(no subject)
Title: She's My Wife (Secret Santa Fic for pensco_927)
Author: captstarbuck
Beta/Editor: Stacy d'Lacy (best beta on the planet)
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: T
Secret Santa Prompt: Callie and Arizona have reunited, but are dating slowly (still living apart while they get to know who they are now), and no one knows. What happens to their relationship when their friends at the hospital decide to get involved to make them move on with their lives? Rating: Author's preference
Disclaimers: 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 for pensco_927: I lied and you know what I'm talking about. LOL
Chapter 5
As the weeks progressed, the frequency of their dates increased. They still had their scheduled family dinners (or breakfast when work interfered) with Sofia and family time on the weekend, but they often turned 'family' time into 'dates' once Sofia was asleep. They also managed, somehow, to squeeze in a date once a week, even if it was only to meet for lunch outside the hospital.
Their friends and colleagues at work noticed a difference in the two women, but had no clue what was going on between them. The general consensus around the hospital was that Callie and Arizona had finally reached the "amicable" stage of their breakup. They still called one another "Dr. Torres" and "Dr. Robbins" at work, but the bitterness had left their voices. For the most part, everyone had given a sigh of relief that there were no more loud arguments occurring within the walls of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
Sensing a lightness about the women, a betting pool had started amongst some of the doctors as to which of the two was going to start dating first and when the first date would occur. When Miranda Bailey had found out, she'd been appalled. She read the riot act to interns and attendings alike. She hated when the staff went beyond genuine concern into meddling. Her friends had been through enough over the past few years and it was time they were left alone.
Unfortunately, the general surgeon's words were only heard by those who'd been directly involved in the betting. The rest of their friends continued on with their well meaning interference.
One afternoon, about two months after Callie and Arizona had started dating again, Callie found herself in the cafeteria. She'd hoped to have lunch with Arizona but Meredith had waved her over to a table. The Latina plopped down in a chair opposite her friend. From her seat she had a good view of Arizona who was having lunch with April. Callie studied the blonde in hopes that she could find some answer to what had happened last night. She hadn't pressed Arizona for an explanation then, but she was going to get some answers today. Of that she was certain.
The Latina had barely taken the lid off her salad when she felt the presence of someone standing next to her. She looked up and saw the new scrub nurse, Nancy. The woman was beautiful, Callie had to admit. Nancy was tall, blonde and had gorgeous green eyes. Rumor had it that there were a whole slew of doctors, men and women both, that were lusting after the new hire.
"Hey, Nancy," Callie said.
"Dr. Grey, Dr. Torres" Nancy said her voice low and husky upon saying the Ortho surgeon's name.
Meredith's eyes widened and an amused smirk crossed her face. Callie seemed to be a little distracted and oblivious to the scrub nurse's intentions.
"What's up, Nancy?" Callie asked, not really paying attention to the way the scrub nurse was looking at her. The Latina was much more interested in watching Arizona, who now had a somewhat panicked look on her face.
"Do you want to join us?" Meredith interrupted.
"No, thank you. I have to get back upstairs. I've only got a few minutes before I'm scrubbing in again." She turned her attention back to Callie. "So, Dr. Torres, I was wondering if you'd like to go out for drinks tonight."
"What? Tonight?" Callie sputtered. She finally took notice of Nancy and she found the women's almost predatory gaze a little disconcerting. "Oh, I have Sofia tonight."
"I can take her," Meredith offered. "I'm sure Zola would love to spend some time with Sofia." A sharp kick to her shin and a 'what the fuck' look from Callie stopped Meredith from speaking any further.
"No, I don't think so. Not tonight." Callie offered a half-smile to Nancy. "But thanks for asking."
"Maybe some other time?" Nancy persisted. The willowy blonde's beeper went off. "Think about it, okay?" Her hand dropped to Callie's shoulder. "You know where to find me," she said before she hurried from the cafeteria.
"What the hell, Meredith," Callie said after Nancy left.
"It's just drinks, Callie," Meredith said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Right," Callie grumbled.
"Look, you've finally seemed to have snapped out of your post-breakup funk. What's wrong with going out with the hot new scrub nurse?"
Callie scowled at her friend's meddling. "No. It's my time with Sofia."
"So go out with Nancy on a night when you don't have Sofia." Meredith smiled slyly. "Or you could always ask Arizona to take Sofia."
"That's just mean, Meredith. I'd never do that."
