Title: Ready For A Fall (1/?)
Author: Chelle Storey-Daniel
Rating: R
Summary: Callie finds out about Gizzie and finds an unlikely ally who is actually on her side.
A/N: I have been wounded and scarred by the recent eps of Grey's Anatomy. I don't know if my muse will ever come back to finish Kissing Chaos. Certain aspects of the show are not sitting well with me.


"How long does it usually take for the newlywed sex to stop?" Callie asked, setting her lunch tray opposite Addison’s.

Addison glanced up from her newspaper and shrugged. "Derek and I got caught all over the hospital the first two years of our marriage. Is George doing the sex machine thing again?"

"George and I haven’t had sex in over a week."

"Is he still sick? He looked pretty bad while your dad was here."

"He was hungover, Addison. Not sick. Based on the smell alone, I think he probably drank enough to intoxicate twenty men, but it should be out of his system by now." Callie took a sip of her soda and sighed. "Something’s going on."

"Yeah. All the interns are about to be testing for the residency program. That’s pretty scary."

"It’s more than that."

"Have you talked to him?"

"Every time I say anything he tells me that it’s all in my head." Callie took a bite of her sandwich and added, "And Izzie Stevens is suddenly acting scared of me. She actually backed away from me earlier when I was asking her to present a case. It’s totally weird. She’s usually all over the chance to insult me."

Addison sat up a little straighter and glanced across the cafeteria at Izzie. The blond was shooting what could only be called a ‘guilty’ look at Callie. As Addison watched, George entered the cafeteria, took one look at Izzie, then the back of Callie’s head, and turned on his heel. The signs were all there. Izzie Stevens had confessed that she had slept with a married man the day that Callie’s father arrived. Addison’s stomach sank all the way to her toes as she put two and two together. George had slept with Izzie.

And Izzie thought it was God’s plan.

Callie pushed her barely touched food away and rested her chin in her palm. "Maybe it’s me. Maybe he’s still reeling from me telling him that I’ve got money. He was really upset about it."

When Addison didn’t reply, Callie looked back at her and gasped. Addison’s eyes were flooded with tears. "Oh my god! Are you okay?"

"They slept together," Addison blurted, the clapped a hand over her mouth.

"What?" Callie reached across the table and pulled her friend’s hand away from her face. "Who?"

"George and Izzie. Izzie told me that she slept with the wrong guy the night before your father came and I just realized who the married man is that she was talking about."
Frowning, Callie let her hand go and sat back, shaking her head. "That- that’s insane. George - he wouldn’t -"

"As someone who cheated ... I know the signs." Addison dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. "I’m sorry to tell you this way."

Callie pushed her chair back roughly and stood. Her gaze found Izzie, who was looking at her with wide eyes. Callie stalked toward the blond and Izzie bolted, sending her chair crashing to the floor as she raced from the cafeteria. Any doubt that Callie had was suddenly gone. She fought the urge to sink to her knees as she felt soul deep pain that she had never experienced in her life. Addison rushed forward as Callie bent at the waist and held her steady.

"Come on." Addison tugged at her, but Callie shook her head. "Callie, people are looking. Don’t give them anything to talk about. Come on!"

"I can’t breathe," Callie choked out before the onslaught of tears began. "I - I’m dying."

"No. No, you’re not. Let’s go."

"He cheated. George cheated on me with the girl who has made my life miserable for months." Callie shook her head, angry now. "After he told me that he didn’t have a chance with her because she was a blond, stacked supermodel."

"Let’s go to the lounge."
"No. I’m going to go kill both of them!"

Addison chased after Callie as she stalked into the hospital. She attempted to rationalize with her, attempted to physically stop her, but Callie plowed ahead like a freight train. When the dark haired resident slammed open the door of the intern’s locker room, George glanced up at her. He was eating his lunch alone and he smiled when she appeared, but the smile quickly faded when he saw the tears on her face.

"What happened?" he asked, wiping his mouth and setting his lunch aside. He stood and reached for her, but she knocked his hands away.

"You slept with Izzie. You slept with Izzie the night that we fought. Didn’t you?"

"Callie-"

"Didn’t you!?" she screamed.

"I - I was drunk and I didn’t know what I was doing, but, Callie-"

"Shut up!"

"It didn’t mean anything to me. It was a mistake and I’ve been trying to find a way to tell you, but I-"

"I want your things out of my room in one hour."

"No!" George took a step toward her, hands outstretched. "No. Please! We can -"

"We? There is no ‘we’ anymore!"

"I can - I can fix this."

"No. No, you can’t!" Callie cried. "We’ve been married less than three months! And you cheated on me with the one person that you knew hated me! That girl has done nothing but brutalize me since I met you and you-"

"I’m sorry." George grabbed her hand and attempted to tug her into his arms, but she yanked free.

"Don’t touch me!"

"I love you. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my life and -"

"George, if you value your life at *all* then stop lying to me. You never loved me. I was just too stupid to realize it." She started to turn away from him, but he caught her arm and tried to hug her. She shoved him, roughly, and shook her head. "We’re done."

"Let her go," Izzie spoke up from the doorway.

Callie turned, took one look at the woman who had trespassed on what was hers, and punched her with everything she had. Izzie’s head rocked back and she slid down the door, landing in a heap on the ground. Callie started to grab her, but Addison got between them, and then Alex Karev had Callie around the waist and was pulling her out of the locker room entirely.

*~*~*~*~*~

Fifteen days.

It had been fifteen of the longest days in Callie’s life. Just fifteen days since she learned the truth and fled Seattle as if the hounds of hell were after her, but if felt like a lifetime. She had taken a leave from work ... a leave filled with alcohol, vomit, and tears. She had flown to North Carolina, driven into the mountains, and barricaded herself in a small cabin. No cell phone, no television, no internet. Nothing. Her thoughts were more than enough to keep her distracted and she silenced them as much as possible with hard liquor.

Chief Webber had been understanding. She had the presence of mind to call him from the plane. And Addison as well. Addison had promised to make George pack his things and begged to know where Callie was going, but Callie hadn’t replied. She needed time alone, time with Jack Daniels, time with the pain. Unfortunately, the cabin wasn’t available for as long as Callie really needed and on the sixteenth day she found herself sucking down champagne in first class on a flight back to Seattle.

The seventeenth day found her hung over and squinting at the scrawling text in a chart. "Who wrote this crap?" she finally snapped. "It looks like a blind man played with a broken pen!"

"That would be me," Alex replied, walking toward her. "And I’m all yours."

"Pardon?"

"Bailey told me to get out of her sight before she sharpened her scalpel on my ass so here I am." He grinned, spreading his arms wide. "It’s your lucky day or something."

"Just great," Callie groaned. "Rule number one, I’m not your baby sitter. You either make yourself useful or make yourself scarce. I’m not going to hold your hand, wipe your nose, powder your ass, or deal with any of your little intern drama. Got it?"

"Are they running PMS through the water here?" Alex asked, but didn’t wait for her answer. "I went ahead and had the OR prepped for this guy. He’s gonna need femoral and tibial traction pins."

Callie cocked her head to one side. "Well, aren’t you just the smartest little man ever?"

"There’s nothing little about me other than the size of my patience and you’re wearing it very thin, Torres."

"*Doctor* Torres, Karev." Callie slammed the chart and glared at him. "And for future reference, I happen to be the one in charge so you don’t get to tell me what my patient needs."

"Then by all means, *Doctor* Torres, tell me what he needs."

"Femoral and tibial traction pins." Callie narrowed her eyes. "Not one word, Karev."

"Told you so."

"I said -"

"That was *three* words."

"Go find someone else to work with."

"Everyone has an intern."

"Even Sloan?"

"George is with him."

Callie felt her left eye twitch. "Rule number two ... do not mention that name in my presence if you are attached to your various appendages."

"This bitterness is going to eat you alive."

"Rule number three ... you’re not a psychologist so don’t act like one. Keep your opinions to yourself. Got it?"

"Why did you go into ortho?"

"Because unlike you and your merry band of misfits, I actually knew what I wanted going into med school."

"But why bones? It’s just so boring."

Callie fought the grin that was building when she said, "Keep that in mind the next time you get a stiff one in your pants. It’s just so boring."

"Hey-"

"Zip it, Karev."

*~*~*~*~*~

Addison slid her lunch tray onto the table and sat across from Callie. The last time they had lunch together had been a horrific event rivaled only by the projectile vomiting incident a few months prior. She narrowed her eyes as she watched the dark haired woman tinker with the lime green Ipod in her hand. After a few seconds, Addy cleared her throat. "Are you ever going to eat again?"

"I’m fasting." Callie took a sip of water and shut the Ipod off. "Lack of food nourishes the mind."

"But hard liquor is okay?"

"It’s a liquid."

"I’m worried about you." Addy rested her chin on her palm as she studied her friend. Callie’s coloring was usually so vibrant and healthy, but now her face was grey, ashen. "George asked me to tell you that he’s living at the Crestview Motel and wanted me to make sure I mentioned that the roaches are big enough to carry him away. He said to remind you how he feels about roaches."

"He should embrace them. He's the same breed after all."

"Maybe you should just talk to him."

"Because I have so much to say?"

"Because he does."

"And I should care?"

"Cal, he’s still your husband and he’s really sorr-"

"Do not tell me that he’s sorry, Addison. And don’t call him my husband. That stopped the second he slept with another woman."

Addison exhaled the breath she had been holding. "Have you seen him lately? He looks worse than you which is saying something."

"I don’t care. I genuinely do not give a good god damn."

"But-"

"You sympathize with him because you are a cheater, too. The two of you are on the same plane of wrong. I don’t sympathize. I can’t. We were *married*. We spoke actual vows that I actually honored and he didn’t. As far as I’m concerned George died with our marriage."

Stung by those words, Addison pushed her lunch tray to one side, untouched. "Let me tell you something - people make mistakes. You slept with Mark Sloan and-"

"I wasn’t married. I didn’t have a husband or even a *boyfriend* at the time because I broke up with George before I did it."

"I’m not just a cheater!" Addy finally snapped. "I happen to be-"

"Oh, really? Because the story that I heard is that you weren’t faithful to Derek."

"I slipped, but that doesn’t make me a horrible person!"

Callie nodded. "I know that. You’re a great person, an amazing friend, and kickass doctor, but you’re a shit wife. And George is a shit husband. Don’t defend him to me because it’s not possible." Callie put her ear bud back in and flipped through her Ipod again. "Tell George I hope the roaches are warmer than the dead carp he cheated on me with."

"I’m not your freakin’ telegraph service."

"But you’re his?" Callie could only shake her head. "This topic is officially off limits from this point on, Addy. I like you. I really like you and I love that we’re friends, but one more mention of George in anything other than a ‘let me help you hide the body’ capacity is going to seriously ruin what we have."

"Fine!" Addison snapped. She wanted to relish the anger she felt at Callie, but one look at the dark circles under her friend's eyes prevented it. Reaching out, she took the Ipod from Callie and yanked the earpiece from her. "I have something else to tell you."

Callie frowned a little. "What?"

"Izzie’s hair is green." The redhead smiled devilishly. "Does that help at all?"

"Green? How? Why?"

"She got into a hot tub at the spa and it did her in."

"So I guess she’s not a natural blond."

"She’s dumb enough to be."

"And mean enough."

"She was crying in the bathroom. Someone called her an elf or something."

Callie shook her head. "I wish that’s all I had to cry about."

"You wouldn’t cry if you didn’t still love him."

"Addison-" Callie warned.

"He also asked me to tell you that he misses you and he misses your infamous hotel bubble - whatever that means."

Wordlessly, Callie stood and tossed her water into the trash. Without a backward glance, she stalked away, ignoring Addison when she called her name.

*~*~*~*~*~

Alex heard someone crying in the resident’s lounge and paused outside the door. He was technically not supposed to trespass on sacred resident turf but who was he to comply with hospital policy. Quietly pushing the door open, he found the source of the noise and stepped inside. Callie was sitting on the window seat, her legs pulled up to her chest and her face was resting against her knees. She was crying hard enough to alarm him and he clenched his fists at his sides when he considered what could have brought on the onslaught. He still could not wrap his head around Izzie and George - no - it was nauseating to even contemplate it and he had just eaten.

He shut the door behind him and smiled apologetically when the loud click caused Callie to jump and look his way. "Hey," he said softly. "Are you okay?"

"No," she admitted, her voice trembling. "Addison has suddenly decided that she is George’s biggest fan and his personal mouthpiece and she won’t shut up about it."

"But on the plus side - Izzie has green hair."

"So I heard."

"It almost matches the still greenish bruise on her eye that you gave her." He pulled an apple from his jacket pocket and said, "Want half?"

"No."

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

"You want to put us all out of work?"

He shrugged, still holding it out. "Come on. Eat the apple."

"No, Satan. I have enough knowledge. Too much, actually."

Alex hopped onto the window seat next to her and smiled. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Sleeping? Drinking? Crying? Moping?" Callie watched as he polished the fruit and bit into it. She saw for the first time exactly what it was about him that kept Addison up all night. She watched with wide eyes as he licked a trickle of juice from the ripe, red skin and felt her toes curl in her shoes. No, she thought, don’t go there. Ever. It’s so wrong that wrong fears it. You're lonely and sad and broken and he's - forbidden. Forbidden fruit. That's why he's eating that. Metaphors. Signs. Read the signs, idiot.

As if he hadn’t just molested the apple, Alex continued the conversation. "Because they’re having two for one night at Vinnie’s Italian Bistro and I thought you could tag along."

"What’s the catch?"

"There’s a catch now?" Alex chewed thoughtfully and swallowed. "I’m tired of eating alone. And I’m cheap as hell so if I can drag a friend with me and she can eat for free then who am I to deny her?"

"We’re friends now?"

"Aren’t we?"

"Is there alcohol at Vinnie’s Italian Bistro?"

"We can bring our own."

Callie thought of her very empty, very silent hotel room. The prospect of facing it any sooner than absolutely necessary was too much. "Fine. I’m in, but what’s in it for you?"

"The company?"

"Because we get along so well or something."

"Or something." He gave her a little smirk that caused a dimple to appear in his cheek. "Any more questions, Torres?"

"*Doctor* Torres, Karev," she corrected. "And I don’t have any more questions but I want to make something clear. We are not going to talk about George."

"Or Izzie," he replied.

"Or marriage."

"Or Addison," he said.

"Why not?" Callie asked. "I could tell her how much you want her."

"No," he shook his head. "That ship has sailed."

"And you’re not going down with it?"

"I’m too busy trying to stop you from going down with yours."

Callie shrugged. "I can swim."

"So can I."

"And I don’t want to be saved."

"I didn’t say that I wanted to save you. I said I wanted to stop you. From drowning. Which is what you’re doing."

"If I wanted to drown I’d be dead right now."

"You’re mostly dead."

"Oh my god. Did you actually just quote ‘The Princess Bride’?"

Alex shook his head. "Inconceivable! I’d never watch that!"

"Alex!"

"My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

Callie laughed. She actually laughed from the gut and it shocked her. "You’re so weird."

"It’s a good movie!"

"Chick flick," she replied. "You like a chick flick."

"Well, Mr. Man, what’s your favorite movie?"

Without missing a beat, Callie said, "‘The Goonies’."

Alex lifted an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. Chunk rocks. I see a lot of myself in that kid."

He snorted. "Yeah, right. Hot ortho doc or short, fat boy... parallels ... not so much."

"I’m fat. And that was so me as a kid - trying like hell to fit in. And my mouth gets me into trouble and -" She trailed off, then added. "George called me ‘curvy’. Right after he waxed poetic about how perfect Izzie is. Stacked, blond, supermodel Izzie."

"You *are* curvy, but believe me when I say that they’re in all the right places." He openly eyed her chest, not caring that it was so obvious. "And not for nothing, but Izzie is not all that. She has horrible flaws inside and out."

"Inside maybe. Outside -"

"Green hair," Alex told her.

"Can be bleached."

"Wonky European teeth. And her back gets zits."

"Oh heavens! An actual chink in the beautiful armor?"

"And did I mention the self-absorbed, self-involved cruelty thing she has going for her. You know there’s something wrong with a chick who starts all her sentences with ‘I’ and usually ends them with ‘me’. Plus, she falls in love with the wrong people every time she gets the chance. Denny, George-"

"So she’s in love with him? I knew it."

"What I don’t understand is why." Alex tossed the apple core into the trash and turned back to her. "How could O’Malley -"

"Please don’t question why Miss Wonderful would fall for him. Okay?"

"What I was going to say," he replied, "is how could O’Malley find love, actual love, with you and then toss it away for the bargain basement rebound thing that Izzie used him for. That’s all he is for her. A rebound. He’s a surrogate Denny. A surrogate Denny who doesn’t even want her."

That got Callie’s attention. "He’s not with her?"

"He won’t have anything to do with her. You had all of his things sent to Meredith’s and Izzie unpacked it all into her room and he repacked every last box that same night. He took a lot of it to his parent’s place. He’s staying at that dingy little motel called-"

"We’re not talking about George."

"Fine. We’re not talking about George."

Callie nodded. "Why isn’t he with her though?"

"Why would he trade for a Pinto when he’s had the Rolls Royce?"

"You don’t have to badmouth her for me, Karev. I know that you two had a thing and she’s your friend and-"

"Actually, I do have to badmouth her. She put me through hell for cheating on her with Olivia. She said that it hurt her more than she’s ever been hurt and she judged me, hated me, and made me miserable for a long time because of it. Now she’s a mistress and she’s trying really hard to smell like roses and be the victim, but she can’t."
"You were with Olivia, too? God, you and George like to run in the same sex circles, huh?"

"Maybe." Alex openly appraised her again. "But unlike George - I know a good thing when I see it."

"Are you attempting to flirt with me?"

"Why? Is it working?"

Her pager beeped loudly and she almost jumped out of her skin. She checked the number and made a face. "Emergency room. I guess we should go."

"As you wish."

She chuckled as she hopped down. "Are you on pit?"

"The pit of despair."

"Stop with ‘The Princess Bride’ quotes! Let’s go!"

"Hey, you rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles."

"How many times have you seen that movie?!"

"Enough to know the sword fight step by step."

"Never, ever show me."

"But you should see my sword..."

"I didn’t hear that."

Alex followed after her.

She wasn’t crying anymore.

He really was a miracle worker.
Ch 3
The chapel at Seattle Grace was small and nondescript. Six pews sat on either side of a small aisle and the floor was covered in burgundy carpet. An altar with several lit candles stood at the front of the room and every pew had several boxes of tissue handy. Alex had hidden in the small room to avoid the latest couple claiming to be Ava’s parents. There was just no way the loud, obnoxious and rude people could have parented Ava. He was deep in thought, contemplating DNA tests and anything that could be done to jog Ava’s memory when Callie rushed into the room and promptly collapsed a few feet away from him.

He grabbed tissue first, but discovered the box was empty and tossed it aside. Wasting no time, he grabbed another and then kneeled beside her, instinctively wrapping his arms around her. She smelled good, like honeysuckle and roses. Or maybe cherry blossoms. He wasn’t sure, but it was soft and sweet. When she stiffened, he spoke quietly, reassuring her that it would be okay. She mumbled something about her ring and giving it back to George and when he saw that her left hand was bare, he understood what had happened.

Her tears eventually subsided and he helped her to her feet, sitting next to her on the front pew. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I don’t think so." She dabbed at her face and sniffled. "Being kidnapped isn’t very fun."

"Kidnapped?"

"George followed me into the elevator, hit the stop button, and wouldn’t let me start it again. He kept saying-"

"He stopped you from leaving when you wanted to?"

"Well, yeah. He wouldn’t let me go."

"I’ll kick his ass for that."
"Alex-"

"No. This is a *hospital*. He can’t be stranding the elevators or holding you hostage or -"

"You sound like Bailey."

"That’s a good idea. I’ll tell Bailey and *she* can kick his ass. God, she would kill him."

Callie nodded. "I gave him back the ring."

"Good. You deserved better than that anyway."

She shook her head. "I really loved it because it came from his heart. You know? He went out on his own and got it the first night we were in Vegas. I was fine using a ring that I already had, but he insisted. He was so proud."

Alex heard her voice choking up again and put an arm around her. "He’s not worth crying over."

"I honestly wanted to be married to him, Alex. I did. I really loved him and now I can’t believe how much I hate him. I genuinely, really, and truly loathe him."

"There’s a thin line between love and hate." He squeezed her hand, but didn’t let it go. "The best thing you can do is ignore him."

"I have been." Callie sighed and rubbed her stomach as it gurgled loudly.

"You’re hungry."

"I’m thirsty. The whole rule about not drinking while we practice medicine is wrong, so wrong. We do have the most stressful job on the planet."

"No, we don’t. Crab fisherman do."

Callie gasped and looked up at him. "You watch ‘Deadliest Catch’?"

"Duh! Half the fisherman live here in Seattle, Cal. Haven’t you seen Sig Hanson at Joe’s?"

"Shut up!" Her eyes widened, but Alex simply nodded at her. "You’re serious?"

"I don’t lie about crab fishing because crab, while I can’t really afford it, is my favorite food." He grinned at her. "Let me buy you a sandwich."

"Thank you, but I can’t."

"Why not."

"I’m avoiding the cafeteria. He takes his lunch break around this time and -"

"And let’s give him something to talk about." He stood and held out his hand. "You in?"

"In what?"

"Turnabout is fair play, wouldn’t you say?" He cocked his head a little. "I can’t think of anything that would bother George more than me hanging out with you. And it will piss Izzie off, too, since I’m one of the planets that she thinks is supposed to revolve around her. So, two birds with one stone, right?"

"You’re insane."

"I love to get under people’s skin. It makes my day so much happier."

"Well, God forbid I should stop you from finding a happy place."

When she stood, he took her hand in his and grinned at her. "Ready for our shocking debut?"

"Debut of what?"

"Who knows? Let’s keep them guessing."

*~*~*~*~*~

Izzie was sitting next to Meredith, self consciously poking strands of green hair under her scrub cap. Cristina slid into the seat across from her and gave her a look that was both mocking and full of glee. Izzie glared at her and said, "What? I have an appointment in two days to get it done!"

"Two full days?" Cristina snorted a little. "Miss Clairol, Izzie. Every drug store has it."

"I need a professional," Izzie replied, then brightened a little. "Oooh, there’s George." She leaned back and frantically waved at him.


Meredith and Cristina exchanged looks when George turned away and sat on the other side of the cafeteria. "Maybe he didn’t see you." Meredith told Izzie, trying to sound sincere.

"Are you kidding? He looked right at her." Cristina took a bite of her sandwich. "You made it weird, Izzie. The drunken sex? That’s even worse than George’s singing and I really doubted that he would show his face after that."

"Shut up," Izzie snapped and dug into her chocolate cake. She devoured it in about four bites and then asked Meredith for hers. She was enjoying it thoroughly when someone laughed, loudly, behind her.

Alex was sitting next to Callie, leaning unbelievably close to her, and whatever he was saying to her was apparently amusing her to no end. The three female interns watched with interest as she playfully punched him on the shoulder and he caught her hand, then whispered something in her ear. Cristina was the first to notice George, who had stood up. She tapped Meredith on the arm and pointed at him.

"Oh crap." Meredith bit her bottom lip.

"Bambi is about to get his ass kicked." Cristina pushed her plate away and fished a twenty dollar bill from her pocket. "My money is on Callie."

Izzie slowly got to her feet and took a step forward, only to be yanked backwards by Meredith. "But-"

"But nothing." Mer held her arm firmly. "I’m the one who had to x-ray your face to see if any bones were broken the last time you got near Callie and remember, I am tiny and she can hurt me, so I’m not jumping in between you two."

"Me either. I think you deserve it." Cristina took a bite of her own cake and stood so she could have a better view. "It’s like watching a little virgin about to be sacrificed."

*****

"Callie?"

Callie was still chuckling at the way Alex had changed the words to ‘You Belong To Me’ to ‘You’re A Dog With Fleas’ when George stepped up beside them. She felt Alex put a reassuring hand on her thigh and took a deep breath, keeping the smile on her face. "Dr. O’Malley, I would prefer it if you addressed me as Dr. Torres at work."

George could see exactly where Alex’s hand was and he felt his own hands fist at his sides. "What are you doing?"

Callie glanced around, then down at the untouched fruit tray in front of her. "Well, we’re in a cafeteria. I’m on a break. There’s food in front of me. I’d say I’m having lunch."

"What are you doing with *him*?"

Alex plucked a grape off Callie’s plate and tossed it into his mouth, the smirk never leaving his face. "I’m having lunch, too."

George narrowed his eyes at Karev. "You’re not going to get under my skin."

"Is that why you look like your about to have a stroke?" Alex pointed as his own face and said, "You’re all red, dude."

Ignoring him, George spoke to Callie. "Can you please come and talk to me?"

"No."

"Callie, please? I - I feel like I’m dying."

"Not yet." Alex plucked another grape and nudged her with his leg. "It just so happens that your friend here is only mostly dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead."

Callie, who had taken a sip of her soda, almost blew it from her nose as she started to laugh. She laughed hard, she laughed in a way that a few days ago she had considered an impossibility. "Stop with the Princess Bride quotes!" she wiped at her mouth, still grinning. "You mock his pain."

"Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is obviously selling something." Alex chewed the grape thoughtfully as he looked up at George. "Besides, he caused his problems himself. You made your bed, Georgie, so you can sleep in it."

"Could you shut up?" George glared at him, then put his hand on Callie’s shoulder and tried to turn her to face him. "You will-

Alex caught his hand at once and stood, twisting the shorter man’s arm behind his back. "Don’t touch her and while I have your full attention let me make one thing very clear to you ... the next time you lock her in an elevator or a room or a closet or within five feet of yourself ... you’re going to need the ICU for about six months."

Callie got her feet just as George swung his right fist at Alex’s face. It clipped her in the nose and she half stumbled into Alex, whose face was now even redder than George’s had been. He grabbed her, tilted her chin, saw the blood and, still clutching George’s left hand, slammed him face first onto the table. Callie intervened before Alex could do it a second time and pulled him away. She felt her own blood dripping from her nose, over her lips, and cupped her face.

George, who finally realized who he had punched, reached for her. "Oh my god. Callie, I didn’t mean-"

Alex stepped around Callie and shoved him hard, causing George to land on his backside. "Stay the FUCK away from her!"

George scrambled back to his feet and glared at Alex. "You slept with her! You slept with my wife! My WIFE!"

"George!" Callie, who had been wrestling the napkin holder with shaking hands finally gave up and threw it on the ground in front of her. "I am not your wife! I stopped being your wife when you cheated on me with that - that good for nothing, white trash, trailer park dwelling, Anna Nicole Smith wannabe! You can have her! You deserve each other!"

"I married you!" George plucked up several of the napkins that had fallen out of the holder and held them out to her. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you."

"Oh?" Callie slapped his hand away and then drew back and putting her weight into it, hit him with a right hook that spectators would claim for weeks actually lifted him off his feet. "I just meant it enough for both of us."

And with that, she turned on her heel and left the cafeteria with her head held high.

Thirty minutes later she was sitting in one of the smaller trauma rooms with an ice pack on her hand while she waited for the X-rays to come back. She knew that nothing was broken in either her nose or her hand, but Alex had insisted and because he gave her a choice of letting him check her out or strangling George with IV tubing, she agreed to the tests. The nurse finally arrived with the films and she watched as Alex tacked them to the lightboard and studied every inch of them.

"Nothing’s broken," he finally announced and shut the light off.

"Told you."

"Where did you learn to fight like that anyway?"

"I grew up in Miami and I already told you that I was the designated whipping post at school. My older brothers taught me how to fight before I was potty trained."

Alex lifted the ice pack off her hand and held it in his own, massaging it, warming it. "Remind me not to piss you off."

"You haven’t so far."

He lifted one brow. "That’s not entirely true. You were pissed last night when you found out where I lived."

"I was more shocked than pissed," she replied. "What were you doing in the chapel earlier?"

"Hiding."

"Hiding?"

He explained about the people who claimed to Ava’s parents while he slowly wrapped her hand in an ace bandage. After he secured it, he said, "Have you met her?"

"Not really. I consulted with Sloan about the bones in her face, but didn’t work the case." She studied him. "Why?"

"I think you’d like her."

"Do you like her, Alex?"

"I like her."

"Do you *like* her, Alex?"

"You know," he said, sitting next to her on the stretcher. "It’s weird. When I pulled that pylon off her face and looked down at her I saw my mother."

"Your mother?"

"I know it sounds insane because Ava is clearly younger than me, but the first real memory I have of my mother is me pulling a chair off her. My father had beaten her into unconsciousness. I couldn’t have been more than six or seven. Maybe younger. It was Christmas Eve and my dad was pissed because she didn’t have enough money for beer after she bought a turkey and stuff for a real dinner the next day.

"She had put me to bed early, telling me that Santa would come, but since he never did and my father liked to tell me I was a fucking bastard every chance he had, I wasn’t holding out much hope for Santa. But I went to bed anyway and her screams woke me up."

Saying nothing, Callie put her bandaged hand on top of his. He laced their fingers gently to avoid hurting her as he continued. "That whole night I kept talking to her and she wouldn’t wake up so I did the only thing I could think of. I put cookies beside the fireplace and a glass of milk, the way the kids at school said they were going to do, and I kneeled down and prayed that Santa would bring my mother back. Then I got a blanket from my bed and slept next to her on the kitchen floor."

Alex smiled a little. "Santa came that year. My mom woke me up that morning and she had tried to cover the bruises and the blood had been cleaned up and when I saw the used bicycle in front of the tree I knew that Dad’s beer money had bought that for me and the beating she took was so that I could have a present."

"I’m sorry," Callie whispered.

"I’ve never told anyone that story." He sounded shocked and glanced at her. "Ever."

"Then thank you for sharing it." She smiled a little. "And for not letting it break you."

"We are not our past, Callie. We’re our present and I’m okay." He glanced over at her. "Are you? Your nose could light up the sky, Rudolph."

"He was aiming at you."

"Don’t do that. Don’t make excuses for him."

"I’m not."

"You are." Alex glanced up at the big clock on the wall. "Our shifts are up. Want to get out of here?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Want to go see a movie?"

"Sure." Callie grinned at him. "Can I pick?"

"As you wish."

"Johnny Depp’s new one is out."

"I take it back."

"Now now, don’t go back on your word."

"Dammit." He made a face as he hopped off the bed and helped her down. "I pick the next one."

*~*~*~*~*~

Addison called Callie’s cell number again and frowned. She had left no less than six messages and had called at least six more only to hang up when it clicked over to voice mail. Her little black dress was clinging to her body in all the right ways and she had splurged on the Prada pumps that she had been eyeballing for weeks. She pushed her freshly washed hair over her shoulder and picked up the hotel phone, asking to be connected to Callie’s room. When there was no answer, she hung up and grabbed her purse.

In the parking garage, she noted that Callie’s car was not in the usual spot and got into her own. Her hunger had reached critical mass so she quickly left the hotel in search of food. She wasn’t exactly dressed for Joe’s but the man could make a great club sandwich and with any luck, she would find Callie there. She pulled into a spot near the entrance and ignored the catcalls that a group of men sent her way as soon as her long leg emerged from her convertible.

Once inside, she scanned the bar for her friend and took a seat at the bar. Joe appeared at once and set a glass in front of her. "Hey, Ads! How’s it going?"

"Good, you?"

"Busy night."

"I see that." Addison scanned the crowd again. "Have you seen Callie? We were supposed to be meeting for dinner."

"I haven’t seen her, but after everything I’ve heard today I’m not shocked."

"What do you mean?"

Joe leaned forward, bracing himself on his elbows. "Everyone’s talking about it. Apparently George accused Alex of sleeping with Callie in the cafeteria because those two were all over each other and then Alex and George started to fight, George accidentally hit Callie, and Callie punched him so hard that the latest estimate is that he went two feet into the air, but Yang says it was more like four feet."

"What?" Addison was scandalized. "He hit her?"

"Everyone says that he didn’t mean to do it, but she had a bloody nose and Alex played the dashing prince and fought for her honor." Joe glanced toward the small group of interns at the table in the corner. "Izzie said that Alex and Callie were having foreplay right in the middle of the food court and that the only thing stopping it from being sex was the fact that they had their scrub pants on."

Addison blinked several times. "Callie and Alex? *Karev*?"

"I know, right?" Joe shook his head and stood up a little more. "Karev gets around! It was what? A few weeks ago that I saw the two of you kissing in this very spot."

"They were kissing?" She could feel anger bubbling from somewhere deep inside. "Are you sure?"

"Well, I don’t know how many other ways you can have foreplay in public that wouldn’t get you banned from the hospital." He shrugged. "What can I get you, kiddo? You want food or spirits?"

"Uh, neither." Addison shook her head and got to her feet. "I - I gotta go."

When she grabbed her purse and turned, George was standing behind her. His eyes were bloodshot and glassy and his lip was so swollen it looked like he had an entire package of chewing tobacco tucked behind it. His jaw was mottled with bruises and he stared at her, his eyes accusing. "Did you know?" he finally asked, and his voice was hoarse from the apparent tears that he had shed. "Did you know about her and Alex?"

"No." Addison shook her head. "Joe just told me."

"He’s sleeping with her."

"Did they tell you that?"

"They didn’t deny it." George ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end and it completed the look of a man who was completely broken. "I - I just - my dad was right, you know? He said that she was the one for me, that she got me, and that I would be crazy to let her get away and I didn’t see it. I didn’t see it, Dr. Montgomery. I didn’t see it until she was gone."

"You're drunk," Addison said, digging through her purse for a tissue. "You didn’t drive here did you?"

"I’m living in my car now. Can't afford a decent place and the roaches finally got to me." George blew his nose. "I can’t go back to Meredith’s and my mother would choke me to death with her bare hands if I showed up on her doorstep and had to tell her what happened between me and Callie."

"When was the last time that you ate?"

"I dunno." George looked heavenward, his eyes tearing again. "She won’t even talk to me. I - I made a mistake that I don’t even completely remember so I don’t think I even liked it."

Addison met Joe’s gaze and the bartender shrugged. "Come on, studmuffin." Addison put an arm around his shoulder and led him toward the door. "You can sleep on the sofa at my place and we’ll order enough room service to soak up all that liquor."

"I’m never eating again."

"I know." Addison patted him on the back as she led him to her car, where she buckled him in and tried not to notice that he was in the exact same shape she had been the night Derek had left her.

*~*~*~*~*~

"Admit it." Callie took a sip of her frozen drink as the credits rolled and the lights came up. "You liked it."

"Not in a million years."

"Liar." She grinned a little as he tilted the bag of popcorn back and finished it off. "Do you have someplace that you need to be?"

"Nope."

"I’m hungry."

His eyes widened. "It’s about damn time."

"Johnny Depp. ‘Nuff said."

"Bull shit. It was the smell of this buttery popcorn that you refused to even try."

"I know a great place and they’re open late."

"Lead the way."

Thirty minutes later they were being seated outdoors at a swanky seafood place that overlooked Elliot Bay. The lighting was dim and there were two small tea candle lanterns on either side of the scrubbed wooden table. Callie ordered a glass of wine and urged Alex to do the same, telling him that it complemented the king crab legs perfectly. He figured that he could put his credit card to good use and agreed, scanning the food prices on the menu.

The manager brought the wine himself and addressed Callie by name, asking for her order. She introduced Alex and said, "Crab. Lots and lots of crab, Nate."

Bowing slightly, the manager hurried toward the kitchen and Callie beamed at Alex. "It’s your favorite food on the planet."

"It’s also the most expensive on the planet which is why I only eat it once a year."

"Then consider yourself lucky because George hated seafood of any kind and I’m rich enough to buy this restaurant, this street and probably half of Seattle."

"Huh?"

"Oh, you didn’t hear? I thought everyone knew."

"You’re rich?"

"Very."

He finally said, "Uh, how rich exactly?"

"Do you like the wine?"

"It’s actually the best I’ve ever had."

Callie lifted her hand and a waiter appeared. "We’d like the bottle, please."

She waited until the waiter was out of earshot and said, "You trusted me this afternoon and told me about your mom so I’m gonna return the favor. No one knows this either. I mean, George knows that I have money, but he has no idea how much. My family is old money. My mother is Greek and her family is one of the wealthiest in Greece. My dad is technically Cuban, but he was born here in the states. His parents had inherited millions years ago and my dad, being as business savvy as he is, put a ton of stock in the computer craze and his money quadrupled in a matter of years. Now he dabbles in real estate and oil and he has resorts and villas all over the world that turn over billions of dollars every year."

"Billions?"

"Billions." Callie leaned back in her seat as the bottle of champagne was brought to the table in a beautiful wine chiller. She plucked it out, looked at the date, and said, "That’s why paying four thousand dollars for a bottle of wine or twenty five hundred a week to stay at the Archfield really doesn’t matter to me."

Alex choked on his wine, his eyes round. "Four thous- Callie! Four thousand dollar for a bottle of *wine*?"

"It’s good. You said so yourself."

"Oh my god."

Callie bit her bottom lip as she watched him stare out over the bay. "Are you freakin’ out?"

"Why? Do most people freak out?"

"Yes. My bank account has cost me every relationship I’ve ever had and was the catalyst that drove George into Izzie’s bed. Well, that and the fact that she’s his ideal woman. His Venus. His dirty whore. God, I hate them both."

"Now who’s freakin’ out?"

"I’m not freakin’ out."

"You look like you’re freakin’ out. If you hold that glass any tighter you’ll shatter it." Alex reached across the table and took it from her. "Any more secrets?"

"Only that I’m dying."

"Come again?"

"I’m dying."

"You want to explain that one a little better?"

"When my family finds out that I’m going to be divorced they’re going to kill me. My mother claims that she already wrote me out of her will for eloping and so this? I’m signing my own death warrant by signing the divorce papers."

"How about an annulment?"

"Same difference really. My family is very religious and very old fashioned. My mother especially."

"Tell her that Jesus would not want you to stay with a cheater."

"Oh god no." Callie shook her head, her eyes wide. "If my dad or my brothers caught wind of what George did to me ... that would be signing his death warrant. I’m the baby of the family and the only girl so that makes me special."

"That’s not what makes you special."

Their food arrived and Callie reached for a piece of bread, which she savored for a while. She watched as Alex cracked into the crab legs and instead of putting them on his plate, he filled hers first, digging out the meat for her. No one had ever done that for her and she smiled as she finished off her wine and refilled her glass, then his. Their conversation was light while they ate. They joked, mostly about their weirdest patients, and finally Callie leaned back and rubbed her stomach. "God, I’m full."

"You barely ate!" He pointed at her plate, at the mound of food still there.

"You gave me ten freakin’ pounds." She scraped what remained into his plate, which was empty.

Not missing a beat, he dug in. "God, this is good. Not for nothing, you’re a damn good dinner date."

She nodded and then her mouth dropped open. "Holy hell!"

"What?"


Digging through her purse, she turned her cell phone on. It immediately beeped and she saw that Addison had called. Several times. "I was supposed to have dinner with Addison tonight."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. We were supposed to get all dressed up and look pretty and -"

"Well, you got most of it right without her. You look very pretty."

"Now I know you’re flirting with me."

"What would you say if I was? Really?"

She took a deep breath. "I’d tell you that you probably shouldn’t because I’m a little tipsy from the wine and you’re looking better and better to me and it wouldn’t be fair to either one of us to pursue something right now."

"Why not?"

"Because I like you. I genuinely like you and I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next few weeks with George or my family or at work once Webber gets wind of what happened today so-"

"I’m a big boy. I can take it."

"It wouldn’t be fair to you, Alex. Don’t you get it?"

"You’re not ready."

"I’m not ready."

"But if you were -"

"We would have already been back at my room and halfway there," she stated bluntly.

"You’re wrong."

"Am I?"

"You wouldn’t be halfway there. You would have been there several times and we’d just be getting started good."

She swallowed hard and licked her lips, glancing down at her hands. Her ring had left an indentation in her finger that refused to go away. Closing her eyes, she remembered the way George’s hands shook as he slipped the simple, silver band over her finger. He had never taken his eyes off her and she believed him when he spoke his vows in a strong, succinct voice. Her eyes found Alex’s again and she shook her head. "I’m sorry."

"It’s okay." He leaned forward and used his thumb to wipe away a small amount of butter from her cheek. "You can’t blame a guy for trying, though."

"You’re good at trying."

"I’m even better at waiting. And I will wait."

*~*~*~*~*~

Alex dropped her off at the hotel and slowly meandered the residential streets until he pulled into Meredith’s driveway. The moon was full and seemed to hang directly over him, bright and shiny. Making a mental note to joke with Callie the next morning about werewolves, he grabbed his duffel bag, which contained his soiled scrubs, and headed into the house, whistling. Meredith was sitting on the bottom of the stairs, a cup of hot cocoa in her hands.

"Hey," he said, shutting the door behind him. "You’re up late."

"Cristina is sleeping in my bed again. She flails."

Alex glanced into the living room, but Derek wasn’t on the sofa. "And Shepherd?"

"We’re in an off phase. He met a woman."

"There’s a lot of that going around." Alex dropped the duffel at his feet and sat down next to her.

"What are you doing with Callie?"

"Trying to keep her mind off O’Malley."

"Don’t you think you should stay out of it?"

"Not really. She’s my friend."

"Since when?"

"You know - I’ve listened to all of you at one time or another bitch about her. Izzie’s the fucking worst, but all of you have said things. George made a mistake. He rushed into something with her. She’s not good enough for him. She’s a bitch, she’s a whore. And you know what?"

"We were wrong?"

"Exactly. And she genuinely loved him. And she’s genuinely hurt in the most horrible way possible. I saw what I did to Izzie when I slept with Olivia and we weren’t even technically together at the time. Callie’s hurting and she doesn’t have anyone on her side."

"It’s not that we’re not on her side, Alex, but George - George is one of us. We’re the interns!"

"Is that really something to be proud of though? One of us? Look at the mistakes we’ve made. And when you really think about it, it shouldn’t be us against them, because we’re going to be one of them one day very soon."

"That’s true." Meredith sipped her cocoa and sighed. "But a little bit of friendly advice? If you’re sleeping with her you should stop. If you haven’t, you shouldn’t. Sex complicates everything and solves nothing."

"I’m not sleeping with her. I wanted to, but I didn’t. She wouldn’t."

"Really? I just figured that since she was with McManWhore-"

"See, you’re wrong about her again."

"That’s not all we were wrong about," Izzie said, walking down the stairs behind them. She sat behind Meredith and wrapped her arms around her bare legs. "George does love her. He loves her and not me." She glanced up at the ceiling and her eyes brimmed with tears. "God, it sounded different out loud than it did in my head."

"Most things do," Meredith offered, then handed Izzie her cup. She watched as the blond took several sips, handed it back to her, and dried her eyes. "Things will work out. They usually do."

"Since when are you Polly Sunshine?" Cristina joined them, her hair sticking out like curly horns and her eyes puffy from sleep. She grabbed the mug of chocolate and drained it, then crossed her arms. "It’s either too late at night or too early in the morning to be having a bonding moment."

"Why are you awake then?" Alex asked.

"Because Bethany Whisper over here has been playing the same sad shit for the past forty minutes and crying off key. Which apparently means that Bambi isn’t in her bed for a change."

"It was *one* time!" Izzie shouted. "Once! And it was a big deal to me because it was right after ... right after Denny died and it felt right."

"Everything feels right when you’ve had enough bourbon." Cristina rubbed her eyes. "I once sutured my own leg at a frat party and didn’t even realize it for two days."

"How did you cut it open?" Alex asked.

"I didn’t." Cristina glared at him. "I was practicing my technique. And in case you failed to notice I do have the best suturing technique in our year. Yours usually look like loose shoe strings."

"How long is she going to be living here?" Alex asked, glaring at Meredith.

"Until Burke stops being an ass."

"Burke is always an ass."

"Then I guess she’s here to stay."

"I really gotta find a place," Alex said. He stood and picked up his bag.

"Alex?" Izzie asked softly.

"Yeah?"

"Is she okay? I mean, Callie?"

"How do you think she is?"

"Not good," Izzie replied.

"Would you sleep better if I told you that she cried her heart out and wants to die?"

"No!"

"Fine, I’ll tell you the truth. She’s strong and she’s okay. This isn’t beating her and she’s not going to hide under the bed or let either one of you get to her because she’s better than that." His eyes met Izzie’s and he added. "She’s better than you and it’s no wonder George would rather have her. Wouldn’t we all?"

Izzie jumped to her feet and rushed back up the stairs, her sobs hanging in the air. Cristina sighed and said, "I’m sleeping on the sofa."

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 4
*~*~*~*~*~

Callie made a quick pit stop by the vending machine in the lobby of the hotel. She didn’t have much experience with female friends but one language was universal in female and that language was chocolate. With her arms laden and her belly full for the first time in days, she rode the elevator to Addison’s room with a smile on her face. She had to knock on the door with her foot and after a few minutes, the redhead opened it and peered out.

"Hey." Callie nodded at the wine glass in her hand. "Whatcha drinking?"

"Rum."

"Is the rum gone?"

"What are you doing?"

"Sorta quoting ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean', which you loved as much as me."

"Oh." Addison watched her closely, trying to gauge whether or not Callie felt remotely guilty for what she had done. "So, what *are* you doing?"

"Nothing says I’m sorry like carbs and I’m really sorry that I missed dinner." Callie moved her arms a little and almost dropped a package of donuts. "Ack! Can I come in?"

"Sure. Why the hell not? I should just leave the door open all the time."

Callie glanced at her, noting the way she slurred her words, before moving past her and dropping the assortment of goodies on the table nearest the door. Taking off her jacket, she turned and smiled at her friend, opening her mouth to speak. That smile slowly faded when she saw that Addison was not alone. George was curled up on the sofa, a blanket pulled around him like a second skin, his knees drawn upward. His snore broke the silence and pulled Callie from her shock. "What the fuck, Addison?"

Addison drained her glass, shut the door behind her and crossed her arms. "Well, I can only imagine, seeing as how I wasn’t there to witness it myself, that him seeing you and Alex Karev making out in front of the entire hospital hurt his feelings. I imagine his feelings aren’t nearly as hurt as his face, though. Nice job being mature and grown up, Callie."

"Wait!" Callie held a hand up. "Wait. WHAT!?"

"This is your *husband*, Callie. Your *husband* and he made a horrible mistake. What you did today, though? That was on purpose. You intentionally broke him."

"I didn’t do anything!"

"You didn’t hit him?"

"He hit me first!"

"Did he mean to?" Addison took a step forward. "Did he mean to hit you? Or was he aiming at someone else?"

"Someone else."

"Who?"

"He was aiming at Alex," Callie replied.

The redhead’s eyes widened and she put a hand on her chest. "Really? And why is that?"

"Why is what?" Callie questioned.

"Why were you with Alex?"

"Gee, I don’t know, Addison. Could it possibly be because we had lunch together?"

"Is that what it was? I heard that you were practically having sex with him on the cafeteria table!"

"Who told you that!?"

"Joe. He heard it from Izzie."

"OH! OH! Of course he did!" Callie shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "Of course it has to be the truth! Because Izzie fucking Stevens is apparently a walking prayer book. We already had a Virgin Mary. She can be the Virgin Whore."

"What are you doing with Alex? Trying to make George jealous? Look at him! He’s living in his car, he’s been drinking himself into a stupor every night, and he loves you! I know that he loves because-"

"Because you have been in his shoes! I know!"

"I was going to say that we’ve had a lot of conversations while you were gone and I’m really getting tired of you throwing my past in my face." Addison’s hands were shaking so she shoved them into the pockets of her robe. "Were you with Alex tonight?"

"Yes, mommy. After being punched in the face, humiliated beyond belief, and finally finishing my shift I went to see a movie with him and then we had dinner. And the night before that we had Italian food."

"That’s where you were!? I - I knew it! I told you that Alex had apparently met someone and you just stood there acting like you had no clue!"

"You told me that you and Mark, remember him, the guy you broke *your* marriage apart for, were getting back together because he loved you!"

"So then you *are* with Alex!"

"No, I am not!"

Addison shook her head, her eyes narrow. "I know that you don’t have many female friends and I really don’t have to wonder why now, but let me school you a little just in case some other unsuspecting girl comes along and *tries* to like you. When you know that your friend, that would be me, has been fantasizing about someone, in this case that would be Alex, and they confide that in you ... YOU DO NOT FUCKING DATE THEM, BITCH!"

Callie’s jaw dropped in anger. And shock. It took all of her resolve to keep from lashing out. She took a deep breath and turned, clutching the back of the chair so tightly that her fingers hurt. She gathered her jacket in her fists and exhaled slowly before facing Addison again. Her tears were hot on her cheeks when she said, "You’re drunk. And because of that I’m going to go and I’m going to pretend that you didn’t just say that to me."

"Truth hurt?"

"Stop."

"Get the hell out of my room." Addison glared at her, then opened the door for and with a tilt of her head, made it very clear that Callie was being dismissed.

Callie walked to the door, and since she was as tall as Addison, looked her right in the eye. "I’m sorry to bring your past up again, because you’re clearly in denial about it, but if we’re going to talk about schooling someone then let me tell you one thing. I was Team Addison. I protected you from the raunchy prom sex that I walked into." She saw the shock on Addison’s face. "Oh yeah. I didn’t say a word because I didn’t want to see you hurt and I didn’t even know you at the time. I have never judged you and I have never questioned your decisions, but now? Now I’m walking around in Derek’s shoes and I know exactly what it felt like for him when he came home and saw you and Mark together in his bed. Now some people may say that you were hanging around Seattle and were about to pick things up with Mark again because you know how much that would hurt Derek, but-"

"That’s a -"

"That’s a lie? Wow. That sounds like the exact same lie that Izzie told about me and Alex. He’s my friend, Addison. And it’s really nice to know that I have one left." She looked back at the sofa, where George rolled onto his side and snored again. "Have fun with your little brother. Apparently you trained him well."

"Callie-"

With her jacket over her arm, Callie stalked toward the elevator and didn’t look back.

*~*~*~*~*~

At noon the next day, Callie was reclining in a lounge chair beside the pool. Her sunglasses, fashionably overlarge and far too expensive, hid the puffiness in her eyes. Untouched magazines were on the ground next to her chair and her Gameboy, well charged from lack of use, lay against her thigh. She watched with mild interest as a couple of women walked past and flopped into vacant seats a few feet away. Two weeks ago, Callie and Addison had been in that same spot doing exactly what they were doing: gossiping, laughing, and enjoying a day off.

Callie picked up her Ipod and stuck the bud in her ear. After ten minutes of changing every song choice, she gave up and made a mental note to replace every stupid love song with angry girl music. She adjusted the strap of her red bathing suit and attempted to get comfortable. She was close to dozing when a shadow fell across her.

"What? You can’t nap in your room?" Mark Sloan took the empty lounger to her left and flopped out on his stomach. "Want to put sunscreen on my back?"

"And decrease your chances of catching skin cancer? Never!"

He held the tube up and said, "I already did my front. Come on, please?"

"No."

"Why not. Afraid that the memories will be too much for you?"

"Shut up."

Resigned to the fact that she was not going to help him out, Mark made a big show of rolling over and putting his arms behind his head. The Speedo he wore would have been ridiculous on anyone else, but the way he wore it was anything but. "So, what are you doing?"

"The same thing you are."

"I’m looking at your boobs. Are you looking at your own boobs, freak? Is that why the glasses are so big?"

"There are about thirty empty spaces out here, Sloan. Why don’t you move? I’m trying to enjoy my day off."

"Hell. So am I."

"Hush."

Callie enjoyed the silence and attempted to relax again, but her cellphone vibrated for the millionth time and she picked it up, gazed at the number, and laid in back on her lap where it continued to vibrate.

"You can’t really expect me not to mention the fact that you are purposely letting your phone vibrate *there*." Mark rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow. "Is that your husband?"

"I don’t have a husband."

"You didn’t have a boyfriend either. Funny thing, that. Because I would swear that you eloped with your *boyfriend* not long after we hooked up."

"Am I gonna have to call security?"

"No." Mark grinned at her. "I saw your non husband pounding on your door earlier. I think he’s still sitting up there."

"Great." Callie pulled her glasses off and pinched the bridge of her nose, which was aching more today than she would have liked. Several Tylenol had not stopped it and neither had the three White Russians she had enjoyed for lunch.

Mark saw how red and swollen her eyes were and said, "Wanna talk about it?"

"Negative."

"For what it’s worth ... Addison looks worse."

She put her glasses back on and stared at him. "What does she have to do with anything?"

"Well, she drunk dialed me at midnight, crying her eyeballs out because you two had a fight. I had to go round up Kleenex, with aloe of course, and hold her hair while she puked all night. And the Prince Charming who isn’t your husband slept through it like a baby."

Callie sighed. "I need a vacation from my life. And I need to get out of this hotel."

"Addison’s finally asleep, by the way."

"Good for her."

"You get that she was drunk, right? Anything she said-"

"Wow. That excuse has become so popular. Sleep with your best friend? It’s supposed to be okay because they were drunk. Call your best friend a bitch and I’m supposed to just overlook it because someone can’t hold their rum."

"She loves you. You’re the best friend she’s ever had and -"

"Did she send you down here?"

"She suggested that maybe I could run interference. She wanted me to remind you that she’s got a temper to match her hair," he said. "What did you guys fight about anyway?"

"Not really your business."

"She wouldn’t tell me either."

"Then stop nosing around." Her phone vibrated again and she checked the number.

"Why don’t you just talk to him?"

"Mark-"

"Look, I really don’t want to catch Frodo on Addison’s sofa again. I have a plan where she’s concerned and while I’m sure your little man could stand to learn a thing or two I’d rather not have an audience. So take one for the team and suck it up!"

"Jackass."

Callie stood, grabbed her sarong and shoved her feet into her flip flops. Saying nothing, she gathered her belongings and stormed past him. It wasn’t until she saw George sitting outside her hotel room that she remembered that Mark had given her fair warning. She tried to turn, but he saw her and jumped to his feet. "Callie! Wait!"

Mumbling every swear word she had ever heard and a few that made no sense, she turned and purposely held her head up as she walked past him and unlocked the door. The room was a mess and the suitcase that she had taken with her to North Carolina was upended and the contents were scattered around the floor. She had done that the previous night and made no apologies for the carnage as George followed her into the room and softly closed the door behind him.

She went to the closet and grabbed a pair of jeans, which she slipped over her swimsuit and hastily buttoned. Next, she yanked a white button down shirt from the hanger and tied it at her waist. When she finally turned to face George, he was leaning with his back against the door, watching her. "Are you planning on blocking me again?"

"No."

Callie was glad that she still wore her sunglasses because seeing George in this state, no matter how much he deserved it, got to her. It reminded her, as he drew the back of his hand across his eyes, of his father’s funeral. As they had made their way, hand in hand, to the open casket for the first time he had leaned close to her and whispered, ‘Stay close to me.’

And she had.

Anger quickly erased the memory and she turned to the window, refusing to look at him. "Addison said that she made sure you got all your things from the room."

George sniffled a little. "No, I left something."

"Then get it and go, George."

"All right." Suddenly he was behind her and his arms were around her waist. "I’ve got it, but I don’t want to go."

She bit her bottom lip when his chin rested against her shoulder and his cheek pressed against hers. She stiffened and he moved one of his hands so that it was resting over her heart. "I love you," he said and it was the cracking of his voice that stilled her, that prevented her from pushing him away. "Callie, I really, really love you and I’m sorry. I know that doesn’t mean much, but you have to believe me. I mean, you see that I’m here. You see that I haven’t been within five feet of her since-"

"Stop." Callie shrugged him off and turned to face him.

"Talk to me."

"You want me to talk to you? Fine."

"Just tell me what you’re thinking."

"I’m just - I’m just done, George. You know? I’m done. I’m tired. I’m tired of doubting you and chasing you and begging you for your time. I’m tired of feeling like someone you settled for -"

"That’s not how I feel."

"Stop it!" she shouted. "That is exactly how you feel. You stood in that exact spot and told me that Izzie didn’t have feelings for you. You *laughed* at me, George. You laughed at me for telling you the truth and then you put me down! She’s the supermodel and I’m the curvy nothing who was too stupid to realize that nothing would change after we got married."

"But-"

"You asked me to talk to you and bygod, I’m not finished." She held up her hand to stop him. "As hard as it is to hold my head up at the hospital when I know that everyone is laughing at my expense ... that pales in comparison to how dumb I was to believe you when you came here and asked me to marry you. That is the humiliating part because you’re the bad guy who cheated, but I’m the complete moron who actually thought that some great guy could love me. Me, George. Not my money, because you didn’t know about it. Not my father’s big business, because you didn’t know about that either. Not because I was ahead in the program and aced the intern exam and you could cheat off me. You were on your knee asking *me*. And I fell for it."

"Is that - have guys done that to you before? Dated you for you money? Because of who your dad is?"

"I already told you that. Remember? You were too busy yelling at me for not telling you about my money that you didn’t pay attention to the part where I said that it had cost me every relationship I’ve ever been in."

"Wait." George shook his head. "You told me that I was the only guy you’ve ever loved."

"Which is true. Which clearly illustrates that I’m better off in a string of dead end relationships than chasing after one that I can never have."

"You have me. All of me. Callie, don’t - don’t you remember? Remember when we had lunch with your dad and he spilled the drink on my lap."

"Mmm, I should thank him for that." She grabbed an elastic band and piled her hair in a pony tail. "I have to go."

"Listen to me!" He grabbed her, forcing her to look at him. "At lunch that day, with your dad? That’s when I remembered. When he spilled the drink on me. I didn’t even remember it until then which is what I’ve been trying to tell you."

"It took a glass of cold water on your crotch to make you remember?"

George nodded, wide eyed. "That ought to tell you something. And I still don’t - I mean, I only remember bits and pieces. I was so drunk that I don’t even know how I did it."

"Well, you did." Callie shrugged. "And this isn’t something that I can just deal with. This changed everything."

"Are you sleeping with Alex?"

She laughed. It was a cruel, hateful sound. "You don’t get to ask me anything about my sex life after what you did."

"Are you? Just --- are you?"

"It’s none of your business."

"You’re my *wife*."

"Not for long." She grabbed her purse and put it over her shoulder. "I’m seeing a lawyer next week."

"No - no, don’t do that."

"Don’t worry, George. You won’t have to go empty handed. I’m sure that the fact that I paid off your student loans won’t really matter. You’ll still get plenty."

"What?!"

"Oh, right. That was gonna be a surprise." She glared at him. "Yeah, I paid off your student loans and I was going to give that to you for your birthday so you wouldn’t have to worry about it while we looked for a house. But now you’ll be able to buy a house anyway because I’m sure that your lawyer will take at least half of everything I have and then you can spend it all on your bestest friend."

"I - I don’t want your money! I want you!"

Callie said nothing for a while, just gazed at him. Finally, she said, "Don’t you see what you’ve done? I’ve lost respect at the hospital. Addison’s on your side. My family will disown me once I shame them with a divorce and I’m stuck here for at least two more years. I have to see your face for two years, until I’m done with my Residency. Until I can get the hell away from you."

"But-"

"You don’t want me, George!" she yelled and the severity in her voice shocked both of them. "You’ve taken all I have! I have nothing left to give!"

She purposely bumped her shoulder against his as she stormed past him. The door slammed behind her and she stalked down the hallway, not sure where she was going, but convinced that she had to go.

George sat down on the bed, his face buried in his hands. And he cried.

Twenty minutes later the phone rang and out of habit he picked it up. "Hello?"

"O’Malley?" asked a man.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Is my daughter there?"

"Who?"

"O’Malley, how many women do you live with?"

"Right, uh, hello, Mr. Torres."

"My child is not returning any phone calls. Would you happen to know why?"

"I’m sorry. I don’t," he lied. "I - I know she’s been really slammed at the hospital."

"Well, tell her that her mother has arranged the wedding party for the two of you and since we understand how your schedules are we’ll be bringing it to you."

"Excuse me?"

"Roughly one hundred of our friends and family members as well as anyone she wants to invite there. Melaina, that would be Callie’s mother, has made arrangements for the grand ballroom there at the Archfield. Mark your calendar for not this Saturday, but the next. If memory serves that was a date that Callie implied would be free for both of you. We’ve chartered the flights already so don’t let her change the date. I’m sure you’ve seen by now that she’s stubborn as hell so tell her that it’s concrete and if she backs out she will not like the results. Okay?"

"Yes, sir."

"And Mr. O’Malley?"

"Sir?"

"My wife is not nearly as kind as I am so you’ll want to make a better impression on her than you did me."

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 5
*~*~*~*~*~

Callie was leaving the liquor store when her cell vibrated against her hip. She checked the number and smiled a little before she answered. "Rick’s Pool Hall. Eight ball, speaking."

"How’s my favorite twin?"

"I’m your only twin, Cam." Callie put the bottle in the back seat of her open convertible and leaned against the car. "How’s my favorite brother?"

"Oooooh," Cam replied. "I’m telling Loukas and Stavros that you said that."

"We shared a womb. You wouldn’t do that to me."

"I was born first, little sister."

"With all the wisdom and knowledge that six whole minutes gave you," she laughed. "Why don’t you tell me what’s new?"

"Why are you screening your calls? Our mother is so pissed at you that she has taken our family photo down from the mantle and put one up of Loukas and Stavros from before we were born."

"Jesus, Cam. What did you do to piss her off?"

"Well, I’m still gay. And I’m bringing Blake to your elopement party."

Callie started to laugh and then her face fell. "To my what?"

"Elopement party. The one that she has been planning for weeks now."

"What? When?"

"This is why you shouldn’t screen your calls. Not this Saturday night, but next. Mom has three jets bringing our dearest and most annoying relatives, but my invitation was lost in the mail apparently. Blake predicted it would be. Dad went behind her back and put us on the last flight out. They’re on the first."

"That’s only two weeks! We have to stop it."

"Yeah, because Mama running us through with her grandfather’s sword would be a pleasant way to die," Cam chuckled. "Besides, Dad said that he talked to your husband and ... do you know how weird that is for me? You have a husband! Anyway, he talked to him a few minutes ago and he’s okay with it."

"Daddy talked to George?"

"Yeah. I guess he’s not screening *his* calls."

There was a long pause and Cam finally added, "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah ... I’m fine."

"You sound upset?"

"No." Callie swallowed hard and wiped the tears off her face as if he could somehow see them. "I - allergies or whatever."

"Here’s the part where I remind you that I know you better than I know myself. Now, talk."

"Rough week."

"What’s wrong? Married life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?"

"Something like that."

"You want me to beat him up?"

"I already did that." The tears were coming a little faster now. "Cam?"

"Yeah?"

"I made a mistake. I - I shouldn’t have married him."

"What happened?"

"He doesn’t love me."

"Well, now that’s not humanly possible. Does he know you? Has he seen you? Of course he loves you," he soothed. "Look, I’m no expert on marriage and since our entire lack of a President refuses to let me marry Blake then I can’t really comment on your marriage, but relationships ... I know relationships. And they’re hard and it’s a constant struggle."

"He cheated on me." When there was no reply, Callie put her head in her free hand and said. "Cam? Cambyses Torres, you cannot tell. You can’t tell Daddy. He’ll - he’ll kill him."

"No. He’s not going to get the chance. I’m flying out tonight."

"No! Don’t! Okay? My life is complicated enough right now. I can’t - I can’t do this. I’m gonna see a lawyer and - and get a divorce or -"

"Oh my god," he said. "Mama would forgive you for murder before she forgave you for that! You know how she is! Do you remember when we stole Uncle Kakistos’s boat and sank it?"

"You mean his yacht and how could I possibly forget almost dying to save your flailing ass."

"There could have been sharks."

"I’m sure you scared them off with said flailing."

"My point is that she buried our pictures in the back yard, Callie. She made Loukas and Stavros dress up for a funeral and pretended we were dead for eighteen months. She didn’t speak to us, she refused to eat with us, and told everyone that we were on vacation in Italy even though we standing right there for introductions."

Callie had to smile a little at the memory. "She called us hired help."

"And we were only ten. She’ll never talk to you again. Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"Yeah. And no. I mean - I hate him and I want to strangle him with my bare hands ... and I also love him so much it hurts." She didn’t try to hide her sobs now. "I can’t - I can’t even look at him and not want to let him apologize and make it better and fall asleep on his shoulder like I always do. Like I did. I mean, talking about us in the past tense is killing me and he keeps crying and begging and saying he’s sorry and God I want to believe it and I keep falling into him every single time he looks at me and I can’t - I can’t breathe when I’m near him. And I’m choking to death without him. What do I do? What am I supposed to do, Cam?"

"Oh, sweetie," he replied, his voice soft. "Only you can decide what you want to do. I can’t - I don’t know what to say. I can only tell you Mama has thrown herself into planning this party and you know that she had your wedding planned from birth so this is all she has. She pulled out all the stops, Cal. It’s gonna be huge. She hired a band, catered in enough food to feed a third world country, and she’s determined to accept this elopement thing. If you tell her that it’s off it’s gonna hurt her and I don’t always like our mother, but I do live in the same zipcode as her and I saw first hand how much it hurt her when you broke the news that you had gotten married to begin with. She’s taking a huge step by doing this."

"So, you think I should pretend to be happy and smile and pose with him for photos and act like I’m not dying inside."

"Honestly? Yeah, I do. It’s one night. What you decide to do after that is up to you. And I really want to see you and the only way Dad’s letting me off is if I’m coming there for the party."

"Okay."

"I’ll still beat him up if you want."

"Nah, just promise me the first salsa."

"Are you kidding? I claim the first and last salsa." Cam sighed a little. "I love you, kid."

"I love you, too. Don’t tell anybody. Okay?"

"I promise."

They said their goodbyes and Callie closed the phone. Drying her face, she opened the car door and the lone bottle of bourbon she had purchased caught her eye. With a determined nod, she closed the door and headed back into the liquor store to buy the biggest bottle they had. She was drowning anyway. Miserable. Lost. Her tears were coming and she couldn’t stop them.

But maybe she could delay them for a while by swimming to the bottom of the bottle and she knew that when she was there ... nothing would hurt anymore.

Fifteen minutes later, she parked her car in her designated spot in the deck beside the Archfield. It was hot and humid inside the cement walls after the afternoon shower that had come and gone earlier. The top was down on her car and she left it running, letting the air blow into her face as she opened the smaller of the two bottles, took a deep breath, and drank down over half. She grimaced, gagged a little, and drew the back of her hand over her mouth. Before she could change her mind she tipped the bottle again and in less than fifteen minutes, the bourbon was gone and the second, larger bottle, was giving her a hard time. After three tries, she finally got it open and took a few pulls.

Thirty minutes later the car was spinning and the only logical allowance her brain would concede was to crawl into the backseat and lie down.

It never dawned on her that the engine was still running.

*~*~*~*~*~

Addison pulled her tongue away from the roof of her mouth and grimaced. Something had woken her up and as she opened her bloodshot eyes and looked around, someone pounded on the door again. She rolled onto her back, her arms flung wide and stared up at the ceiling. Whoever was at the door was persistent and she groaned when her feet hit the floor and she attempted to lift her head off the pillow. It was heavy, so heavy that her neck protested angrily and then her stomach muscles joined the chorus and gave her a stark, visual reminder of the marathon projectile vomit that she had managed the night before.

She smiled a little. She’d have to tell Callie about the - And then the memories of the night before hit her like a sledgehammer. She looked at the sofa and saw that it was empty and there was no sign of the blanket George had used. She could have imagined it, but as she stood and saw the array of junkfood Callie had arrived with she knew it was not her imagination at all. With a groan, she put her hand over her mouth and shook her head.

"Addison?" Mark knocked again, harder now. "I can hear you. Open the door."

She stumbled across the room and let him in. "I have to go talk to Callie."

He caught her around the waist as she started past him and said, "You may want to talk to the mirror first."

"What?"

He pointed at the floor to ceiling mirrors on the far wall. Addison turned and gasped. She wore a tanktop and panties, her usual sleeping gear, but her hair was plastered to her cheek and her make up had not only run, something that looked suspiciously like vomit had dried on her chest. "Damn," she said and slowly crept forward for a closer look. "What did I do?"

Mark pulled the cover back on her bed and wrinkled his nose. "Where do you put it all, Addison? Because for five hours I watched you puke so how you managed to do it again is beyond me."

"Ugh," she groaned again. "My stomach is killing me."

"You turned it inside out. It should." He stripped the sheets off and picked up the phone, leaving a message for housekeeping. "Go take a shower."

"Did you talk to her?"

Mark didn’t have to ask who the ‘her’ in question was. "Yep. She’s pissed as hell."

"What did she say?"

"Not a lot. She wouldn’t tell me what the two of you fought about either."

"It was too stupid to ever mention again."

"Look, if you ladies want to fight over me I can understand."


Addison shot him a look and pretended to vomit. "You wish."

"Then you must be fighting over O’Malley. I guess she wasn’t thrilled to see you taking care of the enemy."

"Stop trying to figure it out, jackass."

"Ohhh, that’s exactly what she called me." Mark sat down at the table and opened a package of donuts. "I’m starving. Will you go get ready?"

"For what?"

"You need to eat. And the fact that I am brave enough to take you out after witnessing firsthand that you can’t hold anything down should prove to you that I really do love you, Addison."

"I hate love!" Addison snapped, yanking her closet open. She dug through until she found a pair of slacks and a shirt and then turned to face him again. "You stayed last night."

"Through it all. The hair holding. The consoling. I can take care of you. I’m not just good in bed -- I’m a good best friend."

"Callie’s my best friend."

"I don’t think she’s seeing it that way right now." He watched as Addison’s face fell, then stood and took her hand in his. "That’s not to say she won’t come around. The sooner you get a shower we can go and you can call her. I’ll even play referee if you want."

"Do you really mean it, Mark? When you say that you love me?"

"I haven’t had sex in twenty seven days. And last night when you crawled into my lap in the bathroom floor and I put my arms around you ... it felt like coming home. I’ve loved you for a long time and you’re the only person in the world that makes me want to be the person you think I should be." He pulled a string of matted hair from her face, and cupped her cheek. "I love you. You’re the reason I’m here, the reason I stayed, and the woman that I want to spend my life with. Of course, I prefer the cleaner version, but I’d take you this way if it was the only way you’d come."

She smiled a little and said, "I don’t know if that was sincere or sexual, but it was nicely done."

"It was both. Want some company in the shower? Maybe I can take care of those hard to reach areas."

Addison bit her bottom lip and hated the way he smiled at her, hated the way his hand traced her chin, hated the way he smelled so familiar and safe. She nodded her head before her mouth could protest and turned, knowing that a decision had been made and she prayed it was for the right reasons.

*~*~*~*~*~

"Holy Mary Mother of God. Stop ringing! Hello?"

"Callie?"

"Who said that?"

"It’s Alex. Are - what are you doing? Are you crying?"

Callie sniffled. When she finally spoke it was a sob. "Why am I not in a coma yet? Stop waking me up now. Okay. Bye."

"What!? Don’t hang up! Where are you?"

"In my car. I’m gonna run out of gas."

"Where’s your car, Callie?"

"Archfield."

"I’m on my way. Gimme fifteen minutes."

"Don’t bother."

"Is that your car running that I hear?"

"Don’t worry. I haven’t died in an hour of trying so it’s not likely to happen in fifteen minutes. Jesus hates me." As an afterthought, she added. "Fuck clean air."

"Turn the car off."

"Okay."

"Do it now."

"Okay." Callie, who was sprawled face down in the backseat of her car made no attempt at moving.

"You didn’t do it, did you?"

"Not really."

"I’ll be right there." Alex hung up and called Addison’s cell.

Moments later Callie’s car was turned off and she felt a hand on her back, then her hair was pushed away from her face. Even in her drunken stupor she recognized Addison’s red hair, although the face was a blur. "Not funny, God. And I’ve been praying, too! Damn it."

"What the hell are you trying to do?" Addison shook her, hard. "Get your ass up."

"Stop driving in a circle, Addy. It’s rude. And there are speed bumps!"

"Jesus." Mark opened the passenger door and sat down, peering into the backseat with Addison. "How much did you drink, Torres?"

It was work, but Callie managed to wrestle the empty bottle from beneath her and she held it out. Her eyes were out of focus when they landed on Mark. "Hey! I did die! I’m in hell and Satan’s here, too."

"She’s toast." Mark took the bottle from her and said, "Did you drink all of this."

"That was my second bottle, right? Was it two? Didn’t even breathe! Just choked it down." Callie nodded, then she belched and found it so funny that she practically rolled off the backseat.

"That’s too much alcohol too fast. She needs to throw up," Addison said.

Mark pushed the seat forward and gripped Callie under the arms. She put up a good fight and by the time Mark had her out of the car he was winded and she had slumped onto the pavement. Addison, who had joined them, kneeled down beside Callie and felt her skin. "She’s cold."

"Don’t you call me any more names, Addison!" Callie growled, pushing her hands away. "I would punch you in the eye if you would be still. You are a very, very bad friend and I hope your tits sag."

"There is nothing wrong with my tits and your very, very bad friend is going to stick her finger down your throat to help you out." Doing just that, Addison tilted the younger woman forward and waited for her gag reflex to kick in.

When three attempts yielded nothing, Addison frowned. It took a split second for it to dawn on her that Callie wasn’t moving, wasn’t struggling, and she pulled her upright, slapping her face. "She’s not breathing. Mark, she’s choking!"

Mark moved fast. He pulled Callie from Addison’s arms, pinned her back against his chest, and began the Heimlich maneuver. Callie spasmed, coughed and vomited, effectively clearing her airway which had been blocked. "We have to get her to the ER."

Alex squealed to a stop a few feet away from them and leapt from his jeep. "How is she?" he asked, tilting her head back. She was still in Mark’s arms and her head lolled from one side to the other. "What did she drink?"

"A fifth of bourbon for sure. She mentioned more." Addison reached for the second bottle and drew up short. There was an empty pill bottle lying in the back seat. She picked it up, glanced at the label, and said, "Get her in the car."

"What?"

"Get her in the car! NOW!"

Alex and Mark both saw the empty bottle at the same time and Alex grabbed Callie’s feet, helping Mark lift her over the side of her convertible, which was thankfully open. Alex jumped into the driver’s seat and sped away with her as Addison and Mark climbed in Alex’s jeep to follow. Alex ran two red lights, almost hit a parked car, and took the entrance to the hospital fast enough for the tires to protest loudly. He slammed to a halt at the entrance to the emergency room and was relieved to see that there was a stretcher waiting. Someone must have called ahead.

"Possible overdose." Alex said, as he lifted her out of the car and deposited her on the gurney.

Dr. Bailey gasped and looked down at Callie. "What the- Karev? What did she take?"

"Fifth of bourbon and -- and, shit, I don’t know! Addison’s bringing the bottle."

He helped Bailey push her inside and yanked his jacket off. Without being told, he started an IV and drew her blood himself. He was vaguely aware that Izzie was on duty and that she had been shouted at by Bailey to move her ass. He took a step back as Cristina and Meredith answered the same page that had apparently summoned Izzie. "Meredith?"

"Yeah?"

"Call George," Alex said softly, running a hand over his hair.

"I already did."

"Callie? Callie, open your eyes and talk to me." Bailey slapped her cheeks a couple of times. "Unresponsive. Her skin is blue, clammy. What’s the temperature, Stevens?"

Izzie rattled off a number that was incredibly low and Bailey began barking out orders to the three female interns. Meredith was sent for warming blankets. Cristina rushed out for a gastric lavage kit and Izzie was sent running to the lab with Callie’s blood. Addison arrived in the middle of the chaos and said, "Percocet. Prescription was for forty. Prescribed to Harold O’Malley."

Bailey nodded and began the insertion of the tubes into Callie’s nose. Callie choked then and it took Mark, Alex, and Addison to hold her down. The vomiting began almost instantly and they rolled her onto her side, watching as she retched and heaved. Then, before anyone could stop her, she pulled the tube out and her nose, which was still swollen and bruised, and blood began to pour from it and her mouth. Alex stared at the monitors as they began to beep and said, "Oxygen level is at eighty five."

"Damn it. There’s too much blood in the airway." Bailey snapped. "Yang, we’ll need a breathing tube before we try to lavage again."

Cristina was on it. She tilted Callie’s head back, inserted the breathing tube on the first try and began to pump the bag, watching as Callie’s levels rose into the nineties. "Clear."

"Let’s do this again." Bailey opened the second kit, which Addison had grabbed from the hallway and covered the hosing in lubricant. "Hold her down this time, people. Hold her down! On three now. One, two, three."

Callie didn’t gag this time.

She didn’t respond at all.

"Grey, rush the fluid." Mark said, taking the stethoscope from Meredith’s neck. "Get an EKG in here. Stat," he barked at Izzie, who had returned.

"Addison, get on the phone with the lab," Bailey said, leaning down to examine the bile that Callie had vomited onto the floor. "I don’t see anything solid. Yang, how’s the suction."

"Second collection. First was liquid, no solid."

Bailey stood and shook Callie, leaning close to her. "Callie! Did you take any medication?" She spoke again and again, but Callie didn’t move. Checking her blood pressure, Miranda swore under her breath. "Where is that EKG, people!?"

"Her blood alcohol is point thirty-three," Addison said, hanging up the phone. "So far they haven’t found anything else."

"Point thirty-three? What in the world-" Bailey began.

"Callie?!" George shouted from the hallway.

"Keep him out of here." Bailey looked at Alex, but it was Addison who intercepted him.

"George, I need you to stay here with me," she said, her hand on his chest.

"No. NO! What happened?"

"Listen to me," Addison snapped, holding up the empty bottle. "What do you know about this?"

He took the bottle and read the label. "It - it was my dad’s. It was in a box of his stuff that I brought home after - after he died."

"Was it empty?"

"What?"

"The bottle, George. Were there any pills in the bottle?"

"I don’t know. I-" George’s eyes widened as comprehension dawned on him. "What did she do? What did she do?! Dr. Montgomery?!"

"Right now we know that she has alcohol poisoning. We’re waiting on the toxicology. This bottle was with her in the car."

"In the car?"

"Yeah. In the car. In the car that was running in the parking garage of the Archfield." Alex, who had lingered in the doorway to hear what George had to say about the medication, glared at the other man. "What the hell did you do to her now?"

"Shut up, Alex. And go call the lab again!" Addison pushed George out of the way as the EKG machine was rolled past them.

George leaned back against the wall, his hand over his mouth. "How bad is it?" he finally asked.

"Her B.A.C. is point thirty-three."

"No. No. That can’t be right. That - that can be fatal. Addison, that can be fatal." He shook his head emphatically as if his own denial could make it untrue. "Are they-"

"They’re doing everything they can. You know they are."

"Who’s working on her?"

"Sloan and Bailey."

"Is she breathing on her own?"

Addison shook her head, then caught him as he tried to rush past her. "You can’t do anything."

Meredith joined them in the hallway and said, "Dr. Montgomery, you can go back inside. I’ll stay with him."

Grateful, Addison nodded and squeezed George’s hand before hurrying back into the room. Meredith leaned against the wall next to George and leaned her head against his shoulder. "She’s strong. She’s strong and she’ll come back."

"You don’t know that."

"I’ve been there, George. She’ll come back."

"They’re breathing for her."

"Only because she pulled the tube out and compromised her airway."

George looked at her. "She’s awake. So she’s responding?"

"It - it was instinct. To pull it out. She’s unconscious."

"But - what about her heart and was she - didn’t she -"

Meredith took his hand in hers and squeezed it. "Should you call someone? Do you think you should call her parents?"

Callie had told him enough about her mother and father to force him to shake his head. She would be mortified if, no ... when she woke up and found them there. He needed to call someone, though. He needed to hear someone who would not judge him, not be angry at him. Taking his cell phone from the pocket of his jeans, he called home.

Louise answered on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Mom?"

"Georgie?"

"Mom," he began to cry and sank down the wall, his back against it. "Callie’s in the hospital. Can you - can you come?"

"I’m on my way."

Meredith kneeled beside him and put her arms around him.

When Derek walked past them a few minutes later and went into Callie’s room, neither had to wonder why.

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 6
"How long was she without oxygen?" Derek asked, checking the EKG readout.

"Seconds," Addison said. "She only stopped breathing for a second. She was choking and Mark ... he did the Heimlich."

Derek glanced from Addison to Mark, but said nothing to the other man. Instead, he turned to Bailey and watched as she lifted the fourth container that had been taken from Callie’s stomach. "Is she clear yet?"

"No."

"There’s no sign of narcotics. I checked with the lab." Derek confirmed and leaned down, doing a sternum rub on Callie’s chest. She made no move to push him away. "How long has she been unconscious?"

"She’s been in and out of it since we found her," Alex said, stepping up beside the bed. Without even realizing it, he had taken Callie’s limp hand in his. "What about the fumes? From the car?"

"It’s a big garage," Mark pointed out. "And it’s well ventilated."

"Fumes? Why am I just now hearing about fumes? Was this a case of too much to drink or a suicide attempt?" Bailey stared from Alex to Addison. "Well? Which is it?"

Alex looked down at Callie. There was blood still trickling from her nose and he reached down, wiping it away with his thumb. "It was just an accident," he finally said, even though his conversation with her replayed in his head. "That’s all. Just a stupid mistake."
"After she’s clear go ahead and use the charcoal." Derek took the chart from Izzie and glanced through it. "She’ll need an MRI. That much alcohol-"

"Don’t say it. Don’t even think it," Addison snapped. "There is nothing wrong with her brain. She -"

"She’s one of us. We’re going to run every test that we have," Derek replied, scribbling a couple of notes before he shut the chart. "Draw some more blood and see where we’re at with the alcohol and check her ALT and AZT, we need to keep an eye on her liver. Page me when the results are in."

Izzie moved around the bed, pulling on a pair of gloves and grabbing an empty vial. Alex, who was still holding Callie’s hand, snatched the vial from Izzie and said, "I’ll do it myself."

"Karev," Dr. Bailey warned. "You are not on duty. You are a visitor."

"She’s not touching her." Alex filled the vial and handed it off to Izzie, glaring at her. "You must be so happy. You’re living the dream. You get to reap what you sowed first hand. You get to watch her fall."

"Shut up, Alex," Izzie growled.

"I do have to give you a little credit, Iz," he replied. "I’m surprised you’re not cutting *her* wires and tubes just to make sure she’s completely out of the picture. There’s one lesson that apparently stuck."

"Okay, that’s enough!" Bailey pointed at the door. "Stevens, get that to the lab right now. Karev, go wait outside."

Cristina, who had collected the fifth container, said, "She’s clear."

"Start the charcoal," Bailey told her. "I’ll go talk to O’Malley."

George had been coaxed into an empty seat behind the nurse’s station. He sat with his head resting in his palms and when Miranda touched his shoulder, he jumped to his feet. "How is she?"

Miranda explained as best and as gently as she could and then said, "George, do you think she did this intentionally?"

"We had a fight. I - I shouldn’t have let her go. She was upset and - and did she take those pills, Dr. Bailey? Did she?"

"No. She didn’t."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "We checked her stomach contents and Derek confirmed it with toxicology."

"So it’s just alcohol?"

"I wouldn’t say *just*, George. It was a lot of alcohol and apparently no food at all, but her heart looks good and she’s getting plenty of oxygen. We’re going to take her down for an MRI and then we just have to wait."

"Can I see her?"

"Yes." Bailey stopped him as he moved away, her hand resting on his arm. "She looks bad. Be prepared for that."

George swallowed hard, his eyes on hers. He nodded his head slightly, then walked across the hallway and entered Callie’s room. He was vaguely aware that Addison and Mark left the room and glanced only briefly at Cristina as she continued to administer the charcoal. The steady beeping of Callie’s heart should have reassured him, but the blood on her face and the color of her skin was more than he could handle. Tears blurred his vision as he let the rail down and sat next to her. He brushed her bangs aside and leaned forward, kissing her forehead softly, breathing her in. His cheek lingered next to hers and he whispered, "Come back to me. You have to come back. Please don’t go. Don’t do this."

His pleads remained soft for a few moments, then he laid his head against her chest and began to cry in earnest. And his prayers were loud enough that most of the ER staff heard them.

*~*~*~*~*~

Doctors are required to have a certain level of desensitization. They’re forced to deliver bad news with a professional and courteous attitude and they can’t become emotionally involved. Ever. As Addison stood in the hallway listening to George, she felt her own resolve break and mumbled something to Mark about getting coffee. The look she gave him implored him not to question and when he nodded his understanding, she walked slowly down the corridor.

She headed out into the fresh air and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. When she blew her nose a moment later and turned to throw the tissue in the trash, she saw Alex sitting a few feet away. She joined him on the bench and said, "When you called me you said you thought Callie was trying to kill herself in the basement of the Archfield."

"Yeah."

"So, why did you tell Miranda that she wasn’t?"
"I was scared when I called you," he replied.

"That doesn’t change what she did."

"She told me where she was, Addison. If she wanted to die she would have hung up the phone."

Addy chewed her bottom lip, then nodded. "I guess that’s one way to look at it."

"That’s the only way I *will* look at it," he said. "It wouldn’t make sense otherwise. She was fine. She was doing so much better."

"It’s my fault, I think. We had a fight. Last night. It was bad. It was really bad." Addison sighed. "It was about you."

"Me?"

"You and her."

"What?"

"I think it’s wrong for the two of you to do what you’re doing. Whatever it is."

"You don’t know what we’re doing, but you feel qualified to tell us it’s wrong?"

"What *are* you doing?

"We’re friends."

"Are you, Alex? You’ll have to forgive me if I feel the need to remind you that you never even talked to her until your ex-girlfriend slept with her husband. I could be wrong, but it seems pretty evident to me that you’re trying to hurt Izzie Stevens. If that’s the case then you’re using Callie and I don’t like that one bit."

"I like Callie. I like hanging out with her and if I get the added bonus of driving Izzie insane by doing it then you’ll have to forgive *me* for not really caring."

"Stevens left you for Denny. That’s what I heard."

He nodded.

"You were in love with her."

He nodded again.

"You still are."

He shook his head. "No. I’m in love with who she used to be. I’m in love with the optimist, the pretty girl who gets in your face, tells it like it is, and demands that you respect her for her brain. The goofy girl who laughs at funerals and cries at weddings. That person died with Denny. I don’t know who she is anymore."

"So, what are you doing with Callie?"

"Making her feel better."

Addison studied his profile. "Why?"

"Because I can." Alex finally looked at her. "I’m not going to do anything to her, Addison, if that’s what you’re worried about."

"She still loves George, you know."

"Why do you think I made sure Meredith called him?" He shrugged. "It wasn’t because I wanted the guy around."

"Just be careful, Alex. Okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"A woman who has had her heart broken is usually very easy to take advantage of and most of the time they welcome the relief. Don’t let her think that you feel anything for her if you don’t."

"It’s not like that."

"Really?" Addison arched an eyebrow. "Do you usually come rushing up on the white horse to save the damsel the way you did tonight?"

"This particular damsel is a special case," Alex replied. "She knows my secrets."

"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Finding someone that you can talk to about anything is rare. I trust her."

"So, that’s it then? She’s a confidante?"

"Why are you pushing this?"

"You kissed me."

Alex’s eyes widened. "No, you kissed me and I thought I made it very clear that I wasn’t interested. I hate following the crowd and Yang and Gray already have the whole intern and attending thing down."

"Yeah, but-"

"And correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Mark Sloan answer your cell phone when I called?"

When Addison looked away, Alex smirked a little and stood up. He looked down at her and said, "If I was a betting man I’d say that having your cake and eating it too isn’t all it’s cracked up to be."

"You’d probably win that bet."

"I’m going back in. You coming?"

"In a minute," Addison replied, watching as he walked away. She leaned forward after a minute, buried her face in her hands and said, "God, this sucks."

"Private conversation? Or can anyone join?" Derek sat down next to her. "How are you holding up?"

"By a string," she admitted. Her chin trembled at the confession and she exhaled slowly. "It’s bad, isn’t it? Worse than-"

"No." Derek shook his head. "It’s not the worst I’ve seen and it’s certainly not going to kill her."

"There’s always a but."

"But you know that the liver and the brain, all of it, could be affected," Derek watched her for a second. "When did you become such good friends with Torres anyway?"

"After she slept with Mark. We bonded over the horror of it all. It’s funny, you know, I should have been angry or hurtful to her, but I couldn’t be. I needed a friend and there she was."

"And if you hated every woman that Mark has slept with that wouldn’t leave many females for you to bond with."

"That’s very true." She smiled a little, then looked at her ex-husband. "Do you think it’s possible for a man to change? A man like Mark?"

Derek considered the question thoughtfully. When he finally spoke, it was with sincerity. "I have known Mark my entire life. You’ve heard about his past, but I lived it with him. I remember him climbing in my bedroom window because the yelling was so bad at his place. Hell, we could hear it. You know, his father was sick and his mother constantly had men coming and going."

"You told me."

"You would have to see it to understand exactly how horrible it really was. You asked me if I thought it was possible for him to change and the answer is yes, but that’s not really the question you should ask."

"What should I ask?"

"Are you the one who *can* change him?" Derek shrugged. "Do you want to?"

"I want to believe that my marriage didn’t fall apart for nothing. I want to believe in something. I want to want him without being afraid of what it will do to me if I have to worry where he is every second. I want to trust him. I mean, I need to trust him again. And I really can’t yet." Her expression changed suddenly. "And that is exactly how Callie feels about George and I am the biggest ass on the planet."

Derek laughed now. He genuinely laughed and Addison found that she couldn’t help but join him. "Life is cruel and disturbing," she finally said.

"Yes," he replied. His pager went off and he stood. "Labs are in. Let’s go check on your friend."

*~*~*~*~*~

Izzie saw Louise first and her stomach dropped a little. She felt like someone who was being sent to the principal’s office. George was undoubtedly going to tell his mother what had happened and Louise, well, Izzie didn’t want to think about that. She tried to duck into a linen closet, but the older woman spotted her and hurried forward. "Dr. Stevens! Oh, thank heavens! Have you seen Callie? I can’t find George and-"

"He’s in one of the family rooms. I - I’ll show you."

"What happened to Callie? He - he said that she’s sick, but no one wants to tell me anything."

"Uh, George needs to explain it, Mrs. O’Malley, I can’t really give you any information."

"But, I’m family. Dr. Stevens, she’s my daughter in law and we talk all the time."

"I understand, but-"

Cristina and Meredith came around the corner pushing the gurney that Callie was lying on. Louise drew up short and gasped, instinctively reaching out and stopping them. "Oh my god, Callie? Honey?"

"Mrs. O’Malley, you need to come with me." Izzie put her hand on the older woman’s shoulder.

"What’s happened to her? Was it a car wreck? There’s blood. And why is that tube in her mouth? Harold - Harold’s esophagus was-"

"Mom?" George rushed forward and put an arm around his mother. He didn’t let his gaze linger long on Callie’s face because to do so would have finished him off, he was certain of that. "They’re bringing her back from an MRI. We just - we have to wait for Dr. Shepherd to tell us what they find."

"Oh, Georgie, did you call Melana?"

"Who?"

"Her mother, son. Her mother needs to be here. Oh, she’ll be devastated. We’ve been planning the party together and she’s so excited to meet you and see Callie and-"

"You’ve been talking to Callie’s mom?"

"Oh, every day. She’s a wonderful lady and Callie’s her baby, her only little girl."

"Mom-"

"We have to call her."

"We will."

Izzie watched as Louise leaned over the stretcher and gave Callie a kiss on the cheek, then let George lead her away. She glanced at Cristina, who was staring at her. "What?"

"Was that as awkward for you as it looked?" she asked. "You know he’s gonna tell her, right?"

"Let’s just go," Meredith said, pulling on the gurney. "Izzie, can you let Derek know that the MRI is done?"

"Whatever." Izzie stood in the hallway a moment longer, watching as Callie disappeared back into her room.

*~*~

"What happened to her, Georgie?" Louise had taken a seat and watched as George paced the length of the room. "Sit down, son. You’re going to need your rest."

"It’s my fault. She did this because of me."

"Did what? Georgie, you’re scaring me."

George flopped into the seat beside her and leaned his head back against the wall. "I’ve ruined everything."

"What do you mean?"

"She said she’s divorcing me and-"

"What?! Honey, you two just got married and it’s new and -"

"I slept with Izzie," he cut her off. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her, couldn’t bare to see the look of shame that was undoubtedly on her face. When she didn’t reply, he said, "I was drunk and she was drunk and it just happened. Callie and I had been fighting and I left and - God, I should have stayed, Mom. I should’ve stayed and worked through it, but I didn’t and now - now she’s - Callie’s miserable and she could die."

The minutes dragged past. Louise said nothing and the silence was deafening. George finally cleared his throat and said, "This is the part where you tell me that you raised me better than that and I’m a huge disappointment and -"

"What happened to her, George? What happened to Callie?"

"She’s got alcohol poisoning. Enough to kill her. Enough to damage her brain. Enough to - enough to leave me and I can’t stop her this time. I can’t chase after her like I always do and even if I could ... I’ve given her nothing to come back for."

"Alcohol poisoning," Louise repeated. "But Jerry had that after a few beers and he-"

"They think it was intentional." George finally looked at his mother and the hurt on her face caused him to crack. "And so do I. What I did to her - Mom, I’ve already killed her she was just taking care of the rest."

Louise watched her son fall apart and finally put her arms around him, holding him close. They cried together and were still hanging onto one another when Ronnie and Jerry arrived. Louise didn’t tell them much and when George shot her a look of gratitude, she winked at him and gave him a little smile. It had the effect she hoped it would. He calmed down and sat next to her again. She patted him on the arm and excused herself.

In the women’s bathroom, she made one of the hardest phone calls of her life. She could tell that she had woken the other woman and had not even given the time difference a second thought. "Melana? This is Louise?"

"Oh! Goodness, hello!" Melana replied sleepily. "I hope you are well."

"I’m fine." Louise took a deep breath and said, "I’m sorry to call you like this, but well, I’d want to know if it were me."

"Know what?"

"Callie’s been admitted to the hospital. She’s very ill. You may want to come."

"Κύριε έλέησον!" Malana exclaimed in Greek. "Raphael! Raphael, wake up! Something has happened to Calliope."

A moment later, Raphael Torres was on the phone and Louise, who had not spoken with him much at all, found herself practically shaking at the third degree he issued. He gave her his cell phone number, took hers, and informed her that they would arrive within seven hours. She didn’t have to wonder how he could make that happen. The air of authority with which he spoke would likely have caused God himself to blanch at the idea of not being able to catch a flight out. He thanked her, wished her well, and ended the call. Louise closed her phone and rejoined her sons.

The minutes stretched into an hour, then two. During the fourth hour, Dr. Bailey came out and assured them that they were not forgotten, but they were still running tests and had no additional information. Jerry eventually dozed in the corner and Ronnie went in search of food. He came back with sodas and cakes and handed them out. The rustling of Louise’s bag eventually woke Jerry up and he kicked Ronnie for not bringing him anything. "You were asleep, dude," Ronnie said. "And with your stomach? You better not eat or drink anything unless you’re waiting in the car."

Jerry responded by taking the food out of Ronnie’s hand and slapping him on the back of the head. "The only thing wrong with my stomach is that you’re around."

"Boys!" Louise scolded. "Stop it!"

Twenty minutes later, Derek walked in and George jumped to his feet. "Dr. Shepherd?"

"Have a seat, George." Derek introduced himself to the rest of the O’Malley family and sat opposite George. "I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to speak with you. Unfortunately something like this is a waiting game and we’ve been monitoring everything very closely. The good news is that she’s is responding well to treatment. Her heart’s strong and her B.A.C. has dropped to point zero seven. That’s better than I had hoped for at this point and I think we owe that to Mark and Addison. They forced her to vomit, which purged her system of some of the toxins. The bad news, George, is that the level of alcohol that we pulled out of her system would have been fatal if it had gone untreated. She ingested enough to kill someone double her size and that’s a problem. We have a problem. It’s very important that you tell me the truth. Is she binge drinker?"

