Stolen Moments 11/?
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three (Part One)
Chapter Three (Part Two)
Chapter Four
Chapter Five (Part One)
Chapter Five (Part Two)
Chapter Six (Part One)
Chapter Six (Part Two)
Chapter Seven (Part One)
Chapter Seven (Part Two)
Chapter Eight (Part One)
Chapter Eight (Part Two)
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven - Stolen Moments
Emptiness is really a pointless word that we use to describe nothing at all…if you drink a cup of coffee and place it back down against the table it’s no longer the steaming drink you were enjoying before…it’s simply the hollow shell that at one time held something inside.
When we’re born we are given the gift of emotion…when we’re babies we use these different sensations to express our needs and wants; our mind working full speed ahead but our mouths unable to communicate them yet.
As we continue to grow, emotions become apart of everyday life; something we know we feel but don’t ever consider to be something extraordinary. The emotions we possess are amazing if you really think about them…they give you the ability to smile and laugh on a good day; the tingling feeling of happiness making your days pass easily…they let your blood boil in anger; your voice laced with your passion when you shout…they let you ache; the dullness of overwhelming hurt bringing tears to your eyes; that inevitable lump forming in your throat…they let that wonderful feeling of butterflies flutter around your stomach when you know you’ve found someone special…they let you know just how to react.
Without being able to feel any emotions we’d simply be empty…
------------------------
Callie felt the car stop; her aching eyes opening to glance up at the apartment building she shared with Cristina; the dark sky making it hard for her to see anything except brightly illuminated windows. She felt her seat belt being released and turned to look at her father; his eyes holding the same neutral expression that they had since Erica had followed them out of the hospital.
He undid his own seat belt, “I’m assuming that you have a set of keys to the apartment you share with Dr Yang?” Callie nodded her head; her hand going into her jacket pocket and drawing out her keys; holding them out for him to see. He nodded his head and took the keys from her hand, “Let’s go up to your apartment Mija, we have things to sort out.”
Callie didn’t move as he exited the car; her eyes were staring out at the road ahead of them; her mind replaying the broken look on Erica’s face as she walked away from her. The door on her side opened; making her jump and she looked at the hand her father was holding out to her. Her eyes travelled over the skin of his hand noticing how old it had gotten; it was no longer the smooth comforting hand he’d held out to her to take her school…no, this hand was ugly; something foreign that she didn’t recognise and didn’t want to accept. Callie pushed herself from the car; her eyes looking past him as she stared at the entrance to the building.
She let him lead her through the lobby and into the elevator; riding up to the floor of the apartment in complete silence; the space between them not nearly enough to express how disconnected she felt to him at that moment. The doors opened and he placed his hand on her back; guiding her into the corridor and applying enough pressure to get her to lead him in the right direction to the apartment door.
Callie moved away from him when they reached the door and let him use her keys to unlock it; not waiting for her as he stepped inside. His head peered around the corner a few seconds later, “Get in here,” he grabbed her arm and pulled her in; her feet seemingly on a path of their own as they led her to the sofa; her body flopping down heavily.
“This is a one bedroom apartment,” Callie lifted her eyes to his as his voice reached her ears.
“Yeah.”
She noticed a flicker of anger creeping into his eyes, “Please tell me you don’t share a bed with Dr Yang.”
Callie lifted her hands to her face; rubbing over her eyes and pushing her hair away before looking back at him, “I sleep on the couch Dad, it folds out.”
“I give you money so that you can live decently Calliope; you work long hours, you need a place to come home to and relax luxuriously…not some cheap fold out couch,” he looked around and noticed the boxes lining the walls, “You don’t even have anywhere to keep your things…if your mother knew that I was letting you live out of boxes she’d skin me alive.”
Callie let her eyes trail to her father as he dashed about the apartment; finding a duffle bag and filling it with some of her belongings, “What are you doing?”
“You’re not staying here any longer,” he didn’t turn to look at her as he continued to place clothes into the bag, “You’re coming to stay at the Archfield with me.”
Callie opened her mouth to respond but knew it would be pointless; one minute her life had been her own and the next her father had arrived like a whirlwind taking over everything she had control of.
He zipped the bag up and threw it over his shoulder, “Come on we’re leaving.”
“What about my boxes?”
He glanced at her; his eyes never quite meeting hers, “I’ll come by in a few days and pick them up; until then I’m sure Dr Yang won’t mind holding onto them.”
Callie watched him hold the door open; his eyes narrowing at her in a silent order to get up off the couch; there would be no discussion about this. She let her feet carry her back out of the apartment in silence, just the same way as they had done minutes earlier.