"Callie, I think it's time to move on. You're ready. You've worked out the whole custody thing with Arizona and you both seem to have gotten over it."
"No. I'm… I'm not in place where I can date other women," Callie said carefully.
"Who said anything about dating?" Meredith countered. "I'm pretty sure that she isn't looking to 'date' you." Meredith smirked again.
"What do you mean?"
"Look, Callie. We both how much you like… 'cheeseburgers', right? How long has it been since you've had a cheeseburger?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Callie asked, then she immediately recalled the drunken night when she and Meredith had talked about cheeseburgers.
"You'd seriously turn down cheeseburgers with the hot scrub nurse?" Meredith prodded Callie.
"You know, Grey, you keep calling her 'hot'. Maybe you should go out with her."
"I'm not blind, Callie, and if I wasn't so fond of penis, even I'd consider it." Meredith took a sip from her soda. "Besides, if you don't, I'm sure the hot scrub nurse -"
"Her name is Nancy," Callie said sharply. "Stop calling her that."
"Fine," Meredith huffed. "If you don't, I'm sure Nancy will just find another available lesbian to hit on." Meredith turned her head and flicked her eyes toward Arizona and April. "Just saying."
"That's stupid. Arizona wouldn't."
"Why wouldn't she? She's single and from what I've heard, she hasn't been having any cheeseburgers either."
"You need to stop calling it that. It's just weird now," Callie said, trying to change the subject.
"Callie," Meredith's teasing tone switched to one of concern, stopping Callie from going off on one of her infamous rants. "It's okay to move on. It's the healthy thing to do. Besides, you were the one to break up your marriage. You don't owe Arizona anything."
Callie knew her friend meant well and she was surprised that it hadn't come up until now. She wanted to tell Meredith that she and Arizona were dating again, but she hesitated. She needed to speak with Arizona first. She wasn't going to make unilateral decisions for her and Arizona any more.
"I just… I can't. I can't do that right now," Callie said weakly.
"Callie…"
"Please, Meredith. Just drop it."
"Fine," Meredith said picking up her sandwich. "But you should start thinking about it."
The Latina's gaze returned to Arizona and her expression darkened with what she saw.
"So, you've been in a better mood lately," April said to her lunch companion.
"I guess so," Arizona said, her thoughts drifting back to her date with Callie the previous night. Even though they had been dating for over two months, they still hadn't had sex. They'd come close a few times during some rather intense makeout sessions on the couch but clothes had always remained on (for the most part).
Last night Arizona had hesitated when it seemed like they were going to move their activities into the bedroom. She couldn't help but think about the last time they'd made love. Arizona had thought everything was fine, great even, but then Callie had dropped her bombshell the very next day. She couldn't help but wonder if history was going to repeat itself.
Callie had immediately picked up on Arizona's seeming reluctance. Without knowing the reason why, the Latina had delicately backed off. They'd been able to laugh it off, but Arizona could see the concern in Callie's eyes. She definitely needed to talk to Callie. This time around, there would be no secrets between them, no hiding and no fears about sharing their feelings.
Arizona had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear what April had said.
"I'm sorry. What did you say?"
"I asked you how it's going between you and Callie."
"What? Why do you ask?"
"Well, you seem to be getting along a whole lot better than you were before."
"Yes, well, we've made a real effort for Sofia's sake," Arizona said, not really lying but still not altogether truthful. "We've been having a family dinner, well sometimes breakfast, together with Sofia once a week, and every weekend we've tried to spend the day together."
"So the co-parenting is working out? That's great!" April gushed. "I don't know of too many couples who've been able to do that."
"It's for Sofia," Arizona said and she cringed at home lame she sounded.
"Well, that's really good. It's healthy," April plowed on, not really noticing her friend's true reaction.
"I suppose."
Arizona watched as the beautiful new scrub nurse walked up to Callie. She stared at the woman, wondering what she was saying to Callie. When she saw the woman drop her hand onto Callie's shoulder for a brief moment before walking away, Arizona couldn't help but scowl.
"So, do you have any plans this Saturday?" April asked as she peeled the lid from her pudding cup.
"I'm spending the day with Sofia and Callie."
"Well, this would be Saturday evening. Jackson's cousin, Vanessa, is in town. She's here to help out with some hospital legal issues, and we're hosting the hospital board for dinner. Oh, that means you'll have to get a sitter for Sofia as Callie has to come, too." April said. "Will that be a problem?" she asked, her voice suddenly serious.
"No, of course not. It won't be a problem."