"No." George shook his head. "No, she’s never had more than a couple of drinks with me. Occasionally at dinner she has wine or a mixed drink, but she’s never even gotten tipsy."

"Just as a precaution I’m going to have Psych take a look at her."

George had expected it. "Okay. What - how about her breathing? Is she breathing on her own?"

"Well, we’re going to check and see. We can’t take her off the respirator unless you give us permission to do so. Dr. Bailey put the tube in as a precaution because with Callie slipping in and out like she was she could have stopped breathing at any time. We’re going to take her off the machine when and if that’s okay with you, you’re welcome to be with her, and see how her oxygen levels stand. If she can maintain into the nineties on her own then we’ll take the tube out." Derek stood. "We won’t know until she wakes up if there are any other issues."

"Do you have to do this right now?" Louise asked Derek.

He shook his head. "No. It’s a big decision and not one that should be taken lightly. Feel free to discuss it and then let me know what you decide."

"Her parents should be here soon. They’re one the way." Louise looked at George and said, "You should wait for them. Just in case."

"You called them?" George asked her. When she nodded, George swallowed hard and looked back at Derek. "Has she regained consciousness at all?"

"She’s coming around. A few minutes ago she pushed my hand away when I did a sternum rub and that’s a good sign. She’s also fidgeting and -"

"I don’t want her to wake up with the tube, Dr. Shepherd. That’ll scare her and I don’t want her scared."

Derek glanced at Louise, then back at George. "She could wake up any time."

"Then take her off. Do it now. Do it before she wakes up and realizes that she might not be able to breathe." George slowly got to his feet and turned to his mother. "Do you want to come with me?"

"Of course."

George walked into the hallway and waited for her to follow. Ronnie and Jerry were both abnormally quiet and he wanted to thank them, to tell them that it was a nice change, to make a joke. Anything to lighten the mood, but he couldn’t. He said nothing, even as Ronnie clapped him on the shoulder and said that they’d be waiting for him. As his mother emerged and he took her hand in his, it crossed his mind to invite his brothers into Callie’s room, but he just couldn’t. If she - no. He couldn’t.

Addison and Alex were standing on one side of Callie’s bed. Addison was holding her friend’s hand and she smiled a little when George and Louise walked in. "I think she’s trying to wake up," she told George. "She keeps lifting her hands."

George hurried across the room and looked down at her. "Callie?"

Derek moved behind George and flipped a switch, effectively cutting off the support of air and then stepped back into the shadows to wait. George looked at the monitor, his eyes never wavering from the oxygen level that was currently at ninety-nine. The seconds ticked past and the number dropped four points, then five.

"Derek?" Addison commented as the number dropped into the eighties.

"Wait for it," Derek replied.

A pin could have dropped and startled the entire room. Nobody moved, no one seemed to breathe, least of all Callie. The number plummeted further still and Derek glanced at his watch. "Thirty more seconds and we’ll turn it back on."

"Please, Callie. Breathe, baby." George, who had taken her hand in his, squeezed it. "Come on! You can do this!"

"Fifteen seconds," Derek said.

"SHIT!" Addison cursed so suddenly and with such force that everyone jumped. "Callie? Callie! YOU BETTER BREATHE, GOD DAMMIT!" Addison shook her, hard, gripping both of her shoulders now, practically climbing on top of her. "BREATHE! I WILL KICK YOUR ASS IF YOU DON’T BREATHE! DO YOU HEAR ME? IF YOU DIE I WILL KILL YOU! AND MAKE IT HURT! YOU WILL PAY!"

Alex grabbed Addison around the waist and pulled her back. And Callie took such a deep breath that it seemed to suck the air out of everyone else. Her eyelids fluttered open and she reached her free hand up, feeling the tube in her mouth. Addison grabbed her hand and said, "Leave it alone."

"Oxygen’s at eighty-eight." Alex put a hand on Callie’s leg and said, "You can do better than that, Torres. What the hell?"

The machine eventually stopped beeping as Callie’s number slowly climbed out of the danger zone. George was crying and he wiped his face and leaned down beside her. "Good job," he whispered, kissing her temple.

She groaned then and pushed at him. George moved back a little and she held a hand up shaking her head no.

It was very clear that she didn’t want him near her.

*~*~* ~*~*~
CH 7
Addison cleared her throat and tried her best to make the awkward situation bearable for George, whose face had fallen when Callie pushed him away. She watched as his mother put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but George didn’t step forward again. "Hey," she finally said, rubbing Callie’s arm. "Want us to take that tube out?"

Derek looked from George to Addison and moved a little closer. "It could be premature. We should monitor her for a little while longer. She was slow to respond."

Callie shook her head and pointed at the tube again. When Derek opened his mouth to speak, she grabbed his jacket and pulled him a little closer. Her word, though muffled, was unmistakable. "Now."

"No. No no no. Don’t try to talk," Addison told her and reached up, smoothing a strand of her friend’s hair back. Callie pushed her hand away and shook her head, reaching for the tube again.

"I’ll put the restraints on. Don’t make me," Derek said, stopping her. "I’m going to ask you a number question and I want you to show me with your fingers what the answer is. Okay?"

Callie rolled her eyes and nodded.

"What’s five minus four?"

Callie flipped him a bird.

"She’s fine," Alex said, laughing a little.

Callie nodded, put a finger on her nose, and pointed at Alex, who beamed at her and said, "I rock at Charades."

Derek looked at George again and said, "O’Malley, it's your call."

George’s gaze was still on Callie. She had not met his eyes once and it was killing him. He glanced at the monitor and saw that her oxygen was in the nineties and nodded. "Take it out."

"You may want to wait outside," Derek told Louise, who nodded and headed into the hallway.

It only took seconds to remove the tube, but it was still hard to watch. Callie was restrained by George and Alex and gagged and coughed as Derek pulled it free. He sat her up instantly, handing her a basin as she gripped it, spitting out the blood that collected in her mouth. Addison rubbed her back and said, "How do you feel?"

"Where’s my chart?" Callie rasped after a couple of seconds, barely audible. Her words were slow, drowsy sounding.

Alex handed her a tissue and said, "You probably shouldn’t be talking yet and -"

"Get it," she interrupted, taking the tissue and blotting her mouth.

Alex looked at Derek, who nodded, then retrieved the chart from the door. He held it out and watched as she opened it and flipped a few pages. "It’s not here," she finally croaked.

"What’s not there?" Derek asked her.

"DNR. I’m DNR." Callie closed the chart and stared at Shepherd, her eyes bloodshot and bleary. "A freakin’ breathing tube. What were you thinking? You’re not supposed to save me!"

"Cal, don’t." George reached for her hand, but she pulled it away. "You don’t mean that."

"Get out," she growled. More blood bubbled from her throat and she spit again. "Get out now, George."

"But!"

"GO!" she shouted and promptly burst into tears as she grabbed her throat.

"Yeah, that hurt like a bitch didn’t it?" Derek asked her. He cupped her chin and said, "Open. Let me see."

"I’m fine," she sobbed and grimaced when she tasted more blood in her mouth. "Get him away from me."

"George, man," Alex said. "Maybe you should do what she wants."

"No." George shook his head. "She is-" He stopped in mid-sentence and grabbed Callie’s face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "You are my wife. You are my wife and I love you and I’m not leaving this room. Do you hear me? Do you understand?"

She closed her eyes, tears falling faster now. "Let me go. George, let me go."

"I can’t! Don’t you see that? I can’t! I’ve never been able to let you go. Never!"

"Don’t."

Wordlessly, George pulled her against him and held onto her. He held on even though she struggled. He held on with both arms and refused to surrender. Whether it was sheer exhaustion that eventually stilled her protests or the fact that he was crying into the crook of her neck was unclear, but finally he felt her arms around him and no matter what else happened in that moment ... it was all that mattered.

They were still hanging onto each other, still crying, when Alex walked out of the room. He stalked down the hallway and into the intern’s locker room. Izzie’s shift would be ending soon and sure enough, she stood before her locker staring into it, but not moving.

"Where is it?" he asked her.

Izzie jumped a little, startled from her reverie, and looked at him. "What?"

"You took care of her chart. Where is it?"

She swallowed hard and shook her head. "I don’t know what you mean."

Alex crossed the room at once and pinned her back against the locker. He caught both of her hands in his and held them over her head and with his free hand, he patted her pockets. The paper rustled in the back pocket of her scrub pants and he pulled it out and opened it. He knew instinctively what it was, but he had to see it for himself. Callie’s signature was on the ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ paperwork that had been scanned into the computer five years before. It was part of the paperwork that every intern had to fill out, they had to make their wishes known. He looked up from the paper, wide eyed.

Izzie wrapped her arms around herself and stared at him. "Go ahead. Go turn me in."

"Why did you do this?"

"It was in her chart." The defiant look faded from her face and she blurted out, "I’ve been trying to make her go away for months and then she was really about to and ... I had to give her back to George. Okay? I had to give her back."

"Isobel Maria Stevens!" He grinned at her and ripped the paper down the middle. Her eyes widened and he grabbed her around the waist, lifting her into the air. "You are the most amazing human being alive."

He set her back on her feet and without thinking, kissed her. It was brief, almost chaste, and then he pulled away and gave her back the torn paper. "Shred it."

"What - you’re not going to tell?"

"Tell what? I didn’t see a thing."

"But-" She watched, dumbstruck as Alex headed for the door. "What-"

He held up a hand to stop her from continuing. "Welcome back, Iz. I missed the hell out of you."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie pulled away from George and dried her eyes. She noticed that they were alone and wondered how much time had passed, wondered where Addison had gone. Finally, she met George’s gaze and her heart ached in ways that she hadn’t imagined possible. His eyes were bloodshot, swollen. His face was pale and wet with his tears and she reached up, rubbing her thumb across his cheek. He caught her hand and kissed it.

"Why?" he finally asked her. "Why did you do this?"

"George-"

"WHY?" he shouted, then hugged her again when she flinched. "I don’t - dammit, I don’t mean to yell at you. I just need to know if you did this on purpose."

She waited until he let her go, then shook her head, her eyes downcast.

"Callie, you almost died. It takes a lot of alcohol to kill someone and you were in a garage with the car running."

"No," she said, the pain in her throat making her grimace. "It just ... it was just .. I miscalculated."

"How?"

"I don’t know, but I did."

"Baby, please tell me the truth."

"Because you know what that is?"

"This isn’t about me right now."

"It never is." She shook her head. "Think what you want. I - I didn’t do anything."

George rubbed his eyes before looking at her. When he did, he said, "I don’t believe you. I’m sorry, but I don’t."

"It was an accident."

"How? You accidentally thought it was water?"

"I didn’t mean to. I just - I wanted to stop thinking, stop feeling. I didn’t think it would - I drank more than this when I went to North Carolina." She choked a little and swallowed again. "God, I’m never putting a tube in anyone again. Ever."

"Is that where you went? When you left me?"

She nodded and cleared her aching throat. George handed her the bottle of water that had been his and watched as she took a few sips. He waited for her to go on. Finally, she said, "It was me and a cabin and Jack Daniels. And I didn’t have to think about what you did for fifteen days. I just - I wanted to not remember for a while. Today - today was bad."

"Yesterday," George reminded her. "You were gone for a while, Callie," he reached out, taking her hand. "What happened yesterday? Was it me? Was it because we fought?"

"It was part of it." Callie bit her lip as she watched his eyes brim with fresh tears. "I talked to my brother. He - he told me about the party and said that Daddy talked to you. And I told him what you did to me and he still said we should have the party anyway and I just didn’t know how. I didn’t know how to do it and I wanted to sleep and not think or hurt or feel. I just wanted to sleep for a while, George. That’s all." Her throat ached too much to go on.

George wanted to reply, but his mother knocked and stuck her head in. "Hi," she said, smiling brightly.

Callie looked at George, clearly agitated. "Louise," she croaked, her voice practically gone. "You didn’t have to come."

"Well, that’s nonsense if I’ve ever heard nonsense." Louise closed the door behind her and walked to the bed. From behind her back she pulled a stuffed bear that said ‘Get Well’ and held it out to Callie. "I couldn’t watch them take out the tube and I couldn’t stand to eavesdrop so I went shopping."

Callie took the bear, muttered her thanks, and then Louise engulfed her in a tight embrace, pushing George out of the way. He took a step back and watched as his mother fussed over Callie, making her lie down, insisting that he get a wet cloth to clean her face. Any protest Callie attempted was quickly shot down and within minutes, Callie was tucked into the bed and Louise was gently dabbing the dried blood away.

"Go get her some fresh water, George. With ice. Lots of ice. That’ll help the sore throat." She practically shoved him out of the room and turned back to Callie, who was now watching her with a wary expression on her face. Louise went back to the bed and took a deep breath. "Are you sober?"

"I’m thinking ‘unfortunately’ is probably the best word to answer that."

"He told me what happened with Dr. Stevens."

Callie pursed her lips together and looked away. Louise continued, undaunted, "And you’ve made him pay. You broke him last night. You destroyed him. You’re even. I know this hurts like hell, honey, I’ve been there, but-"

Stunned, Callie looked up at her. "What?"

"Harold was a good man, a decent man, and I loved him very much. But we got married young and I think he resented me in the beginning. He still wanted to go and drink with his friends and I didn’t know how to stop it so I stayed home and tried to be a good wife. Then he told me that he had been unfaithful and I was devastated. I was pregnant with George at the time and I left. I went home to my mother and I cried so much that it hurt all over. So I know. I know.

"Harold finally broke, Callie, the way that George did last night. And I never once regretted our life together after that."

"She’s in love with him."

"Dr. Stevens assured me months ago that she didn’t have any feelings whatsoever for George. She was very convincing," Louise dismissed. "And she was drunk. They both were."

"That doesn’t make any difference."

"Really?" Louise raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me that you were in complete control of yourself last night when you almost killed yourself with alcohol? I bet that you didn’t know what you were doing after a while. You don’t even remember most of it. Do you?"

Callie shook her head and she knew that doing so was conceding defeat.

Louise softened a little and took her hand. "I’m not making excuses for him. What he did was wrong and he knows that. He’s horrified that it happened and he loves you. He really loves you. He’s feeling worse than you, I’d wager."

"I don’t care how he feels."

"You really aren’t a good actress." Louise sat down on the bed, still holding Callie’s hand. "I’ve been talking to your mother a lot."

"Oh my god."

"She’s a character."

"She’s crazy."


"She told me that you clearly love my son enough to risk dying for him because you knew that she would kill you for eloping. Now *she* is a good actress. I almost drove to your place just to make sure you were still alive and well." When Callie didn’t smile, Louise said, "Honey, look at me."

Callie exhaled and finally met her eyes again. "Please tell me that you didn’t call my mother and tell her what happened."

"Your parents are on their way. I told them just enough to get them here. It’s up to you to decide what to say to them once they arrive."

"It’s not gonna work! Whatever you think you’re doing with my mom. You can’t fix this, Louise."

"I know my son. I won’t have to fix it. He will."

George came into the room cautiously, carrying a pitcher of water and ice chips. He looked from one to the other and when neither spoke, he filled a Styrofoam cup full of water, put a straw in it, and held it out to Callie. When she took it, her hands were shaking, and he frowned and covered them with his own. "Are you cold?" he asked, as she took a couple of small sips.

When Callie nodded, Louise said, "I’ll go round up a blanket."

"I’m sorry," he said, when his mother was out of earshot. "I needed her here. I was going crazy and I called her. Whatever she said to you --- I’m sorry."

"Fight your own battles, George." She lost her own battle with tears and it made her throat ache even worse. "That was really low."

"I didn’t tell her to say anything. Give me just a little bit of credit and -"

"The last time I gave you credit you cheated on me. Remember? You said ‘Can’t you give me a little credit that maybe I’m on your side’ and then-"

"And then you threw me out! And I was pissed off! You threw me for the loop with the money thing and you crawled my ass for being thrown."

Her next words were muffled with a sob. "You called me *curvy*."

"You *are* curvy. The first night we slept together, in the freakin’ basement, I told you that you should wear a warning sign that said ‘dangerous curves ahead’. Your body is mind-blowing. I -"

"Shut up."

"We made up after that fight. It’s done. It’s over. Let it go! You apologized to me and I apologized to you and-"

"You left out the part where you slept with her!"

George dug his fingers into her thighs to keep from shaking her. "I made a mistake. I made a horrible, awful mistake. When have I paid enough? When? What do I have to do? Do you want to move away from here? Do you - do you want to start fresh somewhere else? I’ll go. I’ll never speak to her again. What else do you want from me?"

"You can’t undo it. That’s what I want from you and you can’t undo it!"

"But I can prove to you that I love you and I will."

Saying nothing, she rolled away from him and pulled the cover up over her shoulder. Louise could bring a thousand blankets and never chase the chill away. Callie was frozen, inside and out, and as she closed her eyes she wanted nothing more than the world to end. And take her with it.

But on the plus side, her mother would probably make sure it did.

*~*~*~*~*~

Raphael and Melana Torres arrived via helicopter, landing atop Seattle Grace with all the pomp and circumstance of royalty. The pilot had called ahead and George, who had left Callie sleeping in her room, trudged to the roof to collect them with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He had not slept, hadn’t eaten, hadn’t showered or changed his clothes, but he really wasn’t concerned about first impressions at the moment. He also didn’t know if Callie’s brother had told what he had done. As soon as he opened the door to the rooftop, the helicopter was leaving and he stared, wide eyed, as Mr. Torres escorted his wife across the helipad.

Melana Torres was an older version of Callie. Her body was shaped like an hourglass and she wore a clinging black dress that accentuated her waist and hips. The dress scooped at the neck, displaying a cascading necklace of diamonds that disappeared into her ample cleavage. She was tall, taller than her husband, and as she approached, George realized that the extremely high heels she wore were the likely cause. As the woman drew nearer, George could see that her hair, jet black and curly, was slightly shorter than Callie’s, but styled similarly. She was, for lack of a better word, breathtaking.

And she clearly knew it.

A few feet from George, she lowered her round, dark sunglasses and adjusted the insanely large Louis Vuitton bag over her shoulder. George stood a little straighter as she appraised him and held out his hand to Callie’s father "Hello, Mr. Torres," he said, then turned to Callie’s mother. "It’s nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Torres. You look so much like Callie."

"How is my daughter?" Melana took his hand in hers and firmly clasped it. "Your mother was rather vague."

"She’s okay. She’s sleeping now." George indicated the bag on her arm. "Would you like me to carry your bag?"

"No, he wouldn’t like that," she replied. "Strangers can be unsettling."

George balked a little. "Excuse me?"

"Could you please explain to us exactly what happened?" Melana indicated the door behind George. "And could you please escort us into the building? This wind is unbearable and Gucci hates to travel."

"Uh, okay. Sorry." George opened the door and waited for them to enter. He watched as Melana took off her sunglasses and stowed them in a case, which she dropped into the side of the large bag. Mr. Torres cleared his throat and George said, "Do you want to see her now? I mean - I’m sure you do. That was a stupid question. It’s just - long night. You know?"

"Let me see your eyes." Melana beckoned him forward and pressed his cheeks with her palms. She stared at him for a long span, then nodded. "Kind eyes. He’s not at all the vulture you described, Raph. He’ll do."

"Melana," Raphael warned, then turned to George. "I demand to know what happened. Your mother indicated that she had food poisoning?" Raphael tilted his head a little. "I assume it was something you cooked."

"No. No, sir, I mean. It wasn’t food poisoning. My mother was probably trying not to scare you." He glanced back and forth between them both. "Callie, uh, she drank a little ... too much and, uh, had an adverse reaction to it. They pumped her stomach and - well, we’re still waiting to make sure that her liver enzymes stabilize and that her body is strong enough to, er, bounce back without any serious side effects."

"My daughter doesn’t drink," Raphael snapped. "She hates the taste of alcohol."

"Yes, and she’s also a virgin saint who flitters about her day with angel’s wings." Melana glanced at her husband and rolled her eyes, her expression so much like Callie’s that it was unnerving. "Perhaps, Raphael, you should consider taking off your rose colored glasses before we see the damage for ourselves." To George, she added, "My husband feels that his daughter can do no wrong. This will be your fault somehow so brace yourself."

George had no idea how to respond, so he indicated the elevator behind them. "She’s on the fifth floor. Uhm, Dr. Shepherd, he was the attending on duty last night, has gone home for the day, but Chief Webber has taken over Callie’s case and they’re really pulling out all the stops. You know, she’s one of us."

"Not quite," Raphael replied, looking him up and down. "You are still an intern. A poor, first year intern. And my daughter-"

"Oh for Heaven’s sake," Melana exclaimed, her attention still on George. "No one is good enough for her. Ever. He would find fault with Jesus if she brought him home. She brought home a wonderful boy from Mexico who Raphael said was too low class. She brought home a handsome young man from her university and Raphael said that he had no table manners and his mother was that famous woman who teaches etiquette. Calliope brought home musicians and-"

"Musicians are *scum*!" Raphael told her. "I was not going to stand by and watch our only daughter, the very same one who aced her SAT’s, get involved in that business."

Melana ignored him and continued to talk to George, who hit the elevator button as he listened. "Have you heard her sing yet? I wanted her to sing at Carnegie Hall one day. I wanted her to act on Broadway in ‘Evita’. She was so good, always cast as the lead in the plays during her summer breaks, and then she graduated high school, an agent wanted to sign her, and Raphael says no. He says she has to go to medical school and then she chose her specialty simply because it’s where all the cute boys were. Honestly, breaking bones? She’s a *girl*."

"Mel," Raphael said. "Can we please not?"

"I gave you two sons. You could have let me have my little girl."

"I thought Callie had three brothers," George said.

"Tell him what happened to your other son, Mel." Raphael waited, looking at her innocently.

She said something in Greek and hit the button to the elevator again. "If we had been brought here because we were injured we would now be dead. Why is this elevator so slow?"

"My wife has very old fashioned beliefs." Raphael regarded her for a moment, then told George, "Cambyses is gay. This is a fact that Melana cannot overcome so she refuses to acknowledge his ‘difference’."

"He’ll grow out of it. It’s just a phase."

"A phase that he’s had since he was fifteen?" Raphael asked.

Melana waved a hand and said, "If *your* daughter can stop dressing like a gangster then Cam can beat this affliction as well."

The elevator finally opened and George indicated that they should enter first. It was thankfully empty. He saw that Melana was still regarding him and he squirmed a little and said, "I didn’t know that Callie could sing."
"Well, have you seen her pitch a tantrum yet?" Melana asked. "Her singing is just as impressive."

George smiled. "Now that, I have firsthand knowledge of."

"I’m sure you deserve whatever she dishes out," Raphael told him. "How much alcohol are they alleging she drank?"

"She was unconscious when she was brought in," George admitted.

"What!?" Raphael roared. "Ay dios mio! How? How did this happen? You did this! You!"

"Told you," Melana said to George, then looped her arm through his. Her face was strained now and her worry for her daughter was evident. She valiantly patted George’s hand. "Ignore him. He’s gruff as a bear, but stings as hard as a butterfly."

The doors opened and George indicated that they had arrived. He led them down the hallway and paused outside Callie’s door. It took everything that he had inside to say what came next. "Look, I’d rather you hear this from me than anyone else. This is being treated as a -"

Chief Webber emerged from Callie’s room and almost ran into Raphael. He glanced up from her chart, started to apologize, and then saw Melana. "My god," he said. "If I hadn’t just been in to see Callie I’d think that she was wandering the halls. I’m Chief Webber."

George made the introductions and said, "I was just about to explain Callie’s situation when you came out. Maybe you should - you know, be unbiased, Chief Webber."

Webber looked at George, who had been unable to hide the desperation his voice. "There are privacy issues, Dr. O’Malley."

"No, there’s not." George pointed at Callie’s chart. "She signed off on a medical waiver when she first started. She lists them as medical contacts and agreed to full disclosure."

"We are her parents." Melana looked back and forth between the two men. "This is our child. Please- is she okay?"

Webber indicated an empty conference room across the hall and said, "Please have a seat and we’ll be right in."

Callie’s parents hurried into the room and Webber closed the door, leaving himself and George in the hallway. "Do they know what transpired between you and Dr. Stevens?"

"I’d be in the ER in they did." George ran a hand through his hair. "And how do you know?"

"It’s my business to know. I’m not judging you, I can’t, but they’re going to eventually want answers that I will *not* give them."

"I know." George nodded. "I - I should probably go check on Callie."

"Dr. Karev is with her. And you’re coming with me."

George looked back at Callie’s door and shoved his fists in his pockets. Anger, hot and fiery, raced through him. Alex Karev had found her. Alex Karev had moved into George’s territory and Callie was doing nothing to stop it. He refused to imagine what was taking place in Callie’s room. A tearful reunion? A kiss? "Fine. Let’s get it done."

Melana and Raphael’s joined hands were on the table and Raph stood a little when the doctors came in. Chief Webber nodded at him and took a seat directly across from him. George sat across from Melana and nervously twisted the silver wedding band on his finger. No one spoke for a moment and Chief Webber laid the chart on the table, opening it. He rifled through a couple of pages and said, "Callie was unresponsive when she was brought in. Bloodwork confirmed that she had a potentially fatal amount of alcohol in her system. Because of her breathing, she was put on a respirator and -"

"Is she breathing now? On her own?" Raphael asked.

"Yes." Chief Webber replied. "We took the tube out this morning, but that’s not the most worrying aspect. We’re treating this as a suicide attempt. We have every reason to believe that your daughter purposely tried to end her life last night. Now, she says that she didn’t and-"

"Then she didn’t," Raphael stated calmly. "I want to see her."

"Let him finish, Raph." Melana looked crestfallen, crushed. "George, what do you think?"

Her face was a mirror of Callie’s face the day she had learned the truth and her dark eyes, while creased on the edges where Callie’s were smooth, were imploring him. He looked away quickly, unable to stand the reminder. "I - I don’t believe her. I think she wanted to die."

"And why is that?" Raphael demanded. "What the hell did you do to her, you little bastard? What?"

George took a deep breath. "There are circumstances that you’re not aware of and it’s - it’s up to her to decide what she wants to share."

Raphael’s eyes narrowed. "You don’t believe her yet you hide information for her? You want us to think that she’s the guilty one. I see what you’re doing. You want us to believe that she’s weak and I know my daughter. I know her. She would never do this. Never."

"Please, Raphael." Melana dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "Dr. Webber? Is - is my child okay?"

George stared at the wall and spoke no more.

He didn’t need to.

The Chief was in charge and someone had to be.

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 8
*~*~*~*~*~

"I put the top up on your car last night. It corners like it’s on rails."

"Okay. Now you’re quoting ‘Pretty Woman’. You really are the perfect man."

"Well, yeah."

Callie pointed at his arm. "And you’re carrying my purse."

"Oh! This has been in my locker all night." Alex handed Callie her black leather bag. "It’s not really my style, but I think I could make it work."

"I know I have something for pain in here."

His mind raced back to the empty bottle Addison had found. "What kind of something?"

"Tylenol. Extra strength. A sledgehammer would do in a pinch." She dug through every compartment and sighed. "My head is going to blow off. I’ve had intimate relationships with hangovers before, but we’ve never been sadomasochistic in our endeavors."

"There’s a difference between nearly dead and hungover."

"O’ death, thou comest when I had thee least in mind." She gave up the search and looked at him. "You know, everyone thinks I was trying to murder myself. Webber is actually saying things like ongoing counseling and mentioned a monitoring anklet like I’m Lindsay *freakin’* Lohan."

"That’s insulting. You? So much better looking. You want me to talk to him? Put in a good word?"

"You don’t agree with him?" Her eyes widened. "You believe me?"

"I believe you."

"Really?"

"I think that if you were going to put your own lights out you’d be a little more creative." He leaned forward and smiled at her. "And you did tell me exactly where you were."

"I thought Addison and Mark-"

"No, I called you. You answered," he said. "People who want to die don’t generally answer the phone. Even when the ring tone is as annoying as yours. Seriously? Marilyn Manson?"

"I’m gonna change your tone to ‘Pretty Woman’," she said, laughing a little. Then she hissed and grabbed her head. "Shit. This sucks."

"That bad, huh?"

"That bad. Oh! I didn’t tell you," she replied, massaging her temple. "George has been professing his love all day and as an added bonus, he got his mom to plead his case and tell me a story about how Harold ... *Harold*, Alex, had cheated on her. And the moral of the story was that they were happy anyway."

"Oooooh, mom scores for the dirty win." Alex sat down beside her. "You think she was telling the truth?"

"Who knows? Mothers have a tendency to protect their kid. Well, except mine. I have no doubt she would throw me to the wolves and then stay to monitor the scoreboard." She shrugged, then her face fell. "And my mother is on her way. I can't repress it anymore. Think you could help me out of this bed?"

Alex shook his head. "No. You’re right where you need to be. And as much as I’d like to grab you and go -"

"I just need to go to the bathroom." Callie held up a comb and a small bottle of hairspray that she pulled from her purse. "I should probably fix my hair before the Devil comes calling."

"Is she really that bad?"

"She’s me." Callie nodded. "On ten. And you've only seen me on *four*."

"Holy hell. That is scary. Come on." He lowered the side of the bed and untangled the wires on the IV and heart monitor. The monitor was small, portable, and he laid it on her lap. He pulled the pulse oximeter from her finger and silenced the machine before it could protest. Finally, he stepped up beside her and gently eased her legs from beneath the cover.

"Alex?"

"Yeah."

"I’m not broken."

He looked down at her then and realized that he was handling her like a newborn. "Are you sure about that?"

"Well, my voice barely works and my throat feels like I’ve been swallowing fire, but on the whole I’m in one piece."

"What about your heart?"

She looked away. "I’m a big girl and you don’t have to use kid gloves with me."

"I’d never insult you by doing that. You know I tell you exactly how it is." Alex helped her stand and waited while she adjusted her gown for modesty’s sake. "They cut your clothes off, by the way."

"I bet you loved that."

"You’d be proud of me. As much as I was tempted to watch, I didn’t."

"Wonders never cease." Callie walked into the bathroom and was pleased to see that someone had set out a few toiletries. She couldn’t wait to wash her face, brush her teeth, and pull a comb through her hair. She glanced at her reflection and drew up short. "Holy shit! I did kill myself. I’m a zombie."

"Not quite zombie. More like the walking wounded." Alex joked and closed the door. He straightened her bed and sat down. The rumors were flying in the hospital. Everyone was speculating about who and what had caused Callie Torres, the ‘Bonecrusher’, to crack. Gossip, especially in a place like Seattle Grace, spread faster than wildfire and before Alex had gotten up to the fifth floor he had heard no less than three different first hand accounts of what had transpired. By people who had not even been on duty.

None of it painted Callie in a nice light and that, despite any evidence to the contrary, would keep him firmly on her team. He refused to even entertain the thought that what people were saying could be possible. He may not have known Callie very long, but she knew how to play the game, and she wasn’t likely to just stop batting before the last inning was finished.

He stood when the bathroom door opened and met her halfway. "Where are you hiding the magic wand? You look like yourself again!" He wolf whistled and leered at her, but she didn’t smile. "Hey? What are you thinking?"

"I’m not this person."

"What person?" He waited for her to reply and when she didn’t, he lifted her chin. "What person, Cal?"

"I’m not that girl. I don’t let a guy make me crazy. I just don’t. I never have. And last night-"

"What about it?"

"I became that girl. I became that idiot who can’t think straight because the only guy she ever loved is an asshole so she takes it out on herself. This is *not* my fault. My brain just stops working when he’s around or when he’s not around at all and I just happen to think of him and then I want to tie him to an anchor and drop him in the ocean. And then die rescuing him. BECAUSE I AM AN IDIOT."

"There’s a simple explanation."

"I’m going with the idiot thing. I should get that put on a little round pin and wear it on my scrubs so that all doubt is erased and the next guy who wants to screw me over will just do it up front. At least they’d be open about it."

"You’re talking way too much. I don’t mind, but your throat’s not getting any better." Alex shook his head. "And the reason your brain stops working is because you still love him. And as hurt as you are, you’re not ready to let him go."

"I could be. Maybe I am."

"Liar."

Callie groaned and laid her head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin against her soft curls for a long while. "What I am gonna do, Alex?" she finally said.
Neither realized that they had an audience.

"You’re going to explain yourself. And you will do it now, Calliope."

"Son of a bitch." Callie cringed, took a step back and looked at her parents, then at George, who was glaring at her with his arms crossed. "Perfect timing as usual, Mom. Hi, Daddy."

Melana crossed her arms over her chest and stared back and forth between Callie and Alex. Raphael started toward his daughter, but his wife stopped him. "Do you know what they’ve been telling us, Callie? What your *boss* has told us about you?"

"Go ahead. Get it out of your system, Mom. I’m listening."

"I gave you the life that you have! And the only one of us who gets to take it is *me*!" Melana snapped, her eyes blazing. "What is it with you and Cambyses? I think sometimes that the two of you conspired against me in the womb together while you were stretching me half to death! Do you know what it’s like for a parent to get this kind of news? Do you even care what you put us through? All your life you have been pampered, spoiled, and this is how you thank us? How you thank me?"

Callie simply looked at her. Melana took a step forward and pointed her finger at her daughter. "Are you going to explain? Are you? Who is this man? And what the hell are you doing?"

"Is that it?" Callie asked her. "Are you done? Or do you want me to wait while you load the other barrel."

"YOU ARE TRYING MY PATIENCE!"

"You confused me a little, Mom! You usually jump straight into the condemnation, then the guilt trip, and *then* you threaten to kill me. You did it backwards this time."

"Raph, will you do something about your child?"

Raphael moved around his wife and hugged Callie. Behind them, Melana began to curse, very well, in Greek *and* Spanish, but Raphael ignored her and gave his daughter a kiss. "Mija, your voice. You don’t need to explain anything right now." He glanced at Alex and extended his hand. "Hello, I’m Raphael."

"Alex Karev." Alex, who had been staring at Melana with wide eyed wonder, turned to the older man and shook his hand. "Callie’s told me all about you. It’s so nice to finally meet you."

"Who is he?" Melana asked George, who was standing next to her. "This man with the shifty eyes and smooth tongue?"

"I’m a doctor. I work with Callie." Alex extended his hand, but the woman simply glared at him.

"Don’t expect her to be nice, Alex. You saved my life. She may push you off the roof later on as punishment." Callie pushed Alex's hand down. Her mother looked shocked. "Yeah, Mother, as usual you know nothing about everything."

"You saved her?" Melana asked Alex. "You were with her?"

"Well, I - I brought her to the hospital." Alex barely had the words out before Raphael had him in a bear hug. He patted the older man on the back, clearly uncomfortable, and waved away the gratitude. "I was just in the right place at the right time, Mr. Torres. It was my pleasure."

"Oh, I’m sure it was," Melana said, eyes narrowed. "Callie, are you so generous with your affection with all of your co-workers?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Callie growled. "Usted es muy loca en la cabeza!"

"English is your first language, Calliope. I saw to that," Melana pointed out. "And don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m suggesting. You’re being purposely obtuse or perhaps you really are as ignorant as your behavior last night would imply."

"Okay, that’s it," George said, watching his wife’s face fill with color. "Callie’s not ignorant and I can’t imagine that calling her names is going to make either one of you feel any better, Mrs. Torres. So, why don’t we let her get back into bed, where she needs to be, and everyone try to calm down."

Melana spun around to face George. "You had us sit in that room and listen to the Chief of Surgery tell us that our child could have died during the night. You had him tell us that it was by her own hand and you agreed with him. You will have to forgive me if I don’t understand how that could possibly happen to a girl who called me weeks ago to tell me that she was married, that she was happy, that her life was perfect. I want answers and I want them now."

"I’m gonna go." Alex reached over and squeezed Callie’s hand. "I’ll come back later and -"

"You will stay where you are." Melana moved a little closer to Alex. "And tell me what you were doing with her last night. She claims you saved her, but I wonder how much you contributed to the problem. I see the way you look at her, Alex Karev. My daughter is married. Leave her alone."

Raphael glared at Callie. "Mija, are you - is this - are you being *unfaithful*?"

"No! No! That is absolutely not the case," Alex replied before she could. "We’re friends. That’s it. George, you better say something, man. Because Callie’s not going down like this."

"What do you mean?" Raph glanced at George who looked away. "What the - O’Malley, what did you do to my daughter? I warned you! I got in your face and I -"

"STOP! Ow! Oh my god!" Callie clutched her head because of the pain that shot through it. "Stop. Just stop."

"Why aren’t they giving her anything for the headache? Why is she suffering?" Raphael demanded.

"Perhaps to teach her that moderation is the perfect measure for everything," Melana said.

"Mom, for the love of God!" Callie shouted, then began to cry as she clutched at her throat. "I’m suffering. Okay? I’m suffering enough without your help so just enjoy the view in silence because I can’t *take* anything else. I’ve had enough. You win. I’m miserable. Inside and out! I’m miserable!"

Melana covered her mouth as Callie completely broke down. Her eyes widened in shock. Never, in Callie’s entire life, had she cried the way she was currently crying. It cut through Melana, wounded her to the bone. Looking at Raphael, she saw that he was as shocked as she was, so she took a step forward, pushing George, who had started toward Callie, out of the way. She pulled her daughter into her arms and held her tight. Very tight. "Oh, baby," she said softly. "I’m sorry. Whatever it is, whatever’s hurting you, I’ll take care of it."

Callie sniffled against her mom’s shoulder. "My head. Can you start there?"

"I- I’m sure I have something in my purse," Melana took a step back and patted Callie’s face. She lingered for a moment, then pressed a kiss against her cheek. "Let me see what I can find."

"No." George stopped her. "She can’t take anything yet, Mrs. Torres. The liver testing is -"

"But, I have just the thing. Just the right medicine." The older woman shifted a little and unzipped her bag. She clicked her tongue and out jumped a small black and white monkey, more tail than body, and it raced up her arm and settled on her shoulder. It blinked several times, using tiny hands to rub his eyes. Then it spotted Callie and opened it’s mouth wide, revealing enough deadly teeth to be intimidating.

"Who are you smiling at? Come." Callie grinned through her tears, held out her arm and the little monkey leaped and whistled, landing gracefully on her wrist. She straightened the denim covered diaper the animal wore and gave it a kiss on the head. It scampered up to her neck and ducked under her hair, peeking out at everyone from between the two handfuls that it clung to. "Yeah, I’d hide, too, if I could," she softly said. "Now stop pretending to be bashful, old man. Say hello."

The monkey came out from under her hair and waved at Alex, who stood closest.

"You can’t just watch ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’? Now you have to get a matching monkey," Alex said, taking a step back as the monkey ‘smiled’ again. "It’s all teeth."

"You told me you slept through the movie, ass!" Callie told him. "And I had Gucci first. Before all the cool kids were doing it."

"Why is it looking at me? Is it going to bite me?"

"Only if I tell him to."

Alex held his hand out and the little monkey grabbed his finger and lifted it up and down. "Is he shaking my hand?"

"Monkeys are much more civilized than people. Especially my people." Callie stroked the monkey on the back and he turned into her, hugging her around the neck. She cradled it like baby and glanced at her mother, who was glaring at her. "You had that one coming, Mom. Now, this is Alex. He’s one of my best friends and later on you’ll meet Addison. She’s the other one."

"You always have to get the last word." Melana reached out and shook Alex’s hand. "Thank you, Dr. Karev. For whatever you did."

Alex shook her hand and glanced at George, who was watching the exchange with a stricken look on his face. "No problem. As weird and amusing as all of this has been ... I really need to head out. So, it was nice to meet you both. Callie, I’ll see you later." He walked across the room and paused next to George. "Can you come outside for a second?"

George took a deep breath. Callie was ignoring him again, openly, brazenly. He watched as her mother helped her into the bed and pulled the cover over her lap. "Yeah," he finally said.

Alex led him across the hallway into the same empty conference room that Chief Webber had used. He waited for George to enter and then closed the door and leaned against it. "Listen, man, I told the truth in there. Nothing’s happened between me and Callie."

"Really? You didn’t kiss her? You didn’t touch her?"

"I know this is hard to believe because she’s cool as hell, but all we’ve done is hang out so far. That’s it."

"So far? So far!? I will kill you, Alex! Dead! Stay away from my wife!"

"Nah, I don't think I will. Now that I’ve gotten to know her I can tell you that she is one hell of a woman and you’re an idiot."

"You think I don’t know that?"

"No. I don’t think you do. I told you once before that she was out of your league. She’s hot. She’s smart. She’s our boss. She’s *fun*. She's the kind of girl that you wake up with, twenty years from now, and she *still* makes you forget every woman you ever had in your entire life."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I like her. A lot. And if you don’t hang onto her with both hands then she’s fair game and I’m going to swoop in and do what you should have."

"Oh? And what’s that?"

"Grow up. Be a man." Alex smirked at him. "I leveled the playing field, see. Izzie’s your best friend and now Callie’s mine. And I’m just as demanding as Izzie is. We’re gonna hang out. Me and Callie. And I’m telling you upfront that I’m interested. So, all the times that I call her or you see us together in the cafeteria or she chooses me over you ... you better not say a damn thing to her. Because turnabout it fair play."

"Alex, I swear to God-"

"How does it taste? Your own medicine, that is." Alex raised his eyebrows and opened his arms, shrugging a little. "What you’ve been feeling the past couple of days? What you’re feeling right now ... knowing that I want her, knowing that I'm ready to go for it. That’s how she’s felt for months. Think about that."

"Get out."

"Oh, I’ll go, but I’ll always be around."

*~*~*~*~*~

"You’ve lost weight since the last time I was here," Raphael told his daughter. "Quite a bit."

"Yeah."

"More than you should."

"You can never be too thin."

"It’s unhealthy, mija."

Callie played with Gucci, feeding him ice chips and hiding his favorite toy, a marble, in the folds of the cover. She was aware that her parents, who were standing on either side of the bed, were watching her every move. Feeling very much like she was about to spanked, she looked up at her father and said, "I - I didn’t try to kill myself, Daddy"

"Of course you didn’t, darlin’. I know."

Callie bit her bottom lip, trying not to cry, but it was futile. Tears rolled down her face and she added, "I don’t want to be a disappointment to you. To either one of you." Callie looked at her mother. "I just - I need to admit something to you."

"Baby." Melana put a hand on her shoulder. "You can tell us anything."

Nodding, Callie took a deep breath and pulled Gucci a little closer. She rubbed her nose against his and took a deep breath. "I didn’t try to kill myself, but - but I wouldn’t have minded dying all the same."

She looked up in time to see her parents exchange a look that made her break completely. "I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Mama. Daddy, please don’t be mad at me," she sobbed.

Raphael leaned down, kissing her cheek. "I have never been mad at you. What makes you think I’d start now?"

"You always taught me self respect."

"What you did last night - Callie, that doesn’t strip your self respect or -"

"That’s not what I mean." Callie looked into his eyes, drawing strength from him. "I want to stay married to a man who cheated on me. I want to give up the self respect you taught me and take him back. And I’m scared, Daddy. I’m so scared that he’ll do it again and I’m terrified that I’ll just look the other way if he does because I love him that much. And I’ll never have any dignity again."

Raphael yanked off his jacket and began rolling up the sleeves on his shirt. He looked at his wife and said, "You’ll need to keep a straight head, Melana. I’m sure the bail for murder will be very high and I’ll need you to post it quickly, arrange a flight out of the country, and we’ll take Calliope and go."

Melana visualized a few of the more painful ways to kill a human, then her jaw tightened and she ground her teeth as Callie buried her face in her hands. "If she wanted to be a widow, Raph, she would have taken matters into her own hands."
"She did!" Raphael snapped. "Do you not see what she’s doing? She’s punishing herself for his mistakes."

"Quiet!" Melana pointed at her husband. "You always do this. You always try to rescue her."

"He hurt her!"

"Sit down, Raphael, before one of us has a stroke." Melana glared until he acquiesced, then put a hand on her daughter’s leg. "Look at me, Calliope." She waited until she had her daughter’s full attention, then said, "If God had intended love to be a dignified affair then he’d keep the heart out of it. He made it very clear that love was a battlefield."

Callie blinked at her mother. "No. That was Pat Benatar."

"Whatever." Melana sat down beside her. "What I’m trying to say to you is that your father and I could never be disappointed in you just for falling in love. Never. And it’s not your fault if he’s unworthy. It’s not your fault that he’s a piece of sh-"

"Mom, he’s not unworthy." Callie covered her mother’s hand with her own. "And that’s the problem. I want to hate him, but I can’t. He keeps begging and pleading with me. And he keeps crying and telling me how sorry he is and I want to believe him. I do. I need to believe him. I just want him, you know. I just want him back."

"I’ll give him back to you one piece at a time, mija."

"Raphael, that is enough!"

"I won’t abide it, Melana! He-"

"You can’t understand this, Raph. You are not a woman!"

"I don’t need a vagina to know how to treat a woman!" Raphael shouted. "And I will not see her like this for another moment! It’s over! Calliope, it’s over. You will end this marriage and you will hold your head up while you do it."

"And this is why women have the babies." To her husband, Melana said, "God created women to carry love. I’m not just talking about carrying a child in your womb, Raphael, I’m talking about the way love stains a woman’s soul. It gets inside of her and blinds her. It hurts her, amazes her, and makes her hold on with both hands. You can’t fix this with violence. Only Calliope can do this."

"You just said love was a battlefield, Mel! I'm killing him."

"Stop fighting!" Callie said. She looked up at her mother and said, "You get it. You really get it, don’t you? You get *me*."

"If you feel that this is something that you can live with, we’ll support you. If you feel like it’s something that you want out of, I’ll call the lawyer myself and make sure it ends." Melana saw the shock on Callie’s face. "I know what I’ve always said and that should prove to you that love makes us all lose a little self respect. I love you, honey. Divorce is ugly, but it’s uglier to stay where you’re unhappy. I won’t judge you for this and I'll be there every step of the way, regardless of what you do."

The door opened and George walked in, carrying a tray from the cafeteria. He sat it on the rolling table in the corner and pushed it to the edge of the bed. "You really do need to try and eat something, Callie. I got everything that you like and - and I brought extra fruit for the - the monkey."

"Oh, that’s right." Melana picked up the capuchin and held it for a moment. "I was remiss in my introductions. George, this is Gucci." She stared at her son in law for a moment. "Gucci, this is Cheater. ATTACK."

The monkey sprang.

Callie screamed.

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 9
The little primate soared through the air toward George’s face, teeth bared. Callie reached up, trying to intercept the animal, but missed. "No!" she cried.

Raphael, who was hoping for as much carnage as possible, moved out of the way. He let the monkey land on George, smiled a little when the young man screeched, and then watched as Gucci ripped at George’s hair. Callie shot from the bed, but Raphael grabbed her around the waist and put a hand over her mouth to keep her from commanding the monkey to cease. Only when he felt her tears on his hand did he bark out an order and the attack finally stopped, but Gucci remain firmly on George’s head.

"Don’t make any sudden movements, George," Raph said in a low, rumbling voice. "He can sever the artery in your neck with one bite. Just one. And I can think of one very good reason why I should let him."

"So can I," Melana agreed. "Perhaps you should instruct him to move a little lower, Raph. I’m sure there’s an artery below the belt that controls what he so obviously can’t."

Callie finally succeeded in pushing her father’s hand away. "Gucci, come," she said through her tears.

"Gucci, stay!" The authority in Raphael’s voice overrode her weak summon and the monkey, though confused, made no move to leave his new perch. "I trusted you, George. You gave me your word that you would take care of my little girl."

"I know," George shakily replied. "And I will."

Callie struggled harder as George lowered his arms and the monkey cried out, agitated by the movement. "He’s bleeding. Daddy, he’s bleeding. Oh, my god."

Raphael narrowed his eyes at George and said, "You’ve got angels on your side, boy. Gucci, come."

The monkey hopped onto Raphael’s hand and Callie broke loose and rushed to her husband, who was dumbstruck, staring at the scratches on the backs of his hands. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was superficial, then cupped his cheek, thumbing away the blood from a small knick. "Are you okay? I am so sorry." He nodded and she turned, nostrils flaring, and shouted at her parents, "How could you do that to him?"

"How could we not?!" Melana demanded. "What’s a few little cuts compared to what he did to you?"

"I thought you understood! You said that violence wasn’t the answer!"

"I understand completely that you’re in love with him." Melana shot back. "And I said that your father shouldn’t resort to violence. I didn’t say anything about Gucci."

"Get out. Go back home and stay the hell away from me!" Callie pointed at the door, which opened.

"What is all that noise?" Bailey asked, walking into the room. "This is a -" Her gaze landed on the monkey, which grinned at her, and she shook her head. "I am not seeing what I think I’m seeing. This is a hospital, people! A hospital! Get that monkey and-"

"He’s a trained service animal," Melana said. "I have epilepsy. He can usually warn me that an attack is coming."

"Uh huh." Bailey had now seen the blood on George’s hands and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah, I can see how trained it is. O’Malley, go down to the clinic and tell Stevens to clean you up."

"No." George shook his head. "I can’t do that." He looked at Callie. Melana had said that Callie was in love with him and that was enough to glue his feet to the floor. "I’m not leaving."

"Then go in the bathroom and wash your hands!" Bailey snapped. She watched as her intern walked past her and shut the bathroom door, then turned her attention to Callie. "Dr. Torres, how are you feeling?"

"Is that a trick question?" Callie wiped at the tears on her face and added, "I’m ready to leave. Can you get the paperwork started?"

"This is not a hotel," Bailey told her. "You don’t decide when you checkout. I do. And you’re not going anywhere until you make your Psych consult. It’s in thirty minutes."

"Oh, come on!"

"Chief Webber explained it to us, mija," Raphael said, handing the monkey off to Melana. "It’s just a precaution. What you did-"

"For the last freakin’ time ... I did not try to kill myself! I had too much to drink! It happens!" Callie was angry, angrier than she could remember being. "And I’m not talking to you, Dad! What you just did was fucked up!"

"Do not use that language, Calliope! You are not too old for a mouth full of soap." Melana opened the large bag and Gucci scampered back inside and settled onto his blanket. "Once you’ve explained yourself I’m sure it will be fine. Your father and I will go with you and wait."

"No." George emerged from the bathroom, drying his scraped hands on a towel. "I’m going with her."

"You will stay away from her," Raph growled.

"She is my *wife*. You can threaten me, you can call me names, and you can try to intimidate me with your monkey or anything else in your arsenal, but she’s my *wife* and I’m not going anywhere."

Raphael glared. "Really? Was she your wife when you were unfaithful?"

"Dad."

"Don’t you ‘Dad’ me, Calliope. I’m not the bad guy here. He is. And he can puff up and try to posture all he wants, but at the end of the day he still lost the right to call you his wife and if he does it one more time I’m going to strangle him."

"That’s enough." Bailey looked at Callie’s father then at George. She could see that distance needed to be put between them as soon as possible. "I need George to run an errand anyway so he can escort her upstairs. Dr. O’Malley, I realize that you’re not on duty, but if you could please pick up the Sanderson labs that would be great."

"No. No way!" Callie shook her head back and forth as George beckoned her. "I can’t do this today. Not today! I have to leave."

"You got somewhere else to be?" Bailey asked. "Maybe a bar? A liquor store?"

"Look at me! I’m surrounded by crazy! I am not in any shape to talk to *anyone* about *anything*. If I go up there, they’ll keep me. They’ll probably put a straight jacket on me and I’d rather skip having to gnaw through restraints today." Callie put a hand on her head as the throbbing intensified. "Besides you still owe me one."

"Come again." Bailey raised her brows.

"I saved you from Sydney! Last month. She said she had nothing to do and kept hanging around you. I made her come with me. I made her scrub in with *me*. You said you owed me one and I’m collecting."

Bailey’s jaw dropped a little. "You saving me from Sydney is not even in the same ballpark as me putting my ass on the line with the Chief. And I think I paid you back last night after I sucked five *full* containers out of your stomach before you were finally clear."

"You were just doing your job. Me hanging out with Sydney? That is not part of *my* job." Callie’s eyes were huge. "She *hugged* me. She *braided* my *hair* so that it would look better under my scrub cap. I spent seven hours straight listening to her chatter about healing with love and then I had to have *lunch* with her on top of that. Now ... pay up."

"She braided your hair?" Bailey couldn’t hide her laughter. She tilted her head back a little and tried to imagine it. When she finally looked at Callie she saw the desperation in the other woman’s face and sighed. "Oh, all right! Your last liver test was fine. You’re clearly surrounded by family and you’re safe and you need to go get a decent meal. I forgot that Psych was too busy to see you today."

"Dr. Bailey," George said, shaking his head. "Don’t. She needs to go up and -"

"Be quiet, O’Malley." Bailey opened Callie’s chart and glanced through it. After she scribbled a couple of notes, she addressed Callie. "Give me your word that you’ll come back in the next couple of days and do this consult."

"Fine."

"Now promise me that you’re okay."

"I’m fine. Perfect. My mother has zipped up the monkey, my husband has zipped up his pants, and I’m getting out of here so life is good. And I did *not* try to kill myself."

Bailey shook her head. "Two days, Torres. That’s forty eight hours for you to schedule this appointment and get it over with."

"He name is O’Malley," George pointed out. "And she’ll be here. I’ll make sure of it."

"George, you may be in traction by then." Bailey closed Callie’s chart. To Callie, she added, "Good luck."

"Thanks. I’ll need it."

*~*~*~*~*~

Addison sat in the lounge, an unopened magazine in front of her. She wanted to go and see Callie, but every time she headed for her friend’s room, she stopped. How was she going to apologize enough? The things that she had said to Callie had been wrong, uncalled for, and she couldn’t help but think that it contributed to what Callie had done. Taking a deep breath, she flipped open the magazine and glanced down at it.

Mark sat down next to her, handing her a steaming cup of coffee. "It’s khaki. Just the way you like it."

"What?" She didn’t look at him.

"It’s more milk than coffee. It’s khaki." Mark put his hand on hers. "Callie’s okay. I overheard Bailey and Karev talking just now. Bailey’s letting her go home. Apparently Karev pled her case and is backing her up on the whole ‘accidental’ thing."

"Did you look in her chart? How’s her liver?"

"You know I did." Sloan grinned. "She’s one lucky girl. That’s all I can say. How she escaped this without any permanent damage is beyond me."

"Oh, she’s damaged."

"Just go talk to her."

"And say what? ‘I’m sorry that I got pissed at you and called you a bitch just because I was jealous of you and Alex Karev’?" As soon as she uttered the words, she realized what she had done.

Mark’s eyes widened. "Can you repeat that, Addison? I couldn’t have heard it right."

"It’s nothing."

"Do you have something going with that kid?" Mark asked.

"No." Addison shook her head. "We - we kissed one time and-"

"YOU KISSED HIM!?"

"Mark-"

"When?"

"A few weeks ago."

"Was that before or after we decided to do the sixty days?"

Addison faltered a little. It was only a split second, but it was enough. Mark shoved away from the table and stomped out of the lounge. She watched him go with her eyes wide and then groaned, planting her forehead on the open magazine. "Sucks. Sucks. Sucks."

"I’ll tell you what sucks," Bailey said, taking Mark’s vacant seat. "Callie Torres’ life. That sucks. Her mother’s monkey attacked George. They know what he did with Stevens and when a parent knows her child has been betrayed, well, they get a little crazy."

Addison finally lifted her head and looked at her friend. "You lost me at monkey."

Bailey quickly explained and watched as Addison put her head down again. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do not tell me that you have a hangover!"

"Men."

"No. We are not discussing men."

Addison, with her head still on the magazine, plowed ahead. "Mark can’t really get jealous. You know? He cheated on me after I cheated on my husband to be with him and then he came here and screwed everything with legs, including Callie, so he can’t get mad just because me and Alex had a -"

"WHAT?" Bailey slapped her hand on the table next to Addison’s head, causing the red head to look at her. "I swear to God ... I don’t have interns. I have nymphomaniacs. When I was in my first year I did not have sex one single time. Why? Because I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to learn. I don’t know what the hell kind of hormones they injected into my five idiots, but *you* should be immune! Alex Karev!?"

"It was just a kiss."

"A kiss of death by the looks of you," Bailey growled. "If everyone who worked here could open up a chart instead of their fly then life would be a little better all around."

"I kissed him on the mouth. Not there."

"I’m pretending that I didn’t hear that."

Addison sighed. "By the way, are you sure that Callie needs to go home so soon?"

"Does everyone know the status of my patient? Karev was waiting on me in the parking lot when I got here this morning. He insisted that she’s fine and put up a damn good argument as to why she should go home."

"Why is that?"

"Because at least when she’s back at the hotel she can lock people out." Bailey sipped her cola. "And Callie got me on a technicality."

"A technicality?"

"Sydney Heron."

Addison wrinkled her nose. "Sydney Heron?"

"Callie had a favor coming. From me. I’m willing to let her go because I’m convinced of two things."

"And that would be?"

"That anyone who had to work seven straight hours with Sydney Heron earns the emotional breakdown that eventually comes. And George O’Malley is not going to let his wife out of his sight." Bailey picked up her bag of chips and opened it. "She’ll be okay."

"She’s stubborn."

"She needs to be. I don’t judge a lot of the crap that goes on around here because my brain doesn’t process it, but what he did with Stevens? *That* sucked."

"He loves Callie. He'll make this right."
"They got married fast."

"He loves her," Addison repeated. "So do I. She’s my best friend. My best friend that I haven’t seen really since she woke up."

"She may still be up there. Olivia’s on the chart so it’ll probably be hours before she’s released. Can she be slower?" Bailey ate a few chips, then looked confused. "Why haven’t you been up to see her?"

"We had a really, really bad fight before she drank herself into a coma." Addison made a face. "I thought she was sleeping with Alex."

"This?" Bailey said. "This is why I don’t want to talk about men. I knew that Alex was too interested in her damn case."

"They’re not sleeping together. They’re friends."

Bailey stood and picked up her tray. "You know what? I can’t wrap my head around who’s doing what with who so I’m just going to go do what I know. And that’s cut someone open. Too bad I can’t pick who from the employees here. This whole place needs a lobotomy."

Addison stood as well, glancing down at the khaki coffee Mark had set in front of her. She lifted the cup and took a sip. It was lukewarm, but it was exactly the way she liked it. Mark knew those things. He knew which movies made her cry, which chocolate she needed during PMS, and how she took her coffee. It was rare to find someone who *cared* about something so mundane. Derek had certainly never, even after all their years together, known how much milk versus coffee made her a happy girl.

Dropping her food in the trash, she headed up to Callie’s room. George was standing in the hallway and he looked so happy to see her that it took a little of the load off her shoulders. "Hey, George."

"Oh! Hey!" he greeted, then shifted his eyes a little.

She followed his gaze and saw an older gentleman standing nearby, openly glaring at George. "You must be Mr. Torres." She extended her hand. "I’m Addison Montgomery. Your daughter is my best friend."

"Miss Montgomery, it’s nice to meet you," Raphael said as he clasped her hand in his. "Callie talks about you all the time."

"Call me Addison," she replied. Guilt rose inside her at his comment and she looked back at George. "Is it okay if I go in?"

He looked pained at the thought of being left in the hallway with Mr. Torres again, but he nodded. "Of course. Callie wanted to take a shower so her mom was helping her out a little, but she should be finished soon. It’s gotta be soon. Really soon now."

After she gave him a reassuring smile, Addison rapped lightly on the door and pushed it open. She drew up short when she got a good look at Callie’s mother. "Oh my god. The two of you look like-"

"Twins," Callie finished for her, coming out of the bathroom, her hair wet. "Yeah, we never hear that. Mom, meet Addison. Addy, this is my mother."

"Melana," Mrs. Torres replied. The two women shook hands. "Addison is a lovely name."

"Thank you." Addison turned her attention to Callie and frowned. Her friend looked exhausted, beaten, and was still far too pale as far as Addy was concerned. "How do you feel?"

Callie shrugged. "Mom? Would you mind asking George to get my clothes out of my locker? I don’t really want to go home in this hospital gown." Her mother nodded and Callie added, "And could you and Daddy give me a minute alone? I need to talk to Addison."

"Absolutely, honey."

Addison waited until Melana had left the room and then said, "Look, I’m sorry. I was one hundred percent wrong and -"

"Shut up."

"Callie-"

"Shut up! You apologized last time. It’s my turn. I hit you below the belt with the whole Derek thing and I’m sorry."

"I had it coming. And I called you a bitch."

"Yeah. I didn’t have that coming."

"I know."

"I didn’t make out with Alex."

"I know that, too."

The two women looked at one another for several moments and then Callie said, "I guess this is where we hug."

Addison took a step forward and pulled her best friend into her arms. "We’re getting better at this whole friendship thing."

Callie held onto her for a while. "I really need a friend right now."

"I’m here." Addison took a step back and then pointed a the bed. "Sit down. You look like hell."

Callie crawled back into the bed and took a deep breath, hoping it would settle her frayed nerves. She told Addison about Louise and then relayed the events of the morning, her eyes filling with tears by the time she reached the worst of the gory details. "And even after the monkey attacked him, my father threatened him, and he knew that they knew ... he stayed. He *stayed*, Addison."

"He regrets it."

"How do you know that?"

"He stayed."

"No offense, but you tried to stay with Derek, too. You came all this way and you tried to hold on with both hands, but you couldn’t. And you’re thinking about reconciling with the man who broke up your marriage."

Addison frowned. Reconciling with Mark would probably be hard to do now that he was so pissed at her. She wanted to mention it, but decided to keep her own problems to herself for the time being. Callie needed her. "My marriage was broken before I cheated. Love couldn’t fix it, but it was still worth trying. It’s better to try and find out it didn’t work than not try and wonder ten years from now if you made the wrong choice."

"Do you know that George never even told me he loved me until the night he proposed?" Callie replied. "I keep thinking about that. It was everything I could have wanted it to be. It was unexpected, it was sweet, and it was the most romantic moment of my entire life.

"But that little voice in the back of my head told me not to do it, told me that he was still reeling from his dad’s death, and that it was a mistake." Her eyes met Addison’s. "Do you know that the only reason I said yes to him that night was because I couldn’t hurt him? I couldn’t turn him down because he said his stomach was filled with asphalt."

Addison blinked several times. "Asphalt? We have very different concepts of romance."

Callie attempted to grin, but didn’t quite make it. "I knew better, but I just love him so much and he was finally offering me everything I wanted. I knew better. I did. And this ... this is apparently God getting back at me for depriving my mother of the white dress she picked out for me years ago."

"I’m not a religious person, but I can’t imagine that God, whoever that may be, would hurt you this much over a dress." Addison put her hand on Callie’s. "What do you want? Do you want to end it and go your separate ways or do you want to work on it?"

The silence between them was heavy and would have been uncomfortable had it not been for their mutual understanding that the truth was often hard to speak. The question hung in the air, demanding attention, though, and the dark haired ‘bonecrusher’ knew that her heart was about to suffer a permanent fracture. She knew the answer. She knew it through and through. And it terrified her.

"I want him back," Callie finally admitted. "But then I think that I’m gonna be the butt of the joke here at work. Moreso than I already am, because then I’m the wife who takes crap from her husband and stays. And everyone knows. Everyone has an opinion and I don't really care what people think. Really, I don't. But even *I* hate those weak women who become doormats."

"I can’t tell you what to do and I know this is a sore subject, but while you were gone for those fifteen days I hung out with George. You are my best friend and I will always support you because I love you, but I feel it in my gut that you guys can work this out. I don’t have any doubt at all that George is madly in love with you and he wants to make amends. And you love him, Callie. Do you want to live without him because of what people may say or fight for what’s yours and prove everyone wrong?"

"How do I fight when I have no pride?"

"Pride goeth before the fall, Cal. And you’re ready to fall. Let him catch you when you do."

There was a soft knock on the door and George pushed it open. In one hand he carried the duffel bag containing Callie’s clothing. In the other he held her discharge papers, which he had signed. He handed the bag to Callie and said, "Your parents got a room at the Archfield. They’re waiting in the hallway to drive your car." He looked at his wife. "I’ll understand if you don’t want me to go with you, but I would really like to."

"Why?"

"Because I love you. And I’m tired. I haven’t slept well in weeks and the only way I’m going to is if I can see you, hear you breathe. I won’t touch you. I won’t force you to talk to me if you don’t want, but I need to look at you. I just - I need to look at you for a while."

//I’d be happy to just to look at you from across the room. And even that, anything, any piece of you - I mean, hopefully all of you, that would be the best thing - because I love you.//

Callie’s dark brown eyes met his green ones. He didn’t blink, didn’t glance away. Whether it was the memory of his proposal or a death wish on his own part was unclear, but the plea in his eyes never wavered. Addison squeezed her hand, prompting her to answer. "Yeah. Okay."

"Okay." George smiled at her.

Addy’s sigh of relief went unnoticed by both her friends.

*~*~*~*~*~

George waited in Callie’s room as she got dressed in the bathroom. Addison had gone, promising that she would drop by later in the evening when her shift was over and George had impulsively hugged her. He needed to hug someone. He felt like a dead man walking. She had hugged him back and whispered that it would be okay before she headed into the hallway to keep Callie’s parents at bay. He was staring out the window at the surprisingly sunny sky when he heard the bathroom door open.

Callie was wearing a pair of black jeans that she had picked up at the mall when they had gone shopping in Vegas. They had been skin tight at the time, causing George’s mouth to water as they hugged her rounded backside. Now, however, he saw that they were loose, hanging dangerously low on her hips. They hung so low that she had been forced to put a cuff on each leg so that she wouldn’t trip in the Crocs she wore. Instead of wearing the simple red shirt that had been stowed away in her bag, she had chosen to wear one of her body hugging, cleavage baring, tank tops. Also black. Also a lot looser than usual.

George would have enjoyed the view if he had not been shocked as hell at the patch of skin that peeked below it. Her stomach, which usually had just the slightest outward curve, was flat. Completely flat. As his gaze dipped lower still he saw that her hip bones were showing over the top of her jeans and he frowned. How had he not noticed that she had wilted away? Had he always been so blind where she was concerned?

Callie patted the long, loose pony tail she had secured her hair in and took a deep breath. "You think I look slutty enough to annoy my mother?"

George shook his head. "She’s going to forget the clothes when she sees how they fit you."

Glancing down at herself, Callie nodded. "I do seem to have shed a few pounds."

Saying nothing, George watched her as she walked around the room, gathering the stuffed bear Louise had given her and then bending over to retrieve her purse from the bottom of the closet. He gasped and pointed at her backside. "Callie O’Malley!" he yelped, staring at the black ink on her lower back. "When, where and why did you get a tramp stamp!?"

Callie stood slowly, self consciously trying to pull her pants up or her shirt down. She turned and grinned a little sheepishly. "Uh, North Carolina?"

"It’s huge!" George moved around her and lifted her shirt. The tattoo was completely black and as he stared at it, he realized that it was a bird of some kind. The wings spanned the expanse of her hips and there were tribal designs on either side and underneath. He licked his lips a little and trailed his fingers over it. "It’s also hot as hell. Did - did it hurt?"

Callie’s breath caught as he traced the lines. She hated that her body wanted to react to his touch, to his nearness. She hissed when his thumb dipped a little lower and stepped away from him. Angry at herself, she pulled at her shirt and turned around. "Yeah. It hurt. I needed something physical to hurt for a while instead of the inside."

George realized that he had overstepped the invisible boundary and nodded. "What does it mean? The tattoo?"

"I got it to remind me that I can fly. Anytime. That my wings are never clipped and I’m never stuck. I can disappear."

"You almost did."

"We should go."

George wanted to continue their conversation, but she reached for her duffel and put it over her shoulder. He took it from her and carried it himself, following her into the hallway. As soon as they emerged, Melana began to fret over Callie’s weight loss, fret about her return to ‘gangster’ clothing, and then she saw the tattoo and, thankfully, it kept everyone’s attention off George for the elevator ride to the lobby. He listened as Raphael joined the chorus, complaining that Callie had ruined her beautiful complexion with the ink, that she had wasted away to skin and bones, that she should be ashamed of herself.

They cut through the ER because that was where Alex had left Callie’s car. George saw Meredith, who smiled at him, then she looked at Callie and her smile faded. He knew that she was seeing what he had seen. His bride was no longer *curvy*. He wondered again how he failed to see it. Granted, her scrubs were camouflaging and the hospital gown she had worn was a tent on anyone, but still. Then he remembered that he had seen her in her bathing suit and sarong and he had been so intent on making her listen to him that he hadn’t even noticed her size.

He definitely noticed now.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Callie dug her keys from her purse and opened the trunk on her modest red Toyota Camry Solara convertible. George had fallen in love with the stupid car after she test drove it. That had been before he knew about her money. He thought she had financed the twenty thousand dollar car. She had paid cash. She figured he would shit himself if he ever got to go to Miami with her and see her Mercedes. Or the Jag. Or the old mustang convertible that had been Cam’s at one time. Or her father’s Rolls Royce. She waited while George put her bag in the trunk, then shut it. Her mother kept a firm hold on Gucci’s Louis Vuitton carrying case.

Flipping a few buttons, Callie let the top down and cringed a little. If she had thrown up in the backseat, someone had cleaned it up, but they had left the bottles. There were three empty Kahlua White Russian bottles and a fourth full one from the pack she had purchased the morning after her fight with Addison. The larger of the bourbon bottles was in the front floorboard and the smaller was in the backseat. The smell of alcohol in the car would make eyes water, but she said nothing.

Her father was glaring at her and Callie sighed, holding out her keys to George, who wordlessly took them. After he parents were settled in the backseat, Callie crawled into the passenger seat and tilted her head back a little, enjoying the sun. It was a mistake and the harsh light caused her temples to throb. She settled her sunglasses on her nose as George started the engine.

"Callie?" Raph said, shifting his feet a little as the bottles clanked beneath them. "Do you recall telling me that you didn’t drink? That you didn’t like the taste of alcohol?"

"Yeah, Dad. It was the day after a fifty kegger frat party and I woke up face down in the sand." She rubbed her head.

"I feel like I don’t know you any more," her father said as George maneuvered them onto the main road that would lead to the hotel. "This car? This car isn’t you."

"It’s got four tires and an engine. It’s fine."

"Tattoos. Alcohol poisoning. None of this started until you eloped."

Callie saw George’s hand tighten on the gear shifter and instinctively put her hand on his. He lifted his fingers a little so that he could capture hers and she didn’t pull away. The remainder of the ride was blissfully silent, save for Gucci. Melana had opened the panel of his carrier and the wind thrilled him. He chortled his excitement, a sound that usually made Callie laugh along with him, but she never even smiled.

George let the Valet service handle the parking and Callie was glad that she didn't need to see the parking deck again. She hopped out of the car and pulled the seat forward, helping her mother out. Her father climbed out behind his wife and stood toe to with Callie, looking at her. He reached up, plucked the glasses off her face and tilted her chin. "I take back what I said earlier, Calliope," he told her.

"Which part?"

"The part where I said I could never be mad at you."

She watched as he stalked off. Her mother simply shook her head and followed, uncharacteristically quiet. George stepped up beside Callie and handed her purse to her. "He’ll come around," he softly told her, placing a hand on the small of her back.

"He’s disappointed in me. Do you have any idea how horrible it feels to know that?"

George brushed a strand of her hair back from her face and nodded, "Unfortunately. I disappointed you. And that need you have to rush after him and beg until he tells you he still loves you ... that’s how I’ve felt for weeks now." He saw her face tighten and quickly amended, "And I deserve it, but I know exactly how you feel."

Callie pulled her bag over her shoulder and walked into the hotel.
----
CH 10
*~*~*~*~*~
Addison found Mark sitting on a bed in the on call room. He had his back against the wall and his knees drawn upward and her heart raced a little when he looked at her. Swallowing hard, she locked the door behind her and leaned against it. His jaw was clenched tight and as she watched him, she saw that his eye was twitching. It was ... adorable. He was jealous.

It was also hot.

"Mark," she began.

"I don’t want to hear it."

"It was before we made the sixty day pact. Karev and I had been working together every day and it happened. I - I was lonely and we kissed. It was nothing."

"Nothing?" Mark scoffed. "This is why you fought with Callie? This is why you got drunker than I’ve ever seen you? This *intern*? He’s a baby, Addison. Pervert."

"I’m a pervert? Do you happen to remember the candle wax incident last New Year’s? Or the handcuffs? Or the-"

"That’s right, Addy. Do that thing you do where you point the finger at everyone but yourself. Go ahead."

Addison sighed and pushed away from the door. She sat next to him, crossing her arms over her chest. "You know I could pull up a hundred and one perfect comments for this situation, but I won’t. I’ll just say that I want to do this. I want to try, Mark. I want us to try to make this work."

Mark glanced at her. The twitch got worse. "If one of your comments was going to be that we’re even then-"

"Okay, skipping past that," she said. "Can you concentrate on the part where I said that I want us to be together?"

"Why?"

"Because I think that we could have something. Something rare." She chewed her bottom lip. "But so help me God, Mark, if you cheat on me again then I’m going to sleep with every man I see, take photos, and send you one every day."

The corner of his mouth lifted a little. "Is that right?"

"You’re either in this the entire way or you’re not. You give up the women, you give up your little black book --- which in your case is probably too heavy to carry anyway --- and you commit. To me."

The twitching in his eye finally fizzled out and he shifted a little so that he was facing her. "And you commit to me. We buy the house, get the dog, and have the babies. We take turns going to PTA meetings, we spend our weekends arguing about whose turn it is to pick up the dry cleaning, and we don’t look back."

Addison’s eyes were wide. "Your long term plan includes arguing over dry cleaning? And babies?"

"If I’m giving up my black book for you then you will damn well give me kids to make up for it."

"You don’t want kids, Mark. You’re just telling me what you think I want to hear."

"You got the abortion. I’m the one who bought the onesie, remember?"

"And then celebrated with your tennis partner. Oh, how vividly do I remember that. Half of the damn country club called to tell me what you were doing. And you call Alex a baby? Was she even legal?"

"What happened to not looking back?" Mark grinned at her. "We can do this, Addison. We really can have it all."

"This was far too easy. I don’t have to grovel?" She returned his smile and leaned a little closer. "Because I was going to tell you that I love you as a last resort."

He kissed her, cupping her face with his hand. It was soft, sweet, but still full of promise. When he finally pulled away she reached for the tie on his scrub pants, but he caught her hand. "No."

"No?"

"No." Mark shook his head. "We’re waiting."

"For?"

"I want to show you that I can go without sex. That you mean more to me than anything else. We’re still doing the sixty days."

Addison looked stunned. "But - wha - we took a shower together at my place! We almost-"

"Almost doesn’t count. We’re doing this right this time. No sex. With anyone."

"That is ridiculous!!!" Addison frowned when he slipped off the bed and looked at her.

He smiled and leaned down, kissing her again. "If my count is right we have thirty two more days."

"I will die."

"Buy a vibrator."

"I have two."

"Then buy some rechargeable batteries."

"Damn you."

"There’s nothing wrong with being a self pleasure junkie. I am." He put his hand on the doorknob and looked back at her. "By the way, Addison, I love you too."

Addison watched, slack jawed, as he winked and left her alone.

*~*~*~*~*~

"Did you tell her?" Izzie asked.

"Who?" Alex glanced up from the chart he was working on.

"Your new best friend," she replied. "Did you tell her that I took her DNR paperwork?"

Alex shook his head, smirking a little. "No. You are. After you apologize to her for cheating with her husband."

Izzie looked aghast. "That will *never* happen."

"Are you in love with O’Malley?" Alex closed the chart and watched her. "Seriously?"

"I thought I was," Izzie replied honestly. "I don’t have one night stands. I just - I don’t. I tried to rationalize that we were drunk and stupid, but after he kissed me in the elevator I just - I wanted to believe. I wanted it to mean something."

Alex pursed his lips. "So, when you left me for Denny ... what did that mean?"

"Alex."

"I’m just saying that I thought we had something. Something good. It wasn’t just the sex for me, Iz."

"You can’t help who you fall in love with."

Alex glared at her, not blinking. Her hair was blond again, but she had gotten it cut much shorter. It curled naturally around her face and he thought she couldn’t possibly look prettier, fresher. "Yeah," he finally said. "That’s something I found out the hard way."

"It just happened. Me and Denny."

"And you and George. You know, a lot of people would say that falling in love twice in less than a year is not possible."

Izzie watched him as he opened the chart again and wrote something inside. "Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"I wasn’t in love with George. I love George. He’s my best friend, but I - I confused love and sex. I confused being in love with being safe. He’s safe. He’s George. And he was married and leaving the house and thinking about going to Mercy West and I hated it." Izzie walked a little closer and lowered her voice. "And I did fall in love twice this year. You should know. You were the first."

Alex felt his stomach drop a little. She had loved him after all. That realization made him madder than just about anything else could have. "And I was there for the last, too. I picked you up off his bed, held you in my arms until you could stopped crying, and took you home. I stood outside the bathroom door the entire night, begging you to let me in."

"I know."

"Did you know that I would have died in his place? For you? To save you from what you became?" Alex felt the color rise into his face and hated himself for the brutal truth that was working its way from his heart. "Because I loved you that much. I loved you enough to want you happy even if it meant that I had to watch you with him. Even if it meant that you got married, had that perfect life, and came to work glowing every day. I wanted you to be happy. And that, Izzie, is how I know that you’re not in love with George because if you were in love with George ... you would have backed off a long time ago and let him have what he wants. Because love, real love, is selfless. And you’re the most self absorbed person on the face of the planet."

"You loved me?" Izzie stared at him with new eyes. "But you - you cheated on me with Olivia and -"

"Yeah. And *that’s* how I know that George understands the magnitude of his mistake and would do anything in the world to take it back. Having both been there and done that myself."

"I never knew. I never knew that you felt that way about me."

"Well, the good news is that I got over it." Alex was shocked at how easily the words rolled off his tongue. "The Izzie I loved vanished. The bad news is that every now and then she makes an appearance. And I fall again every single time she does."

She watched with shock as he gathered up the chart and tucked it under his arm. When he moved to put the ink pen in his front pocket, she caught his hand. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

"And complicate your fairy tale?" Alex shrugged. "I already told you that I wanted you to be happy. I may have given you hell over it, but I left it alone. You could probably stand to learn a thing or two from me. Callie’s not the Devil. She’s actually a decent person and you should be happy that someone loves George the way you loved Denny. Everyone should have that."

She watched him walk away.

Then she went to the chapel, where she spent the remainder of her shift lost in thought.

*~*~*~*~*~

What Callie wanted more than anything was to change into a nice dress, pull out her trusty pearls, and go crawl into her father’s lap and beg his forgiveness. For her entire life she had been a daddy’s girl. He had doted and she had tried to behave in a way that he could take pride in. What she did, however, was go straight to her room, where she locked herself in the bathroom until the hurt over her father’s words had abated enough for her to breathe again without feeling like her lungs would burst under the effort.

"Callie?" George waited fifteen minutes and finally knocked. "Can I come in?"

She opened the door and sat back down on the edge of the tub. "What?"

He had expected to see tears on her face and was both relieved and a little alarmed by the lack. "Are you okay?"

"I really don’t want anyone else to ask me that. Ever again," she replied. "Because I think that for the remainder of my life the answer is going to be no."

He kneeled down in front of her and reached for her hands, but she moved them to her sides. He put his hands on her legs instead. "It kills me to see you like this. I hate it. And it’s all my fault. I can’t think of a worse feeling in the world than to know that I did this to you."

"Having it done to me. That’s a worse feeling." She pushed his hands away. "Having you touch me after what you did? That’s even worse."


"I’m trying. I’m trying in every possible way that I know how. Can’t you just let me in a little bit? Just a little? It’s all I’m asking for."

"You asked to come here and here you are. Under the circumstances I’d say that you’re in much further than you ought to be."

"Do you want me to go?"

"Has it ever mattered what I want?"

"You held my hand in the car! I don’t understand these mixed signals!"

She raised a brow. "Considering that you wrote the book on mixed signals -"

"I’m not fighting with you. I’m not. I can’t and you don’t need the stress." George stood and put his hands in his pockets. "You do need to eat though and that’s what you’re going to do."

"I’m not hungry."

"Well, I ordered room service. We’re gonna eat and then you’re gonna get some rest."

"Don’t tell me what to do. I’m not a child."

"Then stop acting like one." George walked into the bedroom and yanked open the duffel bag. He had gotten a change of clothing for himself from his locker and he pulled the jeans and t-shirt out, laying them on the bed.

"What are you doing?"

"I’m gonna take a shower."

Callie threw her hands up in the air. "Right. Make yourself at home, George."

"This is my home."

"Whatever."

He walked past her and laid his clothing on the sink. After retrieving a towel from the cupboard, he turned and looked at her. "You gonna watch me?"

She turned on her heel and slammed the door. The shower started a moment later and she yanked her cellphone from her purse. She dialed Cam’s number, but it went straight to voice mail. "Fuck," she growled.

Pacing the length of the room, she put her head in her hands and finally slumped onto the bed. She was tired of pushing George away and that realization sat in her belly like a ton of bricks. The dark circles under his eyes indicated loud and clear that he was suffering, but every time she thought about how easy it would be to sink into his arms and let him take care of her ... the mental image of him and Izzie together crept into her brain. She wondered if he had gone down on her, if he had worshipped between Steven’s thighs the way that he had once worshipped at hers. She wondered if, after it was over, he nuzzled her neck in the way that made Callie’s skin pimple with goosebumps. She wondered if he compared the two of them, perfect Izzie with her tiny waist and curvy Callie with the big everything. She wondered ... no, she had to stop wondering.

It nauseated her and she swallowed back the bitter taste in her mouth. Standing, she walked to the small wet bar and pulled open the refrigerator. It had been freshly stocked and she grabbed a small two ounce bottle of Crown Royal. Twisting the top off, she knocked it back and grimaced, then reached for the bottle of Grey Goose that was the same size; roughly two shots.

George emerged just in time to see her drain it. His mouth opened it shock, then his temper flared. "God dammit, Callie!" he shouted, rushing across the room. He slapped the bottle out of her hand and then noticed the empty one that she had set on top of the fridge. He snatched her by the upper arms, shaking her hard. "GOD DAMMIT! DID LAST NIGHT NOT TEACH YOU A FUCKING THING? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Ow." She stared, wide eyed as his fingers bit into her flesh. "You’re hurting me! George, stop! You’re hurting me!"

"YOU’RE KILLING ME! WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!?"

"STOP YELLING AT ME!" She shoved his hands off. "AND DON’T TOUCH ME!"

He yanked the small refrigerator from the counter and threw it across the room. The contents went flying. She watched in horror as he picked up a glass bottle of wine from the floor and pitched it against the wall. It shattered, staining the yellow paint crimson. Next, he turned to the contents on top of the dresser and angrily swiped everything off, then he attacked the drawers.

"George!"

"THIS STOPS NOW!" he shouted, seizing her by the shoulders and pushing her back against the wall. "Do you hear me!? You’re done! This is not the answer to our problems!"

"Stop!"

"YOU STOP! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I WAS THINKING? I WAS PICTURING YOU AND YOUR WHORE TOGETHER AND IT MAKES ME INSANE. IT MAKES ME SICK. IT MAKES ME WANT TO ERASE IT THE ONLY WAY I KNOW HOW! I WANT TO NOT FEEL LIKE THIS! I WANT TO BE NUMB!"

George gave into the tears that were stinging his eyes. "You have got to face this with a clear head! Until you do that then you’re never going to be okay, Callie, and I can’t watch you do this! I love you too damn much to watch you self destruct!"

Callie’s chin trembled and she closed her eyes, trying to will her own tears away. It was a futile, but well fought effort. "I don’t know else to survive."

His grip on her loosened a little when he saw her face fall. Reaching up, he gently touched her cheek. "Then lean on me. I’m here. Baby, I’m here and I’m not going away."

Callie did lean. It was involuntary only in that George pulled, but she didn’t struggle. She laid her head on his shoulder, her face against his neck, and let him hold her. Her hands were trapped between them, which had been intentional on George’s part, and she cried. She sobbed for what they’d had, what they had lost, and what she wanted to rebuild.

And he rubbed circles on her back, massaged the nape of her neck, and didn’t let go.

He was whispering that it would be okay, that he loved her, when there was a sharp knock on the door. "Damn it," he said. "I hate room service."

He let her go, pressed a kiss to her forehead, dried his own face and opened the door. It wasn’t room service. It was security. The man, large and overbearing, looked past George at the mess that had been made. "Dr. O’Malley, is everything okay in here? We received complaints about the noise."

"It’s fine, Terrence." George addressed the man by name, having seen him daily for months. "We just - rough day."

"I’d like to see Dr. Torres if you don’t mind."

Callie stepped into view. She saw Terrence’s eyes widen a little when he saw the shape she was in and she forced herself to smile. It felt as unconvincing as it probably looked. "Everything’s okay. I’ll be hiring someone personally to clean up the mess and please give my apologies to Mr. Bishop for the disturbance. It won’t happen again."

Terrence looked back and forth between the two newlyweds. He finally saw how red Callie’s upper arms were and his eyes narrowed a little on George. "Would you like for me to find other accommodations for Dr. O’Malley?"

"Only if they were in Iceland." Callie’s smile was a little more convincing now. "Thank you, Terrence, but I’m fine, and I appreciate the concern."

The room service arrived in the hallway behind Terrence and he stepped into the room, letting the waitress wheel it in. The young girl stared at the mess with undeniable shock. Callie pulled several bills from her wallet and said, "Melissa, three hundred and fifty dollars says that you don’t mention this."

The waitress took the money, tucked it into her apron and said, "Mention what?"

"Melissa Anderson!" Terrence cried.

Melissa darted out of the room and Terrence looked back at Callie. "Dr. Torres, our staff prides itself on discretion. You didn’t have to do that. I’ll report her for-"

"Don’t you dare. She’s a single mother trying to support her family and she’s proud. If she thinks I bought her silence then it’s not a handout." Callie ran a hand through her hair and said, "Now, if you’ll excuse us, Terrence, we’d like to have our dinner in peace."

The security guard tipped his hat at her and glared at George. "Please make sure that’s exactly how you have it. In peace."

George closed the door behind the guard and turned to Callie. He was about to say something to her about how impressive she had been, but he finally noticed her arms himself and swore under his breath. She would have bruises. Reaching out, he lightly touched one of the marks and said, "I didn’t realize that I was holding you so tight."

"I recall mentioning it." She pushed the cart out of the way and bent to retrieve two bottles of water from the floor. She handed one to him and opened the other, taking a couple of sips. The aroma of the food was enticing and her stomach rumbled, causing her to sigh at its betrayal. "Let’s just eat and then I’m going to take a nap."

George looked at her and fought hard not to smile. Small victories were still victories, but to gloat would likely result in his head finding its way onto one of the silver platters the food had arrived on. He grabbed two chairs and set them on either side of the rolling cart and waited for her to sit down. He sat across from her and lifted the lid on her tray, then his own.

"I’ll clean up the mess, Callie. I’m sorry that I -" He gestured at the room. "You just scared me."

"Not talking about it."

"Okay."

Callie picked up her fork and pushed the roast beef around on her plate. It smelled like heaven, looked fit for a king, and yet the thought of taking a bite of it made her throat constrict. She rested her chin on her fist and sculpted her mashed potatoes into a mountain and then dropped several green peas on top of it and watched them roll off. She repeated it a few times and then put her fork down and picked up the roll, squeezing it into a round ball.

George cleared his throat. "Are you four?"

"Asks the toddler who pitched a tantrum and almost got his ass kicked by Big Bad Security Daddy for his troubles." Feeling like a petulant child, Callie dropped the roll on top of the potato mountain and sat back in her seat.

"Will you please eat something?"

Callie looked down at George’s plate, which was almost empty. It seemed wrong to her that he could eat when she couldn’t. That he would want to eat after what he had done. He just kept living, kept breathing. And she was stuck waiting for the drain that she was circling to finally pull her down with the dirty water he had bathed in. Mercifully, the alcohol that she had consumed started to do its job and her head swam a little when she stood and put the lid back over her food.

"Callie." George stood as well and caught her arm. "You’re going to die if you keep on like this."

"That night. How many times were you with her?"

"Don’t."

"Did you - were you careful? She could be-"

"She’s not. She’s on the pill and she’s had a cycle. I asked her. While you were gone."

"What if she had been? Pregnant. Would you still be here with me?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you ask her about it? No. Don’t answer that." Callie wrapped her arms around her belly, which had started to ache. "Wait, answer it. Why did you ask her? Were you hoping? Were you -"

"No," he cut her off. "I wasn’t hoping. I was desperate to make sure it wasn’t a possibility. And I don’t remember enough about that night to tell you what happened or how many times. It’s a blur. The only thing I remember with absolute certainty was waking up and worrying about whether or not I had called you."

"What happened when you remembered? What did you do?"

"Callie-"

"What did you do?"

"I confronted her and we agreed to never mention it, to pretend it didn’t happen. We agreed it was a mistake and I made it very clear that I wouldn’t hurt you. I made it very clear that I love you."

"She told Addison it was God’s plan. That it was right."

"It wasn’t. She knows that now."

Callie bit her bottom lip. "Is there anything else that you’re not telling me? Anything? Did you touch her at all when you were sober?"

The kiss in the elevator sprang into his mind and he pushed it back out, emphatically shaking his head. That kiss, more than anything else could, had convinced him once and for all that Izzie was his best friend, his sister, and nothing more. "No! No, I didn’t. I wouldn’t," he lied.

Callie sat down on the edge of the bed, then lay back, drawing her legs toward her chest in the hopes that it would settle her belly. "I’m tired."

"Can I - would it be okay if I -" He indicated the bed.

"Do what you want. Just stay on your side and keep your hands to yourself." She groaned, wrapping her arms around her middle. "My stomach is killing me."

George lay down, facing her. "It’s empty, Callie. And still raw from being pumped and you put more alcohol in it."

"Shut up."

Her eyes were clenched tight from the paid and George gazed at her. He hated himself. He hated himself more than she possibly could and he found some solace in that. "Are you telling the truth, Cal?"

"About what?"

"You keep saying that you didn’t try to kill yourself and everyone seems to believe you."

"Except you." She opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Give me a reason to believe it."

She took a deep breath and said, "If I wanted to die I could have done it in North Carolina. The cabin was on top of a mountain and the road was dirt. It had been raining so the tires on the truck I rented kept spinning. I almost went over the side twice. It was a straight drop down into Lake Fontana and I could have lost control, but I didn’t."

"Did you drive while you were drinking?"

"I was unconscious after the drinking, George. Every single day."

"What about when you went and got the tattoo? Were you drinking then?"

"I got it a few miles from the airport the first day there. I had two glasses of wine on the flight, but I wasn’t drunk."

"Do you have a problem with alcohol?"

"No, I don’t," she replied sleepily. "I have a problem with the path my life has taken."

"Why do you keep doing this? Why? This isn’t you."

"It makes my soul be quiet. I just need it to be quiet for a while."

George watched as her eyes closed, as she tucked her hands under her cheek. After a few moments, her breathing evened out and he risked touching her. He brushed a lock of hair off her cheek and traced the curve of her brow. She was beautiful like this, her face relaxed, the tension gone. He had always thought she was gorgeous, but now he realized that she took his breath away. He grazed the freckles on her nose and knew that if never left the room again he would be content to look at her. He was seeing her so clearly and it felt like the first time he had laid his eyes on her at all.

A memory flashed through his mind then. His father had kept a trunk in the attic. It was beaten, battered, and the wood had buckled and splintered in several places. George’s brothers had laughed at it, claiming it was the ugliest thing they had ever seen, but it mesmerized George. He had fixed it up, refinished the inside, but left the outside the way it was and given it to his father for Christmas.

Harold had left that old trunk to George in his will and when George opened it, expecting it to be empty, he found a treasure inside. Everything that George had created at school, every time his name appeared in the paper, every report card ... was tucked inside in tissue paper. That should have taught George a lesson ... that sometimes the things that have rough edges and are not ‘classically pretty’ were usually the most valuable. Because they were filled with heart.

He had been an idiot and it had taken him almost losing her to make him realize what he had.

She sighed and he let his thumb trail over her plump, open lips. They were perfect lips. Angelina Jolie did not have the prettiest mouth, despite what people said. Callie did. When she smiled her lips looked like a heart and he wanted to see her smile again, to hear the throaty timbre of her voice when she laughed. Leaning forward, he kissed her softly, smelling the liquor on her breath. It had stunned him to see her drinking again and his face flushed as the anger he felt resurfaced.

He would get rid of the refrigerator. Or at the very least make it plain to the hospitality staff that no alcohol was to come into their room. She was relying on it to stop the pain and that’s how trouble started. Not that they weren’t already in more trouble than they could handle. He prayed that she was being honest about the suicide attempt, but his heart just wouldn’t let him surrender the overwhelming belief that she had wanted to die. He had certainly wanted to die after he found out about Mark Sloan trespassing on what was his.

Kissing her once again, he reached down and pulled a blanket over them. He made sure she was covered and lay back again, studying her features. He wanted her face, sweet and soothing, to be the last thing he saw before he drifted off. Mental and physical exhaustion had taken its toll on him and he was ready to crack down the middle, but sleep proved to be an unwilling partner.

For close to an hour, he lay motionless, listening to her breathing, watching her face. She rolled onto her back and he sat up a little, making sure she was okay. A moment later she rolled into his arms and put her head on his shoulder. It made him cry, it relieved him, it felt like a warm cocoon that he had no desire to fight his way out of. This ... this was coming home. He held her, clung to her, and relaxed.

Finally, he slept and for the first time since he had slept with Izzie ... his dreams were not nightmares. They were a welcome refuge where Callie laughed and danced and told him she loved him again and again.

CH 11
*~*~*~*~*~
There have been times that I thought I couldn't last for long

But now I think I'm able to carry on

It's been a long, a long time coming

But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will
-Sam Cooke
*~*~*~*~*~

Callie was dreaming about her Uncle Kakistos’s yacht. At forty two feet it was smooth and could launch itself across the water faster than a rocket. That’s why they had stolen it. Cam was mad that his uncle wouldn’t let him spend his allowance on a rocket kit and he had enlisted Callie’s help, who was mad on principle alone. Any time either twin was wronged, the wrong-doer felt the wraith of both children and that was all there was to it.

"Just do it already." Callie, who was ten again in her dream, looked at her brother. "I took the keys. You start the engine."

"What if we hit a whale?" Cam asked, his dark eyes wide. He pushed his black hair away from his face and gazed at her. "Or a shark. No, we’re goin' to get killed."

"Cammy, we’re already gettin' killed for ridin' our bikes across the interstate. At least this will be fun."

"I changed my mind. We need to go back home, Callie. What if we get caught?"

"Chicken."

"I am not a chicken!"

She flapped her arms and squawked at him.

Cambyses frowned and started the engine. He hit two of the surrounding boats while backing away from the dock. Someone shouted, someone ran toward them, but Callie hit the throttle and across the Atlantic Ocean they raced. They fought for ten minutes over who would drive and Callie finally gave up and went to the front of the yacht, her arms held wide, as wind caused her pigtails to stand on end. She laughed and laughed when the two red ribbons that were wrapped around the rubber bands flew off and hit Cam in the face. Miami grew smaller and smaller in the distance and then a school of dolphin held their attention for a few moments.

No one was ever sure why the fire started. Maybe it was because the kids had run the engine wide open and jumped waves like they were in an airplane. Either way, when the smoke began to bubble forth, they pointed at one another and simultaneously said, "You did it! I’m telling! You better not!"

Callie had been the calm one. She grabbed two life jackets and threw one at her brother, who was coughing and hacking. "Get out of the smoke, dummy. Stop, drop, and roll!"

"That’s if you’re on fire!" He waved his arms frantically as he tried to pull the lifejacket on. "We’re drowning!"

"We’re not in the water yet."

"I think I saw a shark!"

"Nuh uh," Callie told him. "We saw dolphins. Daddy said that when we see dolphins there are no sharks."

