Second Time Around (1C/?)
Title: Second Time Around (1C/?)
Author: Nora C. Parker
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Set in Season 6. What if a different Cardio God came to SWMWH during the episode "New HIstory" (6x09). This story contemplates a surgeon other than Teddy joining the staff. The story veers from the established timeline as of that episode, although some of the episode is referenced within this story.
Disclaimer: I have no ownership over the characters.
Note: I began this story about a year ago. The entire first part has been posted elsewhere online, but not here on my journal. I'm going to at least post the portion that I've completed. I may write more, depending on my interest and readers' interest.
Part 1A
Part 1B
Second Time Around (1C/?)
Chapter 1: Gloria Gaynor got it right
Uncomfortable with the scrutiny from the end of the table, Callie picked up her tray. "I've got a consult." She turned and hurried from the room.
This departure left Arizona torn. She was saddened by her girlfriend's obvious discomfort. But also hungry since this was the first chance she'd gotten to eat. But she knew that Callie would be out there, somewhere, hiding; she needed to come first. "I'll see you folks later." And, slightly less hastily, Arizona went on a search.
# # #
After a side trip to the coffee cart, Arizona was able to track Callie down. The ortho surgeon was sitting on a couch in a lounge, ignoring the journal that sat in her lap.
"You okay?" Callie rewarded her with a smile as Arizona handed over a cup of coffee, fixed her girlfriend's favorite way.
"I had to work on a trauma earlier and that pushed one of my surgeries to later this afternoon. Not sure yet how it's going to go until I get in there, so I might be here late."
"That's not what I'm talking about." Arizona took a seat next to Callie.
"It's just...I don't know. I'm probably supposed to be feeling things, but I'm really just annoyed at her arrogance in leaving, and then coming back, demanding to talk."
"She probably needs closure." Arizona tucked a bit of her girlfriend's raven hair behind her ear, glad for the opportunity to steal a touch. "You need closure."
"That's just it. I don't. I'm closed."
While Arizona was trying to not be skeptical at this pronouncement, skepticism must have been written on her face.
"Look," Callie took hold of one of Arizona's hands. "I think closure would have been great if she'd been in contact a day after, or a week, or maybe a month after she left. But she just left. And she left me without any way to communicate. And you know, I got over it."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I really am. After she left I went into my whole celibate phase. Not my happiest time," the two shared a smile, "but you saw me at Joe's. I was a mess. I needed to deal with myself, with my getting into bad relationships just to be in a relationship."
Perhaps realizing how that might sound, or maybe picking up on Arizona's increased breath rate, Callie brushed her hand across her forehead. "Wait, I don't mean...I mean before. You know?"
"Before?"
"Before some hot Peds surgeon ambushed me with a kiss in a bar bathroom."
The two shared a smile at that memory.
"Then we took things slow. And that worked. It's been great. Our relationship, it's right, it's good. I'm happy." A quick squeeze of Arizona's hand was the means to reinforce her point. "I love you. I just see us going forward. I don't feel this need to step backwards."
"As long as you're sure. But don't feel like you have to do anything or not do anything on my account."
"That's just it. This, us, how I feel about us, this is for me." The smile on Callie's face could have lit the room. "Gloria Gaynor had it right."
"Excuse me?"
"You know, I will survive. She felt like dropping in and expected me to be free, but I'm saving all my loving for someone who's loving me." With that, Callie leaned over and gave Arizona a kiss on the cheek. "All my loving."
# # #
Entering Callie's apartment, Arizona hoped that her girlfriend's prediction about her surgery would prove inaccurate. Given the fact that Callie was not home, though, meant that she was still tied up, either in the OR or pulled into a trauma.
The apartment wasn't empty, though. Cristina Yang was in.
"I brought Thai food, if you want some dinner."
"Thai's great." Cristina gave a genuine smile as she walked to the kitchen to check out what was in the various bags.