"I just wanted to be sure. You sit in board meetings together, but this is a social setting," April rambled on, sincerity in every word. "I wouldn't want to cause any problems for either of you, and I definitely don't want you to be uncomfortable."
"It'll be fine, April," the blonde sighed.
"I think you'll like Vanessa," the red haired woman said with a smile. "She's really smart. She got her medical degree, then her law degree and now she works for the Foundation. She's funny and very pretty," April added.
Arizona suddenly got an uneasy feeling for where this conversation was headed. "April…"
"I really do think you'll like her, Arizona." April leaned in across the table, her eyes darting to the left and then to the right. "She's gay," she whispered then she sat back up. "I told her all about you. She really wants to meet you."
"April, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I really don't think this is a good idea," Arizona said with as much tact that she could muster.
"Arizona, you're in a good place with Callie right now. You both seem to have figured out how to be friendly and… apart. I think it's time you moved on. I think you're ready."
"Oh, no, April, I'm not looking to date anyone at the moment."
"Why not? It's been long enough." April's cheeks turned red, and she lowered her voice again. "It's been a really long time since you've, you know, been to the 'carnival'."
"I'm not having this conversation with you," Arizona snapped.
"I'm sorry, Arizona," April apologized. "It's just, you're my friend and I - I - I'm only looking out for you."
"I know," Arizona sighed. "But please, don't fix me up with anyone. I'm not interested in dating anyone else."
"Don't hate me, Arizona," April said quickly then she looked up and smiled. "Jackson, Vanessa," she greeted her husband and his cousin as they walked over to the table.
"Oh, great," Arizona muttered under her breath. "I'm going to kill you, Kepner," she said through clenched teeth before she faced the two Averys, a fake smile plastered on her face.
"Hi, honey," Jackson said, kissing his wife's cheek. He straightened up and turned to Arizona. "Dr. Robbins, I'd like you meet my cousin, Vanessa Avery. Vanessa, this is Dr. Arizona Robbins."
Good genes apparently ran in the Avery family. Vanessa was stunning. She was almost as tall as Jackson, her skin was light brown and she had the same eyes as her cousin. When Arizona stuck out her hand, she couldn't help but notice the other woman quickly give her the once over.
"Ms. Avery, pleased to meet you," Arizona said politely.
"Please, call me Vanessa," she replied, taking Arizona's hand and giving it a firm but somehow still sensuous squeeze.
"Arizona," the peds surgeon offered.
"April and Jackson have told me so much about you."
"All good, I hope," Arizona replied nervously.
"All of it very good," Vanessa said in a sultry voice.
"Oh, well, I'm sure they exaggerated," Arizona as she gently pulled her hand from Vanessa's grasp. "It was nice meeting you, but I have to get back to my patients."
"I hope I'll see you Saturday at dinner," Vanessa said.
Arizona gave the woman a tight nod and quickly walked away. She saw Callie glowering by the exit.
"We need to talk," they said at the same time when they were close enough to whisper.
"My office?" Arizona asked.
"I can't right now," Callie answered as she glanced down at her pager which had begun to beep.
"Text me later," Arizona said to Callie as the Latina hurried out of the cafeteria.
Fortunately for Arizona her day was surgery-free so the lunchtime events wouldn't intrude on any operations she had to perform. Unfortunately for her, it left a lot of time for her to think. Her impending sex with Callie and the talk the blonde wanted to have with her about it was no longer her number one priority. Vanessa flirting with her, and what looked like the hot new scrub nurse hitting on Callie was now at the top of the list.
With a stack of research in her hands, Arizona quickly holed up in her office. She paced for a few minutes, her mind jumbled with her thoughts. She and Callie had never had the 'exclusive' dating talk. She wondered if Callie wanted to see other women. Maybe she wants to because I'm hesitant about the sex, she thought. I love her, and I know she loves me, but maybe what we're doing isn't enough. Could she be hedging her bets? Maybe she needs a backup in case we don't work out.
Arizona continued to worry about her upcoming talk with Callie. It wasn't that she had anything bad to say to her wife; she'd done nothing wrong. She was just a little fearful of what Callie might say.
Her phone beeped, letting her know she had a text message.
C - When are you free?
A - My shift ends at 4.
C - Meet at our bench?
A - Yes. See you then.
Somewhat relieved that she at least knew when they were going to talk, Arizona flopped down onto the sofa and picked up one of the folders she'd brought. For a few hours she could try to distract herself with work.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Callie was already sitting on the bench when Arizona arrived. She sat down beside the Latina and gave her a little nudge with her shoulder.
