made vows!” he countered.
“I got pregnant,” she shot back. “It wasn't love. I love Arizona. Owen loved someone else too, before he died!” She wanted to stand up and face him properly, but her knees felt weak. Arizona's hand on her shoulder kept her in her chair, the other arm reaching over her shoulder to place a mug of steaming tea in front of her. “Thank you,” Callie murmured, brushing her fingers across Arizona’s wrist before wrapping both hands around the warm mug. Her throat was aching and sore and she wanted to lay down, her head throbbing.
Carlos watched the exchange closely. The affection and consideration the couple shared was clear in every movement. He couldn't back down though and his mouth fell open. “So you broke up your family. Without even trying to fix things with your husband, the father of your children?”
“I didn't take the kids away from him, Dad,” Callie barked. “He didn't walk out on us! And we had work to do but it wasn't together! Owen was a time bomb. He was messed up from the war, from everything he went through over there -”
“And you're his wife! It's not always so easy to support someone -”
“We're not going to fight about this! Owen is dead!” The stark reality hit her again and Callie slumped weakly into her chair, fighting back tears. “He didn't need me, Dad. He didn't want me. He didn't leave the kids or anything like that. He was a good father, a good man. We just weren't good together.”
He looked up at Arizona standing behind his daughter's chair. One hand was still on her shoulder, gently rubbing. The coffee was dripping steadily into the pot on the counter and it was the only sound for an extended moment. “You're having a hard time, mija -” he started slowly.
“Stop it, Dad,” Callie cut in. “It was hard, losing Owen in the crash, watching him die slow. It took days. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, telling the kids, sitting with them and knowing it was the last time they were going to see their father. And I can't even comprehend how hard it's been for them. Arizona was with me for every part of it - the divorce, the crash, all of it. The kids love her, they've cried on her, and they count on her. As much as I do. So you don't get to come here and tell me who gets to be in my life. Arizona isn't a rebound, or a crutch. She's the woman I love.”
Arizona stepped away as the gurgling stopped, pouring two cups of coffee and taking them to the table. The cream and a bowl of sugar followed before she took the seat beside Callie. “If you take milk we've got that too,” she offered, pouring sugar in her own, ignoring her girlfriend's eye roll, and taking a sip. Carlos started preparing his own without speaking. “I can understand your hesitance, sir, but I love your daughter. And I protect the things I love. Not that I need to. She doesn't need it. She's strong, and caring, and honorable. She's who you raised her to be.” She took another sip, meeting his eyes squarely. “You can accept us, or not, but I'm not going anywhere.” Movement from upstairs made the floor creak and pop and she licked her lips. “Except to check on the kids,” she allowed, standing up and giving them privacy.
Callie let her eyes follow as Arizona left the room with her coffee in her hands, not letting her father's scrutinizing gaze dissuade her from checking out her partner's ass. He cleared his throat lightly and Callie let a smirk escape, daring him to say something about it. His mouth was drawn but he took a moment to study her before he spoke up again. She looked calm, steady, happy. It was undeniable. This wasn't a simple change in his daughter's life, however. He needed to be sure that everything was right.
The silence in Arizona’s absence was nearly absolute. Callie willingly stared her father down. She wasn't going to sputter and scramble to justify her relationship to her parent. Not when she was in a good place with the most amazing woman she'd ever known. She simply sipped her tea and waited for a crack.
Carlos finally sighed. “What does she do?”
“She's a Pediatric surgeon, Daddy. The best in the country. We work at the hospital together.”
“How long have you been seeing her?”
“Almost a year.” His mouth pulled as he did the math with the divorce but he didn't say anything. “What? Just come out and say it.” This wasn't the time to hold back. If he had something to say she wanted to hear it.
“I didn't expect you to move on so quickly.”
“You didn't expect me to move on with a woman,” Callie interpreted the statement. “I know how it looks, Dad. It wasn't neat, or clean, but I love her. And she loves me. So much. And the kids absolutely adore her. Arizona doesn't do anything but support me and them, love us.”
“She makes you happy,” he said, not a question because he could see the love in his daughter's face, hear it in her voice. “And she's good to you?”
“She makes me very happy,” Callie confirmed. “Arizona is amazing, Dad. If you just talk to her you'll see it.” She extended a hand across the table toward him. “Or you could take my word for it.” The statement was layered with meaning and he knew it. Callie was asking him to trust her, that she knew what she was doing, that she knew who she was sharing her life with. She'd never stood her ground like that with Owen, only submitted when marriage had been presented. If he pushed her now he'd only be pushing her away. Her offered hand was an opportunity and a choice - take it and get on board or stand up and walk out. He hesitated for only a moment before taking her hand. Callie smiled. “Okay, now what brings you to Seattle? I'm sure you're not just here to see me.”