Early in the relationship, Arizona had felt guilty at spending so much time here at Callie's apartment rather than at her own. But she couldn't deny the convenience. And if Cristina minded, she had yet to say anything. Then again, between her take-out and Callie's cooking, each did her best to keep Yang bribed with food. Besides, it wasn't like Yang wasn't in a similar situation with Owen staying over much of the time.
"Owen covering the ER?"
"Yeah. He wanted to stay around the pit. I guess there's a couple cases that needed his attention. Where's Torres?"
"Surgery, I think."
That merited a quick nod from Cristina as she dug out some plates before helping herself. "Do you know if she talked to Hahn?" Immediately after asking the question, Yang looked up at Arizona. "That's not a bad thing to ask, is it?"
"No. No, it's not bad. And no, as far as I know, they haven't spoken."
"Just wondering. She's not too freaked out or anything, is she."
"Callie? She's fine." At least, that's what Callie had led her to believe. "By the way, Yang, ever see a Norwood?"
"No. What? No." Cristina became more animated, as happened any time a new surgical procedure was discussed.
"I'm doing one tomorrow morning with Hahn. Why don't you join my service tomorrow."
"Well, yeah, are you sure?"
"I can't promise any scalpel time." Arizona wanted to be sure Cristina had the appropriate expectations. "But yes, I'm sure."
"Wow. Okay. Thanks."
Inviting Cristina seemed safer this time, with the surgery on an infant. Cristina Yang might make a terrible Peds surgeon in general, but Arizona knew that the resident would benefit from being a part of this team.
After contemplating her meal for a minute, Cristina returned to their earlier subject, "they weren't anything like you, you know?"
"Excuse me?"
"Callie and Erica. They weren't, I mean, I lived with Callie and I didn't know there was anything going on. Whatever it was. People didn't really hear about it until after."
Even with that attempt at reassurance, people did hear about "it." Arizona had heard about their relationship before she'd decided to introduce herself to Callie. Despite an anomalous retreat to the bathroom at Joe's, Callie never was one to hide, well, anything. Hahn seemed like the opposite. In any case, Arizona trusted Callie, and what Callie was telling her. She just hoped Callie was being honest with herself.
(End Part 1C)
Author: Nora C. Parker
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Set in Season 6. What if a different Cardio God came to SWMWH during the episode "New HIstory" (6x09). This story contemplates a surgeon other than Teddy joining the staff. The story veers from the established timeline as of that episode, although some of the episode is referenced within this story.
Disclaimer: I have no ownership over the characters.
Note: I began this story about a year ago. The entire first part has been posted elsewhere online, but not here on my journal. I'm going to at least post the portion that I've completed. I may write more, depending on my interest and readers' interest.
Part 1A
Part 1B
Second Time Around (1C/?)
Chapter 1: Gloria Gaynor got it right
Uncomfortable with the scrutiny from the end of the table, Callie picked up her tray. "I've got a consult." She turned and hurried from the room.
This departure left Arizona torn. She was saddened by her girlfriend's obvious discomfort. But also hungry since this was the first chance she'd gotten to eat. But she knew that Callie would be out there, somewhere, hiding; she needed to come first. "I'll see you folks later." And, slightly less hastily, Arizona went on a search.
# # #
After a side trip to the coffee cart, Arizona was able to track Callie down. The ortho surgeon was sitting on a couch in a lounge, ignoring the journal that sat in her lap.
"You okay?" Callie rewarded her with a smile as Arizona handed over a cup of coffee, fixed her girlfriend's favorite way.
"I had to work on a trauma earlier and that pushed one of my surgeries to later this afternoon. Not sure yet how it's going to go until I get in there, so I might be here late."
"That's not what I'm talking about." Arizona took a seat next to Callie.
"It's just...I don't know. I'm probably supposed to be feeling things, but I'm really just annoyed at her arrogance in leaving, and then coming back, demanding to talk."
"She probably needs closure." Arizona tucked a bit of her girlfriend's raven hair behind her ear, glad for the opportunity to steal a touch. "You need closure."
"That's just it. I don't. I'm closed."
While Arizona was trying to not be skeptical at this pronouncement, skepticism must have been written on her face.