"Hey."
Callie smiled and quickly took Arizona's hand in hers. "The weirdest thing happened to me today," Callie said.
"Me, too." She leaned her head on Callie's shoulder. She patiently waited for Callie to continue. It wasn't easy, and she'd been jumping to conclusions all afternoon. Whatever Callie was going to tell her couldn't possibly be worse than anything her imagination had conjured up.
"So, Nancy the scrub nurse asked me out for drinks," Callie finally said.
Arizona bit her lip and looked at their clasped hands. She swallowed hard and fought the urge to ask Callie all the questions that ran through her mind.
"I turned her down."
"Did you want to go?" Arizona asked timidly.
"No."
"Because I'd understand if you did. We never said if we were going to date others."
"Do you want to?"
Arizona could hear the fear in Callie's voice and her heart ached for the Latina. "Absolutely not," she replied, her voice strong and clear. "You're the only one I want, Calliope."
"Me, too." Callie leaned over and kissed Arizona's temple. "So what was that at lunch?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound like she was accusing the blonde.
Arizona groaned and rolled her eyes. "April and Jackson are trying to set me up with his cousin."
Callie wryly chuckled softly. "We can't win, can we?"
"What do you mean?"
"Even when we try to keep everyone out of our business, they still meddle."
"Do you think we should just tell them?"
"Tell them what? To mind their own business?" Callie laughed. "Even when I tell them to, they don't listen. Grey even encouraged me to have a one night stand with Nancy."
"April kind of hinted at the same thing with me," Arizona said with a laugh of her own. "You don't know the meaning of uncomfortable until you've had April Kepner trying to talk to you about sex."
Callie burst out laughing. "Seriously?"
"Yes." Arizona grinned then grew serious once more. "Should we tell them we're dating?"
"It's none of their business," Callie said. "But I suppose if we don't, it'll keep happening. And I am not looking for my friends to set me up."
"Neither am I."
"So you're okay with letting them know?"
"I'm good with that."
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Arizona knew she was the one who needed to bring up what had happened the night before. She took a deep breath before speaking.
"Callie, about last night," she started. "I… I don't want you to think it's like before, when I kept saying I was ready and then I couldn't," she said in reference to the first year after the plane crash. "It's not that at all."
Callie gave Arizona's hand a reassuring squeeze, urging her to continue. She knew it was important for her to remain quiet and let Arizona speak.
"I'm… I just… I can't help but think about the last time we made love."
Callie winced, knowing exactly what Arizona was referring to. "Arizona…"
"I'm just a little gun shy, you know, and I don't want to be." She turned to face Callie, not letting go of the Latina's hand. "I really, really, want to make love with you again. It's all I've been thinking about the past few weeks," she confessed.
"Me, too," Callie admitted.
"I just wanted you to know that it's not something you've said or done recently. It's me being overly cautious."
"I thought it might be something like that." Callie sighed. "That's not going to happen again, Arizona. We're both in a different place, we've changed. I'd like to think we've learned something along the way. As long as we keep talking, we'll be fine."
"As long as talking isn't all we're doing," Arizona flirted.
"Oh, you can be sure talking isn't all we'll do," Callie agreed as she leaned in for a kiss.
They exchanged a few tender, but somehow still passionate kisses before mutually pulling away. The way they were both feeling, making out on a park bench was not the best option for them.
"I love you, Calliope."
"I love you, too."
Callie gave Arizona one last quick peck on the lips before sitting back. After a few minutes, she started to laugh.
"What?" Arizona asked, wanting to know what the dark haired woman found so humorous.
"Kepner. Did she really talk to you about sex?" Callie asked incredulously.
"Yes," Arizona replied. "Only she calls it the 'carnival'." Callie's eyes widened in amusement. "Don't ask," the blonde answered. "It's a long story."
"The 'carnival'. That's a new one. Meredith calls it 'having a cheesbuger', and no, don't ask."
They laughed at their friends' euphemisms for sex.
"So, do you have any plans for Friday night?" Arizona asked.
"No, not yet. Why?"
"Do you think you could talk Meredith into having Sofia over for a sleepover with Zola?"
"I think so. Why? What do have in mind?"
"I was thinking that maybe we could get a cheeseburger at the carnival Friday," Arizona said with a sly smile.
