Gamble | PG13 | Grey's Anatomy
Title: Gamble
Prompt: Part 3 of the Caddizona drabble series that started with the Caddie bathroom kiss and left off with the Addizona beach confrontation
Challenge: 100 Fic Challenge (#21)
Fandom: Addison/Callie, Grey’s Anatomy
Requested by: snoopythepooh
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 1056
Disclaimer: Not mine. Wish they were. Please don't sue.
Author's Note: You know, I had no idea what I was going to do with this drabble series until Shonda & Co. stepped in and revealed something about Arizona (see episode 6x17) that totally didn’t jive with me. SO…it only seemed natural that I make use of that information. For a refresher about what comes before this, refer to this link, where you will find parts one through four. I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think!
-
Addison hugged her knees tighter to her chest, staring up at the sky. She made up imaginary constellations in the stars that were littered above her and, for several brief seconds, forgot that she hadn’t spoken to Callie in three months and twelve days. When she remembered this, and she always did, her chest felt a little tighter and her eyes glazed over with tears.
It was no use dwelling over it now; she’d resolved herself to the fact that Callie had made her choice and it certainly wasn’t her.
She’d kept her word that night-she slept (or, rather, started at the ceiling all night) on Sam’s sofa and when she returned to her own place the next morning, Callie and Arizona were gone. No note. No goodbyes. No sign to even suggest that they’d ever been there at all.
Addison hadn’t heard from her since. Calls, emails, texts, faxes, and letters had remained unanswered. The only news she’d had of Callie came from Mark, who had no idea how much it hurt her to hear that the couple had been going strong.
That was three weeks ago, and Addison kicked herself for the seven-thousandth time for letting go of the woman she loved and her best friend in one fell swoop. She’d been impulsive, cocky, and foolish. She’d gambled and lost.
Addison sighed and tugged her sweater tighter around her shoulders, taking comfort in the chill of the ocean air. She heard a faraway knock and jolted slightly, wondering for a moment if someone had been at her door. It didn’t really matter; she wasn’t in the mood for company.
She closed her eyes and remembered Callie’s kiss. She remembered how earnest and open Arizona had been. She remembered months of silence. She ached.
“You should answer your door sometime,” came a voice nearby. “People could be trying to get ahold of you.”
Addison opened her eyes, her heart lodging firmly in her throat at the sight of Callie Torres standing in the sand in front of her deck. She took a deep breath before she answered. “The people I’ve wanted to hear from haven’t been in touch for months.”
Callie climbed the steps of the deck and leaned against the rail, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re not allowed to hold that against me. After what happened...you don’t get to make me feel bad.”
“What happened, Cal?” Addison said, dropping her legs and leaning forward. “Why…I thought you were out of my life for good. I thought…What happened?”
Callie took the empty chair beside Addison. “I’m not the kind of woman who just leaves someone for someone else. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t honor my commitments.”
Addison nodded and cast her gaze towards the incoming tide.
Callie sucked in a fortifying breath. “So she forgave me for kissing you and she asked me to stay.”
“And you stayed.”
“I owed it to her to try to make it work. She’d given me a chance when I was down and unhappy after Erica, so I owed her a chance…”
Addison gave a derisive snort. “A chance? She picked a vulnerable woman at a bar to take advantage of-“ Addison’s words died on her mouth when Callie shot her a steely glare. “Sorry.”
“It was hard. She…” Callie looked away and kicked off her sandals before she tucked her legs beneath her. “She’s a good person. But she couldn’t get over this thing between you and me and…that’s why you haven’t heard from me. She asked me not to talk to you.”
Addison felt nauseas and swallowed the angry retort that coated her tongue. She felt betrayed at knowing that Callie had been given a choice and Arizona had arisen the victor. She bit her lip and nodded for Callie to continue.
“I thought I could do it, you know? I thought, ‘here’s this great girl who wants to love me and be with me, and all she needs to do that is for me to give up my best friend…’ and it seemed crazy at first, making me choose, but I thought I could do it for her. I thought she deserved that after what happened. I thought if I tried hard enough, I could stop thinking about you and stop missing you and I could commit to her. It almost worked too.”
Something lightened in Addison’s chest. “Almost?”
“Turns out Arizona doesn’t want kids.”
Addison gaped. “What!?”
“I know, right? She’s a pediatrician and-“
“You were already at the ‘talking about kids’ stage of your relationship?”
Callie’s eyes widened. “No! No…but it came up. We, you know, we talked about it. And I just knew that there was no way that it was gonna work. We’re just…not soulmate material, I guess.” Callie smiled sadly. “She fought for me. I needed that…I needed someone for once who would fight for me instead of just walking away.”
Addison spun in her chair. “That’s not fair! I tried, Callie! You ignored me.”
“I didn’t know how to do anything else but keep the promise I made.”
“So what happened?”
“We broke up. I couldn’t be with someone who set conditions and I couldn’t force the compatibility that wasn’t there after the joking around and the sex was done.”
“Really, really don’t need to hear about the sex.” Addison rubbed her temples. “Are, um, you okay? After breaking up?”
“It needed to happen. I gave it a shot…I’d been heartbroken after Erica and I guess I needed to get back on the horse.”
Addison held up her hands. “You called her a horse, not me!”
Callie laughed. “So…here I am.”
“Why?” Addison held her breath and stared at the woman beside her.
“I missed you. And as much as I wanted to hate you for meddling and for stepping in so late, I couldn’t. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
Addison smiled hesitantly. “What happens now?”
Callie’s smile was genuine and hopeful. “I’m game to find out if you are.” She held out her hand.
Addison had never had much luck when it came to gambling, but she’d be remiss if she never tried to win what she so desperately wanted. She took Callie’s hand and felt months of tension ease away at the reassuring squeeze Callie gave her. “I’m in.”