The flames had reached the deck and the bottoms of Callie’s bare feet were hot, too hot. The fire licked at her legs and she screamed. "Jump, Cam! Jump!"

"I’m scared!"

Callie pushed him into the water and leaped right behind him. He emerged a few feet away, crying now, sputtering and choking. She swam to him and looked back at the burning ship ... his jacket was stuck on the railing. "It’s okay," she said, kicking her feet hard enough to keep them both afloat while she took hold of his arms.

"I don’t swim like you!"

Reaching under the water, she unbuckled her life jacket and pushed it toward him. "Now you won’t have to, Cammy."

"No. I won’t wear it if you can’t."

"Then neither will I." She hooked one of her arms around the front panel of the vest and put his hand on it. The boat burned. Debris hit the water around them. "Just hold on. Hold onto it, Cam."

A dolphin emerged a few feet away, squealing and spyhopping. Something must have brushed Cam's leg because he screamed and went under. Callie swam beneath the water and pulled him back to the surface, pointing at the dolphins, trying to keep him calm. Her brother was sobbing, crying harder than she had ever seen him cry, and he shook hard enough that the water around them vibrated from it.

"Don’t leave me, Callie."

"I won’t."

"Promise me! Promise me!"

"I promise! I’m right here! Just hold on!"

"Sing to me. Sing something, Callie."

She sang ‘Over The Rainbow’. He stopped crying after a while.

And then she went under. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t swim. There were sharks, there were stinging jellyfish, and as her lungs filled with water ... she gave in.

And she was glad when everything faded to black and she floated toward the bottom of the sea.

And then Cam was on the rescue boat, alone, and he was shaking.

He was shaking.

Shaking.

Shaking.

"Don’t leave. Callie, please don’t leave me!"

"I’m right here!" Callie repeated and sat bolt upright, gasping in air. It was a dream. It was a dream that she hadn’t had in years and an ending she had never experienced. She hadn’t drowned ... she had been the first one pulled, kicking and screaming when they wrenched her from Cam, onto the boat. She wiped the sweat off her brow and looked around. She was in her bed at the Archfield and the bed was ... shaking.

"Please, Callie. I’m sorry. Don’t go. Don’t do this," George cried, thrashing in his sleep. She looked at him and could see the moisture on his face in the soft glow of the setting sun. He was sweating, crying.

"I love you," he whined, his head moving back and forth. "Callie, I love you so much."

She leaned down and put her hand on his chest. His heart was thumping against her palm hard enough to break through his skin. "George, wake up," she said softly, then pushed his damp hair off his forehead.

"Come back."

Callie’s heart broke a little as she watched him. His face was contorted, his sobs were real, and he was pleading with her, even in slumber he was begging. She caught his arm as he reached out, grasping at something only he could see, and held his hand. Nuzzling the side of his cheek, she whispered in his ear. "I’m here, George. Wake up."

"Callie?" George blinked several times and looked up at her. "Oh my god. You - you weren’t breathing."

"You were dreaming."

"No - no, it happened. Derek turned the machine off and you stopped breathing. You were leaving me."

She had not really considered how stressful it must have been for her husband to make that decision, to watch her not respond. She looked away guiltily. Louise had obviously been correct about one thing ... she had hurt him. Bad.

He reached up and cupped her face, bringing her closer to him. "Breathe. I just want to feel you breathe. Please."

She exhaled against his neck and felt him start to cry again. He clung to her, voicing his fears, apologizing again and again. He promised her everything, even the moon, if she would just not leave him. If she would let him love her, let him make things right. She felt her resolve break when he told her that he’d die without her, that life wasn’t worth living unless it was with her.

And then she was kissing him and she really wasn’t breathing because he had that effect on her and she didn’t care. Her hands were in his hair, her leg was over his and he was clutching at every inch of her, touching her everywhere at once. It was tongues, teeth and tears. It was primal, hungry. She sat up on top of him and pulled her shirt off, flinging it across the room.

George pushed himself up, taking her dusky nipple into his mouth. With his free hand, he palmed the other one, tweaking, pinching. He felt her tug on his shirt and raised his arms, letting her wrench it over his head. And then she was kissing him again and George completely forgot the nightmare.

He was living a dream. A perfect, beautiful dream. He didn’t speak for fear of breaking whatever charm that made her forgive him, but his tears refused to stop flowing. His fingers grabbed at the band in her hair and pulled it free, letting her raven locks fall loose around her face. It tickled his shoulders and drove him insane. The smell of her, the taste, the feel of her warm flesh against his ... yes, it was a dream. It had to be a dream.

Callie’s brain was not in control. Her brain was trying to remind her that she was mad, that she was hurt, but her body shut it down and took charge. She had her pants off and was pushing his over his hips in seconds and then ... then she sank down onto him without preamble and closed her eyes. She felt his fingertips digging into the flesh and rocked forward, pushing him deeper still. "George-"

He thrust his hips, holding her tight against him. She moved her hips in a slow, gratifying circle and his toes curled. "Oh god, baby. Do it again."

She did and he had to wage a war with himself to keep from coming right then. He watched her as she tossed her head back and he reached up, trailing his fingertips between the valley of her breasts, then lower over her stomach. He knew in that moment that he could be drunk enough to die and still remember every last second of what she looked like, how she felt. She jerked against him when he dipped lower still and pressed his thumb against her sensitive core.

She mumbled something that sounded very much like a death threat and he increased the pressure, watching her face. He made her come twice, back to back, and felt her walls clenching at him. Sitting up, he whispered, "Get on your knees."

She did as he requested and he moved behind her. When he slammed into her, she gripped the comforter and cried out and the sound of it almost forced George over the edge. Almost. He stared down at her back, at the tattoo, at the way the ink seemed to undulate as she pumped her hips. It was the most beautiful and *dirty* thing he’d ever seen. Reaching up, he grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled lightly. She pushed upward and he latched onto the back of her neck with his mouth, sucking at her tender flesh, marking her, branding her.

She came again and screamed her release. A moment later, George was slumped over her, breathing hard and she sank, boneless, to the bed. He followed, still inside her, and lay against her back, his cheek in her hair.

As soon as her body stopped trembling, reality sank in and then the self loathing started. She pressed her face against the cover and shifted slightly, making it clear that she wanted him off her. He kissed her neck and slipped to her side, his hand on the small of her back. "Leave, George," she finally said.

"What?"

"Get out."

"No." George pushed her hair to one side and said, "Talk to me."

"I won’t do it," she said, her face still against the comforter. "I won’t!"

"You won’t do what?"

She lifted her head and glared at him. "I won’t forgive you for what you did. I won’t forget it. I won’t trust you again. I won’t believe you when you say that it didn’t mean anything and I’ll never, *ever* let my guard down around you again." Her chin trembled and she sobbed loudly. "But I won’t give up on us either. Because I can’t. And I hate you for that. I hate you for what you’ve made me become."

George leaned forward and kissed her. "You don’t hate me."

"Then why am I picturing your insides on the outside?"

"Because you’re a doctor and that’s foreplay, sweetie."

"Ooooh!" she growled and got to her feet. "Don’t try to be cute!"

"Come back to bed." He reached for her, but she pushed him away.

He watched as she stalked across the room and disappeared into the bathroom. George rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. "I won’t give up either, by the way," he promised loudly. "And you’ll see that this is the right thing."

"Stop talking to me."

"I love you. You’re incredible and very bendy. Beautiful. And forgiving."

"Stop talking to me!"

"And the tattoo? Best thing ever. I like you on top, but looking down at that ... damn."

She closed the door and he grinned.

If he wasn’t mistaken he was coming very close to winning the war.

XXX
Three thousand miles away, Cambyses awoke in a cold sweat. He stared at the clock, then at Blake, who sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Something’s wrong with Callie. Get up. Get dressed."

"What? Honey, it’s late and we have meetings tomorrow."

"I’ll pack. You call the airport." Cam pushed the cover away and stood. "Get us on the first flight to Seattle, Blake."

"Just call her, Cam."

"No." Cambyses shook his head. "I don’t have to call her. I know."

"How do you-"

"You remember the story about how we stole my uncle’s boat? Callie saved my life that day. I haven’t dreamed about it in years and tonight ... tonight she was drowning." Cam’s voice was soft. When he looked back at his lover, his eyes were filled with tears. "She’s drowning and she’s not even trying to swim."

*~*~*~*~*~

George cleaned the bedroom, a smile on his face the entire time. He put the fridge back on the counter, picked up the broken pieces of the bottle, and jammed Callie’s clothing back into the bureau. The carpet was stained red from the wine and the wall was spattered, looking like a toddler’s finger painting. He picked up a tall artificial palm tree and placed it in front of the worst of the mess. It worked on the visuals, but the scent of the wine was all over the place. He would call Jerry and ask him to bring his steam cleaner. Callie would not be hiring anyone to clean up after him.

She splashed in the bathtub and George glanced at the door, his smile slowly fading. She had been bathing for over an hour. A steady cloud of steam had been coming out from under the door and he knew that she was scalding herself. That was not unusual, she liked to boil in the tub, but he didn’t like it all the same. She was trying to wash away what they had done, what they had shared. It was a slap in the face that he didn’t need. She apparently felt dirty while he felt elated.

"Cal?" He rapped on the door twice. "I’m going to order dinner before they stop serving. What do you want?"

Her response was colorful and filled with suggestions on what he could do with himself for dinner. His personal favorite was her ribald demand that he stuff the phone up his ass until he choked on it, but the delivery wasn’t quite as convincing at her threat to drown him in the hot tub if he didn’t stop trying to talk to her. "Steak it is," he called out, ignoring her tirade. "Medium rare, right?"

There was more splashing and then she flung the door open and stared out at him. Bubbles clung to her skin, which was as red as a lobster. Her nostrils flared when she saw him looking her up and down. "Don’t look at me like that! Don’t talk to me! And don’t try to feed me because I am not hungry."

Her stomach grumbled and he nodded. "Riiiight. Do you want a baked potato or fries?"

"You never listen to me." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Never. You act like I’m the mom on Charlie Brown and all you ever hear is -"

"Wah wah wah," he finished for her, moving his hand to imitate speak. "How about dessert? You know that the brownie thing makes you insane."

"You make me insane."

"I could. If you’d come back in here."

She slammed the door in his face and he started to turn away, but she opened it again and emerged, wearing her robe. "I figured it out," she said. "I was half asleep. I didn’t know what I was doing."

"Mmm." He nodded. "I thought you might have been what with all the screaming and the orgasms, but I wasn’t sure."
She stopped pacing the room and looked around. "You cleaned up."

"Well, yeah."

"I was going to call someone."

"Why?"

"Because it’s what you do. You pay for someone to fix it."

"I take care of my own messes."

"That’s why you’re hanging around, isn’t it? I’m the mess you made."

"I’m hanging around you because I love you." He reached for the phone, but she stopped him. "What’s wrong? Callie?"

"I’m sorry I didn’t breathe."

"What?"

"When Derek unplugged the machine. And I’m sorry that you had to see it."

He hugged her then. He couldn’t help it and she didn’t pull away. "I love you," he said softly. "And I’m so grateful that you’re taking this chance on me. Thank you."

"George, I -" A knock interrupted her reply and she let her head fall back. "Perfect timing as usual, Mom!"

"Calliope?" Melana called.

"Okay, how did you know that was her?"

"Disturbance in the force? My evil detector?" Callie tightened her robe and opened the door, gazing out at her mother. "What?"

"It took some doing on my part, but your father has agreed to dinner. Nothing fancy, just across the street at the Mexican place. Bring Cheater if you must, but try to wear something decent. You’re going to give Raph a heart attack if you look like a prostitute again." Melana glanced at George. "I took the liberty of inviting your mother. Perhaps she’ll give into her carnal instincts and eat her young."

"Jesus Christ," Callie said as Melana turned on her heel and headed toward the elevator. She shut the door and looked at her husband. "Okay, you get that it’s us against them, right?"

"Fine with me."

"Famous last words?"

"You’ll see. It’s going to be just fine."

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Thirty minutes later, they were ready to go.

"Stop fidgeting. You look beautiful."

Callie put her hand down and took a deep breath as they waited to cross the road. La Rodeo was a hole in the wall that was tackier than anything else in Seattle. It usually amused her when she dined there, but her parents were inside this time. Waiting. With Louise. Smoothing her hand over the navy blue dress she wore, she glanced at the traffic. "If I got hit by a car ... that would distract them."

"If you get hit by a car I’m kicking your ass." He reached down and protectively took her hand, locking her fingers between his. "And tomorrow, first thing in the morning, you’re going to the Psych consult. I mean it."

"I need it after what we did."

"We’re married. We’re back together. I love you and I know you’re not saying it right now, but you love me, too, and everything is going to perfect."

"Oh my god. Is that your mother’s car?"

"My mother adores you. I’m the one who has to face *two* parents who despise me. So focus."

They crossed the street. George willingly, Callie unwillingly. George finally had to get behind her and push, which caused someone to honk their horn since Callie was moving like a geriatric with two broken hips. She flipped off the driver and drew up short when she saw that Louise and both her parents were standing a few feet away and had seen her. "Awww, fuck."

"We heard that," Melana said, beckoning her daughter forward. "I was just telling Louise about your new tattoo. Perhaps you’d like to hike your skirt up and show her since you had no trouble stripping off and letting someone put it there to begin with."

"Maybe later." Callie shrugged, then smiled at her mother-in-law. "Hey, Louise."

"Hi, honey. A tattoo, huh? Goodness, most people rebel before their marriage and not after." She looked at her son. "That goes for you, too, Buster. Less than three months and you’ve already cheated."

"Greeeeat." George looked at Callie. "It’s three against one. My mother has joined *their* team."

Callie was watching her father. He was looking everywhere except her and she hated it. "Let’s just go inside and do this."

They were seated at a round booth with two exits. Callie tried to linger, tried to wind up on the end, but it didn’t work out. She found herself right in the middle after Louise gripped her arm and pushed her forward. Louise and Raphael won the coveted spots and Callie had her mother on one side and George on her other. She started to smother right away, claustrophobia closing the walls around her.

The waiter asked for their drink orders. Callie went last and said, "Gin and tonic. Double. More gin than tonic."

"NO!!" All four of her companions roared as one, causing both the waiter and Callie to jump out of their skin.

"She’ll take a water," George amended, then reached under the table and squeezed her leg. "It’s okay."

"It is most assuredly not okay," Raphael finally spoke when the waiter walked away, clutching his chest. "Calliope, look at me."

Callie complied, but didn’t speak. Her father leaned forward and said, "What are you thinking? Do you not see us sitting here? Do you not understand why we crossed the country in the middle of the night to be with you? You would dare order more alcohol after what you did last night?"

She swallowed hard, but remained quiet. Raphael hit the table, hard, and said, "Answer me!"

"And state the obvious? You already know the answers." Callie was angry now and she was brazen in her words. "The last one was pretty obvious, wasn’t it? Yes, apparently I would dare order more alcohol. I did, didn’t I?"

Her defiance unnerved him and Raphael pointed a finger at her. "Do *not* get smart with me. We didn’t raise you to behave so disrespectfully. You are shaming your mother, shaming me, and shaming yourself."

"Raphael, people are starting to stare." Melana laid her hand on top of his and looked at her daughter. "I noticed the smell of alcohol when you opened the door to your room earlier. Did you drink today, mi vida?"

The Spanish endearment got to Callie, especially considering that her mother had not used the term in years. "I had four shots."

"I can’t do this, Melana." Raphael stood and glared down at his wife. "She has no value for anything or anyone. She’s morphed into Sybil. An alcoholic Sybil."

"Sit down, Raph." When he didn’t comply, Melana reached up, grabbed his tie, and pulled him. "Thank you," she said, when he fell against the booth. To Callie, she said, "Explain yourself."

The waiter reappeared with their drinks and Callie could have hugged him for arriving when he did. She listened as he took their dinner orders and shook her head when it was her turn. "I’m not hungry. I’m good."

Raphael cleared his throat. Callie closed her eyes. Finally, she said, "Fine. Taco salad."

When the waiter walked away, she leaned back and looked at Louise. The woman smiled at her and she figured that she was the lesser of the evils and changed the subject. "Did Jerry find the new engine for his car? I gave him the number of a friend of mine who lives near you. He’s got a salvage yard and should be able to get him something that’s reasonable with low mileage."

"Oh, his name is Mack, right?" Louise asked. "He’s been around for dinner a few times. I didn’t know you had introduced them! He’s taking Jerry and Ronnie mountain climbing. He seems nice, but he’s very dirty. And old."

"Yeah. He never got the memo that cleanliness is next to Godliness, but he’s in grease all day, too," Callie replied. "He’s a good climber, though. They’ll have a good time. Are they camping out?"

"I don’t know." Louise folded her hands on the table. "Should they not?"

"If they’re going to then he’s the man to camp with. I always tell him he was born two hundred years too late because he’s got the whole frontier thing down to a science."

"Well, that’s a comfort." Louise smiled innocently. "Now, are we finished ignoring the big pink elephant in the room? Because your parents had something to say to you."

Melana put her hand on Callie’s arm. "Honey, we were wondering if maybe you should think about rehab. There are very nice upscale places that have spas and outdoor activities that you like. You can detox from alcohol in less than a month and-"

"I do not need rehab!" Callie’s mouth dropped open in shock. "Is that what you’re trying to do? Is that why we’re here?"

"What you did? That was a cry for help and we’re listening." Louise looked at George, who was staring at his hands. "George, tell her."

Callie turned in her seat, glaring at her husband. "You knew about this. Tell me that you - George?"

He shook his head. "I didn’t know that this is why they wanted us here, but - but I knew that it was something they were considering. And I think maybe you should have an open mind about it because -"

"I’m leaving." Callie scooted closer to George. "Move."

Louise held her spot on the end, not letting George gain an inch. Callie attempted to stare the woman down, but found herself backing away slightly when Louise pulled off a look that made Bailey appear cherubic. It was Raphael who broke the uncomfortable silence. "Callie? It’s not the end of the world if you admit that you have a problem, but it is the end if you don’t. This is your life we’re talking about."

"I don’t have a problem, Daddy! Do you know what rehab, even unnecessary rehab, would do to my career? I’m a doctor! I prescribe narcotics! If this went on my record then it could affect every job I may ever have! For nothing. I’m fine."

"Mija, people who are fine do not behave this way," he replied as calmly as possible. "You can’t say that it was a mistake. It’s not normal."

"Dad." Callie put her head in her hands and exhaled. "I have never been normal. It took me thirty years to fall in love for the first time and I don’t know how to do it yet! I’ve never felt this way before and it’s overwhelming and horrible. I hate it and because I hate it ... I am bound to make mistakes. And that’s all it was. I’m not lying. I’m not trying to kill myself with alcohol. Or at all. I just - I stopped thinking clearly for a moment and lost control. It’s not happening again."

"You weren’t out of the hospital long before you had four more shots. You admitted it," Mel said.

"And admitting it proves that I’m not trying to hide it, Mami. Ay Dios Mio! No estoy loca! No estoy enferma! No lo necesito!" Callie snapped. "I will *not* go."

"Cal?" George reached for her hand, but she pushed him away. "Callie, do not take this out on me. You have punished me for weeks and that’s fine because I earned it, but *this* ... I can’t take the blame for this. The first thing you said when you woke up in that hospital bed was that you were DNR. You looked Derek in the face and said ‘You were not supposed to save me’. Now, call me crazy, but that sounds like a plan."

"I was upset about the breathing tube."

The food arrived, but no one lifted their fork. Callie waited until the waiter filled a couple of glasses before she spoke again. "I’ve always tried to do the right thing. Always. I went to medical school, Dad, because you asked me to. Mom, I sang at every talent show and spent my summers at workshops, because you asked me to. Louise, I told you the truth in the hospital about Harold when no one else would, because you asked me to. And George, I gave in and we’re working on our marriage, because you asked me to. And now I’m asking you, all of you, to just let me breathe. Let me breathe. Because I stopped for a while and if you let me do it on my own ... then maybe I can remember why I should."

George brushed her hair back and kissed her temple. "Let’s make a deal, okay?"

She was weary now, emotionally exhausted. "What kind of deal?"

He unwrapped her fork and handed it to her. "You eat something and we don’t talk about anything that you don’t want to."

"George-"

"You want us to let you breathe, but you can’t really do that if you starve to death." He pushed her taco salad closer. "So, mountain climbing? How did I not know this?"

"You ever been?" Callie asked and her eyes widened when he shook his head. "How do you live so close to Mount Rainier all your life and never go?"

"I don’t like falling to my death?" He picked up his own fork and took a bite of his rice. "It’s good. Go on and try yours. If you don’t then I’m going to ask you about why you had DNR paperwork to begin with."

Callie grimaced and broke the shell on her salad, putting a small piece in her mouth. "You don’t fall to your death if you climb right. It’s the biggest adrenaline rush you’ll ever feel."

Melana glanced at Louise and smiled and the blond winked at her when Callie broke off another piece of her shell and explained that she had been climbing since birth. She had them all in stitches a while later, recounting a particularly harrowing experience on Mount Everest with her brother Loukas, who decided it was a great way to overcome his fear of heights. Melana and Rafael eventually chimed in, embarrassing Callie with a few childhood tales and by the time it was over, half of Callie’s salad was gone and George looked impressed with himself.

Raphael paid, left a tip, and watched as Callie counted it, then pulled several bills from her purse and laid them on the table. Clearly she still didn’t approve of his tipping habits. He smiled a little and stood, helping Melana from her seat. Callie slid out behind her mother and he caught her around the waist, hugging her to him. "You’re very generous with your money, mija."

"Because you’re not," she replied, leaning her head against him. "And waiters work hard, Daddy. I see them all the time for heel spurs and shin splints."

"You’re a good girl." He stroked the back of her hair and added, "I love you, kitten. I’m sorry for what I said to you earlier. I’m not mad. I’m just scared for you."

"You don’t have to be." Callie leaned back so she could look at him. "George is even more overprotective than you are and he won’t go away."

"I noticed. And good for George." Raph kissed her on the forehead. "You said that you’re going to try to make your marriage work. Do you still want to have this party?"

Callie looked at George, then at Louise and Melana, who were standing side by side. They looked hopeful. The last thing she wanted was the stress of a party, but she nodded anyway. "Yeah. We should - you know, introduce our families. And I really want to see Cam."

"Your father and I have decided to remain here until after the party," Melana told her. "It’s easier to finish the plans if we’re here and it will give Louise and I a chance to shop together."

"Plus you want to spy on me. I get it."

Louise spoke before Melana could. "We’re not spying, sweetheart. We just want you kids to know that we’re here. For anything. We want to help you."

Callie stepped away from her dad and let her mother-in-law hug her. "I know."

When she turned to tell her parents goodnight, her father was shaking George’s hand and then Melana kissed him on both cheeks and gave him a dazzling smile. It was at that point that Callie knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had been played. Quite well.

But she really didn’t mind very much.

When George took her hand and kissed it, she knew she didn’t mind at all.

Maybe there was something to be said for forgiveness.

It made her soul quiet. Without the alcohol.

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 12
*~*~*~*~*~

The concierge service called Callie the next morning at six thirty a.m.. She had nowhere to be so early, but she wanted a fresh start. George lifted his head briefly, planted a kiss on her shoulder, and burrowed under the cover. She watched him for ten minutes, recalling his valiant attempts at seduction the night before. He had tried, she would give him that much. Feeling a little stung by his new found confidence and posturing, however, she had rebuffed him, albeit gently, and feigned yawning with such conviction that she fell asleep first. She dreamed about that delicious crab dinner with Alex and decided to ask him to go again because a stress free meal was pretty much a given with him. And she needed no stress. She needed the easy laughs and corny jokes. He *got* her. And she got him which was a nice change.

She slipped from the bed, grabbed her bathing suit and after forty minutes of non-stop swimming in the pool, she pulled off her water cap, stretched her energized muscles, and sat down at the nearby tiki bar. It took a few minutes for her to realize that it wasn’t open, that the sun was barely up, but she eyed the bottles that had been locked neatly behind a glass case with longing. ‘Rehab’, she reminded herself as her mouth watered. ‘You will so wind up in rehab if you don’t get a grip.’

Standing, she pushed the chair back in place and a startling thought flashed in her mind. She could only be with George when the alcohol had numbed enough of the memory. That’s why she hadn’t been able to sleep with him again the previous night. She was sober. Too sober. And the calm she had felt after dinner, while she had relished the soul deep quiet after her father had forgiven her ... it didn’t last nearly as long as a good buzz. And when George had tried to have sex with her ... she had wondered if he had thrown away all the liquor. She had almost leapt from the bed to find out.

‘Stop this.’ She thought and headed back into the Archfield. ‘This is what alcoholics do.’

‘No,’ another voice reminded her. ‘This is what people who are unhappy do.’

By eight a.m., she had treated herself to a clinging, cleavage baring, Diane vonFurstenberg wrap dress in a size eight, thank you very much. The chocolate brown fabric hugged her body and she turned from side to side, loving what she saw. The only curves she had were in the right place and she was proud of them. She had not eaten for days after George said that to her ... no, that was a lie. She hadn’t really eaten for almost three months now. For him. To make herself worthy enough.

She purchased her dress and drew up short. She needed to spend more money. That always helped and that would chase away her demons. After falling into deep lust with a pair of Prada heels that refused to come back off her feet and splurging on a three thousand dollar Fendi purse, brown lingerie, and two carat diamond earrings, Callie nodded and headed into the salon.

While she sat in the make-up chair, she scheduled her appointment with Psych for eleven a.m., then left Alex a message telling him to clear his schedule for dinner. When Callie emerged at nine forty-five, her hair parted deeply on the side with long, loose spiral curls brushing her waist, she spotted George and her parents a few feet away, discussing something that was undoubtedly in her ‘best interest’. Seeing them together should have made her happy, but it didn’t. It felt hollow, like her parents had accepted less than the best for her.

She drew up short, wondering where that thought had come from. When Melana laughed at something George had said and leaned closer to him, she saw herself in her mother and cocked her head to one side, studying them. It was --- a strange match and she felt like she was staring at what her future would look like. Square people while her world was round. ‘Stop that,’ she thought. ‘You wanted them to accept him. You knew that they would. This is what you get."

She lifted her chin, rustled the shopping bag that contained her slightly damp bathing suit and old purse, and listened to her heels click against the polished marble as she walked toward them.

"Oh my god," George’s breath was ragged as she approached. She was *beautiful*. He forgot the fact that he had woken up alone, angry that she had not left a note, and let his eyes stretch over the length of her. The tight dress she wore stopped just below the knee and the high heels did things to her calves that he had never seen done to *any* woman’s legs. Her waist looked tiny, was tiny, but her hips ... god, her hips were the kind that demanded to be gripped, demanded to provide a comfortable rest for his hand when it was around her body.

"Hey," she said, nodding at her parents as she adjusted the strap on her new oversized brown bag. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for you." Melana’s gaze lingering for a moment over her daughter’s smoky well made eyes, over her perfectly lined rosy lips. "And what a look it is, honey. Wow."

"You’re very thin, Calliope," Raphael said, reaching out to touch her hair. "But you’re also stunning."

"Anybody can be stunning with enough money, Daddy." She tilted her head to accept the kiss he brushed against her temple and looked at George. "I should go. I have to meet with Gellar at eleven."

George blinked several times and nodded mutely. In her heels, she was several inches taller than him and he felt like he was gazing up at a reincarnation of Venus. He watched as she handed her parents her shopping bag, asking if they would hang onto it, and then she strode from the lobby and he had to jog to catch up. "Callie, wait."

She slowed down and looked at him. "What?"

"You, uh, you can’t expect me to move very fast when I see you like this unless I’m moving very fast to, you know, take it off." He reached down at took her hand, but hers remained limp in his. "Are we okay?"

"We’re fine, George." As soon as she said the words, the devil that sat on her shoulder lately hissed that she was lying, that she was being a ‘yes, girl’, that she was fooling herself if she believed that he would be trustworthy. She pushed the voice away by saying, "Gellar’s the lesser of the evils in Psych and he likes me. I fixed his tennis elbow last year."

"Callie, anyone who sees you is going to fall in love with you." He squeezed her hand, hoping she would return the favor, but she didn’t. "You seem a little distant. Did I - is this about dinner? Because I sorta knew what was coming? I - I talked to you mom while you were in the bathtub last night, okay? She mentioned that an intervention would be smart and I went along with it because I don’t want them to be down on me any more."

They paused at the crosswalk and Callie gazed at the imposing form of the hospital in the distance. "You went along with it because you agree. It would help if you tried to believe me, George. I didn’t - I didn’t want to die and if you could trust me-"

"Trust is a two way street." George gave into temptation and rested his hand on her hip. He almost swallowed his tongue when he felt the lines of what *had* to be a spaghetti strap thong underneath. "It really hurt last night when you said that you would never trust me again."

"Well, it really hurt to trust you at all. Shame on you if you fool me once and all that."

"You have to have trust in a relationship."

"Do you believe me then? Do you think I’m gonna pass this evaluation and be fine?"

"I think that you’re going to do the best you can."

The light changed and a couple of utility workers catcalled as Callie crossed in front of their truck. One of them yelled, "Lucky little fucker."

"I know, right?" George called over his shoulder and looked back at Callie, who was frowning. It completely changed her face and he pulled her a little closer. "Okay, fine. If you say that you didn’t mean it. You didn’t mean it."

"Nice try." Callie sighed and stepped up onto the curb, not breaking her stride. "This is the part where you want me to tell you that I believe you when you say that it was just a mistake, right?"

"It would be nice."

They stopped at the second cross walk and she looked down at him. "It helps deal with it to know that you were drunk, to know that you didn’t go there with a clear head. That’s the best I can do."

George’s own personal Devil chuckled a little, reminding him of the elevator lip lock he had shared with Izzie. He had groped her breast that day. He resolutely pushed away the urge to come clean and stood on his toes to kiss her. "If that's the best you can do then it's enough."

They walked the rest of the way in silence and when they crossed the parking lot of the hospital, Meredith and Izzie were climbing out of Meredith’s car. George attempted to go at least fifty feet out of the way, but Callie plowed straight ahead and addressed Meredith. "Hey."

Meredith’s eyes widened and she said, "Hey right back. You look amazing. I didn’t look like that after I almost died."

Callie smiled a little and glanced at Izzie, whose mouth was slightly ajar. "I wanted to say thank you, to -uh- both of you, for what you did the other night. You saved my life and I appreciate it."

Meredith reached out at took her hand. "That’s what we do and you’re very welcome."

Callie squeezed her hand, then nodded at Izzie, who had not spoken at all. "Well, have a good day."

Meredith watched her walk off, saw the scathing look that George shot Izzie and said, "That took guts." She glanced at the blond. "Speaking of guts, where are yours? That was the perfect chance for you to take the same high road she did and you didn’t say a thing."

"I - I couldn’t," Izzie replied, adjusting her jacket as she watched Callie and George disappear into the hospital. "When did Callie get so ..."

"Hot?"

"Well, yeah."

Meredith put her arm around the taller woman's waist and sighed, "Oh, Izzie. I love you dearly, but you are a very blind girl where the dirty hot ortho chick is concerned."

"Clearly."

*~*~*~*~*~

Addison was redoing a chart for the third time because she couldn’t stop thinking about batteries. She cursed Mark Sloan, who walked past her and made a buzzing sound. She was glaring after him when she saw Callie. She forgot about the work and the batteries and met Callie halfway down the hall, hugging her tight. "I called you last night, but you didn’t answer. Apparently you were guesting on ‘Extreme Makeover’ and failed to invite me to the big reveal."

"Dinner. With my parents."

Addison pulled back. "Ooooh, scary."

"It really was, but then it wasn’t. And you need to buy a pretty dress because we’re having an elopement party and you get all the maid of honor perks without the actual duties."

Addison beamed at her, then faltered a little when she realized that Callie wasn’t smiling. "I can do that. Wanna shop with me? Clearly you know how and - oh my god, is that the new Fendi line? Can I just hold it?"

"Retail therapy." Callie handed the purse over and watched Addison fawn over it. "I’ve decided to go ahead and embrace the money again."

"Apparently." Addison handed her the purse back and added, "Red. You should wear red to the party."

"Red’s good," George said, nodding lasciviously as he eyed his wife’s backside. "I like red. And brown is really, really great today, too."

"You like anything," Callie told him. "Because you’re on your best behavior."

Alex stepped out of a nearby trauma room and pulled his gloves off. He chucked them into the wastebasket and turned, drawing up short when he saw her. He blinked slowly, licking his lips as he looked her up and down. "Jesus fucking Christ, Callie. You’re why cavemen chiseled on walls."

"Ooh, impressive, Alex. You just quoted one of the best movies of all time," Callie replied and grinned ear to ear. As amusing as everyone’s reaction to the cleaned up Callie was, his meant the most. "That would be ‘As Good As It Gets’. And I have to reply by saying that ‘you overwhelm me’, also from the same film."

"It’s amazing." He said, purposely looking at her like a lovesick puppy. "You look like you do and yet you get the one liners every single time. That makes you a rare and special breed, Elvira."

"No, that makes me a film geek who apparently has too much time on her hands."

"Come here, you." Alex hugged her, kissing the side of her face. In her heels, she was eye level with him and as he pulled her against him, he thought fleetingly that she fit perfectly in his arms. And she smelled - no, not good thoughts to be having about someone who was glowing for reasons that were very apparent. "How are you? What are you doing? Have you had breakfast? Should you be here?"

"Good. Nothing much. No breakfast. And no, I should not be here," she replied, rattling off the answers to his questions as she took a step back. "But my Psych thing is in about forty minutes and I’m trying to be calm. The hospital calms me."

Alex smirked at her. "Shattered bones calm you, Gothika. Wanna see a kickass X-ray that you are so missing out on by shirking your duties."

"I do not shirk, Jock Boy. This is all Webber." She gripped his ear and tugged him down the hall. "Show me carnage! We’ll be back, guys."

Addison watched as Alex put his arm around Callie’s shoulder, talking a mile of minute into her ear. "Oookay."

"He’s proving a point." George leaned against the nurse’s station. "He’s there to latch onto her if I’m not careful. I so don’t care because he’s full of crap."

Addy watched the duo disappear around the corner. She had definitely *not* missed the look on Alex’s face. Or the first genuine smile on Callie’s in days. "You’re not worried?"

"I am *so* not worried. We are officially married and life is good."

"She wasn’t wearing her ring."

"Give me time."

"You sound confident."

"I’m convinced."

"Be careful, George. Don’t make my mistakes. Don’t get cocky."

He simply smiled at her.

*~*~*~*~*~

Alex pinned the first X-ray and Callie groaned, practically salivating over the shattered hand. She traced a particularly nasty break with her finger and pouted. "It’s sick the way you know me. I should be scrubbing in on this! Why are you not scrubbing in on this?"

"Because Bailey decided that I’m on pit. Because of you."

"Me?"

"I think the rumor got to her that we were having sex."

"Ooooh, did we like it?"

"Absolutely. The rumor mill says that it was very acrobatic. That was my own personal contribution and I’ll be signing autographs after work. Thank you. Thank you very much." Alex pinned another film that showed a different angle and watched her mouth drop into a perfect ‘o’ and she moaned. "It’s like porn for you, isn’t it, Torres?"

"It so freakin’ is. I told you that bones are the bomb."

He watched as she licked her lips and found himself mimicking her actions. "You had sex with him, didn’t you?"

"Ugh. I had something with him. To quote a very wise and wonderful person ... it was a hailstorm of misery and self loathing." Callie bit her bottom lip and then hopped up onto the window seat. "Am I a fool? To do this thing with him? I mean, he knows that she’s in love with him. Whatever that even means anymore. I hate love."

"I had a talk with Izzie," Alex jumped up beside her. He pulled a Twix out of the front pocket of his scrub shirt, opened it, and handed her one of the bars. "She told me that she only thought that she was in love with him because she hates one night stands. And she said that he was ‘safe’ and she needed ‘safe’ after Denny. She’s hung up on a corpse, dude, and while O’Malley isn’t much better than a dead man ... she’s still into Duquette."

Callie chewed the candy thoughtfully. She finished it off before she replied. "She’s probably just trying to save face. She sees that he’s staying with me and she’s trying to act like it’s fine. That’s what I would do, too."

"I don’t think she’s doing that and you know I’d tell you if I did." He leaned into her, brushing her shoulder with his while he licked the chocolate off his fingers. "Are you happy? Is he - you know, taking care of you?"

"In his very own special George way he is trying. He’s definitely trying."

"Are you happy?" he repeated.

"I think I could be. Like, eventually."

"Like, when?"

"When I can trust him again. Which is --- never. It’s a horrible feeling to know that a supermodel wants your husband. It’s even worse to know that he went there and is probably comparing us every time he touches me."

"Any man who touches you would be rendered incapable of cognitive thought. It - it happened to me earlier so I’m speaking from experience."

Callie rolled her eyes a little. "You get points for trying, Alex, but Izzie Stevens is that centerfold who captivates anyone with a ‘y’ chromosome and I’m that girl who knows the movie quotes. George isn’t into movie quotes."

"George O’Malley is a blooming idiot and I don’t fault you for not seeing it because love makes people blind, but if you don’t stop letting him make you feel inferior then I’m going to kill him and kick you." Alex shook his head. "And you’re not just the girl who knows the movie quotes. You’re rapidly making me forget that there are any other women on the face of the planet and you’re not even trying."

Callie looked shocked, but she quickly recovered. They flirted. It’s what they did. It was harmless and in good fun. She cleared her throat and said, "So, she said that it was a mistake? Izzie, I mean. She’s over the whole love thing?"

"Yep." Alex noticed a spot of chocolate on Callie’s lip. He wiped it away and absently licked it from his thumb. "If your husband had not kissed her in the elevator after all was said and done then I don’t think she would have clung to the blind hope for as long as she did."

Callie sat up a little straighter. "Wait. What?"

Alex was looking at his thumb, some of her lipstick was on it. "Huh?"

"Kissing in the elevator?"

"Right. She said that he kissed her in the elevator. I guess it was a few days after the debauchery and it made her believe that it wasn’t just a drunken thing. I mean, you can kinda see why." When she didn’t reply, he glanced at her. Her face was devoid of color except for the make-up and there was sweat beading on her forehead. "Holy shit, Callie!"

"Take me home, Alex."

"But -"

"Please?"

"But you’re supposed to -" He trailed off when her eyes filled with tears. It shocked him, what it did to his insides when he realized that her eyes were flecked with varying shades of brown. Some of them matched the dress. Some of them matched the freckles on her nose, some were golden, too... or maybe it was her tears reflecting the light of the X-ray panel. Whatever it was it took his breath. He was not prepared for the jarring in his heart, then. It jarred him so hard that it shook his foundation. And he was still reeling when comprehension dawned on him. She had not known about the kiss and she was going to lose control. "We’ll go down the back elevator, Cal. Come on."

He hopped down and held his hand out. When she didn’t take it, he impulsively hugged her, standing between her knees. He was struck, again, by the realization that she fit, that she felt good there, and he didn’t know where it came from or why he was thinking it all of the sudden. She looked different, prettier than ever before, but she was still the same goofy girl who got his humor and popped it right back in the exact same ways. Something was there, though, hanging in the air and it was heavy on his back. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you like this. I swear to God, I didn’t. I never would."

"You didn’t know." She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight, burying her face against his neck. "Oh wow, this is what the camel’s back breaking feels like. I deserve this for giving in. I deserve it for being weak. This is karma reminding me that I am not a doormat and that I *knew*. To quote your favorite movie: ‘We are men of action. Lies do not become us.’ And I’m living a lie, Alex."

"You are definitely not a man, though. And if we’re gonna quote it wrong, then I’m saying this," he replied, holding her closer still. "George is an R.O.U.S. and don’t you dare cry over him."

"A rodent of unusual size?"

"Don’t you agree?"

He felt her nod and when she pulled back, he wiped the tears off her face and looked at her. She really was beautiful and it was his fault that her heart was breaking. It was his fault that he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. It was *not* his fault that his body suddenly reacted to her every movement, however. He touched her hair and knew that he’d die if he didn’t heed the primordial call that had been in the back of his mind since he had wrenched her off the pavement of the Archfield and broke the sound barrier rushing her to safety. He traced her full lower lip with his thumb and said, "I actually have another quote from the ‘Princess Bride’. And I have to say it. Right now."

"Knock yourself out."

"Since the invention of the kiss, there have only been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure." He tilted her head a little, his hands holding her firm as he floated into her eyes again, losing himself. He rubbed the curve of her jaw, and whispered, "This one left them all behind."

And then his lips were on hers and Callie was so shocked, so touched, so completely floored and *desperate* for comfort ... that she kissed back. His tongue danced against hers, igniting something inside her that she thought was dormant and she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer. She tasted the Twix, tasted her tears, and tasted something else that was not desperation at all. It could only be described as undiluted desire and it raced through her body, causing her blood to rush to her ears.

He moaned against her mouth and she felt drunker than she had ever been. She made a sound in the back of her throat when he finally pulled away and struggled to catch her breath. Her eyes were glassy and her head was spinning like a top. "Alex, what are you doing?"

"I’m trying to kidnap what George has stolen. Your heart." He lowered his hand and rested it just over her left breast. "Because I think - no, no, wait - I know - that I can put it back together. And I want to."

"Oh my god."

"Callie, something’s changed. Between us. And I’m blindsided. I don’t know when it happened, but it did. It - it has happened."

"Stop." She reached up and touched his mouth, wondering as she did why her hand didn’t tremble, why guilt didn’t force her to pull back. "It - it changed when you believed me."

"Yeah. I think maybe it did." He took her hand in his and added, "I don’t want to complicate your life more than it already is."

"Geez, thanks. It’s a little late for that."

"What are you gonna do, Cal?"

"Addison told me that I should try to save my marriage so that I wouldn’t look back in ten years and wonder if I made a mistake by letting it go." She took a deep breath. "I tried. I really feel like I tried, Alex, but I won’t live ten years at all if I keep letting him make me feel this way."

"Then leave him."

She drew strength from his touch and soldiered on. "I haven’t felt alive until right now and if the option is mostly dead with him or completely alive with you --- then this is another one of those wrestling matches that you would win. You’d win, Alex, but I’m not a prize unless you count my money and I can’t disappoint the people who-"

"You can’t live your life for other people. Because when you live it like that ... then drinking enough to kill yourself makes sense. Because your life is not yours and you don’t value it anymore because you’re giving it away a piece at a time." Alex pushed her hair back and thumbed the diamond earring she wore. "And the prize, Callie, the prize isn’t in your bank account or who your family is. The prize is that once all that’s stripped off ... you’re still worth a million bucks without it."

"Is that from a movie?"

"Yeah. Ours."

They kissed again and when he pulled back this time, she was smiling. Alex leaned a little closer and repeated, "What are you gonna do, Cal?"

"I’m going to go take that evaluation and I’m going to ace it." She leaned her cheek against his and whispered. "And them I’m going to leave him."

*~*~*~*~*~

Cambyses Iason Torres was a man on a mission. He strolled into Seattle Grace Hospital, dressed in black leather pants and a maroon shirt that was unbuttoned at the neck. His hair was long and so black it was almost blue under the hospital’s harsh light. It brushed against his broad shoulders in soft waves and the ice blue contacts he wore were stark against his olive skin. He carried his guitar case over his shoulder and an Armani suitcase in his hand. As he approached the nurse’s station, he saw that several of the staff had stopped to watch his approach. He was used to it.

"I’m looking for my sister. Calliope Torres," he told the blond behind the counter. "Is she on duty?"

Izzie blinked several times, staring up at the man. He was tall, easily pushing six foot five and he was possibly the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. His features were rugged and he had a five o’clock shadow on his jaw. "Uh, hi," she finally muttered, staring at the hair that was visible on his chest. "She is around here somewhere, but she’s not on duty."

"Can you page her?"

"That could be a problem. She’s actually in a meeting."

"Could you tell me something? Is she okay?"

Izzie made the assumption that he already knew the gory details. "Well, anyone who has attempted suicide is -"

"What!?" He dropped his guitar which clanged against the nurse’s station, but ignored it. "What do you mean? What happened to my sister? I swear to God ... I don’t usually mind being the black sheep, but I’m always the last to know."

"Oh, god. I thought you knew what happened. She's okay. She was treated and released."

"See, I knew something was wrong. We’re twins. When she hurts, I hurt. When she lies to me, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she’s lying." Cam exhaled and shook his head. "She lied to me. She told me she was fine."

"She is fine," Izzie replied. "Well, physically."

"What happened to her?"

Izzie took him aside and quickly explained. Cam’s eyes widened when she finished the story and he took a deep, lung filling breath. "You may want to clear the ICU, ma’am. She’ll be back in no time flat. Possible strangulation, but I won’t rule out throwing her off the balcony so be prepared for that, too."

"Mr. Torres, I can assure you that she feels worse than anyone possibly should. I’ve heard that your parents are in town and are being horrible to her."

"That’s nothing new," Cam told her. "They always do that. She’s immune. We all are. Now it’s my turn."

"Cam?"

Cambyses turned and immediately felt at ease. His boyfriend had been able to do that for him for almost ten years. Blake, who stood at just under six feet tall, had wire rimmed glasses and a slightly round belly. His receding red hair was cut short and parted on one side and the shirt and tie he wore made his hazel eyes seem green. He was seven years older than Cambyses and Cam had fallen in love with him the moment he laid eyes on him.

His temper had eased considerably by the time Blake made it to the end of the hall, slightly winded under the luggage he carried. Reaching down, Cam laced his finger’s through his boyfriend’s and looked back at Izzie. "This is my life partner, Blake. Blake, this is - I didn’t catch your name, I’m sorry."

"Dr. Stevens," she replied.

"She was just telling me that my sister is a fool."

Izzie quietly listened while Cam relayed what had transpired with Callie. They were certainly an odd looking couple. ‘Greek God meet Joe Everybody’, she thought. But then the same could be said about George and Callie. She glanced at Blake and realized that he actually reminded her of George in a way. He was straight laced and when he spoke, she heard that he was just as soft spoken.

"Don’t be mad at her," Blake said, squeezing Cam’s hand. "You don’t kick someone when they’re down and from the sounds of it she’s at the bottom of the barrel."

Cam stared down at the other man, one eyebrow raised. Izzie smiled a little. He looked like Callie now. He certainly had her disposition. She answered a few more questions that the men had and then Addison appeared and Izzie asked her which room at the Archfield Callie was staying at. Addison took one look at Callie’s brother and said, "You’re the twin!"

"You’re the Addison!" Cam replied, then stepped forward and hugged her. "I’d recognize you anywhere. Callie sent me photos of you guys from ... Joe’s ... is it? Dancing on the bar."

"Oh my god." Addy buried her face in her hand. "She said those would never see the light of day. That was after a very bad case we worked on together."

"A case of what?" Bailey, who had heard the introduction, stepped forward. "Y’all need AA, stat."

"You would have to be Miranda Bailey. Callie loves you. Talks about you all the time." Cam shook her hand and introduced Blake.

The made small talk for a moment longer and Addison finally said, "Callie’s in room twenty two seventy seven at the Archfield. It’s five blocks south on the right. You’re welcome to take my car, but I’m not sure that the luggage will fit. It’s small."

"Aww, thank you. It’s fine. We’ll walk. We spent over four hours on stand-by and then suffered an eight hour flight in economy. We must walk," Blake replied. "It was nice to meet you all."

Bailey and Addison stood side by side, watching as Cam retrieved his guitar and laid his arm over Blake’s shoulders. "All the good ones are gay," Addison finally said. "Every single last good one."

"Tell me about it," Izzie interjected, craning her neck to get a good view of the man’s backside. "He’s hot."

"He looks like Callie." Addison glanced at the blond and narrowed her eyes. "She’s beautiful like that."

Izzie watched as Bailey and Addison walked off, talking about Greek men and women. There was no one for her to talk to anymore. Cristina and Meredith had each other, Alex ignored her, and George pretended that she had died. She glanced up in time to see George coming out of the restroom at the end of the hallway and hurried forward. "You just missed Callie’s brother."

"Which one?"

"Uh, the twin. He looks like her only he’s a giant."

George smiled. "Did you see my wife in the heels? She’s six foot tall."

"She looked good," Izzie said, nodding at him. "Uh - I know you hate me and I don’t have any right to ask, but I need to tell you something. About the night Callie came in. And I wouldn’t bother, but I think it’s worth mentioning because it might may help you see that I’m not evil and I - I did something for her. For you, really."

George sighed and glanced at the clock on the wall. He had already missed Callie’s appoint. Alex had undoubtedly taken her up. "Make it fast, Izzie."

"Come on."

They walked together into the stairwell and Izzie began to talk.

She talked for a very long time.


*~*~*~*~*~

A little over an hour later, Dr. Gellar smiled at Callie. "You’ve had all the right answers, Dr. Torres. And you look as happy as anyone I’ve ever seen. But I do have one more question."

"Go ahead."

"You’ve explained to me that the stress of a failed marriage pushed you over the edge and that’s understandable. What happens the next time you’re under that much stress, though?"

"First of all, I’m going to eliminate the source of the stress," she replied, her eye contact never wavering. "But if I do find myself in a situation where I can’t breathe again ... I’m going to go look at X-rays. I’m going to look at broken bones. Because it relaxes me. It gives me something to fix. And that fixes something inside me, too."

"Nicely done, Doctor." Gellar picked up her chart and said, "I’m recommending that you are fully reinstated beginning tomorrow."

Callie nodded, then held up her hand. "Wait. Two weeks."

"Pardon?"

"I need two weeks. I have a lot to do."

The man nodded and pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Two weeks. Consider it done."

Callie stood and held her hand out. "Thank you, sir."

"You’re welcome, Callie." He shook her hand and held it for a moment longer. "What are your plans? Off the record?"

Callie couldn’t help but chuckle. Her heart felt light, better, than it ever had before. "I’m going to take the road less traveled. And I’m going to enjoy every single curve. They’re really not bad, you know. Curves. Sometimes something unexpected is waiting just around the bend."

*~*~*~*~*~

Alex was waiting in the small lobby when she walked out. He dropped the magazine he was reading and jumped to his feet, looking at her. She gave him a thumbs up and he grabbed her, spinning her a little. She threw her head back and laughed, holding onto his shoulders. "Let’s take the stairs out of here."

"I called Bailey. I told her I needed a some time off."

"What did she say?"

"She didn’t say anything. I’ve never taken my vacation."
They headed for the stairwell and Alex grabbed her once they were inside. Looking left and right he kissed her again and said, "We’re still doing this, right?"

"We are."

"Are you sure?"

"Shhhh." Callie put her hand on her lips when she heard someone sobbing. She leaned over the railing and realized that her husband was sitting two floors below, his arm around Izzie. She waited for the pain, waited for the jealousy, but nothing happened. "Fuck him," she sighed.

Alex joined her at the railing and said, "I’m kicking his ass."

"Alex-"

She ran after him and the clatter of her heels caused George and Izzie to jump to their feet. Izzie brushed the tears off her face and looked at Callie, "Hey, how’d it go?"

"Don’t you talk to her." Alex stood six steps lower than Callie, glaring at Izzie. He looked at George and said, "Where were you? You never came up to the lobby to see about your *wife*."

George looked up at Callie and swallowed hard. He knew that there would be hell to pay. "I - Izzie was just telling me that she took your DNR paper from your chart, Callie. She said that she couldn’t let you be my Denny."

"Wow." Callie put a hand on her chest and tried to look shocked. "Thank you, Izzie. That was really generous of you. You should be canonized."

"Don’t. I - I know that it was wrong and that you wanted to - no, I don’t know." Izzie wrapped her arms around her waist. "I just - I’m sorry that this happened. All of it."

"Someone should be," Callie replied and her voice was so sugary sweet that it hung in the stairwell like molasses. She stepped down one of the steps and tilted her head to one side. "Cause I’m not. You did want me to be his Denny, right? So, I’m going to do what Denny would have done if he had lived."

Izzie looked up at her, not sure what to expect. "Oh? What’s that?"

Callie smiled. "I’m going to get as far away from you and your drama that a person can get. Because it’s toxic. And George? You’re the star in her drama and you thrive on it. You don’t live at the Archfield anymore. We’re not together. We will *never* be together. I’m divorcing you."

"What?" George looked like he had been slapped. He started up the stairs, but Alex stepped in front of him. George stumbled and almost fell. "Callie, don’t. Don’t! We fixed this! We’re happy."

"No," Callie replied. "We’re not. We’re not happy together and someone has to admit it. I can only be near you if I’m drunk. But I bet if you go back in the elevator with Izzie and kiss her again, you’ll feel great."

"No! NO!" George looked at Izzie and shouted, "Why did you tell? It didn’t mean anything! Damn you, Izzie!"

"I don’t know! I just-"

"Shut up!" Callie shouted. She looked down at Alex and shook her head. "Can you believe them?"

"What I can’t believe is that we’re still standing here." He reached up, his hand outstretched, and said, "Let’s go, gorgeous."

Callie stepped down another step and stared at Alex. His back was to the large floor to ceiling window and the it seemed to signify freedom, that the world lay in front of her. With him. She glanced back at George, who stood beside his mistress, and she realized that it was wasteland. George had pulled her into a wasteland and she had almost drowned in his lies. She almost let it kill her.

She put her hand in Alex’s and nodded. "As you wish."

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 13
*~*~*~*~*

If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be too cynical. Well, that's nonsense. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.
- Annie Dillard

*~*~*~*~*


Immediately after securing lodging at the Archfield, Cambyses headed to his parent’s room. He was angry, his hands were shaking and his palms were wet from the fists he had been clenching since he had heard about Callie. Suicide. Suicide? The word kept replaying in his head and he kept hearing Callie’s voice on the phone the day it happened. He had heard her unhappiness, but had encouraged her to have the party. He could kick his own ass for it, but that would have to wait. By the time he arrived at the Ambassador Suite, he was crying from anger and fear.

Melana opened the door and looked at him with wide eyes after he pounded against the wood hard enough to startle half the people on their floor. He sailed past her, stalking past Gucci who reached for him. "I can not believe this," he snapped. "I can not believe that you are my mother. I just - you have no concept how to parent. Anyone."

"Cambyses, what are you doing here? Besides being a drama queen?"

"Where else would I be, Mother?" He spun to face her, his face red. "How could you not call me? How could you not tell me!?"

"Your father and I are taking care of the situation with your sister. Your services really are not needed here."

"DO NOT DO THAT!" he shouted. "Do not dismiss me like I’m ten years old again!"

"Even ten year olds grow up, Cambyses. Honestly, leather pants? You look demonic. Is your little friend with you? What, pray tell is he wearing? Perhaps pink taffeta or chiffon? Maybe he's being bold and wearing both."

"Stop it, Mother! This is not about me or Blake or your denial that I am still a human being. This is about Callie. I don’t understand any of this. She loves life. And she’s a fighter. So, tell me how this happened. What is she saying?"

"She says that she didn’t try to hurt herself. She claims it was a mistake."

"What do you think? Or, actually, what does Dad think?"

"*We* think that your sister has a problem. With alcohol. We think that she needs help. Luckily, her husband agrees and has promised to push the idea of rehabilitation and I believe he will succeed. He has quite a way with her. I’ve never seen anyone deal with her the way he does and she responds well to it. He doesn't coddle her."

"Great. While you’re shipping my sister off to Betty Ford, why don’t you ship her wonderful husband off to Cheaters Anonymous. He drove her to this so it’s only fair that he get shock therapy as well."

"Perhaps if you were in a conventional relationship you would understand the bond between a husband and wife. Callie has decided to stay with him and has forgiven him."

He ignored the personal attack. "Where is she?"

"She should be back any time."

Raphael emerged from the bedroom, fresh from the shower, and stared at Cam with shock. "You are supposed to be covering the mergers and acquisitions meetings right now! Who is doing it?"

"Loukas." Cam shoved his hands in the pockets of his leather pants. "You can’t expect me not to be here." He glanced at his mother. "If this was a conventional family then you would understand the bond between Callie and me and you would know that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is *not* okay."

"We’re taking care of it." Raphael walked across the room and embraced his son. "I’m glad you’re here though. Callie will be thrilled to see you."

"Thanks, Dad." Cam ran his hand over his face, drying his eyes. "Dr. Stevens said that she was lucky that her liver wasn’t destroyed. I think I’ll yank it out of her myself and slap her with it."

Raph smiled and indicated that they should have a seat at the table. Melana pointedly ignored the invitation, picked up Gucci, and walked further into the suite where she turned her back on her son and husband. Raph grabbed two bottles of water from the refrigerator and sat across from Cam, then said, "Did Blake come with you?"

"Yes, sir," Cam replied. "Hey, do you remember when Callie and I took Uncle Kick’s boat? I dreamed about it. Remember the nightmares we both had? It was just like that, but this time she drowned. She never even tried to swim."

"That’s why you came?"

"That’s why I came." Cam nodded. "I know it sounds insane and it’s too stupid for words, but I feel like she’s in danger. I feel like something is going to happen to her."

They drank their water in silence for a while. Raphael finally leaned forward a little and said, "I think you’re right."

"What?"

"She’s hurting herself, Cam. Your mother seems to think that her marriage is enough to get her through this and I confess that George is trying, but she’s not happy, mijo. She’s wasted away to skin and bones, her smile is fake, she got a tattoo as large as this room on her back, and the first thing she wants to do is reach for alcohol when she’s confronted with stress." Raph studied his son, seeing so much of Callie in him that it was a comfort. "The two of you do share a beautiful bond and I’ve always been grateful that she has you, son."

"You’re freaked because she got a tattoo? That’s kinda hot, Dad."

"I assure you it’s not." Raph took a sip of his drink. "It’s actually good that you’re here. She’ll listen to you above all others."

"I know that tone. God, I hate that tone. What do you want me to do?"

"Your sister has lied to protect you and lied to help you, but she has never lied *to* you. Get the truth out of her, mijo. Make her hit rock bottom no matter how hard it is for you to do so."

Cam opened his mouth to reply, but his father’s cell phone rang and Raph reached for it. "It’s Callie," the man said, then answered. "Hi, princess."

"Hi, Daddy."

"How was the evaluation?"

"I go back to work in two weeks," Callie replied. "Is, uh, Mama there?"

"Yes. And guess who else has come all this way to see you? Cam. He arrived a little while ago." There was a long pause. "Callie, honey? What’s wrong?"

"Can you put the phone on speaker? I need to tell you something. All of you."

Raph glanced at Melana, who was peering over the back of the sofa. He beckoned her forward, then hit the speaker button, "Go ahead, darlin’. We’re listening."

"Hey, Cal."

"Hey, Cam." Callie’s voice was soft, low. "I wish - I wish I had known that you were coming because I really want to see you and now - well, I can’t. I - I’m going out of town for a while."

"What do you mean?" Cam asked, his brow furrowed. "Where are you going?"

"It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m fine, but I - I can’t really deal with my life unless I do this for myself. And that’s what I’m doing. I’m dealing. I need a break so I’m taking it."

Melana moved closer to the phone and said, "Are you going somewhere with George? A vacation? What?"

On the other end of the line, Callie took a deep breath. "Hear me out, okay? You were right last night at dinner. I do have a problem, but it’s not something that can be fixed with rehab or you guys protecting me from myself. You said that you would support me if I wanted out of my marriage and I do. I have to get out because it’s not healthy and it’s a lie. Can you call Quinton and get the papers started so that I can-"

"What?!" Melana cried. "What happened? What -"

"I gave him the chance to tell me the truth about the woman he was with. I gave him the chance more than once and today I found out that he has lied to me all along. Right to my face. It wasn’t just a drunken thing. They - they had contact while they were sober and I can deal with a lot of things, but that’s not one of them. He looked me in my face after that. He looked me in my face and went home with me and let me buy him dinner. And who knows what else we did together or who he was thinking of while we did it. That makes me feel like trash."

"Oh, baby," Raph said, taking Mel’s hand in his. "Come back to the hotel and-"

"I can’t. I don’t want to be there yet. We - there’s too many memories." She cleared her throat. "I have two weeks off at work. I’m going to take at least a week - maybe more - of that for myself. Starting now. Don’t try to find me. Don’t try to call because I’m not bringing along a phone and just - know that I’m safe."

"No!" Raphael half stood. "Calliope, you come back here right now! You are not going off again on your own and -"

"I’m not by myself, Daddy."

"What? Is Addison-"

"I’m with Alex."

Melana put a hand over her mouth. "Callie," she finally said. "Honey, you’re hurt and we will start the paperwork if you want us to, but two wrongs do not make a right. In the eyes of God you are still married and if you do this then you are just as guilty, just as wrong as George was. You can’t come back from this once you cross the line that far."

"Mom, I’m pretty sure God will understand. But you’re right about one thing. That line? George crossed it and I’m tired of pretending that it’s okay."

"Are you involved with this man, mija?"

"I don’t know what we are, Daddy, but I know that this is where I need to be right now. He makes me sane and I haven’t felt sane for a very long time."

"What are you doing with your life, Calliope? This is madness," Melana cried. "Last night you finally ate dinner! George helped you see that you have to nourish the body! The two of you talked to one another! You seemed happy with your husband and-"

"The harsh light of day tends to wake you up whether you’re ready for it or not. I’ll be okay. And Mama?"

"What?"

"Don’t cancel the party. I’ll be back for it. I need my family. Just - make it only family, okay? I don’t want anyone there who isn’t blood except for Addison. And probably Alex."

"Honey-"

"I have to go. I love you."

"Wait! Callie!" Raphael snatched up the phone and listened, but the call was disconnected. He quickly dialed a number, a reassuring hand on Mel’s shoulder. "Quinton? I need you to access Calliope’s bank records. I need to know when and where she makes any transactions from this point on. I also need you to check her phone records and see if we can trace her location by pinging it. No, no, she’s not okay. Call me back immediately."

"Raphael." Melana began to cry when he hung up the phone. "She’s not thinking clearly. What if something happens to her? Find her!"

"I will, mi vida. I will." He leaned down and kissed her on the head. "I promise."

"You won’t find her." Cam smiled knowingly at his father and leaned back in his chair, stretching his long legs in front of him. "She wants to disappear. And that’s what she’ll do."

Raph, his arm around his wife, shook his head. "You underestimate me. I am always a step ahead of my children. When it comes to my daughter ... I will turn over every stone and move mountains for her."

"She’ll probably be on that mountain, Dad. Climbing it. Or base jumping off it. Let her go."

"We need to get in touch with George and find out what happened," Mel interrupted, dabbing her eyes.

"She just told you what happened, Mom! He broke her heart!" Cam got to his feet and caught Gucci, who jumped into his arms. He soothed the primate, who appeared agitated by the raised voices. "You know, sometimes I think that we were so blessed. We had money, we never had to want for anything, *except* for you to see us. I came out of the closet when I was fifteen years old. I have been in a loving, committed relationship for ten years. You can accept that George destroyed your only daughter, but you can’t accept that Blake loves your son. See us for once! Realize what’s going on! Open your eyes and see us!"

"Cam-" Raph began.

"No! You said that she’s wasted away to nothing. You said that she keeps drinking and she almost drank herself to death. Who do you think is the cause of that? She never did this until *him*. And if she needs to get away with whoever this guy is that she’s traveling with then more power to her. I hope she has a good time and I hope that he makes her feel better than her *husband*."

"What happened to her being in danger?" Melana asked, no longer crying. "I heard what you told your father."

"I think maybe George is the danger she’s in. If she’s not here then she’s not in it anymore."

Raph’s phone trilled and he answered, speaking in clipped tones for several moments. When he hung up, he looked at his family and said, "That little minx. She’s smart. She took thirty thousand out of the bank in cash. She won’t be using her credit cards."

"Told you."

"Quint is checking all flights out of the area and -"

"She’s not going to fly commercial. She’ll fly herself, Dad."

"Then perhaps I will clip her wings when I do catch her."

*~*~*~*~*~

George sat in Addison’s car. She had found him alone in the stairwell with his head against the wall. The worst of the tears had abated after he had screamed at Izzie enough, but as soon as he saw his wife’s best friend, they started anew. Addison had pulled him to his feet, bought him takeout which remained untouched, and drove him to his mother’s place at his request. They were still sitting in the driveway, in silence, when Addison finally said, "Are you going to tell me what happened? Or am I keeping your ass here until you do."

"I kissed Izzie. In the elevator."

Addison slapped him, hard, on the back of the head. "You idiot! What the hell were you thinking? Today of all days! Or any day!"

"Oww!" George massaged his scalp. "Not today! Weeks ago! And I didn’t tell Callie about it. I didn’t think she’d ever find out. Then she did."

"I warned you not to get cocky! And who in their right mind gets cocky when they’re still holding onto a secret? What the hell is wrong with you?"

George started to cry again. "We made love last night. It was perfect. It was -" He trailed off for a second. "Okay, not perfect. She - she seemed upset with herself for doing it and I - I didn’t really help."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, afterwards I played it off. I tried to act like it was the most natural thing in the world and make her laugh or whatever. Then we had dinner with her parents and they were nice to me, but-"

"Not to her?"

"It was an intervention, Addison. They’re never nice."

"A WHAT! AND YOU WENT ALONG WITH IT? YOU REALLY ARE AN IDIOT!" She smacked him again and he cowered. She felt guilty immediately, mostly because he looked like a kicked puppy, so she hastily added, "She’s *your* wife. It’s supposed to be the two of you against everyone else."

"Us against them." George rubbed his head. "That’s what she said, too. Before we went to dinner."

"Maybe you should have listened to her." Addison sat back in her seat and sighed. "Why did you want me to bring you here?"

"She’s divorcing me. She told me. She said not to come to the Archfield."

"Oh my god." Addison looked at him. "Then you should have gone to the Archfield. Are you going to fight for her? George, do you - are you in love with Callie? At all?"

"Yes. I am."

"Then what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Addison-"

"You get that I was on your side, right? I kept nudging her for you. I kept telling her that you were sorry and that you were going to fix it and look at what you’ve done."

"I know!" George cried.

"Who told her about you and Izzie in the elevator?"

"Who do you think? Karev."

"What happened after she found out? Was she okay? God, I could kick you in the ass."

"She left with him. He held out his hand and she took it and left with him. I bet they’re - no, I can’t even think it."

"She left with Alex?" Addison blinked, then pulled out her cellphone. She called Callie’s number to no avail. It went straight to voice mail. She turned to address George again when she noticed Louise walking down the sidewalk toward the car. "Uh, George?"

"Yeah?"

"Your mom."

George rolled the window down and looked up at his mother. "I’ll be inside in just a minute."

"You most certainly will not." Louise shook her head and planted her palms on her ample hips. "Your wife just called her parents and told them that she is leaving town. Now, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that this is your fault, but she confirmed it with them. I am ashamed of you, George. Ashamed."

Addison leaned over the gear shifter and looked up at Louise, fear evident on her features. "She’s leaving town? Permanently or-"

"She said for a week or so. She has to report back at the hospital in two weeks." Louise sighed and glared down at her son. "And she’s taken Alex with her."

"What!? That son of a bitch!" George yelled, leaping from the car with such force that he almost hit his mother with the door. When she stepped back, he whirled and punched a nearby telephone pole, then howled at the pain.
Addison hurried out of the car and rushed to where he stood, bent at the waist, gripping his hand. "Let me see. George, let me see your hand."

"It's fine."

"Just -"

"He warned me. He told me that he wanted her and I didn't believe it. I didn't think he'd go for her. Not really."

He raised up and looked at Addison finally. He looked like a sad clown and it was too real to be comical. Tears wet his cheeks, his nose was red from the crying, and his hair had curled up from the humidity of the evening drizzle. Wordlessly, he took a step back and then he turned on his heel and ran. The women watched in shock as the darkness swallowed him.

"Should we-" Addison began.

"No." Louise stood a little straighter, as if holding herself upright would somehow give her strength to do what she needed to do. "I raised my son better than this and if it takes him spending the night in the rain with a hand that is as hurt as his wife’s heart then so be it."

*~*~*~*~*~
"You’re kidding."

"No, I’m really not. This is what I was doing earlier while we waited for Gellar to see me. I was making plans." Callie watched as Alex crossed his arms over his chest and stared up at the Cessna Citation Mustang. It was smaller than several of the other planes that were housed at the hangar, but she knew that it was still intimidating. She bit her bottom lip and said, "I fly it home every Christmas. I promise. I’m good."

"I’m not doubting your skills, Cal." Alex cocked his head to one side, still gazing at the plane. "But where are the propellers?"

"Who needs propellers when you have two Pratt and Whitney fanjet engines that deliver one thousand four hundred and sixty pounds of takeoff thrust apiece?"

He looked at her then. And smiled. "Thrust, huh?"

"Thrust."

Alex walked to where she stood and put his hands on her hips. It was obvious that he was thinking of an entirely different form of thrust by the smirk on his face. "Where are we going?"

"Los Angeles. I bought a house there three years ago and I’ve never even seen it."

"We didn’t pack anything." Alex leaned down, kissing her. It was lingering, soft and hard in equal measures. "But you did say ‘thrust’ so I guess I’m along for the ride. Do I call you captain, by the way?"

"You can call me whatever you want as long as you keep kissing me like that."

"Oooh, an invitation. Let me R.S.V.P.." He kissed her again, slower this time and didn’t break away from her until someone cleared their throat behind them.

Callie sighed and stepped around Alex, extending her hand toward Miguel Santos, the caretaker of the private air strip that housed her plane. Miguel handed her a stack of papers and spoke rapid Spanish, gesticulating wildly with his hands. Callie replied in Spanish and nodded her head several times. Then, without warning, she gripped the shorter man by the lapels of his coveralls and said, "If you tell my father *anything* then I will feed you your scrotum in little pieces."

"Okay, fine!" Miguel growled in perfect English. "I’ll park the car in the hangar and we’ll do it your way. I’ve got the fake flight plan that shows you heading to the east coast. But Raphael Torres is not going to stop there, Calliope. He’ll send someone to look for your plane and when he doesn’t see it - HE will be feeding me my scrotum and probably his fist as well."

"By the time my father figures out that it was a bait and switch, I will already be halfway back here." Callie reached up and opened the door of the plane. "Are you ready, Alex?"

"We’re leaving now?" Alex seemed shocked, like the idea of leaving on the plane was just that - an idea. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Callie walked around the aircraft, checking a few things out for herself, then she turned back to Miguel and said, "I appreciate this. You’re a good man."

"I hope I remain a man and not a eunuch. Your father will kill me."

"I’ll take the blame." Callie motioned for Alex to ascend the steps first, then she followed behind him. She waved at Miguel and closed the door.

The plane was very cramped on the inside, but luxurious nonetheless. There was room for four passengers in the cabin and a pilot and co-pilot in the cockpit. Callie dropped her purse on one of the leather seats and kicked off her shoes. Digging her toes into the plush white carpet, she groaned. "Now I remember why I don’t wear high heels," she sighed and moved past him, heading for the pit. "You want to ride shotgun or would you feel more comfortable back there?"

"I’m with you." Alex followed her and strapped himself into the vacant seat. He watched quietly as Callie pushed several buttons, then she handed him a set of earphones and put her own in place. He listened to her conversation with the tower and stared, wide eyed, when she finally maneuvered the plane onto the runway and they took off.

Callie smiled when Alex gripped the arms of his chair and they shot upward, straight into the clouds. She waited until they had leveled out before she spoke to him. The climb could take a seasoned veteran’s stomach and he was looking kind of green. "You know what?"

"What?"

"You’re the first person who has been in this plane with me. Ever."

"I am?"

"You are."

"When did you learn to fly?"

"My dad used to take me up when I was just a kid. He started teaching me before I was big enough to see over the controls. Then when I was old enough I went to flight school in my spare time and eventually got my license."

"Do your brothers fly?"

"No."

"Oh, so your dad spoiled you rotten, but not the boys?"

She smiled. "The boys were predestined to take equal parts in the running of my father’s various businesses. That was never an option for me. Teaching me to fly meant that no matter how far away I went, I could always find my way home."

"He didn’t want you to work for the family?"

"He didn’t want me to sing for the family." Callie turned a couple of knobs and responded to something from the tower before she addressed Alex again. "That was my mother’s big plan. I was going to sing. On Broadway. As soon as my dad found out that there was an agent interested in signing me, he flipped out, and sent my ass packing to medical school against my will."

"You didn’t want to be a doctor?"

"I didn’t want to cause anymore conflict in my family. My parents were arguing all the time about me and my future so I did what my father wanted. Don’t get me wrong, I love medicine. I love helping people and doing what we do, but what I really wanted was to fly. Big, ugly passenger jets full of grouchy adults and screaming babies."

"Well, look around, Cal, you’re a pilot. You got the best of both worlds."

"I fly once a year which isn’t nearly as cool." She shrugged her shoulders. "And while I love this plane it’s just not the same as a seven forty seven."

"Have you flown one?"

"Once. And only kinda sorta. My uncle bought tickets for my brother and me to attend a twins convention when we were seventeen. We were in first class and the co-pilot walked by and I asked him if I could see the cockpit. He said okay and they let me hold the wheel. It was brief, just a split second, but it was the best moment of my very young life. I was in love with the power of it. With the speed. With knowing that I held hundreds of lives in the palm of my hand."

"You’re an adrenaline junkie."

"Very true. That was the first moment of my life when I had direction, when I knew what I wanted to do."

"Have you always done that, though?"

"Done what?"

"Given up your dreams, your goals, to make other people happy?"

"Yeah." She concentrated on the horizon. "Can I tell you something weird?"

"You can tell me anything."

"I went swimming this morning at the hotel. The water was like ice and I was the only one in it. The sky was kind of cloudy when I jumped in and after I swam for a while and finally climbed back out ... the sun was breaking through and it’s like I saw everything crystal clear for the first time. It was like a baptism, you know. It’s like I went down as a liar and came up a believer."

"A believer in what?"

"Me."

"It’s about time." Alex shifted in his seat so that he could watch her more comfortably. "Can I tell you something weird?"

"You can tell me anything."

He grinned. "You’re not the only one who saw everything crystal clear today. I know that we’ve flirted and goofed around in good fun, but I felt like I was seeing you for the first time when you were studying those X-rays. You were gorgeous. I couldn’t stop looking."

Callie toyed with the yoke and swallowed hard. Tears stung at her eyes and she quickly looked out the window until she regained control. "So, it took a pretty dress and perfect hair to make you realize that I’m actually a girl and not just -"

"Don’t do that." Alex cut her off and touched her arm. "You do look gorgeous, but it wasn’t the clothes I noticed. It was your eyes. When you started to cry because of what I told you it felt like someone was holding a brand against me. Against all of me. You could be bald and have on a sack of some kind and your eyes are still going to get to me every time."

"That is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"Well, don’t abuse it. Don’t think that just looking at me is going to get you whatever you want." Alex narrowed his eyes when she glanced at him. He reached over, touching the dampness on her cheek. "Why are you crying?"

"I should feel guilty. I should. What we’re doing-"

"Don’t do that either. You either feel something or you don’t. Don’t think about what you should feel and think about what you do feel." He unbuckled his seatbelt and kissed her just behind the ear. "And I feel you."

Callie hissed a little as chills raced up and down her spine. How did he know that was her spot? "I feel you, too, but we’re going to feel this plane crashing if you don’t stop that."

"Hmmm." Alex reached down, sliding her skirt slowly upward. He exposed her knee and ran his fingers over it. "Pilots should be able to fly well under any circumstances. Granted, I’m not a grouchy adult or a screaming child, but I’m just as distracting. Now ... concentrate on the flight. If you can."

Callie swallowed hard when his hand moved a little higher. He traced a pattern on her mid-thigh and she gasped. "You’re killing me, Alex."

He moved higher still, dragging his nails across the outside of her leg, then upward toward her hip. He smiled when he felt her breathing change and kissed her neck, suckling at her flesh. The plane jerked violently and suddenly, almost bucking him out of his seat, and he backed away, eyes wide. Callie had her lips pursed together and was gripping the yoke tightly in her hands. "Callie Torres! You did that on purpose!"

Callie looked at him and shook her head, then pointed out the front windows.

There was a storm on the horizon. Lightning flashed against the blackening sky and thunder boomed suddenly. The plane pitched again and she grabbed his arm. "Put your seatbelt back on. I’m going to go above it."

"Callie-"

"It’s okay. I’ve flown through worse."

Alex buckled his belt and gripped the arms of his chair again. "Why didn’t they warn us?"

Callie said nothing, but as she stared at the storm and the wind pitched the little jet again ... she worried that maybe someone was warning them.

*~*~*~*~*~
Ch 14
*~*~*~*~*~

Callie felt like she had been holding her breath for hours. The storm was horrible. It turned the radio to static, made the many gauges on the plane go berserk at random times, and the yoke in her hands jerked violently. Her fingers actually ached from the white knuckled death grip she had on the instrument and her shoulders throbbed from the tension. Her eyes darted back and forth between the fuel reading and the lightning strikes. She radioed the tower for an update and was given the cloud range.

Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach.

They would need to climb to forty one thousand feet to rise above the wall.

Fuel would be an issue.

Her decision was made. They would have to fly into the storm and hope for the best. She reached out, running her hand along the contour of the control panel. "Okay, Lady. This isn’t any worse than last year."

Alex watched quietly and finally asked, "What are we doing?"

"We have enough fuel to get to Los Angeles, but if I take her up over the storm then she’s going to burn more and that’s going to be a problem. If I detract from the flight plan and have to land somewhere else for fuel then the fake plan that Miguel made for us will be obliterated."

"So, we’re going through it? We’re going through the monster just to keep your dad off our asses?"

He sounded mad and she looked at him with concern. "I’d rather keep my dad off my ass for as long as possible. Believe me, this storm is the lesser of the evils right now. I saw the way he treated my brothers when *they* rebelled which is why I never did it."

"Callie, look outside! This isn’t - we can turn around. We can drive somewhere. We can hole up in a tent in the middle of nowhere and I promise we’ll be happy."

"It’ll be okay. I do this all the time, Alex, I get off on this stuff."

"Then why are you shaking?"

"Because I’m usually alone when I get off on it. Now I have precious cargo so I’m not just thinking about me." Callie took a deep breath and pressed another button. "I have to have music. Loud, loud music. It relaxes me. You’ll probably hate it, but I really need you not to talk and not to move too much because I have to get in the zone. Okay?"

"Okay."

The opening strings of ACDC’s ‘Highway To Hell’ began to play. Alex couldn’t think of a less relaxing song to be playing when they were literally going headlong into hell, but he kept his mouth shut and held on for the ride. The music was loud enough to make his ears ring, but when he looked back at Callie, her grip on the yoke was lighter and she had a peaceful and content look on her face that was mesmerizing enough to make him forget the storm.

Thunder boomed and a tailwind caught the little plane, dropping it three thousand feet in the blink of an eye. Callie reacted quickly and began to climb again. Ten minutes later ... they punched the core of the storm and the little Cessna shuddered, rattled, and pushed onward like she had been made for the rough and tumble lifestyle. Every time the wind tipped her wings, the aircraft responded to Callie’s touch and pulled herself back in line again. The plane groaned in protest a couple of times, but she obeyed the slightest command.

The CD that Callie played was mostly ACDC and she calmly sang her way through ‘Hell’s Bells’ and ‘Shook Me All Night Long’. Marilyn Manson’s version of ‘Sweet Dreams’ radiated through the plane a moment later and Callie smiled, singing along brazenly and boldly as the storm reached a fevered pitch and she tilted the wings a little so she could see down into the thunderheads. She returned the favor for Alex, tilting to his side and pointing out the window. She saw that he was as amazed at mother nature’s fury as she was, but he was also green around the gills and she leveled the plane before he could barf.

Thirty minutes later, they burst out of the darkness and into a sunset that was bright enough to cause both their eyes to water. Callie was singing along to ‘Renegade’ by Styx at that point and she let the song finish before she turned the music down. She reached over and touched Alex’s arm. "Are you okay?"

He stared over at her, wide eyed and pale. "You are undoubtedly the craziest woman I have ever known in my life. You played devil music for the soundtrack of our demise!"

"Devil music? Would you prefer Abba?"

"Do you - when I said that you were an adrenaline junkie I really was kidding, but now I see that you are." He swallowed back the bile that had been rising in his throat. "You don’t have a fear gene in your body at all, do you?"

"What should I fear?"

"Uh, death? Death comes to mind."

"Alex, death is a date on a tombstone. If you live your life fearing death then you don’t really live at all. We’re doctors. We see it. We touch it. We sometimes even cause it by mistake. And none of us get out of this thing alive." She gazed at his face as ‘Don’t Fear The Reaper’ began to play. "I’d never do anything that would put you in danger."

"What about yourself?"

"I eat danger for breakfast." She touched his cheek. "And digest it very well."

It was her touch or maybe the worry in her eyes that forced him to smile. His anger, if it could really be called that at all, evaporated as quickly as the storm had arrived. "I have to warn you, I've heard relationships based on intense experiences never work."

Callie smirked a little. "Okay. We’ll just have to base it on sex then."

"Whatever you say, ma’am."

She took his hand. "That was ‘Speed’. Try to stump me with another one, Mr. Movie Bank."

"I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it." He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "Which is actually pretty true now that I think about it."

"‘City of Angels’," she replied. "And awww, by the way. My turn. You can be my wingman anytime. Which is also pretty true."

"’Top Gun’. Okay, I’m stumping you this time." He took a deep breath and blurted, "Supersonic, idiotic, disconnected, not respected, who would ever really want to go and top that!?"

"You have got to be kidding me. ‘Teen Witch’, which I have seen enough to memorize. Okay, here’s another one, I don’t remember ever being this awake."

"‘Thelma and Louise.’" He relaxed against the leather seat and stretched his legs out a little. "Fair is Fair! We didn't start this! We didn't mean for this to happen!"

"Oh my god. ‘The Legend of Billie Jean’. I love that movie." She laughed. "It doesn't matter if the guy is perfect or the girl is perfect, as long as they are perfect for each other."

"‘Good Will Hunting’. Every step I took since the moment I could walk was a step toward finding you. That’s from ‘Message in a Bottle’. Also pretty true." He squeezed her hand. "I like that you’re fearless, Callie. It annoys the hell out of me, but I like it."

"Me? I'm scared of everything. I'm scared of what I saw, I'm scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you." Callie quoted ‘Dirty Dancing’, but the look she gave him conveyed that it wasn’t just a quote at all. It said everything she needed to say to him and when he tilted his head and gazed at her, she knew that he got it. He understood.

The rest of the flight was comfortable. They joked more about movies and decided to call a draw when neither could outdo the other. The landing was another story, however. For most of his life, Alex had avoided planes and gone by car or bus to his destination. He hated the feel of losing altitude, hated the lurch in his stomach when the plane finally made contact with the runway and the inevitable bounce that came with it. So, when Callie announced that they had arrived, Alex kept his eyes on her instead of the approaching ground, his heart slamming against his chest.

But he didn’t even flinch when they touched down.

He did flinch two hours later when she put her hand on her hip and glared at him. A pile of clothing hid the cashier behind the counter and he was glad that she couldn’t see his face. He caved instantly and put his credit card away, making a decision that he would avoid getting that particular look from Callie again. As much as he hated that she was paying for things, she *had* made it very clear that he was her guest and as such ... he was to keep his money to himself. He shook his head when the short, blond clerk announced a subtotal that would have been a nice down payment on a brand new car and accepted the bags that another girl held out to him.

They put their purchases in the trunk of the limousine that had been waiting at the airstrip and crawled back into the car. Alex stretched his legs out and crossed his arms. He was exhausted and his limbs were still tingling from the events of the day. Growing up the way he did had prevented him from being a dreamer. He was a realist and never, in a million years, did he think he’d ever be where he currently was. Callie was amazing. And generous. And he was rapidly forgetting every woman he had ever known before her, just the way he had predicted he would when he threatened George.

Lost in thought, he was unaware that Callie was watching him or that her dark eyes were troubled.

The limo had gone two blocks when she spoke. "Alex?"

"Hmm?"

"You can buy dinner. If you want."

He looked over at her. "Okay."

"I - you’re upset about the clothes and I can tell that you’re mad, but I wouldn’t let you go pack anything so -"

"I’m upset that you would pay two hundred dollars for one pair of jeans because that’s not practical, but I’m not mad. We both know that I’m an intern. It’s not going to make me bury my head in the sand. You got money and I don’t. I don’t care."

"Are you sure?"

"Am I here? And by the way, are we going to your house now?"

"We’ll go there tomorrow. I have to buy things for it before we do. Like sheets and food."

"Nice mental image. Sheets, food, you. You on the sheets and the food on you maybe?"

"What kinda food?"
"Something sticky. Hard to lick off. It would take me longer so I could really enjoy it." He smirked when her face flooded with color and noticed that she was shifting in her seat far more than she had been. "Nervous twitch, Cal?"

"Bite me."

They arrived at the Crowne Plaza in Redondo Beach thirty minutes later. Callie paid cash for the room and used a fake name. The staff, who was accustomed to requests of anonymity, never blinked an eye and addressed her as ‘Ms. Towanda Threadgoode.’ Alex decided to call her ‘Idgie’ and then blanched when she told him that in the book version of ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’, Idgie was very much a lesbian and had a long term lesbian affair with Ruth.

"They were not!"

Callie nodded as they waited for the bellboy to lead them to their suite for the night. "There’s one scene where Sipsey looks out at Idgie and Ruth and says ‘that ol' love bug done hit Idgie’. It was pretty blatant. Fannie Flagg wrote that Idgie was *in* love and so was Ruth."

"God. Now I’ll be watching that movie and envisioning dirty, lustful things. You’ve turned my happy place into an lusty empire of lesbians and porn."

"It was pretty obvious in the movie, you know? Mary Stuart Masterson played Idgie very ‘butch’. And when Ruth tasted the honey from the comb that Idgie had gotten for her? Helllooo?"

"Why didn’t they make it clearer in the movie?"

"Because Hollywood is like Washington D.C. and they won’t push the envelope far enough to help change the discrimination by painting homosexuals in a positive light. The movie would have bombed at the box office anyway because the masses are also asses."

"You’re thinking about your brother, right?"

"He’s been with Blake for ten years. They should be allowed to get married." Callie made a face then. "Not that I would wish marriage on anyone. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. It makes a person miserable."

Alex had no response. He took her hand as they followed their things into the elevator. Their room was breathtaking and the windows afforded a prime view of the marina. The coloring was masculine, with browns and tans and a fur blanket was thrown over the foot of the queen sized bed. One brick wall was a deep chocolate and he watched as Callie took off her heels and leaned against it, staring out the sliding glass doors. Her brown dress was a few shades lighter, but the colors blended together to make her hair seem blacker, richer, and her skin looked bronzed to perfection.

He crossed the room and hugged her. It was impulsive and sweet and she was grinning when they broke apart. "What was that for?"

"For not killing us. For getting out of a relationship that made you crazy. For inviting me along for the ride." He kissed her forehead. "You really are the best friend I’ve ever had. And I didn’t expect this to happen, but I’m glad it did."

"So am I."

"You look tired, Cal."

She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand and glanced down at her watch. "It’s not even that late and I feel like I could sleep for days."

"Dinner first?"

"You want to go out or eat here?"

"You’re exhausted. We could order a pizza if you want."

"Have you ever been to California?

"No."

Callie stretched until her back popped and then she nodded. "Let’s go to Ocean’s Floor. And then when we’re finished you will experience why the sand in California feels better between your toes than any other sand in the world."

"Are you sure?"

He looked like a kid in a candy store and Callie forgot about her exhaustion. "I’m positive. Why don’t you change out of your scrubs and we’ll hit the road."

Alex picked up the bag containing his new clothing and retreated into the bathroom. Callie dug through a couple of the remaining bags until she found the turquoise sun dress that she had been unable to refuse. It had spaghetti straps and a low, rounded neckline. There was a peephole that would show off her cleavage without looking sleazy. She quickly slipped it on, then slid her feet into the matching sandals she had grabbed while Alex was searching for swimming trunks. Glancing in the mirror, she saw that her hair was still in place, but she glided fresh gloss over her lips and freshened up her blush.

When Alex emerged a few minutes later, wearing a pair of khaki pants and a button down shirt, he gasped. "Wow. I - I never really appreciated that color until right now."

Callie grinned at him. "I’ve never seen you with your shirt tucked in."

"Well, I’m trying to-" He trailed off when she pulled the shirt from his pants. "Uh, oookay."

"Now you’re Alex." She pressed a kiss against his mouth. "Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Take it from me ... it can kill you."

Hand in hand, they strode out of the hotel and into the night, which was alive and bustling with the energy and promise of great things to come.

*~*~*~*~*~

In the end ... it was lobster that did them in.

Callie ordered the large, whole lobster after Alex nixed her attempts at a salad or a half sandwich. He had chosen crab legs and was hell bent that she would have something just as grand. She finally relented, but she refused the wine menu and stuck with water. They got lost in a conversation about the crab fishing business again and when the food arrived, Callie dug into her rice first, savoring the medley of flavors.

Then the lobster on her plate moved and she dropped her fork.

It moved again and scuttled far enough to fall onto the table.

"What the hell?" Alex leaned forward, staring at it. "I’ll get the waiter."

"Don’t you dare! They’ll just boil it again." She gently picked up the crustacean, wrapped it in her cloth napkin, and lowered it into the leather bag that she had paid dearly for that morning. She brushed her hands off and glanced back at Alex, who was looking at her like she had grown four heads. "What? The thing clearly wants to live."

"So you take it home as a pet?"

"No! We’re going to put it back in the ocean." Callie returned to her rice and took another bite. "Besides, I’m paying it forward."

"Paying what forward?"

"You saved my life so I’m saving his."

Alex scooped meat from his own plate and put it on hers. "I think your life is a little more valuable than the lobster’s life."

"I didn’t really realize that until today. With you." Callie took a bite of the crab and moaned a little as it melted in her mouth. "You really have a way of waking people up."

"It’s one of the many services that I offer." He brushed a little butter off the corner of her mouth with his own napkin. "You know what’s funny?"

"What?"

"I almost asked you out when I first came to Seattle. You were working on a car crash victim and it was my third week as an intern. I was taking someone’s blood and saw you looking at X-rays. You were chewing on your thumbnail and I watched you for a minute and then I had to finish up and when I looked again ... you were gone. I saw you that same night at Joe’s. I bought you a drink and you sent it back to me with a ‘fuck you very much’."

She had lifted her fork, but laid it back down in shock. "You were the Sex on the Beach guy?"

"How was I supposed to know that you hated fruity drinks?"

"Do I look like I drink fruity drinks?"

"Well, I learned the hard way. I get it now. The fact that I had to drink what I bought for you made it loud and clear." He glanced at her glass of water. "You didn’t want any wine tonight?"

"I really don’t. I’ve decided that I don’t drink anymore and it’s much easier than I thought it would be." She ate another bite of the crab before she leaned back in the chair. "I’m stuffed."

Alex glanced down at her plate. She had taken less than ten bites, not that he was counting. Only he was. And it worried and exasperated him, but he chose his words wisely. "You don’t eat enough to keep a bird alive."

"You know, I could probably count the times that I’ve actually eaten since I got married on one hand. I mean, I’d grab a candy bar for the day, but I didn’t really eat a meal. So, now I just don’t get hungry anymore."

"You’ve lost a lot of weight."
She nodded. "And about five sizes, but I’m fine with that. I feel better. I look better and-"

"You looked just fine before. Hence me buying you a drink."

Callie took a few sips of her water and sat the glass back down. "You never approached me, though."

"Weren’t you seeing that blond doctor for a while? Savoy? The one who harassed Bailey at the M&M?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, there was that. I think I had a concussion that entire time."

He chuckled. "And then you started in with O’Malley. I told him that you were way too hot for him, but he didn’t listen."

"Guys like George are better off with women who drink fruity drinks. That way he can share with them," Callie replied. "You told him I was hot?"

"Yeah. A few times." Alex reached across the table and took her hand. The topic of George always brought about a change in her demeanor and he hated it. "I also told him that I was interested in you and that he better toe the line because I was ready to step in. He didn’t and I did."

Her eyes widened. "No shit?"

"None."

The waiter arrived and asked if the wanted the dessert menu. Callie declined, but Alex ordered something chocolate and when it arrived his eyes widened at the size of it. "Good god. Help me out, Cal."

She let him give her a bite of the cake and rolled her eyes heavenward. "Why it’s positively sinful."

"Are you quoting ‘Ever After’?"

"I am." Callie accepted another bite and enjoyed it far too much. "It is not fair, your highness. You have discovered my weakness and I have yet to learn yours."

Alex slipped into the seat beside hers and kissed her. "I should think it was quite obvious."

They forgot about the cake for a while.

Until the lobster in Callie’s purse rustled and caused her to jump. She pulled away from Alex and said, "Finish your dessert. We have to go."

Alex took a few more bites, forcing her to match every one and then he dug into his wallet and pulled out some cash. He saw that she had done the same and shook his head. "You said I could buy dinner."

"I didn’t really mean it."

"Too bad." Alex left enough money in the leather pouch for their food and a generous tip, then helped her to her feet. "Let’s go see the ocean."

Callie stared down at the money. "You’re a great tipper. That is so rare."

He shrugged. "My mother was a waitress. She had heel spurs and shin splints and-"

She kissed him, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight. At dinner with her parents ... she had told her father the exact same thing. Hearing it come from Alex’s mouth, seeing that he had left over thirty percent on the table and knowing that he didn’t really have it to throw away, did crazy things to her libido. When they finally pulled apart, someone whistled and Callie blushed. "Let’s go."

They walked the four blocks to the beach. Callie kicked off her shoes and carried them as they stepped into the sand. Alex did the same, stuffing his socks into his sneakers and pausing to roll up his pants legs. He smiled when he dug his toes into the sand and said, "You’re right. It feels different."

She practically skipped to the ocean’s edge. She laid her sandals on the beach and put her purse on top of it, then she walked into the cool waves and sighed. "Oh my god. I didn’t realize how bad my feet hurt until right now."

"Want a massage?"

"I’d fall asleep."

Alex followed her into the water and pulled her back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pointed out at the moon, which was hanging low on the horizon. "You can see the old man up there tonight, Cal. That means he’s listening so make a wish."

She leaned her head back against him and said, "I wish this night would never end."

"I don’t think you were supposed to say it out loud." He nuzzled her ear. "But since I’m wishing the same thing then maybe he’ll hear us anyway."

"You’ve got layers, Alex."

"Look who’s talking. You’re like an onion."

"Not the greatest complement."

"I happen to like onions."

They stood in the water for a while and then Callie headed back to the beach and retrieved the lobster. It was clearly still alive and she started to put it in the surf, but Alex stopped her. "It still has the bands on its claws. It can’t catch food."

Callie gazed down at it. "You know, I don’t think they boiled it all. They usually take those off when they serve it." She held the animal out to Alex and added, "Hold it. I think I have clippers."

She dug through her bag and after five minutes, she shouted, "Aha! Hey, you don’t think it’s bad to put a Maine lobster in the pacific ocean, do you?"

"It’s either this or the boiler."

With Alex holding the animal, she clipped the bands and took it from him again. She smiled up at him and that’s when the lobster seized the opportunity for revenge and pinched her arm. "Ahh!" she yelped, letting it go. It was not the smartest thing she had ever done. Having it dangle, unsupported, was quite painful.

Alex grabbed it, gently working its claspers open and when he finally succeeded, he tossed it and turned back to Callie. "Grateful little fucker, huh?"

"I cannot believe that just happened." She had her hand on her arm and when Alex moved it away, she gasped. She was actually bleeding. The serrated edges of the lobster’s claw had torn into her soft flesh, pulling out a plug that was dangling by a thin piece of skin. It wasn’t deep by any means, but it wasn’t a scratch either.

"You’re going to need stitches. And antibiotics." Alex pulled off his top shirt, leaving him in a white wife beater. He secured it around her arm and picked up his shoes. "Where’s the hospital?"

