Finding Her Way (3/?)
Title: Finding Her Way
Author: xxcalliefanxx
Rating: R
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Summary: Arizona calls Callie a newborn. Callie is determined to prove she wants to be with Arizona. She won't stop fighting until she gets what she wants.
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
AN: I'm so happy for all the love this fic is getting!! It makes me squeal. Haha. I just wanted to apologize for taking a little longer than usual on this chapter. I'm dealing with a torn rotator cuff and it is hard sometimes to write because of the pain. Hopefully all of yall understand :) Also.... Lizadizzle was snoozin', so my dear friend Heather beta'd this for me so thank you!!!! <3
Chapter 3
Callie leaned back in the chair and yawned. Her focus was on the little girl who laid in the bed not even one foot from her. She promised she would be right there when Ashley awoke. She glanced down at her watch and sighed. One in the morning. She had to be right back in here at eight. She knew she needed to be at home getting some much needed rest, but she couldn't pull herself away from the child. She quickly sat up as she noticed slight movements coming from the tiny hand. Callie placed her hand on top of the fidgeting one.
“Ashley? It's Callie.”
“Callie?” Ashley coughed making Callie reach for a small glass of water.
“Here. Take a little sip.”
After allowing the water to soothe her dry throat, Ashley spoke again. “You're here.”
“Of course I am here. I told you I would be. I need you to rest for me. Can you do that?” Callie gently caressed Ashley's hand with her thumb. “I actually need to get home and try to sleep a little bit myself. I have to be back here in the morning.”
Ashley smiled. “You can have the Jello off my breakfast tray.”
“I'm holding you to that.” Callie leaned down and kissed the child on forehead. “I'll see you in the morning, sweetheart. Goodnight.”
`~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before Callie headed to her apartment across the street, she decided to stop in Joe's for a quick drink. It would help ease the stress she had from the day. Damn Arizona Robbins. As she walked into the bar, the aroma of stale smoke and beer hit her face. For some strange reason, the scent always seemed to calm her instantly. She walked up to the bar and sat down on a stool.
“Regular, Callie?” Joe questioned.
“Yes, please.”
Joe wandered off to fix her drink. As he returned and handed it to her, he motioned his head over to the other side of the bar. “You know that blond over there? A few interns told me she was new over at the hospital.”
Callie sipped on her drink as she turned her head in the direction Joe was motioning. She sighed. “Unfortunately, yes.”
“Can you help me out then?”
Callie looked up at Joe confused. “Huh?”
“She is toasted, Cal. I mean bad. I can't serve her anymore. I told her I'd call her a cab, but she can't even remember her address.”
“You owe me, Joe.”
“Drink is on the house tonight,” he smirked turning back around and going to wait on his other customers.
Callie jumped off the stool and walked over to Arizona. “Arizona, what's up?”
Arizona swiveled around on the stool to Callie nearly falling off in the process. Callie quickly grabbed a hold of her arm trying to steady her. “Callllie.”
“You're drunk. I'm taking you home.”
“You.. You're drink.” Arizona giggled leaning up against Callie.
“Arizona. Seriously.” Callie snapped starting to lose her cool with the doctor. She eyed Joe. He definitely owed her. “Where do you live?”
“Where do you live?”
“Arizona.” Callie sighed frustrated.
“Did you see her?”
“See who?”
Arizona took Callie's drink from her hands and took a sip. “You told Ashley you'd.. that you.. well that you would do something....Oh!! You see her.”
“Yes, now can I take you home?”
Arizona chugged the rest of Callie's drink down. “Promises suck.” Arizona began causing Callie to sit down on the stool beside her. She knew she wouldn't get Arizona out of there anytime soon. “You can't.. you can't make them to kids, Collie.”
“Callie.”
“I used to have a collie.”
“That's nice.” Callie faked a smile. “Can we go now? I have to be back at work in a few hours.”
“Me too.”
“Then don't you think you need rest, Arizona?”
“I never sleep on February 18th.”
Callie looked at her confused. “Is that a religious thing or something?”
“No. Night..night.. you know those scary dreams.” Arizona explained. She picked up Callie's glass and noticed it was empty. “Where did the alcohol go?”
“Your stomach. And you mean nightmares.”
“Get me another drink.”
Callie shook her head. “You've had enough, Arizona. Let's go.” She stood up and grabbed Arizona's hand. She jerked her off the stool a little rougher than she had intended to.
“Owe!” Arizona whined. “You don't got to be so rough, meanie face.”