------------------------
Callie followed behind her dad as he led her into the grand entrance of the Archfield hotel. A luxurious, five star hotel he called it on the drive there, and he was right; it was one of the best hotels in Seattle, the rooms were beautiful and the staff provided everything you could ever need at a quick as lightening pace.
But there was one thing the Archfield couldn’t provide and that was company…it was the largest hotel that Callie had ever stayed in, and she’d stayed in quite a few grand ones during her life. But she never got over how lonely she felt in the crowd of people staying in them; her present seemingly invisible.
Brown eyes watched as her father leaned against the counter; a bell boy rushing to his side and taking the bag from his shoulder; leading them towards the room he’d just paid an expensive amount out for.
Callie heard him mutter a thanks as the man opened the door to the room; placing her bag upon the bed and smiling gratefully when her father extended a generous tip. Her father closed the door behind the man and turned to look at her; placing the key to the room down on the small table, “I’ve paid for you to have this room for the next two weeks; mine is just down the hall,” she nodded her head, “You should take a shower while I go and make some calls; then I’ll come back and we can order room service together.”
Callie looked at the ground; unable to look at him any longer, “Okay,” muttering from her lips.
He moved towards her placing one large hand on her shoulder and another under her chin; titling her face to make their eyes meet, “You’ll thank me for this one day Mija…I called your mother earlier, she wants you to think about moving back home with us for awhile; she thinks it will help you get through this bad patch if we all pull together.”
Callie felt her eyes sting with tears again; but blinked them away as she pulled out of his hold; not wanting him to see her pain, “You should go and make your calls Dad.”
He nodded his head and headed towards the door, “Just think about it Calliope, that’s all I’m asking you for.”
“I think you’ve asked enough of me today don’t you?” Callie replied; the words tumbling from her mouth before she could even think about stopping them. His eyes met hers for a second before he nodded his head and left the room; the door clicking shut behind him.
Callie headed into the bathroom; stripping off her clothes and heading straight into the shower; the hot water pounding down against her back as she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the cool titles. She let the wave of emotions spill free from their prison; her mind was racing, her thoughts were scrambled, her head was hurting and her heart was aching painfully; her entire being felt the suffering of her torturous day.
She headed from the shower; towelling herself dry and searched through the duffle bag her father had packed for her; drawing out an old pair of swear pants and a t-shirt; her brown eyes stilling as they came across a gray hoodie. Callie lifted it carefully from the bag and lifted it to her face; her eyes involuntarily closing as she breathed in the scent of Erica’s perfume.
Callie let her body sink down against the floor; her back supported by the end of the bed as her eyes squeezed shut for a few second to stop herself from loosing the battle to her tears. She lost track of how long she sat there staring at everything and yet seeing nothing at all; she stayed silent on the outside; letting herself cry out painfully in her head; so that her father wouldn’t return to see her broken form. The cold chill carried in the air of the hotel made its way to her skin and trickled through her veins; making her shiver.
Callie pulled the hoodie on; zipping up and imagined it as Erica’s arms wrapped tightly around her body. The tears stinging her eyes finally broke free at the realisation that those arms wouldn’t be wrapped around her ever again; her body felt numb and she felt the emptiness creeping through her; overtaking her as if the sea was engulfing her in its ferocious waters.
------------------------
Troy settled down in a seat; placing his tray on the table and lifting his hand to cover the one Erica had resting on the table; her blue eyes focused on Callie’s back, “I see her father is still driving her to and from work and eating lunch with her everyday.”
Erica nodded; her eyes never leaving Callie; hating the way she could see the slump in her shoulders, “It’s like he’s monitoring her; he’s so desperate to keep her away from me Troy,” she turned to look at him, “What am I going to do? I feel like I can’t breathe when I’m not around her…it’s only been three days and I’m going insane without hearing the sound of her voice, without being able to touch her…”
Troy gave her a sympathetic smile, “I could try and talk to her dad if you want? Maybe I could make him see man to man that love just is…that it doesn’t matter which two people it’s between.”
Erica watched Callie and her dad stand from their table; for a few seconds brown eyes held blue; a sad expression in them before her father guided her in a different direction; shooting the blonde a warning look.
“I’m going to try and talk to her again.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea E? This has got to be hard on her; maybe you should back off and give her some space, we can try talking to him-”
Erica felt her eyes well, “I can’t back off okay? I need her Troy,” she pushed her chair back and stood from the table; green eyes holding her own, “I need her.”
Troy nodded his head in response and watched as the blonde hurried out of the cafeteria.