"I can’t go to the hospital. My dad-"

"Okay, you know what? This cat and mouse game with your dad is interesting, but I’m not letting you get sick on my watch. If your dad can find you in a hole in the wall hospital emergency room then he deserves to catch for his trouble." He grabbed her shoes and purse and held out his hand. "Let’s go."

She got eleven stitches, antibiotics, and a shot for the pain.

When they finally made it back to the hotel room, she was half asleep and it was almost four in the morning. He took her shoes off, frowned when he saw the marks that her heels had caused earlier in the day, and rubbed each of her feet for a moment. "I thought you were joking about this."

"No. Not so much." She yawned and got to her feet, staggering a little.

He watched, wide eyed, as she pulled the dress over her head. His tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth as she exposed a brown velvet thong that had small pink bows on each hips. He almost swallowed his tongue completely when his gaze moved higher, resting on the matching strapless bra which she quickly removed and tossed into the corner. Her nipples were dark, small. His tongue ran over his teeth and darted out to lick his lips as he imagined what it would be like to nip one, then the other.

She was comfortable in her skin and he could see why. Every inch of her was cinnamon, tanned and sweet. He ached to mold his palm against the smooth flare of her hips, to cup one of her pert, but generous breasts. She turned away from him to turn down the bed and he moaned a little. The rounded globes of her ass caused him to grip his own thighs and when he saw the tattoo on her lower back, he wanted to taste her. He wanted to taste every inch of her because if she tasted as good as she looked ... it would truly be an addiction he would never beat.

He felt physical pain when she slipped beneath the cover and pulled it up to her chin. "Are you coming?" she asked sleepily.

When he crawled in beside her, wearing nothing but his boxer shorts, she rolled against him and said, "Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"This isn’t really what I was wishing for when I said I wanted tonight to never end. What the fuck, dude?"

He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Well, it’s a new day already so we can start over."

"We’re going to Disneyland today." She yawned and moved closer still. "You want to?"

"I’ve never been. I can’t imagine anyone better to see it with."
"I want to show you the world the way you showed it to me, Alex."

"You already have." He gave into temptation and put his hand on her hip. He would never be able to sleep with her so close.

"Do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Don’t let me go."

"I’ve got you." He tightened his grip. "And I won’t."

She fell asleep first.

Alex smiled when she threw a leg over his.

It felt right.

And since not much in Alex Karev’s life ever felt right ... he decided to hold on with both hands.

*~*~*~*~*~

George hitchhiked to Meredith’s house at four a.m., after walking in the rain for hours. He sat in the passenger seat of a car that smelled like mothballs and listened to the old woman who was driving describe her irritable bowel symptoms. It was his fault for telling her that he was a doctor. He knew it. So much of what was wrong with his life was his own fault and he had no one to blame but himself. He gave her advice, thanked her for the ride when they arrived at Meredith’s, and then tossed a couple of small rocks at Izzie’s window. He was shivering from the cold, wet and tired, when Izzie eventually opened the front door and let him in.

She was bleary eyed, her hair was a mess, and she had clearly been asleep. Wordlessly, she grabbed a blanket from the hall closet and followed him to the kitchen, where he sat down at the island. Wrapping him in the blanket, she started a fresh pot of coffee and watched him closely. She was stung from their blowup at work, hurt more than she had thought possible at the names he had called her, but seeing him in the shape he was in mellowed the anger that had been her sleeping partner. "You want to tell me what happened?"

"Callie left town with Alex."

Izzie’s anger returned. This time it was for George and not because of George, which was an arresting new development in their relationship. It was also for Alex, who had pretty much declared his love for her during their heart to heart about Denny. She had been considering a reconciliation with him. After all, he had kissed her in the stairwell and again when he found Callie’s DNR paperwork.

George looked up at her. "You think they’re together?"

She shrugged. "I think that Alex only knows how to do one thing when there is a vagina involved."

He laid his head on the island. "You’re not helping."

Izzie leaned on her elbows, watching him. "You really need to get some sleep. And you need to change clothes. You’re going to get catch a cold or something."

He didn’t lift his head. "I don’t have anything. And my mother has kicked me out of the house. Callie’s kicked me out of the hotel and I can’t remember where I parked my car."

"You left your old robe here. The black one. I’ll go get it and you put your clothes in the washer, okay?"

When he nodded, she hurried up the stairs and retrieved his robe from her bedroom. She lifted it to her nose, inhaling his scent as she did every night, and then returned to the kitchen. She found him in the laundry room, a towel around his waist, and held out the robe. Biting her bottom lip, she gazed at his bare chest. It wasn’t quite as impressive as she had recalled. Neither were his legs.

"Cristina is in Alex’s bed and Derek and Meredith had a fight so he’s on the sofa. Looks like you’re camping in my room. You want the sleeping bag or the bed?"

"I’ll take the sleeping bag." He slipped the robe on and followed behind her, his mind conjuring up images of Callie in her brown dress, in Alex’s arms. It twisted his heart, ate away at his pride. It hurt. Gut deep.

Ten minutes later, he rolled onto his stomach and sighed as tears blinded him again. He thought he had cried enough, but he was wrong so he gave in. The floor creaked and then Izzie’s hand was on his back and she was whispering that it was okay, that Callie would come home, that he could would see her soon. She promised to be nice to his wife, to really try to be her friend, to help George win her back.

And then they were kissing and she was naked and George was inside her. And then she realized that he had softened a moment later and he pulled out and away before he got off.

She breathed a sigh of relief.
He did the same.

Izzie lay next to him on the floor and despite the fact that she had not enjoyed an orgasm, her body was not left wanting. It was silent, seemingly protesting such an odd invasion. She was disgusted. She finally sat up and still naked, gazed at him. "George-"

"Jesus Christ, Izzie. What the hell was that?"

"Horrible, gross, and wrong?"

They looked at each other and burst into laughter. They laughed long and hard. They laughed the way they used to before they had complicated their friendship with sex.

"It was different when we were drunk," George said, still chuckling.

"Everything is," she replied, biting her bottom lip as her smile faded. "I - I think maybe we were completely wrong about each other. I just - I don’t see you that way, George. Or feel it."

"We never did. It was the alcohol." George put his hand over his eyes. "I always knew we were wrong together. When I kissed you in the elevator I felt it. It was like - you’re my best friend, Izzie, and that’s all it is. You’re *family*."

"You’re right." She touched his arm and he sat up, looking at her. "We’ll never talk about this. No one has to know."

"Someone already does." Cristina stood in the partially opened doorway, gazing at them in shock and disbelief. "You two deserve each other. McBastard and McBitch."

*~*~*~*~*~

CH 15
*~*~*~*~*~

Callie awoke at nine the following morning feeling very uncomfortable. Her bladder was painfully reminding her that she had enjoyed two bottles of water at the hospital the night before and the wound on her arm was throbbing because she was lying on it. She wiggled a little and the arm around her waist tightened, while something very hard poked her in the backside. She was against a strong chest and her eyes widened as Alex pulled her closer still. "Good morning," she said, her voice strained.

"It’s too early to be good. Let’s be bad." Alex nipped her shoulder and pushed her hair away from her cheek, studying her profile. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to sleep next to you when you’re naked? When I can feel every wonderful inch of you?"

She gasped and lifted the cover, then eased it back down over her chest. Something that looked very much like remorse flashed across her face, but when she felt his eyes on her, she hastily said, "Oh, wow. Did we, uhm, you know?"

It rankled him, her reaction. He felt the blood rush to his head and pulled his arm away. "No, we didn’t. If we had I’d like to think you would remember it."

She rolled over to face him as he slipped from the bed. "Alex, wait."

He paused outside the bathroom door. "What?"

"I want to, okay? It’s just - that shot at the hospital was strong. And that was *your* idea so don’t blame me."

"Just for future reference, I don’t take advantage of people who are drunk, high, or not thinking clearly. Which you are obviously incapable of doing. And for the record, *if* we have sex, I don’t want you to wake up the morning after and act like the thought of it is something you had to repress! Because that fucking sucks!" He slammed the door to the bathroom and gripped the edges of the sink. He thought she was over O’Malley, but the look on her face, the guilt that was evident when she lifted the cover, proved otherwise. It was infuriating to think that all the sweet words and tender moments had meant nothing to her. They had certainly meant something to him.

Turning, he pushed open the door of the shower, stripped off his boxers, and stepped inside, letting the cold water beat him on top of the head. His hard on had been raging when he fell asleep and was still alive and kicking when he awoke. It took fifteen minutes for him to regain control over his temper and his body and by then, he had washed twice and shampooed his hair with something that smelled like honey. He smiled a little, thinking of Callie’s story about Idgie and the honeycomb. He’d have to make a joke about it and see what she thought.

Thinking of Callie was enough to work the tension out of his body and when he finally shut off the water and emerged, he was in a much better mood. Intent on apologizing, he grabbed the robe that hung on the back of the door and walked back into the bedroom. Callie was sitting on the edge of the bed, her back to him, wearing the same dress she had worn the night before. He sat down beside her and reached for her hand, but she stood. "Cal, come on. I’m not a morning person, okay?"

"We need to take our things to my house. I want to be at Disneyland before noon. The main lines won’t be as long by then, but we’ll still have until late tonight to see everything. Or, most of everything. You can’t do it in a day and that’s all we’ve got." She picked up the clothing she had laid on the foot of the bed. "You may want to wear shorts. Pants get uncomfortable after the water rides."

"Callie, I’m sorry. I just - I’m sorry."

She nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. He was tempted to knock, but heard the shower start and busied himself by digging through their clothing instead. He pulled out a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and smiled. Callie had chosen the shirt. It had the skull and muskets from ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ on it, but the skull was wearing mouse ears and he figured she had known all along that she would be taking him to Disneyland. He was excited. He had always wanted to go, but never had the chance.

He was fully clothed and had repacked everything neatly when she emerged thirty minutes later. She had pulled her hair into a long ponytail and was wearing black shorts and a red tank top with black roses and white skulls all over. Just enough of her belly showed to make his mouth dry. She looked amazing, young and vibrant, so he told her so.

Callie sat down on the bed and pulled on a pair of socks and her new black tennis shoes. "Thanks."

She had taken the bandage off her arm and he kneeled in front of her, examining it for himself. The stitches were nicely done, but her flesh was redder than he would have liked. "You weren’t supposed to get it wet yet."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN *IF* WE HAVE SEX!?"

The force of her outburst knocked him backwards onto his backside and she never even laid a hand on him. He stared up her, unblinking, and then started to laugh. It was a hearty, side splitting laugh, and he was relieved when she joined it. He got back to his knees and put his hands on her legs, still chuckling. "You wanna do it right now? Will that help?"

She narrowed her eyes, but still grinned. "No. I do not, Smarty Pants. And no, it will not help. I don’t like you right at the moment."

He stroked her very erect nipple and nodded. "Yeah, I can tell."

She slapped his hand away. "Stop that! I am mad at you. You said I can’t think clearly."

"Well, I am mad at you, too. Because you can’t." He moved upward and kissed her. "You smell good, though."

"You smell like honey. It causes lines of deliciousness. And I have to warn you that I’m a starving bear."

"I have no idea what that means, but I think I like it." He moved his hands a little higher on her thighs. "And I really like these shorts. They’re very tiny."

"You’re not helping us leave on time."

Alex gave her an exasperated look, then picked up the first aid kit that they had purchased at the pharmacy the night before. He rubbed antibiotic cream on her arm and placed a bandage on it, then pressed a kiss against the tape. "How far away is your house?"

She glanced out the sliding glass doors. "If you’re on the balcony you can see her."

He stood and walked out onto deck, scanning the horizon. "There’s nothing but water, Gothika. And boats."

Joining him, she put her head on his shoulder and pointed out at the row of yachts that were tied off on the dock. "She’s the one on the end. Fifty six feet of pure power with a perfect cherry finish on the inside. She’s got two full bedrooms, two full baths, and a gourmet kitchen that would make Rachel Ray piss her pants."

"Your house is a *boat*?"

"She’s a *yacht*, baby." She leaned against the railing. "Her name is Goon Docks. Taken from ‘The Goonies’, which you may recall is my favorite film. I had her built three years ago and never had the time to come and get her until now. The guys at the marina are great about keeping her exercised and well fed, though."

"You talk about it like it’s alive."

Callie smiled as she gazed down at her pride and joy. "She’s like the airplane, Alex. She gives me roots and wings and nothing makes her or *me* more alive than that."

"You said that you had never seen your house before."

"I don’t have to see her to know she’s exactly what I want. I designed her myself." Callie breathed in deep, enjoying the fresh ocean air. "We’re sailing her back to Seattle. I’m moving out of the hotel and into her."

"Do what?"

"We’re sailing her home."

"That could take days."

"That’s the whole point."

*~*~*~*~*~

George was sitting at the island, bleary eyed, when Cristina walked past him and opened the fridge. He watched her drink orange juice straight from the carton while she stood in front of the open door. After she finished off what remained of the juice, she reached for the milk and sucked it down as well. When she turned and finally looked at him, she belched. It was long and loud and obviously gratifying because she smiled and pounded her chest. "Breakfast of champions."

"You cannot tell Callie what you saw last night." George moved aside as she threw the milk container past his head and watched as it landed neatly in the trash. "It was a mistake. And an epiphany."

"Whatever, dude. You suck."

"Just promise me you won’t tell her."

"No." Cristina shook her head and her black curls danced around her face. "I’m not promising you jack shit. Because you suck. And because Callie gave me her flash cards."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I scored the highest marks on the exam."

"So?"

"So, Callie is the reason and she has a right to know that you’re a sucking, lying, and vow-breaking jackass who doesn’t learn from his mistakes."

"It was *nothing*."

"If it was nothing then why are you acting like Callie would think it’s *something*?"

George poured himself another cup of coffee as she walked past him out of the kitchen. He sat alone, lost in thought. He had never had his penis betray him by refusing to remain hard during sex. Izzie had been on top of him, he had been inside her, and when his brain cleared enough and he saw that her skin was alabaster and not warm cocoa, when he saw that her blond hair looked yellow against the moonlight instead of midnight black, when he realized that she wasn’t *Callie* ... he could not perform. Not that he had wanted to.

Izzie had been convenient ... simply there while he hurt.

And when he had reached up and grabbed her hips, or lack thereof, it had been to push her away from him instead of to pull her closer. Her breasts didn’t mesmerize him the way Callie’s did. Izzie’s nipples were peach colored and Callie’s looked, and tasted, like red wine. With Izzie, it felt like something dirty that would be posted to fetish site under the header ‘Younger Brother Bags His Hot Step-Sister’. With Callie ... with Callie it could never be posted because the beauty of it would make people cry.

George cried now.

Then he saw that there was an envelope on the counter with his name on it. Damn, he thought. He had forgotten to change his address to the Archfield. He ripped it open and gazed at his intern exam scores. He had passed, just barely, and in fifteen days he would become a Resident. There should have been elation, happiness, but there was nothing. He was hollow, incomplete. If Callie had been with him to read the results, she would have done that cute little dance thing despite the low number he had received. That was their thing, their special thing. They danced over the stupidest and the best moments in life.

He wondered if she had a special *thing* with Alex yet.

"Hey." Derek stumbled into the kitchen and fumbled around in the cabinet until he located a cup. It had Winnie the Pooh on it, but he was either too sleepy or too deprived of caffeine to care. He filled it to the brim with black coffee and sipped it, then looked at George. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Callie and I had a fight. She threw me out." George folded his results and put them back in the envelope, which he tucked into the pocket of his jeans.

"Must be something in the water. Meredith threw me out last night, too. I got as far as the couch." Derek added sugar to his coffee and sipped again, grimacing a little. "She can scream, get mad when she sees me, and push with both hands, but I’m not going. I am immune to her attempts at getting rid of me."

"I shouldn’t have gone, either. Every time we’ve ever fought ... I should have stayed. With Callie, I mean."

Derek rubbed his eyes and looked at George as if he were seeing him for the first time. "Are you crying? What -"

"She’s divorcing me."

Shepherd laughed. "Do you know how many times Addison threatened to divorce me just on our honeymoon alone? She’ll come around. It’s always weird when you first get married and start to see each other for who they are. When you live with someone you suddenly realize that they leave the cap off the toothpaste, or never close the dresser drawers so you hit your knee in the dark every night, or-"

"I slept with Izzie. And I sorta did it again last night."

"Oh, right. She’s divorcing you."

George sighed. "I was drunk the first time and last night - I think I had spontaneous erectile dysfunction."

"That’s too much information."

"I couldn’t do it. I didn’t even want to do it. She’s not Callie."

Derek scratched his head and leaned against the island. He was pretty sure that the younger man was begging for advice. "There are worse things than to realize that you actually do love and want your wife. One of those worse things is to sleep with someone else. Having had it done to me I can assure you that she’s not just going to be okay with it. Ever. She may forgive you, but she won’t forget it and when something that heavy is hanging over your relationship ... it can smother you."

"I was drunk when I cheated the first time. The second time was - just dumb."

"That’s what they all say." Derek conjured a memory that was better left forgotten. "The night that I found out about Addison and Mark ... I actually walked in on it and he ran out the door and she was stumbling around the room trying to find her panties. It was raining and I threw as many of her clothes as I could carry out into the storm. Then I threw her out in just a T-shirt. And so help me God, George, I listened to her cry and beg me and I opened that door and comforted her for a moment. It was just a second. I had to touch her, I had to make it better because she was hurt. I had to make it better because I felt like *I* had failed. That I wasn’t a good enough husband. I made it my fault. For a moment. And then I left."

George swallowed hard as his second epiphany of the morning hit him in the heart. "I made Callie feel like a failure, too. I made her lose weight by saying she was curvy. I made her feel second best because I wanted my friends more than her." He looked up at the other man. "When - when you got back together with Addison ... was it ... could you make love and-"

"Not really. I had met Meredith and she filled that void. When I reconciled with Addison ... I just went through the motions of sex. I knew that there was nothing left there."

"Why did you get back together with Addison if you wanted Meredith?"

"Obligation. I took vows. And Addison was convincing. She cried. She pleaded. And she also lied to me about how involved she was with Mark. I found out that she had lived with him while we were still married and that she had loved him. And it killed me all over again that she didn’t tell me about that before I took her back to begin with." Derek drank his coffee. "You can’t rebuild a relationship if the foundation is stacked on lies. Because they always come out, they always catch up, and the one who is lied to ... is usually under the building when it falls. Love is the most innocent murderer that ever walked the face of the earth."

Derek squeezed George’s shoulder and walked out of the kitchen. A moment later, Meredith shouted at him, but within seconds, she was laughing.

"What are you going to do?" Izzie asked, appearing next to George. She finished off his coffee and rubbed her eyes, yawning. "Because I meant what I said last night. I’m *so* over the whole bitter best friend thing. I’ll help you get her back. I’ll even like her because really ... she’s not *that* bad."

"No." George shook his head. "Alex could be her Meredith. You know, how Meredith is Derek’s, uh, Meredith. Addison cheated on him and he found love with Meredith. He’s okay now. Alex could be Callie’s Meredith."

"He’s *not*."

"I won’t hurt her anymore, Iz. Because I hurt her and it *kills* me." George stood up and his test results crackled in his back pocket. "I’m going to concentrate on being a doctor. I’m going to be in a relationship with my career. I’m going to fall in love with medicine and stay away from the opposite sex."

"I’m cooking French toast. Stay. Eat. And then we’ll go find your car."

George watched as she walked across the room and pulled the griddle from under the sink. "I didn’t mean to call you a life force sucking bitch yesterday."

"Well, it was true." She sprayed Pam on the smooth Teflon surface of the fryer. "I think I went crazy after Denny died. I was looking for purpose and you became my cause. I wanted to save you and the best way to do that was to hate Callie on principle because she took you away. I had empty nest syndrome."

"You know what I think?"


"What?"

"I think that giving Hannah up for adoption gave you empty nest syndrome. Not me. And that’s why you’ve always mother henned me to death. You tell me to bury my poop, Iz." He grinned at her when she wrinkled her nose. "Just because you give up a kid it doesn’t mean that you stop being a mother. You love Christmas, you bake, you’re just as nosey as my mother, and -"

"And I have feelings for Alex."

George sat up a little straighter. He was shocked, but the small tiger that had been sleeping in his chest suddenly roared in triumph. "That’s great! That’s the answer! You get back with Alex and take him out of the picture and I’ll get Callie back."

Izzie dropped a piece of bread into the egg mixture. "George?"

"Yeah?"

"You sound awfully convinced that Alex would pick me over her." She looked up at him. "You didn’t."

George crossed his arms.

She had a point.

*~*~*~*~*~

Addison sat across from Cambyses, enjoying the stuffed crepe she had ordered for brunch. She had to grin when the man turned his plate counter clockwise so the meat was on top and then he pushed the food around so it wasn’t touching. "Your sister does that exact same thing."

"Who do you think taught me?" He sighed a little and moved his meal away, untouched. "Thanks for coming, by the way."

"Oh, thanks for the invite. I’ve been looking forward to this since Callie told me about you." She frowned, despite her cheerful words. "But you’re not eating. That’s obviously another thing you have in common with your sister."

Blake leaned toward her and said, "He’s worrying himself to death over this Alex guy. Do you know him?"

"I do." Addy nodded and put her fork down. "He’s one of her best friends and he’s actually the one who rushed her to the hospital after the alcohol thing. He stayed with her the entire time and I think he genuinely cares about her. I mean, he assured me that he did."

"Are they involved?"

Addison drank her water while she mulled her words. She was trying to be okay with her best friend leaving without a phone call, but it still hurt. Actually, it hurt more that Callie had left with Alex instead of her, but she was making peace with it. "They weren’t involved. I don’t know what they are right now. I know - I know he looks at her in a way that I’ve never seen him look at anyone and he makes her laugh and she never does that anymore."

Cam looked down at his hands, then back at Addison. "What can you tell me about George?"

"First year surgical intern, but he hasn’t chosen his specialty yet. He’s shorter than Callie by an inch or so, brownish curly hair, green eyes. He’s the quintessential math geek and sorta looks like it. He’s not chubby, but he’s not buff. He’s ... average. He’s currently living in his car and he -"

"Is he a bad boy? Not counting the fact that he can’t control his penis?" Cam asked.

"Well, no. He’s probably been in the Republican column since birth, but he loves Callie. I just don’t know if he’s ready for love. Not the kind that she deserves and offered him."

Cam looked thoughtful. "Maybe a few weeks in traction would get him ready."

"Possibly." She couldn’t help but smile. "But really, I don’t think that’s the answer. Some people just have to keep making bad decisions until the right one smacks them in the face."

"I could smack him in the face." Cam picked up his fork and dug into his meal. "And then tie an anchor to his feet and make him vanish."

Addison laughed out loud. "Callie said almost the same thing and then she added that she would jump in to save him and probably die trying. Her heart is just too big."

"That’s Callie," Blake chuckled along with her. "She’s a rescuer. She sees something that’s hurt or broken and she puts it back together."

Cam finally relaxed a little. "She told me that’s why she likes mending bones. She can see the problem, set it on the right path, and then just wait for time to do its job."

"I think that’s why she left with Alex." Addison reached across the table and put her hand on Cam’s. "She needs to be mended for a change. I think he does that for her and this is *her* time."

"What does he look like?" Blake asked. "Alex."

"He’s around six foot, brown eyes. He was a wrestler in college so he’s got the cut body. He’s also got the whole frat boy jock thing down to a science."

"They’re not involved," Blake decided. "She *hates* jocks."

"Does he have tattoos?" Cam asked.

"I don’t really know." Addison said. "Why?"

"She *does* like bad boys."

"Oh, he’s definitely that." Addy nodded.

"They’re involved." Cam took another bite of his food. "She’s a sucker for a bad boy. We both are."

Addison looked at Blake who was so much like George that it was alarming. He caught her looking and smiled at her. "What? I may look like a stock broker, but I’m wearing a leather thong."

They all laughed together for two more hours.

Addison had stopped worrying by the time they said goodbye.

*~*~*~*~*~

Goon Docks was even more impressive up close. Alex carried their clothing and watched as Callie climbed aboard. She moved with the authority of someone who had been on boats, no --- yachts --- their entire life. He followed behind her, stumbling a little over the rope that held the ship tethered to the dock. He quickly righted himself and followed her around to the cockpit. She sat down in the captain’s chair and leaned back, closing her eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"Feeling her."

He watched quietly and she finally nodded and stood. He said, "How does she feel?"

"Perfect. Let’s go below deck." She headed through a small door that was just behind the cockpit and descended the stairs ahead of him.

"Oh my god." He said when he reached the bottom and took his sunglasses off. "Callie -"

She was running her hand along the white leather sectional that was built into the wall on the left. There were black leather pillows on either end of the sofa and a black and white zebra print rug rested in the floor. Dark cherry cabinets were built in behind it and she opened one, smiling at the assortment of movies inside. Turning, she gazed at the plasma television, then checked to make sure her game consoles were in the trunk beneath it.

Satisfied, she turned around and walked into the galley, which had black and white marble countertops and stainless steel appliances. She opened the microwave, then the oven, and nodded. Next, she pulled out the refrigerated drawers that were underneath the island. She had opted for the drawers and not a standing unit. Where the refrigerator would have gone stood a fully stocked wet bar with built in stools, solid white. It would be a perfect place for dinner. For two.

Beaming from ear to ear, she turned to Alex. "She’s pretty, huh?"

"She’s amazing."

"Wanna see the rest?"

"Lead the way."

She headed down a narrow hallway and pushed open the door to the guest bathroom. It was wallpapered with black and white stripes. The toilet, shower, and sink were all black, but the towels, curtains, and pictures on the wall were all red. A plush red throw rug covered the black and white tiles on the floor. "I love it," she told him. "I was worried that the red would be too much, but it works."

"It’s gorgeous." He opened the door that was opposite the bathroom and stepped into a bedroom that was bigger than his own at Meredith’s house. One entire wall was covered with cabinets and the queen sized bed, made up with a smoky grey satin comforter, was built into the center. Instead of a headboard, there was a mirror. His eyes widened at that and he glanced at the ceiling. There were mirrors there as well. "You are a freak. And a pervert."

"This is not *my* room." She pulled him toward the bow, the front most point of the hull. She opened a door that boasted a towering gargoyle on top of the frame, and pulled him inside. "This is *mine*."

It looked like something you would find in an old castle. Dracula’s castle to be more accurate. The four poster bed had black netting around the top and as he glanced up, he saw that there were mirrors, but also a plasma television that would making lying on your back in the bed a prime position to watch a movie. The thick comforter was black, but right in the middle was a huge red rose that was quilted more than the rest of the fabric so it stuck upward.

The carpet was black, the walls were blood red and the effect of it was overwhelming, but incredible. He walked further into the room, gazing up at the gothic looking chandelier and then at the massive gargoyle that lounged in the corner, his eyes seemingly tracking Alex’s every move. He turned when Callie opened another door and followed her into the master bathroom. Instead of a shower, it had the biggest claw foot tub Alex had ever seen. It was gold and he blinked a few times when he realized that the toilet and sink were gold as well. It could have been tacky ... but he knew that if he had been the one designing the boat ... *this* would have been his ideal dwelling for Callie. For *his* Elvira.

He put his arms around her waist and said, "It’s perfect."

"It is." She rested her hands on his arms. "I can’t wait to get her back to Seattle."

"We could leave now."

"Nope. Disneyland." She turned and stood on her toes to kiss him, then looked shocked. "I didn’t really realize you were taller than me."

"Not by much." He hugged her. "You still fit just fine."

"What?"

"Nothing." He kissed her cheek and added, "Did I see a hot tub on top of this thing?"

"You did. And there’s also a jet ski and a smaller motor boat that will keep us safe if we happen to sink it."

"Uh, do you sink a lot of yachts."

"Only one. But it doesn’t count."

He gazed after her when she walked out of the bathroom. "Uh, Cal?" he called. "You want to explain that?"

"No," she said. "It’ll just freak you out and really, who needs that?"

"Callie! Come back here!"

"I’m going to heat the hot tub so it’ll be ready when we get back."

The thought of it made him forget the sinking boat.

He’d remember it soon enough, though.

*~*~*~*~*~

Disneyland was everything he had hoped for and more. He bought her a talking ‘Captain Jack’ doll and she bought him a hat that she had monogrammed with his name. They had their photos taken several times and bought them all. Callie had a VIP pass that guaranteed front of the line service and they were even escorted in a golf cart for most of the day. They rode almost everything and the bigger rides more than once. She bought cotton candy as the sun went down and led him to Sleeping Beauty’s castle where they gazed up at the firework display with all the awe and wonder of two year olds seeing something perfect for the first time.

They had saved the water rides for last and by the time the park closed, they were soaking wet, cold, and so exhausted that they both dozed in the limo on the half hour ride back to Redondo Beach. The driver woke them by gently shaking Alex’s arm. He blinked and sat up. Callie had her head in his lap. Smiling, he leaned down and kissed her and she stirred after a few seconds.

"Are we home?" she asked, stretching.

"We are." He stepped out first, gathered their souvenirs, and held out his hand. They walked to the marina with their fingers laced together and he paused before she could board the ship. "Hey, Cal?"

"Yeah?"

"You remember that story I told you about my mom? About how she got beat up on Christmas Eve so that she could get me a bike?"

She stepped a little closer to him, nodding. "Of course I do."

"I lied to you. I said that I never held out any hope for Santa, but I did. Every single year I stuck a letter in the mailbox asking for just one thing."

"Oh? What did you ask for?"

"Disneyland. Santa was a little late in delivering it, but it was better to wait." He leaned his forehead against hers. "I will never forget this day with you."

"Neither will I, Alex." Callie closed her eyes and smiled. For the first time in her life she was flying without the help of jet engines. It was better than flying a 747 because she didn’t have to be completely in control for once. If she fell ... he would catch her on the way down. Because he was Alex Karev and he had yet to let her hit the ground. Even at her worst, even at her lowest, he stopped her before she crashed and burned. "Hey, Alex?"

"Yeah?"
"Nothing matters when I’m with you. Nothing bothers me. Nothing hurts. I feel good about myself and I had forgotten what that was like. You make me remember why my heart beats and why I want it to."

Alex took a step back and cradled her face in his hands. He looked into her eyes and just as he had done the day before, he felt himself disappearing in their depths. For the longest time, he simply stared at her, then he finally said, "You want your heart to beat because someone’s finally hearing it and listening to what it has to say. I hear it, Elvira. Even from across the room ... I hear it."

"I want you to hear it. All the time. I’m rapidly finding out that I’m a novice at true happiness, but I’m sure that’s what this is and I don’t know what to do with myself or with you. I know what I want and I know what I need, but I’m - I’m scared." She blinked and looked away. "God. This wasn’t supposed to happen."

The guilt was written on her face again and he hated seeing it there, hated that even the smallest part of her could remember George O’Malley and feel the slightest bit of loyalty to him. It annoyed him. It grated on his nerves and he stepped back, forcing a smile on his face. He refused to have her scared of him or feeling pressured enough to give in. "I’m pretty tired. That second Tower of Terror ride took a lot out of me. It was almost like riding in your plane again. I, uh, I’m gonna take the bedroom with the gray and try to get some rest because something tells me I’ll need it with you driving this thing."

"But-"

"Come on." He held out his hand and helped her board Goon Docks. She looked like she wanted to speak to him, but he made a big show of yawning and stretching and she turned and unlocked the door.

Callie was stunned when he kissed her neck, whispered ‘goodnight’ and disappeared into the starboard bedroom. She sat on the sofa and crossed her arms. A moment later he walked across the hallway and went into the bathroom carrying his toothbrush and toothpaste. When he emerged, she had not moved a muscle and he winked at her and headed to bed.

‘You said too much too fast.’ The little voice had returned and she closed her eyes, listening to it. ‘He thinks that you’re getting too involved. He doesn’t want that. You’re still married and he’s not like Izzie Stevens. He said *if* you had sex, not when. He doesn’t want you. Jocks never want the goth chicks so just give it up.’

Cursing under her breath, she forgot her exhaustion and stalked down the hallway into her own room, where she changed into a black Dolce and Gabbana swimsuit that was more metal than fabric. She spread several maps out on the bed and kneeled down, tracing their course with her finger. She had planned to leave the following morning at daybreak, but considering the way that Alex had completely shut her down, she figured it would be better to hit the open seas as quickly as possible.

In Seattle, they could go their separate ways.

They would always have Disneyland.

She brushed away a tear that fell onto her cheek, rolled the map, picked up her CD case and carried both up onto the deck with her. It took almost an hour for her to program the coordinates into the GPS navigator. It was high tech and incredibly sensitive. When she finally finished, she started the engine, read the gauges, and was pleased to see that the tank was full and the pressure readings were perfect. Then she untied Goon Docks from the deck and patted her gently on the side. In the captain’s chair, she took a deep breath and said, "Okay, girl, bring me that horizon."

She idled out of the marina and once she hit open water, she increased the speed and opened the sunroof, enjoying the cool night air. It took twenty five minutes to arrive off the coast of Venice. Callie could hear music from a beach party and see the bonfire that was burning brightly in a large can even though they were pretty far out. She flipped through her CD case and slid Queen into the disc drive. The first strains of ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ began to play and she dropped the anchor and dove, head first into the cool, crisp water.

She was enjoying herself immensely when something suddenly closed around her waist and she opened her mouth under water to yell out.

Alex kicked them back to the surface and as soon as their heads broke free, he shouted, "What the hell are you doing?!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Callie screamed, choking up the water she had swallowed.

"We’re getting back on the boat!" Alex reached for her arm, but she splashed water into his face and swam under again. "Callie!"

He caught up with her quickly and this time he was rougher with her. He pinned her arms to her sides and brought her back to the surface. "GET BACK ON THE BOAT!"

"IT’S A YACHT!" she cried. "AND YOU GET BACK ON IT!"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? THERE COULD BE SHARKS! THERE COULD BE JELLYFISH! AND YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO GET YOUR ARM WET! SHARKS, CALLIE! THEY SMELL THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF BLOOD!"

"GO BACK TO BED! ALONE, ASS!"

He latched onto her and pulled her back to the ship, where he had lowered the ladder. "Get back on the *boat*."

"Alex!"

"NOW!"

Callie gripped the ladder and climbed up, stalking across the cool surface of the deck. She kept her back to him and gasped when he yanked her around to face him. "Alex, leave me alone!"

"What the hell is your problem?"

"You!"

"I haven’t done a damn thing to you!"

"I poured my heart out and you went to *bed*! I - If you don’t want this ... if you don’t want me then just tell me because I can’t keep-"

"I went to bed because you can’t make up your mind! You are *not* clear headed which is exactly what I told you this morning! I’m not touching you until you are! At the rate you’re going, with the guilt and the second guessing, that will be never!"

"I am not second guessing! I am not guilty!"

"You said this wasn’t supposed to happen!"

"It’s not! I shouldn’t be falling for you because it’s too fast! It’s too soon! But here I am! I’ve fallen and apparently I can’t get up!"

Alex kissed her. He pulled her against him and kissed her with everything that he had. His hands tangled into her long, wet hair and he held on. He tasted the saltwater on her lips and then her tongue found his and she tasted like the cotton candy they had shared under the fireworks. They broke apart when a cool breeze nearly froze the water that was clinging to their skin. He looked down at her and said, "Let’s go back inside."

"No."

"Callie-"

"Hot tub."

Alex watched as she walked to the cockpit and turned off all of the bigger lights. She left a few smaller ones on and he guessed it was to alert other vessels to their location. He finally noticed her swimsuit, then. It was red, one piece, with large metal rings all over it. Those rings were hollow and he could see her tan flesh peeking out everywhere. He had thought that he could never see her look better than she had the previous night in the thong, but he was wrong. He swallowed when she bent over and pulled another CD out of her case and removed Queen. Her backside was enough to make him forget how cold he was.

Soft, romantic music began to play and she moved around the edge of the cockpit to the hot tub and he followed. The tub rested toward the nose of the ship and she leaned down, unfastening the latches that kept the lid in place. Alex helped her wrench it free and moaned a little when he saw that the water was bubbling and he could feel the warmth against his legs. Callie looked at him and smiled. "You want a drink?"

"I want you," he stated bluntly. "That’s enough for me."

It was darker at the front of the boat. The lights she had left on were near the water and she kept her eyes on him as she slowly peeled her wet swimsuit off, letting it pool at her feet. She knew that he could still see her, though, because the blue light from the jacuzzi made her see him. With a sly smile, she stepped down into the tub and sighed. "I’m the captain. I make the rules. Number one is no one bathes with their clothes on."

Even beneath the water, with the ripples distorting her body, she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. "If I take my trunks off ... then we’re doing this, Callie. And there’s no looking back. We’re official."

"Is that what you want? Think about what you’re saying. I’ve got baggage that you don’t even know about and what you do know about it pretty damn rough. I have to get a divorce, I have to-"

"I don’t care about that. Any of it. I care about here and now. Whatever comes ... as long as we’re together it doesn’t matter. It's us against the world, Gothika. And I can't think of a better partner."

"Then let’s not look back. Let’s not think about tomorrow of next week or next month. Make it official, Alex, because you’re enough for me, too."

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 16
*~*~*~*~*~

"You’re not supposed to get your arm wet, Cal."

"I’m wet all over, Alex. Particularly inside."

"Jesus Christ."

Alex was aware that Callie was watching his every move and he wondered if she could see his heart pounding beneath his chest. He loosened the tie on his swimming trunks and slid them down, kicking them gently aside. When he started to step in the water, she shook her head and held up her index finger, moving it in a circle. She wanted him to turn around. He smiled and obliged her, flexing the muscles in his ass until she whimpered. He looked over his shoulder and said, "See something you like?"

Her response was to run her warm, wet hand up his thigh and over his buttocks. She stood quietly and took a seat on the ledge of the hot tub and lightly bit his hip. He had not been expecting that and he turned quickly. She seized the moment, looked up into his eyes, and then lowered her mouth over the tip of his turgid cock. One hand gripped his wide shaft and she pumped him slowly, deliberately taking her time as her tongue massaged his taut flesh. Her other hand massaged his balls, cupping them, testing their weight.

Alex swallowed hard and watched as her cheeks hollowed with the force of her suction. She moved her hand and took him all the way into the back of her throat, never gagging. And then she swallowed and it was the most amazing feeling Alex had every experienced. When she began to hum, his legs almost buckled and he reached down, gripping a handful of her hair. "Oh god. If you don’t stop that I’m going to -"

She swallowed again and he tried to warn her, tried to pull away, but she didn’t let him. He exploded in her mouth and only when he stopped groaning her name did she pull back, licking him as she went. She slid her tongue along the underside of his erection and then let her teeth graze the still weeping tip as she looked into his eyes again. Finally, she moved back into the hot tub and beckoned him with the slightest tilt of her head.

He didn’t have to be summoned twice. Slipping into the water, he moved to the center of the warm whirlpool and pulled her into his lap. She wrapped her legs around him and he moved her head back, blazing a path of kisses over her neck and collarbone. He raised his legs, lifting her out of the water and feasted on her nipples. His tongue laved her sensitive flesh and she moved her arms, bracing them on either side of the tub as his hand slipped between them and his thumb found her clit.

She gasped and looked at him with hooded eyes before she kissed him. He didn’t seem to mind tasting himself in her mouth, because his tongue swept inside, flicking against hers in a way that made her tremble all over. She felt boneless when he finally moved to her neck again and then he lifted her from the water entirely and placed her on the contoured mouth of the tub.

He rose to his knees and kissed her again, palming her breasts, twisting her nipples with just enough force to make her bite her bottom lip. Then he spread her thighs and licked his lips when he saw that the black curls between her legs had been waxed into a small, delicate triangle. He had never seen anything more inviting. He ran his fingertips over the design and said, "Nice. Very nice."

When he lowered his mouth to her core, she moaned. And she watched him. She watched every stroke of his tongue, every rake of his teeth. She watched as he pulled back and licked two of his fingers, then glided them into her quivering mound. He met her gaze and held it when he fastened his lips around her clit and began to suck. Callie reached down, gripping his hair, urging him to move faster, but he had other things in mind.

He brought her to the cusp only to pull back and concentrate on her navel, which he ran his tongue around. His fingers were still inside her and he thumped upward, hitting her G-spot. She pushed at his head, silently pleading with him to return to her sensitive nubbin, which was throbbing with need. When he didn’t obey, she lowered her own hand and tried to take control, but he shook his head and pushed it away. "Wait for it."

"Alex, please? Please?!"

Dipping his tongue into her belly button, he smiled up at her, then moved his mouth to her knee. He nipped playfully for a moment, then slowly moved up her thigh again, leaving wet kisses in his wake. Finally, he took pity because she was shaking and he was afraid she was cold. He easily manipulated her G-spot again. She threw her head back when he latched onto her clit and sucked.

Hard.

She bucked up against his face, crying out, and her legs clamped around his head. And still ... he didn’t stop. He nursed at the nectar that flowed from her like a starving man and kept his fingers inside her as her vaginal walls constricted time and time again. Only when she stopped trembling did he ease his fingers from her and taste them. "I think I realize now what lines of deliciousness are, Elvira. And what a starving bear feels like."

Callie pushed herself into a sitting position and gazed down at him. Slipping back into the water, they kissed again, and the flavor of each other was a heady cocktail. Hands explored flesh, they could smell the lust between them, and when Callie heard him whisper her name, she slipped her legs around his waist and reached between them, guiding him into her still dripping passage. Then she squeezed with her muscles and slowly rocked until both of their toes were curling.

"I - I have condoms, Elvira."

"I take Depo-Provera shots. We’re good." She moaned and rocked against him. "We’re very, very good actually. Oh my god, Alex."

He reached below the surface and guided her hips. Soon the water was splashing out of the hot tub and they didn’t care or appear to notice. She rode him hard, thrashing violently, pounding her hips against his. It felt incredible to be submerged in warm water with her tight, much hotter body wrapped around him. He wanted to be in charge, though. Standing, with her legs still around his waist, he laid her back on the deck. He knew it was probably cold, but she made no sound at all when her back hit the water that they had sloshed out.

Pulling her legs up over his shoulders, he slammed into her. It was hard, hungry. Starving. She reached down and gripped at his thighs, saying, "Fuck. Harder, Alex. Fuck me harder."

He didn’t oblige. He moved down her body and devoured her clit again instead. He worked her flesh until she came again and only then did he thrust into her with the force and the power that she was still begging for. He watched as she reached up, gripping the railing of the boat tightly in her hands. She was writhing beneath him, pushing and straining to meet him halfway. Her grunts and groans were as loud as his own and her dirty talk was enough to make him pass out.

Alex knew, in that moment, that he would never feel the way he currently felt with any other woman. She was *his*. And he wanted nothing more than to be hers.

When he finally came, he growled her name and left a huge hickey on her neck. It was his mark, his brand, and he stared down at his handiwork with satisfaction. "Callie?"

"Alex?"

"I’m sleeping in your bed tonight." He laid his head against her chest, listening to her heart beat. "And every night from now on."

"I really don’t think we’ll sleep much if you do that."

"We’ll exhaust ourselves eventually."

"Are you exhausted now?"

"No."

"Prove it."

*~*~*~*~*~

Raphael hung up the phone and turned to Melana, who was watching him expectantly. Cam stood up and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting. Raph took a deep breath and said, "Quint found her. She was treated and released for an animal bite in Los Angeles."

"What kind of animal?" Cam asked, alarmed.

"They were not forthcoming with that bit of information." Raph laid his cell phone on the table and paced across the room. "I have people scouring the Carolinas because Miguel Santos provided us with her flight plan ... yet she was somehow treated in Los Angeles. *Los Angeles*. I think a broken kneecap would do that man some good."

"Stop." Cam glanced at this mother, then addressed his father. "Dad, leave her alone. I know that this is weird for you because Callie’s always been the best one of us -"

Melana scoffed. "You are as blind as your father, Cambyses. Your sister is a self-centered and-"

"Mother!" Cam cut across her. "Once again I am begging you to open your eyes. She hates to sing, but she did it for you. She didn’t want to go halfway across the country for medical school, but she did it for Dad. She has *always* put herself last where this family is concerned and then she got married and her husband forced her into last place again. She has earned the right to come first. Let her come first for a while and she will come home on her own a better person for it. When she’s ready!"

"Cambyses, if you are so insightful then perhaps you should crack open a Bible and review why your lifestyle choices leave you in no position to criticize anything that we do."

"I know it verbatim! You have force fed it to me since I came out! The Bible also says ‘judge not, lest ye be judged’ so clean up around your own doorstep before you try to clean mine! Or my sister’s!"

"Your sister is insane!" Mel cried.

"It’s apparently a hereditary gene that gets passed to all the women then because you are one crazy-"

"Stop it! Both of you," Raph snapped. He rubbed his eyes and sat down on the sofa. He was torn. Part of him wanted to let her fly and the other part wanted to capture her in a soft net and lock her up in a cage. If anything happened to her ... he would die. "Son, do you have any idea what’s in California? Why she would go?"

"Disneyland? The world’s largest rubber band ball?" Cam replied. One look at his father’s face had him backtracking slightly. "She would *like* the rubber band ball, okay? And Addison assured me that Alex cares about her."

"I knew it," Melana said. "I saw her with Alex. I saw the way he held her and I *knew* it. A mother knows why her daughter gets a certain look on her face. She was far too comfortable with him for it to be platonic. I could see it on both of them."

"Can you see it with George as well, Mother?"

Melana looked away and picked up Gucci, cradling him. "Raph, what will you do?"

Raphael sighed. "I’m going to sleep on it. It’s late and I’m tired. I’ll decide tomorrow whether or not to fly out to California."
"Don’t, Dad." Cam walked toward the door and added, "Because perfect moments are few and far between. She could be having one."

Melana waited until her son was gone before she sat down next to her husband. "Calliope chose her path and she should be forced to deal with the ramifications when she returns. And really, honey, driving yourself crazy over this is not doing you any good."

"Callie has never acted so capriciously."

"She’s never been married before either. She’s a different person now. A broken heart, no matter how late it comes, changes who you are for the rest of your life."

"I don’t like who she has become, mi vida. This is not my daughter. If I tell her to come home, she comes. If I ask her if she’s okay, she tells me the truth. She obeys, Mel. Always. What if she is drinking again? What if the injury she received is worse than the hospital let on? What if-"

"Don’t ask ‘what if’. Because it’s unwise to plant those ideas in fate’s heart. She’ll be home in a few days and perhaps she will be our Callie again when she returns."

"Were you able to reach George?"

"I left a message asking him to come to lunch tomorrow."

"What will we say to him, Mel?"

"Oh, you may sting like a butterfly, but I bite like a Great White. And this shark has a quite an arsenal of teeth."

"Yes, my love, you do."

*~*~*~*~*~

Addison tried Callie’s cell phone and left a voice mail. She tried to sound upbeat and supportive and asked that Callie call her back. Next, she called Alex’s phone and left a message on it as well. Twenty minutes later she crawled into the bed and flipped the television on. It was late and she was wide awake. She changed the channels, gnawing at her bottom lip, and then sat up a little straighter when she came across soft core porn. "Thank you, HBO!"

Her eyes darted left and right as if to verify that there was no one in the room to see her and she turned the volume a little lower for modesty's sake. Grinning, she flopped onto her stomach, her head toward the foot of the bed, and immersed herself in a lame ass story about King Dong that was dotted with random scenes of erotica. It was cheesy. It was horribly acted and her aching body responded to every scene. Well, except the ones that involved the guy in the grey ape suit. At any rate, she slipped her panties off and stroked through the curls at the apex of her thighs, mimicking with her hand what the man on television was doing with his ...

Someone knocked at her door and she leapt upward and hit the television so hard that she knocked it behind the stand it sat on. "Shit! Fuck!"

"Addison?!" Mark called. "What the hell was that noise?"

She left the television in the floor, still on, and yanked the door open. When Mark scanned down her body, she realized that she still had on a tight fitting short camisole, but her panties were flung over the lamp shade. His eyes widened and she quickly yanked him into the room, peeking into the hall to see if anyone else had seen her. When she turned, he was still looking her up and down. She put her hands on her hips and said, "What?"

"Since when do you have a heart?"

She looked bewildered and then remembered that Callie had invited her along for a wax, saying it didn’t hurt if you had a friend with you. Addison had screamed loud enough to make her own ears ring. Smiling, she cupped her hands over said heart. "What do you want?"

He pulled a pack of batteries out of his pocket and threw them on the bed. "I thought I’d help you out. You were walking around the hospital yesterday breathing fire and I know why."

Addison narrowed her eyes and picked up the package, turning it over in her hands as if she expected something else to be attached. With a devilish grin, she held them out to him. "Can you open them?"

"Open them?"

She nodded and bent to the nightstand, where she retrieved two dildos. One was bright purple, filled with gel, and the other was flesh colored and made of cyber skin. She unscrewed the backs on both and dropped out the old batteries. He was watching her every move and when she held her hand out for the batteries, she saw that he was licking his lips. She filled both vibrators and turned the purple one on, lowering it until it was against her breast.

She felt her nipple harden under the silk fabric and trailed it lower still, over her stomach and hip. "Mark?"

He made some kind of noise, his eyes never leaving her hands.

"It’s only fair that you watch. You did bring the batteries after all."

He pulled his eyes away from the vibrator, which she had slid against her clit, and looked into her eyes. "It won’t work. I’m not falling for it. We’re doing the sixty days."

"Can you help me remember?" She lay back on the bed, her legs spread wide. "Do I like this one or this one inside? Oooh, I think it’s this one. Yeah, it’s definitely this one. Daaaaamn."

Mark’s jaw tightened as she slipped the purple dildo gently into her and he saw her moisture when she pulled it out. Someone made a noise, someone who wasn’t Addison. Glancing to his left, he saw the television and smirked. Lifting it back onto the stand, he turned up the volume and watched as a man enjoyed two women at once. He knew she was watching as well because he heard her flop onto her stomach on the bed. "Porn, Ads?"

Her response was to grip his shirt and pull him down for a kiss. She knew she had him when he reached between her legs and removed the shivering toy, tossing it across the room. He flipped her onto her back and covered her body with his, devouring her mouth while his fingers filled the void at her center. "Addison," he growled, moving lower, yanking the camisole over her head.

He latched onto her nipple and sucked ferociously, not stopping until it looked rouged. Then he moved to her stomach and her fingers gripped his hair, pushing him to the spot she was dying for him to kiss. He feasted on her, pushing and pulling her to and from the edge until finally, he half stood, bringing her hips with him. And the change of pressure, the change of position, caused Addison to come so hard that she screamed and almost knocked him over when he legs stiffened against his shoulders.

Mark laid her gently back on the bed and picked up her vibrator, the flesh colored one, which he laid between her breasts. He enjoyed the view for a moment longer, loving the way the color had risen into her face, the way her chest rose and fell from her ragged breathing, and then he walked to the door. "I’ll see you at work tomorrow, Addy."

Addison jerked upright instantly. "What!? No! Mark, come on! This isn’t funny anymore."

He ran his finger over his lip tasting her all over again. "No, it’s definitely not funny."

"Stay! Please?"

"No. When we make love again you’re going to know that that’s what it is. I’m making love to you and it’s going to erase any doubt you have that I can remain faithful to you."

"But-"

"Sleep well, angel."

Addison watched as he closed the door behind him, then she slumped back on the bed and threw her arms over her face. "Gah!"

The throbbing began anew between her legs and she groaned, glancing at the television in time to see the ape-man catch the girl and try to kiss her. "Fuck it," she said and lifted the vibrator.

When she slipped into her aching folds, she closed her eyes and sighed, "Mark ..."

In the hallway, he leaned against the door and listened.

Life was good.

Incredibly *hard*, but good.

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie collapsed, boneless, against Alex’s chest. She had just taken the ride of her life. While she had been atop him, her brain had conjured an image of her straddling a 747 and flying, six hundred miles an hour, into an abyss that she had never dreamed possible. She had lost count of the orgasms. She had lost count of the positions and the many ways he could make her come, but she didn’t really care. It was exhilarating. All he had to do was brush against her and she was wide awake and ready for more.

Alex rubbed a hand down her spine and cupped her backside. She amazed him. The things she did with her body and the agility she possessed was uncanny. And she could go from fucking like a madwoman to snuggling against him in the blink of an eye, completely sated. He decided that’s how he felt: sated. She had touched something inside him, some place that sex had never reached before, and it was startling and wonderful at the same time. He had never had *anyone* possess all of him the way she had. She consumed him and he gladly surrendered to the flames.

"Alex?"

"I can’t talk yet. Talking requires breathing and you’ve taken my breath again."

"Good. I was going to say that we should sleep." She sat up and pulled the cover over them and settled into his arms, her head against his chest. "And I was going to say thank you."

"For?"

"You see me. You really, truly see me."

"How could I not?" He pulled her leg over his and rubbed her knee. "I’ve never felt like this before, Cal. It happened so fast."

"I have been accused of moving at warp speed before."

"Well, I think your timing is just fine and so is mine."

"Ohh, you’re a poet." She kissed his jaw and looked at him. "I wish that you had asked me out months ago. It just - it feels like it was supposed to be you and me all along. Like, kismet or something. Is that stupid?"

"No. Stupid would be to ignore it, Gothika. And I won’t let either one of us do that."

Grinning, she nodded and laid her head back down. She was just dozing off when she heard him whisper something. It was soft, almost too low for her to catch it, but it was there.

He sleepily murmured, "I love you."

She didn’t move, didn’t breathe, until she heard him snore lightly seconds later.

Callie was still awake two hours later.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t believe in love again. Ever. Her mind convinced her it was a manufactured greeting card sentiment, a cheesy plot device in a movie, the theme of hundreds of dumb songs. Love had the ability to torment and torture and really, she reasoned, who would willingly do that to themselves. He certainly couldn’t expect her to believe in it after everything she had been through.

It had been post - post - post - post coital bliss that had forced the lie from his lips.

And she understood.

What they had shared had almost made a believer of her again.

But almost didn’t count.

Lust? Lust counted.

And she lusted for him very much.

*~*~*~*~*~

While Callie and Alex had never been morning people, they awoke with the sun and Callie was able to talk him into going for a swim with her. It was the first thing she could think of and she wanted very much to forget what she had heard the night before. She wore a solid black bathing suit that had a low, wide belt which rested on her hips. He wore his trunks and they played around for almost an hour, diving under, grabbing each other’s legs. After showering together and doing much more than bathing, they got dressed again and pointed the yacht toward a nearby marina.

They needed food. They needed to stock the ship with drinks, snacks, and the makings of several dinners. Callie had decided that once they started back toward Seattle, she didn’t want to stop unless it was to drop anchor *and* her panties. There would need to be a lot of stops. She didn’t want to hit land because on land ... they couldn’t be alone and she wanted to be alone with him for as long as they had. It was easier to forget the world when they only had each other for company.

Callie called a cab at the marina and then spent over nine hundred dollars on supplies. There was too much to carry in the cab, so the manager of the market agreed to deliver their purchases himself. Callie agreed, suggested that he wait a few hours, and then set about showing Alex what Malibu was all about. They ate Italian food and people watched until Alex finally saw a celebrity, John Travolta, and then they headed into a small boutique because Callie saw a slinky red dress that called her name. It would be perfect for the party that was rapidly approaching.

She bought him two more pairs of swimming trunks and had to sneak an adorable black Speedo across the counter to the clerk. He had adamantly refused when he saw her eyeballing it, but she’d make him wear it. She had no doubt that she could be persuasive as hell. They carried their purchases to the beach, where they waded in the water for a little while longer, then they headed back to the yacht.

The manager was waiting for them and he and Alex unloaded everything. The man practically burst into tears when Callie pressed five one hundred dollar bills in his hand. He thanked her repeatedly, telling her that she had saved his life. Callie smiled and said, "There’s a lot of that going around."

Alex watched the entire exchange with an amused expression. When the older man drove away, he kissed her. "You know, most people would look at you and think that you’re Elizabeth Bathory reincarnated. Aren’t you breaking the sacred Gothic scrolls or whatever by being so sweet?"

She glanced down at her clothing. She guessed that the red shirt she wore did have a Renaissance feel to it. It laced up the sides like a corset and made her cleavage look great. "I think that what we did last night proves that I’m more Bathory than sweet. Besides, I’m a perky Goth with you."
He stared at her breasts and nodded. "Very, very perky."

She kissed him and let him help her on board the boat. "I didn’t even realize that everything I bought for myself was so ..."

"Sexy and dirty? Exactly what a Marilyn Manson video should look like?"

"Pretty much. I thought I had outgrown it."

"Nah, you've always had this edge. At least since I first laid eyes on you." He led the way down into the salon. "They didn’t make chicks like you when I was in school. The whole Goth thing was not even cute back then. It was greasy hair, body odor, black nails, and a death stare that was-" He trailed off when she raised an eyebrow. "A lot like that, actually. How did you get into it?"

"I walked into a Hot Topic when I was about fourteen. It felt like coming home. I bought one of everything and then threw away anything that was pink or blue or *girly* in my closet. My parents controlled everything except my wardrobe. The more they tried the more I rebelled and the further I embraced it. And then, you know, it wasn’t just clothing anymore. It was a way of life. I got into The Cure and Depeche Mode. I rocked out to Johnny Rotten and all my friends in high school were just like me." She sighed and glanced down at her short black skirt. It was sewn through with red thread that matched the shirt beautifully. "Clothes like this are a second skin to me. I feel good in this and occasionally in scrubs."

"You look damn fine in both." Alex smirked. "And you looked great in that *girly* dress the other night. The turquoise one."

"That’s about as colorful as I go."

"I like you best in red."

"I’m going to wear red to the party that my mother planned."

Alex had bent down to grab a couple of the bags that had been delivered. He straightened clutching nothing except his stomach, which had fallen around his ankles. "You’re still having your elopement party? You’re still going with O’Malley where you’ll what ... pretend to be happy and-"

"No!" She shook her head back and forth. "It’s going to be a welcome home party now. For me. All my family is coming in and I didn’t have the heart to cancel it at the last minute."

"They’re coming here expecting to meet your husband, Callie!"

"So? I have a date lined up. He’s a great guy."

Alex had never been one for a fit of jealousy, but something surged through him when she said ‘date’ and he stood a little taller. "You’re going with me! I don’t - who were taking, Callie? Dr. Savoy? That fuckin’ Ken doll will get his ass kicked if he so much as looks at you. What -"

"My date used to be a wrestler in Iowa. He loves his mother, doesn’t like his dad, and got a bike one year for Christmas even though he asked for Disneyland." Callie grinned at him. "He’s also apparently been hiding the green eyed monster, but I think it’s very cute when it comes out."

"You are *evil*."

"Like I said, Jock Boy, I’m more Bathory than not."

"She killed people and bathed in their blood."

"I’ve thought about it. Does that count?"

"You’re making me horny. Stop it."

"Wanna play doctor?"

He said yes.

So they did.

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 17
*~*~*~*~*~

George arrived ten minutes late for lunch with Callie’s parents due in large part to the pacing marathon he had in the parking deck. He had almost called his mother to beg her to go with him, but he knew she wouldn’t. She had not returned any of his calls. When he entered the lobby, he immediately spotted Callie’s mother and feeling like a man walking to the electric chair, he moved slowly and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"Hello, Mrs. Torres."

Melana put her hand on her hip and studied him. "Why if it isn’t Cheater. I didn’t think you would come. You have balls, George. I’ll happily remove them."

"That can wait," Raphael said, joining them. He narrowed his eyes at George and added, "As much as I’d love to rip your intestines out and choke you with them, I can’t deny my children anything and Cambyses called the honor this morning."

George’s mouth dropped open when Cambyses Torres joined them. He gazed up at the man, eyes wide, and didn’t blink at all. He resembled Callie, but he was wearing more leather than a human being should and he was solid muscle and ... and hair. His ice blue eyes were terrifying and his full lips were pulled back into a sneer. Swallowing hard, George held out his hand. "It’s nice to meet you, Cam. Callie, uh, she talks about you nonstop."

"The only way I would touch the hand of the man who hurt my sister would be if I cut it off and slapped you with it." Cam looked him up and down. "I’m surprised she didn’t beat me to it. There’s not much to you is there?"

George shifted uncomfortably and his eyes moved toward the door. If he ran, really fast, he could probably make it to the hospital with minimal damage. And hide. Cam seemed to read his mind because he reached out, grabbed the collar of his jacket, and pulled him into the restaurant where Blake was already waiting at a large, round table.

Blake stood and greeted George. "You must be the asshole."

"Apparently." George sat down. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Melana and said, "Have you heard from her? I mean - since she called the first night."

"No." Mel crossed her arms over her chest. "We know that she went to Los Angeles. She was injured and treated at a small hospital there."

"WHAT?" George put his elbows on the table and stared at Callie’s mother. "How? What happened to her?"

"Don’t tell him anything else," Cam said. "George, you lost the right to know *anything* about her. So don’t ask because we’re not telling."

"I’m still her husband."

"That’s easily rectified. And that’s why you’re here." Raphael put his briefcase on the table and pulled out an folder. "Washington is, thankfully, a community property state. Anything that you’ve purchased together, or that she has purchased for you, is considered divisible. I’m telling you to take it all. Anything that you two purchased is yours. You can also take her convertible and twenty-five thousand in cash. She wants out of this marriage. She asked me to begin the paperwork and here it is."

George stared at the folder. It scared him more than Cambyses. It put a pit of fire in his stomach that ached soul deep. "I don’t believe in divorce."

"You don’t believe in marriage either," Melana replied. "Marriage is about commitment and honoring your vows. Tell me, George, did you promise to forsake all others?"

"Yes." He swallowed hard when he remembered the way Callie’s hand had trembled in his while he spoke about undying devotion and cherishing her. "And I made a horrible mistake, but -"

"A mistake is when you balance your checkbook wrong," Blake interjected. "Cheating on the person who loves you and ripping their heart out ... that’s not a mistake. That’s attempted murder."

"Nicely worded, babe." Cam smiled and took Blake’s hand.

"I was listening to Rhianna on my iPod while I waited for you guys." Blake shrugged, then glowered at George. "But it’s still true, asshole."

Melana was studying Blake closely, wide eyed, but when he smiled at her, she quickly turned back to George. "It’s better if you agree to the divorce, George. We will pay for the entire thing and -"

"She’ll have to tell me this herself." George lifted his chin defiantly. "I have to hear her tell me that we’re finished."

"I would think that leaving town with a hot wrestler is a pretty good indication of where she stands," Cam told him. "You bring her down lower than she has ever been. She almost died because of you." He picked up the folder and held it out to George. "Take it. Look it over. I think you’ll find that we’ve been generous and considering the circumstances ... generosity is uncalled for."

George took the folder and laid it in his lap. "I know that this is hard to believe and I understand why ... but I love Callie. I really love her. And -"

"Then set her free," Blake interrupted. "Let her go. If you were meant to be with her then one day you will be."

George felt a lump in his throat and his eyes welled with tears. "This? This is attempted murder because losing her like this will kill me."

"Like this? You could have lived with her killing herself for you, but not this?" Cam raised a brow. "You better choose your words more carefully because you’re close to pissing me off."

"That’s not what I meant!" George snapped. "I - I can’t just give up without trying."

"You lied to her about the extent of your relationship with your mistress," Raph said. "She called me and told me. She said that you made her feel like trash. This is your chance to stop doing that to her, George. Take the papers. Look through them. Fill out any information that you feel is pertinent, but understand this ... my daughter always gets what she wants and if this is what she wants and you fight her ... then it will be a fight to the death. I’ll see to that."

"Dying would hurt less than this." George wiped the tears on his face.

"Apparently you made Callie think the same thing," Cam said. "And I think we’re done here. Take your papers and go."

It wasn’t until that moment that George realized that the waiter had never appeared to take their orders. He stood, handling the folder as if it contained a stool sample. "Can you at least tell me when she’s coming back."

"She’ll be home in time for her party." Melana saw her son in law’s eyes widen and added, "It’s no longer an elopement celebration. Your invitation is non-existent. This is a party for Callie, so that she can be surrounded by love for a change."

"*I* love her," George replied. "I love Callie. And -"

"If you gate crash this little shindig," Cam said. "It will be the last mistake you ever make. Now, go away, little gnat, before I swat you with something heavy. Like my boot."

Blake watched George walk away and glanced at Raphael. "You think he’ll sign it, Raph?"

"He’ll either use ink or his own blood. Either way, he’s going to let her go." Raph motioned for the waiter and said, "I believe that I can digest now. Let’s eat."

They ordered lunch and sat quietly for a few moments. Raph looked at Cam and said, "I’m going to leave her alone. Callie, I mean. She’ll come home when she’s ready. I won’t go after her."

"Good."

"That’s very noble, honey." Mel patted her husband’s hand and then looked at her son’s *boyfriend*. "Blake, that was quite an impressive display with the asshole. Wasn’t that what you called him?"

"Yes, ma’am." Shocked that Melana had addressed him at all, Blake hastily added. "Callie’s the sister I never had so I’ve got the over protective thing down to a science. I love her."

"I wasn’t aware that you two were so close."

"We are," Blake replied and if he was uptight in the least it didn’t show. "We usually talk about twice a week."

"I see. And what, pray tell, do the two of you have in common?"

"We both love Cambyses more than life itself. It creates a pretty strong bond."

Cam was watching his mother like a hawk. He also knew her very well. When her eyebrow arched high enough that it was hidden behind her bangs, he cleared his throat. "Mother, I’m still pretty happy over being able to threaten the asshole so can you not be a buzz kill?"

"What?" Mel asked innocently. "I was going to invite your - your - er, friend here to accompany me on a mission. I was supposed to be shopping for a dress with Louise, but considering that I want to hold her son down and suffocate him with a pillow, I can’t see us enjoying the day very much. Blake, we’ve never had the chance to get to know one another. Would you like to spend the afternoon with me?"

"Wolf in sheep’s clothing," Cam said in a sing-song voice.

"I’d love to, Mrs. Torres."

"Walking into the lion’s den," Cam continued in the same tone.

"You may call me, Melana, Blake." Mel reached out and pulled Cam’s hair, dragging him closer to her, but she was smiling. "And your sister has the voice, not you. So stop singing."

Cambyses grinned at her. "Looks like someone else has a buzz, too."

"There isn’t a woman alive who doesn’t enjoy bringing a bastard to his knees, son."

It had been years since Melana had referred to Cam as her son. It had also been years since she had smiled at him or touched him at all, really. He was elated. Reaching across the table, he put his hand on hers and said, "Mom, you could make the entire population of bastards not only fall to their knees, but worship at your feet."

"Yes, I know. Your sister has the same power apparently because Cheater was *broken*. And wasn’t it fun? I think I’ll have chocolate cake to celebrate his downfall."

"Okay, she scares me," Blake said softly.

Everyone at the table laughed.

*~*~*~*~*~

Domestication had its perks, Alex realized, on their fifth day together. He had never really gone to bed and woken up with the same woman more than once or twice, unless you counted Izzie which he refused to do. With Callie, he spent every waking and sleeping moment getting to know her. It was nice to notice subtle things about a lover. Callie liked to sleep with one hand under her cheek and she didn’t snore, but she did talk a little. Earlier that morning she had said ‘I’ve got femurs out the ass, Chief’ and it had caused him to laugh so hard it woke her up. She did *not* like being jarred awake and the look of death she had given him had caused him to laugh even harder ... which, naturally, led to sex.

Everything led to sex with Callie. Not that he was complaining.

There wasn’t an inhibited bone in her incredible body. She would bathe in front of him, cook naked in front of him, and they had even skinny dipped with the careless abandon of teenagers. They had behaved in a manner very unbecoming for two professional adults in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but they kept at it for hours. Her favorite position was on top, but she had no complaints if he took charge or flipped her onto her stomach ... or pinned her against the wall. They had *both* enjoyed the hell out of the galley counter top. Twice. And she got a thrill out of sitting on his lap in broad daylight, with him deeply inside her, while boats sped around them.

No ... she was not inhibited at all, but that wasn’t the best thing about her.

She liked to watch the sunset, but because she liked sleeping in more, she happily missed the sunrise. She laughed easily, but could have the driest sense of humor and sarcastic wit that he had ever heard. Her favorite thing to do, besides sex, was to play her endless assortment of video games and Alex didn’t have to let her win ... she beat him every time on her own. She could talk about college football scores with the same passion she usually reserved for ‘The Goonies’ and she knew all the terminology for wrestling after hearing them only once.

She was, in Alex’s opinion, everything a woman should be. Tender and hard. Funny and sad. Annoying and endearing. And best of all ... she was the best friend and *lover* he’d ever had. He *loved* her.

As both.

He had noticed something else, though. Something he hated. She would meet his eyes while they did the most perverted things humanly possible, but after, when her body finally calmed down, she would pull away and quickly find something else to do. She only let him hold her afterwards if they were falling asleep in her bed. And she wouldn’t look at him for a long time, even if she was talking to him. The first morning after their hot tub romp, she had put sunglasses on almost immediately. He had been forced to pull them off her in the shower.

He didn’t understand it, but he knew *why* she was doing it and it had to stop.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Callie asking him something. He turned his head and looked at her. "What did you say?"

"Can you dance?" Callie repeated, then finished slicing the tomato she was working on. "I mean, really dance."

Alex set aside the lettuce he had pulled apart and grinned. "My mother and I used to dance all the time. She said I was the best partner ever."

"Was she being truthful or being a mom?"

"Come here."

Callie dried her hands on a dishtowel and followed him into the middle of the salon. They were listening to a local station that they had picked up and Nickelback was singing ‘Far Away’. Alex bowed slightly in front of her, causing her to giggle like a crazy person, and then he took her in his arms and swept her across the room in a very nicely executed waltz. When the song ended, he dipped her backwards and kissed her.

"You’re wrong," she told him, still bent in the dip.

He stood them both up and said, "I can dance, Elvira."

"I mean you’re wrong about why you were the big man on campus. Wrestling had nothing to do with it." She kissed his nose. "Can you salsa?"

"Didn’t we do that in bed last night?"

"Can you do it vertically?"

"A dance is just a conversation between two people. Talk to me."
"‘Hope Floats’. Get your own material, quote man." She smiled at him and slipped a CD into the player. She smiled a little when Selena’s ‘Amor Prohibido’ began to play. It was a fitting song. "Now follow my lead."

She stepped forward. He stepped back. She swung her hips. He did the same. It took less than thirty minutes for him to catch on and when he did, he spun her out and back again, then his hands traced the contour of her hips in her swimsuit as they moved as one. She put her back to his chest and wiggled her ass against him, reaching behind her to grip his ass.

"Jesus, Callie. If this was a conversation between two people ... it would be outlawed in almost every state."

"Almost?"

"We’re gonna make it legal in Washington."

She turned and lifted her leg against his hip and he caught her behind the thigh and pulled back, stretching her into a half split as he went. Throwing her head back, she shimmied her shoulders and then came up fast, just in time for ‘Bitty Bitty Bom Bom’ to end. "I think you can salsa, Alex."

"I feel like we just had sex."

"Latin dances are notoriously sexy. This one’s mild in comparison."

"There are more?"

"Oh yeah. The cumbia, the mambo, the rumba."

"A mambo dancing Elvira."

"A waltzing jock. We’re both a walking oxymoron." Her stomach grumbled as she added, "We also forgot lunch."

"Wanna forget it a while longer?"

She smiled at him. "We should probably get a little more exercise before we eat bread."

The ‘exercised’ for close to an hour. Alex gazed down at her sweaty face and brushed her hair off her forehead. She didn’t meet his eyes.

He didn’t like it.

At all.

They ate their sandwiches on the deck. When Callie started the engine, brought up the anchor, and accelerated north, Alex frowned. "Every time you move this thing we get that much closer to Seattle."

"I know. I’ve purposely taken us away from land to make it last a little longer." She made a face. "But tomorrow we’re going to stop in San Francisco for the entire day. That should delay us a while."

"San Francisco? Why?"

"Well, there’s Alcatraz, Chinatown, the Golden Gate Bridge, and streetcars. There’s also a wax museum and the zoo kicks ass. I’ve seen it all, but I’ve never seen it *with* someone. Someone not related, I mean. So, if you want to sightsee I can totally get on board with that. I think you’d like it."

"I am sightseeing." He looked her up and down. "And I like it very much. But if you wanna play tour guide I’m in. Alcatraz, huh?"

"I knew you’d pick that. We’ll do the night tour. It’s scarier."

"It’s supposedly haunted, right?"

"Supposedly. But if you were a ghost would you really want to haunt a place like that? Four by eight cells, creepy fog, and it smells like death and piss. All the time. I’d rather haunt the water around it like Moaning Myrtle." She glanced at him and saw that his brow was furrowed. "Holy shit! I’ve finally stumped you!"

"Who or what is a Moaning Myrtle?"

"I *so* win. Go me!" She did a little dance in her seat. "Harry Potter. I am the champ!"

"I knew I should have read those damn books."

"She was in a couple of the movies, too. You *must* read the books though, Alex. They’re amazing." Smiling, she added, "Are you scared of ghosts?"

"Not at all." He swiveled in his chair so he could watch her. "Are you?"

"I don’t get scared. I lack a fear gene, remember?"
It was the perfect opportunity for Alex to respond with something that had been on his mind since they’d been together earlier. He seized the moment with both hands. "You’re scared of me. I can tell. You hold back just a little, just enough to make me worry."

She was shocked and quickly looked at him, then the horizon. "I do not."

"You don’t look at me after we have sex. You don’t strike me as the type to be bashful so it’s gotta be one of two things: you either regret it a little or you’re afraid of me and what I feel for you."

Callie swallowed and kept her eyes straight ahead. "You’re imagining things."

"Am I? Are you sure?"

"Of course I am."

"Look at me."

She shook her head. Her heart had lodged itself in her throat and she hated what was inevitably coming. Apparently this was *the* talk. "I have to watch what I’m doing. I’ll hit something."

"You told me when we dropped anchor last night that we were forty miles from the coast." Alex glanced out the windshield. Four sailboats dotted the water, but were far enough away that it would take several minutes to reach them. Standing, he slowed the boat to a stop himself, then took the key out of the ignition and turned her chair to face him. "Look at me, Callie."

She took a deep breath and met his eyes. "I’m looking."

He squatted beside her chair and took her hand. "This isn’t a fling for me. What we have ... it feels real. I think it is. And I know we keep saying that it’s fast and that we didn’t expect it, but I think I knew that I would fall for you when I picked you up and drove you to the hospital the night you almost died. It wasn’t just the gas in that car that got you there ... it was me. I think I could have outrun the wind on foot to make sure you were okay. It’s real. And I lo-"

"Oh, Alex, don’t." Callie stopped him with a hand over his mouth. She closed her eyes tightly. "Don’t say it. Please don’t say it."

He pushed her hand away. "You need to know where I stand! You need to know that because of what I feel for you ... I will *never* hurt you! So let your guard down! And *look* at me!"

"No." Callie got to her feet and moved past him. She walked to the back of the boat, running both hands through her hair. "Damn it, Alex! Don’t do this! Don’t make it weird! Don’t make it complicated or -"

"Or love you? Is that what you’re saying? You don’t want me to love you?"

"I don’t believe in love." She looked at him then, nostrils flaring slightly. "We’re good together, Alex. We’re having fun and when we get back to Seattle I want you in my life, but-"

"How do you want me in your life? Do you want me to be someone you call when you need your itch scratched or do you want me ... all of me?" He waited for her to say something and when she didn’t, he tossed her the keys. "That’s what I thought you’d say."

"Alex-"

"What?! People don’t take enough chances in life. You - you live your life for other people and the only chances you take are the ones that could kill you. You’d rather fly through a storm than trust me. Do you know how that makes me feel? I’m offering you a chance to start over with someone who *gets* you, with someone who *needs* you." He shook his head. "If I can’t love you what does that leave me?"

"I don’t know."

"Right."

Callie watched as he yanked open the door to the living quarters and disappeared down the stairs. She sat down on the lounger behind her and put her face in her hands. She had known that this was coming and had been dreading it like hell. She had known that Alex was getting invested, that he wanted more and she had encouraged it anyway. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, she knew that she wanted to be with him. Just ... not all the way. She couldn’t do all the way again because all the way meant that you only got pieces of yourself back when it all fell apart.

And nothing was forever.

For most of her life she had been the cynical one. She didn’t need a man to complete her. She was strong, independent, and she didn’t care because she was used to being alone. The poison of loving someone had killed the romantic dreamer she had become and put the cynic firmly back in place. It was a welcome relief to not have her heart involved.

‘That’s a lie,’ she thought. ‘You know good and damn well that you want to go downstairs and make love until you’re too sore to move. Because that’s what it is. You make love with him. You never really made love to George because he was in love with his friends. Coward. Would it really be so bad to fall again? You’re ready to fall. Just do it.’

Something splashed in the water behind her and she turned in time to see a dolphin. As she watched, several more began to spyhop, peering at her, splashing water at the yacht. She smiled and let the ladder down, then sat on it, her legs in the water. It took a while, but finally one of the larger dolphins came close enough for her to touch it. It darted away quickly when she ran her hand along its side, but returned just as fast, popping up between her knees.

"Hey there, you." Callie rubbed it on the head, tracing a scar that cut a mean looking crease. "If I come in the water are you gonna hurt me?"

The dolphin moved a little higher, butting at her hand. Another popped up beside it and she reached out, patting it as well. "I don’t have any food. Probably shouldn’t feed you, though, because most people aren’t as nice as me and might try to catch you. It’s not fun to be caught. I used to think it was. But when you’re caught ... you drown in shallow water every day."

She threw caution to the wind when the first dolphin went under and brushed against her leg, then appeared again. It was an open invitation and she slipped off the ladder, staying close to the boat. Just. In. Case. All at once, she was surrounded. The dolphins knocked into her, not hard, but rubbing at her body with their noses, with their sides. The same scarred porpoise surfaced right in front of her and splashed water in her face. She laughed out loud then and splashed back.

It rapidly became a game and all the dolphins wanted to splash and be splashed.

And their game took them further and further from the yacht.

Finally, winded, Callie rubbed the porpoise who had approached her first and said, "Did you know that dolphin is actually a Greek word? It’s really delphis and it means a fish with a womb." The animal looked her right in the eye and she smiled. "I’m an idiot. I’m talking to you like you know what I’m saying."

It splashed her again and she chuckled. "Okay, maybe you do."

She dove under and kept her eyes open, the salt burned, but the dolphins dove with her and she wanted to see them. She did a few flips under water, swimming like she had been born to do it, and when she surfaced again, the pod surfaced as well and blew water from their blow holes. They began to make noise as well and Callie felt like she was on top of the world and whistled at them. It intrigued them and they changed their sounds so Callie emulated them, laughing, when they watched her closely.

The mood of the animals changed so suddenly that Callie, dog paddling, began to feel uneasy. She glanced behind her and groaned. She had not put the anchor down on the yacht and the tide had carried it at least fifty feet away. The dolphins began to swim in a tight circle around her and she looked left and right, her heart thumping. She knew what that meant ... she knew it into her gut.

When the shark fin surfaced between her and the boat, she could only stare at it. It was large and moving slowly. It went under the water suddenly and she froze and promptly sank. Something brushed her leg and she screamed when she clawed her way back to the surface, the sound ripped from her throat hard enough to make her eyes water. "Oh my god. Oh my god oh my god ohmygodohmygod."

The scarred dolphin popped up in front of her and she looked at it. "I’m going to die," she whispered. "And I don’t want to."

"Callie?!"

She could see Alex on the boat now and she waved her arms frantically. "Shark! Alex, bring the boat!"

"WHAT?"

"SHARK!"

And then she screamed again because instead of bringing the boat, he dove into the water and began to swim toward her. "NO! NOOO!!!"

Callie swam harder than she had ever done in her life. The dolphins stayed close, still circling and when she finally made it to Alex, she yelled, "There’s a shark! Big! We have to get on the boat!"

The dolphins closed ranks around them as they headed back for the yacht. Alex stayed beside her and they were ten feet from the ladder when the shark resurfaced, blocking their path. He pulled out of a breast stroke and grabbed Callie, who was starting past him. "Holy mother of God," he said. "Baby, do not move."

The dolphins swarmed past them and the shark swam faster toward the nose of the yacht. Alex pushed her toward the ladder. "Go! Callie, go up the fucking ladder. Now!"

She was staring, wide eyed as the fin vanished again. "Alex-"

"GO!" Alex gripped her arms, pushing her until she gripped the ladder and scurried up it. He practically flew up the side of the yacht. They both stood, gazing down, as a huge great white bit the ladder a moment later and let go.

Callie’s legs buckled and she collapsed against the lounger. Alex sat beside her, breathing hard. Neither spoke for several minutes. When she could finally breathe without the threat of swallowing her tongue, she said, "I didn’t even think. We’re near the Farallon Islands and ... and the seals there ... they attract sharks." She touched his arm. "Are you okay?"

"No, Callie, I am not okay." He rubbed the salt water out of his eyes, which were red and still wide with fear. "I heard you scream and -" He looked at her. "Are *you* okay?"
"I’m pretty sure that I’ll have grey hair tomorrow, but I’m all right."

"That thing was at least fifteen feet long. You could have been killed."

"We both could have, Alex! Why the hell didn’t you just bring the boat?! Why did you jump in?!"

"You told me not to say it so I won’t, but that’s why. I figured I could get to you faster than the boat."

"You jumped right where the shark was! God, it scared me so bad. If anything happened to you-" She hugged him then, holding on for dear life. "That’s twice now that you’ve saved my life."

"And twice that you’ve tried to throw it away." He pushed her arms off him and stood. "I - I think that we should just skip San Francisco and go home."

"But-"

"We’ll always have Disneyland."

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 18
*~*~*~*~*~

Callie sailed the yacht just off the Farallon Islands before she dropped the anchor and sighed. Her hands trembled as she took the key from the ignition and she envisioned the shark again. She had come close to dying. So had Alex. They had practically looked the Grim Reaper right in the eye. When she had woken up in the hospital and was told that she could have died, she had taken the news with a grain of salt. She genuinely didn’t *care* either way. Life and death had become interchangeable things in her mind that left her all alone either way ... whether it was in the ground or in her marriage. In Vegas, George had been a good husband. In Seattle, George had not been a husband at *all*. She was alone. Whether it was six feet under or over was of no consequence to her at the time.

It didn’t really feel like a suicide attempt. Not exactly. She had just wanted to rest for a while ... but waking up had been ... well, a disappointment. She had been honest with her parents. She wouldn’t have minded dying. Even by her own hand. Life had stepped out of her control and she wasn’t willing to fight for it. She was exhausted. The thought of everyone knowing that Izzie Stevens had stolen her husband, the thought of women looking at her the same way she looked at *those* women who let a man walk all over them ... all of it ate at her every waking moment. Maybe a little part of her had figured that if she died in the parking garage ... she wouldn’t be a laughingstock. She’d still be pathetic, but no one would laugh.

Maybe.

‘No, it’s not a maybe. You knew. You wanted it to end,’ she thought. ‘You knew it when you bought the second bottle.’

The truth settled into the pit of her stomach like a ball of acid when she finally admitted it to herself and she put a hand over her mouth, her eyes welling with tears. She had wanted to die. She knew that she had consumed enough alcohol in the first bottle to do it, but she still opened the second and poured more down her throat. She had been thinking about death, about ceasing to exist.

She had also been thinking that she wanted to go ahead and take George back that day, but not for the reasons she should have. George had the endearing family and Callie had loved Harold very much; she had talked to Harold about love a million and one times. George was adorably awkward and so cute at times that it hurt. George had been the heart in the elevator guy, but that didn’t mean he knew how to handle the heart of a woman who had never given hers away before. And Callie *had* loved him. With all she had. She had loved him enough to settle into second or third place just for a moment of his time.

Callie was not built for second or third place, though. Her entire life ... she had refused to settle for less than the best for herself. In medical school, even though she didn’t want to be there, she had excelled effortlessly. She had refused to *do* less than that. Her father had instilled a sharp sense of integrity and unshakeable dignity into her. She put her mind to something and she succeeded without fail. She wanted to fly planes so she did. She wanted to scale mountains so she did. And she did it to be best of her abilities.

She didn’t know HOW to fail.

She had taken George back simply because she couldn’t stand the thought of losing the war.

To Izzie Stevens.

It shocked her now ... how easy it was to think of George doing God knew what with Izzie. Or anyone else for that matter. A part of her love had died with his admission of infidelity and he had taken the little that remained and threw it back at her by lying to her again. Seeing him with Stevens in the stairwell had been the eraser she needed. He was gone from her heart, from her mind, and she was sad and relieved. She was hurt and elated. She was shocked and soothed.

She could breathe without him just fine because the air was cleaner.

And Calliope Iphegenia Torres wanted to breathe. She wanted to live.

It had taken a fifteen foot shark to truly wake her up enough to take stock, but it had worked. She wanted to *live*.
She didn’t have to wonder why.

Her reason was on the yacht with her.

Alex listened to her and heard what she was saying even if he had to read it between the lines. He had conversations with her that weren’t always about his friends or himself. He asked her questions, he laughed at her quirks instead of questioning them, and he never made her feel bad about herself. If she did gain weight again ... he would *like* her curves the same way she had made peace with them because it was a Torres thing and he seemed to like that she was a Torres. And she knew, better than she knew how to fly, that Alex would have stood up against her parents and shot down the rehab idea. George, once again, had sided against her, this time choosing her parents over her. She was perpetually last with George ... or as close to last place as she could get and still be on the scoreboard.

Alex, she realized, gave her roots and wings ... just like her plane. He supplied her with the inner-strength and support to take flight, but gave her a safe place to land when she was tired. Or when she needed two strong arms around her. He had seen her at her best and enjoyed the hell out of the view, but he had also seen her at her worst and never once looked the other way. He looked into her when she hurt and knew how to fix it. He didn’t run, didn’t push her away, and he knew when to give her space.

Alex *knew* Callie more than George had ever attempted to know her.

And she had shot him down.

Standing, she gazed down at the water. He had jumped in to save her even though he knew that a shark was present. He had been willing to die with her the same way she had been willing to die with Cambyses all those years ago when they had sank the yacht. She had been willing to die with Cam because she loved him. She knew what love felt like and she had lied to Alex by saying she didn’t believe anymore.

Callie believed.

She believed with every fiber of her being that the heart she had taken back from George was tattered and torn, shell shocked and scarred, but it belonged to Alex Karev and there was nothing she could do about it. He had gotten into her and she couldn’t, wouldn’t, push him back out.

Making up her mind, she nodded her resolve and headed below deck. The door of the starboard bedroom was shut and she knocked lightly. "Alex? Can I talk to you? Please?"

She knocked again when he didn’t answer. "I didn’t mean what I said to you earlier and - and I don’t want to have Disneyland. Not that Disneyland wasn’t perfect because it was and I loved it, but, I want San Francisco, Alex. And I want Seattle, too. With you. I - I didn’t try to throw my life away by going in the water, but I know that I’m throwing it away if I don’t take this chance. I want to take a chance with you because I *do* trust you and I do lo-"

"Don’t say it. If I can’t then you can’t." Alex spoke behind her, standing in the doorway of the bathroom. He had to fight hard not to smile, but somehow he managed.

She turned quickly and looked up at him. "You can say it. I won’t freak out again."

He walked past her and sat on the leather sofa in the salon. He was going to make it very hard on her because almost dying for someone gave you the *right* to bust their chops. Especially when they deserved it. Besides, it could be fun to watch her squirm. "No. I don’t think I’ll be saying it again."

She had been walking toward the sofa as well, but his words made her pause. "You mean ever? Or right now?"

"I don’t know."

"You don’t know?"

"Wasn’t that what you said to me when I asked you what was left if I couldn’t love you?"

Her eyes widened. "Please don’t throw my words back at me. I know you get off on the quoting thing, but can you say something original? I’m trying here. I’m trying to meet you halfway and explain that I get it. I finally get it."

"What do you get?"

"Us."

"What exactly were you getting when you asked me to come on this trip? What were you getting when you had sex with me? Besides off, I mean." He waited for her to answer, but she didn’t. "You don’t want to talk now? I can’t say that I mind. So far you haven’t said anything I really want to hear."

"That would be because you won’t stop running your mouth, Jock Strap! I am trying to tell you that I’m ready! I am ready to do this with you!" She crossed her arms over her chest. "Though your attitude is making me contemplate tossing your ass back in the water."

He narrowed his eyes. "I’d like to see you try."

"I can’t think of a better thing to say than fuck you."

"We’ve covered that already. Many times and many ways." He tilted his head a little, trying to hide his amusement. "Are you going to apologize for almost getting me killed?"

"No, smart ass, I’m not going to apologize because *you* are the one who jumped. Not me."

"Oh, right. You just fell off the boat and-"

"I was *playing* with dolphins."

"Can you explain to me why you would choose to go *play* with dolphins instead of coming down here and apologizing to me? We had a fight. It was a bad one." He opened his arms wide. "And I know that my dramatic exit was Oscar worthy and that was your cue to follow me and talk to me."

"I didn’t know what to say!"

"How about an apology? The one I’m still waiting for."

"I’m sorry that you don’t have any common sense and almost killed yourself for me."

He put his hand over his heart. "That was so touching. You know, if you’re into being rubbed the wrong way."

"I’ve been sleepwalking, Alex. Okay? And I finally woke up."

"Could you make sense? At least a little?"

Callie glared at him and then took a seat beside him, crossing her legs. She angrily waved her foot back and forth and said, "I am not a stupid person. Granted, the past few months have been an orgy of stupidity for me, but I am not a stupid person. I know that it’s idiotic to leap from one failed relationship into a new one without so much as a backward glance." She met his eyes. "But I’m not looking back and I don’t want us to fail because as much as it pains me to admit that a jock could make sense ... you do. So I’m in this. All the way."

Alex couldn’t hide his smile any longer. He smirked at her, but it faded when she picked up a pillow and hit him with it. "WHAT?" he snapped, catching it before she could hit him again.

"Do not laugh at me!"

"Laughter is out loud. I didn’t make a sound."

"I take it back. I don’t like you. At all." She shot to her feet and was headed for her bedroom when he caught her around the waist. He executed a wrestling move that had her on her back with her arms pinned over her head in less than three seconds and she tried to buck him off. "Alex, so help me God-"

"You better pray, Cal, because the things that I’m going to do to you will secure your ticket to Hell. Save me a spot." He tried to kiss her, but she turned her head. He devoured her neck instead. "You like me, Gothika, you really, really like me. You pretty much told me so."

Callie glared at him. "You know, I think I’m going to get the fish out of the freezer and chum the water before I push you in."

"You’re not in any position to push, baby," Alex replied, grinding his hips against her center. "But I am."

She finally smiled up at him and shook her head. "No. We’re not having sex of any kind until we finish this conversation."

"Nothing says ‘I’m sorry’ like multiple orgasms." Alex leaned down to kiss her and this time she didn’t pull away. He put everything into it and when he pulled back, he was breathing hard. "I’m sorry, by the way."

"For which part?" she asked. "There are so many things you should apologize for."

"For telling you we’d always have Disneyland."

"It was a nicely executed breakup. Oscar worthy."

"That wasn’t a breakup." He rubbed his nose against hers. "You’re so cute when you’re pissed."

"Well, you seem to be keeping me that way."

"You’re even cuter in the throes of passion."

"You seem to be keeping me that way as well."

"We do need to talk." He kissed her neck again and let her arms go. She hugged him and he rolled them slightly so that she was lying in the crook of his arm. "I thought that shark had bitten you, Cal. I’ve never heard anyone scream like you did."

"I thought it had bitten me, too." She put her hand on his lower stomach and rubbed the tight muscles there. "That was a scream for life. I didn’t want to die. Not this time, Alex."

He tensed up beside her. "But you did last time? No ... don’t answer that. Because if you say you did then I’m going to get pissed and -"

"Then you’ll have to get pissed because I need to tell you this. I knew what I was doing. I knew it was enough to end it. I - I wanted to." She pushed herself up on her elbow and gazed down at him. His jaw was tight and he was staring at the ceiling. "But you called and I answered. My phone rang twenty times and I only answered you."

He took a deep breath and looked at her. "Death cannot stop true love. It can only delay it for a while."

"You’re a great Westley." She smiled. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Knowing what you know now about what I did," she said. "Would you have agreed with my parents and told me to go to rehab?"

"No." He studied her face. "What you did - you don’t need to be shut away from the people who love you. What’s that gonna do besides make you feel more alone? You’re not alone. I’m here. I’m always here. And I would have told your parents to kiss your ass and then mine."

"That’s hot."

"What is it with rich chicks and that phrase?" Alex held her a little closer. "It’s my turn to ask something."

"Go ahead."

"When we get back to Seattle and go to work it’s going to be weird for a while. People are going to talk and have opinions and judge us. Are you okay with that?"

"I’m fine with it. Are you?"

"I don’t give a shit what people think, but it won’t be as hard on me. I’m not married."

"I told my dad to get the divorce started. He will."

"And you’re going to sign it and be done. Just like that?" He was looking at the far wall now.

Callie turned his face so she could see him. "Izzie once told me that my marriage was just a piece of paper. Truer words were never spoken. I hate her and she’s always been a bitch to me, but she was right. And I’m going to shred that paper myself and then sign whatever I have to so that I can be with you with nothing hanging over us."

"That works for me." He pulled her on top of him and put his arms behind his head. "So, we’re going to Alcatraz tomorrow. What else are you gonna show me?"

"The future," she replied, leaning down to kiss him. When she sat back up, she peeled her bathing suit off her shoulders and down around her waist. "One mind blowing orgasm at a time."

"That actually works for me too."

"I thought it might. Wanna see just how flexible I am?"

He nodded.

And was amazed.

*~*~*~*~*~

George sat at the Emerald City Bar. He looked at Joe and nodded, holding up his shot glass. The folder that contained his divorce papers sat in front of him and he had looked at them enough to burn the image into his brain. The Torres family had decided to buy him out. As Joe filled his glass, George said, "They’re offering me twenty-five thousand and her car. And everything we bought while we were married. Which ... wasn’t much. You know? Mostly room service and clothes and stuff."

Joe heard the way George slurred his words and set the bottle back behind the bar. "I’m cutting you off. That’s your last drink of the night."

"She’s with Alex. Did you know that? My wife is with Alex Karev. I stopped counting the days and how many times they’ve probably -" He trailed off and grabbed his head. "I’m not drunk enough to think about it."

Tossing his towel over his shoulder, Joe reached out and gripped George’s shoulder. "You need to eat something. You want a sandwich? Some hot wings?"

"I want to go back in time and erase what I did."

"I can’t help you with that, buddy."

"Do you know what it’s like to be left?"

"Yeah."

"Did you cause it?"

"I was left for someone else. That’s about as low as a person can feel, I think."

George emptied his glass. "I never thought about leaving her for Izzie. I just - I never thought. You know? It was meaningless sex."

"You drunk dialed me that night. You and Izzie. Izzie said that you were mad at Callie and needed her to make you like her again, but she couldn’t because Callie was a fat insecure bitch. You agreed with her, George, but you added that she was a psycho mistake and a ferret loving whore."

"I don’t remember that!"

"I’m not surprised. Alcohol loosens the tongue. I see it every night and most of the time the things that get said are brutal, but they’re still a reflection of how you feel."

"I - I didn’t mean whatever I said." George put his head in his hands. "What do I do, Joe?"

Joe leaned on his elbows in front of the other man. "I can’t tell you what to do. I can only tell you that in my opinion you got married really fast and it was right after your dad died. And I have witnessed first hand the way that Izzie treats Callie and you never said a word to stop it when it happened. I know that you saw it, too."

George had to nod. He held his glass up and said, "Just one more?"

"How are you getting home?"

"I’ll drive him."

George glanced to his left. Nurse Olivia had taken a seat beside him and was gazing at him with sympathy. "Hey," he said.

"Everyone knows," she told him. "Good news travels fast."

"What is that supposed to mean?" George asked her, then noticed that Joe had walked away without filling his glass again. "Damn it."