---
Prompt: Part 3 of the Caddizona drabble series that started with the Caddie bathroom kiss and left off with the Addizona beach confrontation
Challenge: 100 Fic Challenge (#21)
Fandom: Addison/Callie, Grey’s Anatomy
Requested by: snoopythepooh
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 1056
Disclaimer: Not mine. Wish they were. Please don't sue.
Author's Note: You know, I had no idea what I was going to do with this drabble series until Shonda & Co. stepped in and revealed something about Arizona (see episode 6x17) that totally didn’t jive with me. SO…it only seemed natural that I make use of that information. For a refresher about what comes before this, refer to this link, where you will find parts one through four. I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think!
-
Addison hugged her knees tighter to her chest, staring up at the sky. She made up imaginary constellations in the stars that were littered above her and, for several brief seconds, forgot that she hadn’t spoken to Callie in three months and twelve days. When she remembered this, and she always did, her chest felt a little tighter and her eyes glazed over with tears.
It was no use dwelling over it now; she’d resolved herself to the fact that Callie had made her choice and it certainly wasn’t her.
She’d kept her word that night-she slept (or, rather, started at the ceiling all night) on Sam’s sofa and when she returned to her own place the next morning, Callie and Arizona were gone. No note. No goodbyes. No sign to even suggest that they’d ever been there at all.
Addison hadn’t heard from her since. Calls, emails, texts, faxes, and letters had remained unanswered. The only news she’d had of Callie came from Mark, who had no idea how much it hurt her to hear that the couple had been going strong.
That was three weeks ago, and Addison kicked herself for the seven-thousandth time for letting go of the woman she loved and her best friend in one fell swoop. She’d been impulsive, cocky, and foolish. She’d gambled and lost.
Addison sighed and tugged her sweater tighter around her shoulders, taking comfort in the chill of the ocean air. She heard a faraway knock and jolted slightly, wondering for a moment if someone had been at her door. It didn’t really matter; she wasn’t in the mood for company.
She closed her eyes and remembered Callie’s kiss. She remembered how earnest and open Arizona had been. She remembered months of silence. She ached.
“You should answer your door sometime,” came a voice nearby. “People could be trying to get ahold of you.”
Addison opened her eyes, her heart lodging firmly in her throat at the sight of Callie Torres standing in the sand in front of her deck. She took a deep breath before she answered. “The people I’ve wanted to hear from haven’t been in touch for months.”
Callie climbed the steps of the deck and leaned against the rail, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re not allowed to hold that against me. After what happened...you don’t get to make me feel bad.”
“What happened, Cal?” Addison said, dropping her legs and leaning forward. “Why…I thought you were out of my life for good. I thought…What happened?”
Callie took the empty chair beside Addison. “I’m not the kind of woman who just leaves someone for someone else. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t honor my commitments.”
Addison nodded and cast her gaze towards the incoming tide.
Callie sucked in a fortifying breath. “So she forgave me for kissing you and she asked me to stay.”
“And you stayed.”
“I owed it to her to try to make it work. She’d given me a chance when I was down and unhappy after Erica, so I owed her a chance…”
Addison gave a derisive snort. “A chance? She picked a vulnerable woman at a bar to take advantage of-“ Addison’s words died on her mouth when Callie shot her a steely glare. “Sorry.”
“It was hard. She…” Callie looked away and kicked off her sandals before she tucked her legs beneath her. “She’s a good person. But she couldn’t get over this thing between you and me and…that’s why you haven’t heard from me. She asked me not to talk to you.”
Addison felt nauseas and swallowed the angry retort that coated her tongue. She felt betrayed at knowing that Callie had been given a choice and Arizona had arisen the victor. She bit her lip and nodded for Callie to continue.
“I thought I could do it, you know? I thought, ‘here’s this great girl who wants to love me and be with me, and all she needs to do that is for me to give up my best friend…’ and it seemed crazy at first, making me choose, but I thought I could do it for her. I thought she deserved that after what happened. I thought if I tried hard enough, I could stop thinking about you and stop missing you and I could commit to her. It almost worked too.”
Something lightened in Addison’s chest. “Almost?”
“Turns out Arizona doesn’t want kids.”
Addison gaped. “What!?”
“I know, right? She’s a pediatrician and-“
“You were already at the ‘talking about kids’ stage of your relationship?”
Callie’s eyes widened. “No! No…but it came up. We, you know, we talked about it. And I just knew that there was no way that it was gonna work. We’re just…not soulmate material, I guess.” Callie smiled sadly. “She fought for me. I needed that…I needed someone for once who would fight for me instead of just walking away.”
Addison spun in her chair. “That’s not fair! I tried, Callie! You ignored me.”
“I didn’t know how to do anything else but keep the promise I made.”
“So what happened?”
“We broke up. I couldn’t be with someone who set conditions and I couldn’t force the compatibility that wasn’t there after the joking around and the sex was done.”
“Really, really don’t need to hear about the sex.” Addison rubbed her temples. “Are, um, you okay? After breaking up?”
“It needed to happen. I gave it a shot…I’d been heartbroken after Erica and I guess I needed to get back on the horse.”
Addison held up her hands. “You called her a horse, not me!”
Callie laughed. “So…here I am.”
“Why?” Addison held her breath and stared at the woman beside her.
“I missed you. And as much as I wanted to hate you for meddling and for stepping in so late, I couldn’t. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
Addison smiled hesitantly. “What happens now?”
Callie’s smile was genuine and hopeful. “I’m game to find out if you are.” She held out her hand.
Addison had never had much luck when it came to gambling, but she’d be remiss if she never tried to win what she so desperately wanted. She took Callie’s hand and felt months of tension ease away at the reassuring squeeze Callie gave her. “I’m in.”
---