------------------------
Callie let her Dad kiss her cheek goodbye and waited until her was out of sight before heading off down the corridor; grabbing a chart from the nurses’ station. She’d never been so thankful for her work. If she though avoiding Erica after their first kiss was hard, avoiding her for the last three days had been hell; the blonde had caught up to her and cornered her every chance she’d gotten. Callie had kept her eyes away from Erica’s blue pools and escaped her as quickly as possible…she wanted nothing more than to let Erica pull her into her arms but she knew she’d only end up hurting the blonde more than she already had.
Callie felt her skin tingle as fingers curled around her wrist; Erica’s familiar perfume filling her lungs as she took deep breaths in, “Callie-”
Callie felt more than saw Erica move in front of her; her grasp still around her wrist and instantly dropped her brown eyes to the floor, “Dr Hahn…I have a patient.”
Erica lifted her free hand to cup Callie’s cheek; her thumb running across her cheek bone, “Don’t Dr Hahn me Cal…please look at me.”
Callie shook her head, “I want to, but I can’t…please Erica just let me go,” she lifted her eyes to blue; noticing the hurt in them and instantly hating herself for causing it.
“Let you go? Do you mean now or all together Cal?”
Callie closed her eyes as Erica’s soft voice reached her ears. She pulled away from the blonde and let her tear filled eyes meet blue again, “Both…you have to let go of both…I can’t…I’m so sorry.”
Erica stood still; letting Callie brush past her without another word. Another set of brown eyes caught her blue eyes and she nodded her head, “The roof,” mumbled from her lips as she continued on down the corridor in the opposite direction.
------------------------
Cristina took a deep breath; catching her breath after climbing hundreds of stairs. She steadied herself and opened the door; the cool wind hitting her face as she stepped onto the hospital roof.
She scanned the area and let her eyes settle on Callie; her roommate was sitting with her back against the wall with her knees drawn up to her chest; her face buried in her hands much like she had been only a few days earlier when Cristina had found her in the toilets.
Cristina took another deep breath and tightened her hand around the object in her hand and headed towards Callie. She kneeled down in front of her and heard Callie choke on her sob as she looked up in surprise to see her; she shook out the material in her hand and draped the blanket behind Callie’s shoulders; wrapping her in it to keep her warm. Callie leaned her head forward and rested it against Cristina’s shoulder; finally letting herself break down; the pain devastating her. Callie thought about pulling back; not wanting to piss Cristina off by their sudden intimacy and was surprised when she felt one hand on her back and fingers running carefully through her long hair; she felt herself choke up again at the thought of how even someone like Cristina who seemed emotionally crippled could understand her relationship with Erica enough to provide her comfort and yet her father wasn’t even willing to try.
They stayed like that until Callie couldn’t cry anymore; no words were spoken between them…no words were needed to understand that loosing the person you love without any choice was the worse pain you could ever possibly experience.
------------------------
Erica watched the man pull Callie into a hug and press a kiss to her temple; his eyes staying trained to her back until she was safely in the elevator. He turned and headed through the lobby; leaving the hospital after his routine check on his daughter. Erica blew out a deep breath and headed down the stairs; this was her one chance and she wasn’t going to waste it.
She reached the lobby and jogged to keep up with Callie’s dad, “Mr Torres,” she called out getting him to stop and quickening her pace as she closed the gap between them, “Can I speak to you for a minute?”
He shook his head, “I don’t think so; I don’t have time for whatever you’re going to say Dr Hahn.”
Erica grabbed his arm as he turned to leave; effectively stopping him; his eyes meeting hers, “Well I suggest that you make time Mr Torres because I’ve got a hell of a lot to say to you.”
He regarded her for a minute; his eyes travelling over her face and then nodded, “Very well Dr Hahn, what is it?”
Erica took a deep breath and held his eyes, “Look, I know that you’re just doing your job…you’re being a parent and you’re looking out for your daughter; you love her and you want to make sure that she’s protected…and I appreciate it; I respect it…but the truth is that I love her too Mr Torres,” she saw him open his mouth to respond and hurried on, “Believe me when I tell you that I know this isn’t what you imagined for Callie when you looked at her as a little girl and pictured what her life would be like…But it happened; we didn’t plan it,” he was staring at her intensely; his lips pursed tightly together, “I most certainly didn’t picture my life going this way…But I’m glad that it did because Callie makes me happier than I ever though I could be and I wouldn’t take any of it back.”