"You’ve had enough. You’ve had enough of Callie, enough of a dead end marriage, and enough to drink. So, stop." Olivia put her hand on his. "Just stop."

George looked at her, leaning his chin against his palm. "You hate her, too. Everyone hates her."

Olivia shrugged. "I didn’t hate her until she stole you."

"I wasn’t stolen. I went willingly."

"No, you didn’t. She forced your hand. Everyone who knows you saw that she was overbearing and clingy. She’s toxic, George. She is. And you’re better off without her."

"Don’t call my wife toxic."

"Don’t call her your wife. Nurse Tyler saw her making out with Alex in an empty room the other day. They were all over each other."

George blinked. "No. No, you’re wrong."

"I saw them in the stairwell myself."

George felt his stomach turn over and laid his head on the folder. "Are you sure?"

"I’m positive. It was - it was right before they confronted you and Izzie. Right before they left town. They came into the stairwell and I was a floor above them taking a break. I looked down in time to see them kissing."

George looked at her. "Do you have a pen?"

"Yeah." She dug through her purse, found one, and then watched as he scribbled in the file. "What’s that?"

"Divorce papers."

She patted him on the back and her hand lingered over his neck. "I don’t have to take you to Meredith’s house."

George closed the folder and looked at her. "Good, because I was going home with you."

"Then let’s go."

He stood and wobbled on his feet.

Olivia linked her arm through his and he stopped her, kissing her roughly in the middle of the crowded room.

They had sex in her car in the parking lot of the bar and again at her apartment.

And he didn’t lose his erection once.

*~*~*~*~*~

"Good morning, Jock Strap." Callie kissed Alex softly on the forehead and put the tray over his legs. "I made waffles. Belgian ones."

"Good morning, Morticia." Alex rubbed his eyes and pushed himself upward, looking down at the elegant spread of food she had brought into the bedroom. "You get that I’m over our fight, right?"

"I do." Callie sat between his outstretched legs, the tray of food between them. She smothered the waffles with syrup, cut into one, and held it out to him. "Go ahead. Tell me I can cook."

"You proved that last night with the pork chops. You think I could lick the syrup off your belly the way I did the barbeque sauce?"

"If we do that we’ll never see the city."

He grinned at her, his mouth still full. "Is that why you’re up so early?"

"I sailed us a little closer. If you eat fast we can see the sunrise." She took a bite and savored it. "I want to kiss you when we go under the Golden Gate. My daddy said that any kiss under that bridge is a forever kiss."

"I thought we covered that kiss with our first one." He took another bite that she offered and then sipped his orange juice. The food was amazing, but the smile on her face was even more satisfying. Her cheeks were rosy and she was eating again so life was good. "You’re happy. I love seeing you this way."

"I love feeling this way. It’s more than happy." She fed him a slice of apple. "You should think about going into cardiology. You fixed my heart and I didn’t think it could be done."

"I’m only interested in hearts that talk to mine."

"You’re repulsively cheesy."

"And you love it."

"I do. I really do."

"What are we doing today? Besides Alcatraz?"

"I was going to suggest the aquarium, but I’ve had enough marine life to last a lifetime." She made a face. "If we do the night tour of the prison then we have all day to explore. The trolleys go everywhere important and they’re fun as hell to ride. I do want to go to Chinatown for sure. They have a place that cooks fresh fortune cookies that makes all of Ross Alley smell like heaven."

"There’s a Ross Alley in Chinatown."

"There is. There’s also a huge theme park over in the bay area, Paramount’s Great America, that has some kick ass thrill rides."

"Yesterday was a big enough thrill ride for me. And nothing is competing with Disneyland."

"Nothing, huh?" She gave him a knowing look. "Because I’m pretty sure that -"

"Stop it. Because if you start talking the way I think you’re going to start talking we will *never* leave this boat again."

"I won’t mind."

They missed the sunrise, but when they finally made it topside, Callie got her kiss under the Golden Gate.

They docked at a small marina and headed into the city, hand in hand.

And heart to heart.

*~*~*~*~*~

"It is too early in the morning for a cesarean. I’m boycotting for a while." Addison put a cup of coffee in front of Mark and sat down, arms over her chest. "I can’t do it. I can’t finish the sixty days."

"Yes, you can," he replied, flipping the page of his magazine.

"Oral sex is still sex, Mark. Unless you’re Bill Clinton. We had sex in my room. So ... let’s stop this nonsense and go to the nearest empty on call room where you can have your wicked way with me." Addison watched him hopefully. When he didn’t look at her, she yanked her glasses out of her pocket and shoved them on her face, then snatched his magazine. "Are you reading porn?"

He watched her flip to the cover of the Newsweek and picked up the coffee she had brought him, sipping it. It took all of his resolve to swallow it because it was the nastiest thing he had ever tasted. "Addison?"

"What?"

"We can have sex."

She pulled her glasses off and smiled triumphantly. He caught her arm when she started to stand. "Addison? We can have sex when you can make me a cup of coffee the way I like it."

Addy slumped back into her seat. "How do you like it? I’ll do it right now."

"That’s for me to know and you to find out."

"Oh, yay, we’re playing kindergarten and I didn’t get the memo."

He took his Newsweek back. "You didn’t get many memos at all, apparently. You don’t know me the way I know you. You’ve never cared to learn. If you had, you would know that I like to read a magazine, this particular magazine, before I head into a huge surgery. If you had checked the date when you looked at it then you would see that it’s the coverage of September Eleventh and you’d remember that Derek and I helped out at Ground Zero that day."

Addison chewed her bottom lip. "I do know you."

"Do you? What did I do after my dad died?"

"You - you went to Martha’s Vineyard with Derek’s family and skipped the funeral."

"Why did I do that?" He watched her, waiting for her response. When she didn’t reply, he added, "I went to Martha’s Vineyard because my mother planned a party instead of a funeral. She was dancing on his grave before it was even dug and she had all of her boyfriends lined up as dance partners."

"I didn’t think you were close to your father."

"I wasn’t close to any of them, Addison, but I’ve still got a heart. It would have destroyed him to see her parade her lifestyle right out in the open." He rolled up the magazine and clutched it in his hand. "Today is the anniversary of his death. I don’t remember dates as a rule, but this one is seared into my brain. My mother had Adam Teller over for dinner and I watched them go upstairs, knowing what they were going to do. I fixed my father something to eat and took it into the study, where they had set up a hospital bed for him. He was already gone. And she was laughing upstairs, she was always laughing."

"Oh, Mark." Addison took his hand. "I’m sorry."

"I went upstairs and caught her having sex. I called her a whore and left home. I never went back." He rubbed his thumb on the back of Addy’s hand. "I’ve always treated women as someone to enjoy and discard. I’ve always used sex to make me feel alive and, I guess, to punish all women because in a way, all women are just like her in my head. I’m the manwhore my mother made."

"Don’t. Don’t say that."

"You’ve said it. More than once. And you’re right, I am." He pushed a lock of hair off her cheek. "Only not with you. For the first time in my life I want the shackles and chains, Addison. I’ll even buy them myself because I love you."

Addison moved forward and kissed him. "I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time."

He grinned at her. "We’re still not having sex, but if you want to go to a movie later I’d like that. I don’t want to be ... you know, alone. Not today."

She nodded. "You’re not alone, Mark. Ever."


Mark kissed her again. "I hope you can figure out how I like my coffee by tonight because if you do ... you will be rewarded handsomely."

She traced the stubble on his face with her hand. "I already have been."



*~*~*~*~*~

George awoke with a warm, soft body pressed against his side. He opened his eyes and regretted it immediately. The light from the windows sent pain shooting through his temples and he groaned, clutching his head. The warm body shifted a little and then there was aspirin and a bottle of water and George looked up to thank Cal ... livia. It was Olivia.

The shock on his face was evident and Olivia rubbed his back. "It’s okay, George."

He took the pills and drank the water when he could think of nothing to say. He looked around her bedroom and spotted his clothing, which was tossed on every available surface. When his eyes found the folder ... he remembered signing the papers. Every last one of them. His eyes blurred with tears and he stood. "Where’s the bathroom?"

"Down the hall and to the right."

"I’ll be back in a minute."

George picked up his boxers and slipped them on. In the bathroom, he splashed water on his face and gazed at the pale, drawn man that stared back at him in the mirror. His eyes were red, rimmed with hollow shadows; the ghost of what had been had hung years on his face. He hated himself more in that moment than he had ever hated anything before. Self loathing was a small comfort, however, and he needed more.

After rinsing his mouth several times and wondering how anyone could pee as much as he did, he went back to Olivia’s room and grabbed his jeans. Olivia sat on the bed, watching his every move. He finally looked at her after he pulled his shirt over his head. "We’re late for work," he said.

"I called and told them you were sick and I was taking care of you." She let the blanket fall from her chest and crawled to the foot of the bed, naked. "I *can* take care of you."

George let her hug him, let her whisper in his ear that she had never stopped caring for him or wanting him. It felt good to hear it, to feel her hands on him, to feel her breath against his ear. He didn’t love her, he didn’t even like her very much, but it didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered when you were at the bottom of the world.

He stayed for the entire day, blowing off work entirely.

And as he watched her ride him, felt her clench around him, he knew that he could never go back.

He wouldn’t let memories of raven hair or a tribal tattoo or a very bendy body take anything else from him.

There was nothing left to give up ... except his ring.

When Olivia drove him to Meredith’s later on in the day, his wedding band was in his pocket. He could feel it there, against his thigh. He kept brushing his hand over it. He kept rubbing the indentation on his finger and the flexing the digit as if it could make it go away, but he was relieved when it didn't.

Izzie came home and forced him to eat, forced him to talk to her about everything that had happened the previous day. She had cried with him, held his hand, and listened. It felt good to be Izzie and George again: friends without any complications.

She stood beside him a while later, as he sobbed over the toilet, vomiting, shaking ... because he had flushed his ring down the drain in a fit of rage.

And it was as lost to him as Callie was.

There would be no getting it back.

~*~*~*~*~*~
CH 19
Addison reached out of the empty conference room and grabbed Cristina Yang as she walked down the hallway. Cristina yelped and broke loose, looking at Addison in shock. "Personal boundaries! Personal boundaries, Dr. Montgomery. Half my epidermis is under your nails."

"You are working with Sloan today. Did he make you get him coffee?"

"Uh, no. I’m a doctor, not a waitress."

"He makes the other interns get him coffee."

"Oh, he tried to make me. I told him that if I got him coffee I’d make it hot and toss it on his crotch."

Addison blinked at her. "Nice, Dr. Yang."

"I thought so, too."

"Hey, did he happen to tell you how he takes his coffee?"

"Why? Are you his waitress?"

"I’m just important that I know."

"I can tell you if you can get me into Shepherd’s neuro surgery that starts in forty minutes. I’ve read all about it and-"

Addison pulled out her cellphone and dialed Derek. "Hey, have you got an intern yet for your surgery after lunch? No? Well, I’m finished with Dr. Yang and she needs something to do. She assures me that she is well versed on this procedure. Well, make room for her because she’s scrubbing in. Okay, I’ll tell her." She hung up and smiled. "You’re in."

"He asked me for a bone dry cappuccino and a Snickers bar." Cristina gazed up at the taller woman. "And you’re my hero."

"Yang?"

"Yeah."

"Where do I find a bone dry cappuccino?"

"Joe can make a mean one."

Fifteen minutes later, Addison bellied up to the bar and smiled at Joe. She ordered the coffee for Mark and the smile didn’t leave her face until Joe told her that George had kissed Nurse Olivia the night before. "What?"

"He left with her. Now, I don’t usually encourage gossip, but I know that you’re Callie’s best friend and well-"

"He kissed her?"

"He raped her with his mouth." Joe nodded. "He was drinking a lot and he had just signed his divorce papers, but still. I had to tell someone. You know, I tried to talk to him last night and tell him that I felt like the marriage was rushed and, well, I don’t think he loves her. You should have heard the names that he called her when they drunk dialed me. It was him and Izzie calling her fat and psycho. And a bitch. George called her a ferret loving whore. I hung up on them, but-"

"When was this?" Addison asked, nostrils flaring.

"It was the night that they did the thing that I can’t possibly talk about because I just ate."

"They called you and badmouthed Callie? Before they did it?"

"I don’t know if it was before or after, but it was horrible. I was so pissed."

Addison took the coffee and put a twenty on the table. "Keep the change, Joe."

Mark was in the scrub room and he glanced up when Addison pushed the door open. "Hey." One look at her face had him forgetting all about the surgery he was prepping for. "What happened?"

"Bone dry cappuccino." She held up the cup. "Is Stevens working today?"

"I think she comes in tonight."

"I need to talk to her."

He sipped the coffee and smiled at her. "You got the drink right, Ads. You know what that means?"

"Yeah, I’m very resourceful."

"You’re also mad as hell about something."

"I’ll tell you later."

Addison called Richard from the parking lot and told him that she had to leave for an hour. He didn’t ask why and she didn’t tell. She pulled up in front of Meredith Grey’s house and knocked on the door. Meredith answered and looked up at her in shock. "Hey, Dr. Montgomery."

"Where the hell is Stevens?" Addison asked, foregoing any greeting.

Izzie appeared behind Meredith and said, "I’m watching a movie. Why?"

Addison stepped past Meredith and slapped Izzie as hard as she could. It was hard enough to knock the clip out of her hair and Addison seized the moment, gripping a handful and holding the blond a few inches from her face. "If you *ever* call my best friend anything other than Dr. Torres, I will pull your uterus out and shove it down your throat. And the world will thank me for making sure you can’t reproduce. One of you is more than enough."

Izzie shoved the red-head away from her, gripping her cheek. "I - didn’t -"

"Shut the fuck up," Addison said. She turned to Meredith, who took a step back. "Where is George?"

Meredith shook her head, but glanced up the stairs without thinking. "Addison, you really need to -"

"O’Malley!" Addison yelled. She stalked up the stairs and George opened the door just in time for her to arrive on the second floor landing. She shoved him back into the bedroom and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Did you sleep with Olivia?"

"What?"

"Did you?"

"Yeah."

She sank her knee into his groin and watched him groan and fall back on the bed. "You *asshole*. Joe told me what you and your first whore called Callie so let me make something very clear to you. When she gets back here you will not talk to her, look at her, or hurt her anymore. You stay the hell away from her and you make sure that your harem understands that I will personally put them in traction if they don’t do the same."

"I signed the papers," George moaned, still rolling on the bed. "I let her go. After I slept with Izzie the other night and-"

Addison punched his hands, which were cradling his crotch. She waited until he finished yelling and then said, "You slept with *her* again? You actually went there after you saw what it did to Callie?"

"Callie’s with Alex! Olivia saw them making out."

"THEN GOOD FOR CALLIE!!!"

"Oh god, I need testicle retrieval surgery."

"No, you should leave it alone. Maybe it will stay broken and you can’t use it. George and his magic penis should retire." Addison spun on her heel and stalked back down the stairs. She slammed out of the house without seeing Meredith or Izzie again. In the car, she picked up her phone and called Callie. She left a message that was simple. "Call me back. It’s an emergency, Callie."

Then she drove back to the hospital and interrupted Mark’s surgery to tell him that she could possibly be going to jail. He handed the scalpel to Sydney Heron and joined her in the scrub room, where he listened intently to what had transpired.

"You kicked him?"

"Hard."

"Did he cry?"

"I think his balls were lodged in his tear ducts, blocking the supply of fluid."

He grinned at her. "You’re a good friend."

"I have *never* done anything like that in my life. I slapped someone!"

"You slapped me *after* you called me a cross country booty call."

"Oh, right. Did it hurt? I want to make sure it hurt Stevens."

"I didn’t hurt me, but I’m sure Stevens is crying like a baby."

"Really?"

"Yeah, slugger, I’m sure."

"Go operate."

"See you tonight."

When the police had not arrived two hours later, she breathed a little easier.

*~*~*~*~*~

After riding the trolleys for most of the morning and hopping off at random places to browse the shops or sightsee, Callie and Alex ate in Chinatown. Callie encouraged him to try a particularly pricey crab dish and he was not disappointed in the least. It was incredible. Callie had ordered sushi. He happily shared with her, but he would *not*, however, attempt raw fish. Instead, he enjoyed watching her eat it because she made it look good. She had worn tight black jeans and a tank top that was dangerously low cut and incredibly body hugging. He had never seen her in that particular shade of midnight blue and the effect was breathtaking.

He hair was also curlier than he had ever seen it. Even her bangs, which usually hung straight over her forehead, were pushed back and blended with the rest of the curl. He didn’t know if it was the sea water or if she had done it that morning in the bathroom with a roller of some kind, but she looked younger and freer.

"Why are you looking at me?" she finally asked him.

"I like your hair," he replied, reaching out to touch the spiral curl that hung over her left breast. "What did you do?"

"I finally used the gel that I had lost and couldn’t find and dried it with a diffuser." She stole a bite of his lunch.

"You should wear it like this all the time. It makes you look exotic. And exotic and erotic go hand in hand."

"Okay."

He picked up his fork and finished his lunch, then said, "Hey, when’s your birthday?"

"If I tell you when my birthday is, you do not get to laugh or make the obvious joke."

He raised his right hand. "I swear."

"Halloween. My birthday is Halloween."

"I have to say it."

"Alex -"

"You really are Gothic to the core, aren’t you? Your mother planned that date perfectly."

She grinned at him. "I thought you were going to call me a witch or a Satanist. Or a demon. Or, I dunno, possessed."

"You heard that a lot growing up, huh?"

She nodded. "Cam and I both did. He likes to wear leather and so do I, just not head to toe."

"Ooooh, that could have its merits."

"I’ll tell him you said so, but he’s not into jocks."

He threw her napkin at her and she caught it. "What’s he like? Your twin?"

"He’s six foot four. He can look like Marilyn Manson and actually owns a pair of assless pants - which I know because that’s what I got him for Christmas last year. He graduated from business school and is CEO of one of my dad’s biggest companies. He loves to play the guitar, has been with the same guy for ten years, and he has the biggest heart you’ll ever find. He’s funny and smart and he loves to torment my mother as much as I do."

"Your mom is intense."

"That’s one word for it."

"She loves you," Alex replied. "Anyone can see that."

"I know, but she’s hard to please. She’s got ideas and opinions that are unshakeable. And she can hold a grudge better than me and I’m great at it. Plus, she stores every one of your crimes in her brain and pulls them out every time you piss her off."

"That’s just being a woman, Cal."

She flipped him a bird as they finished their lunch and then they headed further into Chinatown, where they absorbed more culture than a person possibly should. When they returned to the shopping district, Callie innocently told him that she wanted to go and call Cam and said that she’d meet him at the trolley in forty-five minutes. He asked her why it would take so long and she just shrugged and walked away, smiling back at him.

Callie made a very large purchase and got two rolls of quarters in the process. She used a pay phone to call Cam. He answered on the second ring. "Hey, Cammy."

"Calliope Torres, you are in so much truh-buhl."

"Is Daddy searching for me?"

"He was, but I talked him out of it. He did find out that you were bitten by an animal. What happened?"

"How did he find out?" she asked, amazed. "Never mind. I sometimes forget what he’s capable of and the people he knows. I saved a lobster’s life and it bit me."

Cam laughed long enough that the operator cut in, asking for more money. Callie quickly added a few more quarters and said, "Hey, I’m going to put the battery back in my phone and call you right back."

After she placed the battery in the phone, she turned it on. There were over forty missed calls and twelve voice mails. She saw that most were from George and that the most recent was from Addison. She listened to that one, just to make the beeping stop, and made a mental note to call her right back. She dialed Cam again and he picked up quickly and said, "You’re so smart, Sis. You took out the battery so Dad couldn’t ping you, right?"

"I did. And it’s fully charged so tell me everything."

Cam filled her in on the details, telling her that he hated George and that Blake and Melana had *shopped* together. Callie gasped on the other end of the line and Cam hastily added, "I know. I almost *died*. She bought him cuff links, Callie. Diamond ones. And he’s officially in love with her. She has become his Mrs. Robinson."

"Blake is gay. Our mother is good, but she does have the wrong equipment for him. It’s infatuation. She’ll kill it with fire soon enough."

"Are you having fun?"

"Alex is my green eggs and ham. I am having a blast, Cam, I am."

He laughed again. "What have you been doing?"

"Besides sex?"

"T.M.I! Excuse me while I reboot my brain."

"We flew to Los Angeles to pick up Goon Docks. We’re sailing her home."

Cam’s stomach lurched and he remembered the dream and the sense of foreboding he had had since then. He told her about it and added, "Just ... stay out of the water, sis."

"I wish you had told me this yesterday."

"Oh my god. Why? What happened."

"I was almost fish food. A fifteen foot Great White’s fish food." You could have heard a pin drop over the line. "I didn’t even try to swim, Cam. I was so scared. Alex jumped in and pulled me back to the boat."

"He jumped in knowing there was a shark?"

"Yes."

"Holy bat shit, girl wonder. If Blake leaves me for our mother then I’m so taking Alex."

"What makes you think you could?"

"Because I’m *that* good," he replied. "Are you okay? After the shark?"

"You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I’m better than okay. I’m in love."

"Oh, sweetie. Ohhhhh, sweetie."

"Don’t use that tone. You’ll see when we get back. It’s just ... for the first time in my life everything is great."

"Rushing is bad."

"Perhaps my memory is failing me, Cammy, but did you or did you not tell me that you were in love with Blake after one date?"

"No, I told you I was in love with Blake after looking at him."

"Well, I looked at Alex. It’s real."

"Be careful. Your heart is-"

"Just fine."

"When are you coming home?"

"We’re in San Fran. We’ll be back in a couple of days. But do not tell *anyone*. I’m not coming off the yacht until I have to and that will be for the party." Callie grinned when the man from the shop motioned for her. He was finished with her surprise. "I’ll call *you* when we dock and you can bring Blake out to meet Alex, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan, mi amore. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Callie?"

"What?"

"Stay OUT of the water. Promise me."

"I promise."

She hung up and picked up the gift that had set her back almost six thousand dollars. Smiling, she tucked it in her purse and called Addison.

"Hello?"

"Addison? Before you start yelling and get all crazy ... I just want you to know that I love you and miss you and -"

"I just beat up George and Izzie. I don’t think I’m going to jail, but it may be taking them a while to process the paperwork."

Callie stopped walking. "You did what?!"

"I haven’t had sex in a very long time. I was frustrated and Mark wants shackles and chains and then Joe said that George and Izzie called you names so I went to Meredith’s and ... slapped her and kicked his balls into his ass." She took a deep breath. "I also threatened to shove her uterus down her throat and I’m tempted to go back and do it because I don’t think I hit her hard enough."

Callie’s brain was close to exploding from the rapid fire explanation. "Mark wants shackles and chains? But not sex?"

"It’s horrible, Callie. Not only did I find out why he’s a manwhore, I had to manhandle Yang to find out what kind of coffee he likes just so he *will* have sex with me."

"Bone dry cappuccino."

"This is why you’re my best friend. And how do you know this?"

"Okay, you do remember that I slept with him, right? He ordered room service and I heard it."

"And you remembered it?"

"Well, yeah. That’s what people do."

"Argh! He’s right. I don’t know him at all. I lived with him and I still don’t know him." Addison sighed. "What are you doing? Please tell me that you are having sex so I can live vicariously."

"Are you going to get pissed by my answer?"

"Only if you say that you are abstaining."

"I am *not* abstaining at all." Callie sat back down on the bench. "Addison, we’re a couple. Me and Alex. We’re officially together."

"Oh, thank god."

"That’s a departure. Did you repress the fight we had? The one where you said, ‘friends do not date blah blah blah, bitch’."

"George slept with Izzie again. And Olivia. And he’s a bastard who doesn’t deserve you because he called you a ferret loving whore."

Callie burst into laughter then. It was side splitting and several people gawked at her, but she didn’t care. "I *am* a ferret loving whore," she wheezed. "And he slept with the syph nurse? Ewwww. It’s probably a good thing you kicked his dick because it’s probably going to rot off anyway."

"You’re not mad?"

"No, Addy. I’m not mad at all. I could not care less."

"How is this possible?"

"Because I have moved on," Callie said and the fact that her mood was not darkened at all by the news of George’s latest conquest confirmed that it was true.

"So fast?"

Callie’s grin remained on her face. "It’s not too fast. I’m stopping to enjoy everything I can."

"Just remember that Alex Karev is a bad boy."

"I know. He’s very bad in all the right ways and I am a sucker for every move he makes."

"Dear god. Where is my best friend and what have you done with her?"

"Are you still coming to my party?"

"Yep. I’ll be there. I’m bringing Mark."

"I’m bringing Alex."

"Ooooh, I’m bringing a video camera because your family-"

"Will love him as much as I do."

"Did you just say ‘love’?"

Callie laughed. "I have to go, Addison. I’m late for a very important date."

"Be careful. On all fronts."

"I love you."

"Love you back."

----

Alex gave his credit card the biggest workout it had ever had. He bought Callie a thick silver bangle bracelet that was inlaid with fourteen carat gold and solid opal great white sharks. The opals, her birthstone, were mostly black, but each one had streaks of color. When he slipped it onto her wrist, he knew he had chosen wisely and forgot that it had cost almost a thousand dollars. It suited her.

She gasped and ran her fingertips over it. "Alex, this is beautiful. You didn’t have to-"

"I wanted to." He kissed her on the forehead. "A shark made you want to live. That’s to remind you that you better not stop."

"You made me want to live, Alex."

"Well, I’m around your little finger so I can’t really hang around your wrist."

"I dunno. You’re pretty hung." Grinning, she handed him a box. "I got you something as well."

"I knew you were up to no good." He smiled at her. "I take it you didn’t call Cam."

"No, I did call him. I had to do something while I waited for the engraver. My father isn’t searching for us and everything’s fine. Now, open it."

Alex lifted the lid and gasped. It contained a silver and black Rolex watch. "Oh my god. This is a -"

"Read the back, not the name brand."

He turned it over and a lump formed in his throat. She’d had it inscribed with ‘I’ve had the time of my life. Love, Callie.’ He traced the words with his thumb and when he looked back at her, he said, "I’m going to say it now."

"Say what?" she teased. "That I should have quoted ‘The Princess Bride’ instead of ‘Dirty Dancing’? Believe me, when we get back from Alcatraz all will make sense, young grasshopper."

Holding the watch in his hand, he pulled her a little closer and whispered, "I love you."

She looked into his brown eyes and it felt like coming home. Hearing him say the words did something to her insides that she had *never* felt before. "I love you."

"Do we have to go to Alcatraz, Elvira? Surely we can find something better to do."

"No, but we should. Because we don’t get a lot of time off and I don’t know when we can come back." She stood on her toes and kissed him. "And anticipation, Alex, is what makes life worthwhile. So, think about what we’re going to do when we go home tonight. That ought to make it fun."

"That will make it *unbearable*."

Callie took the watch from him and fastened it onto his wrist. It fit perfectly and when they joined hands, her bracelet rubbed against the metal of his watch. They spent the rest of the afternoon taking a movie tour of hot spots that were featured in films and rattled off quotes to one another every time the tour guide called out which films had been shot there.

Callie bought them both matching jackets at the Alcatraz gift shop. She told him that the island got cold at night and they huddled together at the front of the ferry as they sailed toward the island. Callie had purchased several disposable cameras and an older couple happily snapped photo after photo of the two of them throughout their trip. The stole kisses in as many of the cells as they could, posed for photos left and right, but on the on the ferry ride back, she sat a few feet away from him, shivering from the cold.

The impact of what Addison had told her on the phone had set in as they had walked the barren grounds surrounding the penitentiary before they boarded the ferry again. Maybe it was the dank and dismal setting, but whatever it was, it was a stark reminder of the wasteland that she had envisioned George in the day she left Seattle Grace. George had slept with Izzie *and* Olivia and while she wasn’t *hurt* ... she *was* stunned. She had believed, at least in some part of her soul, that her leaving him might actually jar him enough to make him see what he had lost, but it had not. He had learned nothing at all. And as much as he had begged her forgiveness and promised to change ... it had been a lie. He genuinely never loved her the way she had loved him.

Her entire life with him had been a lie.

And she had almost continued living it.

"Callie?"

"Yeah?"

"Is something on your mind?"

She shook her head.

Alex moved a little closer. "If you aim for the truth you just might hit it."

She looked at him. "Have you ever thought that you really knew someone, but you realize that everything you thought you knew was wrong?"

"Oh jeez, Gothika. How did I manage to piss you off?"

"I called Addison today."

"Addison? Oh! OH! I kissed her *once* and made it clear that I wasn’t interested. Actually, she kissed me and-"

"She told me that George slept with Izzie again. *And* Olivia. While we’ve been gone."

He didn’t want to get angry with her, but the feeling rose up inside him so fast that got to his feet to keep from saying something he would regret. He walked to the back of the ferry, where he watched the prison fade in the distance. A moment later, she appeared beside him at the rail. "Callie, we should probably not talk right now."

"Alex, come on."

"No! Today was the perfect day, yet you find out that he’s still an asshole and you act like it’s the end of the world! How can you think about him after -"

"I am not thinking about him. I’m just ... I’m thinking that I’m a fool. I knew it, you know? I knew that he was lying to me all along and I still let him back in. I hate myself for that -"

"Stop." He turned and glared down at her. "You don’t get to hate yourself because of him. Hating yourself almost got you killed. George O’Malley is a fetus. He doesn’t how to handle a real woman because he’s still that *guy* who carries a backpack to work everyday. He’s never going to grow up, Callie, and if you can’t see that then you deserve what he does to you when you take him back!"

"What!? I am not taking him back!"

"Then why do you care?"

"I care about *me* and the fact that I didn’t think before I legally bound myself to someone like him. I knew in my gut that marrying him was a mistake. Even after he cheated and I finally found out I still didn’t say no. I took him back and it went against everything in me. That’s what I care about. Him sleeping with someone else only confirms that I was right. And I have to learn to listen to myself again. I gave up on *me* to be with *him*."

"It is not your fault that you fell for lies. People do it all the time."

"It is my fault that I stopped being the real me. I was never the person that you know with him. Ever. This is me, Alex. You know me. I’m weird and I laugh at crazy things and I watch cheesy movies and I’m insecure and-"

"You don’t have an insecure bone in your body. I haven’t seen it if you do and I’ve seen all of you. You were only insecure with him because he made you that way."

"I’m feeling very insecure right now." Tears clouded her vision and fell before she stop them. "Don’t be mad at me. Please?"

"You know that seeing you cry is the one thing -"

"I’m sorry." She looked away and quickly dried her face, but it didn’t help much. She spun back to face him and cried even harder. "You know what? That’s a lie and I’m done lying. I am *not* sorry. It hurts my feelings that you would just assume that everything I have said to you and done with you means so little to me that I could care what George is doing back in Seattle. I don’t. And you should know better."

"Callie-"

"Don’t talk to me."

"I’m not mad at you."

"Well, I’m pissed enough at you for the both of us." She wiped at her eyes again. "You’re the insecure one."

"I guess first loves have that effect on people."

She looked back at him. "First loves?"

"I’ve never said it or felt like this with anybody else." Alex dried her face himself. "So, don’t cry. Because it makes me wanna die for causing it."

"Then stop making me because we can’t both be suicidal."

"That’s not funny, Callie." He pulled her against him and hugged her. "Can we please not have any more fights on this trip?"

"Are you planning on talking at all?"

"That’s not funny either," he told her, but smiled nevertheless. "You’re freezing. Let’s go sit down."

Callie sat on his lap, one arm around his back. She put her face against his neck at the breeze picked up. He held her close, whispering softly, and brushing her hair back. Unbeknownst to Callie or Alex, the elderly couple who had taken their photos for the duration of the trip snapped a few more. They had forgotten to give the camera back, but as the ferry finally arrived back at the dock, they happily returned it.

"So, back to the yacht?" Alex wrapped his arm around her as they waved goodbye to the amateur photographers. "I’m starving."

"I know a great place for dinner." Callie leaned into him a little. "I told you that what is written on the back of your watch would make sense tonight."

"I thought it meant that we were going to dirty dance later on."

"Not quite the way you’re thinking."

They hailed a cab and Callie gave the driver an address in San Jose. The driver commented that it was a bad part of town, but Callie simply smiled at him. Alex noticed that the buildings became increasingly shabby as they arrived in a remote part of San Jose almost forty five minutes later. The fare was outrageous and when the cab drove away, Alex said, "I should have driven a cab instead of delivering pizza in high school."

Callie took his hand and led him into an alley. The walls were practically vibrating with the sounds of music. "Are you still mad at me?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

He cut his eyes over at her. "Why do I suddenly feel worried?"

"You’re about to meet my Godparents, Mario and Anita Gonzalez. They own Johnny Salsa’s and that’s where we’re going."

Alex stopped walking. "But-"

"Come on." She tugged him to the end of the alley and knocked on a bright red door. "I can show you the salsa. I can even show you the cumbia. But you have to feel it before you can ever do it."

The door opened and the loud music that had been muffled was suddenly loud and clear. A man with shocking white hair and a matching mustache stared out at them. He looked gruff, annoyed that someone would dare knock at the personal entrance to their establishment. His eyes narrowed on the man and then moved to the woman and he gasped. "Calliope!?"

"Hola, papi! How are you?"

"Anita! Come quick! It’s Calliope!" Mario shouted, then leaped down the stairs to embrace his Goddaughter. He moved with startling agility for a man approaching seventy. He pulled her into his arms and exclaimed, "Oh, goodness! We couldn’t come to your party because Anita had surgery, but you have come to us instead! This is wonderful! Wonderful, mija! Ay dios mio! You are here."

"Papi, this is Alex." Callie introduced.

"I thought your husband was called Jorge." He looked Alex up and down and extended his hand.

Thinking fast, Alex gripped his hand and said, "It’s Alexander George. She calls me George as a joke."

Callie stared at him, wide eyed, but didn’t comment.

Anita Gonzalez finally appeared in the doorway. She was short, round, and her black hair was streaked through with grey. She had pulled it back, making her look almost skunk like. Her face was deeply carved with wrinkles, but a smile lit her features and her obvious happiness shed years from her appearance. "My baby!" she cried.

"Hola, madrina." Callie walked up the steps and leaned down, kissing the tiny woman. "I have missed you so much."

Anita brushed Callie’s face with her weathered hand. "You have been crying, si?"

Callie smiled at her. "We visited Alcatraz. You know that it makes me sad. This is Alex, mami."

Alex climbed the stairs and greeted the old woman. She hugged him, patting his face, and led them slowly down the hallway. It was loud, too loud to think and Alex breathed a sigh of relief when Anita led them into a VIP lounge that was remarkably quiet when Mario pulled the door shut behind them. He sat down beside Callie on a leather sofa and listened as Callie rambled on and on about how her family was doing.

The elderly couple seemed to hang on her every word. After thirty minutes, Callie said, "I wanted Alex to see our culture. He has to be able to dance with me at the party."

"You have chosen a wonderful night to come, mija." Mario beamed at her. "We have a full house."

"You always do." Callie grinned. "Is Reuben cooking tonight?"

"He is."

Standing, Callie said, "We’re starving. Are there any empty tables out there?"

"For you? I will make sure." Mario opened the door.

Callie leaned down and kissed the old woman again. "I want to check your incision before I leave."

"It was just a minor procedure," Anita replied, waving her hand. "Go and have fun, honey."

Mario found them an empty table right beside the dance floor and took their order himself. He tried to convince Callie to try red wine that he had imported from Italy, but she firmly refused. Alex, she noticed, did not ask for beer or accept the offer of wine. She watched as he turned his attention to the dance floor, apparently enthralled by the gyrating bodies that moved in time to the Latin beats. A beautiful woman in a rainbow dress undulated nearby and she saw that Alex had given her his full attention.

It shocked Callie that she didn’t feel any jealousy whatsoever. If it had been George ... she would have gotten pissed and probably left the bar in a huff, but she wasn’t worried about Alex. He was going home with her. He felt her eyes on him and quickly looked away from the woman and she laughed. "You’re supposed to be watching, Alex."

"Can you dance like that?"

"I can."

"Callie?"

Callie leaped from her seat and threw her arms around the man who had walked up. "Constantino! How are you?"

Constantino took a step back and brushed his hair away from his face. "I am well. You certainly look well. Assure me that you are."

"I’m fine." Callie introduced Alex and added, "Constantino is my cousin."

Alex visibly relaxed. The guy was huge and far too familiar with Callie as far as he was concerned. Cousin was fine, though. They weren’t in Alabama. Constantino nodded at the dance floor and said, "Take off your jacket, Callie. Let’s show your husband the way that we wind down at the end of the day."

She pulled her jacket from her shoulders and laid it on her seat. "Watch and learn, Jock Strap."

The music was fast and furious and the second her feet hit the dance floor, a change came over her that captivated Alex. He watched as Constantino spun her around in a series of complicated twirls and then they moved as one. It was the sexiest, raunchiest, and most beautiful dance Alex had ever seen. It truly was a conversation between two people and if Alex had not been told that the man was a relative of Callie’s ... he would have killed him with his bare hands.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her hair bounced and flew around her shoulders an she used it like a prop, letting it fall over the man’s shoulder as she moved behind him and gripped his hips. They stepped forward and back, forward and back, and then he turned quickly, lifted her over his leg and let her drop down toward the floor. He caught her at the last possible moment and plucked her upright. Her hair seemed to move in slow motion and she laughed. Alex heard it and he had to smile.

Their food arrived as the music ended. Callie hurried back to the table and climbed onto the stool. "So, you think you can do that?"

"I can do it."

"Eat fast and prove it."

Thirty minutes later, Alex found rhythm he never knew he possessed and proved it until Johnny Salsa’s closed. True to her word, Callie examined the incision on Anita’s abdomen and then told her Godparents that she would be leaving at first light. She bid them goodbye, crying softly as Anita spoke to her in soft Spanish, and then kissed Mario.

In the cab, Alex put his arm around her and pulled her closer. "What did Anita say that upset you?"

"She told me that they didn’t get all the cancer and she’s not going to do chemotherapy."

"Oh, baby. I’m sorry."

Callie sniffled. "She also told me that any man who feels the music the way you do is a man who feels with his soul."

"Is that good?"

"It’s very good." Sitting up, she looked at him. "You let them believe that you were my husband."

"I - I didn’t know what else to say."

"I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that. I - I didn’t even remember that I’m still married."

Alex pulled her in for a kiss.

She couldn’t have said anything better to him than that.

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 20      
*~*~*~*~*~

Addison could not concentrate on the movie. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and put a handful of popcorn in her mouth. Mark smelled like heaven and he looked even better in his black, button down shirt that was exposing enough of his chest to make her imagine running her fingers - no, she couldn’t go there. They were only thirty minutes into the three hour war epic and she needed to concentrate.

Biting her bottom lip, she watched as the muscle bound gladiator on the screen began to fight with an equally impressive male specimen. Mark had dressed similarly for Halloween once. She had been married to Derek at the time, but she still enjoyed the view of his thighs and the -

Oh god, she was never going to make it.

She reached into the popcorn bag again and her hand brushed his. He may as well have brushed against her inner thigh because she shuddered as if he had. Biting her lip, she looked at him. He appeared to be engrossed in the film, but there was a twinkle in his eye that had not been put there by all the blood and gore. As she watched, he lifted his hand to his mouth and slowly licked the butter off his digits. She held her breath until he was finished.

He glanced at her then and pointed at the screen.

Addison crossed her arms over her chest and blew the errant strand of hair that had fallen across her forehead out of the way. She was just beginning to pay attention to the subtitles when he set the bag aside and casually rested his hand on her leg. Shifting a little, she looked at the couple who sat six seats away from them, then put her hand on top of his and pulled it a little higher, under the edge of her skirt.

The stoic look on his face remained firmly in place when he felt the top of her thigh highs and she didn’t mind much. She reacted enough for the both of them when he slid his pinky under the tight lace at the top and rubbed her skin. She sucked in her breath and promptly loosened a popcorn kernel that she had not realized was stuck in her teeth. Choking, she drank several mouthfuls of her Coke and narrowed her eyes at him, daring him to laugh at her.

Thoroughly embarrassed by the glances that people shot her way, she sank a little lower in the seat and crossed her legs to quell the ever present throbbing. Addison was built for sex. Her body required it like oxygen and she was suffocating. She sighed and glanced at Mark again, who was laughing at something on the screen. She braced her elbow on the armrest and her cheek in her palm and read the subtitles again. Who the fuck really cared if something was under siege? She was under siege! Her hormones had planned a strategic attack and Mark was their captain.

When he lifted his own armrest and moved a little closer, she jumped. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against him, running his fingers through her hair. She slipped of her heel and let her foot glide over his calf as she leaned into him, kissing his jaw, then his throat. He moved his hand to the back of her head and trailed his fingers along the sensitive skin at the nape of her neck. Chills ran up and down her spine and her breath caught. "Mark, let’s just go."

He shook his head, but continued the assault on her flesh. She crossed her legs the other way and shifted her weight in the seat to no avail. The pulsating desire that pushed all the blood to her center soon became a dull ache and when Mark kissed her ear, it was full blown pain. She hissed and clutched at her lower belly, frowning. When she opened her legs a little to try to get comfortable, she felt a sticky wetness that had nothing at all to do with passion.

"Fuck!" she exclaimed. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

"Shhhhh!" A man two rows ahead of them had turned and put his finger over his lips.

Addison stood, grabbed her purse, and made sure to step on Mark’s foot as she stalked out of the theater. In the bathroom, her worst fears were confirmed. Her period had arrived with a vengeance and she wasn’t wearing panties. Luckily, her skirt was black and the bathroom was empty so she was able to wet enough napkins to clean up. She did not, however, have a tampon handy so she inserted three quarters into the feminine napkin machine and turned the dial.

The tampon didn’t drop all the way. "I hate my life," she growled. "Hating the fucking life."

Leaning down, she peered up into the slot and saw the tiny box containing the tampon was wedged, having fallen incorrectly. Putting her purse on the floor at her feet, she gently inserted her right hand and attempted to dislodge it. Her fingertips brushed the box, but didn’t move it. Pushing harder, she was able to wrap her index and middle finger around the edges and pulled. The box dropped.

Her hand did *not*.

Ten minutes later, a steady line of women began to trickle into the bathroom. Apparently a movie had just let out and Addison tried to appear innocuous as the crowd swarmed around her. She whistled, she leaned against the machine as if her hand wasn’t lodged inside it, and she didn’t make eye contact with anyone. She glanced out of the corner of her eye when she noticed that two women had paused a few feet from her. When they moved closer, she made a face.

"Ma’am?"

"Yes?" Addison asked innocently.

"You’re bleeding."

One of the women pointed at the floor and Addison glanced down. A few drops of blood had fallen between her shoes and she quickly closed her legs. "I’m very sorry to ask this, but could one of you get the manager?"

The manager turned out to be an eighteen year old, pimple faced boy who looked at her and the blood on the floor as if she were a hairball that had been coughed up by a horny gorilla. He didn’t have the key to open the machine, but he did have a walkie-talkie, which he used to broadcast that some chick had gotten her hand stuck in the tampon machine. Someone in the concession stand had the bright idea of spraying butter onto her hand and after another fifteen minutes of failure, they decided to call the paramedics.

The fire department arrived first and Addison’s face was as red as the hair on her head and the many droplets of blood that had accumulated on the floor and run down her legs. A kind woman handed her a stack of napkins, but Addison couldn’t bend down far enough to clean herself very well. She used them as a stress reliever which she continually squeezed as the firemen unscrewed the machine from the wall and led her out into the atrium, where the stretcher awaited.

And there, in front of everyone, including Mark who was watching with wide eyed horror, they freed her hand. A very polite young EMT handed her a tampon and gave her a small smile. She snatched it and rushed back into the bathroom where she cleaned up once again. Thankfully, the room was empty when she went to wash her hands. She splashed her face to relieve some of the heat that was still in it and then, squaring her shoulders, she stalked back into the lobby.

Mark was leaning against the wall and when he saw her, he pointed at her and laughed so loud that it fairly boomed in the large, open space. She calmly walked to where he stood and swung her purse, hitting him in the gut. He put an arm around her and, choking on his laughter, led her into the parking lot. The medics were still loading their gear back into the ambulance and Mark thanked them, his arm tight around her shoulders.

He opened the passenger door of his BMW and helped her inside before he kneeled down beside her. "Addison, you are the best date I have *ever* had."

"Shut up."

"You’re funnier than any movie."

"Stop talking."

"You’re more entertaining than a football game."

"Don’t say another word."

"And I laugh more with you than I have ever laughed in my life."

"I will slit your throat."

"Just - how the hell did this happen?"

"I didn’t go to jail for assault." She crossed her arms over her chest. "So, God is assaulting me. And dooming me to three to five more days of sexual frustration."

Mark leaned into the car and kissed her. "What’s three to five more days, Addison? We’ve waited this long."

"I could strangle you."

"Not with your bare hands though, right? No telling where they’ve been."

When they arrived at the Archfield, Addison took a shower and accepted the warm, fuzzy pajamas that Mark held out to her. She held her stomach, grumbling about the pain and took two Midol. He pulled the cover back, helped her into the bed, and then kicked off his shoes and climbed in beside her. He massaged her stomach until she fell asleep and then he kissed her, whispered he loved her, and went to his own room.

He dreamed of her that night.

Just as he had done every night since she had left him in New York City.

*~*~*~*~*~

Two full days after leaving San Francisco, Callie and Alex arrived in Seattle. It was raining and cold and Callie had trouble navigating the choppy waters as she tried to find the spot she had rented for Goon Docks. The place she had chosen was in the middle of nowhere and insanely overpriced, but she had taken the one and only spot in a small cove that was both private and easily accessible on foot after a short hike through the woods from the parking lot. There was nothing around for miles, apart from the occasional boat that sailed past, but there were signs up that indicated that the cove was a residence. And the small inlet’s opening was just big enough for Goon Docks to get through, so she was shielded from onlookers when she was nestled behind the branches in the rounded cul-de-sac of the bay.

After scraping Goon Docks on several low hanging branches and rubbing her bottom against a few rocks, Callie finally found her new property and asked Alex to tie them off to the intricately designed deck that boasted a huge hot tub and a patio set for eight. She dropped the anchor and secured another rope to the dock, this one attached to the back of the yacht which still swayed in the rough waters even after it was secured. Then she leaned over the steering wheel, exhausted, and devastated that their joy ride had come to an end.

Alex joined her after three attempts at making the kind of knot she had taught him. He sat down in the chair next to hers and said, "It’s beautiful here. Secluded."

"Yeah."

"How far is this from the hospital?"

"About twenty minutes." She still had her head down. "Can we just leave again? We can sail to Alaska and live in the wilderness. We could be Amish. Or maybe Gypsies."

"You promised me that you were not going to worry."

She sighed. "We don’t have to be doctors. We could become pirates and just travel for the rest of our lives. I mean, we’ve practiced medicine. Been there, done that. *So* over it."

"I’m not," Alex told her. "Unless I failed the intern exam. If that’s the case then call me Captain Alex and give me dread locks and gold teeth. We can steal Gucci and sail the high seas."

She turned her head and smiled at him. "How do you think you did on the exam?"

"Are you hoping I failed?"

"You’d be cute with dread locks."

He stood up and stretched, then pulled her to her feet. "Let’s get out of the rain. Why don’t we get dressed, take a cab to the airstrip, pick up my jeep and then go to Joe’s."

She shook her head. "I’m not making any public appearances until the night of the party and only then because I have to. That’s two days away."

"You’d rather postpone the inevitable? You’d really rather see your parents and deal with everything during the party?"

"Yes. My parents will not kill me in front of our extended family. It wouldn’t look right and they’re all about appearances."

"Callie, let’s just get this over with. Come on."

She walked past him and down the stairs into the galley, where she opened a bottle of water and sipped it. "I’m really tired. That storm in Oregon took a lot out of me."

"You smiled the entire time, Cal. You enjoy that kinda thing." He took the bottle from her and set it on the counter. "We’re not hiding. It’s not wrong that we’re happy. Besides, I want to stop by the hospital and see Ava and I’m dying for you to meet her. You’ll love her."

"Why don’t we go see her the day of the party so that we’re all dressed up?"

"She’s not going to care what we’re wearing."

"I don’t want to go, Alex. I’m not ready."

"Then get ready. You look great, but if you want to change and -"

"I mean I’m not ready to face the world. I have forty-eight hours before I *have* to do it and I am not stepping off this yacht until I absolutely have no other choice." She looked up at him. "But if you want to go and see her and ... whatever ... then you should."

"You are an infuriating procrastinator, Gothika."

"And your sense of urgency is annoying as hell, Jock Strap." Callie grinned when thunder clapped and lightning was visible through the small salon window. "That’s a sign. A good Skipper knows how to read the signs. I can’t go because I may be struck by a lightning bolt."

"Lightning wouldn’t strike you, Callie. It would be afraid to." He grinned and stepped forward, kissing her. "We’re going to meet halfway because we’re good at that. We have forty-eight hours. The first twenty four of those will be spent hiding out. The next twenty four will be spent on the very firm, but probably soggy grounds of Seattle and we’re going to do it together."

"We’re not really gonna be hiding out. I’m inviting Cam over."

"Oh yeah?"

"His bark is worse than his bite. He’ll probably give you a hard time."

"In case you failed to notice the obvious, I like hard times."

"Ewww, scary mental place. You and my *brother*. With hard *anything*."

Alex pinned her back against the sink, laughing. "You are *not* funny."

Callie leaned forward and kissed him. "You know what else I’m not?"

"What?"

"Wearing panties. Wanna see?"

*~*~*~*~*~

Cambyses sighed when Blake told him, for the second time that day, that Melana had incredible taste in clothing. He listened to his boyfriend gush for ten more minutes before he laid his head back against the couch and closed his eyes. "Blake, are we ever going to talk about *anything* else?"

Blake flopped down beside him. "Yes. As soon as you agree to wear the assless pants to the party I will stop talking about your mother."

Cam lifted his head and glared. "You expect me to be around my grandparents who, by the way, all have heart conditions with assless pants on?"

"You knew your grandparents were coming when you made the bet with me. I *told* you that I would win your mother over if I got her alone for ten minutes and I did."

"I never dreamed that my mother would develop a split personality while we were here, Blake!"

"Well, she did and I win. So, pay up."

"I will wear them after the party. With you."

"That’s not the same." Blake leaned a little closer and pushed the other man’s hair back. "Nobody likes a man who goes back on his word."

"I will be a man who can never give you his word again if I do something this horrible. My mother will sharpen her nails on my still beating heart." Cam smiled. "But I will happily go commando under my leather, fully assed, pants. Just for you."

Blake looked thoughtful. "Rock, paper, scissors? If you win the first round you don’t have to wear the pants."

Cam held up his fists and played the game. He chose scissors, Blake chose paper. "I win!"

"Fine!" Blake crossed his arms. "At least one of us can keep their word in this relationship."

Kissing him on the neck, Cam said, "Always keep your words soft and sweet, Sugar Lips, in case you have to eat them later on."

Cam’s cell phone rang and he leaned forward, picking it up. "Breezy’s Mortuary. You kill ‘em, we fill ‘em."

"You’re such a moron," Callie replied, laughing. "We’re ba-ack. Want to come out and see my house? I am cooking lasagna and you can bring dessert. Blake, however, does not count as dessert so your ass better find something chocolate and rich."

"I am the king of chocolate and rich. Hang on." Cam leaned back and said, "Callie’s in town. You want to go see her?"

"DUH!" Blake popped his boyfriend on the back of the head and jumped up to grab his shoes.

"We’ll be there soon," Cam said, hanging up the phone. Two seconds later he called her back. "Uh, where is there?"

Callie laughed. "1900 Whisper Cove. It’s just off Oasis and Elliott. It’s a dirt road and I’m at the end. I’ll make sure the lights are on."

"Gotcha. See you in a few."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie put the lasagna in the oven and glanced at Alex, who appeared to be engrossed in a baseball game. He looked handsome in his jeans and red shirt. She watched him lean forward as the crowd cheered at something and she wondered if he knew that he was stroking the watch she had given him. She noticed that he did it a lot. He took it off every night before bed, but reached for it first thing the following morning. It made her feel good, like he felt her a little when he touched it.

He caught her looking at him and smiled. "What?"

"Are you nervous?"

"No. Are you?"

She shook her head. "No, I’m really not."

They had set up the dining room table that bolted into the salon floor and pulled one side of the leather sectional away from the wall, putting bench seats on either side. It was not cramped, but it was definitely cozy. It would be amusing to watch Cam try to fit comfortably into the close quarters. Callie wasn’t concerned though. Cam could usually roll with the flow. Usually. She wanted him to like Alex. She needed him to like Alex.

What if he didn’t? What if he told her in front of Alex that they were being compulsive and moving too quickly?

Her brow furrowed and she pulled off the apron that covered her black pants and red velvet tank top. "Shit. It’s pitch black outside. I have to go turn on the lights. I’ll be right back."

Picking up a flashlight, she pulled on her Alcatraz jacket and darted up the stairs. Her cell phone was in her pocket and as she hopped off Goon Docks and searched around for the light switch, she called Cam. He didn’t answer and she swore and stuck the phone back in her pocket. Surely her brother would not be rude to Alex. Surely he would be polite and decent and -

Her phone rang and she groaned, digging it back out of her tight pants. "What?!"

"Don’t ‘what’ me! You called me!" Cam told her. "And what the hell, Callie? We’re at the end of the damn dirt road which screams ‘Deliverance’ and it’s freaking me out. If I hear banjo music I will cover my ass with both hands and run."

"You sure do got a purty mouth." She laughed when he called her a very dirty name. "I can’t find the lights so I’ll come and get you."

"For every minute that we stand here there is a greater chance of being raped and plundered by ... oh my god, Blake, what was that?"

Callie heard Blake announce that he was getting back in the car and shook her head. "The two of you are such *girls*."

"Are there poisonous snakes around here?"

"I’m on my way, but if you start screaming like a woman then I’m just going to piss my pants laughing and leave you hanging." Callie began to climb the steep wooden stairway that led to the trail. "Good lord, what was I thinking? This is harder than rock climbing. Start down the trail, okay? It’s pretty open and there are solar powered lights."

"Solar powered by what? This is a place that even sun fears to tread. Come on, Blake! Get out of the damn car!"

Callie made it to the mouth of the trail and said, "I can hear you guys walking. Can you see my flashlight yet?"
"No. Wait, yes."

"Go into the light. Allll are welcome. Allll are welcome," Callie replied.

"Ahh!" Cam screeched into the phone. "Blake! That was not funny!"

"What did he do?" Callie asked, winded now.

"You do not pinch the ass of a man who thinks he just saw an El Chupacabra out of the corner of his eye."

Callie had to stop walking because she was laughing so hard. "You’re the biggest chicken shit that God ever put a soul in. It’s a good thing that I have absolutely zero fear of anything. I cannot be scared."

Alex grabbed her at that moment and she screamed so loud that several birds responded and a few took flight. She tossed her phone and then the flashlight. She attempted to run, but fell face first into the smelliest, muddiest puddle of stagnant water that had ever accumulated in the world. When she finally pushed herself up onto her knees she could hear laughter. Blake and Cam had apparently crashed through the trail when they heard her and Blake was crossing his legs like his bladder was about to pop. Cam had actually fallen to his knees and was practically hysterical.

Narrowing her eyes, Callie glanced to her left. Alex had picked up her flashlight and it was shaking so hard in his grip that even though she couldn’t see his face, she knew he was dying with laughter as well. "Alex?" she said softly.

"Huh?"

"Come here."

"No. The smell is really, really bad."

Cam laughed harder still, slapping his leg. Callie shook her hands off and then rubbed some of the water off her face. "Alex?"

"Yes, dear?"

"I’m going to give you a three second head start because I’m feeling generous, but when I catch you ... I’m drowning you."

"Awww, Gothika," he replied sweetly. "I wish that scared me, but ... I’ve been hanging out with you so I have zero fear of anything. I cannot be scared. Just like you."

Cam lost it entirely. He howled at Alex’s comment and cried, "I am going to ... piss ... my ... pants. She - she screamed like a big titted blond being stalked by a ... a ..."

"El Chupacabra!" Blake wheezed, slapping his knee while he fought to balance the chocolate cake they had picked up. "Look at her. She even did the run and tumble! Bwahahahahaha."

Callie pushed herself to her feet. "I hate all of you and if you *ever* tell *anyone* about this then I will break-"

"Every bone in our bodies. Blah blah blah." Alex chuckled, trying to get a handle on himself. He shined the light up and down his soggy girlfriend and put a hand over his nose to stifle the snort that erupted. "You look like ‘Carrie’."

"If I had telekinesis this is where I’d impale you with a big log!" She spun to face him. "One. Two. Three."

Alex dropped the flashlight when she lunged. He sprinted back down the trail and leaped down the worst of the stairs, landing on the dock. He was about to put on a burst of speed when he saw her launch herself at him. He turned to catch her and they both went off the side of the dock and into the frigid water of the bay. It felt like twenty trillion pin pricks and it caused every inch of him to protest. They both came up screaming from the shock and climbed back up the ladder faster than they had gone over.

Trembling, Callie raced for the yacht. "Make yourselves at home," she cried over her shoulder.

Cam watched Alex chase after her and said, "I like him. I really, really like him."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie and Alex showered together, but refrained from doing anything more than fight over the hot water. He was struggling hard not to laugh at her, but he did tell her that she smelled like ass and insisted that he wash her hard to reach areas. Callie realized, as he stepped from the shower and handed her a towel, that he was too damn cute for his own good. She grabbed his arm and kissed him, saying, "I’m kicking your ass when they leave."

"Oh, no. How will I ever digest with such a gruesome threat hanging over my head?"

"Go entertain my brother and his man while I repair the damage that you caused."

Alex put on fresh clothing and walked down the hallway. Blake was checking the lasagna and had put the garlic bread in the oven. Alex introduced himself to Blake, then Cam, clasping their hands. "Sorry about before," he added. "She had it coming."

"She did. And you are one brave man to actually go there," Cam replied, openly appraising the new guy. "So, did you have a good time?"

"It was amazing," Alex replied, pulling the salad that he had prepped from the fridge. "Did she - uh - tell you about the shark?"

"I will be killing her for that just as soon as I can stand her smell."

That caused all three guys to dissolve into laughter again. They finished up the dinner and Alex was putting the last plate on the table when Callie emerged. She had changed into a pair of tight Yoga pants that flared at the bottom and a powder blue halter top that almost forced him to swallow his tongue. It laced down the front, leaving nothing to the imagination, and she was clearly braless. He looked her up and down, from her bare feet to her curly hair, which she had piled on top of her head. She had on no makeup, no bells and whistles, and she had never looked prettier.

"Good God," Blake said, also appraising her. "You’re ... you look ... wow."

"Okay, Nicole Richie," Cam told her, stalking across the room. He lifted her easily, his hands under her arms, and brought her to eye level. "Anorexia kills."

"Shut up." Callie hugged him tight. "I missed you."

Cam returned the hug, not letting her feet touch the ground. "I missed you more."

"I missed you most."

He finally set her on her feet and held up his fist. Callie did the same and they cracked their knuckles together. "Wonder Twin powers, activate!"

Alex smiled and glanced at Blake, who was watching their exchange with the same amused expression he was. "Are they always like this?"

"You do know that they have the monkey and everything, right?"

"Gucci isn’t as cool as Gleek," Cam said, putting his arm around Callie. "So, let’s see the ink."

Callie turned and lifted her shirt. "I’m officially addicted. I’m getting another one as soon as I can."

Cam leaned down, looking at it. "I like it. Let me guess ... the bird reminds you that you can still fly."

Callie nodded. "Pretty much. And fly is exactly what I did."

"Through the storm of the century," Alex added. "Your sister? Might be a little insane."

"We all go a little crazy sometimes." Callie moved around her brother and hugged Blake. "Like you. What are you doing falling under our mother’s spell?"

"She has the *best* taste in clothes."

Callie pretended to heave and looked back at her brother. "I can give her a big ol’ shot to keep her in bed for the party."

"Don’t you dare! She has been teaching me the cumbia and promises to dance with me." Blake tugged a lock of Callie’s hair that had fallen. "You know your brother only headbangs."

Callie looked sympathetic. "It’s the only part of him that has any rhythm."

Cam swatted her with the dishtowel and she yelped. "*You* stole all the rhythm in the womb, you succubus."

"I stole the good looks, too." Callie stuck her tongue out at him. "Let’s eat. I’ll give you the grand tour afterwards."

They all took their seats and Callie held the bread basket out to Cam, who grabbed her wrist and looked at the bracelet Alex had given her. "That’s gorgeous," he told her. "Are those real opals?"

"They are," Alex replied, taking a slice of bread for himself. "I knew it was for her when I saw it."

"Sharks are your thing," Blake said. "Every couple has a special thing and sharks are yours."

"It *was* a shark that made her see reason," Alex replied. "For once."

"Oh, I was seeing reason," Callie said. "But I was too pissed at you to be *reasonable*, Mr. Oscar Worthy Exit."

"I think I made up for that by almost dying for you."

"I think I’ll decide when you’ve made up enough. And I’m pretty sure it will involve massage oil and deep tissue."

"If you really want to give me a massage then that’s fine. I’ll let you." Alex handed her the salad dressing. "But if you massage like you sail then -"
Her mouth dropped open. "I happen to be a nautical genius."

"Riiiiiight," Cam interrupted. "She sank our Uncle’s yacht. Alex, you deserve a purple star for sailing with her anywhere."

"I did not!" Callie kicked her brother under the table. "You sank that yacht."

"I was *driving*. How could *I* sink it?"

"By driving it? Am I the only one who remembers that we were mostly airborne? And I am officially changing the subject." Callie said. "Have you met Addison yet?"

"Looooooove Adddddddison!" Blake and Cam answered in the same rapturous tone.

"She’s great," Cambyses added. "And she seems to like you for some reason, Callie."

"There’s a lot of that going around." Alex put his hand on her leg under the table.

Callie leaned against him and smiled when he kissed her. Alex had absolutely no problem with public displays of affection and that suited her just fine. She glanced back at Cam and said, "Are a lot of people already here for this gathering of insanity?"

"The Archfield is at capacity. No vacancies."

"Ugh." Callie put a hand on her forehead. "If I try really hard I could probably make myself sick."

"How hard were you trying when you almost died?" Cam asked softly. He waited patiently for Callie to meet his eyes. "If you had said something, anything, to me on the phone I would have dropped everything and been on a plane. And you should have said something because what you did -"

"She knows, dude," Alex replied, putting an arm around her. "She knows. You can’t say anything to her that I haven’t covered and because I’ve covered it really well I think we should talk about something else."

"Good idea," Blake interjected, picking up on the tension in Callie’s body. "Let’s talk about the fact that Callie no longer has a car."

"What?" She looked up, eyes wide. "Did you freaks wreck my car?"

"Dad gave your mealy mouthed ex twenty five grand, your ugly little car, and everything else you guys bought together to make him sign the divorce papers."

"He signed it?"

"He did." Cambyses studied her closely, watching her reaction. "He was too scared to deliver the papers himself, though. He had some red haired girl, homely looking, drop them off at the front desk of the hotel. I followed her back out and started to kick his ass for the hell of it, but he locked his door and they sped off."

"So, it’s over." Callie’s smile was slow to build, but when it finally came it was breathtaking. "I’m free."

"Well, *you* still have to sign them, but since it’s uncontested and ready to roll then it should be over before you know it." Blake put another helping of lasagna on his plate. "This is good."

"Everything’s good. Every single aspect of my life is good." She turned to Alex. "And some things are perfect."

Alex kissed her again, he couldn’t help himself. When he pulled away, he pointed at her barely touched food. "If you don’t eat, I’m putting you back in the mud hole and you can eat it there."

She picked up her fork and took several bites and Cam nodded his approval at Alex, who winked at him. Blake said, "What are you wearing to the party?"

"Red," Callie replied, nodding. "It’s strappy, backless, and flowy. I also taught my date here how to dance at Johnny Salsa’s and we will make an impressive duo."

"Uh, Cal, that reminds me." Cam swallowed hard. "Mario and Anita called Mom and told her that they had met your husband. Alexander *George*."

"So?"

"So, she had the phone on speaker and all of our aunts and uncles were within earshot."

Callie’s jaw dropped. "Soooo?"

"So, Mom has decided that your punishment for running off is that she’s not telling our relatives about your divorce." Cam pointed at Alex. "She’s gonna let him keep pretending to be your ... husband."

Her jaw dropped even further and her fork clanked onto her plate. "I’m leaving for Alaska as soon as we’re done here. I think I could live with bears. I understand lines of deliciousness and -"
"You would be eaten in less than an hour." Alex turned in his seat, picked up her fork, handed it to her, and said, "I can do this. Mr. Oscar Worthy, remember? Besides, I have seen ‘The Wedding Date’ and ‘A Walk in the Clouds’ plenty of times."

"Alex, this will not be a romantic movie, okay? This will be ‘Freddy vs. Jason’ or ‘Amityville Horror’."

"Nah," Cam said, shaking his head. "With our family it will be ‘Mommy Dearest’ meets ‘The Fockers’."

"There will be carnage. Blood and gore." Callie shook her head. "She will go ‘Braveheart’ on me and ‘Psycho’ on Alex."

"She won’t," Blake assured her. "She can’t wait to see you two together. She told me so. And anyone can see that you’re happy, Cal."

"It will be fine," Alex promised. "Completely fine."

"Famous last words of a fool?" Callie asked Cam, nodding her head at Alex. "Or out of the mouth of babes?"

"Famous last words from a babe?" Blake suggested.

Cam popped him on the arm.

The light mood returned as quickly as it had faded and after dinner and a tour of Goon Docks, Cam drove them all to the airstrip where Alex and Callie retrieved his jeep. They said goodnight and headed back toward the yacht. When they passed Seattle Grace, Alex looked longingly at the structure and said, "I wonder how Ava’s doing?"

"We can stop now if you want."

"It’s late." He looked at the time on the radio. "And I’ve been dealing with not having you to myself for long enough."

Callie smiled at him. "We spent *three* hours with my family."

"That’s three hours that you were not naked, baby. But just naked enough to get to me."

"You know, I think I like it when you call me baby better than Gothika. Or Elvira."

"Awww, does Morticia have a soft spot?"

"You know I do. And you know exactly how to touch it."

He swallowed hard. "Wanna do it in the car?"

"Pull over."

They had the windows steamed in less than five minutes and when they finally broke apart thirty minutes after that, Alex let his head fall back against the seat. "Jesus Christ. You know, I said you were acrobatic, but I didn’t really realize that it was true until right now."

"I could sing ‘I Tumble For You’ by Boy George if you want."

"Baby, you could sing the phone book and make it good."

Callie smiled as she righted her shirt, still straddling him. "So, you’re gonna keep calling me that?"

"I am."

"We’ll never make it back to the yacht if you keep doing it."

"Oh, baby, baby, how was I supposed to know," Alex nasally warbled the opening bars of the Britney Spears’ tune.

Callie threw her head back and howled with laughter. "Never do that again if you want to see me naked."

He was kissing the hollow of her throat when someone knocked on the window. Callie wiped the fog from the glass and peered out. Addison stood outside the jeep, her arms crossed over her chest. Callie, naked below the waist, rolled the window down four inches. "Hey, Addison. Miss me?"

"Are you having sex?"

"Yep," Callie replied seriously.

"In the parking lot of a supermarket?!" Addison growled.

"It’s closed," Alex told her, grinning as he lowered the window two more inches. "What are you doing?"

"*Not* having sex!" Addison crossed her arms. "Because my period came two days ago, I got stuck in the tampon machine, and Mark Sloan is loving every minute of the frustrated, orgasm-free life that *I* got us into in the first place. 'Sixty days', I said. 'Sixty days!" Because I'm an idiot. And to add insult to injury, I recognized your jeep and saw it rocking."

"So, you came knocking?" Callie asked. "You obviously don’t know the rules."

"Get your ass out here, Torres."

Callie sighed and rolled up the window. She climbed over the console, back into her seat and fished her pants from the floorboard. She wiggled into them, stuffed her feet back into her flip flops, and bounded out the car. Addison met her halfway, hugging her.

They embraced, rocking slightly and Addison finally said, "Yeah, I missed you, tramp. I missed the hell out of you. If you don’t invite me next time I’ll kick your ass."

"You’re feisty as hell lately. Have you beat up anyone other than Snow Wart and the Lusty Dwarf?"

"I had PMS at the time, okay? It would probably hold up in court. And when did you get so skinny?"

"You can see a rocking jeep from the red light, but you just now notice that I’m wasting away?"

"It’s too much sex. You burn like, twelve calories per thrust. Apparently you are a thrusting lust puppy." Addison tugged at her shoulder. "Turn around. Let me see if you still have junk in the trunk."

Callie turned. "Do not touch my J-Lo ass. It's sacred."

"You dirty whore! You got a tattoo!" Addison lifted her shirt. "It practically screams ‘I’m easy’!"

"No, it screams ‘I’m a sure thing’. Why do you think we were having sex at a supermarket?"

Alex had climbed out of the jeep was watching their reunion with amusement. He leaned back against his car, crossed his legs and listened to their *girl* talk. It was animated, funny, and punctuated with the weirdest things he had ever heard two adult women say to one another and he loved every second of it. For the first time in his life he had a *girlfriend*. An actual *girlfriend* who made him happy, shared her life, shared her secrets, and accepted him. Just like he was.

Mark Sloan pulled up a moment later, but went unnoticed by either woman. He stood beside Alex, listening to bits and pieces of their conversation. "She looks happy," he finally told Alex. "Callie. She looks better."

"Yeah, she does. She is."

"They’re really close. Best friends."

"They are."

"Are we supposed to be close?" Mark asked, glancing at Alex. "Because I’m going to marry Addison one day and if you plan on hanging around Torres then we should probably be close."

Alex raised his brow. "Do you like baseball?"

"Love it. Do you like football?"

"NFL or college?"

"Both."

"Yes."

"Okay, we’re buds." Mark shrugged. "Want to go get a beer sometime?"

"Sure. Wanna get your girl away from mine so I can take her home?"

Mark smiled at him. "That’s what friends are for."

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 21
Alex pulled into the hospital parking lot and looked at Callie. She had barely said three words to him the entire day and he was at the end of his rope. It wasn’t like her and he was terrified that it meant she was having second thoughts about them or about her decision to end her marriage. Every attempt at conversation he had made about the divorce papers the previous night had been met with one word answers and nothing had changed when the sun rose. The only difference was that she had stopped answering entirely and relied on nodding or shaking her head. It was driving him insane and putting a heavy ball of concern in his stomach.

He had waited while she washed her hair twice that morning. First, it turned out too curly and now it was bone straight. He had no idea how she had stripped out the curl, but it was still gorgeous and so much longer than he realized. Several wisps curved toward her face and he wanted to run his fingers through it. Shutting off the engine, he leaned across the console and did just that. "What's wrong, Cal? Are you mad at me? Did I do something?"
"No" A dull headache had been plaguing her since she had woken up and she was trying hard to keep her teeth from chattering. She was cold. It had to be nerves. "What if - what if Ava doesn’t like me?"

"She will." Alex rubbed her shoulder, which was bare, and very warm. She wore a dress she had picked up in Chinatown. It was solid black with dark purple designs and while it wasn’t girly in the least, it softened her appearance so much it was shocking. Maybe it was the dress combined with the new hair. Whatever it was, it was nice. "You’re not just worried about Ava, though. Are you?"

She took a deep breath and finally looked at him. "No, I’m not. If we were celebrities we would be on all the tabloids. What we did? It’s pretty scandalous."

"It was worth it."

"I know."

Alex moved a little closer. "Getting this over with now is better. That way we can go to the party and you won’t have to think about our first day back at work. People will see us today and be talking about someone else by the time we come back."

"Well, yeah, if you’re going to make sense, but - I don’t care what people think about me, but they’re going to think that you’re a dirty manwhore who stole someone’s wife."

"Then they’ll know that I’m the better man, won’t they?"

"You really are glass half full, aren’t you?"

"For the first time in my life I think I am." He kissed her, then frowned and felt her face. "Are you running a fever?"

"You give me fever." She trailed her thumb over his mouth, wiping the traces of her lipstick away. "I guess we should go."

Alex opened his door, then walked around to hers. She had not moved an inch and had not taken off her seatbelt so he reached across her lap and unfastened it himself. "Come on."

"I could wait here. I don't mind."

He put his hands under her legs and pulled them out of the car, then he grabbed her around the waist and slid her off the seat. Smiling, he tilted her chin. "We’re a team. If I’m going in, you’re going in. It’s us against them."

The knot of anxiety in her stomach instantly dissolved at his words. She had *always* wanted someone to say that to her. She had said it to George many times, but he never comprehended what it meant. "Us against them," she repeated. "We already beat a shark. How bad could this possibly be?"

"Now there’s the old Gothika spirit that I know and love." He closed the door behind her and took her hand. "We’re supposed to meet Addison and Mark at four to pick up her dress and -"

"Your suit."

Alex cringed. "I already have a suit."

"I’m buying you an Armani. And your tie will have red in it because my dress is red."

He gripped the collar of his shirt as if it were choking him. "I hate ties."

"I hate parties. We’re even." Callie smoothed her skirt. Her head throbbed harder and she shivered. "Is it just me or is it really cold out here?"

"It’s just you."

"I don’t feel very good," she admitted.

"Nice try."

"I’m serious."

Alex simply shook his head and led her into the lobby. The first person they ran into was Meredith. She was pulling a stretcher toward the staff elevator and she stopped pulling when she saw them. "Hey, guys!" she said, staring from one to the other. Her gaze dropped to their joined hands and she quickly added, "Uh, how was your trip?"

"Great," Alex replied with a smile. "We went to California. Disneyland was amazing."

"Lucky!" Meredith playfully punched his shoulder. "While you two were in the Magic Kingdom I was slaving away here."

"Did you have any good cases?" Callie asked.

"Multi-car pileup, construction disaster, and an aquarium worker was bitten by a sea otter." Meredith made a face. "But that stuff’s only good depending on who you ask."
Alex and Callie had looked at one another when Meredith mentioned the sea otter. They both burst out laughing and Alex pointed at Callie and said, "My favorite Martian here decided to save a lobster and it bit her. Eleven stitches later she still didn’t learn anything about wildlife."

"Ohhh, let me see it."

Callie, who had not paid any attention to the wound in days, was shocked when she turned her arm over and exposed it. It was red, puffier than it had been. "It looks like that because Jock Strap here caused me to fall, face first, into the bog of eternal stench last night."

Alex, who had been smiling, swore, colorfully when he saw the bite. "What the hell, Callie? How did you not notice this?"

She shrugged. "Because you have been very distracting?"

Glancing at Meredith, Alex said, "We’re going to make a pit stop by the clinic. We’ll see you later."

Callie said goodbye and Meredith waved, a look of curiosity and amusement firmly on her face. With a sigh, Callie said, "I really don’t need the clinic. You know what I did? I forgot to take the antibiotics. I’ll just find them and start taking them tonight."

"I’m going to recommend a shot in your ass. What were you thinking?!" Alex led her across another hallway and into the clinic. It was deserted save for Sydney Heron, Dr. Bailey, and Izzie. The three women were standing at the small station and were engrossed in what appeared to be a tense discussion.

"I don’t give a damn," Bailey was saying. "This is still *my* clinic."

"Yes, but as Chief Resident, I feel that it is -"

"You are not Chief Resident yet, Sydney," Bailey shot back. "You have a few more days before your duties begin and until they do I don’t care what you have to say."

Sydney turned, her face red, and saw the newcomers. "Alex Karev and Callie O’Malley! Oh, wait, it’s back to Torres soon, isn’t it? My goodness, apparently divorce agrees with you. If you could bottle it you’d make a killing. Come here, you. A hug is a band-aid for the soul."

Callie grimaced when the shorter woman wrapped her arms around her waist and squeezed. She met Bailey’s gaze over Sydney’s poofy hair and mouthed, "She’s Chief Resident?"

Miranda rolled her eyes and nodded, then said. "How was your vacation, Callie?"

"Fine until now. Get off me, Sydney! For God’s sake! A hug takes two seconds. This is an inappropriate grope. Get your cheek off my boobs!" Callie eventually pried Sydney's arms from around her. "Uh, Webber was, er, looking for you."

"Oh my god!" Sydney exclaimed, wide eyed. "Where?"

"He was in the elevator."

"Better go. We’re the chiefs. Two little chiefs and a lot of little Indians to manage." Dr. Heron threw her hand up and skipped from the room.

"Oh. My. God." Callie met Bailey’s gaze. "Okay, I know why *I* didn’t make Chief, but how the *hell* did she get it over you?"

"Apparently I had a child and people with children are punished around here. Unless they’re male. So, what are you doing?"

"I need antibiotics. Most like in a shot form." Callie stated simply. She was aware that Izzie Stevens was watching her every move and was looking her up and down and she was tempted to kick her. Or at the very least take off her shoe and throw it, pointy end first, into her face. She refrained, however, when Bailey went into a tirade.

"Wha-" Bailey looked at Alex. "Did you give her syph-"

"No!" Alex shook his head. "She has a bite on her arm that looks infected."

Bailey held out her hand and cursed when Callie laid her arm in it. "Dr. Torres, what did you do now? You need a padded room!"

Callie shrugged and let the other woman lead her to a nearby gurney. She hissed when Miranda pressed at her flesh hard enough to push liquid from between the stitches. "Oww! General rule of thumb is ... if it looks like it hurts then it probably shouldn’t be poked."

"Did they not give you anything for the infection when they did the stitches?" Izzie, who had followed them to the gurney, peered over Bailey’s shoulder. "It’s oozing greenish junk. A world of ewwww."

Alex saw Callie’s jaw tighten and said, "Uh, Izzie, we’ve got this under control."

"But-"

Callie lifted her chin and glared at Izzie. "That’s a polite way of suggesting that you should get the fuck away from me because I can assure you that I hit harder and more frequently than Addison does."

Bailey moved a little, effectively causing Izzie to step back. She instructed her intern to retrieve a dosage of antibiotic and waited until she was gone before she returned to her task. "This looks several days old. Have you kept it clean and covered?"

"I haven’t covered it since it happened." Callie lifted her arm and pressed at the puffy area herself. "We’re going to have to take the stitches out. You think?"

Bailey smacked her hand. "I think that you need to stop touching it! You went to medical school! You know better!"

"*YOU* just touched it."

Holding up her hand, Bailey said, "Gloves! I have on gloves!" Rubbing a betadine swab over the area, she added, "How did this happen?"

Callie relayed the sordid details and smiled when Bailey laughed at her. "What? It just seemed like the right thing to do."

Izzie returned and Bailey gave Callie an injection of the strongest antibiotic they had. Bailey immediately sent the blond on another errand, this one senseless and unnecessary, and looked up at Callie. "I think the stitches need to come out. We can always use butterflies, but we need to clean it and that’s going to involve draining some of the infection."

"Gee, that sounds so fun." Callie shivered again. "Why is it so cold in here?"

Alex laid a hand on Callie’s head again and picked up a nearby thermometer. He stuck it in her ear and waited for it to beep."Your temp is a hundred and two! You should have told me that you felt this bad!"

"I did."

Feeling like the biggest ass in the world, he moved to sit beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders. He kissed the side of her head and held her free hand while Bailey numbed the bite and pulled the stitches out. It wasn’t as bad as he had feared and less than an hour after Bailey began, she had put a fresh bandage on the wound and given Callie a prescription for a strong antibiotic.

"Do not get it wet," Bailey advised. "At least for twenty-four hours. And for the love of all things sanitary could you please take better care of it?"

"I will," Callie promised. "Hey, how is the Jane Doe from the ferry crash? Ava?"

"She’s actually in surgery. Her water broke earlier and we called Addison in to deliver the baby. She’s in the gallery if y’all want to watch."

"I should take you home," Alex told Callie. "You should-"

She shook her head. "No. We’re going. Come on."

They walked out of the clinic and headed toward the elevator. Alex leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. Callie leaned her head against his shoulder and said, "Are you worried about her?"

"I’m worried about you. I - I knew something was wrong. You were so quiet this morning." He reached up and felt her head again. "When we check on Ava, we’re going back to your place and you’re taking a cool bath."

"I can’t get my arm wet."

"I know. I’ll be standing guard beside the tub to make sure you don’t. And enjoying the view."

"You know what?"

"What?"

Callie grinned up at him. "My place is pretty spacious so I’m just gonna put the offer out there and tell you if you want to live there ... you can. If it’s too fast or you -"

"I’ll pack as soon as the party is over." He kissed her, running his hand over her neck, behind it, and through her hair.

The door opened and George drew up short. He quickly stepped aside and let Mark Sloan go past him, then moved away before the *couple* had broken apart. He heard Mark tell them that they should have 'gotten enough last night' and heard Callie’s laughter. His heart had landed somewhere around his feet and he almost tripped over it. In actuality, he tripped over his untied shoelaces and fell against Izzie. She opened her mouth to say something to him, but he held up his hand and ran into the men’s bathroom, where he barricaded himself in the stall and didn’t come out.

Even after two pages.

*~*~*~*~*~

They arrived at the observatory in time to see the birth of Ava’s squirming and screaming baby girl. Every seat was taken, so Callie and Alex stood at the glass, him behind her. When he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, there were several whispers. Callie ignored them all and relaxed back against him. They watched until Addison looked glanced up and noticed them, giving them a thumbs up. When the baby was wheeled from the room, Alex pulled her along with him to the nursery where they now stood, peering at the little girl as she was examined. Grinning, Callie watched as the baby latched onto her tiny fist and began to suck. "I think she’s hungry."

The nurse swaddled her in a blanket and put a bottle in her mouth, which she latched onto like a pro. Alex shook his head. "I don’t get it. We’re the only ones here to see her. How is it possible that no one is looking for them?"

"Maybe they are. Maybe they just don’t know where to start." She gazed at the baby and then at the television across the hallway that was broadcasting CNN. "Maybe we need to take it on a bigger scale."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe Ava’s not from around here. Maybe she’s a flier, just like me."

Alex looked at her, alarmed. "You’d never think about -"

She cut him off. "We’re gonna take her story nationwide."

"How?"

Callie smiled at him. "Leave that to me."

"Hey," Addison came around the corner, pulling her scrub cap off. She looked in at the baby and then smiled at Callie, but it faded fast. "What’s wrong with you? You look different. Wait, it’s the hair. Ooooh, it *is* the hair. I like it!"

"She’s got an infection," Alex replied, still watching Callie with concern. She had said she was a ‘flier’ in the present tense.

"What kind of infection does she have?"

"She can’t take care of herself to save her life."

"What did she do?"

"Stop talking about me like I’m not here!" Callie snapped. "How’s Ava?"

"Ava’s resting. We were forced to give her a blood transfusion and there were some other minor complications so with the sedation and the pain medication she should probably wake up some time next week." Addison reached out and touched Callie’s forehead. "You’re hot. I know what you’re doing! You’re trying to get out of this party tomorrow night!"

"You caught me. I injected myself with Ebola when no one was looking?" Callie replied. "Are you still going to be able to go at four o’clock?"

"Go?" Addison shook her head. "You can’t be considering a shopping spree when you’re sick."

"I’m *fine*," Callie insisted, then looked at Alex. "I’m pretty sure I’m not contagious, but just in case I’ll wait here while you go and check on Ava."

He nodded at her and gave her a kiss, then walked down the hallway toward the recovery room. Callie watched him go and then looked at Addison. "This case really gets to him."

"This case really gets to *everybody*. Did you see how full the gallery was? No one ever shows up to watch a cesarean." Addison grinned at her friend. "You’re glowing and I don’t think it has anything at all to do with the fever."

Callie smiled. "I know it’s crazy and it’s quick and it’s insane, but the feelings I have for him are real. I’ve never felt this way in my entire life. He - he makes me laugh and he doesn’t care that I’m a freak of nature. He just *gets* it."

Addison put her arm around Callie and led her to a bench that was against the far wall. "You are *not* a freak of nature, but I’m happy that you’re happy."

"I was afraid you’d be pissed."

"No. You’re not the only one who was falling while you were gone. Mark exposed his tender underbelly and I fell hard. You know, I thought I loved him before and I said it and lived it, but ... I am so *in* love with him that it scares me." Addison folded her scrub cap and laid it on her leg. "He says he’s changed. He says that he’s a reformed slut and -"

"You don’t believe him?"

"I want to. I need to." Addison turned in the seat so she could look at her friend. "I was married to Derek for ten years and I ruined that to be with Mark. Part of me is afraid that I’m willing to believe him because I threw away my marriage for him."

Callie squeezed her hand. "I’m the last person to give advice about trust because I’m just now experiencing what it feels like to trust someone completely, but I can tell you that when I slept with Mark, it was very obvious to me that it was mechanical for him and - and his heart was somewhere else the whole time. I think we both know where it was."

Smiling, the red head said, "If I was gay I would so do you."

"If I was gay I’d let you."

Addison hugged her, holding on tight. "You’re the best friend I’ve ever had."

"Likewise." Callie wrapped her arms around her. "I *so* have souvenirs for you. Too many to carry so you’ll have to come to my house to get them."

Addy pulled away. "You’re not at the hotel anymore?"

"I bought a yacht."

"What?"

"I told you that I was embracing the money. It’s nice. We’re living out at Harbor Cove."

"You guys are moving in together?" Addison raised a brow.

"We are."

"Are you sure you want to go there?"

"I’m more sure that *not* going there would make me lose my mind." Callie grinned. "I told you, I’m a freak of nature. I jump out of the frying pan and into the fire every chance I get."

"Then I support you and your freaky, flamey ways." Addison squeezed her hand. "Are you wearing red to the party?"

"Yep."

"Since you’re matching my hair I’m going to match yours and go with black. I’m wearing black to mourn the loss of my heart and my sex life."

"When will your cycle end?"

"It’s tapering off. I fully intend for it to be over tomorrow night and after we leave your party, Mark is *mine*."

"Oooh, wanna borrow my handcuffs?"

Addison started to laugh until she saw the serious look on her friend’s face. "Wait, are you serious? You have handcuffs?"

"I also have a whip, chains, and nipple clamps." Callie bumped against her shoulder. "I’ll put a little something in the pocket of the purse I bought you in L.A. The purse, by the way, is black so if you really wear a black dress, it’ll work."

"You are a dirty, dirty person."

"Alex hasn’t even seen that side of me yet."

"What side?" Alex asked, joining them. "I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you from every angle."

Addison and Callie burst out laughing and continued to do for a majority of the afternoon.

*~*~

Addison found her dress while Callie was helping Alex find a suit. It was black and low cut and as soon as she stepped out of the dressing room to look in a bigger mirror, Mark dropped the several bags he was carrying and walked into the sacred ‘women’s only’ area to kiss her. "So, this is the one?" she asked innocently.

"This is definitely the one."

He wound up buying the dress for her and then they found Callie and Alex, who was carrying several bags himself. The girls linked arms and walked ahead of them, chattering away and Mark shared a look with Alex. "How many more stores can they go in?"

"Callie said something about shoes."

"There were shoes where we just were."

"She didn’t like those."

"We’re pack mules," Mark said, lifting the many packages in his arms a little higher. "Addison’s closet is already filled to capacity. If this keeps on they’ll need to rent storage units for everything."

"They’re bound to run out of energy soon." Alex glanced at his watch. "We’ve been at this for four and a half hours!"

"I’m starving." Mark sighed. "How are they not hungry? They’re the ones who have tried on everything they’ve seen. Surely they’ve worked up an appetite."

Alex groaned a little when the women walked into another department store. "Damn it. There are more than *shoes* in there. And the mall doesn’t close until ten."

"That’s an hour and a half away."

The smell of food made Alex’s stomach rumble. "Want a pretzel?"

"Sure."

They were sitting on a bench, enjoying the respite, when Callie and Addison emerged from the store a little later. Both women were carrying several bags and Mark shook his head. "Is this what couples do?"

"Look around, dude."

Mark scanned the area. There were several men who were clearly in the same predicament, laden with bags and *waiting* for the women to get enough. They all had the same exasperated look on their faces. And every single man in the vicinity had turned to watch Callie and Addison. The women were laughing again, oblivious to the many eyes on them. Mark took a deep breath when Addison smiled at him. "I don’t guess I really mind."

"Me either." Alex was staring at Callie’s legs as he chewed his pretzel. A second later, she sat on his lap and kissed him.

Callie pulled off a piece of his pretzel and popped it in her mouth. "Why are you spoiling your dinner?"

"Is there dinner in this plan? Because we were beginning to wonder," Mark said, getting to his feet.

Addison held out her bags and said, "Yes, Mr. Impatient. We’re going to the Japanese steak house in the food court before the mall closes."

Mark accepted the bags she held out and shot a look at Alex, who was doing the same. "Pack mules," he said again, under his breath.

"What was that?" Addison asked, already several steps ahead of him, her arm through Callie’s again.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

"Is it just me or do they look like they’re tired?" Callie glanced from one man to the other. "How can *you* be tired? We’re the ones shopping! You’re just ... here."

Alex narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you see that we’re carrying everything?"

Addison put her hands on her hips. "Women get the *periods* and have to *carry* life inside of them. Men? You have no concept of PMS pain or what contractions feel like so you get to *carry* the bags. And since you’re whining about it it’s proof that you’d have a full blown nervous breakdown if the shoe was on the other foot and you actually had an uninvited monthly visitor who came without fail. So, shut up and carry the bags before I suffocate you both with one of them."

"What did I do?" Mark asked, eyes wide.

"You said ‘pack mules’. My hearing is perfect," Callie replied. "And I could make you feel what a contraction feels like by pulling your rib cage through your stomach. I’ll gladly do that if either one of you complains again."

Alex blinked and watched the duo walk off. "Neither one of them has ever experienced a damn contraction, either. You know, when they’re together they’re dangerous."

"Yet we keep following."

Smiling, Alex enjoyed the sway of Callie’s backside. "The view isn’t half bad."

"And the danger just makes it more fun."

"We’re pathetic."

*~*~*~*~*~

After eating more fried rice and sushi than a person should, Callie was so exhausted that she fell asleep in the jeep on the way back to the yacht. Alex woke her gently with a kiss and helped her out of the car. He carried the bags in one hand and kept a grip on her arm as they walked down the trail, which was thankfully lit, but not well. He didn’t like the thought of her coming home alone and made a mental note to buy her a can of mace for the nights when they had differing shifts. Maybe he could talk to someone and make sure they worked together. Anything could happen in such a remote place.

He dropped the bags in the living room and led her to the bedroom, where he felt her head again. The fever had broken earlier in the day, but he kept feeling just to make sure. She had told him that she felt bad and he had brushed it off, not believing her. It made him feel worse than she probably did and it was a mistake he wouldn't make again. He had annoyed her enough for her to threaten him if he kept feeling of her. Unzipping her dress, he pushed it down her body and then stood. She had not worn a bra, but underneath the pretty dress, she had worn a pair of boy shorts with rifles all over them. "Guns, Cal?"

"I like guns," she said with a yawn. "They have bullets."

"I’m going to go see if I find your medicine in one of the seven thousand bags I brought in. I’ll be right back."

Callie rubbed her eyes and walked into the bathroom, where she brushed her teeth and washed her face. As she was drying it, she looked in the mirror. She really had lost a lot of weight. Her breasts had suffered the most. She had lost a full cup size in them, but luckily they had weathered it well and had not drooped at all. Sucking in her stomach, she frowned. Never, in her adult life, had sucking in her stomach exposed the bottom of her rib cage. It made her wrinkle her nose in distaste. She turned and looked at her back, where she usually had two love handles. She could see her ribs there, too, and there was no sign of her spare tire.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Missing my curves."

"I never really experienced your curves, but I remember them fondly." He held out a bottle of water and a pill.

"Do you think I look bad?"

"No, I don’t. But I don’t think you should lose any more weight, either."

She swallowed the antibiotic and sighed. "Would you still like me if I -"

"You don’t even have to ask that." Alex stepped into the bathroom and hugged her. "I have liked you through it all and I’ll love you through the rest."

"That really is the most perfect thing you could have said."

Alex kissed her shoulder. "I’m sorry about today. You told me you didn’t feel good and -"

"That’s not a very good apology." She took a step back. "Nothing says I’m sorry like multiple orgasms. You taught me that and I’m ready for you to apologize the right way."

He grinned. "You need to get some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day and -"

"Nothing makes me sleepier than sex. Lots and lots of sex."

"You win. Give me ten minutes. I’m gonna take a quick shower."

Callie walked from the room and crawled under the covers.

She was fast asleep almost before her head hit the pillows.

Alex emerged twelve minutes later, a towel around his waist. He kneeled beside the bed and watched her for a while. It had scared him, earlier in the day, when she had mentioned that she was a ‘flier’. She didn’t use the past tense, she had said ‘maybe she’s a flier, like me’. Callie had vanished for fifteen days and no one, least of all George, had known where to look. That worried him. A lot. If Callie had not invited him along for her latest excursion and had sailed Goon Docks home alone she could have died. The shark could have gotten her and no one would have known where to start looking for her.

Most people would have assumed that she had killed herself in the Pacific Ocean.

He brushed her hair back, tracing her cheek with his thumb. It scared him how much he needed her. The way his want had been replaced by need was a shock. He certainly wanted her, he had wanted to have sex with her the night they went to the movies and had the crab dinner, but now ... now he needed her. He needed to see her face when he woke up and sleep with her beside him. In nearly thirty years of life ... he had only ever needed three things: food, water, and a place to sleep. But, he needed her more than any of those things.

The moment he crawled into the bed, she murmured his name and rolled against him. He wrapped his arms around her and wondered if it was possible to hold onto someone with wings. Callie had wings. She could sail the yacht away while he was at work or pick up her plane in Los Angeles and fly halfway around the world before he even knew she was gone. ‘No’, he thought. ‘You’d feel her leaving. She’d take such a big part of you that you’d die.’

Alex slept after a while.

In his dreams, Callie was sick, sweating, and she was sailing into a storm that she didn’t make it out of alive.

He awoke just before dawn and didn't sleep again.

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 22
*~*~*~*~*~

"Make sure she eats lunch."

"I will."

"And - and don’t let her parents stress her out."

"I won’t."

"And tell her that she -"

"Alex, go away." Addison pointed at the door of the nail salon. "Mark is not a patient man and he’s probably revving his engine hard enough to kill the valet guys with the fumes. It was hard as hell for him to get a tee time on such short notice. So go."

Alex looked back at Callie, who had been seated in a spa chair and already had her feet submerged in the water. "Just keep an eye on her."

It took five more minutes for a vacant spot to open for Addison and luckily it was right beside Callie. "Your boyfriend," she said, "is insane."

"Why? What’d he do?" Callie asked.

"He worries about *everything*."

"I know. Oh my god. This morning he checked my seat belt twice before he put the car in reverse. And he practically held me hostage in bed until I ate, actually, make that choked down, the French toast he had made. I think he forgot to put it in eggs."

Addison snorted. "Ew. What did it taste like?"

"Lard fried bread."

"He didn’t use butter?"

"I don’t think so. It was waxy."

"And you don’t care at all, do you?" Addison gave her a knowing smile.

"He cooked me breakfast in bed. It could have been shoe leather and I would have loved it." Callie leaned her head back against the seat, which was massaging her back and legs. "My parents are going to be intense. I can feel it. Are you sure you want to go with me?"

"I’m positive."

"Did I tell you Mom is making Alex pretend to by my husband?"

"He’s already acting like it." Addison shrugged. "Of course, Derek never checked my seat belt."

"I’ve never been with anyone who thinks of things like that. You know? He’s so over-protective and he gets jealous and pissed off at the dumbest thing, but it just seems to work. We argued *so* much on the boat and then an hour later we didn’t even remember what we were mad about." Callie smiled. "It’s just weird."

"Good weird?"