“I do. Trust me. Now where do you live?”
“Hell.”
Callie couldn't help chuckle. “Don't we all.”
“I really do. You want me to tell you a secret?”
“Arizona, if I say no, something tells me you will tell me anyways.” Callie muttered as she drug the ditsy blond outside in the cold Seattle air. “You aren't going to tell me where you live, are you?”
“I can't remember.”
“Fine. I'll just take you to my place.”
“Are you going to rape me?”
“Arizona..”
“Cause I was going to tell you that you can't rape the willing.”
“You're so drunk.” Callie laughed.
“I'm sad.”
“Drunks usually are.”
“And cold. Are you cold? Why did I move here from California? Can you tell me that?” Arizona rambled. Callie shook her head as she crossed the street with the blond attached to her hip. “You're quiet. Latinas stay hot? You are hot. Very hot. I noticed that first thing. You were leaning over the nurse's station... your ass is pretty. Super pretty. Super.”
“You're going to regret all of this in the morning.” Callie told her as the two of them walked into the apartment complex. “Good thing Cristina is on call tonight. You're in luck.”
“No luck in my life.”
“Everyone has a little luck, Arizona.” Callie admitted leading her in the elevator. She pressed the floor number they needed to get to and kept a tight hold on Arizona's waist. “You are the clumsiest lil shit I have ever seen.”
“I know.” Arizona smiled laying her head on Callie's shoulder. “I miss her.”
“You miss who?”
“You.” Arizona slurred. “I thought..think.. thought..Which one am I looking for?”
“Depends on what you are trying to say this time, Arizona.”
“You're mean.” She pouted crossing her arms. “I don't go anywhere with mean people. So turn your frown upside down, Ms. Torres.”
“Bend over and kiss my ass, Dr. Robbins.”
Arizona glowered even more. “Ru-hude.”
“Arizona, I have approximately four hours to sleep now and that's not even counting how long it's going to take to get your ass to sleep.”
“I will walk home.”
Callie sneered. “Right.” She reached for Arizona's forearm and held tightly onto it not letting her slip loose.
“You are going to make me bruise, and then I'll sue.” Arizona giggled. “That rhymed. I could have been a poet instead of a doctor. Callie is rude. She looks sorta bl-blue'd. I saw her at Joe's.. I gave it a go.. I gave her a kisss.... then she got a super diss. Super.”
Callie groaned as she unlocked her apartment door. She slung Arizona inside and slammed the door shut behind them. “Go to the couch. Sleep.”
“I didn't mean to diss you.”
“I'm sure you didn't. I hope you and Julie had a lovely time.”
“Julie?”
“Your date. The nurse at the hospital.”
“Oh. She is a bad kissy.”
“Kissy?” Callie grabbed a glass out of the cabinet.
“Kisser. I said. Not kissy.” Arizona stumbled falling back onto the couch.
“Just garbling your words around, Arizona?”
“Ashley is going to live.”
Callie turned around and stared at her. “Um.. yea? What brought that up?”
“I was thinking about Britney.”
“Damn, you go through girls fast.” Callie mumbled quietly to herself while walking over to the couch. She handed Arizona the cup of water. “Drink it. Now.”
“She was beautiful.”
“I bet she was, but frankly, I don't want to hear about your ex girlfriends.”
Arizona raised her eyes to Callie revealing the tears. As one escaped and made its way down Arizona's cheek, Callie instantly sat next to her. “She wasn't a girlfriend.”
“Well whatever she is, I'm sure she isn't worth your tears.” Callie's thumb brushed the wetness from Arizona's cheek.
“Not is. Was.”
“Okay.. was...” Callie replied completely dumbfounded.
“She died.” Arizona choked on her words. “Why do people have to die, Calliope? Why? Does God not realize that we need some people here on this Earth? Does He even care?”
Callie was puzzled at what Arizona was saying. How does alcohol make a person go from poetry to discussing death? “Um..Arizona, I don't know. Just some people... It's their time to go. They lived their life here, and it's time to go home.”
“Four years is not enough time to live a life.”
“Four?”
“She was four. Four. Not three.. not two.. not fucking five. My daughter was four years old.”
Callie's eyes went wide. Words couldn't even find the route out of her mouth. Did Arizona just say daughter? She has a daughter? Had..Had Arizona's daughter died? The only thing Callie knew to do was wrap her arms around Arizona's fragile, shaking body and pull her close to her. She carefully rubbed her back attempting to console the broken soul. If that was even possible.