Carlos reached across to sandwich her hand between his own. “Oh yes, I am! It's been too long!” They'd talked more frequently after the crash and everything that had come after, but he'd been unable to make it to the funeral. “I need to see my grandchildren. And clearly there are things we haven't talked about.” His breath was deep and he held it for a stretch. “I'd like to get to know your Arizona a little bit, if it's acceptable to you both. Maybe we could get dinner before I go home?”
Nodding, Callie took a sip of her tea. “I'm sure that would be fine.” Overhead she could hear the kids moving, and fast. “Hey! No running!” It was in unison with Arizona's voice from upstairs and she smiled into her mug, unable to resist the impulse. Allegra was the first one around the bannister and she grinned at the sight of her grandfather at the table. “Look who's here to see you. Come say hello to your abuelo.”
In the following clamor of excitement Callie finished her tea and returned upstairs to find Arizona half dressed. “How's it going down there? I was hoping they'd break the tension.” She started buttoning her shirt, bare feet dragging on the carpet as she moved around the room.
“I'm not sure. He hasn't made any big statements about disowning me yet. But he just got here.” Feeling winded just from climbing the stairs Callie took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Where are you heading?” She had a guess what would take Arizona from her side right now in the midst of so many parental arrivals and it was important.
“I need to talk to Nick,” Arizona confirmed. Callie had made a big step today, being honest with her father. She felt inspired to have her own honest conversation - before it was too late to say anything. “Unless you need me here.”
“Go,” Callie told her, hiding a cough in her shoulder. “I don't think I should go in this morning anyway.”
Arizona's brow furrowed with worry as her hands fussed with the hem of her shirt. “When do you think -”
“If I can't operate I'll talk to Teddy,” Callie promised. “I know Nick's situation. Cristina could be ready by lunch if she needed to be.”
“But it's bad -”
“Arizona,” Callie stopped her gently, catching her by the hand and pulling her to stand between her knees. “I will take care of Nick. Anything we can do, we're going to do it. I promise.”
Arizona combed a hand lightly through dark hair. “But who's going to take care of you?” she asked, other hand touching Callie's neck. “You're sick. You need to lay down. I'm going to -”
“You're going to go talk to your best friend,” Callie said before she could finish. “I will lay down, but you're going out.” Arizona's mouth fell open to protest but Callie shook her head. “My dad's here. He can take the kids out for the day.” She smiled sweetly. “You have enough on your plate. You don't have to worry about us.”
Arizona's hand curled around the back of her neck and went into her hair. “But I like worrying about you. I love you.” She smiled as Callie's eyes met hers. “And for the record, Nick is not my best friend. That's you.”
“Sweet talker,” Callie murmured. “Either way, tell Nick I say hey,” she said, dismissing Arizona. “Call me when you leave and we'll see where we're at.”
“You better be in this bed,” Arizona reminded her. She leaned down to kiss the side of her face. “Maybe I'll come home and join -” Callie sneezed suddenly and Arizona recoiled instinctively. “I'll bring you some soup,” she amended herself with a sigh.
“I'll call Teddy,” Callie said miserably.
Arizona tried a smile, lifting her face with two fingers. “If you're too sick to operate can you sit in observation with me and hold my hand?”
“Absolutely. If that's where you want me, that's where I'll be,” Callie promised without hesitation. “Altman and Yang have this. If it comes to it today.”
Arizona's smile went choked but she nodded. “Okay. I'm going to go, but I love you.”
“I love you too,” Callie echoed with a smile.
“You promise you'll rest, and let your dad take the kids, and -”
Callie shoved her lightly away with a hand on her stomach, laughter becoming coughing. “I promise. Now will you get out of here, please?”
It won her a genuine smile, Arizona rolling her eyes as she stepped back. “Now we'll see if you get any soup... or sex,” she teased. “I'll call you -”
“Go!” Callie ordered from behind her arm, coughing into her elbow and attempting to laugh. “I love you. Now go!” She waved her out with the other hand. Arizona hesitated in the doorway and Callie flopped back into bed and yanked a corner of the covers over her face. “See? Now go!” She couldn't stay there, not with her kids entertaining her father, but if it would reassure Arizona enough to get her out the door she could lay down for a few minutes. The murmurs and mumbles of goodbyes she could hear through the floor made her smile, able to hear the affection and love in the voices of the people she loved most in the world.
[part 27 here]