"I like the way you think, Dr. Robbins," Callie added as she gave her wife a wink.
Author: captstarbuck
Beta/Editor: Stacy d'Lacy (best beta on the planet)
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: T
Secret Santa Prompt: Callie and Arizona have reunited, but are dating slowly (still living apart while they get to know who they are now), and no one knows. What happens to their relationship when their friends at the hospital decide to get involved to make them move on with their lives? Rating: Author's preference
Disclaimers: 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 for pensco_927: I lied and you know what I'm talking about. LOL
Chapter 5
As the weeks progressed, the frequency of their dates increased. They still had their scheduled family dinners (or breakfast when work interfered) with Sofia and family time on the weekend, but they often turned 'family' time into 'dates' once Sofia was asleep. They also managed, somehow, to squeeze in a date once a week, even if it was only to meet for lunch outside the hospital.
Their friends and colleagues at work noticed a difference in the two women, but had no clue what was going on between them. The general consensus around the hospital was that Callie and Arizona had finally reached the "amicable" stage of their breakup. They still called one another "Dr. Torres" and "Dr. Robbins" at work, but the bitterness had left their voices. For the most part, everyone had given a sigh of relief that there were no more loud arguments occurring within the walls of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
Sensing a lightness about the women, a betting pool had started amongst some of the doctors as to which of the two was going to start dating first and when the first date would occur. When Miranda Bailey had found out, she'd been appalled. She read the riot act to interns and attendings alike. She hated when the staff went beyond genuine concern into meddling. Her friends had been through enough over the past few years and it was time they were left alone.
Unfortunately, the general surgeon's words were only heard by those who'd been directly involved in the betting. The rest of their friends continued on with their well meaning interference.
One afternoon, about two months after Callie and Arizona had started dating again, Callie found herself in the cafeteria. She'd hoped to have lunch with Arizona but Meredith had waved her over to a table. The Latina plopped down in a chair opposite her friend. From her seat she had a good view of Arizona who was having lunch with April. Callie studied the blonde in hopes that she could find some answer to what had happened last night. She hadn't pressed Arizona for an explanation then, but she was going to get some answers today. Of that she was certain.
The Latina had barely taken the lid off her salad when she felt the presence of someone standing next to her. She looked up and saw the new scrub nurse, Nancy. The woman was beautiful, Callie had to admit. Nancy was tall, blonde and had gorgeous green eyes. Rumor had it that there were a whole slew of doctors, men and women both, that were lusting after the new hire.
"Hey, Nancy," Callie said.
"Dr. Grey, Dr. Torres" Nancy said her voice low and husky upon saying the Ortho surgeon's name.
Meredith's eyes widened and an amused smirk crossed her face. Callie seemed to be a little distracted and oblivious to the scrub nurse's intentions.
"What's up, Nancy?" Callie asked, not really paying attention to the way the scrub nurse was looking at her. The Latina was much more interested in watching Arizona, who now had a somewhat panicked look on her face.
"Do you want to join us?" Meredith interrupted.
"No, thank you. I have to get back upstairs. I've only got a few minutes before I'm scrubbing in again." She turned her attention back to Callie. "So, Dr. Torres, I was wondering if you'd like to go out for drinks tonight."
"What? Tonight?" Callie sputtered. She finally took notice of Nancy and she found the women's almost predatory gaze a little disconcerting. "Oh, I have Sofia tonight."
"I can take her," Meredith offered. "I'm sure Zola would love to spend some time with Sofia." A sharp kick to her shin and a 'what the fuck' look from Callie stopped Meredith from speaking any further.
"No, I don't think so. Not tonight." Callie offered a half-smile to Nancy. "But thanks for asking."
"Maybe some other time?" Nancy persisted. The willowy blonde's beeper went off. "Think about it, okay?" Her hand dropped to Callie's shoulder. "You know where to find me," she said before she hurried from the cafeteria.
"What the hell, Meredith," Callie said after Nancy left.
"It's just drinks, Callie," Meredith said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Right," Callie grumbled.
"Look, you've finally seemed to have snapped out of your post-breakup funk. What's wrong with going out with the hot new scrub nurse?"
Callie scowled at her friend's meddling. "No. It's my time with Sofia."
"So go out with Nancy on a night when you don't have Sofia." Meredith smiled slyly. "Or you could always ask Arizona to take Sofia."
"That's just mean, Meredith. I'd never do that."
"Callie, I think it's time to move on. You're ready. You've worked out the whole custody thing with Arizona and you both seem to have gotten over it."