"Look," Callie took hold of one of Arizona's hands. "I think closure would have been great if she'd been in contact a day after, or a week, or maybe a month after she left. But she just left. And she left me without any way to communicate. And you know, I got over it."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I really am. After she left I went into my whole celibate phase. Not my happiest time," the two shared a smile, "but you saw me at Joe's. I was a mess. I needed to deal with myself, with my getting into bad relationships just to be in a relationship."
Perhaps realizing how that might sound, or maybe picking up on Arizona's increased breath rate, Callie brushed her hand across her forehead. "Wait, I don't mean...I mean before. You know?"
"Before?"
"Before some hot Peds surgeon ambushed me with a kiss in a bar bathroom."
The two shared a smile at that memory.
"Then we took things slow. And that worked. It's been great. Our relationship, it's right, it's good. I'm happy." A quick squeeze of Arizona's hand was the means to reinforce her point. "I love you. I just see us going forward. I don't feel this need to step backwards."
"As long as you're sure. But don't feel like you have to do anything or not do anything on my account."
"That's just it. This, us, how I feel about us, this is for me." The smile on Callie's face could have lit the room. "Gloria Gaynor had it right."
"Excuse me?"
"You know, I will survive. She felt like dropping in and expected me to be free, but I'm saving all my loving for someone who's loving me." With that, Callie leaned over and gave Arizona a kiss on the cheek. "All my loving."
# # #
Entering Callie's apartment, Arizona hoped that her girlfriend's prediction about her surgery would prove inaccurate. Given the fact that Callie was not home, though, meant that she was still tied up, either in the OR or pulled into a trauma.
The apartment wasn't empty, though. Cristina Yang was in.
"I brought Thai food, if you want some dinner."
"Thai's great." Cristina gave a genuine smile as she walked to the kitchen to check out what was in the various bags.
Early in the relationship, Arizona had felt guilty at spending so much time here at Callie's apartment rather than at her own. But she couldn't deny the convenience. And if Cristina minded, she had yet to say anything. Then again, between her take-out and Callie's cooking, each did her best to keep Yang bribed with food. Besides, it wasn't like Yang wasn't in a similar situation with Owen staying over much of the time.
"Owen covering the ER?"
"Yeah. He wanted to stay around the pit. I guess there's a couple cases that needed his attention. Where's Torres?"
"Surgery, I think."
That merited a quick nod from Cristina as she dug out some plates before helping herself. "Do you know if she talked to Hahn?" Immediately after asking the question, Yang looked up at Arizona. "That's not a bad thing to ask, is it?"
"No. No, it's not bad. And no, as far as I know, they haven't spoken."
"Just wondering. She's not too freaked out or anything, is she."
"Callie? She's fine." At least, that's what Callie had led her to believe. "By the way, Yang, ever see a Norwood?"
"No. What? No." Cristina became more animated, as happened any time a new surgical procedure was discussed.
"I'm doing one tomorrow morning with Hahn. Why don't you join my service tomorrow."
"Well, yeah, are you sure?"
"I can't promise any scalpel time." Arizona wanted to be sure Cristina had the appropriate expectations. "But yes, I'm sure."
"Wow. Okay. Thanks."
Inviting Cristina seemed safer this time, with the surgery on an infant. Cristina Yang might make a terrible Peds surgeon in general, but Arizona knew that the resident would benefit from being a part of this team.
After contemplating her meal for a minute, Cristina returned to their earlier subject, "they weren't anything like you, you know?"
"Excuse me?"
"Callie and Erica. They weren't, I mean, I lived with Callie and I didn't know there was anything going on. Whatever it was. People didn't really hear about it until after."
Even with that attempt at reassurance, people did hear about "it." Arizona had heard about their relationship before she'd decided to introduce herself to Callie. Despite an anomalous retreat to the bathroom at Joe's, Callie never was one to hide, well, anything. Hahn seemed like the opposite. In any case, Arizona trusted Callie, and what Callie was telling her. She just hoped Callie was being honest with herself.
(End Part 1C)