"Perfect weird." Callie looked at her. "So, are you going to be a happy girl tonight or is everything still red in the world of Addison?"

"The crimson wave has come and gone. It’s over. Totally and completely over. I am going to do things to him that he never, ever dreamed possible."

"Are you flexible?"

"What do you mean?"

"I’ll show you a little move later that will have him following you around on his knees begging for more."

"I’m suddenly scared." Addison picked up the polish she had chosen and said, "Do you like this?"

"You did wear salmon scrubs once. Why not paint your nails that color?"

"At least I’m not going *red*."

"My dress is red. I don’t want to clash." Callie studied her own choice of color. "Besides, red screams vixen."
"It also screams waitress. Or maybe pole dancer."

"I took pole dancing lessons for years," Callie replied. "It’s great exercise."

Addison simply shook her head. An hour and a half later they were manicured, pedicured, and waxed from the waist down. Sinking into the leather of her convertible, Addison said, "I can not believe I let you talk me into a Brazilian wax. Oh my god, this leather is *hot* on my ass."

Callie grinned. "Everything’s hotter when you’re hairless."

"I’m going to start writing down your one liners. I could make millions."

*~*~*~*~*~

Melana Torres paced the length of the Ambassador Suite and tapped her watch. She had been expecting her daughter all morning, even though Callie had made it clear that she would arrive at noon. She looked at Stavros, her eldest son, who was working on his laptop and then turned to Loukas, who was engrossed in a television program. They were the spitting image of their father and both were as useless as her husband when it came to calming her nerves. She sighed dramatically and earned a glance from Stavros for her trouble, but he turned back to the computer screen a moment later.

"What do I say to her?" she finally snapped, flipping off the television and glaring at Loukas. "What do I say when she gets here?"

"How about hello?" Stavros said when Loukas didn’t reply. He closed his computer. He knew his mother’s many moods and how to interpret the warning signs for an official tantrum. "And after that you can tell her that you missed her and you are glad to see her."

"I found four grey hairs this morning. Four!" Melana replied. "She’s going to be the death of me."

Loukas scratched the side of his head. "Mom? She’s happy. You heard what Cam said at breakfast. He said that this Alex guy seems good for her and that she smiled the entire time they were together. That’s a far cry from her trying to drink herself to death."

"I could strangle her for inviting Cam out to see her and not us. She didn’t even call me until this morning. She’s been back since Thursday! And she waits until Saturday, the day of the party that I have been working myself to death to plan, to call me. She’s a horrible person and -"

Someone knocked at the door and Melana practically leaped across the room. "Oh, she’s here! Callie, honey!"

Cam smiled at her when she opened the door. "Close, but not quite. Can we come in?"

"Yes, yes. Hurry up." Melana yanked him, then Blake into the room and peered into the hallway. There was no sign of her daughter yet so she closed the door, hard, and looked at Cam. "I was just telling your brothers that Callie is hard headed, self indulgent, impulsive and out of control. Your father is lying down right now in a state of nervous collapse over what she has done to us -"

"Dad is not lying down," Stavros interjected. "He’s trying to watch ‘The Incredible Hulk’ marathon."

"Whatever," Melana growled. "I know him better than you. I’ve been married to him longer than you’ve been alive and I happen to know when he’s upset."

"I’m not upset." Raphael came out of the bedroom and smiled at his sons. "I just can’t wait to see my little girl."

"All of you are blind to her faults. Every last one of you." Melana crossed her arms over her chest. "You wait. As soon as I see her I’m going to let her have it and I won’t stop until she’s trembling with heartfelt apologies to all of us."

"She doesn’t need to apologize to me." Loukas shook his head.

"Me either," Stavros agreed. "She’s Callie. This is what she does."

"It’s that attitude," Mel said, "that makes her think it’s okay to do this again and again. She ran off to Europe. She ran off to Mexico. She ran off to Australia. All before she was eighteen! And your poor father had to go collect her every single time!"

A soft knock on the door caused her to spin and yank it open. Callie stood on the other side and she looked at her mother with apprehension. "Hi, Mom."

"Oh, Calliope!" Melana tugged her into her arms, then held her at arm’s length. "You’ve lost more weight, honey! But you look so pretty! You’re skin is bronze and you’re cheeks are glowing and I was just telling your brothers that the past is the past and I’m just so glad that you’re back."

Callie looked over her mother’s shoulder. If the expression on Cam’s face was any indication ... her mother had most assuredly not been telling them any such thing. She handed Melana a small box that she pulled from her purse. "Souvenir."

Melana opened it and gasped when she saw the black mother of pearl bracelet. "It’s beautiful, sweetheart. Thank you."

"You’re welcome." Callie stepped past her, with an audible sigh of relief, and walked into her father’s arms. "I’m sorry, Daddy. I’m really sorry if I worried you."

Raphael held her tight. "It’s okay, kitten."

"Thanks for being the kind of dad who looks for me." She kissed him on the cheek. "And who knew to stop."

"I didn’t want to stop," Raph replied, kissing her forehead. "Your brother forced my hand."

Stavros and Loukas took turns hugging her, fretting over her weight loss, and threatening to kill her. Callie introduced Addison and saw that both of her eldest brothers puffed up like peacocks in an attempt to impress her. She left Addison sitting between them on the sofa and hugged Cam, then Blake. Her mother hovered, looking at the bandage on her arm, fussing over her hair, and finally Blake distracted Melana while Callie pulled her father into the bedroom and shut the door.

"Is something wrong, mija?" Raphael asked, sitting on the bed.

"No, nothing’s wrong." Callie sat beside him and pulled a book from the depths of her purse. "I hope you like it."

Tears clouded his eyes when he opened the leather bound cover of ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ and saw that she had written a note in it. He cleared his throat and read it out loud. "Daddy, you read this to me every night until I was old enough to read it to you. I never read it as well as you did, but I still have my dog eared copy and every time I open it I think of you. Just like the rabbit in this book, you made me real with your love. And I’ll always come back no matter how far I go. Always. I love you, Callie."

She watched him wipe his eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I missed you."

"Oh, baby," Raphael put an arm around her. "I missed you, too."

"Thank you for taking care of the divorce stuff. I - I need to sign the papers. I want to do it before tonight." She sat up suddenly and glared at her father. "You gave him my *car*."

"I bought you a new one yesterday. Something that suits you better." Raphael kissed her and stood, gathering the folder that contained the papers. He took a pen from the desk and sat beside her again. "Are you quite certain this is what you want?"

She nodded and opened the file. George had obviously signed everything quickly. His signature was nowhere near the lines intended for him. She went through them, not bothering to read anything, and signed her name neatly and swiftly. When she finished, she closed the file and handed it back to him. "I feel fifty pounds lighter," she told him with a grin.

"If you were fifty pounds lighter you’d be dead." He put the folder behind them on the bed and said, "You and Alex?"

"We’re together. And if you could accept him with minimal carnage and get Mom to do the same thing that would be really great."

"You can tell a lot about a man by the way he touches a woman. I knew I liked him when I saw the way he held you in your hospital room, but when he said that he had saved your life ... I actually thought that I’d rather have him in the family than George. Your Alex knows how to make a first impression." He brushed her hair back. "All I ask is that you think of yourself first this time."

"I don’t have to. He makes me think of myself first. Daddy, he jumped into the ocean to save me from a great white shark. And this morning? He wouldn’t leave me alone until I ate and ... "

"Shark?"

"It’s not important." Callie shook her head. "Let’s change the subject. You remember when I told you about the ferry disaster?"

"Yes, but if memory serves I saw it on the news and had to track you down to make sure you were uninjured. You didn’t call me. I was frantic."

"Hello? I had surgeries all day. Doctor, here." Callie attempted to sound exasperated, but she couldn’t. "There’s a woman who was injured that day. Her face was destroyed so she had plastic surgery that completely altered her appearance. She was pregnant and alone and had her baby yesterday. It’s been on the news here, but no one has claimed her. I want to get her national coverage. I can get blood type, any scars or previous surgeries, and photos of her and the baby, but I need your help."

"You get the pertinent information and I’ll do the rest."

She hugged him. "Thank you, Daddy."

"If I ask you something, mija, will you be honest with me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Have you had anything to drink while you’ve been gone?"

She shook her head. "No. Nothing but water and juice."

"You promise?"

"I do."

Melana knocked on the door and pushed it open. She carried Gucci, who became frantic when he saw Callie. "Someone else wants to say hello."

Callie took the little monkey in her arms and kissed him. "What’s Addison doing?"

"Explaining for the fourth time that she has a boyfriend." Melana smiled. "Your brothers appear to be infatuated."

"I better go rescue her." Callie held Gucci like a baby and he seemed to enjoy it so much that he sucked his thumb. "We have to get our hair done in an hour."

"We’re going to order room service. What would you like?" Mel asked.

"Hmm." Callie shrugged. "Surprise me."

Melana and Raphael watched her walk out of the room, then looked at one another and smiled.

"She’s better," Raph said.

"She’s glowing."

"She said that she’s with Alex. They’re a couple."

"Did I not just say she was glowing?"

Raph’s smile faded. "You don’t think it’s because of - she didn’t have -"

"Oh, of course not. She didn’t have sex with him. She’s glowing because abstinence is very fulfilling."

He glared at her.

She blew him a kiss.

*~*~*~*~*~

Alex and Mark spent more time walking and talking to one another than they did golfing. They had more in common than an interest in plastics. Both had worked as caddies during their college days to make ends meet. Alex, who had always assumed that Mark had grown up wealthy and privileged, was shocked to learn that he had put himself through college and that it had taken him years to pay off his loans. He listened raptly as Mark explained that his father had been a millionaire, but his mother had been nothing more than a gold digger who had married the much older man for his money. And Mark was not allowed to touch any of the money his father had left him until he got married and stayed that way for five years.

Mark had, he told Alex, been an unplanned mistake that his mother regretted from the moment she gave birth to him. After his father died, she had blown through the money and lost the house, the cars, and the lifestyle she had grown to depend on. By that time, Mark was already away at college. She had tried to force him to marry someone, anyone, but Mark staunchly refused because to do so would have meant that his mother would hound him for money.

"Where is she now?" Alex shifted the set of clubs he had rented from one shoulder to the other. "Your mother."

"Who knows?" Mark shrugged. "I haven’t heard from her in years."

"You don’t wonder what happened to her?"

"She happened to herself. She made my father’s life a living hell and granted, he was a mean bastard, but she flaunted her men and her whorish ways in his face after he was bedridden. That’s not someone I want to know." Mark glanced at the other man. "What about you? Where are your parents? What’s their story?"

"My dad abused my mom. Physically. Mentally."

"Damn."

"I put him in the hospital when I was big enough. I kicked his ass and he never came back." He took a deep breath. "My mom was clinically depressed after that. She missed him. I stayed in Iowa to be near her. I had a full scholarship in New York, but I didn’t go. I didn’t want her to be alone."

"Where is she now?"

Alex shook his head.

Mark pressed. "Is she -"

"I don’t know."

"What happened to her?"

Alex stared out over the golf course. No one knew the truth. No one. He thought long and hard before he made the decision to tell Mark Sloan. He didn’t know if it was because he had admired Sloan as a surgeon for so long or if it was because he was still thinking about the dream he’d had the night before about Callie, but whatever it was, his tongue loosened before he could stop it. "She was on a lot of medication. Anti-depressants and stuff. It was like she became a different person. She just stopped working and stayed in the bed all day. I came home for the weekend and she was gone. She was just ... gone."

"Did she leave a note? Anything?"

"Yeah. She left a note on the front door saying that she needed to get away. She asked me not to worry."

"Did you look for her?"

"I did. That entire summer. I went through her address book and called everyone she had ever known. I tried to get the police involved, but they said that she had not been kidnapped and there was nothing they could do." Alex glanced at the other man. "I have her listed as a missing person online and I talk to our old neighbors every week, but she’s never shown up."

"Is this is why you’re so involved with the Jane Doe from the ferry crash?"

"I see a lot of my mother in her."

"Does Callie know?"

"She doesn’t know about my mother and I’m not going to tell her."

"Why?"

"Because she has enough baggage of her own and I love her."

"You love her?"

"Yeah."

"That was fast."

"Falling normally is. One minute you’re walking and the next you’re flat on the ground."

"When do you come back to work?"

"Monday."

Mark nodded. "I’ve got an interesting facial reconstruction coming in. Guy was attacked by a dog a couple of years ago and he’s finally got insurance that is willing to repair the damage. You want to scrub in?"

"Yeah." Alex smiled, relieved that the conversation had gone in a different direction. "I’d love to."

Mark glanced down at his watch. "I guess we should head back. It’s getting late."

Alex shifted his clubs again. "We didn’t really golf much."

"I never do. I just like the way it feels to carry my *own* irons instead of someone else’s."

"I know the feeling."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie and Addison got ready on the yacht. They had spent far too much time at the beauty shop, but neither could complain about the results. Callie’s hair was curled in a sophisticated looking old-Hollywood style that cascaded perfectly over her shoulders. Her red dress had the same kind of retro feel. The flowing skirt hung just below her knees and was cut similar to Marilyn Monroe’s white dress in ‘Seven Year Itch’. The best part was that her back and sides were left exposed due to the dress’s cut out pattern. It was sexy. It made her feel invincible.

Addison had opted for curls as well and as she zipped her dress, she knew that she looked better than she ever had. Her dress was slinky, but also had a flowing skirt which Callie had assured her was required for dancing at Latin parties. She twirled in front of the mirrors in the starboard bedroom and nodded. Mark would definitely be eating out of the palm of her hand.

Both women gasped when they saw one another. They exclaimed over every last detail of the other’s appearance. Addison fell in love with Callie’s shoes, which were red leather with three straps that went around her ankle. Callie decided that Addison’s dress was the sexiest thing she had ever seen and they were still discussing fashion when Mark and Alex arrived.

"Oh my god," Alex said, looking Callie up and down. "You’re beautiful."

"Jesus, Addison," Mark dropped his suit onto the sofa and hurried across the salon, touching her hair. "We could skip the party and hang out here."

"No way! I’m all dressed up with somewhere to go!" She kissed him and then looked at Callie and Alex, who were standing in the galley, talking softly to one another. She was struck by how great they looked together. "You guys better get dressed."

"Whose car is that parked beside yours?" Mark asked Addison. "The Mercedes convertible?"

"Mine," Callie replied. "My dad decided I needed a welcome home gift."

Mark looked shocked. "That’s an AMG Roadster! They’re about two hundred grand. Especially one as loaded as yours."

"What’d you do? Look in the windows?"

"Uh, yeah."

Callie chuckled. "I wanted a Volkswagen Beetle. Green. Less than twenty thousand bucks, but my dad’s tastes are a little more extravagant than mine. The Mercedes does go a hundred and fifty five miles per hour, though."

Mark looked at Alex. "We will put a governor on it to top it out at seventy tomorrow."

"We’ll top it out at sixty." Alex corrected, looking at Callie again. "I think you should wear a different dress. This one borders on indecent."

"It does *not*," Addison replied before Callie could. "It crosses the border and that’s exactly what she needs to do."

Mark had finally taken a look at the yacht and he said, "Jesus, Torres. How rich is your family?"

Addison smacked him. "You don’t ask people that."

Callie simply looked amused as she took Alex’s hand and led him into her bedroom. No, their bedroom. She had laid his suit out and sat down on the bed beside it. "How was golf?"

He kissed her, running his hands over her bare sides and back. "You’re going to kill me if you wear this."

She reached under his suit jacket and pulled out the Speedo she had purchased in Los Angeles. "You’re going to kill me if you wear this."

Alex took it from her, holding it between his finger and thumb like it was contaminated. "No, I’ll kill you if you *make* me wear this. I made it very clear that I wouldn’t be caught dead in it."

"Please?"

"Callie, these things are sperm killers," he replied, stretching the fabric. "This would ruin our chances of having a family one day and I was hoping for an even dozen."

The smile on her face faded and she looked at him with wide eyed wonder. "Did you just say - you didn’t mean -"

"What?" he asked, wadding up the Speedo in his hand. "Is that too many?"

"You like kids? I mean, Addison said you grumbled about the gynie squad all the time."

"I love kids ... I don’t like looking at vaginas all day." He reached up and touched a curl that was hanging over her arm. "Unless it’s yours."

"Wanna take a look right now?"

Alex glanced at his watch. "We’re running late and I think our friends out there would notice if we started rocking this thing like it was in a hurricane."

"We’re good at that."

"We are." Alex kissed her and let the Speedo dangle from his fingertips again. "Are you serious? You want me to wear this?"

"I’m serious."

"What are you wearing under that dress?"

She uncrossed her legs and slid her skirt a little higher. "One red garter belt that you’ll be taking off for the amusement of my family." She moved it higher still. "And because my skirt will billow when we dance, I have on lacy, red, tight panties that most people would think came with the dress. They’re very modest." She opened her legs. "But only you know that they’re crotchless."

"Fuck it. We’re gonna have to be late."

*~*~*~*~*~

They were late. Forty minutes late.

The party was in full swing by the time they walked in. Addison and Mark moved off to the side to talk to Cam and Blake while Callie’s extended family swarmed around her. And Alex. By the time they made it to the main table thirty minutes later, Callie was flabbergasted and Alex’s cheeks had been pinched so much they were bright red.

Raphael greeted Alex with a bear hug and Melana did the same, but she whispered, "I knew it. A mother knows these things. You said you were just friends, but I knew better."


"I didn’t lie. At that time we were just friends." Alex smiled at her. "I’m always the last to know, though, so you were right."

"Please, please, sit down and let’s eat. You don’t keep Greek people waiting on dinner and Calliope has no sense of time." Melana waved her hand at the waiters and the first of seven courses arrived. She looked at her daughter and said, "You *had* to wear something that showed off that hideous tattoo, didn’t you?"

With a nod, Callie said, "You had to put *pink* in the decorations, didn’t you?"

Melana wrinkled her nose as she stared at the centerpiece on the table. "It was perfect until Cambyses bought a truck full black roses and stuck them into all the floral arrangements."

"I think the black looks better," Callie replied.

"That’s because you’re evil, honey," Melana told her, patting her hand. "Perhaps you’ll grow out of it."

"Most of my panties have skulls on them, Mom. That’s never going to change."

Mel choked on her salad and shook her head. "Calliope, tell me that you are not going to embarrass me if your dress flies up on the dance floor."

"Let’s just say that everything matches and leave it at that." Callie shared a knowing smile with Alex and then listened as he talked at length with Cambyses about politics.

Callie looked further down the table at Addison, who was sitting next to Blake. Her brother’s boyfriend appeared thrilled at his inclusion at the main family table and was engaging Mark in a very lively discussion about God only knew what. One of her cousins caught her eye and waved and she smiled, lifting her hand. Looking to her left, she saw that Stavros and Loukas were seated side by side and there were three empty chairs that should have been filled by Ronnie, Jerry, and Louise.

Her fork clattered onto her plate and she pushed it away. She should have called Louise and explained everything. She should have spoken to Ronnie and Jerry. They were her friends. They had been her family and -

"Hey," Alex said softly. "You okay?"

"Excuse me," she said, pushing her chair back. She hurried out of the ballroom and into the large, spacious bathroom across the hall. Three female relatives stood at the sink and she forced herself to smile at them before she rushed into the stall. She listened to them chatter in Spanish and breathed a sigh of relief when they left the room.

She recognized Addison’s shoes a little while later. Her friend knocked on the door and said, "Are you sick?"

"No."

"Are you peeing?"

"No."

"Look, Alex is getting antsy. I told him to go back to the table, but if you don’t show up soon he’s going to throw caution to the wind and stalk right in here." Addison waited patiently for a few seconds. "I’ll crawl over. I have on a dress so I can hike my leg really high."

"I just need a minute."

Addison rattled the door. "Why?"

"Because Louise was always very good to me and she’s not here," Callie admitted.

"Do you really think Louise would want to be here to see you suck face with Alex?"

"Can you please try to feel my pain? She helped plan this party. She was excited for it."

"I’m sure she understands. I took George to her place while you were gone and she was so pissed at him that she wouldn’t let him stay."

Callie opened the door and peered out at the red head. "Really?"

"Really."

"I’m okay with not being with George, but I got really close to his family. Ronnie called me every Wednesday during trivia at the pub so that I could help him with the answers. And Jerry called me about the dumbest things in the world, but I didn’t mind. I’ll miss them, you know?"

"You don’t have to miss them. Call them tomorrow and ask them to lunch. Tell them that you still love them even though you’re not with George."

"Oh, I’m sure they’d love that," Callie replied, dripping with sarcasm.

"I bet they would." Addison pulled Callie out of the stall and hugged her. "I still talk to Derek’s sisters and his mother calls me all the time."

"Is it normal to feel ... good about losing one thing, but bad about losing the rest?"

"You haven’t lost anything that you can’t find." Addison took a step back and smiled at her. "I bet they’re going to be a lot happier to hear from you than you think. Now, come on. Alex is alone out there."

Callie walked to the mirror and refreshed her makeup. Taking a deep breath, she nodded at Addison and they walked back toward the ballroom. Callie was waylaid by her Uncle Kick, who lifted her off her feet and spun her around. She told him about her yacht and he decided that Addison was *required* to hear the story of how Callie and Cam had stolen from him. By the time he finished with his very exaggerated and hilarious tale, Addison was crying from laughing so hard and Callie had forgotten all about being upset.

When she finally returned to her seat, the fourth course was being taken away. Alex immediately felt for a fever. "Are you feeling sick again?"

She shook her head, aware that her parents were watching her closely. She pasted a smile on her face and said, "No, I’m fine."

Alex, who had seen her smile enough to know a fake one when he saw it, leaned a little closer and whispered, "Don’t do that. Don’t pretend that nothing’s wrong. What is it?"

"It’s not important." She squeezed his hand then made a face when the waiter put a heaping serving of steak pommodor and new potato salad in front of her. Her plate was close to overflowing and she knew that it had been intentional. Neither Alex nor her mother had enough food to feed a small colony. "What the hell?"

"You missed the four previous courses, sweetheart," Melana picked up a fork and held it out to her. "You can make up for it now."

"Gluttony is a sin." Callie took a bite of the potato salad and said, "Oooh, but it’s good."

She looked at Alex, ready to warn him about her Uncle Kick’s penchant for tall tales, when she saw that he was watching her with an expression she had never seen before. He looked angry. She quickly turned her attention back to her food, then looked back at him after a few seconds. His food was untouched. "You don’t like it?"

He leaned toward her and said, "No, I don’t like it. Something’s on your mind and it was obviously important enough for you to run out of here, but you don’t want to tell me what it was."

"I got overwhelmed for a second," Callie whispered against his ear, trying to look like she was sharing something special, because she knew that people were looking. "I have a tendency to run when I’m overwhelmed. You should be used to it. I took you with me last time. Now, please eat because not eating in my family is considered a felony and my mother is watching us like a hawk."

Alex picked up his fork and said, "You know what?"

"What?"

"You don’t fucking run anymore," he said it softly, but the conviction in his voice was unmistakable. "I don’t care how god damned overwhelmed you are."

She raised her eyebrows, shocked, and whispered, "What’s wrong with you?"

"You. Running. Flying."

"What are you talking about?" Luckily for Callie, a group of Latin singers were walking closer and closer, playing their violins and guitars and singing softly to the assembled guests so she was the only one who heard Alex’s response.

"It’s what you do. You just said it. You run. You fly. You can disappear if you want and I’m sick of you reminding me of that."

She forgot all about attempting to save face. Her mouth dropped open and her nostrils flared. "Are you actually trying to start an argument with me right now. Right now!?"

Alex glared at her and turned to Cam, asking him something about the lyrics of the song that was being sung. She listened to her brother explain and pushed her food around on her plate. She was tempted to knock her glass of water into her lap as an excuse to go to the bathroom again, but she refrained. Looking to her left, she saw that her parents were watching her play with her food and she sighed when her mother told her that she would hold up the sixth course until she was finished.

"Don’t," Callie replied. "I had a big lunch and I’m taking antibiotics that refuse to let me eat much."

"You did not have a big lunch, Calliope," Melana replied. "You only ate half of it."

"That’s because you ordered me a foot long sub!"

"You’re ungrateful and picky."

Callie sat back in her seat when the food was cleared and stuffed crab was put in front of her. "Why the *hell* is there so much food?"

"Our family eats, honey." Melana passed her a bread basket. "Do you not like the menu?"

"It’s fine," Callie assured her. "Everything’s perfect. You did a great job and I’m *grateful*."

"Well, I didn’t plan it alone."

Callie handed the basket to Alex, who was still not looking at her. She pulled off a little piece of the bread and chewed it thoughtfully. "Mom, how is Louise?"

"Devastated." Melana looked at her daughter and shook her head. "She really does love you and she wanted you and George to -"

"Not going there."

Melana plowed ahead. "She wanted you and George to at least remain friends."

"We were never friends." Callie picked up her glass for lack of anything better to do and took several sips of water. "I’m going to call her tomorrow. You think - you think she’d be okay with that?"

"She wanted me to tell you that a divorce will not change the fact that you’re family."

Beside her, Alex stood and mumbled ‘excuse me’. It took Callie a second to realize that the musicians had moved away and she had been openly discussing her mother-in-law. Melana watched Alex walk from the room and said, "Honey, perhaps you should go and talk to him."

Callie nodded and caught up with him as he stalked across the lobby toward the front entrance. "Where are you going?"

"I need some fresh air."

She saw a gaggle of elderly aunts and grabbed his hand. "I know a better place to get it."

He followed her to the elevator, but pulled his hand from her grip as soon as the doors closed. "So, you’re going to call O’Malley’s mother?"

"Alex-"

"She’s going to beg you to take him back and plead his case and -"

"And I’ll tell her that I’ve moved on." Callie forced him to look at her. "And just for the record, I’m sorry for whatever I did to make you mad."

"Whatever you did? How can you not know? How can you not see it?"

The doors opened and she led him down a circular hallway and opened her purse, pulling out a key card. She scanned it and led him onto the roof, which was dotted with telescopes and viewing stations. They walked in silence for a few minutes and she finally leaned against the railing and gazed at the Space Needle in the distance. "I’ll miss coming up here. After a bad day this is what I would do."

"How many times did you think about jumping?"

She turned to him. "Never!"

"Do you know what I was doing while you were hiding in the bathroom? I was listening to your mother tell me that you like to vanish. She told me how you disappeared to Australia when you wrecked your father’s car. She told me that you had gone to Europe because you got mad at her for forcing you to have a coming out party. And she told me that you’re never going to stop running, Callie. And you said the same damn thing when you finally came back into the room!" He shook his head, his anger bitter in his mouth. "How do I hang onto you if I can’t catch you?"

"I’m not going anywhere." She reached for him but he sidestepped and moved away. "Alex, I don’t understand where this is coming from. I’m here. I’m with you. I - I want to be with you and -"

"You vanished for fifteen days. George was going insane. Addison was going insane. And then when you found out about George and Izzie you suggested that maybe you should get away again and I never questioned it because I was so excited about the prospect of getting you alone, but you would have gone without me because that’s what you do. You run. You fly away." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you have any idea how scary it is to know that you could be here today and gone tomorrow? That maybe you could get pissed off at me and just leave?"

Callie stepped back as if he had slapped her. "You don’t believe anything I’ve said to you. You don’t trust me or -"

"No! You don’t get to be the martyr! I’m asking you to think about how it feels, Callie, to know that the person you love, the only person you’ve ever loved, can’t be tamed. You put a bird on your back to remind you that there is no cage big enough to hold you."

"You just don’t get it."

"Then help me get it!"

"You’re the anchor. You’re *my* anchor. I knew I was dying in the parking garage of this hotel, but your name on my phone penetrated the alcohol and gave me a reason to live. I told you where to find me. I will always tell you where to find me because I love you." Tears rolled down her face, but she didn’t brush them away. "And do you really want to tame me? You’re forever responsible for that which you tame and the fact that we’ve had this conversation only proves that you’re not ready. Because you don’t trust me."

He reached out to touch her face, but she moved away. "I do trust you."

"No, you don’t," she said, her voice breaking now. "You think that Louise will talk me into going back to George or that I’d just up and leave you."

"Callie-"

"Am I really that bad at making you feel the way you make me feel? I don’t have to fly anywhere when I’m with you because you make me soar. And your arms are a cage that I never want to break out of." She sobbed a little harder and finally wiped at her face. "Tell me how to do this better and I will. I’ll do anything to make it okay."

"You just did." Alex pulled her into his arms and held onto her. "I’m sorry, baby. I just - I love you and it scares me."

Callie hugged him, her face against his neck. "I would never do anything to hurt you. You can trust me. You can."

"I know. I know, Callie." He clung to her, breathing in the scent of her hair. When he kissed her a moment later, he tasted her tears and reached up, drying her eyes. "Don’t. I’m pretty sure that if we show up in there with you looking upset there will be two lines, one Greek and the other Cuban, and after they finish ripping me apart they’ll probably dance on the remains."

She smiled a little. "That’s pretty accurate."

He kept her on the roof until she was laughing again and the redness had gone from her nose. Her eyes were a little puffy, but there was nothing to be done about that. She kissed him in the elevator and asked him to tell Addison to meet her in the bathroom. He did as she requested and watched the red head leave the room. The main table was vacant, save for Raphael so Alex slipped into the seat beside him.

Raphael glanced at the young man and said, "You look like you just experienced my daughter’s wraith."

"Yes, sir."

"Please call me Raphael." He patted him on the back. "I assume that your shirt is wet because she was crying."

Alex felt his collar, where her face had been, and nodded. "It kills me when she does that."

"Yes, I know." Raph cleared his throat. "I trust that the fact you provided her with a shoulder to lean on is an indication that everything is fine."

"It’s better than fine. Your daughter is an amazing woman."

"You seem to be quite fond of her. Not many men would masquerade as someone’s husband."

"I think any man who truly knew her would do anything to make her happy."

"And you know her?"

"I do."

Raphael nodded. "Then let me be the first to welcome you to the family, son."

Alex smiled so big that his cheeks hurt.

*~*~*~*~*~

"Mija, please! For my sanity."

"Daddy, I don’t want to sing! I don’t feel good," Callie lied. "I do have an infection."

Melana looked at her husband, clearly livid, and said, "This is the thanks I get for the blood, sweat, and tears that I put into this party." To Callie, she added, "You cannot say that you don’t feel well, Calliope. You have danced for over two hours straight! Now go and sing the song I requested before I crush your larynx."

"Do it, Callie," Alex told her, kissing her softly on the cheek. "I love to hear you sing."

Resigned to the fact that she was outnumbered, she nodded and followed her brothers onto the stage. Stavros sat at the piano, Cam picked up the guitar and Loukas picked up the saxophone. Melana hurried to the center of the stage to announce that her children had agreed to entertain them all and smiled at Callie before handing her the microphone.

Her brothers waited for her cue, but it didn’t come. Instead, she lifted the mic to her mouth and said, "The song that I’m going to sing is probably my favorite song of all time. We all grew up listening to the Rat Pack and songs from an era that just - they get inside you. I used to sing this every day and I didn’t know what it meant until I met Alex. I know what it’s like to love someone through all kinds of weather for the first time in my life though." Her eyes landed on Alex and she smiled. "So, this one is for you, Jock Boy, and I mean every word of it."

Callie lifted her hand and Loukas began to play the sax. Cam and Stavros came in perfectly and the opening strains of Billie Holiday’s ‘Come Rain or Come Shine’ were unmistakable.

"I’m gonna love you like nobody’s loved you, come rain or come shine," Callie sang. "High as a mountain, deep as a river. Come rain or come shine. I guess when you met me it was just one of those things, but don’t ever bet me ‘cause I’m gonna be true if you let me."

Alex watched her intently, his eyes never wavering from hers. A few people cat called and whistled and he felt someone thumping him on the back, but he never acknowledged it. The song and the intensity with which she sang it were worth more to him than anything in the world. It soothed his soul, erased his apprehension, and he fell even harder for her if that was possible.

"You’re gonna love me like nobody’s loved me come rain or come shine. Happy together or unhappy together and wouldn’t it be fine? Days may be cloudy or sunny. Were in or were out of the money, but I’m with you always, I’m with you rain or shine." Callie growled out a few riffs during the instrumental and then attacked the high notes with ease. "Yeah, the days may be cloudy or sunny. Yeah, we’re either in or out of the money. But, baby, I’m with you always, come rain or come shine."

As the song ended she hit a note that was high and clear as a bell. The music stopped and she grinned when everyone burst into applause. Bowing, she handed the microphone to the lead singer of the band her mother had hired and walked toward the steps. Alex met her halfway and kissed her in front of everyone. It wasn’t a chaste or innocent kiss. It was a kiss that combined the hearts and souls of two people.

It was a kiss that stopped any grumbling about an elopement and convinced the party-goers that a big wedding had not been needed at all.

*~*~*~*~*~
Ch 23
*~*~*~*~*

Mark escorted Addison to her hotel room after the party. He lingered over kissing her in the hallway and when she unlocked the door, he cradled her arm and pulled her back into him for another kiss before he whispered, "Good night."

"Yes, it is." Gripping the lapels of his jacket, she pulled him into the room and kicked the door shut behind them. She shoved his jacket over his arms and threw it onto the table.

He raised his eyebrows. "So, you’re finished with your-"

Addison responded by unzipping her dress and letting it pool at her feet. She wore a black Teddy underneath, strapless and body hugging. "It’s done. And I have been frustrated, humiliated, and now I’m hairless. I gave you bone dry cappuccino and -"

"Hairless?"

Slowly, with her eyes never leaving his face, she untied the laces on the front of her lingerie and eased it down her body. She stood before him, bare and *hairless* and smiled when he swallowed hard and gazed up and down her body. "Well?"


"I liked the heart. It proved you had one."

Addison closed her eyes in aggravation and said, "Could you stop talking and start touching me?"

"I don’t know. It’s late and I’m kinda tired."

She narrowed her eyes, watching as he ‘yawned’. It was so fake and exaggerated and infuriating that she would have shot him if she’d had a gun handy. "I have not had sex in a very long time. I’m sick of it. I’m disgusted by my lack of a sex life so take off your clothes before I destroy what happens to be a very nice suit."

Mark looked confused. "Wait, I thought that what I did to you the other day was sex. Granted, it was oral, but you said it was still sex."

"*Actual* sex, Mark. Can we get to it?"

His amusement was quickly fading. "I don’t think I like your tone."

Addison picked up the black purse that Callie had given her. She rummaged in the side pocket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs, which she held up. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

He took a step back and shook his head, stunned. "What the hell, Addison?"

"You’re giving it up or I’m taking it."

"Whoa!" He raised his arms above his head and out of her reach when she tried to slip the handcuff on his wrist. "Okay, number one, bondage is only fun when both parties are into it and number two, I think I made it very clear that when we do have sex it’s going to be different. I’m going to make love to you and -"

"Can you just hold that thought for a little while and get down to business? If you want to ‘make love’," she said, rolling her eyes, "later then I’ll let you do whatever, but I have needs."

"Why are you trying so hard, Addison? Handcuffs? Not really you." He took them from her hand and threw them across the room. "And I have needs, too. The biggest one right now is to share something with you that doesn’t just involve getting off."

"Okay. Fine." She crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath. "Share something, Mark."

"I’m not just here to service the girl."

"Since when?"

"Since when? Apparently when we swapped roles and I became the committed one and you became the whore."

Addison slapped him before she could stop herself and the sound of it echoed across the room, leaving a silence in its wake that was deafening. As quickly as her temper had come, it dissipated and she said, "I - I didn’t mean-"

"That’s twice now that you’ve slapped me. The first time was pretty amusing, I’ll give you that." He glared at her. "This time? The joke’s on you."

"What does that mean?"

"I’m not doing this anymore, Addison. I’ve done everything in my power to show you that I love you and want a life with you." He reached behind him and opened the door. "You call me a manwhore every chance you get, but you’re the only person who has ever made me feel like that’s all I am. Or will ever be."

"Mark-"

"We’re done. It’s over."

"No! Don’t -"

He stepped into the hallway and shut the door, drowning out her words. Addison stared at the closed door in shock. She turned away and saw that he had left his jacket. She picked it up and brought it to her nose, inhaling his cologne, then she slipped her arms into it and laid down on the bed.

She cried herself to sleep, feeling like his arms were around her.

And wondering if they ever would be again.

*~*~*~*~*~

Alex reached across the console at the red light and felt to make sure Callie had her seat belt on. He was not used to driving a car like her Mercedes and wondered, not for the first time, what the safety rating was. A horn honked behind them and he eased through the light, then took her hand in his. They had been separated after she sang by several of her uncles requesting a dance with her. Alex had danced with a string of older women who could still move with the beats despite their age. When the party finally ended, they had stood beside the doorway with Melana and Raphael thanking the guests, most of which pressed envelopes into their hands. Callie had stuffed them all into her purse before telling her parents good night.

"Hey," Alex said, tugging her hand a little. "Your family is great. I really liked everyone. Well, maybe not your Great Aunt Selene, but everyone else was amazing."

"What did Selene do?"

"She said that I should have been mad at you for calling me ‘jock strap’ in front of everyone and asked me if I understood what a jock strap was."

"What did you tell her?"

"I said no so that she would explain it to me."

Callie grinned at him. "She’s almost eighty years old so anything she said -"

"She said that you basically called me a cod sack holder and that you should be ashamed of yourself because your mouth is dirty. I think she may have called you a whore, too."

She burst out laughing and shook her head. "There’s a lot of that going around. I’m a ferret loving whore, apparently."

"Who said that?"

"It’s not important."

"Who said it, Cal?"

She sighed. "George."

He looked at her and then back at the road. "When was that?"

"I dunno. Addison literally kicked his ass for it while we were gone. And Izzie’s, too, because she had her own special names for me that didn’t involve my given one." Callie sighed. "Monday is going to be so much fun. Back at work, having to be professional. Having *Sydney* as our boss."

"We’re on the same shift, though. So, that’s good."

"Yeah."

Alex finally arrived at the cove and parked Callie’s car beside his jeep. The trail lights were off again, even though he was certain he had turned them on. "I don’t like this, Callie. It’s too dark out here."

"It’s like we’re in our own world, though."

They walked down the trail, relying on the dim solar powered lights and finally boarded the yacht. It was chilly and Callie shivered a little, adjusting the thermostat. She sat down on the sofa and unbuckled one of her shoes, then sighed with relief as she massaged her toes. "At least on Monday I can wear sneakers. All day. All week, actually."

He smiled and sat beside her, pulling her legs into his lap. Taking her other shoe off, he rubbed her foot and watched as she bit her lip. Their eyes met and he moved to her ankle, kneading the marks that had been left by her high heel. "I’m sorry that I made you cry."

"I’m sorry that I made you think I’d leave you." She shook her head and leaned back, propping herself on her elbows. "I didn’t even realize that I was doing it or that - that I was giving you so many reasons to doubt me."

"Don’t."

"I’m never gonna make you feel that way again. I am *not* a flier, Alex."

"Yes, you are." He slipped his hand behind her calf, still rubbing. "You’re a pilot and that was what you wanted to be instead of a doctor. So, I’ll take flier because I don’t want you to change who you are. For anyone. Just - just make sure that you tell me ahead of time that you’re going."

"I won’t have to. Because you’ll be with me."

"You gonna teach me how to fly the plane?"

"Not on your life." Callie jumped when he tickled the back of her knee, then hissed when he moved to the front of her thigh, kneading, massaging. It was like a current of electricity went straight to her core. "Alex?"

"Hmm?"

"Let me see the Speedo."

"I’m in the middle of something here."

"You can be in the middle of a lot more if you let me see it."

"Patience is not your strong suit."

"You wouldn’t show it to me earlier. I’d say I’m very patient." She sat up suddenly, her mouth open. "You didn’t wear it, did you?!"

"Yes, I did. Why do you think I was in such a bad mood?"

"Then prove it." She pulled her legs off his lap and reached for the waist of his pants.
He gently smacked her hand away and shook his head. "Ah ah ah. Like I said, I was in the middle of something. Stand up."

Callie shot him a look, but got to her feet. Alex stood in front of her and untied the top of her dress, letting it fall from around her neck. Her breasts were bare underneath and he touched one dusky nipple, then the other. Reaching behind her, he found the zipper and slid it down, then lifted her dress over her head instead of letting it fall to the floor. He gently laid it over the arm of the couch and said, "You will give me a lap dance in that later."

"I already did that once tonight. We were late to the party, remember."

"That dress is vulgar and sacred."

Callie grinned at him. "So are you."

"We haven’t enjoyed the mirrors on the ceiling in the starboard room yet. Why don’t you go in there and wait for me?"

"What are you doing?"

"I forgot something in the car."

Callie nodded and watched him walk up the steps. She went to her bathroom and freshened up. As she laid her panties in the hamper she realized exactly what he had gone to the car to retrieve. She walked, naked, down the hallway. Alex was coming back down the stairs and he stopped, enjoying the view. She leaned back against the door of the secondary bedroom and raised a brow. "You know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think that you went outside to put the Speedo on. Because you didn’t wear it."

"That’s what you get for thinking," he told her. Smiling, he pulled a small bottle from his pocket and tossed it to her. "I do believe you mentioned massage oil and deep tissue."

"Strawberry," she said, glancing at the label. "I’m not letting you put this on me until you drop your pants, Alex."

With a resigned look of defeat, he pulled his tie off and unbuttoned his shirt. After removing it and the t-shirt he wore under it, he unbuckled his belt and unfastened his pants. With his hand on the zipper, he said, "This is humiliating. I just want you to know that."

She licked her lips and nodded. "Go on."

He slid his zipper down and let her see the top of the black Speedo. "Happy?"

"All the way, Alex."

He shoved his pants to his ankles and stood, hands on his hips. Callie gazed at the Speedo with a wicked smile on her face. They fit snug and the apparent bulge in the front of them made her mouth water. She unscrewed the cap on the oil and slipped her finger along the rim, tasting it. "Mmm, it’s good. Sweet. Wanna taste?"

"Callie-"

She tipped the bottle and let oil drip onto her breasts, which she rubbed into her skin very, very slowly. Her eyes never leaving his, she poured a little more into her hand and slipped her fingers between her thighs. "And very wet."

Alex started toward her, forgetting that his feet were still tangled in his pants. He fell face first onto the floor of the salon. Callie was laughing, a deep throaty sound and he yanked off his shoes, ripped off his pants and had her flat on her back on the bed in the starboard room before she knew what had happened.

She gazed up at the mirror, watching as he licked a path between her breasts and settled between her thighs.

It was the most erotic thing she’d ever experienced.

So she made sure to return the favor a little while later.

*~*~*~*~*~

"Hello?"

"Calliope, your mother and I are here to see the yacht," Raphael said. "Come and let us in."

"What time is it?"

"Ten a.m.. Are you still in bed?"

Callie grinned. "Uh, yeah. I’ll be there in a second."

Alex rolled onto his back and yawned. "Who is it?"
She told him and he shot to his feet, searching for clothing. He glanced at his watch and raced from the room. He returned a moment later with her robe, wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She stood, calmly arched her back, and kissed him. "Stop freaking."

"Right."

Callie pulled her robe on and ran a hand through her hair. "Come on."

Melana and Raphael studied the yacht and if they were shocked to see the aftermath of what had clearly been a very enjoyable night for their daughter, neither commented. Alex hastily tossed his pants, the ones that were still in the middle of the salon floor, into the corner and smiled at Melana. She patted his cheek and walked past him, glancing at the starboard bedroom, then the bathroom. She decided that Goon Docks was a glorious home.

Raphael did not agree. "It’s too small."

"It’s not too small, Daddy."

"You should have bought something bigger, safer."

"Even the Titanic sank."

Raphael accepted the cup of coffee Alex handed him and said, "This area is not safe. Cambyses told us about the lighting issue. It’s very remote out here and anything could go wrong. Especially on the nights that you’re alone."

"I agree," Alex replied. He saw the look that Callie shot him and hastily added, "I just think that it needs better lighting and -"

"A security guard. Are you renting this piece of property?" Raphael asked.

"Yes."

"Give me the name of the owner. I’ll have a guard shack erected in the parking area and make sure that someone is on duty around the clock."

"That’s really not necessary, Dad."

Melana sipped her own coffee and said, "You’re father is right. We’ll also add better lighting on the path and remodel the steps. They’re awfully steep."

Someone shouted outside the boat and Callie frowned. She stood up to head for the stairs, but Alex shook his head and went ahead of her. Callie followed, even though her father tried to stop her. Addison and Mark stood toe to toe on the deck, yelling their heads off.

"I have been friends with Callie longer than you have *known* Alex so-"

"That’s not true!" Mark bellowed. "I met him on my first day in the hospital and-"

"*I* am going on that boat and *you* can go take a swim!"

"You’re the one who needs the cold water, Addison, not me!"

"I got here first!"

"Only because you passed me in the driveway!"

Addison slapped him with her purse and the handcuffs fell out. She bent and retrieved them, then turned to the yacht, where Alex, Callie, and her parents were watching them intently. Tossing the handcuffs to Callie, she said, "They didn’t work."

Callie caught them, turned bright red when Melana cleared her throat, and stuffed them in the pocket of her robe. "What’s going on?"

"Mark broke up with me."

"I broke up with her because she’s a sex addict who treats me like a piece of meat."

"If the shoe fits!" Addison cried. "How long were you in town before you slept with Callie?"

Callie felt her father’s eyes on her and said, "Different Callie. Not me."

"She picked me up!" Mark shouted, pointing at Callie. "I tried to buy her a drink and she told me to bring it to her hotel room."

"Oh, right," Addison snapped. "She threw you over her shoulder? She breaks bones, Mark, but she’s not *that* strong."

"You had made it perfectly clear that you were staying with Derek! I came all the way across the country for you! I gave up my practice, I gave up my *life* to try to win you back and-"

"And I bet you slept with two stewardesses and half the passengers before you got to Seattle! And once you got here you slept with my best friend!"

"Not you?" Melana asked Callie, who was scarlet.

"We were not friends at the time!" Callie said.

"I was scared, Addison!" Mark continued, undaunted. "I was scared of the fact that I was in love with you so I made mistakes! And I’ve been trying for *months* to make amends for that and you just - you won’t even acknowledge the fact that I’ve been -"

"I’m sorry! I’m oh so sorry that you keeping your pants up for forty days is supposed to make me think you’re a reformed -"

"Manwhore? Are you really going to go there again?" Mark growled. "Are you gonna hit me again too?"

"I’d rather drown you. And oh, look, water!"

"Addison!" Callie interrupted. "Death threats! Witnesses!"

"He broke up with me!" Addison repeated and promptly burst into tears. "And he knows that I’m in love with him."

Melana frowned and said, "Addison, honey, why don’t the two of you come inside? It looks like it’s going to rain."

Raphael held out his hand and helped Addison onto the yacht. She finally saw Callie’s face and mouthed, ‘Sorry.’

Callie shot her a look of death and followed her mother and friend down the stairs. Raphael stayed topside with Alex and Mark. He looked from one to the other and both men knew what he was thinking. They had both been intimate with his daughter. Mark coughed into his hand and looked at Alex, imploring him to say something. Alex opened his mouth and quickly closed it again, oblivious to the fact that Raph was rapidly losing his glare and was enjoying their obvious discomfort.

Raph finally said, "Sit down."

Alex and Mark sat down fast, next to one another on the U shaped lounger. Raph sat on one end and sighed, "Women can be infuriating."

"Yes," Mark agreed. "They can."

"Let me impart a little wisdom to the two of you," Raph said.

Side by side, Alex and Mark listened intently.

*~*~*~*~*~

"Men are infuriating!" Melana said, pacing the length of Callie’s bedroom. She turned and looked at her daughter, who was patting Addison on the shoulder. The redhead had her face buried in toilet paper and was softly crying. She sat on her other side and put an arm around her. "There, there, dear."

"I just - I don’t get it. I was only trying to be seductive. Most guys would like that right?" Addison blew her nose again and looked at Callie. "I pulled the handcuffs out just like you said and he didn’t like it. It pissed him off."

Callie purposely avoided her mother’s eyes. "Well, what did you say when you showed them to him?"

"I told him we could do it the easy way or the hard way."

"Addison, that’s attempted rape!" Callie cried. "I told you to ask him if he wanted to play ‘good cop, bad cop’! You were supposed to do the whole ‘you have the right to remain silent, unless you’re screaming in pleasure’ thing."

"I didn’t hear that." Melana shook her head. She hugged Addison a little tighter and said, "You love him?"

"Yes! I destroyed my marriage to be with him!"

Melana looked at Callie over Addison’s head. "There seems to be a lot of that going around."

"No way! This is not about me! My marriage was destroyed before I started anything with Alex!" Callie tore off more toilet paper and handed it to Addison. "And so was yours, Addison. You said so. You said your marriage was broken when you slept with Mark."

"I know." She blew her nose, sounding like a fog horn. "I just can’t stop thinking about all the women and -"

"You have to stop punishing him, Addy," Callie put her hand on her friend’s when Addison lifted her head and glared at her. "You keep bringing up your marriage and how you screwed it up to be with him, but you didn’t. You’re just like me. You were floundering in a life that you weren’t meant to be in so you found someone who understood that. Don’t punish him for being the person you found and stop holding his past against him."

Addison blinked. "You stopped punishing George and he cheated again."

"No, George cheated again because I was torturing him by leaving town with Alex. George has sex when he’s stressed. That’s what he does. It’s his coping mechanism. He almost killed me with sex after his father died. I could barely walk for days." Callie looked at her mother. "You didn’t hear that either."

"I was just admiring the chandelier." Melana kept her eyes on the ceiling.

Callie handed Addison the roll of toilet paper and said, "I think Mark is the kinda guy who has never been loved. Not by anybody. I’m speaking from experience when I tell you that having someone love you enough to show it to you in everything that they do ... can change who you are. So if you’re going to love him then do it all the way. Because if you do it all the way then he’s not going to want to look anywhere else because he’ll be too busy looking at you."

"What did you do on your trip?" Addison rubbed at her nose. "Read a bunch of self help books?"

"No," Callie smiled at her. "I was too busy looking at Alex. And the fact that he could love *me* given all the baggage that I’m carrying ... it’s proof that you probably shouldn’t ignore fate."

"How do I know that Mark is my fate?"

Melana smiled a little. "Wherever fate commands you, you will go. It leads the willing and drags the unwilling. I believe I heard him say that he had followed you across the country. And do you really think it’s a coincidence that the two of you collided here today?"

There was a soft knock at the door and Callie called out for whoever it was to come in. Mark stepped into the bedroom and opened his mouth to speak. He closed it when he saw the state that Addison was in and walked across the room, kneeling in front of her. Melana stood, asking if Callie would show her the yacht’s engine. Callie nodded and they headed into the salon where Alex and Raphael were looking at the Disneyland photos from their trip.

Callie sat beside Alex and listened to him talk about Chinatown and Alcatraz. He reminded her that they needed to get the photos developed and she nodded. "I have to go and pack my stuff at the Archfield so I’ll drop the film off at the one hour photo place."

"Cam and Blake already took care of the packing." Raphael smiled at her. "Your belongings are in our suite. I’ll have them bring everything tonight if that’s okay."

"Not that I’m not grateful, but why did they pack for me? They didn’t have to do that."

"Because you don’t need to go back there, honey." Mel shrugged. "The best way for the past to stay in the past is to not revisit it. And judging from the state that the room was in, I can only imagine that you don’t have fond memories there."

Callie remembered the stains on the carpet and walls from George tossing the wine bottle. "Not so much."

"We paid to have it repainted and the carpet replaced."

"Sorry," Callie replied, shaking her head. "I - I was gonna take care of it."

"Don’t worry about it, honey." Raphael picked up one of the photos and showed it to Melana, who insisted that she be allowed to keep it.

"That’s fine." Callie nodded, looking back and forth between her parents. "How long are you staying here in Seattle?"

"Are you ready for us to leave?" Melana asked.

"No. I’m actually not. I’m just curious."

Raphael leaned back on the sofa and said, "I need to know what day you want the media outlets to arrive. I’ve got Fox, CNN, and MSNBC on standby to cover the Jane Doe story."

"Ava’s not awake yet. I called the hospital earlier and she’s still down so I think it would be best to have the new’s crew arrive after she wakes up. Even if no one recognizes her face they could recognize her voice."

Alex looked shocked. "Wait, you were serious about the this?"

"Yeah."

"I shouldn’t really be shocked because you’re clearly resourceful as hell, but how did you do this?"

Callie put her hand on his. "My dad is the resourceful one. All I did was ask."

*~*~*~*~*~

Mark said nothing for a while. He simply stayed on his knees in front of her, waiting for her to calm down. When she sobbed a little harder, he moved to sit beside her on the bed and hugged her. She smelled good. She always smelled good. He had stayed in the Brownstone in New York for three weeks after she left him and he had never taken another woman to their bed. After three weeks, her pillow had stopped smelling like her so he returned to his place, but he still went back several times because she left so much of herself behind. He still had the ivory hair clip she had worn in her hair the day she told him she was going to Seattle.

The clip was currently in his pocket, where it could almost always be found and he leaned back a little, pulling it out. "I gave this to you for your birthday. Remember?"

Addison dried her eyes and gazed at the clip. "I thought I lost it."

"No. It came out of your hair while we were fighting over your suitcase. The day you left me."

//

A horn blared, cutting across the shouts in the Brownstone.

"Let go. Mark, I’m going!"

"Addison, don’t do this. Don’t."

"The cab is waiting! Let go!" Addison renewed her struggles for the bag and he angrily released his hold, causing her to stumble back against the bed. Her hair fell around her face and she brushed it out of her eyes. "Richard said that he’s with an *intern*."

"And you’re with me! Who cares?"

"No. No, I can’t do this anymore. Derek is -"

"Gone. Derek’s gone! He got as far away from you as he could get! We’re happy! Addison, we’re happy together! We have problems, but I swear to God that I can-"

"You slept with that woman!"

"Because you aborted my child! I was pissed! Why the hell do you think I told you?"

She got to her feet and stared at him. "We were not ready for a baby and you know that."

"No, *you* were not ready for a baby. I went shopping for the kid while you got rid of it!"

The cab blew the horn again and Addison shifted the suitcase from one hand to the other. "We never would have worked."

"We’ve been working just fine! I love you! I love you even though-"

"Stop! Do not blame me for this! I needed you here after I - after I terminated the pregnancy and -"

"You called me while I was at the gym and told me what you had done! Do you know what I had been doing? I had been telling everyone that I was going to be a daddy!"

"And you got me back, didn’t you!? You called me and told me that you had fucked your-"

The cab honked again and Mark said, "Stay. Stay, Addison. We can fix this!"

"I’m going. I - I have to go."

"Why?"

"Because he’s my husband!"

"He stopped being your husband when he married his job, Addison! I’m the one who was always here!"

She grabbed her purse and hurried down the stairs. He was hot on her heels, close enough for her to feel his breath. Opening the door, she stepped over the threshold and looked back at him. "I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything."

"Then stay."

Addison faltered briefly, torn between chasing after an old dream or embracing a new one. He saw it, he read her like a book and kissed her. She didn’t try to pull away. She kissed him back with the same ferocity. When they broke apart, she took a deep breath and said, "I loved you. I did."

"You still do," he replied.

"Goodbye, Mark."

"Addison, please! Please don’t do this!"

She hurried down the steps and yanked the car door open. She slipped into the seat and closed her eyes, listening to him shout that he would come find her.


That he would always come and find her.

//

Addison’s hand was shaking as the memory faded and she took the clip. Running her thumb over the intricate pattern, she recalled the circumstances surrounding the gift. "You brought it back from Thailand. You told me it was real Ivory and I said that you should be ashamed of yourself for killing an elephant to take its tusk."

He smiled. "I told you the elephant was already dying."

She sniffled and looked at him. "I was so scared for you when you went to Phuket. I watched the news around the clock, worrying about what you’d encounter after the tsunami. Derek thought I was crazy. He kept telling me that you’d be fine, that you would call us as soon as you could. I was so pissed at you for volunteering to go."

"I had never even thought about being with you at that time, but for some reason I couldn’t stop thinking about you while I was there." He brushed her hair over her shoulder. "You and Derek were the only family I had, but I didn’t think about him. I saw your face in every single person I treated or pronounced dead."

"After you came back you stared coming around more. I noticed."

"I noticed things, too." he replied. "Like the fact that you were usually crying when you opened the door to let me in."

"My marriage was falling apart."

"But you kept chasing it anyway."

Addison’s eyes welled with fresh tears. "I should have stayed with you."

"I recall suggesting that."

She looked at him. "I’m sorry. For everything. For the baby and for the sex thing and -"

"Do you want to try this again?"

Her eyes widened hopefully. "What?"

"Us. You and me. Do you want to give it a real try?"

Addison nodded. "I do."

"Are you cold?"

"No, why?"

"Because you’re wearing my jacket from last night."

"It smells like you."

Mark smiled at her, leaning his forehead against hers. "I love you."

"I love you," she replied, then added, "And I hate you for making me feel *anything* at all because I don’t want to and it scares me and I can’t stop because -"

He silenced her with a kiss, cradling her face between his palms. When they finally broke apart, he dried her eyes and said, "Karev said that he went hiking with Callie on the other side of the cove the other day. He said that there’s a beautiful view of the city. Would you - do you want to take a walk, Addison?"

"Okay."

"And after we take a walk why don’t we go grab lunch and -"

"Not have sex," Addison interjected. "Because I want it to mean something too. And we’ll know when we should because neither one of us will be listening to our bodies at the time. We’ll be listening to our hearts."

"I’ve been listening to my heart for a while now, Addison." He touched her cheek. "It always takes me where you are."

Taking a deep breath, she got to her feet. "Let’s take that walk."

They found Alex and Callie on the sofa, playing a gory video game that was clearly intended for mature audiences. Callie paused it and handed them both a bottle of water when they said they were going for a hike. "Be careful. It’s really steep in parts."

"Where did your parents go?" Addison asked.

"Mom is hosting a poker party with my aunts."
"You don’t like poker?" Mark asked her.

Callie smiled. "My poker face is so good that they won’t let me play. I’m uninvited."

Addison gave her a hug and said, "I’ll apologize to your parents when I see them. How long are they staying?"

"A few more days and you don’t have to apologize. Believe me, they get freakin’ out over a guy. Cam used to do it every couple of weeks."

"Cam did, but you didn’t?" Addison asked.

"No. I didn’t get my first kiss until I was nineteen and by then I was away at college."

"You’re a late bloomer yet you know how to play ‘good cop, bad cop’?" Addison raised a brow.

"I rapidly made up for lost time."

"Uh." Alex put his arm around Callie. "Good cop, bad cop?"

Callie pulled the handcuffs out of the pocket of her robe and said, "You have the right to remain silent unless you’re screaming in pleasure."

Grinning, Alex glanced at Mark and pointed at the door. "You guys have fun on the trail. Try not to need us for at least an hour."

Mark laughed when Alex chased Callie down the hallway. "Not *that* is how you get both parties involved in bondage."

"I should take notes from her." Addison heard Callie shriek right after her bedroom door slammed.

"I took notes from her father."

"What do you mean?"

"He's a very wise man."

"You're not going to tell me what he said to you?"

"No. I'm not." He stepped up one of the steps. "But it was very eye opening. I needed to hear it. Ready?"

"Let’s go *walk*."

He chuckled. "We have to walk off your sexual frustration."

She shook her head. "No. We have to walk off the past. Together."

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 24
*~*~*~*~*~

Monday morning came faster and earlier than Callie was ready for. She hit the snooze button four times while Alex showered and then he finally resorted to coaxing her from the bed with coffee. A construction crew was already setting up shop in the driveway of Callie's property and the wait for the workers to move their truck had caused Callie and Alex to be late for work. They showed up at the resident’s locker room in time to hear Sydney Heron introducing herself as Chief Resident. Callie groaned and caught Bailey’s eye. Bailey put a finger in her mouth like she was gagging and Callie stifled a giggle.

"Callie O'Malley, there you are!" Sydney called. "Nice of you to join us. Late. I was just introducing myself and saying that things are going to be a little different this year. To the brand new residents, congratulations. Some of you almost cost us our teaching credentials last year. You know who you are. You were all very close to Dr. Bailey, but I won’t name names because that would be tacky. Dr. Stevens, I'm sure you'd agree. Right?

"I’ll just say that I need all of you to remember that you’re doctors. Do not cut wires, do not fall in love with patients, and don’t attempt suicide because I’ll be pissed." Sydney clapped her hands together. "Any questions? No? Great! Karev, you will be working with Sloan. Bailey, you have Grey and Yang in your lovely clinic. Stevens, you’ll be scrubbing in with Montgomery on a hysterectomy. And Callie, because you lied to me about Chief Webber looking for me the other day, you take O’Malley and cover the pit."

"Shit," Callie whispered.

"It’s okay," Alex told her, squeezing her hand as the crowd dispersed. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. Besides, when you lie it always catches up with you."

She grinned at him. "Shut up."

"I’ll see you at lunch." He kissed her and followed the others out of the room.

Callie took a deep breath when George stopped in front of her. He looked pale and his hair was standing up on end. She had to stop herself from automatically reaching up and smoothing it down. It was something she did every day. No, it was something she used to do everyday. Shoving her fists in the pockets of her lab coat, she nodded at him. "Hey."

"Hey," he replied, not looking at her. "So, pit."

"Pit." Callie shot Sydney a scathing look and adjusted the stethoscope around her neck. "I haven’t done pit since I was a second year, but apparently the new sheriff in town is a bitch. A very cheery, huggy bitch."

They walked together to the ER and glanced at the board. Callie chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully and said, "Nothing great to choose from. You want to take the stomach ache and I’ll cover the leg pain?"

"Sure." He nodded and rifled through the charts until he found the correct one. "Cal, er, Dr. Torres?"

"Yes, Dr. O’Malley?"

"I hope you had a good time ... while you were gone. And - and I’m glad you’re back."

She nodded and picked up a chart of her own. As an afterthought, she said, "Thank you for signing the papers. For not making it hard."

"It was the hardest thing *I’ve* ever done." George tucked his chart under his arm. "Besides watching you leave me."

"George-"

"I’m not gonna make it weird. I’m not going to do anything ... except miss you." His eyes moved over her face for a long time. "I don’t want to miss you though, Callie. We could talk. Sometimes. If you could just - not forget that I care about you that would be great."

She gazed into his green eyes, then blinked and looked away. "We’re not friends, George."

"We could be."

She glanced back at him. "Maybe. Just ... not yet."

"I was - one more thing," he said softly when she turned away. He waited until she looked at him again before he spoke. "Did you - are you with Alex? All the way?"

Callie took a deep breath. "Did you sleep with Izzie again? And Olivia? There’s your answer."

He nodded his head, just barely, and walked down the hallway and into his patient’s room.

Callie did the same.

*~*~*~*~*~

"So, I purposely dropped the womb on Steven’s new white sneakers." Addison sat back in her seat, beaming at Callie. "You should have seen her face. She was like ‘oh my god’."

"You sound just like her." Callie wrinkled her nose at Addison’s imitation. "But you have made me proud with the womb, young Padawan."

"Who wears solid white shoes in a hospital? She had it coming. She didn’t even have them covered correctly with the booties." Addison finished off her sandwich and stole a chip from Callie’s untouched plate. "Are you still not eating?"

"Sydney is power tripping. My father is remodeling my life. I am apparently getting a star on the gossip walk of fame and I’m being forced to work with George ... who has decided to kill me with kindness."

Addison gasped. "Holy batshit, girl wonder. How’s that working out?"

"Did you just attempt to pay homage to the classic that is ‘Batman’?"

"You did give me the boxset for my birthday. I’ve watched it all. Twice."

"You’ve come so far. But, see, you would be the Robin to my Batman, so I get to call you ‘girl wonder’. If you call me that again I’ll stab your leg with my fork." Callie patted her hand. "And George said he wants us to be friends."

"I’m friends with Derek."

"I told him maybe someday, but not so much with the now." Callie sipped her Dr. Pepper. "So, you and Mark?"

"Still completely sexless and I’ve decided to be fine with that. I’ve gone through four packs of batteries and have developed a physical attachment to my shower head, but I’m coping."

Callie smiled. "Awww, you’re like a wannabe porn star. What’s stopping you guys now?"

"Romance."

"Come again."

"He’s romancing me. And apparently he’s been watching reruns of ‘Gilligan’s Island’ because we’re definitely not even rated PG, but we did spend hours hiking around the water while he hummed the theme song and made ‘Skipper’ jokes."

"Well, friendly advice? Tone down the ‘Ginger’ and put a little more ‘Mary Ann’ into your routine." Callie pointed at Addison’s shirt. "I’m all about the Vera Wang, but you might want to button it."

Addison gasped and looked down. Her black camisole was clearly visible under her blue shirt, which was unbuttoned almost all the way down. "Oh god. That’s what I get for dropping the womb."

"You’re just advertising your wares." Callie took another sip of her soda as Addison buttoned her shirt and then, for good measure, secured the fastenings on her white coat. "Play hard to get."

"What?"

"Hard to get," Callie repeated. "Act like you completely don’t care that your developing carpal tunnel syndrome from all the self pleasure. Just roll with it."

Addison stole another chip. "The last time I listened to you I almost got arrested for attempted rape."

"You didn’t listen to me! I never said to threaten him with the cuffs." Callie pushed her tray in front of Addison and pulled Addison’s in front of her as Alex walked into the cafeteria. "And because you exposed that I’m raunchy sex kitten to my parents you are *so* covering my ass. I ate lunch, Addison. Got it?"

"No way." Addison pushed the tray back in front of her. "I’d help you dig a grave for a dead body, but I’m not helping dig it for *you*."

"Addison, come on!"

"You have anorexia and I’m telling."

"I do not have anorexia!"

"Then why aren’t you eating?"

"Because I’m not hungry."

"I’m not covering for you. You’re losing too much weight too fast."

"Will you please stop sounding like my parents and be a damn friend?"

"Friends don’t let friends emulate Karen Carpenter. Although you do sing just as pretty."

"Addison-"

"No!"

Callie watched as Alex went through the lunch line and walked her way, carrying a tray. He kissed her on the head and pulled his chair a little closer to hers. "Hey," she said. "How was your facial reconstruction?"

"Good." He glanced at her tray. "How was your lack of a lunch?"

"I really wish people would stop counting my calories."

"Someone has to, Karen." Addison shrugged and looked at Alex. "She’s still not eating. Why is that?"

"She’s being forced to work with O’Malley?"

"So? She still needs to -"

"She’s sitting right here," Callie snapped. "And I’m not eating because I’m not hungry and I’m not hungry because I don’t feel good and I don’t feel good because people keep obsessing about everything I do."

Alex reached out, feeling her head. She felt cool to the touch, but her attitude was definitely scorching. "What’s wrong with you?"

"I am on *pit*. I should not be on pit."

"Well, you did lie to Dr. Heron." Alex leaned forward and kissed her. "Maybe you should hug her, baby. She’d be all over that."
"Webber alert," Addison announced as Callie moved to kiss Alex again.

Chief Webber cleared his throat behind Callie and said, "Dr. Torres, welcome back. When you’ve finished eating I’d appreciate it if you’d stop by my office."

"Yes, sir." Callie waited until he had walked off before she put her head in her hands. "Why do I feel like I’m about to fitted for a sobriety anklet?"

"You haven’t had anything to drink. You’ve got nothing to hide." Alex unwrapped the sandwich on her tray. "So, postpone it by eating, Gothika, because you’re stuck here until you do."

Callie had been on edge most of the day. Her father had already hired construction workers to begin erecting a guard shack *and* a three car garage at her residence. She felt smothered, confined, and like every choice in her life had been taken out of her hands. She was on *pit*. She *had* to go visit the Chief. What she didn’t have to do was eat. Standing, she grabbed her tray and said, "I’m not stuck anywhere!"

Addison watched as Callie dumped her food and stalked out of the cafeteria. "Does she have PMS?"

Alex blinked a few times. "Dear God, I hope that's not what it is. I can't handle her like this once a month."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie sat across from Chief Webber as he rifled through her employee file. Her medical chart sat a few inches away and she took a deep breath when he quietly reached for it and adjusted his glasses. He had said less than ten words to her in the fifteen minutes she had been in his office and she checked the pulse in her wrist, counting it off as she watched the clock. Surely she had to be reaching stroke level any minute now.

"Dr. Gellar assured me that you’re psychological evaluation was exemplary." He eyed her over the top of his glasses. "I won’t lie to you, Dr. Torres, I still have concerns."

"I understand."

"I realize that there is not a fraternization rule that governs us, but the rumor mill is out of control where you’re concerned. I can’t help but think that showing open affection with Dr. Karev is not going to quiet it."

"With all due respect, sir, I don’t give a damn what the rumor mill is saying. Who I’m dating is not a reflection of my capabilities and it certainly doesn’t define me." Callie indicated her employee file. "I have never had a blemish on my record and before you make any decisions I’d like to ask you ... off the record ... to remember what it felt like to know your marriage was ending. You were sleeping in your office and power walking the halls. I don’t power walk so I made a mistake."

"You think you’re in here for punishment?"

"Am I not?"

Webber grinned. "No, you’re not. I thought I owed you an explanation about why I chose Dr. Heron for Chief Resident."

"You really don’t. I know I messed up."

"You were my first choice. Even after you messed up." Webber closed the file and took his glasses off. "But while you were on vacation, your father paid me a visit. He gave a sizable donation to the Denny Duquette Memorial Clinic and asked that I keep your duties very light for a while. He’s concerned for you and your well being. I can understand that so I honored his request."

Callie felt her cheeks flush with anger. "He had no right to do that and completely *on* the record ... you had no right to let him buy you off."

"That’s not what I did. There’s a much bigger picture." Webber cocked his head to one side. "Dr. Karev also came to me while you were hospitalized to plead your case about whether or not you had attempted suicide. He was very convincing, but he also let me know the extent of your alcohol consumption while in his presence. It was startling."

"I haven’t had anything to drink since I’ve been gone."

"That’s good." Webber leaned forward. "I haven’t told many people this so it’s off the record and better never leave this room. I made Chief Resident when I was a fifth year and I thought that my life was perfect. I had a wife I loved, a career that I adored, and I was the master of my domain. About three months after I took over as Chief Resident it got to me. I won’t go into all the details, but I will tell you that I began to rely on alcohol to unwind every night. I’m a recovering alcoholic. I attend AA meetings and I struggle with it every day. If you’d ever like to go-"

"I am *not* an alcoholic!"

"Okay." He nodded his head, but sounded unconvinced. "Tell you what ... we’re going to limit your shifts to four days a week for the time being. I won’t change your salary or let it affect your residency at all, but until you complete an alcohol education class and prove to me that you’re okay, this is where we’re at."

"You said I wasn’t being called in here to be punished."

"I’m not punishing you, Callie. I’m giving you the wake up call that I always needed, but never had anyone care enough to give me."

"How much did my father pay for *that*?"

Webber put his glasses back on. "That was actually free."

"I’m not feeling well." Callie got to her feet. "I have an infection. I’m sure you saw that in my chart. Can I please go home?"

"Yes."

"Thanks."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie’s hands were shaking when she walked out of the Chief’s office. She pulled her white jacket a little tighter around her waist and stalked down the hallway. The first thing she was going to do was call her father and tell him exactly what she thought of his interference in her life. She was going to stop the construction, tell him to kiss her ass, and then she was going to find Alex Karev and choke him to death with her bare hands.

"Callie O’Malley!" Sydney called. "I’ve been looking for you."

Callie spun on her heel, a sneer on her face. "If you call me O’Malley one more time I’m going to break your arm off and shove it up your ass."

"Oooh. My goodness! Someone needs a campfire and a rousing rendition of ‘Kumbaya’." Sydney held her arms up in surrender. "There’s a guy in the pit who came in with an open fracture. I paged you, but you didn’t reply, so I gave it to Pratt. Could you please go to the ER and work with O’Malley like I instructed?"

"I’m off the clock. I’m going home."

"What? You’re scheduled to work until seven. It’s only twelve thirty."

"Chief Webber knows."

Sydney put her hand on her hip. "Do you know what a team is? It’s a group of people who have specific areas and duties that they must perform in order for the game to be played well. If you leave the team before your work is finished then your teammates have to cover for you. You don’t-"

"Do you know what a body slam is? It’s a move performed very specifically that will render you incapable of coherent thought when done correctly. And I’m sure that my teammates would vote me the most valuable player in whatever game it is that we’re playing if I did that to you."

"I could write you up for threatening me."

"Go ahead." Callie turned on her heel and headed toward the elevator. Once inside, she flipped open her cellphone and called her father. He answered on the fourth ring. "Dad, I don’t want a guard shack! And I don’t want a garage or anything else done to my rental property!"

"Honey, I know it’s a nuisance to deal with the noise and the -"

"No. A nuisance is the fact that you paid off my fucking boss to not give me a promotion!"

Raphael cleared his throat. "I merely suggested that perhaps-"

"You have ruined my god damned life!"

"This is why I was against you taking drama lessons. You’re overreacting."

"I am *not* overreacting!" The elevator opened and she stalked to the resident’s locker room to get her purse. "How could you do this to me?"

"Because I love you. I love you and I saw how exhausted you were when we arrived at the hospital."

"I was not exhausted! I was half dead!"

"The stress of your job coupled with the divorce is just too much on you right now. It’s best if you-"

"You know what? I am sick to *death* of everyone thinking they know what’s best for me! I know what’s best for me! I am not a child! I am not incapable of thinking for myself! And I’m sick and tired of people treating me like I’m too stupid to live!"

"Calm down!"

"I will *never* forgive you for this! Never!!" She slammed her phone shut and yanked her locker open, grabbing her purse.

The fall from the top of the world to the seventh level of Hell was not a pleasant one. Tears burned her eyes as she dug around for her keys. Her *father*, the same one who had insisted that she go to medical school, had put the kibosh on her advancement. She could just imagine him sitting in the Chief’s office, checkbook open, buying her out of the running. And Alex? She could not believe that he had gone to Webber and told him anything, especially about the alcohol she had consumed on their ‘dates’.

She had only had a few beers at Vinnie’s Italian Bistro and a little over half the bottle of wine at the seafood place. That wasn’t a lot of alcohol.

She had shown everyone what a lot of alcohol was.

Maybe she should give them a refresher course.

Slamming her locker angrily, she skipped changing out of her scrubs and sat down to locate her keys. She finally found them and took the back way into the staff parking deck. Her car peeled rubber easily as she shifted the gears and drove away from the hospital, almost hitting Mark, who was about to enter the lot.

Mark leaned out the window to watch her take the corner so fast that her back tires lost traction for a moment. Swearing, he put his car in reverse and shot after her. His heart lodged in his stomach when she passed a large truck and barely avoided hitting another truck head on. She came close to losing him on the highway, but he kept up, reaching speeds in the eighties, then the nineties. Finally, he was able to seize a break in the traffic. He pulled alongside her and honked the horn. When she looked at him, he mouthed ‘pull over’ and pointed to the side of the road.

He was relieved when she took the next exit. Following her into the parking lot of a strip mall, he jumped out of his car and yanked her door open. He reached across her and took her keys from the ignition, then put his hands on his hips. "You passed an eighteen wheeler on a two lane road! And it was not a passing zone! You couldn’t see around the curve!"

She grabbed her purse and slid from the seat, ignoring him. Glancing up, she saw the liquor store sign and gazed at it with obvious longing. He blocked her when she took a step toward it and she finally looked up at him. "Go away, Sloan."

"Don’t even think about it." He shook his head, indicating the store with his thumb. "Are you out of your mind? You almost died! I had to stop you from choking to death and *this* is what you do?"

"Mark, shut up!"

He grabbed her arms and shook her. "What are you *doing*?!"

"I am having the day from *hell*. Okay?"

"It’s barely one o’clock in the afternoon! It can’t be that bad and it’s too early to start poisoning yourself again!" Mark yanked her toward his BMW and opened the door. "Get in."

"What?"

"Get in the fucking car! I’ll take you home!"

"I am not leaving my car here!"

"Fine. I’ll call Alex." Mark pulled his phone from the clip, but she grabbed it.

"Do not call him! I will go to jail for murder if he comes near me."

"Why? What happened?" He watched her cross her arms over her chest. "Look, you're Addison's best friend so you're stuck with me too. And if I have to manhandle you to get you to talk instead of go into that store then I'll do it."

Callie took a deep breath and explained her meeting with the Chief and the fact that she no longer held the reigns to her own life. "Alex played a part in that! A very big part of the fact that I'm not Chief Resident and he didn't even tell me he did it."

Mark simply stared at her for several long moments. Finally, he said, "Do you understand that you’re crazy? Certifiably insane."

"What!?"

"You have no value for your life at all! None! You poisoned yourself, you almost hit a truck head on today, and when you get a little upset ... the first place you head is the liquor store. You aren’t in control of you life, Callie. So you can’t blame your father or Alex or Addison or anyone else for trying to grab the wheel every time you cross the yellow line. You crossed the yellow line today and *I* was here to see it. You scared the hell out of me!" he yelled.

She lowered her head as the truth of his words sank heavily onto her shoulders. "I don’t know what’s happened to me. It’s like I stopped being myself and I can’t get that person back. Where did I go, Mark?"

"You went to Vegas and you got married. That’s where you went. And from the day that you came back there wasn’t a hint of the woman who picked me up at the bar."

"Uh, that’s because I was faithful."

"No, it’s because you stopped being strong and assertive. For a guy. You gave up your spine for a wedding band and that is why your marriage failed. You weren’t meant to play the victim, but you let him force you into that role," he replied, his voice stern. "But every time you pull a little stunt like *this* ... you break your own back. *You* are the one doing it now. No one else."

"You're right. God, I hate that you are right." Callie brushed a tear off her cheek. "Can I use your phone?"

"You’re holding it. Might as well."

Callie dialed a number and said, "Cam? Can you come and get me?"

Mark breathed a sigh of relief when Callie hung up a few minutes later.

He kept her in his car until her brother and his boyfriend arrived.

*~*~*~*~*~

George was finishing up the last of a rush of patients went Alex walked across the ER, peering into different rooms. George signed off on a chart and nodded at the nurse who thanked him. Taking a deep breath, he met the other man halfway and said, "She’s not here."

"Who?" Alex asked absently, gazing into another room.

"Callie. She went home."

Alex finally looked at George. "What did you do to her?!"

"I didn’t do anything. I don’t think she felt very good. She, uh, she didn’t look right."

"That would be cause and effect. You make her not look right." Alex glanced at his watch and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed Callie’s number, but she didn’t answer. "Damn it. I have to scrub in with Montgomery in fifteen minutes. Did she say anything before she left?"

"Not to me. But apparently she threatened Dr. Heron. She was livid when she came to tell me Callie was gone for the day."

Scratching the side of his head, Alex said, "Dr. Heron has been on her ass since this morning. Callie already hates her and-"

"I didn’t believe you."

Alex stuffed his phone back into his pocket. "What?"

"I didn’t believe you the day that you told me that you were interested. In her. I thought you were just trying to make me jealous."

"Well, I wasn’t."

"Are you - do you even care about her? Or is this a game to you. She's rich and she's vulnerable."

Alex stared him in the eye. "I’m in love with her. And she’s in love with me."

George lifted a hand to his chest and massaged it as if the phantom of his marriage had squeezed his heart. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "If you hurt her-"

"I’m not you. I don’t get any pleasure whatsoever out of seeing her cry and I don’t think of her last unless I’m falling asleep. She's always first for me and that's not something you ever did for her. I’m not you," Alex repeated. "Leave us alone. We’re happy."

"We both know that you’re a screw up." George squared his shoulders and stood a little straighter. "So, I’m gonna give you the same warning you gave me. I’m still interested and I’ll be waiting when you do fuck it all up. And you will. Because it’s what you do."

"You really do have a death wish." Alex looked down at him. "And I’m not talking about from me. Callie will kill you if you go there ... if you get anywhere near there. And I’ll kill you for trying."

Mark Sloan tapped Alex on the shoulder and said, "I need to talk to you. It's an emergency."

*~*~*~*~*~

Cam handed Callie a cup of coffee and sat beside her on the sofa. Neither had spoken at all since he had driven her to her place. Neither needed to. He felt her pain as clearly as if he had been living her life. He had woken up that morning with enough anxiety and concern that he had postponed flying home indefinitely. Silently, he reached over and pressed his knuckles against hers. He could almost hear her saying ‘wonder twins power, activate’, but he didn’t need to hear it to know that they had.

"Where’s Blake?"

"He had some errands to run," Cam said. "And he knew we needed to be alone for a while."

Callie took a deep breath. "Have you ever felt like everyone in the world was out to get you?"

"No." He took her hand. "Because I know that there’s always one person who’s not. She kinda looks a little like me."

She gave him a sad smile and laced their fingers. "That’s true."

"What happened today?"

She told him. Everything. She told him about Alex going to Webber, about their father making the donation in order to keep her duties ‘light’, and then she looked at her brother and said, "George wants us to be friends."

"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." He studied her face. "You don’t still have feelings for him do you?"

"Not the way I did. Not at all in any romantic way, but he’s *George*. I look at him and want to hit him or hug him. Which is nothing new because I've always toed that line of hostility or affection, but he's *George*."

"I vote for hitting."

"You’d probably win that vote." She nodded. "I almost got drunk today." She heard him take a deep breath beside her, but she didn’t stop talking. "Chief Webber implied that I have a problem with alcohol and invited me to attend AA with him. It was insulting. It made me feel like the biggest failure in the world so ... so I thought why not. You know? Why not go and drown in alcohol since people think that’s all I can do. Everyone expects it."

"I don’t."

"I keep assigning blame. I keep pointing the finger at George or at Daddy or at Sydney, but I am the mess *I* made." She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it off her face. "I’m the author of my own pain and I can’t keep denying it." She glanced at him and what she said next caused her physical pain. "Cambyses, I knew what I was doing when I drank so much. It was intentional. I tried to kill myself."

Cam’s eyes filled with tears, but he said nothing. His grip on her hand tightened a little, though. Callie saw the devastation on his face and quickly looked away. After a few minutes, she said, "I’ve never been afraid of anything. Loukas is scared of heights. Stavros is scared of clowns. You’re scared of, well, everything, and I always laughed at you all because fear is ridiculous."

She turned her head and waited for him to look at her. "I’m afraid of life, Cam. I’m afraid of what will happen tonight or tomorrow or what I’ll do when it does. I don’t trust myself anymore. I let George flip me on my ass a million times and I didn’t stop him ... even when it hurt too much to get up at all. He *destroyed* me while we were dating and I married him anyway.

"It’s like I let him take all of me and squander it until what I took back from him were fragments of who I used to be. And I can’t blame him for that, Cam, because I *knew* it. I knew I couldn’t change him, but I didn’t care enough about *me* to fight for myself." She put her other hand on top of his. "I think I’m ready to start fighting now."

"What do you mean?"

"Daddy is *not* going to remodel this place. I want it the way it is and if he doesn’t like it then he doesn’t have to visit. And Sydney Heron may be Chief Resident, but she’s not going to treat me like crap because I *was* the first choice and that matters. And Alex can’t keep treating me with kid gloves because he swore to me that he’d never do that and he is."

"How is Alex -"

"He checks my seatbelt in the car! He tries to force me to eat every couple of hours! He *agreed* with Daddy about the remodel and-"

"Callie?"

"What?"

"You authored your own pain. Remember? If he checks your seatbelt it’s because he’s afraid it slipped your mind. And if he has to *force* you to eat then it’s because you’re not. Anyone with eyes can see that you’re not. And Dad’s right about this place. It’s too dark and dangerous and *you* know that, you’re just too stubborn to admit it." He turned on the sofa and put an arm around her. "It’s not that the world is out to get you, Callie, it’s that you’re out to get yourself. You're afraid to trust your own judgment because you were wrong about George. You don’t always have to be the strongest or the most fearless ... you can lean on other people."

"I leaned on George and he let me fall."

"Well, some of us are a lot bigger than that Gremlin you married. I can hold you up and so can ‘Jock Strap’. I think he proved that at the party." He saw the expression on her face. "Yes, yes, yes. I followed you up to the roof. You know I’m a compulsive eavesdropper. I make no apologies. I liked what he had to say to you and you didn’t do half bad yourself."

"I don’t want him to smother me."

"Then make it clear," Cam replied. "But don’t mistake smothering for loving someone. I check Blake’s seatbelt. I worry about him when his meetings run too long because I know that his blood sugar can go crazy if he doesn’t eat. I interrupted the biggest deal of his life to take him lunch. He was pissed at me for two days and you know what? It didn’t faze me because when you’re in a relationship ... that’s what you do. You risk stroking the caged animal and drawing back a nub because it’s worth it to feel what you love."

"No one’s ever treated me like Alex does. I’m not used to it."

"Is it really that bad?"

She shook her head. "No. It’s actually as close to perfect as I’ve ever had."

"Are you just being a big cry baby because you jumped out of one relationship and landed right in another?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"You wouldn’t be Callie if you didn’t jump. And something tells me that Alex wouldn’t be Alex if he didn’t hold out his mitt to catch you." He kissed her head. "Don’t fear life. The good news is that we get to endure it once and the better news is that if we’re lucky someone gets us while we’re hanging around waiting to die. Do you want to be gotten, Callie?"

"By Alex? Definitely."

"The stop worrying about what happens tonight or tomorrow or next week. You said that you authored your pain, but you also author your future. Don’t put the pen down before the final act." He pulled her head against his shoulder. "And don’t think about writing that final act for a very, very long time."

"I love you."

"Who doesn’t?"

"Your ego is -"

"Only slightly smaller than yours so reclaim it and start believing that you’re all that." He squeezed her. "I love you, too, by the way."

"Wanna play Dungeons and Dragons?"

"You really want me to kick your ass?"

"Have you ever?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

"No time like the present to -"

"Try. That’s all you can do."

"Bring it out and let’s just see what I can do."

"Spoken like someone who is going to draw back a nub," Callie said, pulling the board game from a nearby trunk. "It’s gonna get ugly."

"I can hold my own."

*~*~*~*~*~

Alex sat quietly in the back seat of Mark’s car, listening to him explain everything in detail to Addison. It was almost seven thirty and he was exhausted. Webber had refused to let him leave after Mark had shared what had transpired. Addison, sensing that something had happened, had been kind enough to let him stand in her surgery, but didn’t ask him for more than that. He’s simply stood and watched and thought about the story that he was hearing for the second time now. He gripped his thigh when Mark told her about the truck that Callie almost hit and closed his eyes when the subject of speed was brought up.

"She had to have been going a hundred at one point. I was going ninety and she passed a big rig like it was on wheels."

Addison popped him on the back of the head. "Don’t ever drive that fast again!"

"Hello? I was trying to save your friend! *Our* friend."

"And she went to the liquor store?"

"She wanted to. I didn’t let her." Mark took Addy’s hand over the gear shifter. "And it means a lot that she called her brother and didn’t fight me on it. So, keep that in mind if you plan on screaming at her. I already did a good job of it."

Alex saw that Mark was looking at him in the rearview mirror and averted his eyes. He wasn’t sure what would happen when he talked to her. One thing was absolutely certain, though. All the way to his gut he knew that she was going to break things off with him. George had been so confident, so cocky about his chances with her. And she had obviously been upset enough to -

"What’s with all the construction?" Mark asked, parking beside Callie’s car.

"Her father didn’t like it here." Alex climbed out of the backseat. "He wants it to be safer for her."

"She doesn’t like people doing things like that. It pisses her off to not call the shots." Addison came around the car and put a hand on Alex's arm. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head and adjusted the strap on his duffel. "No. I’m not."

Mark watched as Alex headed down the trail and glanced at Addison. "Let’s just go. He needs to -"

"No." Addison headed down the trail behind him. "I want to make sure she’s okay."

Blake and Cam were sitting on the sofa when Alex entered the salon. Blake stood up and smiled at him, but his smile faded when he saw the other man’s face. He looked at Cam, who got to his feet slowly and said, "She’s asleep."

Alex nodded, putting his duffel on the kitchen counter. Blake walked to the sink and said, "I cooked dinner. It’s still cooking, actually. If you’ll take it out of the oven in about twenty minutes it’ll be great."

"Blake’s famous chicken parmesan." Cam smiled at Addison and Mark, who stood just off to the side of the galley. "There’s plenty if you guys want to stay. We actually need to head out. I’ve got some work that I didn’t manage to phone in today so I need to get it done."

"How is she?" Addison asked.

"Better." Cam watched Alex as he replied. "She’s okay. Whatever happened today she *gets* it. She’s finally aware of everything. Especially what she wants. Who she wants." He took a step closer to Alex and addressed him. "You should go talk to her."

"She’s asleep."

"Wake her up, Alex. Wake her up."

Alex stared at him and saw Callie’s eyes looking back, imploring him. He nodded and wordlessly headed down the hallway. She was lying with her back facing him, her hair spread on the pillow. He quietly shut the door behind him, but the clicking caused her to roll over and look at him. She sat up, Indian style, and pulled a pillow into her lap.

He walked across the room and sat down in front of her, not looking at her. "Just - say it."

"Say what?" she asked.

"End it fast because I can’t do slow. I can't breathe."

"You think I’m ending it?"

"Aren’t you? Because of what I said to the Chief?"

"I thought you would be ending it after what I did today." Callie held the pillow a little tighter. "I’m not, by the way. Ending it."

"I’m not either."

"Alex." She reached out, touching his shoulder. "Are you gonna yell at me?"

"Are you okay?"

"If I say no will that stop you from yelling at me?"

"No."

Her chin began to tremble. "Then what are you waiting for? Go ahead and do it."

"I’m not yelling." He turned and faced her, catching the tear that dropped onto her cheek. He pulled her into his arms and let his hand tangle in her hair. "But I am gonna hang onto you for a while."

Callie hugged him, tight. She breathed a sigh of relief and kissed his neck, massaging it. Her anxiety always faded as soon as he touched her and she was relieved that the current moment was no exception. Closing her eyes, she said, "I do need to tell you something."

He didn’t let her go. "Okay."

"You told me you wouldn’t use kid gloves with me while I was in the hospital. So don’t start now."

Alex eased away from her. "What do you mean?"

"I don’t need you to be the food police or to treat me like I’m breakable. I’m not. I already have a father who does that to me and -"

"Okay." Alex cut her off. "Fine. You don’t want kid gloves? You’re going to get your ass out of this bed and you’re going to come and eat dinner with me. You’re going to actually eat because if you don’t then I’ll force you."

"You’ll force me? Right." she scoffed.

"Wanna try me?" He waited and she finally shook her head. "And while the gloves are off, let me tell you that if you *ever* drive your car again the way that Mark said you did ... I’ll personally drive it into the bay and buy you a bicycle."

She gazed at him, wide eyed. No one had ever been so blunt with her. "Is that it?"

"No, that’s not it." He kissed her, his hands on her face. "If you scare me like this again I’ll cuff you to the bed and do things to you that -"

"Honey, that’s really not a threat. I *like* being cuffed to the bed."

"Stop distracting me in the middle of my rant!"

"Stop ranting," she suggested.

"If I didn’t love you so much I’d dunk your head in the toilet. I used to do it to the Goth kids in high school."

"If I didn’t love you so much I’d put Bengay in your underwear. I used to do it to the jocks in high school."

"How are we together? How?"

"Because you suck at life. No self respecting jock would know ‘Princess Bride’ forward and backward."

"No self respecting Goth would sing old standards and cry while watching ‘The Goonies’. You're as Gothic as Avril Lavigne is punk."

She burst out laughing and a second later he joined her.

In the galley, Cam smiled at Addison and Mark, who both breathed a sigh of relief. Blake scribbled out a note, took the food out of the oven, and all four of them quietly left together.

Callie’s laughter could still be heard halfway down the dock.

It sounded good.

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 25
*~*~*~*~*~

Alex and Callie ate in almost total silence, with the television for company. Their easy banter when he had come home had been replaced with uncomfortable tension that seemed to set in the moment they filled their plates. He watched her when he knew she wasn’t aware of it and was happy to see that she was actually consuming something. He looked at the television every time she glanced his way, though. She didn’t want him to worry about her food so he refused to mention it or voice his elation that she was actually eating.

The football game was the most boring thing Callie had ever seen. Alex seemed to like it so much that he had changed the setting to picture in picture so he could watch it and another game at the same time. She could feel herself developing attention deficit disorder as she glanced back and forth between the two games. After eating half of her dinner, her belly was stuffed and she carried her plate to the kitchen, where she raked what was left into the garbage disposal and turned it on.

Maybe it was the sound of the disposal destroying what was left of her dinner or maybe it was stress of the day finally catching up with her, but something snapped. She turned and glared at Alex, who was still watching the game like it was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen. "Are you going to talk to me about today or what?"

Alex chewed his food slowly and swallowed before he spoke. "I thought we did."

"No, we did not. We didn’t address any of it. And we have to, Alex."

"Okay. Let’s talk."

She looked at him.

He looked at her.

"Say something," she finally told him.

"I think that the disposal is finished."

She finally realized that she had left it running and turned, shutting it off. The commentator on the television announced that someone had just run for fifty yards and Callie’s heart was beating hard enough that she felt like it was her. "Can you say something, anything, that is not so fucking obvious?"

"You’re not going to bait me into a fight with you. You’re *obviously* not getting it so there it is."

Drying her hands on the dishtowel, she walked into her bedroom and grabbed her robe. A hot shower would have to erase the tension because Alex clearly wasn’t interested in doing it.

Pulling the bandage off her arm, she tossed it in the trash and looked at the bite. It was still a little red and would definitely leave a scar, but it looked better. Adjusting the taps, she stripped off her clothes and stepped under the scorching water. She let it beat against her shoulders, against the top of her head, and it was so hot that her tears felt cool against her cheeks, betraying her once again.

Callie didn’t cry. As a rule, she avoided it like the plague, but over the past few months she had been painfully reminded that she had ducts and an abundant supply of agony to fill them. Girls like Izzie cried. Over everything. Callie was nothing like Izzie so she was officially cutting off the waterworks and would not be going there again. Her talk with Cam earlier had been the quintessential light bulb moment over her head. She had spoken all her truths to her brother, but since they were one in the same, she had spoken it to herself. And she had listened with the same intensity that Cam had listened. Angrily drawing her hand across her eyes, she forced the lump in her throat to go away and set about scrubbing her body.

Callie Torres was a lot of things, but she was not weak. Circumstances that she had orchestrated had left her weak and on her knees, but she was firmly on her feet now. She’d never be weak again. Or a victim. Because Mark had been right about that. He had been right about everything he said. She had been a spineless, cowering, victim of her own stupidity. She used a long loofah on her back and arched against it, feeling her spine. It was still there, it was simply dying quietly from lack of use.

She had a few things to say to Alex Karev and she didn’t give a damn if he was engrossed in a football game or if ... he was stepping, naked, into the shower.

"Hey." He reached around her and turned the hot water down significantly. "If this is just because I went to the Chief and tried to save your career then maybe you should try to remember that I almost lost you before I really found you. Anything I said to him was because I knew I was falling for you and I wanted to keep you safe."

Her brown eyes found his and every horrible thing she had been planning to say left her brain and the only thing her spine was currently doing was tingling. She said, "It’s okay. I know." The second the words left her mouth she groaned and leaned her head back against the shower wall. "That’s not what I meant to say."

"What did you mean to say?" He seized the opportunity and kissed her throat.

"I meant to say that I’m mad as -"

His hands moved to her hips and he pushed his knee between hers. "You’re mad as ... what?"

She bit her lip as he moved his thigh higher, pressing against her center. "Hell."

"And you’re not gonna take it anymore?" Alex looked at her, his expression serious. "You’re gonna take it, Callie. Right now."

Before she could protest, he reached down and grabbed her behind the legs, letting them fall over his arms as he slid her up the wall a little. She was completely open to him and he drove inside her without preamble. He buried his face against her neck as he slammed into her several times and breathed a sigh of relief when she wrapped her arms around him and kissed the side of his face. He lifted his head and kissed her, hard.