“If you love-”
“I know that you’re going to tell me that if I really loved her then I’d let her go…But I can’t because I don’t just love her Mr Torres…She’s the one; she’s the love of my life…And I’m not letting her go,” Erica took another deep breath; her eyes boring into his, “I’m going to fight like hell for her and I’m going to do everything I can to make it as difficult as possible for you to keep us apart…Stopping us from being together isn’t going to change that we’re in love with each other…So I’m asking you; no I’m begging you to accept us…If you really love your daughter you’ll want to put her happiness first,” Erica held his eyes for a second and turned her back; beginning to walk away.
His voice made it to her ears and she turned to face him, “I always put Calliope’s happiness first and above everything else.”
“Well then ask yourself this Mr Torres; is she happy now?” Erica turned back and continued walking away; not giving him time to reply.
------------------------
Callie sat on the end of the bed in her room at the Archfield; her jacket still on and her hands tightly clutching her bag; just as she’d done after George told her he was sleeping with Izzie. Her eyes were puffy and her body was exhausted; staying away from Erica was exhausting in every way possible, especially when her heart craved for her.
The door opened but Callie didn’t look up; she knew it would be her father coming to check on her just as he had been doing for the last few days. He stopped; taking in her dishevelled tired appearance before entering the room more; closing the door behind himself.
He moved to stand in front of her; his eyes looking down at her. He was quiet for a long moment before he spoke, “Are you happy Calliope?”
Callie kept her eyes staring straight ahead; considering his words carefully before looking up to meet his eyes, “No, I’m not.”
She watched him for a second; waiting for him to reply and when he failed to she returned her gaze to staring straight ahead. Her father’s deep voice breaking the silence again a few minutes later, “Does she make you happy?”
Callie let her eyes find his; trying to read his expression and when she couldn’t she glanced down at the floor, “More than I ever thought was possible.”
She heard him swallow and let out a deep sigh, “And you really love her? You’re willing to suffer the ignorance of people to be with this woman?”
Callie finally lifted her brown eyes to look up at him; holding his gaze intensely, “I really really love her Dad…If I thought for one second that this was some stupid fling then I’d never ask you to accept it,” she paused making sure he was really hearing her, “And being with Erica overwrites everything and anything that anyone could say or do…We know how we feel about each other and knowing that is enough.”
He was quiet for a moment and then he moved to sit down next to her on the bed, “Are you sure that she’s not just another mistake like George, Callie?”
Callie turned to look at him, “My relationship with Erica might be a lot of things…but a mistake isn’t one of them. I know that George was a mistake Dad; he never really loved me and I knew that, I just wanted him to; I hoped that he would…But Erica does love me and she never does anything to make me doubt it for a single second.”
She watched her Dad for a long time; he seemed lost inside of his own head; his deep thoughts taking him over, “Okay.”
“Okay?” Callie raised her eyebrow, “What does ‘okay’ mean Dad?”
He held her gaze and gave her a small smile, “It means okay, I can work at accepting it…If she really makes you as happy as you say and you really are in love with her then you two should be together.”
Callie jumped up from the bed and turned to look at him with wide eyes; her voice rising, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”
He shook his head, “No Mija I’m not, you deserve happiness and if you get that from Erica then who am I to decide to stop it.”
Callie felt anger rush through her veins, “This cannot be happening! Why couldn’t you say this to me before; fuck!” her father stared at her as she continued to shout, “I needed you to say this to me days ago Dad! Not now! Not after…Oh my god; I walked away from her! Do you have any idea how much that must have hurt her! I’m promised her I’d never leave her and you- She’s never going to want to speak to me again! I broke her heart for you; for our family-”
“Callie-”
Callie held up her hand, “No; don’t…I have to go and find her,” Callie grabbed her bag from the bed and hurried out of the room, completely ignoring her father calling her back.
------------------------
Callie hurried through the hospital; her eyes frantically scanning the crowds of people for Erica. She dashed around the hospital; stopping to catch her breath at the nurses’ station on the first floor of the surgical wing; her brown eyes landing on the blonde heading up the stairs.
Callie picked up her pace; rushing up the stairs past Erica and stopping abruptly a few steps above her; blue eyes filled with a mixture of concern and surprise, “Don’t say anything Erica…I am so sorry that I broke my promise…I walked away from us and I should have stayed…I love you so much,” Callie reached out and grabbed Erica’s arms; the tears flowing from her eyes blurring her vision and Erica’s lack of response making her frenzied, “You have to forgive me! Please Erica…please forgive me; I need you…Please, please, Erica you have to…I love you…please-”
Erica didn’t care that people were looking at them; all she cared about was the hysterical dark haired woman in front of her; Erica pulled her arms from Callie’s grip, “Cal-”
Callie grabbed her again, “You were right about my family; they should accept us if they love me…But I don’t care anymore if they don’t because I love you, I need you and I choose you over them…so you have to forgive me…please don’t be angry-”
Erica lifted her arms to cup Callie’s cheeks; her thumbs brushing away her tears as she cooed soothingly at her, “Shh baby, it’s okay,” she leaned it to place a kiss to Callie’s forehead; leaning back to find brown eyes, “Of course I forgive you; I was never angry at you Cal…I know what your family means to you; it’s okay.”