"No. I'm… I'm not in place where I can date other women," Callie said carefully.
"Who said anything about dating?" Meredith countered. "I'm pretty sure that she isn't looking to 'date' you." Meredith smirked again.
"What do you mean?"
"Look, Callie. We both how much you like… 'cheeseburgers', right? How long has it been since you've had a cheeseburger?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Callie asked, then she immediately recalled the drunken night when she and Meredith had talked about cheeseburgers.
"You'd seriously turn down cheeseburgers with the hot scrub nurse?" Meredith prodded Callie.
"You know, Grey, you keep calling her 'hot'. Maybe you should go out with her."
"I'm not blind, Callie, and if I wasn't so fond of penis, even I'd consider it." Meredith took a sip from her soda. "Besides, if you don't, I'm sure the hot scrub nurse -"
"Her name is Nancy," Callie said sharply. "Stop calling her that."
"Fine," Meredith huffed. "If you don't, I'm sure Nancy will just find another available lesbian to hit on." Meredith turned her head and flicked her eyes toward Arizona and April. "Just saying."
"That's stupid. Arizona wouldn't."
"Why wouldn't she? She's single and from what I've heard, she hasn't been having any cheeseburgers either."
"You need to stop calling it that. It's just weird now," Callie said, trying to change the subject.
"Callie," Meredith's teasing tone switched to one of concern, stopping Callie from going off on one of her infamous rants. "It's okay to move on. It's the healthy thing to do. Besides, you were the one to break up your marriage. You don't owe Arizona anything."
Callie knew her friend meant well and she was surprised that it hadn't come up until now. She wanted to tell Meredith that she and Arizona were dating again, but she hesitated. She needed to speak with Arizona first. She wasn't going to make unilateral decisions for her and Arizona any more.
"I just… I can't. I can't do that right now," Callie said weakly.
"Callie…"
"Please, Meredith. Just drop it."
"Fine," Meredith said picking up her sandwich. "But you should start thinking about it."
The Latina's gaze returned to Arizona and her expression darkened with what she saw.
"So, you've been in a better mood lately," April said to her lunch companion.
"I guess so," Arizona said, her thoughts drifting back to her date with Callie the previous night. Even though they had been dating for over two months, they still hadn't had sex. They'd come close a few times during some rather intense makeout sessions on the couch but clothes had always remained on (for the most part).
Last night Arizona had hesitated when it seemed like they were going to move their activities into the bedroom. She couldn't help but think about the last time they'd made love. Arizona had thought everything was fine, great even, but then Callie had dropped her bombshell the very next day. She couldn't help but wonder if history was going to repeat itself.
Callie had immediately picked up on Arizona's seeming reluctance. Without knowing the reason why, the Latina had delicately backed off. They'd been able to laugh it off, but Arizona could see the concern in Callie's eyes. She definitely needed to talk to Callie. This time around, there would be no secrets between them, no hiding and no fears about sharing their feelings.
Arizona had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear what April had said.
"I'm sorry. What did you say?"
"I asked you how it's going between you and Callie."
"What? Why do you ask?"
"Well, you seem to be getting along a whole lot better than you were before."
"Yes, well, we've made a real effort for Sofia's sake," Arizona said, not really lying but still not altogether truthful. "We've been having a family dinner, well sometimes breakfast, together with Sofia once a week, and every weekend we've tried to spend the day together."
"So the co-parenting is working out? That's great!" April gushed. "I don't know of too many couples who've been able to do that."
"It's for Sofia," Arizona said and she cringed at home lame she sounded.
"Well, that's really good. It's healthy," April plowed on, not really noticing her friend's true reaction.
"I suppose."
Arizona watched as the beautiful new scrub nurse walked up to Callie. She stared at the woman, wondering what she was saying to Callie. When she saw the woman drop her hand onto Callie's shoulder for a brief moment before walking away, Arizona couldn't help but scowl.
"So, do you have any plans this Saturday?" April asked as she peeled the lid from her pudding cup.
"I'm spending the day with Sofia and Callie."
"Well, this would be Saturday evening. Jackson's cousin, Vanessa, is in town. She's here to help out with some hospital legal issues, and we're hosting the hospital board for dinner. Oh, that means you'll have to get a sitter for Sofia as Callie has to come, too." April said. "Will that be a problem?" she asked, her voice suddenly serious.
"No, of course not. It won't be a problem."