He came a moment later and let her slide back to her feet. Taking the shower head down, he cleaned her off, then let it fall to the floor as he buried his face between her thighs. She tugged his hair roughly and he enjoyed every second of it. When she came, he slowly got to his feet and looked down at her. "Do you need to say anything else to me, Elvira?"

She shook her head, her eyes hooded. "No."

"Okay then."

Callie watched him step from the shower and grab a towel. The door to the bathroom clicked shut a few minutes later and she closed her eyes. She had been planning to tell him that she would rip his tongue out if he talked about her to the Chief again, but it was a very talented tongue and she’d be the one dying without it. It would probably be very tacky to put an obituary in the paper for her spine, but she had no chance in hell of having one where Alex was concerned. She finished bathing and wrapped a towel around her body.

While she combing her hair, he opened the door. "You’re off work tomorrow, right?"

She nodded.

"You want to come have lunch with me?" He grinned at her. "Not because I want to make sure you eat, but because I can’t do a twelve hour shift and not see you."

She slammed her comb down on the vanity and said, "Could you please stop making it so damn hard to be pissed? I want to be pissed!"

"Good luck with that, baby." He pulled her into his arms and kissed the scowl off her face. "People who want to be pissed are generally unhappy. And I’m not letting you go there again."

"You’re not pissed at me?"

"No, I’m enraged, Callie. You told me the other day that you weren’t going to run anymore, but that’s what you did. Straight to the liquor store. You barely made it there alive from what Mark says, but I’m not gonna say the things to you that I want to say because I’m not that cruel." He shrugged. "Actually, I am that cruel. Just not to you, but I can be and I will if you don’t -"

"No. No, say it. Whatever it is."

"I’d rather you imagine it. Because you know that’s worse."

"Like when your mother tells you to wait until your father gets home?"

His expression changed and the twinkle in his eye was gone in a flash. "No. Nothing’s really worse than that."

Callie’s eyes widened and she brought a hand to her mouth. "He - he didn’t just hit your mother."

"No. He didn’t just hit my mother." Alex shook his head. "And having a fight with someone when your emotions are still kinda raw is counterproductive. It’s not gonna solve anything, Callie, and I’m not doing it."

Despite her solemn vow in the shower that crying was out the question, the look on his face caused her to break. It was a welcome relief to be crying for someone other than herself. She threw her arms around him and held on tight. "I love you, Alex. And I’m sorry."

"I know, baby." He hugged her. "Just ... could you try to remember that someone loves you, too, and it kills them a little when you do things like you did today."

"I will."

"Let’s go to bed." Taking a step back, he kissed her. "And stop crying. I hate when you do that."

"God, at least we have *that* in common." She dried her face and followed him into their bedroom. He had already pulled the cover back and she took her towel off, letting it fall into the floor. She caught him looking and raised a brow. "What are you staring at?"

"Everything. Absolutely everything."

She smiled and watched him pull his shirt off. "I know the feeling."

"You’re about to feel a lot more."
*~*~*~*~*~

Mark followed Addison into her room and watched as she pulled the ivory clip from her hair and laid it on the dresser. He walked to the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of water and when he turned to hand her one, she was sitting on the edge of the bed. He could see the way her shoulders were shaking and he put the bottles down and sat beside her. She sniffled and leaned her head against his shoulder, drying her eyes.

"She could have died."

"Yes." He rubbed her arm. "She could have, but she didn’t."

"Because of you. That’s twice now that you’ve saved my best friend’s life."

"She’ll be okay. She will." Mark kissed her on top of the head. "Let’s order room service. What do you want?"

"Are you going to stay and eat with me?"

"Is that okay?"

"I’m so tired of eating alone." Addison sighed. "I have breakfast alone. Callie doesn’t eat lunch. And I come back here and order something every night and try to talk to the damn delivery person for as long as I can."

"Why don’t you go get a bath and unwind a little and I’ll order something."

"Not the chicken thing. I don’t like it."

"Not the chicken thing," he repeated, getting to his feet. He watched her rummage in the nightstand for her very unsexy flannel pajamas and smiled a little as she disappeared behind the door. He had lived with her for two months. Those ugly pajamas were a sign that Addison was not open. At all.

It took close to forty five minute for their dinners to arrive and she had still not emerged. He set it out on the table and knocked on the door. There was no answer so he tried the knob and was relieved that it wasn’t locked. She was asleep, bubbles covering her as she steam rose around her face. He sat down on the edge of the bathtub and watched her for a while. She had piled her hair on top of her head and her face was scrubbed clean. She looked young, vibrant.

"Addison?"

When she didn’t reply, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. She smelled like fruit and he knew that it was her favorite body wash from Victoria’s Secret. He had always loved the scent. He reached down and flipped the stopper, letting the water drain. The sound of it woke her and she looked up at him. The garden tub had a hand held sprayer so he turned the water on, adjusting it and then rinsed the bubbles from her skin. She had obviously boiled herself to death because her skin matched her hair.

"Cold." She shivered as he put the nozzle away and helped her to her feet.

Mark wrapped a towel around her and when she stepped from the tub, her feet slipped on the water that had splashed out while he sprayed her. He caught her, smiling down at her. "I got you."

"Yeah, you do." She put her hand on his cheek, loving the way his stubble felt so familiar and good against her palm. "Always."

He bent his head and kissed her. Somehow her towel slipped from his fingertips a moment later and he felt her skin, molded his hand against her rounded backside and it was enough. He lifted her against his body, urging her to put her legs around him. She didn’t have to be coaxed and he smiled at her as he turned and walked into the bedroom with her.

"You’re *not* winning," he told her as he fell onto his back, leaving her on top of him. "This is mutual."

She nodded and kissed him again, her tongue circling his, dancing and teasing. Sitting up, she let her hair fall down around her shoulders and moved to his chest, kissing the hard planes of muscle that she exposed as she unbuttoned his shirt. Taking her time, she moved over every inch of his arms and chest and he finally groaned in desperation and flipped her onto her back.

Within minutes, he was standing naked before her and she looked at him, unashamed of the fact that he took her breath. She sat up on the edge of the bed and wrapped her hand around his engorged cock, pumping it, running her thumb over the tip. When she looked up at him, she saw that his eyes were closed. Smiling, she slipped her mouth over him and strained to take him as far into her as she could. He was large and hard, but she made the most of it.

"Oh, God," he growled, his hands tangling in her hair. It had been so long, too long. As she let him fall from her mouth and he watched her lick a trail around the head, he almost came right then. Breathing hard, he eased away from her and shook his head. "You’re killing me."

"I didn’t even hum yet. I've heard that it’ll practically render you unconscious."

Torres was *definitely* a good friend, he thought. With a wicked smile, he flipped her onto her stomach and covered her body with his, kissing the nape of her neck, then lower down her spine. He lingered at the soft curve of her back, nipping at her flesh until she was wriggling beneath him. She whimpered his name and he said, "Hush. And keep your hands above your head."

He slid further down her body, biting the plump roundness of her backside before he urged her legs apart slightly and slipped his finger into her. Her hips bounced and he heard her hiss as he added a second digit. She was slippery, wet with need and they had only just begun. He let his fingers pump in and out of her, but ignored her clit. He could see by the way she undulated that she was trying to find friction on the comforter and it amused him to no end. He lifted her hips to stop her and watched as she fisted the cover in her hands.

She was being patient, not demanding, but he knew that he was working her into a frenzy. He pulled his hand away and eased her hips back to the bed before he kissed lower on the backs of her thighs. As his tongue darted out to taste the silkiness of her flesh, he kneaded her backside and she arched up against his touch. He moved to the back of her knee, his tongue flicking it the way he knew she longed ... and then her hand snaked between her legs and he narrowed his eyes.

He popped her, hard, on the ass and she cried out in shock. "Mark!"

"Keep your hands above your head."

"Then stop teasing me!"

He kissed her leg again and again he saw her polished fingers move against her clit. He pretended not to notice for a while, but when he heard the change of her breathing, he slapped her backside again. She came so hard that it stunned him, leaving his mouth agape. He stood and looked down at the red hand prints on both cheeks of her perfect ass and realized that she had *definitely* been hanging out with Torres too much, but he wasn’t going to complain.

Bending down, he ran his tongue along the marks and moved a hand between her legs again. Her pussy was still clenching when he slipped a finger into her again and he smiled when she moaned and pushed back against him. "You liked that, didn’t you?"

"Shut up."

"Who knew? Who knew that Addison Forbes Montgomery liked to be spanked."

"Shut. Up."

"I could do it again."

"I could let you."

She moved to her knees, daring him by wiggling back and forth. Instead of smacking her, he pulled her backwards and thrust into her. They both cried out, drowning out the sound of the other, but they didn’t need to hear it to know that it was perfect. He barely moved at all, he simply gripped her hips and pushed her forward, then yanked her back against him again. He wouldn’t last long. Not with her doing the things that she was doing with her muscles.

He reached around her slender hips with both hands. Holding her open with one, he twisted her clit with the other, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger. She reached down, gripping his wrists and arching back against him. The change deepened his penetration and sent him over the edge. He took her with him and her nails brought blood as she clawed at his arms.

He held her back against his chest as she hung like a rag doll in his grip. Smiling, he traced her ear with his thumb and whispered, "Happy now?"

"When I can think again ... I’m sure I’ll say yes."

He sucked on her earlobe and felt her clench around him. "It’s too soon to be thinking anyway."

Addison gasped when he flipped her onto her back and moved inside her again, slower this time. She bit her bottom lip as he pushed her aching backside against the cover. It was an incredible feeling and one that she’d be buying Callie lunch for out of gratitude. "Mark?"

"What?"

"Is ‘making love’ always so violent and dirty?"

He glared down at her. "No. I’m about to show you what dirty is."

"After that I’ll show you what a hummer is. And you can punish me for not showing you sooner."

His dick throbbed so hard that it was almost painful. "Your pillow talk has vastly improved while you were celibate."

"So has my technique." She grinned up at him. "Want me to show you a move that will make your toes curl?"

"I dare you."

She showed him.

They had their dinner for breakfast.

*~*~*~*~*~

Taking a deep breath, Callie knocked on the door of her parent’s suite. It was early and she hoped they were awake. The construction had begun on her property that morning before the sun had come up and Alex had laughed at the colorful words she had spouted from underneath her pillow. He had left a cup of coffee on the nightstand and kissed her thoroughly before he left for work. She gave up on sleeping in when she heard someone yell ‘timber’ and a tree crash to the ground.

Lifting her hand, she knocked harder and her mother yanked the door open, glaring out with bleary eyes. "You better be dying, Calliope!"

"Where’s Daddy?"

"Sleeping. It’s what normal people do at this time of day."

"It’s almost seven thirty. Can I come in?"

"You’re not bleeding. You’re not crying. You’re not bruised or in any apparent pain so go to Cam’s room until I wake up."

"You are awake."

"No, I’m not. This is my subconscious you’re talking to and it doesn’t care that you’re family. What it cares about is rest."

Callie walked past her mother and crossed her arms over her chest. "What did you do last night?"

"Unlike you, I do not advertise my sex life or -"

"No! Ewww! No! Never refer to a sex life as yours! You don’t have sex! Especially not with my dad!"

Melana closed the door and smiled at her daughter. "And if you were an immaculate conception I would have converted to Satanism. What do you want, honey? I’m tired."

"Why are you so tired? Without details that will potentially scar me for life, please."

"I had an epileptic attack late last night that was very draining."

"Oh my god! Are you okay? How bad was it? Did you-"

"I’m fine. Just ... exhausted." Melana motioned for Callie to sit down at the table and took the seat beside her. "Cambyses told us about yesterday. I’m not even cognizant enough to yell at you yet, but I will tell you that your father, that man that I don’t have sex with, was driven to tears because of you. As much as I love you, sweetheart, if you do that to him again I’m going to wring your neck."

"I get it. I really, really get it." Callie reached out and took her mother’s hand. "People love me and the things I do are not just to myself. You guys feel it. I’m selfish and I have to stop."

Melana blinked. "Take that up a few octaves and throw in a death threat and that’s pretty much what I was going to shout at you."

"Alex told me without the shouting. It was still loud and clear."

"I know that having your mother like your boyfriend is usually a kiss of death, but I do like him. I feel good leaving you here with him. I would *not* have felt good about leaving you here with George. You know why I say that?"

"Why?"

"Because if you truly loved George at *all*, then you wouldn’t have given your self respect or dignity a second thought when you made the decision to stay with him. True love erases any doubt or concern about whether you should stay or go." She reached out and cupped her daughter’s face. "And at the same time ... true love never, ever *gives* you self doubt or a reason to think that you’re not good enough. You are an incredible woman, Callie. Don’t let anyone steal that truth from you again."

"I won’t." Callie hugged her. "And anything incredible about me is just a reflection of you."

Mel closed her eyes and smiled. "Why don’t you go talk to your father before you make me cry."

Callie got to her feet, not letting her mom see that her own eyes were wet. She eased open the bedroom door and saw that her father was lying on his back with his arm flung out across her mother’s pillow. The book she had given him was on the dresser and she picked it up, tucked it against her chest and crawled into bed beside him, her head on his arm. "Daddy?"

Raphael awoke with a start and gazed down at her. "Are you okay?"

"I’m fine." She put her arm over his chest and squeezed. "I just thought I’d wake you up with a story. The deal is, though, that I tell you one and you have to tell me one in return."

He smiled down at her. "I can do that."

Callie took a deep breath and said, "So, there was this girl who was spoiled rotten by her very generous and loving parents. She was so spoiled that she thought it would be okay to act like a rebellious teenager even though she was very much an adult. But only in age because her actions put her somewhere between fetus and fifteen. She did horrible things to her parents ... like running away to Australia or trying to hurt herself because she was ... wrong. She was wrong and she knows that now.

"Because she knows that she has the kind of mother who, while moderately insane, can still love someone enough to make everything okay. And she’s got the kind of dad who never made her worry about what would happen when he came home and she had done something awful. And she did that a lot. She still does." She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. "And she’s very sorry for taking their love for granted and for anything she may have said on the phone about not ever forgiving her father because she does. And she’s okay now. She’s just fine.

"Your turn." She avoided looking at Raphael as she held up ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’. "Do the voices."

He cleared his throat and opened the front cover. "There was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning *she* was really splendid. She was *curvy* and bunchy, as a *Torres* rabbit should be; her coat was solid black, she had real thread whiskers, and her ears were lined with pink, no ... red, I think, sateen."

"You’re reading it wrong," she said softly, smiling.

"Well, honey, I don’t know who you told me a story about, but this one is about *you*."

"Okay, then the Boy in the story has to be called Alex."

"I don’t know, kitten. The rabbit leaves the boy in the end."

"This rabbit always goes back."

"It’s very nice to see you again, Callie. I feel like you’ve been gone for a very long time."

"I’m not going again, Daddy. I think I’m home for good."

*~*~*~*~*~

After leaving her parents with a promise of dinner the following night, Callie shopped for Ava and her baby. She also treated herself to a new outfit and had her hair styled at the salon. Addison had called to let her know that sex had finally happened, Ava was awake, and the stars and planets had all aligned in her life. Callie knew the feeling. As she strolled into the hospital she felt incredible and even a ten minute apology to Sydney didn’t put a damper on her mood. The hug that Sydney gave her was nauseating and uncomfortable, but her smile never faltered.

She knocked lightly on Ava’s door and saw that the woman was alone. Smiling, Callie set the bags in a nearby chair and held out her hand. "Hi, I’m -"

"Dr. Torres. Callie, right?"

"Right." Callie shook her hand, covering it with both of hers. "How are you feeling?"

Ava pushed herself up a little and grimaced. "It feels like a samurai put his sword in my gut and twisted it. Sorta like in ‘Samurai Ambush’ when the -"

"Oh my god!" Callie sat on the edge of the bed, facing her. "That is my favorite game *ever*."

"Shut up!" Ava said. "Have you gotten past the fourth level?"

"Girl, I got past that level the first night I played. I’m obsessive compulsive that way."

"How do you do it? How do you beat the squid thing?"

Callie opened her purse and pulled out her Gameboy, which was already loaded with the game. "I’ll leave this with you and I’m not telling you *how* to do it, but go for the tentacle."

Ava looked down at the toy with a look of geeker joy. "Which one? There are many."

"The big one." Callie smiled at her. "So, I met your daughter. She’s gorgeous! Have you named her named her yet?"

"Alexandria." Ava looked up at the dark haired woman as though she were afraid it would offend her. "Uhm, Alex did save my life."

"I think he likes doing that," Callie replied. "And that’s a beautiful name. You can call her Alex or Drea or Xander or -"

"Xander is so cute. I loved Xander on ‘Buffy’."

"Get out of my head!" Callie cried. "That show changed my life!"

"Favorite episode?" Ava asked, eyeing her in disbelief.

"‘Once More With Feeling’, but I still cry every time I watch Buffy stab Angel in part two of ‘Becoming’." Callie stared off into space, clearly imagining it. "Who did you want her with? Spike or Angel?"

"Spike."

"Me, too. His name was the last thing she ever said on the show. That says a lot."

"Ooooh, I didn’t think about that!"

"Steel trap." Callie pointed at her temple. "Plus I’ve worn out my collection because I don’t have a life."

"Now that’s not what I’ve heard." Ava grinned. "I’ve heard all about you and Alex and your *life*. He came in earlier and talked non stop about you. His version of events are a lot better than what the nurses are saying, but either way I’m jealous and want to live vicariously."

Callie laughed a little. "You’re about to be living very much in your own little soap opera. Did Alex mention my idea for the news?"

"He did and I want to do it. I think Alexandria has a father out there who’s looking for us and I hope that I do too." Ava smoothed the cover nervously. "I don’t know who would recognize me, though. I don’t remember my old face, but I’ve had a lot of work done and -"

"They’ll recognize your voice. So, talk a lot and if you have any tattoos or scars or *anything* then bare it and share it."

"I like you."

"God, that’s a relief," Callie replied honestly. "I was afraid you wouldn’t and Alex thinks a lot of you so it matters. What you think."

"I overheard you telling Dr. Montgomery she should sleep with him a while back," Ava told her. "But I also heard you saying that Alex was the kind of guy who barbecues and stops messing around in his twenties and never lies to you. That didn’t *really* sound like someone who wasn’t interested herself."

"My own mother saw it before I did." Callie slipped off the bed and picked up the bags that she had brought in. "She also taught me never to visit anyone who is sick unless I come bearing gifts. There are things here for you and for the baby. When you have your national debut you’re going to look like a movie star."
"Gifts kick ass!" Ava said, digging into the packages. She exclaimed over the silk gown and robe that Callie had bought for her and squealed over the pink and purple clothing she had bought Alexandria. When she pulled out the solid red jumper that had a black skull on the butt, she said, "This is what she’ll wear for her debut! This is soooo cute!"

"And it’s big enough that it’ll fit her for Halloween, which is just around the corner."

Ava reached out and hugged her. Callie was careful with her, mindful of the fact that she’d recently had a cesarean. They gossiped a little more, talked about shows and then the baby was brought in. The nurse carried a bottle and Ava quickly explained that she was producing enough milk. When the nurse held the infant toward Ava, she shook her head and said, "Visitors first."

"Oh, I don’t have to-"

"Go ahead."

Callie accepted the baby and gazed down at her, brushing a tuft of her reddish hair back. The baby’s eyes fluttered open and she saw that they were blue. Alexandria blinked against the harsh lights, yawned, and then stuck her fist in her mouth. "You won’t get anything out of that," Callie told her, taking the bottle from the nurse.

The baby latched on, her little fists on either side of the bottle. Her eyes were open and when Ava spoke again, she turned her head a little, following the sound of her mother’s voice. "She likes you," Ava told Callie. "She won’t let anyone else feed her. She threw up on Alex when he tried."

"She’s named after him. She had to christen him."

Alex stood beside the nurse’s station, watching Callie with the baby. Seeing her like that did things to his insides that had nothing at all to do with the pretty blue dress she wore or the amount of thigh it exposed. He smiled when she laid a towel over her shoulder and lifted the baby, patting her on the back. She was a natural and she looked beautiful doing it.

Mark paused beside him and looked into the room. "Oh, it’s Callie. I was going to kick your ass for looking at Jane Doe like that."

"Look at what she’s doing."

"She’s burping a baby, dude." Mark smiled when he heard the little girl belch and Callie congratulate her. "Callie’s a family girl."

"I’m a family guy."

"Do not knock her up until the ink has been dried on her divorce papers for a very long time. Take it from me." Mark picked up a chart and looked back into the room. "That could have been me and Addison."

"Wait. Are you broken up again?"

"She aborted my child."

"Oh," Alex said, looking away. "I - I’m sorry."

Mark listened to the baby start to cry and smiled again. "We’re going to have another one. We are."

"She’s - Addison’s preg-"

"Not yet, but give me time."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie found Alex sitting with Mark and Addison in the cafeteria. There were whispers when she walked in, but she kept her chin up and walked across the room, pausing only to greet Dr. Bailey. She could see Izzie sitting with George a few tables away and saw their heads go together as they began to talk to each other. She didn’t care. She listened to Bailey talk about the many ways they could ‘accidentally’ kill Sydney and threw her head back and laughed when Bailey suggested they do it then. She gave her friend a reassuring pat before she headed to where Alex was.

He stood up and kissed her, his hands on her hips. "You look pretty."

"You’re hopelessly biased." She kissed him again and sat down. "But thank you."

Addison had a grin on her face that was insane and dopey. Callie took one look at her and addressed Mark, "You’re gonna get caught if you have sex in the on call room behind triage again."

"How do you-" Mark began, scandalized.

"I heard you when I walked down the hall." Callie opened the soda that Alex had bought for her. "And I stood there for ten minutes to make sure that no one opened the door."

"I told you to be quiet!" Mark looked at Addison.

"I told you that I couldn’t. Not when you do that -"

"What did you do today?" Alex addressed Callie as the other two bickered. "Besides meet Ava."

"Made nice with my parents and got us sucked into dinner with them tomorrow night." Callie reached up, running her thumb along his jaw. "You look tired. Are you having a rough day?"

"I was, but it’s all good now." He leaned his forehead against hers. "Guess what?"

"What?"

"Webber hosted the meeting for Dr. Heron this morning and he made it clear that the only residents that she is in charge of are fourth years and below. So, you’re free."

"Then why does Bailey want to kill her?" Callie asked.

"Because Heron thinks that she should micro-manage Bailey’s clinic because fourth years and below work in it. She doesn’t like Bailey giving the orders in the clinic. She thinks it’s her domain, too."

"Oooh." Callie wrinkled her nose. "That’s gonna end well."

"Callie!" Addison interrupted in a loud voice.

Jumping a little, Callie said, "Sitting three feet away! Nowhere near deaf!"

"You were right about the, uh," Addison stumbled over her words and glanced at Alex, then clapped her hands together. She looked expectantly at Callie, who was clearly confused. "You know," she continued, clapping her hands again.

"I have never had a clapper." Callie scratched her head when Addison slapped her leg and gave an exaggerated shiver. "Alex, does sex make me as crazy as her?"

Alex watched as Addison made another move, this one looked like she was swatting away an angry fly. "Not at all."

Mark laughed and said, "She’s trying to tell you thank you for telling her that spanking is fun. She gets off on it."

"Oh, for God’s sake, Addison!" Callie threw a potato chip at her friend when she choked on her sandwich. "If you can’t say what you want or like then you don’t deserve to get it."

Addison was crimson and Callie looked at Mark, who was enjoying her friend’s discomfort a little too much. "Hey, Sloan?"

"Yeah?"

"I heard you were thinking about buying a hummer."

The smile faded from his face and he turned his attention to his sandwich. "Do you tell her *everything*, Addison?"

Callie didn’t wait for her to reply. "She’s my Padawan."

"And she’s my Darth Vader," Addison replied quickly.

"I can see that we have got to have a ‘Star Wars’ marathon very soon." Callie reached across the table and took her hand. "Sweetie, Darth was the bad guy. He taught the dark side."

"I know." Addison beamed at her. "He wore all black like you do and made people do carnal things with his magic light saber."

"No, that was ‘Star Whores’ and clearly you have a porn addiction." Callie bit into her own sandwich. "I have the sequel, ‘Return of the Thigh Highs’ in storage if you want to borrow it."

"Is Darth’s magic light saber in it?"

"Many times." Callie nodded.

"I’m free for the marathon on Friday."

"So am I."

Mark looked at Alex and said, "Are you off Friday?"

"I am."

Mark nodded. "I’ll bring the popcorn."

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 26
*~*~*~*~*~

Callie and Alex arrived for work the following day in matching jovial spirits. He had tried to sing along with Dean Martin, somehow making ‘You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You’ the most horrific song she had ever heard. She kept a straight face as he parked, but the second he met her behind the car to dance with her while he sang the chorus, she lost it. She had to double over and fight hard to breathe when he asked her if it was the song or his voice. He had mangled the lyrics all to hell and back and never hit one note correctly, but the humor was in his genuine delivery. As tone deaf as he was, he still tried to sell it.

"I’m crying!" she said, fanning her face as he tried once again for the chorus. "Stop singing! Or whatever that is that you’re doing. You sound like that bird in ‘The Little Mermaid’."

"Well, we can’t all sing like Ariel can we? And that was mean." He put his arms around her waist and kissed her, then goosed her in the ribs. "You’re supposed to be more Paula than Simon."

"Stop tickling me! I'm going to pee my pants!" She jumped and gripped his hands. "Okay, fine. Here’s my Paula. You look really, really good and you get an A for effort. It’s all about song choice, though. So, later on, if you really want to sing ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy’ by Rod Stewart while you strip ... I promise to be seduced."

He smiled at her. "I can do that."

Wrapping her arms around him, she spoke softly. "You know what else you can do?"

"What?"

"You can think about the fact that I’m wearing those infamous crotchless panties. All day."

He slipped his hands over her backside, confirming that she was indeed wearing what she claimed. They fit her ass a certain way and he loved the way they did. He traced her panty line and then moved his hand to the seam of her jeans between her legs. "We could go to an on call room. Right now."

"We’re not on call yet, but if you want to meet me there after lunch for dessert ... I’ll say yes."

"Fourth floor?"

"That’s the one."

"How do you know this?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"I’ve been here five years. I know all the best hiding places and I can’t wait to show you every single one of them." She kissed him again and he pressed her against the trunk of her car. She put her hands in the back pocket of his pants and leaned her head back, letting him nip at her neck, then her ear.

"Get a room!" Cristina called, crawling out of the back of Meredith’s car. George and Izzie quickly walked past them, but Yang and Grey strolled up, smiling. "What are you doing?" Yang asked.

"Groping my girlfriend," Alex replied, pulling Callie a little closer. "And loving every minute of it."

"That’s nauseating. It’s too early in the morning for that." Cristina stretched and yawned. "You should be inside sucking down coffee and trying to get on the surgical boards before anyone else can. Doctors don’t need sex. We need scalpels. And multiple traumas."

"Well, I think it’s sweet," Meredith said, smiling when Callie leaned her head against Alex’s. "No matter what time of the day it is. People should just be happy. And laughter is the always the best medicine."

"Oh my god." Cristina glared at her. "I’m throwing away that damn inspirational calendar you bought. That’s the second time today that you’ve said ‘happy’ and it’s making me want to strangle something. Like a furry white kitten."

"It’s not my fault that Burke is an ass." Meredith looped her arm through her friend’s. To Alex and Callie, she added, "He still isn’t talking to her."

"And I don’t care." Cristina rolled her eyes and looked at Alex. "I’m sleeping in your bed, douchebag. Are you planning on coming back or can I move in?"

"Move in. I’m moving on." Alex shrugged. "I’ll try to swing by and get my things on Friday. We’re both off and that’ll be a good time to do it."

Meredith nodded, still grinning as Alex playfully walked his fingers up Callie’s ribs until he found her ticklish spot.

She had to admit it ... they were a gorgeous couple.

*~*~*~*~*~

"They’re a hideous couple," Izzie told George, digging through the fruit on the lunch line. "I don’t know what he sees in her."

"I do," George replied. "I’m pretty sure it has to do with her bank account. Did you see the Rolex he’s been wearing? She’s very generous."

"I overheard Montgomery telling Bailey that they’re living on a yacht. Callie’s yacht. Out at Harbor Cove." Izzie wrinkled her nose and glanced across the lunchroom as Alex laughed at something Callie was saying. "I think they’re just doing it for show. It’s not real."

"Who were they trying to show in the parking lot this morning, Izzie? They were all over each other." George sighed. "God, I hate this."

"That’s what they want us to do, George. It’s all a game to make us jealous. That’s all. I bet they haven’t even had sex." Izzie put an arm around his shoulders as they walked across the room and sat with Meredith and Cristina.

Cristina looked at George and said, "How do you like the fold out sofa?"

"It’s fine." His expression changed suddenly. "Why?"

"Because Alex is moving in with Callie and he said I could have his room." She smiled and looked back and forth between Izzie and George. "What does it feel like?"

"What does what feel like?" Izzie asked.

"To know that the people you want to be with are with each other and look happier than they ever did with either one of you."

Izzie’s eyes widened. "How do you know that I want to be with -"

"You leave your diary out and I’m reading it." Yang shrugged and turned to George. "Did you know that Homewrecker Barbie here called your second little dalliance a nightmare moment of incestuous proportions? She said your legs looked like you were riding a chicken."

George blushed, but did not reply. He listened to Izzie implore Meredith to control her new tenant and found himself watching Callie again as Meredith mediated the dispute. Callie’s hair was insanely curly. He had never seen it that way. Her bangs had disappeared into the frenzy of spiral waves and she looked more Latino, more exotic than he had ever seen her look before. Her skin was darker, but her eyes were lighter somehow and he wondered if it was because she really was happy. Surely no one could fake what Alex and Callie were currently faking. Not the way they did it. It was palpable. He could feel it from across the room.

Alex reached up and wrapped his finger around a lock of her hair and pulled her forward. George held his breath when she smiled at Karev and kissed him, her hands on his chest. Even from across the room he could see that it wasn’t a friend’s kiss. He had no doubt that they were tasting each other’s lunches and when he saw Alex’s hand graze her breast and heard her laugh at something he had whispered against her ear, he pushed his plate away.

Cristina followed George’s gaze, watching as Callie and Alex stood and left the cafeteria hand in hand. "Awww, Bambi, are you finally seeing how stupid you were? I mean, I’m not *calling* you stupid or anything, but I kinda think you were sixteen before you learned how to tie your shoelaces."

Izzie put a hand on his arm. "Ignore her. She’s still upset about Burke so the rest of us must pay."

"Oh, right," Cristina replied. "What were you upset about when you were making Callie pay? If memory serves all was right in the land of Izz-Me when you started picking on her."

"Since when are you Callie’s public defender?" Izzie snapped. "You’ve been doing that for weeks now, talking her up, saying that she’s great. Why don’t you go make out with her too?"

"Oh, I would." Cristina shrugged. "But she’s a one person kind of woman and I don’t steal from anyone. Plus, she’s a friend, and unlike you guys I really understand friendship boundaries. You two together?" She pointed back and forth between Izzie and George. "That would be like me and Meredith throwing down. We are *family*."

"I got all my sisters with me," Meredith said, putting a hand on the arms of both of her female friends. "Can you just *try* to get along?"

Cristina nodded. "For you, sure. Hey, Izzard, you want to go outside and play ‘hide and go fuck yourself’?"

"Cristina!" Meredith cried.

"Do you know what else she wrote in her diary?" Yang kept her eyes on Izzie. "She wrote that I was an overbearing and annoying token Asian who didn’t deserve Preston Burke because I was too bitchy to live. And, Meredith, she said that you were a commitment phobe who didn’t have a chance in hell of hanging onto Derek because you have no tits and your ass looks like a twelve year old boy’s."

Izzie got up from the table fast enough that she knocked her chair back. "Stay the hell out of my room!"

"Oh, but aren’t we friends?" Cristina asked. "Isn’t there a revolving door when it comes to your friends? Don’t you share *everything* with us?"

Izzie stalked from the room and Cristina looked innocently at George. "You know what she can’t stand? The truth."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie and Alex were undressed and well on their way to making history fifteen minutes after they finished eating. She had been right about the fourth floor on call room. It was at the end of a dead end hallway that never got much action. He was watching her ride out the waves of her orgasm as he sank into her flesh. When she lifted her hips up against his, he grabbed one of her legs and pulled it over his shoulder. Smiling, he leaned down and bit her bottom lip, sucking at it until it was even fuller. "God, you feel good."

She wrapped her free leg around his waist and bucked against him, meeting him thrust for thrust. The sound of flesh slapping against flesh was erotic and as she gazed into his eyes, she felt the familiar tingling between her legs began to build again. "Touch me," she whispered.

He rolled them so that she was on top and reached between her legs as she undulated her hips, massaging her clit with his thumb. She came hard and let her head fall back so far that the ends of her hair tickled his thighs. He sat up, pulling her legs around him. He surged against her, gripping her hips as he lifted her once, twice, three times and he got off with a hoarse cry. The sounds of their mutual pleasure drowned out the sound of the door opening. When he could think again, he kissed her softly and said, "I love you, Callie."

"OH MY GOD!"

Callie turned her head in time to see Izzie Stevens rush from the room. She groaned and said, "How much do you think she saw?"

"Judging by the look on her face it was enough to show her that you’re better than she could ever hope to be." He kissed her again, cupping her breast with one hand. Her nipple was taut and he tweaked it, grinning when she hissed. "What time is dinner with your parents?"

"Eight." She took his wrist and gazed at his watch. "I have a spinal fusion in forty minutes. You want to go take a shower with me?"

"And risk getting caught again? Absolutely."

They didn’t get caught, but they emerged just in the nick of time. Callie was putting on fresh scrubs when Sydney walked into the locker room and looked at her. "I need you to let Stevens scrub in with you on the spinal fusion."

"No way!" Callie shook her head.

"Team player! Be all that you can be!" Sydney cried, looking so frazzled that it was almost comical. Her hair was frizzy, her face was devoid of makeup and her scrub shirt was not only inside out, it didn’t match her pants. "I need her off the floor and I know that you won’t let her do anything stupid."

"What did she do now?"

"Nothing. Yet. But Chief Webber is coming in and I want to look like I can delegate. I need all the new residents somewhere and you’re the only one on the board for a surgery that she can’t kill someone on. That crazy little tart whore."

"Fine." Callie laughed at her, feeling a newfound kinship with Sydney due to her choice of words. "I’ll do it."

Sydney breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness!"

Callie hastily added, "I’ll do it if you help me with my freakin’ hair because I don’t have time to dry it all the way and I have to go to dinner right after work. I need it to fit under my scrub cap better, too."

"Oh my god! Absolutely! I live for this stuff! Sit down, sit down."

Callie avoided looking at Alex at all as Sydney began elegantly French braiding her hair away from her face. She heard him laughing, though, and had to smile along with him. When Sydney began to sing ‘Beautiful’ by Christina Aguilera, she joined him in the laughter and within moments, Dr. Heron had done the same.

*~*~*~*~*~

Being bent over a spine with a heavy piece of equipment was not the easiest thing to do after being bent in other, more satisfying ways, but Callie made the most of it. She adjusted a screw and looked at the monitor, checking the depth and placement. Her mind put 'screw' and 'placement' together and she wondered what Alex would think of the place in the basement where she used to live. She’d be showing that to him the following day. Every time he touched her it felt like the first time all over again. She chuckled a little behind her mask and pulled the tool away, relieved that the worst was over and the home stretch had finally arrived.

Glancing up, she saw that Izzie was staring at her. "You want to stitch him up?"

"Not really."

"Okay." Callie shrugged, picking up the tools needed to suture the incision. She adjusted the light and twisted a little, trying to pop her back. It finally worked and she moaned in relief. "Hurts so good."

"Having your legs bent in ways they do not go apparently agrees with you," Izzie told her, not bothering to keep her voice low. "Who knew?"

There were several sniggers in the room and Callie resolutely put the first stitch in. "I think it depends on the one doing the bending."

Izzie continued to glare at her. "You get that Alex is using you, right?"

"Thank you for your opinion, but since I didn’t ask for it I think you can safely assume that I don’t want it." Callie worked on the third stitch. The only outward hint of the aggravation she was beginning to feel was the way she twisted her head side to side, working on the rapidly building tension in her neck.

"It’s because you have money. You’re his sugar mama and nothing more."

"I do have a lot of money. So if that’s why he’s staying then he’ll never have a reason to go." The fifth and sixth stitch were thankfully silent.

On the seventh stitch, Izzie said, "You’re not his type."

Callie kept her eyes on her job. "That’s because I refuse to be a ‘type’."

"He will always want the cheerleader and you will always be the weird girl who doesn’t wash her hands."

Callie worked on the tenth stitch. "My hands will never be so dirty that they’re stained with someone else’s blood. You can’t wash that off. Ever."

Izzie snorted. "You love to go there. You love to bring up Denny every chance you get."

Callie looked at her. "And you love to prove how unprofessional you are every chance you get. Look around you, Dr. Stevens. We’re in an operating room. We have someone halfway open on the table and I’m trying like hell to do my job. So, can you please stop talking?"

"You’re actually calling me unprofessional? I’m sorry ... did I not walk in on sex earlier?"

"I’m sorry ... did you not make out with my soon to be ex-husband in the elevator?"

Someone coughed softly and Izzie stood a little taller, suddenly aware that every eye was on her. "Your soon to be ex-husband made out with *me*. He clearly wanted to feel what a normal woman felt like."

"You and normal? Not even distant cousins. Not even in the same zip code." Callie adjusted the light again, working on the remaining stitches. When she was finished, she took a step back and nodded at the anesthesiologist. "Dr. Jamison, nice job."

"Likewise, Dr. Torres." The man nodded his head.

Callie thanked the crew, told them they had done well, and pulled her gloves off. She walked to the scrub room, took off her surgical suit and put it into the trash. Despite the exchange of words, she was calm, cool, and collected. She would be willing to bet that Alex would give her a massage if she asked really nicely. She smiled as she thought about the possibilities and she was happily picturing it ...

Until Izzie Stevens followed her and said, "Alex likes you right now because you lost about two hundred pounds, but when you start eating again ... and you will ... he’ll drop your lard ass like the four ton weight that you are."

Callie sighed and shook her head. "You think that being pretty makes you perfect, but it doesn’t. You can be bone thin and in every centerfold on the planet, but your soul still looks like seven miles of bad road, Izzie. It’s ugly. And it’s so fat with vitriol and bitterness that it keeps getting wedged in the doorway and that’s why you can’t use it for anything other than cruelty."

"I’m not scared to kick your ass, Callie, but since I’m not tiny like Meredith I’m sure you won’t go there."

"If you fight like you save lives then I’m not really worried." Callie turned on her heel and walked into the hallway. She pulled her scrub cap off and that was when Izzie made her move.

The blond dug her hand into the single braid that Sydney had fashioned on the back of Callie’s head and yanked her backwards. Callie turned and Izzie slapped her as hard as she could. There were several gasps, mostly from Dr. Bailey and Chief Webber who were standing ten feet away. Callie caught Izzie’s arm and said, "I’ll give you that one, Stevens, but if you swing again it’s on. Consider that a warning."

Izzie yanked off her stethoscope and used it like a whip. The round metal end caught Callie just under the eye. She saw stars for a second and felt blood roll down her face, but she smiled through the pain. "God, I was *so* hoping you were as stupid as I always suspected."

Callie punched her and Izzie’s cap fell off from the force of the blow. Izzie staggered back and ran her hand over her mouth, feeling her split lip. With a shriek, she flung herself at Callie who used the momentum of the younger woman’s body to send her crashing into the wall. Izzie stumbled and Callie stuck her foot out, tripping her. The blond fell to her stomach and grunted when Callie kicked her in the ribs.

"Stop that!" Webber cried, rushing forward and pulling Izzie to her feet. "Stop it now!"

Izzie launched herself at Callie again and Callie was ready. She hit her twice, one fist to her face and one to her gut. Izzie latched onto her black hair in an apparent attempt to rip it from her skull in retaliation. There were more shouts and then Mark, Webber, and Alex were trying to get the women apart. The men only succeeded in knocking them to the ground and Callie was easily the dominant one since Izzie’s only concern was scalping her. Callie got in one last lick and there was an audible pop.

Izzie screamed and clutched her jaw.

"People will thank me for that when it keeps your big mouth wired shut for a while!" Callie yelled as Alex physically lifted her and pinned her against the wall.

Webber helped Izzie to her feet again and shouted, "What the hell is wrong with you two? I have never in my life! Dr. Bailey, take Stevens to X-ray. Dr. Sloan, take Torres to trauma and check her face." He looked at Izzie, then Callie. "And then the two of you get out of this hospital for the rest of the day! I want you both in my office at nine in the morning to discuss disciplinary actions. Which will be severe!"

Dr. Jamison and several of the surgical crew had come out. Jamison pulled off his mask and said, "Dr. Stevens was goading Dr. Torres throughout the entire surgery. Callie begged her to be professional and she refused. And Stevens threw the first punch. This was clearly self defense."

Reva, one of the oldest scrub nurse’s employed at Seattle Grace, nodded her agreement and lifted a gnarled hand, pointing at Izzie. "I’m surprised she didn’t slit you from groin to gullet, little missy! The things you said to her! Mexicans cut people!"

"I’m *not* a Mexican!" Callie said, her hand over her cheek.

Richard took a deep breath and said, "Okay, fine. I want everyone who was in the OR to go to my office and wait for me. I’ll talk to you one at a time." He turned to Izzie and Callie again. "My other orders still stand. Go get yourselves cleaned up, get the hell out of here, and come back in the morning without your scrubs! I don’t think you’ll need them for a while!"

*~*~*~*~*~

"It’s actually not that bad," Mark said, squeezing a syringe full of water over the small laceration on Callie’s cheek. "Two stitches should do it."

"Then don’t numb it."

"Yeah, right," Mark replied, shaking his head. "I don’t want you to punch *me*. Helluva right hook, Torres."

"Why do you always have to one up me?" Addison snapped, her arms over her chest as she watched from the corner of the room. "And why do you have to do it when I’m not there to see it!? I knew I should have gone back and smacked her again at Meredith’s house! Did she actually hit you with her stethoscope?"

Callie nodded and Mark gripped her chin, telling her to be still. Alex took the ice pack off her hand and felt her knuckles. "Ow, crap!"

"Nothing feels broken, but we should probably get a -"

"Nothing *is* broken," Callie replied, hissing when Mark began to numb her face. "Except her jaw."

"What did she say to you anyway?" Alex asked.

Callie squeezed her eyes shut as the medication burned. "That you only want me for my money. That you’re going to stop hanging around with me when I start eating again because I’m a lard ass who weighs two tons and that I’m not your type because you only like cheerleaders. Oh, and that I’m unprofessional."

Alex sat down beside her on the stretcher. "And you let a bunch of lies get you in this much trouble?"

"No. I was walking away from her. I was *fine*." She opened her eyes and glanced at Alex. "I’m still fine because I know better."

He grinned at her and took her hand, gently kissing it. "Good."

Mark worked quickly. When he was finished, he wrote her a prescription for mild pain medication, assuring her that she’d probably need it that night and the following day. Callie accepted the papers as Dr. Bailey appeared in the doorway. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Fine."

"She was the one in the wrong. The Chief knows that. We saw it." Bailey folded her arms across her chest. "And Sydney Heron is the worst Chief Resident to ever walk the face of the earth. She should have known better than to put you two together. Why did you agree to do it?"

"Because *I* can be professional and I mistakenly assumed that she could do the same."

"Hello?" Addison said. "Denny Duquette. LVAD-gate. The only thing professional about Stevens is the street corner she keeps hot during her down time."

"Nicely phrased, young Jedi." Callie smiled at her friend. "You’ll be a knight in no time."

"If I go break her nose will that win me knighthood?"

"No, it will not!" Bailey snapped. "Y’all fools are gonna give the Chief a stroke. And not the Chief that needs to have a stroke!"

"How’s Izzie?" Alex asked. "Is she okay?"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Callie took her hand from his and got to her feet. She listened as Bailey told him that the fracture in Stevens’ jaw would not require surgery or her jaw to be wired shut, but she’d be on a liquid diet for a while. Callie signed her discharge papers and then heard Alex ask if he could take off early.

After a pit stop to pick up their things, they walked to the car in silence. Alex caught her arm at the back of it, the way he had done that morning when he danced and sang to her. "Do you get that the only reason I asked about her is because I wanted you to know that you got the upper hand?"

"She’s your friend. I know that. You’ll have to forgive me if that doesn’t really thrill me because the last person who said she was a friend-"

"Hey!" He tightened his grip and forced her to look at him. "Don’t ever compare me to him again. Ever."

"Alex, did you have feelings for her? When you were with her?"

"No. I didn’t know what love was until I met you. I’m pretty sure I made that clear already." He rubbed just under the bandage on her face. "So don’t worry. I won’t be talking to her anymore."

"I’m not giving you that ultimatum. I just don’t have to like it."

"I’m not going to be friends with anyone who badmouths you. It’s not gonna happen, because if she can’t respect you then she can’t respect me." He kissed her. "I’m not George. I know exactly what I want, how I feel, and that you’re the only thing I need."

"Friends are important."

"Family is more important and that’s what you are to me."

"That’s the best thing you could have said." She smiled at him. "You really think I had the upper hand in the fight?"

"Baby, you kicked her ass. It was unbelievable."

"I really did try to avoid it. I tried so hard to take the high road. I didn’t want this to happen."

"You’re not sorry it did, though."

"Therapy? Two hundred and fifty an hour. Making Izzie Stevens bleed? Priceless."

Alex laughed and opened her car door. "Your parents will *love* the stitches."

"I’ll tell them that I fell."

"Nope." He leaned into the car and fastened her seat belt, then kissed her. "You’ll tell the truth because lies *always* catch up to you."

*~*~*~*~*~

Izzie was lying on her bed, gazing at the ceiling when someone knocked on her door. With great effort she called out for whoever it was to come in. Her jaw was about thirteen shades of blue and so swollen that she looked like she had golf balls stuffed in her cheek. The swelling caused the split on her lip to pull apart every time she attempted to speak and she was rewarded with fresh blood dripping into her mouth for her efforts. Grabbing a tissue, she held it to her mouth and watched George walk into the room carrying a bowl.

"Tomato soup," he told her, setting it on the bedside table. "It’s very hot so let it cool."

She nodded and sat up. "Thanks."

"You hit her with your stethoscope. You could have damaged her eye or -"

"I know."

"You could have really hurt her and I don’t like that one damn bit." He handed her the icepack he had prepared earlier and watched her press it against her face. "I never realized just how cruel you can be."

Izzie simply gazed at him, saying nothing.

"You were *mean* to her when you first met her and it had nothing to do with you having romantic feelings for me, Izzie. You were with Denny at the time and you were *happy*. I couldn’t believe that a girl like Callie would want me and you talked her down every chance you got. You’re partially to blame for the fact that I didn’t throw caution to the wind and give her one hundred percent of me because you planted all that doubt. You made me think that I had to choose between the two of you. You shouldn’t have done that and you shouldn’t be going after her about Alex, either. Leave her alone. Just leave her alone and let her be happy because-"

"I caught them having sex today."

George closed his eyes, rubbing his fingers over them as if to prevent the mental image that was invariably coming. Neither spoke for a while. George eventually looked at her again and said, "Cristina was right. The people we want have found each other because of what we did to them. You left Alex to be with Denny and I ruined my marriage to be with you. We hurt them and now we’re the ones who have to hurt."

Izzie brushed away a tear. "He told her he loved her. I heard it. He never said that to me. At least not while -"

"Did she say it back?" he asked softly and his hands fisted in her bedspread while he awaited the answer.

"I don’t know. I yelled and ran out of the room."

He put his head in his hands. "Callie needs to hear it from someone and regardless of whether he really means it or if it’s all just a game ... she still needs to hear it. Now and not later." He took a deep breath. "Because later rarely comes."

Izzie reached out and put her hand on his arm. "I’m sorry that I ruined your marriage."

"I ruined my marriage. You murdered it."

"I wasn’t the only one in this bed, George. Granted, I was a little more sober than you, but it took both of us to do what we did."

"I’m not just talking about the sex, Izzie. I’m talking about the fact that you caused every single argument that I ever had with her. And I defended you when I shouldn’t have. Today showed me that. You hate her and you don’t even know why. Do you?"

"She reminds me of a girl who lived in the trailer park with me. She was big and hateful and -"

"I bet that girl wouldn’t have cooked for you when Denny died." George shook his head. "Don’t punish people for what other people do. If we don’t take anything at all out of the mess we’re in ... let’s take that. And responsibility for our own part in what’s happened."

Izzie watched him stand and took the bowl of soup he handed her. It was still smoking a little so she set it on her lap and glanced up at him. "You really did love her, didn’t you?"

"Yeah."

"I thought she was just a rebound."

"Well, it’s not like I went out of my way to show how I felt. I didn’t show anyone. She was certainly the last to know."

"Do you still love her?"

"I always will."

"Maybe you should fight for her. Tell her how you feel."

"No."

"Why not, George?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "Because I want her to be happy. And not once in my life have I managed to make her feel that way."

Izzie sipped the soup through a straw and grimaced. "I may have hit her with my stethoscope, but I really think her fist was deadlier."

George smiled. It was a sad, bittersweet smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "I may not have gotten to know much about her, but I did see a Karate suit in her closet with a third degree black belt. You’re lucky she didn’t break out her inner Jackie Chan."

"I really am sorry for what I did to her. And to you."
"Then learn from it. And don’t do the same thing to Alex." He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. Picking up her bottle of pain meds, he held one out to her and said, "Get some sleep, Iz."

She nodded and watched him walk from the room. She finished off the soup, took the pill, and curled onto her side. There was a huge difference between George and Alex. George had never told her that he was in love with her.
But Alex certainly had.
And only a fool would ignore that.
*~*~*~*~*~
CH 27
Callie hoped that the demure dress and *pearls* she wore would help offset the purpling bruise and black stitches on her face. She had opened her tube of concealer to try to cover over it, but Alex had taken it from her and handed her a band-aid instead. It didn’t really give her any comfort that the band-aid was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or that Alex assured her it accessorized well with the greens and blues of her printed dress. It stuck out like a sore thumb, even when she tried to strategically pull a curl over her cheek. Alex had resolutely tucked the lock of hair behind her ear and told her to stop trying to look like Slash.

When they arrived at the restaurant on top of the Archfield, her parents began to fuss over her and that same feeling of being smothered to death came creeping back in. She hated that feeling. She hated being the center of attention or having anyone flutter around her like a gnat, no matter how great their intentions were. She had two feet that she could stand up on just fine. Callie told the story of what had transpired with Izzie twice before her parents would concede that it was time to place their orders. They had sent the poor waiter away four times already and Callie was starving.

"It’s assault. We’ll take you to press charges after dinner," Raphael declared as he handed the menus to the waiter. "And we’ll call our lawyer in the morning about making sure she covers your medical fees."

Callie watched the young man walk away before she shook her head. "It’s really not necessary, Daddy. You know I’m not litigious."

"Honey, this girl attacked you," Melana said, tilting Callie’s face for the tenth time so she could study the bandage again. "She could have permanently damaged your eye."

"She didn’t so I’m not worried about it."

"What will happen at work? Will you be punished?" Raphael asked.

"Probably." Callie put her chin in her palm and sighed. "Can we change the subject? There are still construction workers on my property, Daddy. There are trees that they start cutting down before the sun comes up so I know they can’t *see* well enough to do it."

"Which is why they’re still there, kitten," Raphael replied. "It’s not well lit. Once the trail is widened and street lights are put in -"

"Street lights!? I like it very dark when I sleep! I’ll have to put black curtains on the yacht and-"

"It will be worth it. Unless I’m very mistaken you had black curtains put up in your bedroom back home just for the hell of it. And to annoy me." Melana patted her hand and looked at Alex. "So, Alex, tell us about your family."

Alex took a deep breath. He had two options: the truth or a lie. The lie just seemed easier and less stressful to all parties involved. "I’m afraid it’s a boring story. We’re from Iowa and my dad is in ... real estate and my mother is a ... special education teacher."

"Oh, that’s lovely. Educators are so valuable." Mel smiled at him. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I’m an only child. To hear my mother tell it she had enough pain during my delivery to absolutely make sure that it never happened again."

"Where did you go to college?" Raph asked.

"Do not give him the third degree," Callie said, putting her hand on Alex’s. "I’m changing the subject again. What are -"

"It’s fine, baby." Alex winked at her. "I went to the University of Iowa and then to Cornell."

Melana smiled when Alex spoke the endearment to Callie. "What surgical field are you interested in?"

"I’ve always been fascinated by plastics. Not for vain reasons, but for reconstructive purposes ... especially in trauma victims. Lately, though, I’ve become interested in Neonatology and Pediatrics."

"So you like children?"

"I do."

Callie narrowed her eyes at her parents. They would have her barefoot and pregnant faster than she could say ‘the divorce is final’ if they could. "Do you need to know his shoe size, too?"

"No," Melana replied. "But it’s very nice to actually have a chance to get to know someone that you’re seeing. Especially when it’s someone that your father doesn’t want to hire a hit on."

"Mother, would you please not scare him off?"

"I don’t scare easily," Alex replied. "And if George was one of those intended hits then I probably would have done the honor myself. Just ... theoretically speaking."

Raphael grinned at him. "I hated him on sight. He was pale, sweaty, and smelled like a brewery. No wonder my daughter turned to alcohol. She probably got legally intoxicated just by smelling him."

Alex laughed and glanced at Callie, who was staring down at her free hand, which was in her lap. It was her left hand he wondered if she was thinking about George, about their marriage. He pushed the thought away and put an arm around her shoulder. "You look exhausted."

She flexed her hand and said, "I think I’ll need to ice this again when we get home. I don’t usually throw punches with my left hand so my form was a little off."

"You want to take one of your pain pills?"

"I already did. My head is spinning."

He reached up and brushed her hair back. "When did you take it?"

"In the car when you stopped for gas." She yawned, then grimaced because it hurt her cheek. "Sorry. I take Tylenol for *everything* so I’m pretty sure you’ll be dragging me from the car to the yacht."

"Perhaps you should get your dinner to go," Melana suggested. "We can do the same. We actually asked the two of you to come tonight because we had a little something for Alex."

Callie groaned. "Oh god. I don’t scare easily either and I’m suddenly terrified."

Melana simply shot her a look, then turned her attention to Alex. "I fear that I didn’t make a very nice impression on you when we first met. You saved our daughter’s life. Twice now. Once from herself and once from a shark." She raised a brow at Callie, who looked down at her lap again. "We appreciate that more than any token of our gratitude could show you, Alex, but we wanted to get you a little something to say thank you just the same."

Raphael pulled a thick envelope from the front pocket of his jacket. "I was going to buy you a car like Callie’s, but Cambyses assured me that you would prefer a SUV. I believe that you already drive a jeep of some kind so I bought you the closest thing to a jeep that I could find on the Mercedes lot. It’s a 2008 G55 AMG. It’s fully loaded and had just rolled off the truck when I got there. They’ll deliver it tomorrow. I had a few upgrades that I wanted in place."

Alex vehemently shook his head when the man held the envelope out to him. "No, Mr. Torres, that’s not-"

"Call me Raphael, son."

"Raphael, I appreciate the offer. I really do," he said. "But the best gift in the world is that Callie’s okay now and I get to be with her. That’s all the thanks I need."

Callie’s heart spun even faster than her head if that were at all possible. She didn’t think it had anything at all to do with the pain meds and she grinned so wide that her face hurt. "Alex, your car is pretty old and this new one is probably a lot safer."

"Callie, there’s no way that -"

"I don’t think your seat belt works in the jeep, Alex. You always check mine so it’s my turn." Callie took the packet from her father and put it in front of him. "You’re not the only one who worries. I’d feel better if you drove this."

"I can’t accept this. It’s very generous, but it’s also excessive and -"

"No, it’s not excessive. You can’t put a price tag on what you gave back to us." Raphael reached across the table and put his hand on Alex’s arm. "It’s bought and paid for. It’s yours. I hope you enjoy it."

"We spoil people we care about, Alex," Melana grinned at him, then lifted her glass of water. "To Dr. Karev, who not only gave us back our daughter, but gave her a reason to smile again."

"Hear, hear," Callie said, clicking her glass to her mother’s. To Alex, she added, "It’s rude to try to give back a gift, even one that you think is overkill, so just take it and smile. You’re outnumbered and Cubans and Greeks can be pretty brutal on their own and I’m half of both."

Alex looked at the Raphael, then at Callie’s mother, who nodded her encouragement at him. "Then I guess the only thing left to say is thank you. You really didn’t have to do this, but I appreciate it. Thank you very much."

Their food arrived, but Callie declined to take it to go and assured everyone that she was fine. She had never tasted anything better than the filet mignon, even though it was prepared no differently than usual.

As she watched her parents interact with Alex she knew that her mother had been wrong. Having her parents like her boyfriend was not a kiss of death.

It was a breath of life.

And she had never felt more alive than she did at that moment.

*~*~*~*~*~

Addison, Mark, and Alex found every reason in the world to linger in the hallway in front of the Chief’s office the following morning. Callie had arrived for the meeting before Izzie and the four of them stood and talked until the blond had shown up. Alone. Addison made a loud comment about her looking like the Joker and Izzie had scowled and sank into a chair near the Chief’s door. He arrived a few minutes later and nodded for the two women to follow. Before he shut the door, Webber shot a pointed glare at the three remaining people in the hallway, who tried to look busy. They were still doing it an hour later when the door finally opened.

Izzie stalked past them, her face red, her eyes swollen from crying. Alex watched her go with raised eyebrows and anxiously waited another ten minutes for Callie to emerge. Her face was a polar opposite of Izzie’s. She was actually smiling and her cheeks were rosy, but apparently not from being upset.

Addison put down the chart she was immersed in, which was blank, and hurried up to her. "Well? What happened?"

Callie pointed down the hallway. Her friends followed her to an open conference room and she ushered them inside. "Izzie got suspended without pay for two weeks. When she comes back she’s on probation. He said that the hospital had already covered up stuff once for her and that if UNOS found out what she had done with Denny we would have lost our teaching credentials and been sued by them for the whole organ theft by deception or whatever. So when she does come back she has to talk to Psych once a week to learn to keep her emotions out of her job."

"What about you?" Mark asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

"It’s so weird." Wrinkling her nose, Callie said, "I am now in charge of the fund raiser for the Denny Duquette Memorial Clinic. Webber wants to make it an annual thing during the holiday season and he wants me to somehow get it mentioned on the news when Ava’s story goes national. And he wants me to stay away from Stevens when she comes back."

"That’s your punishment?" Alex sounded shocked. "That’s it?"

"Well, I also have to go to psych evaluations for the next eight weeks, learn to ‘turn the other cheek’ and take a course about avoiding conflict, but that’s pretty much it. Maybe he was afraid that if he was too hard on me I’d off myself or something." Callie shrugged her shoulders. "I’m not really going to complain about his reasons why, though."

Addison grabbed her suddenly and hugged her. "I didn’t sleep at *all* last night because of you!"

Callie grinned. "Judging from the bags under Mark’s eyes I’m positive that you didn’t toss and turn in agony all night."

"Shut up." Addison took a step back and glanced at her watch. "I’m going to go find an empty bed. And *sleep*."

Mark cleared his throat and said, "That actually sounds like a good idea. I think I’ll go, too."

"Fourth floor on call room," Callie called after them. "Don’t get caught."

Alex chuckled and then pulled her into his arms. "I was scared. I’m not gonna lie."

"I think I would have tossed and turned all night if I wasn’t in a narcotic coma." She kissed the side of his neck and grinned mischievously over his shoulder where he couldn’t see it. "I’m sorry I fell asleep on you. I actually don’t remember getting from the car to the yacht," she lied.

"You don’t want to remember it." He held her a little closer. "It wasn’t pretty."

"Oh god. In my defense, I have no tolerance for medication. What did I do?" She eased away from him, a look of exaggerated agony of her face. "Tell me."

"You took off down the trail ahead of me and almost got up close and personal with your favorite mud hole. I caught you in time. I scared you, apparently, because you cursed in several languages and then fell asleep on the living room floor while I took a shower."

"That doesn’t sound so bad. Why do I feel like you’re leaving something out, Alex."

"Dammit," he growled, looking pained. "The reason I was in the shower is because you made *me* fall into the mud hole. Happy now?"

She tried valiantly to look shocked, to look regretful, but it was futile. She burst out laughing and jabbed a finger into his chest. "*That* is what you get for telling my parents the lobster story *and* the shark adventure with such joy. And for laughing at me when I fell into it to begin with."

His jaw dropped a little. "You did it on purpose!?"

"Hell yes."

"I actually *believed* that you were high as a kite and-"

"Oh, I was pretty buzzed," Callie grinned at him. "But not so buzzed that I couldn’t formulate a plan of attack."

"You are so evil."

"I know." Callie leaned forward and kissed him. "Guess what? They delivered your car today. It’s gorgeous. You’re really gonna like it."
Alex’s look of shocked regret was purely genuine. "I shouldn’t take it, Callie. It’s too much. Mark said that those things cost over a hundred grand and -"

"Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"You do realize that we charge people about fifteen bucks for an aspirin in our profession, right?" She patted his cheek. "So, shut up and enjoy the ride."

"I’ve enjoyed it this far."

"So have I."

*~*~*~*~*~

"Hey," Izzie said softly, sitting down on one of the bar stools in the kitchen. She leaned her elbows on the counter and looked at Meredith and Cristina, who were doing a crossword puzzle together. The two women glanced up at her, but said nothing. Izzie bit her bottom lip and immediately regretted it. It hurt. Everything hurt today. "So, I’m suspended for two weeks and then I’m on probation indefinitely."

"Is she talking to us?" Cristina looked bewildered.

Meredith ignored her and spoke to Izzie. "This is only the opinion of someone with no tits and a twelve year old’s ass, but what did you expect? You attacked someone on hospital property."

"Hello?" Izzie said. "She broke my jaw! And all she has to do is -"

"Izzie thinks she has a right because she grew up in a trailer park." Cristina filled in another word on the crossword puzzle and glanced up at Izzie. "You almost attacked me once. Over a scrub cap. You wrecked her marriage. I’m surprised she didn’t break your neck."

"I did not wreck her marriage. Why do people keep saying that? I’m not the one who took vows. I’m not the one who was married. George wrecked his marriage. He could have told me no, but he didn’t."

"What guy is going to say no to a night with a centerfold?" Cristina asked. "To have Bethany Whisper in his ear. Literally."

"Derek would say no," Meredith told her. "And so would Burke. Did you call him yet?"

"No just doesn’t seem like a strong enough word." Cristina shook her head. "It’s so over with Burke that it’s not even worth mentioning."

"Where’s George?" Izzie asked, clearly miffed that they weren’t feeling her pain. "Isn’t he off today?"

"He’s gone to see his mother." Meredith unwrapped a Hershey Kiss and popped it in her mouth. "So, what happened to Callie? What’s her punishment?"

Izzie rattled off the nauseatingly light sentence the other woman had been given and plucked a Kiss from the bag for herself. "I just don’t get it."

Cristina put her ink pen down with a sigh and said, "Which part? I’ll gladly explain."

"All of it! I’m the villain in everything I do. Webber actually brought up what happened with Denny as a deciding factor in *my* punishment, but she tries to kill herself and she’s the stable one? Please!"

"She wasn’t on duty when it happened and what she did hurt *herself*," Cristina replied. "You almost got us fired along with you when you cut that damn wire."

Meredith cleared her throat and said, "Chief Webber probably sees a lot of his wife in Callie and a lot of himself in George." She looked at Izzie. "That would make you my mother and if my mother had ever tried to beat up Adele then he probably would have killed her. He stayed with his wife for a reason."

"Yeah, but that’s part of the problem." Cristina picked up her pen again. "George was here to take Izzie soup instead of going to check on Callie. He’s got no loyalty where it should be and too much where it shouldn’t be."

"Which proves that I am not a villain! George always chooses me!" Izzie told them. "He never told me to accept her or like her or told me that our friendship would be -"

"Am I the only who remembers George’s little speech about ‘if you push Callie away then you push me away’? That was right after you made it very clear that you didn’t want her moving in with us." Meredith took a sip of her coffee. "If you were his best friend you should have supported his decision to be with her. The way that I support the fact that Cristina is damaging the walls in her bedroom as she throws darts at Burke’s picture."

"I told you I would putty it. And it’s a wallet sized photo! It’s hard to hit!" Cristina wrinkled her brow. "What the hell was that Tom Hanks movie? With the dog? Something and ‘Hooch’."

"‘Turner and Hooch’," Izzie replied. She watched in silence as the two women worked on the puzzle. "I didn’t support him because I thought he was moving too fast."

"Did you not move fast with Denny?" Cristina asked, scribbling in the puzzle book. "I moved fast with Burke and we all know that fast is Meredith’s middle name."

"Hello? I can evict you," Meredith said. "I knew that Derek was special and I think Callie probably knew that with George, too. No matter how fast it was."

"If George was so special then why is she with Alex?" Izzie asked.

"If Denny was so special then why did you fall in bed with George three months after he died?" Cristina raised a brow. "You didn’t want Callie with George so you got that wish. You didn’t want George to be married so you're getting that wish. You have no right to have an opinion or a reaction to Callie being with Alex. You left him for Denny, remember?"

Izzie looked back and forth between the two women, her anger rising rapidly. "I’ve always felt like an outsider here. Always. The two of you teamed up almost instantly and I’m the third wheel who never shares your secrets or gets the inside jokes. You two had each other and I had George. When he suddenly started going away more and more to be with her I was completely alone. I don’t have anyone else."

"Ever wonder why?" Cristina asked softly. "Why you don’t have anyone else?"

"Cristina," Meredith warned.

"No, I’m telling her." Cristina sat forward. "The reason you’re the third wheel is because you’re the kind of girl who ... if Denny had lived and we had all gotten fired ... that would have been okay with you because you’re selfish. The ends would have justified the means. I accidentally stumbled onto what you were doing with Denny, but you *forced* George to do it. He told me that you threatened him if he didn’t and you knew that he would because like you said ... he always chooses you. And that's the kinds of friends we were ... we risked everything for *you*. But that’s not the kind of friend you are. You just assume that you know the best, the truth, and what’s right for everyone and you don’t always know that. No one does."

"BUT!" Meredith rubbed a hand over her forehead and quickly added, "We think of you as a friend and not the third will. We do. A very close, very good friend non wheely friend, but some of the things that you do and say are not okay. They’re not, Izzie. And I’ve been dismissing a lot of it because I know how much Denny’s death hurt you, but you don’t have a filter between your brain and your mouth -"

"Neither does Cristina! She says whatever the hell she’s thinking," Izzie cried.

"That’s just it," Cristina replied. "I tell the *truth*. Not what I assume to be the truth. If all you’re stating is an opinion then you shouldn’t be purposely cruel with it because that’s *all* it is. Everyone’s got an opinion. The truth should hurt. Not what you *think*."

"I am not a horrible person," Izzie snapped. "I’m not."

"We know you’re not." Meredith took her hand, nudging Cristina with her leg.

Cristina looked heavenward and said, "If you were a horrible person you would have spent your inheritance on the blackjack table in Vegas. Whatever. You’re helping save lives, blah blah blah, but you played a big part in destroying quite a few others. Like, for instance, the family who was ahead of Denny on the waiting list. Ever wonder what happened to them?"

"No," Izzie admitted, her eyes downcast. "It was worth it to try to save Denny."

"See what I mean? The ends justify the means."

"That's not what I -" Izzie began.

Cristina cut her off.

"Well, I think about them. If that man died, you’re the villain. To Callie, you’re the villain. To me, you’re a girl who could still write horrible things about all of us in your diary even though we helped you." Cristina took a swig of Meredith’s coffee. "I know you took Callie’s DNR papers from her chart so that means you’re more responsible for her being here than anyone else in that room. So ... think about her. You didn’t let her die so don’t make her regret it."

"When did you become friends with Callie?" Izzie asked. "Seriously?"

"She gave me her flash cards. She agreed to be a bridesmaid before Burke decided to channel his inner asshole and she agreed to write my wedding vows for me when I told her I was coming up with a blank." Christina put a Kiss in her mouth. "Plus, we’re both cynics who don’t believe in much of anything other than our capabilities and she cut a dude’s legs open with no pain meds. And her hands never shook once."

"She took my panties off the board." Meredith smiled. "That was a little more enjoyable than being slammed into the lockers by her, but she still gets a few points. She’s cynical, but she’s a little dark and twisty herself and I get that."

"So the two of you are Team Callie?"

"Are you really this dumb?" Cristina asked her. "The fact that there has to be a Team Callie or a Team Izzie is *your* fault. You’re the one who drew the line in the sand and stood safely behind it to fling mud at her and then hid behind George with your hand up his ass making him be your little dummy instead of encouraging him to be a man."

"We’re not Team Callie." Meredith unwrapped another piece of chocolate. "Teams aren’t always a good thing to have so we’re actively abstaining from being on any team."

"Oh, I’m Team Callie," Cristina replied. "I walked in on the nasty sex romp. I saw little George. I'm Team Callie for that fact alone. Poor girl."

Meredith kicked her ankle. "I’m not picking sides. I can see both. Derek was married and it didn’t stop me from pursuing him at first."

"But you never tried to beat Addison up!" Cristina snapped, lifting her leg to massage her bare ankle. "And you didn’t dog her to her face. Which, now that I think about it ... shame on you, Meredith. You dogged her like hell to all of us, but -"

"Can we focus?" Meredith took a deep breath. "All I’m saying is that there were a lot of things I could have said and done to Addison, but I listened to my filter. A filter which shut completely down at the Prom and when it shut down it pushed my panties down with it and -"

"We know what happened at Prom." Cristina put her leg down and bit the lid of the cap. "So skip the play by play. What’s a four letter word for spouse? Second letter is ‘a’."

"Mate?"

Izzie watched as they finished their puzzle and stood, joking with one another about something she didn’t understand at all. Cristina walked out of the kitchen, but Meredith hung back and said, "Iz?"

"Yeah?"

"You really aren’t a bad person. Diary notwithstanding. You’re a good person with a big heart, but that heart gets you in a lot of trouble. Maybe you don’t need a filter between your mouth and your brain, maybe you need one between your brain and your heart. Or ... maybe you just need to learn to listen to both in equal measures."

When she was alone in the kitchen, Izzie reached for her rosary beads, which she kept in her purse. She let one bead at a time work through her fingers as her mind talked loud and clear.

And for the first time in a very long time, she listened.

*~*~*~*~*~

Izzie was flipping channels in the living room when George got home. She took one look at him and handed him the Ben and Jerry’s she had been trying to enjoy. The coldness seemed to sink into her and as he took the carton, she pulled her blanket a little tighter. "How was your mom?"

"She hasn’t really cried that hard since my dad was buried." He held the container, but didn’t eat any. "I’ll be the first O’Malley in over thirty years to get a divorce. She really loves Callie."

"Must be an O’Malley thing." Izzie put her head on his shoulder. "Your dad loved her, too."

"Yeah. So, what happened today?"

Izzie told him everything. Even her conversation with Meredith and Cristina. "Do you think I’m unfiltered?"

"Honestly? Yeah, I do. You told me to go be with Callie and that you were letting me go, but the minute I made it official it was like the rules changed. You started trying to hold me back, you started saying crap about her to her face, and then ... we had sex and you said you were in love with me and I didn’t know what to do."

"I thought I was."

"I knew I wasn’t in love with you. That kiss in the elevator that day just felt wrong. It wasn’t just because I was married or because it was cheating ... it was wrong because you’re my friend. It felt like I was losing everything at once. I knew Callie would leave me if she found out and I knew that our friendship was ruined."

"It’s not ruined. We’re still best friends."

"We’re friends, but I need you to understand that I’ve always been the one to sacrifice for you. I would drop Callie at a moment’s notice if you said you needed me. I put my career on the line by saying I cut that wire and I did it because we’re family. I did it because I love you." He glanced at her and his eyes were filled with tears. "But you’ve never done anything like that for me. Even when I begged you to back off a little."

"George-"

"It’s okay. It’s done." George put his hand on hers. "But I’m telling you again since begging doesn’t seem to work ... to leave Callie alone. Let her have Alex if that’s what she wants because if you go after Alex and actually do get him ... I’m going to do the same thing to you that you did to me and Callie. I’m going to make you feel like you have to pick between us and I’m going to dog him every step of the way."

"I’m not going to go after Alex. I’ve decided to be celibate for the rest of my life."

"So have I." He took a bite of the ice cream and glanced at the television. He quickly did a double take when he saw Alex. "Oh my god. They’re doing the segment for that girl."

Izzie quickly turned the volume up. They listened as Alex spoke about the Jane Doe he had found in the wreckage during the ferry disaster. He told about the extensive facial reconstruction and how her appearance had been forever altered. The scene cut away to Ava, who explained that she had no memory of her life before she was injured, but she did know that she was a voracious ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ fan, apparently had a chocolate addiction, and loved playing video games. She showed a small scar on her arm and one on her hand and said that she woke up almost every morning dreaming about palm trees.

The scene cut again to show Alex holding Ava’s baby in his arms. He gave information about the baby’s blood type, Ava’s blood type, and implored anyone with information to contact Seattle Grace Hospital’s special hot line that had been set up. The number flashed as they showed Bailey’s clinic, where several telephones and small desks had been put in one corner and they were filled with volunteers who worked at the hospital. Then Ava was back on the screen and talked for a moment about the incredible care she had been given and that the hospital had a free clinic that was always in need of funding. She urged people to donate to the Denny Duquette Memorial Clinic and mentioned that there would be a fund raiser after Thanksgiving.

The number flashed again and then the news anchor promised that there would be a more in-depth interview on the woman with the new face, but blank canvas for a past the following day. Izzie took a deep breath and said, "That was Fox News."

"Put it on CNN."

They changed channels just in time to see a slightly different montage. This one featured Ava being wheeled to the nursery to see her baby and several shots of her rocking the little girl and singing to her. Alex appeared with the exact same clip that had been shown on Fox and then Ava’s comments about the memorial clinic were featured at the end.

"Chief Webber told Callie to get it on the news and she did." Izzie shook her head. "Do you realize how much money this clinic could make? This story is in millions of houses tonight."

"Do you realize that right now Ava’s parents could be seeing their daughter and their granddaughter for the first time in who knows how long?" George handed her the ice cream and picked up his cell phone.

*~

Across town in the parking deck of the airport, Callie frowned at the name that appeared on her caller ID. It still came up with a bursting of hearts around it. She gazed at it for a moment, then answered, "Hey, George."

"Oh, god, hey," he replied, clearly startled. "I - I didn’t expect you to answer. I was going to leave a message and tell you that I just caught the news segment on Ava. I heard rumors that you were the one who made it happen and it was really well done. Good job."

"Thanks," Callie said. "Tonight was just the teaser. There’s a bigger interview that was filmed today and clips of it will broadcast for the entire week. If we keep her in the public eye for as long as possible that will increase the chances of someone seeing her."

"How did you do this?"

"I didn’t do much. I just asked my dad. He’s got friends all over the place."

"Right, I forget how powerful your family is." George glanced at Izzie, who was staring at the television even though she had muted it. "Uh, is it okay - can I ask you how you are? How you’re feeling?"

"You want to know if I look as bad your best friend?" Callie chuckled a little. "Not quite, but bad enough. She’s a hair puller. I’m still shedding."

"I’m sorry this happened."

"Me, too. It sucked." Callie took a deep breath. "Let Izzie know that if she can crunch little pieces of ice on the broken side, as much as she can handle without pain, it’ll help her chew solid foods faster. Plus the ice will ease the swelling on the inside."

"I’ll tell her." George felt his chin begin to tremble. "I saw my mom today. She’s finally speaking to me again and she asked me to tell you that she’d like to call you sometime. Her birthday is October twenty first and she knows that you’re a Halloween baby so she wants you guys to have lunch or something in between the dates."

"Are you okay with that?" Callie asked. "Are you okay with me being friendly with your mother?"

"Yes, I am. And I’ve made it very clear to her that you’re with someone else and that you’re happy so she won’t be pushing you or anything."

"Okay."

George listened to her breathing on the other end of the line. He remembered the nightmare he had and the way she had breathed against his neck when he had asked her to. "I know you said that we’re not friends, Callie, and I can understand why, but you can call me sometimes, too. You can - you can talk to me at work even if it’s just to bitch about the rain. I’d like that."

"I’ll keep that in mind," she told him. "Listen, I have to go. Cam and Blake are flying home tonight and I’m here to see them off. I’ll catch ya later, okay?"

"Yeah, see ya." George closed his phone and put it on the table. "Iz?"

"Yeah?"

"She said for you to chew small ice chips to help the swelling and the pain."

"She said that? Really?"

"My marriage is over. She’s gone, Izzie. It’s like ... she’s a stranger now." George looked at his best friend as if he had realized the truth for the first time. "And I can’t get her back. I want her back, but she’s gone."

He sobbed, the sound harsh and gut wrenching. Izzie put her hand on his back and then pulled him against her, cradling him as he cried on her shoulder.

She didn’t need a filter between her brain and her mind to know the part she had played in George’s pain.

The evidence was trembling in her arms.

And Izzie knew that it was time to wake up and see what was going on around her.

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie sat next to Cambyses while Blake went to check the baggage. She held onto his hand and said, "Why do you have to live so far away?"

"I’ll be back in three weeks for our birthday. You know I won't miss it," Cam replied. "Where’s Alex?"

"He had to stay late at work. Trauma. He said to apologize and tell you that it was nice to meet you." She looked at her brother and her eyes filled with tears. "God, I miss you so much already."

"I’m a phone call away."

"And three thousand miles."

"You’re the one who took the residency out here." He smiled at her. "Now stop crying before you make me cry. I don't want my mascara to run. Even if it is clear."

"I knew you wore it! No one's lashes are that perfect!" She blotted at her eyes. "Will you call me when you land?"

"Absolutely." He tugged a lock of her hair. "Will you call me if anything happens to you that makes you want to get piss drunk so that I can talk you out of it."

She nodded. "You could talk me off a ledge."

"I hope I never have to." He kissed her on the forehead. "Do me a favor and remember that I’ve been pretty much excommunicated from Heaven so God would probably get pretty pissed at me for running into the light to yank your ass out of it."

She chuckled. "No fears there. I’m officially an adulterer. You’d be pulling me out of the pits of Hell."

"And I would, little sister, I would."

Blake walked up a moment later and said, "I hate to do this, but if we’re going to get through security in time to board then we should probably go."

Callie got her feet and hugged Blake, telling him that she loved him. He kissed her and walked toward the escalator, giving her another second alone with Cam. She looked up at him, then reached up and touched his face. "Be good, Cambyses."

He leaned down, putting his forehead against hers. "Take your own advice and don’t fight anybody else, don’t drink, don’t run off and dive with Jaws, and don’t let your ex hobbit make you crazy. Angst is apparently your oxygen and I get that, but can you try to be normal? For me?"

"Where’s the fun in that?" She kissed his cheek. "You better go."

Cam nodded and picked up his carry on. "For what it’s worth, I heartily approve of Jock Strap. He’s one hell of a man."

"I heartily agree."

"And I don’t think it’s too fast, Cal." Cam kissed her one last time. "I know I mentioned that you were being impulsive, but-"

"I’m not. I know."

"He loves you. I can tell."

"Yeah, he does." She beamed up at him. "Now go because I’m about to cry and I don’t want you to see it."

"This is not goodbye."

"Never say goodbye." She held up her fist and waited for him to put his against it. "Wonder twin powers, activate."

"Activated," he replied. "Forever."

"Forever."

Callie watched him walk away and kept her smile resolutely in place as he stepped onto the escalator and glanced over his shoulder at her. She held up her hand, but didn’t wave. They never waved goodbye. When he was out of sight, she sat back down in his chair and dug tissue from her purse. Her phone rang again while she was blowing her nose.

"Hello?"

"Callie, it’s Louise."

"Oh, hi!" Callie said, standing to throw away her tissue. "How are you?"

"I’m okay. You sound upset, though."

"My brother just left town. I hate seeing him go."

"Aww, honey, can I do anything?"

"You want to have lunch next week? I have to plan a fund raiser for the clinic at the hospital and I need a brainstorming partner."

"How’s Monday?"

"Perfect." Callie walked out of the airport and headed to her car. "Noon? At the Emerald City Bar?"

"I’ll be there with bells on and a brain full of ideas for your fund raiser." Louise cleared her throat. "How was your party?"

"Way too long. I was exhausted when it was finally over."

"I wish I could have been there. I would have liked to see you all dressed up. What color did you wear?"

"Red." Callie opened her door and slipped onto the cold leather seat. "Oooh, it’s freezing tonight."

Louise apparently got the hint and followed her into the new topic. "The weather’s been unpredictable lately. That’s for sure."

"Hey, Louise?"

"Yes?"

"Could you let Ronnie and Jerry know that I’m still interested in their lives and stuff. They can call me. They can come and see me."

"I’ll tell them and the same goes for you, too. We’re having a big dinner at the house for Thanksgiving. It’s the first one without Harold so ... if you find yourself with nothing to do then come on out. Okay?"

"Thank you. I’ll see what I can do."

"Okay, sweetheart. I’ll see you on Monday."

"Okay."

"Uhm, Callie? Are you - are you happy?"

"Yes. I am."

There was an uncomfortable silence and Louise finally sighed and said, "I’ll see you Monday."

"Okay. ‘Night, Louise."

*~*~*~*~*~

"Why would I move into your hotel room?" Mark snapped. "Why don’t we just buy a house!? It would be cheaper!"

"But no room service." Addison put her fork on her plate and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "We need room service to feed us. We’re not in New York anymore. Everything doesn’t deliver here."

Mark picked up the real estate brochure he had been looking through and held it out to her. "Look at page forty two. I circled the one I like. It’s about two miles from Callie’s place, it’s on the water, and it’s perfect. There are actually trails between the two places that you women can keep plowed down by going to see each other."

She took the booklet with a sigh and her eyes widened when she saw the house. "It’s a log cabin. A cabin!?"

"I know what it is," he replied. "Just under three thousand square feet of finished living space, but three thousand more in the basement that can be turned into whatever we want. It’s priced to go and the sellers are motivated."

"Have you seen it?"

"Yeah. That’s where I was coming back from the other day when I saw Callie tearing out of the parking lot." Mark smiled at her. "You’ll love it."

"Did - did you bid for it?"

"I did. I’m just waiting to see if they’ll accept my offer."

Addison stared down at the photo again. The cabin wasn’t small per se, but it wasn’t huge. It had a wrap around porch with matching gazebos on either end and a garage that sat a few feet away from the house. A covered walkway joined the two structures. She read the information provided and looked back up at him. "Gourmet kitchen? Because we know how to cook?"

He took the booklet and said, "Three bedrooms, a library, two separate office spaces and a hot tub. Who cares if it even *has* a kitchen?"

She picked up her fork again and took a bite of her baked potato. "It’s a cabin, Mark."

"It is not just a cabin. When you see it, you’ll love it."

"I don’t rough it well."

"You’re thinking about Derek’s trailer, Addison. This is not Derek’s trailer."

"No, I’m thinking about that little cabin we rented back in ninety-nine in Colorado that couldn’t be heated, didn’t have electricity, and had wildlife peering in the windows at us. Derek almost had a heart attack when -"

"I know. I was there. And this is nothing like that." He closed the book and glared at her. "Will you come and see it tomorrow? We’re off work. It’s Friday. I’ll call the realtor and have them meet us so we can go in."

"Do people live there?"

"No, but it’s fully furnished. It was a rental property and everything’s going with it. There’s a boat, there’s a couple of four wheelers and it’s beautiful." He reached across the table and took her hand. "Move in with me, Addison. Please? Between us we’re paying close to five grand a *week* to stay at this hotel. The money we save can go into a trust fund for our kids or -"

"Whoa!" Addison pulled her hand from his and stood. "Did you just say kids ... like, plural?"

"Well, yeah." He slowly got to his feet, watching her. "Neither one of us had siblings, but seeing Callie with hers and seeing her big family-"

"Oh my god! Who are you and what have you done with Mark Sloan? The guy who hates family. The guy who would forget Christmas if he didn’t get asked by fifteen Santas to donate money to the Salvation Army?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his BlackBerry. "Look, I’m programming Christmas in right now. And your birthday is in here and so is the anniversary of us finally getting back together and-"

"The fact that you have to program Christmas is a strong indicator that -"

"I am bad with dates. I don’t like holidays. I don’t like birthdays or anniversaries. Valentine’s Day makes me nauseous and the only good thing about Halloween is the candy that you can get for a couple of dollars the day after." He finished pressing keys on his phone and closed it. "But I’m telling you that I’ll try for you and if we do have kids, plural, I’ll stay up all night on Christmas Eve to put the bikes together or the dollhouse or the whatever else little kids like that have a lot of parts. Because I love you. And we’re not getting any younger."

Addison looked at him, her eyes wide. "That was the most rambling and absurd and quite possibly the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me."

He smiled. Big. "Does that mean that you’ll move in with me?"

"I will go and see this *cabin*. I will also scour the area for any poison ivy or poison oak because any time I step out of the concrete jungle that is the city ... I get it in unmentionable places."

"If you knew what it looked like you wouldn’t get it. So, I’ll scour the area while you stay inside. With your unmentionable places."

"Aww, aren’t you a manly man? Going to kill the big, bad plant and -"

He kissed her. Thoroughly.

She was breathless when he pulled back. "You really are a manly man."

"You’re about to find out just how right you are."

"Life with you is going to be very exhausting," Addison said, as he pulled her shirt over her head.

"We're making up for lost time. You don’t get to complain. Not after the *weeks* of whining and crying foul over your lack of a sex life." His hand moved to the buttons of her pants and he grinned. "But if you do whine I could punish you."

She whined.

He was true to his word.

*~*~*~*~*~

CH 28
*~*~*~*~*~

Callie and Alex did not get to sleep in on Friday morning. Her parents were flying out at eight thirty and they went to the airport to say goodbye. Callie kept her emotions in check until her father had hugged her and given her a stuffed black rabbit with red sateen in the ears. She began to cry and he held onto her, telling her that it would be okay and that he’d be back in a flash if she needed him. She had calmed down by the time they made it back to Alex’s new SUV, but when he asked her to explain the stuffed animal, she broke down again.

He listened to her talk about ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ and put an arm around her. When she finally got control of herself, he kissed her and told her that he had never read it. She promised to read it to him that night. Her phone rang as they were pulling apart and she opened it, "Hello?"

"It’s me," Addison replied. "Look, Mark is dragging my ass out to Harbor Cove to see a damn *cabin* that he’s trying to buy so I need you to come along and talk about how horrible it would be to live there."

"What?!"

"I mean it! I need you! You have to come and because you scared ten years off my life a few weeks ago by almost *dying* ... you owe me. I climbed on top of you in your hospital bed. In a *skirt*."

"That's because you're a perverted freak." Callie sighed. "What time?"

"Thirty minutes. Meet us at ... hang on." There was a rustling of paper over the phone line. "2442 Whisper Ridge."

"Oh! That cabin! Yeah, I know where it is. I saw it when we were sailing into the cove. It’s like ... right around two corners from me. You’d be within walking distance! We could hike the trails and start jogging. This would kick ass, Addison!"

"No! It would not! Get it in your head that this is rustic living and I am not built for rustic, Callie. I’ll *die* out in the middle of bum fuck Egypt."

"We’re twenty minutes from the hospital! How is that BFE?"

"If you say *anything* positive about this fucking cabin I will pull out your tongue, feed it to buzzards, and then bomb your yacht with all your precious video games on it. Wait, I’ll bomb the yacht first and make you watch all that crap sink *before* I cut out your tongue. Which I will do in front of a mirror so you can watch yourself die."

Callie said nothing.

Addison moaned on the other line. "Okay, I’m sorry. That was overkill. I’m a bad person. I’m exhausted from too much sex. Are you still coming?"

Callie laughed. "You’re officially a Jedi knight, Addison. That was the best threat *ever*. You totally beat my mother and she’s *good*."

"Oh! Your parents! Did they get off okay? They’re gone?"

"Yeah," Callie replied sadly. "Who knew I could actually miss them?"

"I miss them, too. I love them. I saw them every morning almost." Addison chuckled. "You dad called me Addson. No i."

"It's better than what *I* want to call you. You're putting a kink in *my* sex life by making me do this."

"How can you think about sex right now? Mark is trying to get me killed by ..."

"An el chupacabra?"

"What's that?"

"Well, legend says that it's a monster sorta like Big Foot or the Loch Ness and it lives in Washington State. Cam is convinced he saw one the other night. So ... be careful."

"Oh my god. I knew that something was watching us the other night. You better be here in thirty minutes and you hate *everything*, okay?"

"I’m on it."

Callie hung up the phone and slipped it back into the side of her purse. She put her seat belt on and said, "We’re going to be having Mark and Addison as neighbors. If you ever want to have sex with me again then you will love *everything* about the cabin we’re going to see because I have to hate it for her. You have to cross cancel me."

"Callie?"

"Hmm?"

"You can’t really threaten me with sex."

"Why is that?"

"Because you would die without it."

"Fine, you’re right." She reached over and tugged his ear. "But if you want to break this SUV in the proper way, you’ll love the cabin, Alex."

"I love the cabin. And the el chupacabra's that you just lied your ass off about."

"She threatened my video games, dude. She's lucky that I don't scientifically create an el chupacabra and put it in her locker."

*~*~*~*~*~

"I love the cabin!" Addison cried, clasping her hands together as she met Callie and Alex in the driveway.

Callie glanced at Mark, who was grinning at her. "I hate it. The driveway needs work and it’s facing the wrong way."

"What?" The redhead glanced at the cabin. "What way is it supposed to be facing?"

"The sun’s going to go right through that window and blind you every afternoon."

Addison put her hands on her hips. "That’s the *laundry* room. Who cares?"

"And the wood’s an ugly color." Callie shook her head. "Plus ... the roof doesn’t look right."

Mark glanced at the roof and said, "What the hell, Torres?"

"Well, I like it," Alex replied, peering into the garage window. "It’s beautiful and the view of the water is amazing."

"I bet there are snakes everywhere." Callie glanced down dramatically. "It’s a good think you watch ‘Venom ER’, Addy, because -"

"It’s cold as hell! If there were snakes they’d be frozen!" Mark pointed at the open front door. "Why don’t you take your negative ass inside and see what else you can find to pick on!?"

Callie walked past him and gasped when she saw the beautiful bamboo wood flooring. The rich, light coloring had been shined to a mirror like quality and it complemented the earth tones that dominated the color scheme. She stepped from the foyer into a sunken living room that boasted a large, stone fireplace with a mantle made from the same bamboo. Three sofas sat in the middle of the room, two facing each other and one closing off the end like a sectional. It was the perfect place to sit and watch the plasma television that hung over the fireplace.

"If you come home drunk you’re going to fall, face first, down those steps," Callie said. It was a weak argument and she knew it.

"You have about six steps that lead into your living room," Mark snapped. "Look around! This is the perfect house."

"It’ll be very hard to heat and cool." Callie looked at Alex, imploring him.

"Oh." He shook his head. "I think there are solar panels on the roof that you hate so that should help a lot."

"The floor is ugly," Callie said, nervously chewing on her thumbnail. "And the - I can’t do it, Addison."

"Do what?" Mark asked, looking from one woman to the other with narrowed eyes. "You two are up to something!"

"Shut up, Callie!" Addy glared at her. "Did you not hear me say that I *love* the cabin?"

"Were you being serious?"

"What are you two doing!?" Mark bellowed, still glaring back and forth. "Tell me right now!"

"Addison wants me to hate it and I *can’t*."

"Addison Montgomery!" Mark yelled.

"Callie Torres!" Addison shouted at the same time.

Callie threw her hands up in surrender and walked through the living room and into the sunroom, which had a gorgeous view. She smiled and headed into the kitchen when she heard Mark threaten to rub Addison down with poison ivy. Alex followed along behind her and kissed her in the dining room. "You are such a bad, bad friend," he told her.

"I know." Callie put her arms around him. "It sucks to be her and have to deal with me."

"Nah, I wouldn’t go that far." He leaned down and kissed her again. "You claimed that you had one hell of a poker face, baby, but the second you walked in here I knew you were losing it. You don’t lie very well."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I have a poker face when I need it and like you say: lying catches up to you. Besides, I want Addison to live close to me."

"Well, I don’t! Because people should *like* their neighbors!" Addison snapped, huffing into the dining room. "The first words out of my mouth were ‘I love the cabin’. That was a sign that you could love it too."

"No," Callie replied. "That wasn’t a sign. A sign would have been ‘I love the cabin so forget the fact that I threatened to blow up your video games and kill you in front of a mirror’."

Alex looked at Mark. "Do we really want them to live this close together?"

"I’m thinking no."

"Too bad," Addison replied. "Because we’re buying this place!" She reached out and took Callie’s hand. "Come on. I want to show you the bedrooms and the office and the library and we can plan a party and ..."

Her voice trailed off as she led Callie out of the room. Mark and Alex looked at one another when Callie laughed at something they couldn’t hear. Alex put his hands on his hips, "What are you thinking, man?"

"I’m thinking that we’ll be good neighbors."

"Those two together! Those two within walking distance of each other? We’ll never get a minute’s peace! They’ll conspire. All the time. If you piss Addison off she’ll come to our house. If I piss Callie off she’ll come here and then whichever one of us who’s with them at the time will be the bad guy because we’re the *guys*."

"Oh, shit. What have I done?"


Alex ran a hand over his hair. "Wanna show me the basement? Maybe we can put in a bomb shelter for us for when they get going."

"Sounds like a plan."

*~*~*~*~*~

"I’ll wait out here."

"You can come in."

"I don’t want to."

"Callie, come and help me pack." Alex took her hand in his. "It’ll be okay."

She saw that her red convertible, which now belonged to George, was parked behind Cristina’s motorcycle and she knew that Izzie was probably in the house as well. She closed her eyes for a second and said, "I don’t think it’s a good idea."

"If you help me we’ll be in and out twice as fast."

The front door opened and Cristina walked out, bundled up in her jacket. She tapped on Callie’s window, which Alex rolled down. "Nice ride! Whose is it?"

"Alex’s."

"Bull shit! This is a Mercedes! Callie, please leave him for me." Cristina opened Callie’s door and said, "Get out so I can see it!"

Callie slipped out so Cristina could climb in. She laughed at the younger woman’s enthusiasm. Cristina opened and shut the sunroof, she played with the XM radio, and trembled when Callie heated the seats for her. "It’s *so* cold out here!" Cristina said, climbing back out of the car. "Come inside and get warm."

"I, uh, I think I’ll wait out here."

"I don’t!" Cristina grabbed her arm and shut the car door. "Come on. I need you to fix my laptop. I don’t know what I did to it, but it’s fucked up."

"I told you how to fix it!"

"I’m a *doctor*. If I wanted to be a computer tech I’d be working at Best Buy. Duh."

Callie had never felt quite so uncomfortable in her life. Cristina led her into the house and she immediately spotted Izzie and George on the sofa. Alex walked in behind her and closed the door, then leaned against her back. He put his hands on her hips and said, "Let’s go upstairs."

Cristina led the way and flopped down on Alex’s old bed. She picked up her laptop and turned it on, then set it on Callie’s lap. Callie only half listened to Cristina as Alex pulled two large duffel bags from the top shelf of the closet and began to stuff his belongings in them. Turning back to the laptop, she clicked a few keys and restored the registry, repairing the issue that had plagued the system. Cristina took it back and said, "Yes! I can catch up on LonelyGirl15."

Callie smiled at her. "I could so spoil for you."

"Don’t you *dare*!" Cristina pushed a few keys and then said, "No, wait. Tell me."