“It’s not okay-”
“I love you too Callie,” she gave her a warm smile and leaned to place a kiss on her lips; resting their foreheads together, “Don’t cry anymore; its okay I promise,” she pulled her into her arms; Callie instantly clinging to her as she ran her hands up and down her back trying to reassure her, “Didn’t your Dad speak to you?”
“He tried but I didn’t want to listen to what he had to say; I just had to come and find you,” Callie sniffled.
Erica pulled back, “So he didn’t get a chance to tell you that we’d talked?”
Callie looked at her questioningly, “Wait you talked to my Dad earlier today?”
Erica turned as the chair next to her moved backwards; the last person she expected to see standing next to her, “Can I sit down?”
Erica nodded and pushed her cup of coffee out of the way, “Of course,” she looked around the cafeteria quickly, “Does Callie know that you’re here?”
“No she doesn’t,” he shook his head, “I haven’t seen her since before our talk earlier.”
“If you’ve come to warn me off you’re wasting your time Mr Torres-”
He shook his head again, “I’m not here to tell you to stay away from my daughter Dr Hahn,” he held her gaze, “I thought about what you said to me earlier and you were right. Calliope suffered a rough patch with her marriage to George and their divorce; she would call us once a week and me and her mother could tell that she was unhappy,” he gave her a small smile, “That was until she rang and told us about the lovely heart surgeon she’d become friends with; she said it made her feel better knowing she had a girl friend to talk to things about; she said you went to yoga with her even though you hated it just because you wanted to help take her mind off things.”
Erica smiled, “I would have done anything to take that pain away from her; O’Malley’s lucky that I didn’t rip his worthless heart out.”
“Callie stopped calling us weekly; so we knew she must be back to her normal happy self…we just had no idea that her new found happiness was caused by her love for you and your relationship,” Erica nodded; not sure what to say to him, “You had every right to say what you did to me earlier; Calliope’s not happy…I’ve made her miserable by tearing her away from you and I respect you wholly for telling me you would fight for her.”
Erica felt her eyes stinging with tears, “I really do love her Mr Torres; she’s everything to me.”
“And you promise never to cheat on my little girl? You promise me that you’ll never cause her any pain?”
“I’d give up everything that I am for her; I have no intention of ever letting her go Mr Torres; I promise you that she’s safe with me.”
He lifted his hand and placed it onto of hers, “Then I will do my best to support your relationship with Callie and I’ll talk to her about our conversations…I hope you know that she wouldn’t have walked away from you if I hadn’t told her to decide between you and here family; she’d rebel against anything I said unless it came down to loosing the Torres’”
“I know that and I love her for loving her family the way she does,” Erica gave him a smile, “I hope that someday you’ll see me as a part of your family Mr Torres.”
He smiled back at her, “I think that might be possible in the very near future Dr Hahn.”
Callie buried her face in Erica’s neck as she relayed their conversations, “Oh god I should have let him explain…I came running in here like a hysterical mess.”
Erica laughed, “Aww baby, I think it’s sweet that you took off to find me,” she glanced around, “Just…it’s a shame all these people had to witness your little moment of madness.”
Callie leaned her head back and looked at the groups of doctors and patients staring at them, “Think you could make the go away with the Hahn stare?”
Erica shook her head as a smile graced her lips, “For you I’d do anything,” she glanced at the people below and above them; narrowing her eyes, “Scram you little cockroaches!” Callie was smiling at her when her blue eyes made it back to brown, “What?”
“Did you really stand up to my Dad?”
Erica nodded; a blush creeping onto her cheeks, “Yeah, kind of…he needed to know that I wasn’t letting you go anytime soon.”
Callie leaned in and kissed her way up the blonde’s jaw-line her teeth nipping at her ear, “The protective bossy thing…Hot,” she felt Erica shiver in her arms as she trailed her tongue around her ear, “I think I’m going to like you being all dominating,” she felt Erica laugh against her neck and couldn’t help but smile; the emptiness leaving her body as she connected back with the missing half of her heart.