"I just wanted to be sure. You sit in board meetings together, but this is a social setting," April rambled on, sincerity in every word. "I wouldn't want to cause any problems for either of you, and I definitely don't want you to be uncomfortable."
"It'll be fine, April," the blonde sighed.
"I think you'll like Vanessa," the red haired woman said with a smile. "She's really smart. She got her medical degree, then her law degree and now she works for the Foundation. She's funny and very pretty," April added.
Arizona suddenly got an uneasy feeling for where this conversation was headed. "April…"
"I really do think you'll like her, Arizona." April leaned in across the table, her eyes darting to the left and then to the right. "She's gay," she whispered then she sat back up. "I told her all about you. She really wants to meet you."
"April, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I really don't think this is a good idea," Arizona said with as much tact that she could muster.
"Arizona, you're in a good place with Callie right now. You both seem to have figured out how to be friendly and… apart. I think it's time you moved on. I think you're ready."
"Oh, no, April, I'm not looking to date anyone at the moment."
"Why not? It's been long enough." April's cheeks turned red, and she lowered her voice again. "It's been a really long time since you've, you know, been to the 'carnival'."
"I'm not having this conversation with you," Arizona snapped.
"I'm sorry, Arizona," April apologized. "It's just, you're my friend and I - I - I'm only looking out for you."
"I know," Arizona sighed. "But please, don't fix me up with anyone. I'm not interested in dating anyone else."
"Don't hate me, Arizona," April said quickly then she looked up and smiled. "Jackson, Vanessa," she greeted her husband and his cousin as they walked over to the table.
"Oh, great," Arizona muttered under her breath. "I'm going to kill you, Kepner," she said through clenched teeth before she faced the two Averys, a fake smile plastered on her face.
"Hi, honey," Jackson said, kissing his wife's cheek. He straightened up and turned to Arizona. "Dr. Robbins, I'd like you meet my cousin, Vanessa Avery. Vanessa, this is Dr. Arizona Robbins."
Good genes apparently ran in the Avery family. Vanessa was stunning. She was almost as tall as Jackson, her skin was light brown and she had the same eyes as her cousin. When Arizona stuck out her hand, she couldn't help but notice the other woman quickly give her the once over.
"Ms. Avery, pleased to meet you," Arizona said politely.
"Please, call me Vanessa," she replied, taking Arizona's hand and giving it a firm but somehow still sensuous squeeze.
"Arizona," the peds surgeon offered.
"April and Jackson have told me so much about you."
"All good, I hope," Arizona replied nervously.
"All of it very good," Vanessa said in a sultry voice.
"Oh, well, I'm sure they exaggerated," Arizona as she gently pulled her hand from Vanessa's grasp. "It was nice meeting you, but I have to get back to my patients."
"I hope I'll see you Saturday at dinner," Vanessa said.
Arizona gave the woman a tight nod and quickly walked away. She saw Callie glowering by the exit.
"We need to talk," they said at the same time when they were close enough to whisper.
"My office?" Arizona asked.
"I can't right now," Callie answered as she glanced down at her pager which had begun to beep.
"Text me later," Arizona said to Callie as the Latina hurried out of the cafeteria.
Fortunately for Arizona her day was surgery-free so the lunchtime events wouldn't intrude on any operations she had to perform. Unfortunately for her, it left a lot of time for her to think. Her impending sex with Callie and the talk the blonde wanted to have with her about it was no longer her number one priority. Vanessa flirting with her, and what looked like the hot new scrub nurse hitting on Callie was now at the top of the list.
With a stack of research in her hands, Arizona quickly holed up in her office. She paced for a few minutes, her mind jumbled with her thoughts. She and Callie had never had the 'exclusive' dating talk. She wondered if Callie wanted to see other women. Maybe she wants to because I'm hesitant about the sex, she thought. I love her, and I know she loves me, but maybe what we're doing isn't enough. Could she be hedging her bets? Maybe she needs a backup in case we don't work out.
Arizona continued to worry about her upcoming talk with Callie. It wasn't that she had anything bad to say to her wife; she'd done nothing wrong. She was just a little fearful of what Callie might say.
Her phone beeped, letting her know she had a text message.
C - When are you free?
A - My shift ends at 4.
C - Meet at our bench?
A - Yes. See you then.
Somewhat relieved that she at least knew when they were going to talk, Arizona flopped down onto the sofa and picked up one of the folders she'd brought. For a few hours she could try to distract herself with work.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Callie was already sitting on the bench when Arizona arrived. She sat down beside the Latina and gave her a little nudge with her shoulder.
"Hey."
Callie smiled and quickly took Arizona's hand in hers. "The weirdest thing happened to me today," Callie said.
"Me, too." She leaned her head on Callie's shoulder. She patiently waited for Callie to continue. It wasn't easy, and she'd been jumping to conclusions all afternoon. Whatever Callie was going to tell her couldn't possibly be worse than anything her imagination had conjured up.
"So, Nancy the scrub nurse asked me out for drinks," Callie finally said.
Arizona bit her lip and looked at their clasped hands. She swallowed hard and fought the urge to ask Callie all the questions that ran through her mind.
"I turned her down."
"Did you want to go?" Arizona asked timidly.
"No."
"Because I'd understand if you did. We never said if we were going to date others."
"Do you want to?"
Arizona could hear the fear in Callie's voice and her heart ached for the Latina. "Absolutely not," she replied, her voice strong and clear. "You're the only one I want, Calliope."
"Me, too." Callie leaned over and kissed Arizona's temple. "So what was that at lunch?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound like she was accusing the blonde.
Arizona groaned and rolled her eyes. "April and Jackson are trying to set me up with his cousin."
Callie wryly chuckled softly. "We can't win, can we?"
"What do you mean?"
"Even when we try to keep everyone out of our business, they still meddle."
"Do you think we should just tell them?"
"Tell them what? To mind their own business?" Callie laughed. "Even when I tell them to, they don't listen. Grey even encouraged me to have a one night stand with Nancy."
"April kind of hinted at the same thing with me," Arizona said with a laugh of her own. "You don't know the meaning of uncomfortable until you've had April Kepner trying to talk to you about sex."
Callie burst out laughing. "Seriously?"
"Yes." Arizona grinned then grew serious once more. "Should we tell them we're dating?"
"It's none of their business," Callie said. "But I suppose if we don't, it'll keep happening. And I am not looking for my friends to set me up."
"Neither am I."
"So you're okay with letting them know?"
"I'm good with that."
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Arizona knew she was the one who needed to bring up what had happened the night before. She took a deep breath before speaking.
"Callie, about last night," she started. "I… I don't want you to think it's like before, when I kept saying I was ready and then I couldn't," she said in reference to the first year after the plane crash. "It's not that at all."
Callie gave Arizona's hand a reassuring squeeze, urging her to continue. She knew it was important for her to remain quiet and let Arizona speak.
"I'm… I just… I can't help but think about the last time we made love."
Callie winced, knowing exactly what Arizona was referring to. "Arizona…"
"I'm just a little gun shy, you know, and I don't want to be." She turned to face Callie, not letting go of the Latina's hand. "I really, really, want to make love with you again. It's all I've been thinking about the past few weeks," she confessed.
"Me, too," Callie admitted.
"I just wanted you to know that it's not something you've said or done recently. It's me being overly cautious."
"I thought it might be something like that." Callie sighed. "That's not going to happen again, Arizona. We're both in a different place, we've changed. I'd like to think we've learned something along the way. As long as we keep talking, we'll be fine."
"As long as talking isn't all we're doing," Arizona flirted.
"Oh, you can be sure talking isn't all we'll do," Callie agreed as she leaned in for a kiss.
They exchanged a few tender, but somehow still passionate kisses before mutually pulling away. The way they were both feeling, making out on a park bench was not the best option for them.
"I love you, Calliope."
"I love you, too."
Callie gave Arizona one last quick peck on the lips before sitting back. After a few minutes, she started to laugh.
"What?" Arizona asked, wanting to know what the dark haired woman found so humorous.
"Kepner. Did she really talk to you about sex?" Callie asked incredulously.
"Yes," Arizona replied. "Only she calls it the 'carnival'." Callie's eyes widened in amusement. "Don't ask," the blonde answered. "It's a long story."
"The 'carnival'. That's a new one. Meredith calls it 'having a cheesbuger', and no, don't ask."
They laughed at their friends' euphemisms for sex.
"So, do you have any plans for Friday night?" Arizona asked.
"No, not yet. Why?"
"Do you think you could talk Meredith into having Sofia over for a sleepover with Zola?"
"I think so. Why? What do have in mind?"
"I was thinking that maybe we could get a cheeseburger at the carnival Friday," Arizona said with a sly smile.
"I like the way you think, Dr. Robbins," Callie added as she gave her wife a wink.