"No way! It’s a shock!"

"I’ll watch the last episode first! I swear I'll do it." Cristina threatened. "Spill it."

"Bree dies. They pretty much suck all her blood out." Callie told her. "And her blood apparently saves the elders and -"

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Cristina slammed the computer shut and crossed her arms. "I only have time in my life for three minute webisodes. I don’t have time to invest in sitcoms or anything else. I’m invested in Bree. I'm invested in proving science wrong! Did she suffer?"

"No. It’s like she just goes to sleep."

"It never happens that way!"

"Cristina, they probably only have like four dollars to spend on every episode. They can’t make it look *that* real." Callie looked at Alex over her shoulder and said, "Are you going to tell me what you want me to pack, Jock Strap?"

He grinned at her. "Nothing. I just didn’t want you in the car."

Callie made a face at him and he leaned down, kissing her, his tongue rubbing against hers. When they broke apart, Cristina gagged and Callie threw a pair of socks at her. She opened her mouth to say something to the other woman, but Izzie appeared in the doorway and leaned against the jamb. "So," the blond said softly. "You’re moving out?"

Alex nodded, but said nothing. He did walk to the dresser, putting himself between the two women, though. Izzie watched him toss his underwear into his duffel and looked at Callie. Her eye was black and blue, but it didn’t look half bad. "Uh, Callie, could I talk to you?"

"No, you can’t," Alex stood up. "Absolutely not."

Izzie put her hands in her pockets. "I just - I wanted to apologize."

"Then you'll do it right here." Alex turned his attention to Callie. "Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah. Sure." Callie smiled a little when Cristina put her laptop aside and decided to sort through laundry three inches away from Callie. The message was clear. Izzie would have to go through her to get to Callie or vice versa. "It’s fine."
"Thanks for the advice about the ice. It’s been helping." Izzie touched her cheek, which felt full of Gobstoppers. "And I’m really sorry for everything I said and did to you."

"Me, too," Callie replied. "And - don’t sweat the psych evaluations. Ask for Gellar and tell him exactly what he wants to hear. He’ll lead you and you’ll know what to say."

Izzie grimaced. "Or after he gets done with me he’ll retire. I’m that much of a mess."

"We’re all messes. We just learn to make the most of it." Callie shrugged a little. "It’ll be okay."

With a nod, Izzie watched Alex finish up the packing and said, "So, you guys are moving in together?"

"Off limits. Anything about us is off limits. You don't talk about it, think about it, or have an opinion about it." Alex zipped his bag and put it over his shoulder. "You said you wanted to apologize and you did. Anything else is none of your business. I mean it."

"Okay." Izzie waved at Callie, who nodded at her, and then walked into her bedroom and shut the door.

"Nice pair of balls you got there, Karev," Cristina said, smiling up at him. "Very nice."

"Don’t comment on my boyfriend’s balls," Callie told her, nudging her with the toe of her shoe. "And you do realize that you’re practically a dwarf and you weight four pounds so it’s not like you could have prevented me from getting at her."

"I wasn’t trying to prevent you," Cristina replied, standing up. "I was showing her that I’m Team Callie."

"Ooh, there are teams now?"

"I’m the president." Cristina crossed her arms over her chest.

"Vice president," Alex corrected, reaching out and pulling Callie to her feet. "Let’s go home, baby."

Cristina heaved again.

Callie simply smiled at her.

*~*~*~*~*~

The following Monday, Callie made excuses for lunch that did not involve anything resembling the truth. She knew better. She did, but every time she opened her mouth to tell the truth her tongue refused to work. Things were going too perfectly for her to rankle Alex’s ire by telling him that she was dining with Louise and after his reaction to the mere thought of it at the party, she just wasn’t going there with him. It had been a great weekend and she wasn’t going to do *anything* to ruin it. She told Alex that she had an errand to run for the fund raiser and promised to show him her favorite supply closet when she got back. It was drizzling rain when she shook off her umbrella and entered the Emerald City Bar. She made a beeline for Joe, who lifted her off her feet and hugged her. He talked a mile a minute for a few moments, the pointed to the left.

When she turned, she immediately drew up short. Louise was sitting at the booth in the corner, waving at her. And George sat beside her, looking like he had been manhandled into the bar. His clothing was crooked and his face was pale. He definitely did *not* look happy to be there and she imagined that her face mirrored his. Taking a deep breath, she walked across the almost empty room and let Louise hug her. Just like her own mother had done, the blond fussed over her injury and called Izzie Stevens a few choice names.

"You’ve lost more weight." Louise put her hands on Callie’s waist, which did look small and tapered under the clinging royal blue shirt she wore. "Goodness, honey, this is bordering on frightening."

"I’ve been exercising a lot. Hiking and swimming." Callie slipped into the booth and nodded at her husband. "George."

"Hey, Callie."

She noticed that he was doing the vacant stare thing that he always did when he didn’t know what to say or do. He had clearly been put on the spot just like she had been. She pulled her laptop from her bag and opened it on the table. She spoke to Louise. "I have to take this fund raiser on a bigger scale than a bake sale or a rummage sale. It’s got to be huge."

Louise nodded. "I spoke with the principal of our school. He’s certain that we can get our chorus and drama department to do something for you. Have you thought about a talent show?"

Callie chewed her lip. "That’s a good idea. My cousin is CEO of a record label in Atlanta. I could probably talk him into offering a few hours in the studio to record something professionally. Hmmm. Maybe I should do a few different things on different dates."

George watched as she typed furiously on her laptop. She had pulled the front of her hair back in a barrette, but several pieces curled around her face. He had never seen it styled that way and the effect was breathtaking. A worry line appeared between her eyes and she said, "I can book the Key Arena seven days before Christmas. I’ll cover all the charges for that. That’s the biggest venue here in Seattle and I’ve got a few buddies who would probably come out and perform."

"What kind of buddies?" George asked softly.

She glanced at him. "Gloria Estefan is a friend of the family. So are Jon Secada, Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, and Marc Anthony. Marc could bring the J Lo factor and I personally know enough rappers, Vanilla Ice included, who would probably get on board for charity. It could be an all day event with high priced tickets. I could probably get the radio stations here involved and the signals picks up all the way into Canada."

"Oh my god." George shook his head. "I never realized all this about you. You know these people?"

"Well, I am from Miami." Callie pushed the laptop to one side and put her chin in her palm. "I don’t have a lot of time to plan it, though. It’s already October."

"We’ll think of something," Louise smiled at her. "Harold’s brother works for a public television station here in town. Perhaps I could get him to set aside some air time for a telethon of some kind."

"That would be perfect! And I can pay for thirty second spots on the networks." Callie closed her laptop completely when Joe arrived to take their orders. She slipped it back in her bag . When he walked away, she smiled at Louise. "So, did you bring the photos of Ronnie and Jerry’s little expedition to the top of the mountain? I know Mack took a ton of photos. He calls them his ‘cherry’ pictures and it’s the way he commemorates anyone climbing for the first time."

"He’s a very crude man." Louise dug through her purse and pulled out two thick packets of photos.

Callie eagerly took them and passed them one by one to George when he said he hadn’t seen them yet. Luckily, there were enough photos to get them through the wait for the food. It arrived finally and Callie glanced at her watch. She would have to eat fast. Digging into her club sandwich, she listened to Louise and George talk about some remodeling work that was being done at the family home. After eating half of her sandwich, she held up a hand and asked Joe for a box.

"You’re still not eating well." Louise frowned at her plate.

"Not eating for several months will do that to you." She glanced at George, a bemused smile on her face. "You can’t call me curvy now, huh? I don’t think my hips will ever come back."

He put down his burger and looked at her. "I didn’t mean it the way you obviously took it."

"There’s not many ways to take it, but it’s okay." She slid her sandwich into the box that Joe laid on the table. "I’ll have to be getting back soon. I have a surgery in about thirty minutes. I need to talk to the patient."

Louise stood and said, "I have to run to the bathroom. Don’t leave before I get back."

Callie watched her go and looked back at George. "Do you get the feeling that your mother is up to something?"

"Yeah. I’m sorry. She called this morning and insisted that I meet her here. She said it was an emergency." He pushed his plate away, wiping his mouth. When he looked at her, she saw that his eyes were watering. "I didn’t know you were coming."

"It’s not your fault." Callie reached across the table, instinctively putting her hand on his. "You asked me if I was okay the other night so it’s my turn. Are you okay, George?"

"No." He laid his free hand on hers, squeezing a little, holding onto her. "I miss you. Every second of the day, but I’m not going to complain. I did this same thing to you. I let Izzie be the other woman before I ever even had sex with her so I’m feeling right now what you felt all along. I’m very sorry I did that to you."

Callie looked down at their hands. She felt the way his shook, but seeing it confirmed that it wasn’t her imagination. She took a deep breath and reached across the table with her other hand, turning his collar down. "I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you no when you asked me to marry you. Your father had just died and you were grieving. You weren’t ready and I knew that. I wasn’t ready, either, but I didn’t want to hurt you."

"So much for best laid plans." George leaned across the table and touched the bandage on her cheek. "I never wanted to hurt you either, but just look at what I’ve done."

"I’m over it. All of it." Callie sighed. "If you still want to be friends I’m in."

"Of course I do."

*~

Across the room, Mark put his hand on Alex’s shoulder. They were partially hidden behind the jukebox and neither Callie nor George were paying attention to anyone around them. He felt the shorter man stiffen when George touched her face and held him at bay when he started to take a step forward.

"Don’t do it," Mark said. "Not here."

Alex watched a moment longer, listening to Callie laugh at something George had said. It was rich and soulful. Careless. Their hands never broke apart once.

But something inside of him broke enough for everyone.

He turned on his heel and walked out of the bar.

Mark followed, forgetting all about the hot wings he had been craving.

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie carried what remained of her sandwich into the hospital and practically sailed down the hallway in search of Alex. Her lunch had been productive. Louise had called Harold’s brother and he was working to clear air time on public television and Callie had come up with the idea to make the talent show an American Idol style competition. Her cousin in Atlanta had been more than willing to offer two full days in his recording studio and had promised to pen at least three songs for the contest. If the winner was actually good they would have a real shot at a recording contract, not to mention an all expense paid trip to Atlanta.

And she felt twenty pounds lighter since she had spoken with George. It wouldn’t be so bad to be his friend. He looked like he could use one and it would make it easier for her to talk to Louise if she wasn’t actively hating her son. She smiled when she spotted Alex in the corridor talking to Mark and Addison. He just seemed to fit into her life so well. He wasn’t intimidated by either attending and he didn’t abuse their friendship for better surgeries.

Grinning, she put her arm around his waist and held up the container. "Did you eat lunch yet?"

He stepped away from her and nodded. "Yeah, I’m good."

"It’s a club sandwich," Callie replied. "Are you sure?"

Mark and Addison glanced at one another and made puny excuses to leave. Callie lowered the Styrofoam plate and said, "Do I have body odor?"

"What did you do for lunch?" he asked her. He hadn’t looked at her at all since she had arrived and when he finally did, he held his breath and prayed for the truth. "You’re a little late getting back."

"I worked on the fund raiser. A friend of mine is getting air time on our public broadcasting station and I used the wonderful power of wireless internet to spend about seventy five thousand dollars booking the Key Arena." She rolled her eyes. "Even though I don’t have anyone to perform there yet. I jumped the gun, but the date was right when Chief Webber wants it done."

He wondered briefly how she could meet his eyes, how she could look him square in the face and lie to him. "Who’s your friend? They seem well connected."

"Are you sure you don’t want this sandwich?" When he shook his head, she tossed it into the trash. "You don’t really know her. Her brother in law works at the TV station and the rest was all me. I’m the well connected one. I’m so connected that I can get you in on my surgery that I’m about to be late for if you want. I know you’re supposed to get off before me, but-"

"No. I have to go," he replied, stepping around her. "I’ll see you at home."

Callie watched him walk down the hallway, her head tilted a little to the side.

A moment later, Meredith walked up and said, "I’m all yours. Ready to replace hips since I’ll never have any."

"Me either, apparently," Callie replied, glancing down at her street clothes. "I need to go change. My new scrubs came in today so maybe I can actually hold them up."

"I’ll be waiting in the OR."

"Seeya there."

*~*~*~*~*~

"I need to warn her," Addison said, pacing the length of the on-call room. "Are you sure she was holding his hand?"

"Yep."

"And he was -"

"Touching her face and she was turning down his collar and they only had eyes for each other."

"Son of a bitch!" Addison sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands. "What is she thinking? This is not a road that she needs to go down again."

"Maybe it was innocent."

She glanced up at him, her hair in her face. "Do you think it was innocent?"

"It didn’t look it, but maybe I’m wrong." Mark sat down beside her. "Don’t let her know that he knows, Addison."

"Why not?"

"Because I think whatever she has to say for herself on her own will make all the difference. If you warn her then she’s going into the battle armed and he’ll know that we told her." He pushed her hair away from her face. "This has to be between them. We’re out of it."

"I could wring her neck, Mark. I swear to God."

"Something tells me she’s going to need a friend. You should be a friend first and wring her neck later."

"She’s happy with Alex. I know she is! Yesterday when we went hiking she was talking about long term plans with him. Like, she has a future in her head. A future with him. Nothing could have changed that overnight."

"Hey," Mark whispered. "Don’t get upset."

"How can I not? She has let George O’Malley obliterate the Callie Torres that I know and love. And she was just starting to come back and here she is fixing his collar and lying to Alex about lunch with him."

"Well, I do have some good news." Mark grinned at her. "We got the house."

"We got the house!?"

"We can move in when you’re ready."

"Is now too soon?"

"Let go pack."

*~*~*~*~*~

The three car garage that Callie’s father had designed was finally finished. It blended into the scenery beautifully with the surroundings, looking both arcadian and nautical. Callie parked in her spot and smiled at the fact that every space was filled. Alex still had his old jeep, which was parked on one end. Maybe it was an emotional attachment. She didn’t really care. Seeing the garage so full felt good. It felt like coming home to a real family and that’s what she believed all the way into her gut. Alex was her family.

Smiling, she threw up her hand at Leon, the guard who worked second shift on the premises. He was large and jovial and engaged her in small talk for a few minutes as he led her safely down the trail with his flashlight. The poles for the street lights had been put into place, but had not been connected yet. Leon walked her all the way to the yacht and helped her step onto it before he nodded and told her good night.

Callie headed below deck, letting her laptop case slip from her shoulder as she toed off her shoes and dropped her purse on the sofa. "Alex?"

He came out of the bedroom in time to catch her shirt, which she tossed at him. He held it in his hand, smelling her perfume, as she sauntered toward him in her bra and jeans. Grinning ear to ear, she said, "I had the best day ever. Chief Webber approved all my ideas for the fund raiser and I did a perfect hip replacement so why don’t we go enjoy the very cold night air in the hot tub. I set it this morning so it should be hot as hell."

"No. I don’t think so." Alex held her shirt out to her, watching as confusion marred her features. "Maybe I’m a fool who should just go, but I have to ask you again because I - I can’t believe you would lie to me."

"What?"

"What did you do for lunch today, Callie?"

She swallowed hard and a look of comprehension crossed her face. The room suddenly felt twenty degrees colder and she pulled her shirt back on before she answered. "I met Louise at the Emerald City Bar and I didn’t tell you because you got so upset at the idea of it at the party. She called me the day that Cam flew out and I asked her if she’d like to help me plan this thing for the clinic. She’s good at that sort of thing and - and I kinda miss her. You know?"

"That’s it?"

"That’s it. I swear that’s it. Harold’s brother is getting us air time and we worked on some ideas. That’s all that happened."

"Are you sure?"


"Yes!" She reached for him, but he turned on his heel and disappeared into the bedroom. She started to follow, but he emerged a second later carrying his two duffel bags which were stuffed to overflowing. "What are you-"

"I’ll have to come back for the rest." Reaching into his pocket, he tossed her the keys to the new car. "I’ll sign the title over to you later."

"What!? What are you-"

"It’s over." He started past her, but she caught his arm.
"Alex, I don’t -"

"I gave you several chances to tell me the truth. Several chances." Alex pulled his arm from her grip, his nostrils flaring. "You didn’t have lunch with Louise! You had lunch with George and you let him put his hands all over you!"

"Who told you that!? They’re lying!"

"I SAW IT! I WAS THERE!" Alex took several steps toward the door. He turned mid stride and glared at her. "YOU CAME IN HERE ACTING LIKE YOU DIDN’T BETRAY ME TODAY! HOW CAN YOU LIE TO MY FUCKING FACE?! HOW!?"

"I’m not lying! I didn’t have lunch with George! He was there, but he wasn’t supposed to be, Alex!" She walked toward him but he held up a hand. There was a look on his face that she had never seen before so she drew up short. "It was supposed to just be me and Louise, but he was sitting there and then he started apologizing for what had happened and all I did was hold his hand because-"

"BULL SHIT! DO NOT LIE TO ME! HE HAD HIS HANDS ON YOUR FACE AND YOU DIDN’T DO A GOD DAMN THING TO STOP HIM!" Alex shook his head. "WHY!? WHY!?!?"

"He said that he wants us to be friends and I said okay. That’s all it was. He was apologizing about the stitches and he touched the bandage. It was brief and then Louise came back and we worked on the planning. That’s all it was."

"I doubt she was even there!"

"I’ll call her! Right now! I’ll call her on speaker phone and thank her for lunch and tell her that the Chief liked her ideas." She started to move to her purse, but he lifted his arm to block her, stalking forward.

Callie took a step back and raised her arms to cover her face.

He stopped walking toward her instantly and the duffels fell from his shoulder, then to the floor. Reaching out, he gently pushed her arms down and tilted her face. "Baby, did you think I was about to hit you?"

Tears were rolling down her face when she looked up at him. "I don’t know."

"You know better than that!"

"And you know better than this! Are you trying to imply that I would cheat on you with George? With *George*?!" she cried. "How can you leave me for trying to not hurt your feelings?"

"You lied to me! Every time I asked you!" His voice rose again. "I can handle a lot of things, but I can’t handle a liar! If you can’t be honest with me then -"

She bent down and grabbed the two bags at his feet, shoving them against his chest. "Just go."

"Callie-"

"GET OUT!"

"Just -"

She brushed the tears off her cheeks and said, "You don’t like liars so don’t be one. You said it’s over ... so it is. We’ll always have Disneyland, right?"

"No!" He pointed his finger at her. "We had a hell of a lot more than Disneyland and *you* ruined it." He yanked the straps of his bags over his shoulders. "I was wrong about your poker face. If I didn’t know the truth, I wouldn’t have believed it. You deserve an Oscar."

"Well, let’s see your dramatic exit, Alex. Maybe you’ll beat me."

He walked out, slamming the door hard enough to knock several pictures from the wall.

Callie hit the floor quicker than they did.

She curled into a fetal position in the galley and cried like she had never cried in her life.

Ch 29
*~*~*~*~*~

Alex stalked to the garage, tripping over the underbrush on the dimly lit trail. He swore several times under his breath and then out loud when he realized that he needed his key to get in. He had left it attached to the key ring for the new SUV. He felt his pockets and realized that he had not picked up his old set of keys either. Dropping his bags in front of the door, he leaned back against it and crossed his arms over his chest. He was blinded a moment later by headlights, so he shielded his face as he tried to see who had arrived.

Leon came out of the guard shack and stopped a few feet from Alex. "Hello, Dr. Karev."

"Leon," Alex replied with a curt nod. He recognized Mark’s Beemer and quickly added, "It’s okay. They’re friends."

"Yes, sir." Leon disappeared back into the small room that was attached to the garage and closed the door behind him, drowning out whatever television show he had been watching.

Mark and Addison exited the car and slowly walked toward him. Addison pointed at the bags on the ground and said, "Is it good or bad that you’re packed, but not gone?"

"I left my keys inside and I don’t want to go back and get them."

"Is she here?" Mark asked. "Did you talk to her?"

"She lied to me. She said that she was supposed to be meeting George’s mother and just his mother and that he wasn’t supposed to be there. I didn’t see his mother and -"

"Then call Joe." Addison pulled her phone from her purse. "Ask him if Louise was there. You know that he tells everything that happens there! I think he even blogs about it."

"Even if she was there it doesn’t matter. The point is ... Callie lied to me." Alex rubbed his forehead when Addison called Joe, putting the phone on speaker.

"Emerald City."

"Hey, Joe, it’s Addison. Have you seen Callie today? I’m trying to find her."

"Several hours ago. She came in to see Mrs. O’Malley. Not for nothing, George’s mother is pretty bad ass. As soon as Callie came into the room and hugged me, George tried to crawl over his mom and head for the door. I thought I was going to have to get Walter to go yank her off him. I don’t think either of the soon to be divorcees expected to bump into each other." Joe laughed. "Callie looked like a dead woman walking when she turned and saw that he was there. I had to shove her toward the table."

"Oh." Addison’s eyes met Alex’s. "Do you know what they were talking about?"

"Uh, Callie was working on something on her laptop that had to do with the memorial clinic. She told me that my wireless internet sucked ass," Joe replied. "She looked good. Callie. I keep hearing rumors that she’s with Alex, but I haven’t had a chance to ask either one of them. What a great looking couple, huh?"

"So, how long did she stay?"

"Just for lunch. It was tense, though. After Callie left and the O’Malleys came up to pay, George told his mom that they were going to just be friends and he was okay with that. He also told her that she better never put either one of them on the hot seat again." Joe coughed a little and said, "Damn this weather. Hey, tell Callie that she left her umbrella, okay?"

"I will. Thanks, Joe."

"Bye, Addison."

Alex shook his head as she hung up and put her phone back in her purse. "It doesn’t change anything."

"Did she say why she lied?" Mark took off his jacket and put it around Addison’s shoulders. "I mean, what exactly did she tell you?"

"She said that she didn’t tell me because she knew that I got upset at the party when I overheard her talking about making plans to see George’s mom. She said she didn’t want to hurt my feelings."

Mark looked incredulous. "And you packed your shit and left anyway? Over this?"

"What?!"

"Addison, you didn’t hear this and you better not say a word to Callie about it," Mark said. He looked back at Alex and added, "You and I both know why Callie having a relationship with George’s mother gets to you. You’re threatened by it because it’s something George has to give her that you don’t because you don’t know where your mother is. And when we went golfing together, I asked you if you were going to tell Callie about it and you said no. You said she has enough baggage of her own which means that you lied about your mother being a special education teacher to impress her parents!"

Addy hit him on the shoulder. "You were not supposed to mention that!"

Mark ignored her. "Is your father in real estate, Alex?"

"No." Alex shook his head. "He’s a drug dealer who supplies the local bars."

"Callie knew you were lying, too," Addison told him, her hands on her hips. "She said she could tell that you weren’t being honest, but she didn’t call you on it. She told me on our hike that you must have been ashamed to tell the truth and that she couldn’t hold it against you. Jackass!"

Mark turned to Addison and said, "Why don’t you get the guard to take you down to the yacht and see how she’s doing?"

Addison handed him his coat, glared at Alex, and knocked on Leon’s door. The guard happily escorted her down the trail. When she was out of earshot, Mark slipped his coat back on and said, "Let’s take a drive. You can bring your bags and if you want me to drop you off somewhere I will, but I don’t think you’ll want me to once you actually think about what you’re doing. What you’re throwing away."

Alex picked up his bags and followed Mark to the car.

*~*~*~*~*~

Addison thanked Leon and knocked softly on Callie’s door. When she didn’t answer, she tried the knob. It was unlocked and she slipped inside, shivering a little. She adjusted the thermostat and stepped down into the salon. That’s when she heard the sobs. She saw her friend curled up on the tiled floor of the kitchen and rushed to her. Going down to her knees beside her, she rubbed her back. "Callie," she said softly. "It’s freezing down here. Come on, get up."

"I can’t," Callie sobbed. "He’s gone."

"He’s with Mark. Mark’ll talk to him."

She shook her head. "It won’t do any good."

"Mark can be pretty persuasive, but I don’t really think Alex needs much persuasion. He loves you."

Callie rolled a little and looked up at her. "I’m thinking things that I shouldn’t be thinking so please don’t leave me. Please stay."

"What kind of things?" Addison took her hand, her chin trembling when she saw the true state that her friend was in. "Callie?"

"I’m thinking that there’s enough alcohol in that wet bar to chase it all away and -"

"Stop!" Addison pulled her upright and shook her. "You are not falling apart again! Do you hear me?! Drinking yourself to death is not the answer to every problem that you have!"

"I know that!" Callie cried. "But - but it’s the only answer I have and I don’t know *why*."

Addison hugged her, wrapping her arms tightly around the other woman. It shocked her, how frail she felt, how cold she was. "You have to get up off this floor and live, Callie. Just live."

"If I get up ... I’m gonna drink. So I’ll just stay right here."

"Okay. Don’t move." Addison got back to her feet and went into Callie’s bedroom, where she wet a wash cloth in hot water and grabbed two pillows and the comforter from her bed. She carried it back into the kitchen and pulled the cover over Callie, then she brushed her hair back and wiped at her face. When Callie took the rag, Addison crawled under the cover beside her and pulled one of the pillows under her head, pushing the other to Callie.

"I didn’t mean for this to happen." Callie sniffled, roughly scrubbing her face. "I didn’t tell him because he -"

"I know why you didn’t tell him. And I get it. I understand," Addison said. She watched her for a few seconds and she already knew the answer to the question she needed to ask, but she asked it anyway. "Callie? You meant to kill yourself before, didn’t you?"

Callie nodded, but didn’t meet her eyes. "Yeah."

"You told me you didn’t."

"Well, I’m a liar. Just ask Alex." Callie rolled so that she was facing Addison.

"Oh my god," Addison said, taking the cloth from her. "You’ve popped a stitch. You’re bleeding."

"I don’t care."

"Well, I care." She dabbed at the cut, then put a little pressure against it. "Why did you try to hurt yourself?"

"I don’t know."

"Yes, you do. Start explaining."

"I can’t explain it. That day was just so bad and I felt like I was completely alone." She rubbed her nose and sniffled again. "I can’t blame anybody for it, you know? I can’t blame George or you for being pissed at me or Cam for telling me to have the party. It was just ... my head was too full. I felt like I was drowning under the weight of my own thoughts and I couldn’t stop thinking about ways out of it.

"I was too tired to leave town again and I knew that if I left town ... I’d have to come back. So I just thought I’d leave. I thought I’d close my own curtain and fade to black." She looked at her friend, who was brushing a tear off her own face. "I wanted the black, Addison."

"You’re not meant for black." Addison touched her hair again. "I know you think you’ve got this darkness thing down to a science, but you’re not dark at all. You’re red. Red is fire and you’ve got fire in your soul that should never be put out. I’m a better person because I know you. And I do know you. I know that your heart lets you forgive everyone around you, except yourself. You’re holding a grudge against yourself and you shouldn’t. Forgive yourself, Callie."

Callie’s brown eyes filled with tears again. They fell onto the pillow and she didn’t try to stop them. "I do blame myself. For everything. George and -"

"George cheated because he’s an asshole. His friends hated you because they’re judgmental fourth graders who can’t share their toys. You didn’t make Chief Resident because your dad interfered and Izzie Stevens attacked *you*." Addison smiled a little. "Anything else?"

"I lied to Alex."

The red head sighed. "You lied to protect his feelings and maybe the world would be a better place if we all did that a little more."

"You have all the right answers."

"You know what else I have?" Addison asked.

"What?"

"A very strong hug. So get over here."

Callie let Addison pull her into her arms and closed her eyes.


She was asleep within minutes.

*~*~*~*~*~

Neither Mark nor Alex spoke for the first forty-five minutes of their road trip. The fact that Mark passed the exact same mile marker no less than ten times was a strong indicator that he didn’t really have a plan or a destination. The silence grated on Sloan’s nerves and he finally cleared his throat and turned the radio on. Some sad song about losing the love of your life began to play and he glanced at Alex, thinking it probably wasn’t the best idea to depress him even more. Turning it off, he drummed the steering wheel with his thumbs and said, "So, I’ve been thinking about the day that Addison and I had that fight in front of Callie’s parents. Do you remember? At the yacht?"

"Yeah."

"Her dad was right. What he said to us was right." Mark glanced at the other man. "He said that women are built to carry love and not just because they have a womb. He said that love gets into them and hurts them, amazes them, and scares them, but they still tend to hold on with both hands. Because it stains their soul and that’s where they really carry it."

When Alex didn’t reply, Mark continued. "That’s why Addison had to follow Derek and try to save her marriage one more time. And I think that’s why Callie wants to stay friends with George’s mom. Callie’s a family girl. We both know that. We saw her extended family and it was as big as it was weird. Callie was married to George so his family was hers for a while and since she doesn’t have any relatives out here ... it’s understandable that she’d cling a little."

Alex took a deep breath. "Her dad also warned us that love was a battlefield, dude."

"Who would have pegged him for a Pat Benatar fan?" Mark chuckled a little. "Look, I was there today and saw the same thing you did. It pissed me off for you, but Callie’s not stupid. If she was really going to do something wrong ... would she have done it at Joe’s bar where most of our co-workers go for lunch?"

Alex stared out at the road ahead of them. "Was that rhetorical or do you want me to answer you?"

"Answer me."

"No, she wouldn’t have done something like that at Joe’s. Or at all. I know that."

"Then what are you doing?"

"I really have no idea."

Mark grinned a little. "So, if I drive you into town to the twenty four hour supermarket, do you think you could buy her some flowers and go back home?"

"What kind of flowers say ‘I’m sorry that I was a bastard’?"

"How much of a bastard were you?"

"It got so bad that she thought I was going to hit her at one point."

"Did she have a reason to think that, Alex?"

"I am *not* my father," Alex replied, his tone harsh. "That almost killed me. I swear to God, it was awful. She raised her arms like she was trying to cover her face."

"Has she been hit by someone before?"

Alex frowned. "I don’t know. The way she did it makes me think that she has. By someone other than Izzie, I mean."

Mark turned into the parking lot of the supermarket and pulled into a vacant spot near the door. "Let’s go find bastard flowers."

*~*~*~*~*~

Alex wound up buying a brown stuffed bear that was holding a geranium. He added five balloons that had varying messages of sorrow and love. Mark assured him that it would be enough, but he didn’t sound very convinced. A little while later, they parked in front of the garage and Alex took out his duffel bags and the bear. Mark insisted on carrying the bags.

Monty, the third shift guard, took one look at the balloons and the bear and said, "Oh, you are in the doghouse apparently."

"Apparently," Alex agreed, then followed Monty down the trail, sidestepping Callie’s mud puddle.

On Goon Docks, Alex waved to Monty and turned to Mark. He looked at the other man for a few seconds and when Mark didn’t speak, he finally said, "What am I supposed to say?"

"I got you this far, buddy. My work is done." Mark shrugged.

Alex made a face and opened the door, which was unlocked. He didn’t like that at all. Stepping down into the salon, he peered toward the bedroom door, but there wasn’t a sound. Then he heard Callie’s breath hitch, an indication of how upset she had been, and saw that their comforter was in the kitchen floor. He set the bear on the counter and moved to the side, staring down at Addison and Callie. They were both fast asleep and both had apparently been crying.

"That would be hot under any other circumstances," Mark said, standing beside him. He smiled a little and leaned down, pulling the cover back. Callie’s hand was on Addison’s stomach and her head was on her shoulder. Addison had both arms around her friend. "Hot. As. Hell. Hold on, I’ve got to get a picture."

Alex frowned when he saw the dried blood on Callie’s cheek. He closed his eyes for a moment and saw his mother on that fateful Christmas Eve, lying in the floor of the kitchen underneath a chair. Her face had been bloody as well. The clicking of Mark’s cell camera jarred him out of the memory and he looked back down at Callie. He knew that he had hurt her just as badly as his mother had been hurt ... just in a different way.

Addison shifted a little and opened her eyes as Mark’s camera rapidly clicked. She blinked several times. "What time is it?"

"Almost midnight. Let’s go home." Mark held out his hand.

Addison shook her head. "No. She asked me not to leave her. I’m staying."

"Addison-"

"I’m staying." Addy glanced down at Callie. "She popped a stitch on her face."

"I’ll look at it," Alex replied in a low voice. "If you guys want to stay you’re welcome to the starboard bedroom, but I really need to take your spot, Addison."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don’t think so."

Callie shifted a little then rolled away from Addison, tucking her hands under her pillow, her breath deep and even. Mark held out his hand again and said, "Come on, Addy. We’ll sleep in the other room."

She let him pull her to her feet and held out the bloody cloth that she had cleaned Callie’s face with. "If I hear her crying again, I’ll gut you. And I will be listening."

Alex shot Mark an ‘I told you so’ look. Having them as neighbors would be chaotic as hell. When Addison and Mark disappeared behind the door, he grabbed a bottle of water and the first aid kit, then sat down on the floor beside her. For the longest time, he was content to be near her, to listen to her breathing. She started in her sleep, jumping a little, and he reached down to stroke the line of her neck.

Callie moaned when he shook her, but didn’t wake up. Throwing caution to the wind, he eased the cover back and settled behind her, his hand on her waist. Leaning down, he kissed her just behind the ear and pulled her a little closer. Her hair was soft against his cheek and when she sobbed in her sleep, he glanced back at the starboard door, which remained thankfully closed. "It’s okay," he whispered, his hand moving under the pillow to cover hers. "Wake up, Callie."

She gasped and sat up so suddenly that it startled him. He pushed himself into a sitting position and touched her shoulder. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you."

Callie rubbed her eyes and flinched when the bottom of her hand hit the popped stitch. She saw him reach for the first aid kit and got to her feet. Saying nothing, she walked into her bedroom, then the bathroom, where she turned the water on in the sink. She washed her face and blotted it dry and saw him standing in the doorway watching her. She had caught her reflection in the mirror so she was well aware that her eyes were nearly swollen shut and her nose could light up the sky better than Rudolph.

Not meeting his eyes, she started around him. He put a hand on her stomach to prevent her from passing. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I can’t do this again."

He frowned when he heard how congested and hoarse she sounded. "You can’t do what?"

"I can’t fight with you anymore. I just ... can’t."

"I don’t want to fight with you, baby."

"Do not call me that!" She finally looked at him and her eyes filled with tears again. "Are you back for the rest of your things?"

"No."

"Then what do you want?"

"You."

She simply stared at him, unblinking.

He scratched the side of his face. "You’re not going to make this easy. Are you?"

She shook her head.

"I love you, Callie. So much that it makes me a little insane to think of another man touching you."

"It was *innocent*."

"If it was innocent then you shouldn’t have lied to me."

"I didn’t even think about it, Alex. When you asked me. That’s how much it meant to me. He wasn’t supposed to be there and -"

"I know. Joe said that -"

"You had to get Joe to tell you?! You couldn’t just believe me?!"

"No! Addison called the bar to prove that -"

"That maybe I’m not a liar?"

"That Louise was actually there."

Callie ran a hand through her hair. "I’m not doing this. I am *not* fighting with you any more tonight! I mean it!"

"I’m not mad anymore," Alex told her.

"Well, good for you." She raised her brows. "I am! You screamed at me, called me a liar, and then *left* me. You gave up on us over a stupid lunch! And you call *me* a flier!?"

"You lied to me over a stupid lunch. I was pissed. Seeing you with him ... it gets to me. Because I know how you felt about him. I’m the one who picked up the pieces in case you fail to remember."

"There is nothing in this world that should threaten you less than George O’Malley."

"He can give you things that I can’t."

Alex had hoped his simple admission would be enough for her to walk into his arms, but apparently it wasn’t. She stood her ground. He was holding the first aid kit so he pointed at the toilet and said, "Sit down and let me bandage your face."

"I don’t want my face bandaged."

"Well, it’s not negotiable. You popped a stitch and -"

"You’re not touching me."

"Callie, could you please try to meet me halfway?"

"You packed your things while I was at work. It didn’t matter what I said to you ... you were leaving me! Do you call *that* halfway?!"

"I *stayed* to hear what you had to say! It’s not my fault that the truth came out like an impacted tooth. You actually deserved what happened tonight."

"Nobody should ever feel the way that I felt tonight. Don’t you ever tell me that I deserved that again." She started to move past him, but he blocked her one more time. "We’re not talking about this."

"Fine! We won’t talk about any of it and then it’ll just fester like a -"

"Move out of my way."

"No."

"Just ... go to hell!!!"

He glared at her. "Ooooh, nice and mature. You want to call me a few names now? Or do you want to handle this like an adult?"

"I want to go to bed. I have to get up early in the morning and I’m tired. You’ve exhausted me."

"We’re not going to bed mad. We’re -"

"YOU are not going to bed here at all. You left. Remember? The door is that way and I didn’t invite you back in."

"Okay, fine. You want me to go, I’ll go." He tossed the kit onto the counter in the bathroom and turned on his heel. "But this isn’t over."

"Wait."

"What?!"

"I’m sorry," she replied softly. "It’s late. You don’t have to go."

He smiled. It was slight, barely there, but he smiled. "I’m sorry, too, and I don’t want to go."

"You’re still not sleeping with me."

"Callie, look, there’s something I need to tell you about my past that will explain why I got so freaked out at the party by the thought of you running and why I didn’t want you to have a relationship with George’s mother. I should have told you sooner because it will explain a lot, but I just couldn’t do it."

She looked at him thoughtfully, then nodded. "Okay."

"I’m not telling you until you sit down and let me work on your face." He breathed a sigh of relief when she sat down on the toilet. He retrieved the kit and rifled through it. "I think I told you that I beat up my dad when I got big enough. He left and never came back. Naturally, he also didn’t pay any child support so my mom had to work two jobs. She was a waitress at a truck stop and at a greasy spoon cafe. There was never enough money so she worked all the time."

He opened a sterilized swab and used it to clean the cut with antiseptic. When she cringed, he leaned forward and blew it. "Mom resented me from the day that my dad left until the day that she did. Maybe she still does, I don’t know."

"What -"

"I’m getting there." He pulled on a glove and dabbed a little cream into the cut with his finger. "I stayed in Iowa to be close to her. That’s why I went to school there. I could have had a full ride to New York, but I didn’t want to leave her because as soon as I graduated high school she went a little crazy. She quit her jobs and lived in a house with no utilities for almost eight months. I kept the rent paid by working as much as I could, but I couldn’t afford the rest. She eventually qualified for disability of some kind. I don’t even know what it was for, but she had electricity again. Off and on. When she could remember to pay it.

"I went home every weekend to make sure that she had enough to eat and I’d try to cook enough to last her all week. She would talk about my dad, about how much she missed him, about how-" He trailed off and dug through the kit. When he pulled out a butterfly bandage, his eyes were misty. "About how I had ruined her life by making him leave. I had forced her to work so much and tired. She was lonely. Her doctors put her on strong anti-depressants and she stopped eating, stopped doing anything. After a while.

"Somehow I got the grades and Cornell gave me a full scholarship. I went home and told her about it and I promised her that I wouldn’t go. I wanted to take care of her. I wanted to get her back on her feet and figure out how to make her happy. The next weekend I went home again." He secured the bandage to her face and leaned forward, pressing a kiss against it, letting his cheek linger beside hers. When he finished, he sat down on the edge of the clawfoot tub. "I went home and there was a note on the door. It was brief. She simply said that she needed to get away and asked me not to worry."

He took a deep, shaky breath and tore off some toilet tissue, which he used to dab her eyes and not his. "I haven’t seen her since then. She ... she ran. She was a flier. The police didn’t want to help me and I didn’t know what to do. I spent that whole summer looking for her and then I went away to school. I - I think that’s why she did it. I think she knew I’d stay with her, take care of her, and let the chance pass me by. To this day, I call our old neighbors every week to see if she’s come back. She never has. I don’t know if she’s dead or alive."

"Oh my god." Callie leaned forward and hugged him, crying against his shoulder. "Why didn’t you tell me this?"

"Because just like you did today ... I didn’t want you to be upset by the truth. That’s why I’m not mad anymore." Alex held onto her, unashamed of the fact that he was shaking from his own tears. "That why I was so thrown when you kept saying that you run when you’re overwhelmed and that’s why I hate that you’re so close to O’Malley’s mother. I don’t have that to offer you. I don’t have any family."

"*You* are all that I need. How could you doubt that?" Callie pulled back so she could look at him. "And in case you didn’t notice ... my family is large and overbearing enough for the both of us."

"I did notice that."

She kissed him, quick and chaste. "I’m so sorry about your mom. I don’t know what else to say."

"You can tell me that I can come home."

"You’re the one who left. I didn’t want you to go." She reached up and stroked the tears on his cheek. Her hand dropped suddenly and her mouth fell open. "You *lied* to my parents! You’ve been preaching to me that lies *always* catch up to you and then you freak out at me, but you did the same damn thing!"

"Okay, did you actually hear the part where I acknowledged that?"

"Sleep in the other bedroom."

"Addison and Mark are in there."

"Sleep on the couch."

"Hang on!" Alex held up a hand. "Wait! I’ll be right back!"

Callie had moved to the bed when he returned. She looked up at him and smiled despite her resolve to remain angry. He carried a teddy bear that was clutching a potted plant and five oversized balloons had been tied to the bear’s arm. Holding it out to her, he said, "I know it’s not much, but the florist was closed so I couldn’t buy bastard flowers."

"Bastard flowers?"

"I’m sorry for being a bastard."

"You should be sorry for being a hypocritical asshole." She took the bear and ran her hand over it’s face. "But I guess you’re forgiven."

"Can I sleep with you?"

"If you cook me breakfast in," She glanced down at her watch. "Five hours."

"You didn’t have dinner, did you?" He sat beside her on the bed. "Addison didn’t -"

"Addison was too busy trying to stop me from drinking to think about anything else." She let her thumb rub over the velvety leaves of the plant. "It’s the first thing I want to do when things get bad. Can you pour out all the alcohol in the wet bar?"

"No. You’re gonna pour it out yourself." He took her hand. "You didn’t drink, right?"

"The only reason I didn’t drink was because I literally could not pull myself up off the floor. Don’t ever do that to me again." She squeezed his fingers and took a deep breath. "I think maybe I’m going to go to an AA meeting, Alex. Because the way that I think sometimes can’t be normal. And ... maybe they think that way, too, and can tell me how to stop."

He hugged her, his sigh of relief loud and clear. He knew that she had enjoyed the oblivion she had put herself into for the those fifteen days in North Carolina. She had told him as much. He also knew that the buzz that was brought on by alcohol was something a lot of people liked a little too much. She was one of them. "I love you."

"I love you," she replied softly. "If you don’t want me to be friends with George or his family then I won’t."

"No." He sat back and rubbed her face. "Friends are important, but family is more important. They’ll always be family. I get that."

"I’m not going to do *anything* that will make tonight happen again."

"It will NEVER happen again. I’m not going anywhere. Except the kitchen," he assured her. "I’m gonna go make us both something to eat. I’ll be right back."

Alex quietly prepared two sandwiches. When he carried them back into the bedroom he drew up short. She was already asleep. She had taken the balloons off the bear and the plant from its arms and had it hugged to her chest.

He didn’t have the heart to wake her up.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he ate both sandwiches.

When he finally crawled in beside her, she curled against him. Just before he dozed off, he thought of what Raphael had told him about how women were built to carry love. The next time he talked to the man he’d have to tell him that it didn’t just stain a woman’s soul.

Alex was stained all over.

And nothing could wipe it away.

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie bumped into Mark in the hallway before the sun had come up. He was coming out of the bathroom and she was headed for the kitchen in search of coffee. She stumbled, still half asleep despite having showered and dressed, and he caught her. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "I hate being a doctor. No one should see the ass crack of dawn. Why can’t people get sick after noon?"

He grinned at her, following her into the galley. "Are you okay?"

Callie opened the cabinet and pulled out her trusty bag of Starbucks. "Me specifically or me and Alex?"

"Both."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Alex stayed. That’s a good sign."

"And you?"

Dropping a filter into the pot, she measured out the coffee and turned it on, inhaling deeply as it began to brew. She turned back to him and saw Alex’s duffel bags out of the corner of her eye. It twisted her gut, heavy and painful. The simple truth was ... he had left her. And she wasn’t over the shock or the realization that he had actually packed his bags and was gone in the blink of an eye. She turned slightly so she couldn’t see the reminder. "I’ll be okay."

"Addison told me." He leaned against the counter, helping himself to an apple. "What you did. How you meant to do it."

"Are you going to tell me I’m legally insane again?"

"No. I’m going to tell you that you’re not a coward so don’t act like one."

She watched him try to bite into the fake fruit and laughed at the look on his face. Reaching behind her, she tossed him a real apple. "My mother thinks that every kitchen should have the requisite fake fruit basket."

"What did Melana think about the mirrors on the ceiling in there?" He nodded at the starboard bedroom.

"She didn’t think anything. My mother is completely innocent when it comes to biblical knowledge of anyone, even my father. She has never had sex, will never have sex, and that’s all there is to it."

"Do I need to ask Addison to make sure you understand where you came from?"

"I was left on her doorstep like Harry Potter. Which is why I’m the girl who lived ... despite my not so valiant efforts to the contrary."

"About that -"

"Smell. Coffee." Addison staggered from the bedroom. "Need. Coffee."

Callie pulled four mugs from the cabinet and handed her one. She glanced at Mark and said, "The cappuccino machine is in the hall closet. You can actually have it. We don’t use it."

"We?" Addison poured milk and sugar into her cup. "There’s a we? So, it’s okay?"

Callie opened her mouth to reply, but she heard Alex moving around in the other room. Something that felt very much like anxiety raced through her and she couldn’t push it away. She sidestepped Addison and picked up her coat from the chair. Grabbing her purse, she said, "Uh, I actually have to go to work a little early this morning. I want to check on a patient pre-rounds so could you let Alex know that he’ll need to drive? Oh, by the way," She smiled at Addison. "Thank you for last night. Since you guys are off today so feel free to hang around and enjoy those mirrors on the ceiling. That bed actually vibrates, but you’ll have to figure out how."

"Callie, wait-"

"Seeya later."

"What the hell was that about?" Mark asked as Callie took the steps two at a time.

Addison slammed her mug on the counter and shouted, "Karev, get your ass out here!"

"Hey," Alex replied, coming out of the bedroom carrying his shoes. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Callie’s gone." Addison put her hands on her hips. "She blew out of here like a tornado and didn’t even have coffee. What the hell did you do?"

Alex looked around the room as if Addison were lying. "We’re on the same shift today. Why would she leave?"

"You tell me!"

Mark cleared his throat. "She said she wanted to get to the hospital early to check on a patient. Did - did you guys not make up last night?"

"Hell, I thought we did."

"That’s what you get for thinking," Addy replied.

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 30
*~*~*~*~*~

Alex changed into his scrubs in the locker room and lingered for a few minutes to talk to Meredith and Cristina. Neither of them had seen Callie that morning and she had not answered his page. He called and left a generic voice mail and then noticed that Cristina was watching him. "What?" he snapped.

"Trouble in paradise?" she asked.

Alex glanced at George, who had his back to him, and nodded. "A little."

"Are you sure she’s working today?"

"I know she’s here. I saw her car."

George shut his locker and turned around, facing Alex. "She’s either on the roof or in the basement. Those are her ‘thinking places’ as she likes to call them. If she’s worried about something she’s probably on the roof. If she’s trying to hide from the world she’s in the basement."

With a nod, Alex walked past him. "Thanks."

"That was very decent," Meredith said, patting George on the back.

"It’s not decent. He smiled when I asked if there was trouble." Cristina adjusted her stethoscope. "Karma already took a bite out of you once, Bambi. Next time it will emasculate you."

*~

Alex checked the roof first and as luck would have it, she was leaning against the railing, a cup of coffee in her hand. Her hair was whipping frantically in the wind and she wasn’t wearing a jacket. Neither was he and he was shivering by the time he made it across the helipad. He stepped up beside her and gripped the rail. She glanced at him and he saw the look of exasperation on her face before she quickly looked away. It infuriated him. "Callie, come inside. It’s cold out here."

"I’m not cold."

"Then why are your lips blue?"

"I’ll be in soon."

His teeth chattered. "I’m freezing, Gothika. Don’t make me wait you out."

"Go inside."

"Not happening." He touched her arm. "Talk to me."

She continued to gaze at the approaching storm clouds. It always stormed in Seattle, but the clouds were different today, darker, rolling across the sky at an unbelievable rate. "It looks like the outer bands of a hurricane," she said offhand. "It reminds me of home."

"It looks like tornado weather in Iowa." He looked up at the sky, frowning. "But it’s too cold. Will you please come and talk to me?"

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Why you left me this morning."

She finally turned, her eyes on his. "Do you ever think about the future?"

He nodded. "All the time since you."

"How far into the future do you think we’ll have to get before you learn to trust me?"

The chill was gone from him in an instant. "I trust you."

"No. No, you don’t. I think - I think maybe you never will. Maybe it’s because you know that I’m impulsive and left someone for you so you think I’ll do the same thing to you. Or maybe it’s because my mother told you all about how my passport had every page stamped before I was eighteen. I don’t know. I just know that it really hurts and I don’t know if I can do it indefinitely." She bit her bottom lip. "So, if you could tell me what I need to do to change it or give me a time frame or something, anything, that would be really fucking great."

Alex felt like his bottom jaw had hit the ground. "Where the hell is this coming from? I came back, Callie. If I didn’t trust you I wouldn’t have."

Callie put both hands on her coffee cup. Her fingers were numb. Her entire being was numb. "When we were sailing back from Alcatraz on the ferry ... you just assumed that I was going back to George. The night of the party, on the roof of the Archfield, you assumed that you couldn’t catch me, that I’d fly from you at the first sign of a problem. Last night you told me that I betrayed you and you left me." She looked back out at the clouds and shook her head. "And I did betray you ... because I lied to you, but that’s not what you meant, Alex. You thought that I had done something with George."

"No, I didn’t. I thought that -"

"How can you expect me to catch *you* if you won’t trust me with the landing?"

"Trust is a two way street, Callie! If you trusted me as much as you’d like me to believe then you would have told me about your damn lunch date! Before it happened!" Alex shoved his hands in his pocket. "And I told you about my mother! I can’t help it if I have a few issues with -"

"Don’t use that as a crutch," she replied. "We have to stop living our past, Alex. I’m not your mother. And you’re not George. I’m not going to leave you and I don’t think you would ever be unfaithful to me. I believe you when you tell me that you love me and I need you to believe me, too. You have to believe me for this to work."

"I came back!"

"You still left!"

Callie’s pager went off and she sighed, pulling it from the clip on her waistband. Alex’s went off two seconds later and they both headed for the door. He opened it and the second they were safely inside the stairwell, he pushed her back against the wall. "Alex," she said. "That page was -"

"You want to know what I see in the future? I see us getting married and having kids and twenty years from now, hell, fifty years from now if I’m lucky enough to be alive ... you will still be the woman who makes me forget every woman I’ve ever known. I told George that same thing the day your parents came and I meant it. That’s what I see and I *trust* that we can do it, Callie. We can have that life. I believe in you. I trust in *us*. We’re going to make mistakes and we’re going to hurt each other, but we’ll get through it because we *are* us and I can’t fail with you." He hugged her, his hands tangling in her windblown hair. "I will never leave you again."

She had begun to cry halfway through his speech. "When I saw your bags this morning in the living room ... it felt like I was dying all over again. I need you, you know?"

"I do know." He hugged her. "I need you, too."

Callie clung to him, shivering now from being outside for so long. He kissed her neck, her cheek, and finally her mouth. It warmed her almost instantly, his tongue against hers. She tasted her tears and something else.

She tasted hope.

When her pager sounded for the second time, they pulled apart and she smiled at him as she dried her face. "What are you doing for lunch?"

He raised a brow, smirking at her. "Maybe we could visit the on call room?"

"Maybe." She kissed him one last time and they headed for the elevator hand in hand. Once they were inside, she said, "Do me a favor?"

"Okay."

She sniffled. "When you unpack tonight ... burn your bags."

Laughing, he hugged her. "When I unpack tonight ... you can burn my bags."

*~*~*~*~*~

The on call room proved to be an impossibility. Trauma after trauma rolled in for most of the day. A multi-car pileup on the highway filled Seattle Grace to capacity and Callie found herself scrubbing into one surgery after another. It was after six p.m. before she had a chance to look at her watch. She had not eaten or drank more than a few sips of water in between the ORs the entire day. Exhausted and with the worst back ache of her entire life, she headed to Chief Webber’s office and was relieved to see the man was sitting behind his desk.

She knocked on his open door and smiled at him. "Do you have a minute?"

"Certainly." He motioned for her to join him and wrote something in the chart he had been working on. After she closed the door and took the seat across from him, he said, "We’re working on DNA matchups for four different families who have come forward regarding our Jane Doe and we’ve discounted over a hundred others who had improbable blood types."

"It’s sad, isn’t it? Over a hundred families have no idea where their daughter is and came to us for a little bit of hope." A sudden look of wonder and comprehension crossed her features. She had done the same thing to her family dozens of times. She had done it to George and Addison, too. She rubbed her neck and closed her eyes.

Webber watched her closely, then took his glasses off. He laced his fingers on top of the desk and regarded her. "What’s on your mind, Dr. Torres?"

"How did you know that you had a problem with alcohol?" she asked bluntly.

Richard clenched his hands a little tighter, then leaned his elbows on the desk. "Because I thought about it all the time. I wanted it all the time."

"What if you only wanted it when you were unhappy?"

"It’s the same thing. It means that you rely on something other than yourself and that’s a very bad idea."

They sat quietly for several seconds. She looked at the wall and he looked at her. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, "My offer still stands, Callie. If you’d like to go to a meeting with me that would be fine."

"I’m scared."

"Of what?"

"I think about drinking every time something upsets me. I don’t just think about the happy buzz. I think about drinking until I’m not aware of anything around me." She met his eyes. "I think about drinking until I don’t wake up again."

"I know," Richard said. "I don’t fool as easily as Dr. Gellar. I knew it the morning after you almost died. I examined you. I talked to you. I listened very hard to the things you weren’t saying. And I listen just as hard to the people at AA who actually admit it outright. You’re not the only person who has tried to find answers in the bottom of a bottle and you won’t be the last. All you can be is okay. You have to decide to be okay, though."

"When’s the next meeting?"

"I’m going tomorrow. During lunch."

Callie’s eyes widened a little. "That soon, huh?"

"You don’t have to talk. You don’t have to do anything except listen. You’ll be surprised, I think." He picked up his glasses again and slipped them on, regarding her over the top of them. "By the way, you’ve done a wonderful job generating funds for the clinic. The donation hotline has been ringing off the hook."

"I guess I can do some things right."

"When you knocked on my door just now you were doing something right. And huge. You admitted that you have a problem to me." He saw her mouth open and he shook his head. "Admitting it to yourself is the next step and maybe that won’t come tomorrow or next week or next month, but you took a step in the right direction. So I think you do a lot of things right."

"Thank you. For everything. This goes beyond what a Chief would -"

He smiled at her. "You think I became Chief on surgical skill alone? I know people. And you’re going to be just fine."

Callie got to her feet. "I’ll see you tomorrow."

"I’ll expect you to give me a ride to the meeting. I’ve seen that little Mercedes you’ve been driving and I’m dying to see the inside."

"Yes, sir."

"Goodnight, Dr. Torres."

"Goodnight, Chief."

*~*~*~*~*~

"You can die from too much sex, Mark."

Mark gently let Addison’s feet slide back to the floor and nuzzled her neck. She had been attempting to cook dinner, wearing just his white button down shirt, and it had been too much. He had taken her on the counter which caused her to burn the roast she had been nurturing all day. He had taken her again, this time on the sofa, while they waited for their pizza and as soon as she finished off her third slice, he had pinned her against the hallway wall.

He watched as she righted the shirt that was dwarfing her and smiled when she took a step. He didn’t have to wonder why she looked bowlegged. He had felt how sticky she was and considering that her legs had not been closed for more than a few of the past twelve hours, he knew exactly what was going on. "You want a massage?"

"No. You and your hands need to stay very far away from me for a while."

"Just my hands?"

"Shut. Up. I want a hot bath and for you to wear pants to bed!" She turned and watched him pull up his boxer shorts. "And nothing silk!"

"You like silk."

"I like walking more. If this keeps on I’ll need one of those rings to sit on. Too much of a good thing is -"

"I’m just giving you what you’ve been begging for, Addison."

"I have spent the better part of the day in positions that I didn’t know existed. I watched you in those mirrors until noon and then we finally came here and -"

"You came several more times."

"Where are the towels we bought?"

"I’ll get them." He followed her into the bathroom and enjoyed the view when she leaned over the bathtub, putting the stopper in place. The round globes of her naked backside peeking from under the shirt made his mouth water. "Addy?"

She looked at him fast and pulled the shirt down. "No. Absolutely not. My business hours are over today."

"Thank you for moving in with me and for giving me another chance and for ... being you. I love you."

"Damn it. Do you really have to say things like that?" She unbuttoned the shirt and let it fall to the floor. "If you go get the freakin’ towels you can take a bath with me."

"I’ll take a bath with you if you ask Torres to borrow her handcuffs again."

"Oh dear God. I’ve created a monster."

They soaked in the tub for close to an hour. When Addison declared that they had pruned enough, they rinsed off and headed into their bedroom. She looked at the clock and said, "It’s not even eight p.m. yet!"

"Which means we have a while."

"Which means that we’re just in time to watch the new episode of ‘House’ and at nine there’s a new ‘Venom ER’."

"So we’re watching television?" Mark watched her fluff the pillows on the bed and scratched the side of his head. "That’s what we’re gonna do?"

"People who live together don’t have sex and eat all day long."

"We did that in New York."

She crawled under the cover and patted the bed. "Coming?"

"I’ll be right back."

Addison was nestled beneath the cover when he returned a few minutes later. She saw what he was carrying and grinned, pushing herself into a sitting position. "Ooooh, ice cream! Tell me it’s Cherry Garcia and -"

He turned the container of ice cream so she could see that it was indeed what she craved. He slipped in beside her and skimmed a little off the top with his finger. Holding it up, he said, "Ooops, I forgot the spoon. Want some?"

Addison narrowed her eyes at him. "Mark-"

Shrugging, he licked the dessert from his finger and scooped up a little more. Grinning devilishly, he reached over and smeared it on Addison’s arm. She said his name again and he tried to look innocent as he leaned over and kissed it off her skin. Easing the cover down, he exposed her naked breasts and held up the container, turning it toward her so that her nipple dipped into the ice cream. She cried out at the cold and he leaned forward, sucking and licking until the dusky peak was clean and warm.

"Looks like I don’t need a spoon." He moved across her legs, trapping them. "Wanna play?"

"Play what?" she growled.

"I can show you why you don’t need a spoon either."

Addison saw that his cock was full and erect. "It *is* my favorite ice cream."

Between them, they ate the entire container.

And they wound up showering again.


Twice.

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie held her breath when she opened the garage doors. Even though Meredith had given her a message from Alex telling her he’d see her at home ... part of her believed that his vehicle would not be there. That he would not be there. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that both of his SUV’s were in their proper spot and she leaned her head forward, resting it on the steering wheel. A majority of the tension that was clinging to the muscles of her back and neck dissolved immediately.

She jumped a while later when someone tapped on her window. She glanced up at Leon and shut off her engine. "Hi," she told the man as she stepped from the car.

"You ought not to let your engine run in the garage, ma’am," he told her. "You were shut up in here. I could smell it all the way into the other room."

Callie had already realized that the exhaust fumes were thick. She coughed, eyes watering. The man led her to the open side door and closed it fast. "Thank you, Leon."

"I’ll open up the doors and let it air out for a while." He pointed up at the lights that were finally working. "It’s real bright out here now. Until they put the cobblestone down on the path, I’d feel better taking you down myself, though. Is that okay?"

"Absolutely. Thank you."

They talked about the massive storm that had come and gone and Leon assured her that a more severe one was expected any time. Callie heard thunder in the distance and nodded at him. "I heard about it on the radio."

"The water’s been rough today. Y’all be careful out here." Leon helped her onto Goon Docks and tipped his cap at her. "Call up to the shack if you need anything."


Goon Docks swayed so much she had to clutch the rail. "I will. Thank you."

She watched as the wind knocked his cap off and he caught it. The boat lurched again and she opened the door, stumbling down the stairs. Alex caught her around the waist as she lost her balance and lifted her off her feet, hanging onto her. "Hey," he said softly. "You’re late."

"I had to do a consult before I left."

"Why do you smell like a car muffler?"

"Don’t ask."

"Callie-"

She leaned down and kissed him. The yacht tilted a little, just enough for Alex to lose his balance and he fell back, taking her with him to the floor. Straddling his waist, she sat up and said, "The water is insane. This is going to be a rough night."

"No." He shook his head, reaching up to touch the small amount of skin that showed beneath her shirt. "This is going to be a great night. I picked up dinner."

"I’m not really hungry." She got to her feet and held her hand out.

Alex let her pull him up. "You’re eating. I went and got us crab and a ton of those yeast rolls you love so much. Plus, I bought dipped strawberries at that place beside the florist." He shrugged his shoulders a little. "I also got bastard flowers."
She grinned at him. "What, pray tell, does this infamous flower look like?"

"You’ll see later." He led her to the sofa and told her to sit down.

When he picked up the remote control and flooded the salon with soft, romantic music, she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. He was pulling out all the stops. She sat back on the sofa, watching as he pulled two large to-go platters from the oven. She recognized them immediately. He had gone to their favorite seafood place and as soon as she smelled the delectable aromas, her stomach reminded her that she was, in actuality, starving. She joined him in the galley and grabbed a can of Coke from the fridge.

Goon Docks still wanted to rock enough to make her light headed so she braced herself against the counter. "Alex?"

"Hmm?" He put the first plate in the microwave.

"I can’t have lunch with you tomorrow."

He looked at her as he hit the start button. "Is it okay to ask why?"

"I’m gonna go ahead and go to an AA meeting. It’s during lunch," she replied. "And I’m not going alone."

"Who are you going with?"

"He asked me not to tell anyone so please never, ever repeat this."

"Okay."

"I’m going with Chief Webber. He’s a recovering alcoholic and he asked me to go." Callie picked up one of the rolls and absently tore off a piece, shoving it in her mouth. "I don’t think I’m an alcoholic. I just ... I think that I could be, like, one day. Very easily. I’d rather stop the madness now then wait until it gets out of hand."

"I’m proud of you, Callie. I’m really proud of you." He leaned forward and kissed her. The boat shifted and he stumbled, pressing her against the counter. "Sorry."

"See? Rough night. Ow."

The microwave beeped and he put the other plate in, hitting start again. Callie finished off the roll and sighed. "I was in the operating room ALL day. My body aches in places I didn’t know I had. How about you? What did you do today?"

"I scrubbed in with Bailey this afternoon and with Webber earlier in the morning. We lost both patients. One was the girl responsible for the pile up." He took the lid off the first plate and slid it toward her. "Her blood alcohol was double what it should have been and she hit the steering wheel. So, expect me to start obsessing about your seat belt again."

"I don’t mind."

Alex pulled her forward and kissed her. "Did you notice what’s *not* in the living room?"

"Your luggage?"

"I unpacked, but I saved the bags for you. You can sink them in the ocean or burn them or bury them or -"

"You sound just like my mother." Callie kissed him again as the microwave dinged.

Alex retrieved his plate and they walked into the living room, sitting side by side on the sofa. Callie smiled when she realized that he had already pulled all of the meat out of the crab legs for her. She ate a mouthful and moaned, "God, this is good. I didn’t get a chance to eat *all* day."

Alex chewed his food slowly. "Yet you came in and told me you weren’t hungry. Why is that?"

"It’s a reflex." She took another bite before she spoke again. "I’ve said it for so long that it’s the first thing that comes to mind."

"Why did you start saying it, Cal?"

"Because I was curvy, which really means fat, and then the weight fell off and I figured it was worth it. Then I didn’t eat because my life was out of control and I wanted to control *something* and food was easy."

"What’s the problem now?"

"There’s no problem." She took a bite of her vegetables and rice. "See?"

"But you-"

"Changing the subject."

Alex listened as she told him about the progress with Ava and about the many families who had come forward. Four out of over one hundred was a great start as far as he was concerned. He noticed that she did more talking than eating and gradually began to push her food around on her plate. His own plate was clean and she still had well over three quarters of hers left when she stood and walked into the kitchen. She put the cover back on it and slid it into the refrigerator before she grabbed a bottle of water and rejoined him on the sofa.

"Going back to an earlier subject ... when are you going to start eating enough?"

"When I get hungry."

"I'm worried about this, Callie."

"You shouldn't be. Now stop talking about it."

"Okay. For now." He pulled her against him and kissed the side of her head. "Why don’t you go take a shower and unwind?"

"You want to come with me?"

"I do, but I’m not going to." Smiling, he kissed her softly. "I have a plan so don’t ask me anything."

"Oooookay."

He stood and pulled her to her feet. "Don’t take too long, though."

Callie took fifteen minutes. Most of that time was spent letting the water massage the aching muscles of her back and shoulders. She had pinned her hair up, not wanting to deal with drying it, and after she had steamed up the mirrors and turned herself lobster red, she emerged. Wrapped in a towel, she headed into the bedroom and stopped walking abruptly.

Alex was sitting on the foot of the bed, dressed in his boxers. He had put rose petals, yellow with red tips, all over the bed and floor. Standing, he held out one perfectly bloomed rose and said, "Bastard flowers. Yellow says I’m sorry and the red says I love you. So it’s a hybrid thing with both colors. I - I remembered that you hated pink flowers."

She took the rose and lifted it to her nose, inhaling the scent. "I should be the one apologizing. Last night was my fault. And this morning I was just ... crazy."

"This morning you were honest. I’m hoping that by the time you fall asleep tonight any doubt you have will be gone." Reaching down, he opened her towel and tossed it aside. He took the rose from her and trailed it over the hollow of her throat and then down the valley between her breasts. "Yellow is a good color on you."

Her breath caught when he brushed the silken petals against her nipple. He reached up with his free hand, kneading her other nipple into a taut bud. "Let your hair down."

She complied, removing the clip and letting the waves fall around her shoulders. Callie had never had anyone gaze at her with such intensity. Instead of making her feel insecure ... it made her feel wanted. When he moved behind her, trailing the rose along her skin in his wake, she closed her eyes. He brushed her hair to one side and kissed her neck, then her shoulder.

"I’ve been thinking about this all day," he whispered. "You’ve handcuffed me. I’ve handcuffed you. We’ve been dirty and raunchy and enjoyed the hell out of it, but tonight ... I’m gonna show you exactly what you mean to me."

He moved in front of her again and ran his fingers through the ends of her hair. It had gotten so long that it partially hid her breasts. He pushed it back over her shoulders and stepped closer, letting her chest rub against his. Bending down, he captured her mouth with his and slowly licked across her bottom lip. She opened her mouth and his tongue caressed hers. It wasn’t frenzied like most of their kisses, it was a slow, undulating exploration that left her weak in the knees.

Alex turned her a little and the backs of her legs hit the bed. Gripping her hips, he guided her downward, never breaking the kiss. When she was seated in the spot he had vacated, he laid the flower next to her and smoothed his palms over her thighs, parting her legs. He leaned down, kissing her belly, then her side. A little higher, he tasted the underside of her breast and she whispered his name. He looked up at her as he hooked his hands behind her knees and pulled her to the edge of the bed.

When he kissed her again, it was tender. There was no other word for it. He wrapped a lock of her hair around his finger and pulled her forward, hovering at the corner of her mouth, where he whispered his love, before capturing it completely. He savored her, lingering over the task until she put her hands on his chest and pushed him back so she could catch her breath. Alex’s response was to tug her closer still and secure a spot between her open thighs.

Callie watched as he slipped his hand along the trembling flesh of her leg and when he brushed against her labia, she licked her lips. Two fingers eased into her and her head fell back. A second later, he placed the palm of his free hand between her breasts and pushed her back against the bed. Rose petals clung to her flesh and the heady aroma was intoxicating. It smelled fresh, free. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of his fingers. He knew exactly how to touch her, how to make her body come to life in ways she had never truly experienced before.

She was about to tell him so when his tongue flicked against her clit, hot and wet, and the only cognitive thought she had was his name. Reaching down, she put her hand on his head, urging him, begging him. His name was a plea on her lips and when he added a third digit to her moist center, she strained against him, tugging at his hair.

At the first sign of her orgasm, he increased the momentum of his tongue. As she rode out the blissful waves of release, he lapped at her flesh, greedily devouring her until she was spent. Silently, he stood and pulled his boxers off. His hard on was painful and throbbing and as he gazed down at her, noting the way her breasts moved up and down with her rapid breathing, he knew he *had* to be inside her. He had planned to take her face to face, to kiss her every second of it, but he couldn’t.

Lifting her legs flush against his chest, he eased into her. Their bed was the perfect height to accommodate him and his fingers bit into the flesh of her thighs as he lifted her a little, penetrating deeper. He gazed down at her, watching as she fisted the cover in her hands. Rose petals clung to her hair, to her sides, and he bent forward, kissing every inch of her stomach and chest that he could reach.

"Alex," she moaned. "Harder."

He grinned at her. "I think I told you that we’re-"

"Stop talking."

She sat up suddenly and pulled him down on top of her. They climbed the bed in a tangle of limbs and then he was inside her again and she had her legs around her waist, yanking him against her as hard and fast as she could. He laced their fingers together over her head and kissed her, his hips slamming furiously against her.

Callie had rarely ever gotten off just by intercourse alone, but when he whispered, in vivid detail, exactly what she was doing to him ... she came so hard that she almost bucked them both off the bed. Her clasping vaginal walls sent him straight over the edge and he collapsed on top of her, his hands still on hers. They stayed that way for a while, him panting, her enjoying the multiple vibrations between her legs. Goon Docks bobbed to the right so swiftly that they felt her hit the dock. It knocked them both off the bed and into the floor. Laughing, they looked at one another.

Finally, she whispered, "Did you say something about dipped strawberries?"

"NOW is when you decide to start thinking about food?" He pushed himself up on his elbows and grinned down at her. "Right now?"

"Chocolate and sex." She kissed him. "Anytime you can mix the two it’s a perfect world."

He pulled away from her, letting his hands trail down the supple contour of her waist. "I’ll be right back."

"Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"It worked."

"What worked?"

"You erased all doubt."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie made small talk with Webber as they drove to the small community church where the AA meeting was being held. He warned her as they pulled into the parking lot that perhaps she would see people that she knew and if she did then she shouldn’t let on. Her palms were sweating when she parked and climbed out of the car. He put a reassuring arm around her shoulder and led her across the parking lot. She had to give him credit ... he could say a lot about nothing in a way that calmed the nerves.

There were less than twenty people seated in a small circle on folding chairs. She had expected to be seated in pews facing forward, so it jarred her when she took a seat next to Webber and was able to look people in the eye. Several people smiled at her and she smiled back. The man in charge, Marcel, came and spoke to Richard, who introduced Callie as a close friend. Within minutes, the meeting was underway and Callie was listening raptly to a woman named Clarissa explain that she had fallen off the wagon, but was embracing the personal tragedy and owning it.

"I mean ... I can either let it ruin me and dominate me or I can say ‘wow, that actually happened’ and move past it. I’m moving past it. If I have to start at square one then at least I know where the danger is," Clarissa said.

Next to her was a man named Bob, who was visiting for the first time as well. "I’m here on a business trip. Everyone’s drinking and I’m not. It’s hard to watch them enjoy it and be close enough to smell it so here I am. I’m two years sober and sitting at that table last night felt like day one all over again."

"I understand completely," Richard spoke up. "Most of my co-workers talk about meeting each other for drinks after work. They’ve stopped inviting me because I can’t do it. I went to a local bar a while back with someone and if it hadn’t been for another friend asking me to dance ... I think I would have ordered an entire bottle."

Bob nodded. "I went to sleep last night telling myself that it would be worth it not to wake up with a hangover. I dreamed that I was in that happy indifferent place, though. I want that place."

Clarissa raised her hand and said, "I can promise you that the happy indifferent place goes away and you’re left with the reality that you just took one step back for every day that you’ve stepped forward. It’s like you take that glass in your hand and you make a split decision that changes everything you’ve worked for. It’s best to avoid putting yourself in those situations."

A scruffy blond man cleared his throat. "I don’t know that I agree with that. I sometimes go to the liquor store and walk up and down the aisle just to soak up the ambiance. I bought a bottle of expensive vodka the other day just so I could pour it out. It was empowering. It was like I conquered a demon."

"But what if you hadn’t poured it out?" Bob asked.

The blond man shook his head. "I’m twelve years sober. When that little voice starts talking in my ear ... I conquer it. Pouring it out is the way that I do it. I do it so that alcohol knows that it won’t beat *me*."

"You don’t ever want to drink it?" Callie asked softly.

"Oh, I always want to drink it," he replied. "I just don’t let it drink me. That’s what it does, you know? It consumes *you* past the point of being who you are. You can be a funny drunk or a crying drunk or a mean drunk, but you stop being you." The man grinned at her. "I’m Wylie, by the way."

"Callie," she replied. Suddenly all eyes were on her and she shifted in her seat, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. "I, uh, a few weeks ago I drank so much that I almost died. And ... it didn’t teach me anything because when I got home from the hospital ... I had four more shots. I don’t want to drink all the time ... just when it gets bad."

"That’s how we all start out, Callie," Marcel replied. "I used to only drink socially and then I started drinking when life got a little hectic and then I was doing it every day. It creeps up on you."

Callie nodded. "How do you stop thinking about it? How do you learn to rely on yourself when you’re ... your own worst enemy? I - *I* scare me sometimes. It’s like that voice that Wylie mentioned is the only voice in my head."

"You silence that voice by doing what you’re doing right now. You talk to people who have been there and done that," Marcel told her. "And you listen so that you don’t hit the same boulders and learn to spot the warning signs."

The rest of the meeting passed quickly. When it was over, everyone stood and recited the Serenity Prayer, holding hands with their neighbors. Callie felt the Chief squeeze her hand and took a deep breath. He didn’t let go of her hand immediately, however, and as the other attendees filed out, he kept her behind with him. Marcel joined them after he had said goodbye to the others. Richard cleared his throat and said, "Could you give her a manual and some information?"

"Absolutely." Marcel dug in the canvas bag that had been sitting beside his chair and held out a small box, which Callie took. He grinned at her and said, "Most people don’t talk at all on their first day. You did well."

"I guess I had something to say."

"That’s good. That’s *very* good." Holding out a card, Marcel added, "That’s my cell phone number, my home number and my email address. Feel free to call me anytime day or night if you have anything else you need to say."

She nodded.

Once they were back in the car, Callie put the key in the ignition, but didn’t start it. "Chief Webber?"

"You can call me Richard, Callie."

"Richard," she said. "I thought I was the only person alive who felt the way I do sometimes. I thought I was crazy or a horrible person, but I’m not. I’m just a *person* and I think I’m going to be just fine."

"You think or you know?"

She grinned at him. It was genuine and big. "I *know* that I’m going to be just fine. I’m not meant to be a victim, even when I’m trying to victimize myself. I’m going to start owning *me* again and I *know* that I can. I am, after all, my mother’s daughter. And she could make the world stop spinning if she really wanted to."

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 31
Callie sat in the corner of the nursery, rocking Alexandria. The baby’s cries had caught her attention as she was passing by so she had gone inside and taken matters into her own hands. Callie was frustrated. Two full weeks had passed and no one had been genetically matched with Ava or her baby. The hotline was still going strong, ringing around the clock, but almost every lead was a dead end. It made no sense. Someone, somewhere had to know who Ava was. Someone had to be looking for her. The baby’s father was out there somewhere.

Callie’s frustration did not rest solely on Ava’s predicament, however. Izzie Stevens was back at work and had decided to take a page from George’s book and kill her with kindness. The first day it was okay. The second day it had gotten grating and by the third day, today, Callie had taken to going the other way when she spotted the blond. And Izzie seemed to be everywhere at once, prompting Callie to wonder aloud if she had a transmogrifier. Alex was the only one who got the joke and he had laughed long and hard before kissing her. It should have been a welcome relief to not have vitriol spewed at her, but everything Stevens said to her felt hollow and she was getting tired of faking a smile while the other woman babbled about the clinic or about how Callie was right about Dr. Gellar.

And then there was Dr. Gellar.

Callie had spent an hour with him that morning for her own evaluation and she had hated every moment of it. They had discussed the fight, talked about Callie’s weight loss at length, then discussed her penchant for running. After laying it all on the line for him, he suggested that perhaps she could benefit from anti-depressants. She had staunchly refused. Alex had told her that his mother was on the same medication that Gellar wanted to push at her and he didn’t need *any* reminders of that lying around. Despite her best efforts to assure the psychiatrist, he had not been swayed and changed their meetings from once per week to twice.

She wondered how much involvement Chief Webber had in that decision.

"Are you spoiling that baby again?" Addison asked, leaning over Callie to peer at the little girl. "You shouldn’t hold an infant while it’s sleeping. She’ll never sleep on her own if you do that."

"She just fell asleep a minute ago." Callie got to her feet and put Alexandria in her cradle. It was uncommon for newborns to stay in the nursery for so long, but Ava had developed a horrific head cold and was terrified that Alexandria would become ill if she came around. Callie pulled the blanket over the baby and watched as Addison worked on another one. The little guy had been valiantly clinging to life for two days. "You ever think about Jamie Carr?"

Addison nodded. "All the time."

"Me too."

"That was one of the hardest cases I’ve ever worked." Addison listened to the deep, even breaths of the baby and smiled. "I’m glad you were with me. It was a perverse way for us to become best friends, but at least we got something positive out of it. Right?"

"Dr. Gellar thinks I need Prozac."

Addison looked at her. "And you don’t?"

"You do?" Callie’s eyes widened a little. "Do you think I need it?"

"I think that if I can avoid seeing you in the shape you were in the night that Alex left you ... I’d be all for it. You scared me that night, Cal. Bad." Addison put her stethoscope around her neck and walked around the incubator. She took Callie’s hand. "As much as I support your decision to do AA, I don’t know that that’s the only help that you need."

"God, you’ve been with Mark *too* long. He thinks I’m certifiable, too."

"I didn’t say that. I don’t think that," Addison replied. "You’re running yourself ragged for this fund raiser. You’re still not eating enough to keep a bird alive and Alex said that you’re so exhausted at night that you fall asleep the second your feet hit the deck of your boat. He’s worried and frankly ... so am I."

The red head pointed at the rocking chair that Callie had vacated. "Sit down for a second. I want to talk to you."

Callie sighed, but complied. Addison pulled another rocking chair next to hers and said, "You don’t always have to be the best at everything. It’s what you do, it’s who you are to over achieve, but if you set your personal bar so high that you have to struggle to reach it, then maybe your expectations are a little too extreme and you should back off yourself a little."

"What are you talking about?"

"You can’t get mad at Alex for this, Callie." Addison warned her with a pointed look. "He mentioned at lunch today, the lunch you missed because you felt like your life would end if you didn’t spend that hour working on the phone in the clinic, that you have become a Stepford Wife. Or, girlfriend. Whatever."

"What!?"

"You wake up at dawn to cook him breakfast, Callie. We don’t cook! We get a bagel and run off to check the surgical boards. You bust your ass all day working and you’re getting around your four day a week schedule by hiding behind the fund raiser so you haven’t had a day off at all. You go home and cook dinner and don’t eat it and then you’re so exhausted that you’re asleep by nine every night," Addison took a deep breath. "Where is *your* time? Time for *you*?"

"I also managed to squeeze in two AA meetings, Addison. That’s my time." Callie leaned her head against the back of the rocker and closed her eyes. "I’m so glad I’m not Chief Resident. Sydney is here seventeen hours a day and I’m here *ten* at the most and everyone freaks out."

"Okay, now you’re going into defensive mode and you don’t need to," Addy said. "I just think that when you push yourself as hard as you’ve been pushing that you’re bound to fall. You’re going to trip over your own good intentions. I don’t want you to fall. I also don’t want you to crash and burn and if the circles under your eyes are any indication ... you’re already there."

"I have a lot on my plate, Addison!"

"And none of it is nutritious." Leaning forward, Addison stopped her from getting up from her seat. "No, you’re not leaving. I’m not finished."

"Did someone set off a roadside bomb in Beirut that you need to blame me for?"

"Passive aggressive is something I speak fluently." Addison smiled at her. "So, I can translate very easily. You’re getting pissed at me for putting all my cards on the table because you know that you don’t have a winning hand. You know that I’m right. Is everything okay with you and Alex?"

"Everything is perfect with Alex. I’m happy. As soon as we find Ava’s family and do this clinic thing and my divorce is final ... my life is going to be a fairy tale." Callie eased back in her seat to indicate that Addison didn’t have to hover over her, but it didn’t work. Her friend pulled her rocking chair around so that they were knee to knee and face to face. "What? Say whatever it is."

"I suggested to Chief Webber that we should designate people to help you out with this fund raiser. He - he thinks that Izzie Stevens should be involved since she funded it to begin with and that Bailey would like to help out. And me. So, stop killing yourself and enjoy the perfect life you have with your boyfriend. Please?"

"Oh, god damn. Now I have to *work* with Stevens? Because that worked out so well last time?"

"She’s my study buddy. Bailey is yours. We all have a meeting this afternoon for you to brief us on what you’ve done and what the plans are. Splitting it four ways will make all the difference, Callie, and if it’s not enough we’ll find more people."

"I guess I should say thank you. I am a little overwhelmed or a lot, depending on my fluctuating mood." Callie crossed her arms over her chest. "But I do not want to hear any of Izzie’s speeches. And if I get even a hint of a whine I’m resigning from this project."

Addison grinned at her. "I thought you two had kissed and made up."

Callie pretended to gag. "I’m no longer vexed with the urge to throttle her, but she still grates on my nerves if I’m around her more than a nanosecond."

"Oh, such strides you’ve made," Addison replied. "So, Prozac? Maybe you should consider something milder, something that you don’t have to take every day. Something just for anxiety. I happen to have been intimate with Xanax. And Klonopin. I think I read somewhere that divorcing women are the most likely to take those two drugs and it definitely helped me."

"No." Callie reiterated firmly. "I have to learn to rely on *me*. Not alcohol and not medication. They’re one and the same. Either one is going to numb things so that I don’t have to deal with it. I’m ready to deal with it. I’m ready to deal with whatever else life can throw at me because I have you, I have Alex, and I have an amazing family so I can’t complain. And I can’t hide."

"And yet ... you’re hiding behind work."

"Could you please stop knowing me as well as Cambyses does?"

"What’s going on with you, Callie?"

"I feel like I traded my Goth card for an Emo card all of the sudden."

Addison wrinkled her nose. "I can *not* translate that. Help me out."

"I need to make a lot of apologies and I suck at it. I really suck at sorry and any form of sorrow whatsoever. When I left for those fifteen days ... you guys didn’t know if I was coming back. Or if I was okay. And that makes me a bad person. I’ve always been that person." Callie ran a hand through her hair. "I got my first ten speed for my eleventh birthday and I wasn’t supposed to know because it was hidden in the garage. I took it for a ride and then I realized that it was dirty so I’d be punished for it. I spent the night in the woods. The police found me the following morning. My mother was catatonic for days.

"When I was thirteen, my mom wanted me to sing the National Anthem at a baseball game. I didn’t want to do it because my braces would blind people in the sunlight so I called my Godmother and told her that my parents wanted me to come and see her. And I left on a plane that night. When I was sixteen, I had a fake ID, and my mom wanted me to have a fucking girly ass coming out party so I went to Europe and pretended to be a French. Then I went to Australia a while later because I wrecked my dad’s car. It took him close to a month to find me. He didn’t even yell. He just didn’t let go of me for hours.

"I spent the summer of my eighteenth year trying to outrun my dad who was hot on my heels as I backpacked across Mexico trying to blend in the with the natives because I didn’t want to go to college. I wanted to go to flight school." She absently cracked her knuckles. "And it doesn’t matter that they found me or that I came back here on my own. What matters is that I did it to begin with.

"I look at Ava or any number of people who come in here and when we ask if we can call someone, they say no. So many people are completely alone in the world and *I*, who grew up with the silver spoon and relatives all over the place, actually get pissed when I can’t vanish. What do I have to hide from? What do I have to run from? How do I make up for all the sleepless nights that I’ve caused people by not bothering to call and say ‘I’m okay’?"

"By not doing it again," Addison told her. "And I think I’ve already told you that you have to forgive yourself for any mistakes that you’ve made. Don’t hold your feet to the fire just because you screwed up. That’s what people do. That’s why we’re here."

"We’re here to screw up?" Callie raised a brow.

"If there *is* a God, he sits up in Heaven and laughs his ass off at how incomprehensibly stupid we really are. We’re here for his amusement. He keeps it interesting by making us throw caution to the wind and jump headfirst into running away ... or ... choosing to live with a sex monster."

Callie chuckled. "So, Mark hasn’t put away the penis yet, huh?"

"I think the only time it isn’t at attention is when he’s operating."

"Addison, you have my handcuffs. You can cuff him, stuff a sock in his mouth, and get some rest."

"You mean hold him hostage?"

"Turnabout’s fair play. You make it sound like he’s holding you hostage to have multiple orgasms. Which, unless my memory if failing me, you *begged* for."

"We are actively not talking about me." Addison made a face at her. "I better warn you about something."

"Oh god, what? Is Stevens my intern this afternoon for that rotator cuff?"

"No. Your security guard, uhm, Leon, I think. He was treated earlier for severe abdominal pain and Alex was his doctor earlier. The pain meds made him talkative and he told Alex that you left your car running in the garage while you were in it a couple weeks ago and that the smell of it almost killed *him*." Addison watched her with apprehension. "So, what were you doing?"

"I didn’t realize the door closed behind me. There are sensors that can tell when you’ve pulled in and because my father apparently thinks that rapists hide behind every tree out there ... it automatically closes and I didn’t think about it."

"But why were you sitting in the garage at all, Callie?"

"Relief. I was too relieved to move a muscle because Alex’s car was home. Which meant he was home. Which meant that I had to sit there and thank God for a little while."

Addison leaned forward and hugged her. "Tell him that exact same thing and he’ll be just fine."

"Thanks."

"And stop spoiling that baby. She’ll be annoying as hell when Ava takes her home and doesn’t want to hold her all day."

"Okay."

Addy pulled away and beamed at her. "I feel that this conversation has been very productive. My wisdom and advice should at least force you to agree to dinner tonight. You know the guys *have* to watch that damn football game so they can do that and we can hang out."

Callie’s suspicion was written on her features. "And do what?"

"You’re going to help me wallpaper the bathroom." Holding her hands up like a scale, she pretended to weigh something back and forth. "Wit beyond measure or wallpapering. I think you’ll have to help me paint the office, too."

"You started Harry Potter! Finally!"

"Witty though I may be, I’d be sorted into Gryffindor." Addison leaned back in her chair. "I’m brave."

"You’re brave? You’re terrified of your boyfriend’s penis."

"Says the Slytherin!"

Callie gasped. "Why would I be in Slytherin?"

"Because you’re Gothic, you make grown men cry, and you *run*."

"I hate you."

"That’s because I’m in Gryffindor."

"Bitch."

"Parseltongue."

"You *so* read the last book first!"

"No, we watched the movies. I’m on the third book, though."

Callie shook her head. "When do you find time to read between the maulings?"

"Do not laugh."

"I’d never laugh at you."

"Mark hates the television. So, we read the books to each other. One chapter at a time."

Callie cackled gleefully. "That is *so* Joey and Pacey! All you need are a couple of hammocks on Goon Docks and you’d *be* ‘Dawson’s Creek’."

"I may not know Gothic, but I do know that a true Gothic person would probably set you on fire for watching that shit."

"I may not know gynecology, but I do know that I could break your pubic bone."

"Oh, Mark did that this morning."

*~*~*~*~*~

"YOU WERE SITTING IN THE GARAGE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING! AND I AM SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE THAT YOU WERE *PRAYING*?"

Callie nodded.

They were parked in front of Addison and Mark’s cabin. The Chinese food they had picked up smelled incredible and her stomach rumbled loudly, causing her to look at him pitifully. "I’m *starving*, Alex. And you have yelled at me for ninety minutes. It’s been a very hostile environment in this car *and* at the restaurant. I. Think. I. Get. The. Point."

"That’s a quote from ‘My Cousin Vinny’ and I’ll quote it, too. You think I'm hostile now, wait 'til you see me tonight."

"It is tonight," she replied, pointing out the window. "The moon is full and that’s usually when we have it. You know, at night."

"I MEANT WHEN WE GET HOME!"

"Maybe I won’t go home with you. Maybe I’ll stay here." She smiled when he gripped the steering wheel and glared out the windshield. "Or maybe you can get over it because it really was for Holy reasons. When the spirit moves you ... you have to listen. I was moved, Jock Strap. If I had had an entire pack of communion wafers, I would have eaten them all."

"You are so full of shit that you would bleed brown if I cut you right now."

"But you’re smiling." She leaned across the console and kissed him on the cheek. "My work is done. My very religious work."

"If you had eaten communion wafers, even half of one ... you would spontaneously combust because you’re *evil*."

"That may be moderately true, but my prayer was so monumental that the Opus Dei have started trying to recruit me. I may be canonized or at the very least be able to give the Pope a run for his money."

"I’m thinking that the Pope would burn you at the stake for this conversation alone." Alex opened the door. "But I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt even though to do so goes against everything in my being. If it happens again, though ..."

"You’ll what?" Callie asked, smiling from ear to ear. "Spank me? Chain me to the bed?"

"Toss your Playstation in the bay! With that game in it that you *finally* reached level four million and ten on!"

She narrowed her eyes. "I’d have to kill you for that."

"Oh, well." He shrugged and reached behind the seat, grabbing one of the two bags. Callie carried the other. They joined hands in front of the car and he pulled her against him, kissing her. He pulled back suddenly, "You’ve been in the crab rangoons!"

"You took too long in the service station and I am *hungry*."

"So hostile situations make you eat?"

"I’m a stress eater."

"I’ll keep that in mind."

Addison turned on the porch light and stepped out, her arms crossed. "Are you idiots *ever* going to come inside? My stomach is rubbing my backbone!"

"Impatient." Callie walked past her, handing her the bag she carried. "I asked for extra fortune cookies. Just for you."

The table was already set and Callie greeted Mark, who replied by tapping his watch. Callie rolled her eyes. "Why the *hell* don’t you guys just watch the last inning?"

Mark blinked several times. "Karev, did your girlfriend actually just refer to football as having an inning?"

"I’ve tried, dude." Alex held up his hands. "She also thinks that golf balls are pucks."

"It’s the same principle," Callie told him, accepting the bottle of water Addison held out. "A very boring, very dull principle."

"You came to Seattle because of hockey season." Addison sat down and pushed Callie’s chair out with her foot.

"Exactly, but I don’t have to watch it to know that I hate it. If it’s not all blood and gore, who cares?" Callie sat down. "How many people have golfing injuries?"

"She scares me," Mark said to Addison, heaping rice on his plate. "What do the two of you have in common?"

"Jamie Carr." The women answered simultaneously.

"Who is he?" The men questioned as one.

Callie and Addison shared secretive smiles.

Jamie Carr and *his* identity dominated much of the men’s conversation. Callie and Addison simply listened to their threats and posturing, enjoying every second of it.

After helping Addison clean the kitchen, they retired to the bathroom that was in need of wallpaper. It was painted a horrific shade of robin’s egg blue that made Callie grit her teeth with distaste. When she saw the wallpaper that Addison had chosen, she could not hide her disdain. "Jesus Christ, Addison. It’s *paisley*."

"It’s Ralph Lauren!"

"It makes me want to ralph! I feel a Technicolor yawn building." Callie’s mouth dropped open as Addison revealed the border that supposedly matched it. "Paisley and flowers!? I’m gonna hurl."

"It’s gorgeous!" Addison put it against the wall, nodding her head. "We’re doing the master bedroom in all these colors."

"All the colors? Addison, there are colors in that wallpaper that should never, ever see the light of day. It looks like a pair of reversible pants. If you get dressed in this bathroom with that on the walls ... you’ll become schizophrenic. It’s making me have paranoid delusions and I’ve only seen three feet of it." Callie held up her hand to shield her eyes from the view. "I bet every stoner at Woodstock had that same print on a bandana and their underwear."

"It was this or ducks!" Addison rolled the paper back up and hit her friend with it. "Now shut up and held me prep the walls."

"You’re actually going through with this?"

"I am."

Callie groaned. "At least we won’t have to match the seams. It’s so busy you can’t."

"Zip it." Addison read the instructions on the glue she had purchased and nodded. "This shouldn’t be so bad. Have you ever wallpapered?"

"No. Have you?"

"No, but we’re physicians. We cut people open. This is wallpaper. This is glue. It’s not like we need an instruction manual."

An hour later, Addison’s bare feet were stuck to the floor and Callie’s ass was glued to the toilet seat. Literally. Addison had accidentally brushed against the other woman’s backside with her brush, which was overloaded with

glue, and Callie had taken a seat to secure the one and only piece of wallpaper they had managed to get on the wall behind the toilet. To add insult to injury, the side of Callie’s hair had gotten tangled up behind the wallpaper which meant that the glue on her ass had plenty of time to set.

With her head leaning against the wall, Callie glared at Addison. The red head looked ashamed and said, "On the bright side, at least you’re sitting down. I have to stand here."

"We should probably call them before the glue that you have now spilled all over the floor ruins the hardwood."

"You call them."

"I didn’t do it!" Callie replied. "This is humiliating! And if I have to cut my hair in a mullet on one side -"

"Stop being a crybaby!"

"It’s your shiteous wallpaper and your shiteous blue bathroom so *you* call them!"

"I can’t reach my cell phone."

"They’re in the living room! Open your mouth and yell!"

"Mark!" Addison called.

"Not even a dog could hear that! Even if it was sitting at your feet!"

"If it were sitting at my feet it wouldn’t be worried about hearing. It would be worried about the fact that all of its ass hair was about to be ripped off," Addison replied. "Speaking of, we need to go get waxed. I have uncomfortable stubble."

"I’m sure it’s not quite as agonizing as having your head glued to the wall. I’m getting a crick in my neck."

"MARK! HEY, MARK! COME QUICK!" Addison cried at the top of her lungs. "Was that better? If I mention coming he’ll sprint."

"It was so shrill that bats are probably humping the house right now. My ears are ringing."

Addison started to laugh. She laughed so long and so hard that she had to bend at the waist and try to catch her breath. Callie launched into a diatribe that involved mullets and and a litany of broken bone promises which made it ten times worse. Addison realized what about to happen and fought valiantly to prevent it, but in the end ... she peed. She tried to be covert about it, but the fact that her laughter died abruptly and her hands moved in front of her crotch was enough to make Callie risk scalping herself to see for herself.

"You pissed yourself!" Callie screamed with laughter, pointing at the large, spreading wet spot on Addison’s jeans. "Can’t. Breathe. Oh my god! I will never let you live this down! Pee pot! What a pisser! Piss off. Aren’t you a pistol! Hahahaha."

"How long is a football game?" Addison asked, when Callie finally settled down.

"Twelve hours?" Callie stared at her friend’s red face. "But look on the bright side, Addy, you’ve watered your uncomfortable stubble. Don’t pollinate. Urinate!"

"It’s going to be a very long night."

"You smell like Alexandria’s diapers, Wet One."

"A very, very long night."

"Wanna hear a joke? A man has to pee so he walks in a bar -"

Addison put her hands over her ears.

Callie went right on talking.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Alex leaned forward, watching as one of the best moves ever executed on the football field was replayed in slow motion. He felt his jaw drop a little and shook his head. "That was the most amazing game I’ve ever seen."

"How did he *do* that?" Mark asked. "I’ve never seen anyone move like that. Well, except maybe Addison when I’m chasing her. She can do this little twist and -"

"Never tell me, man." Alex glanced down at his watch and said, "Holy shit. I guess it’s a good thing we’re off tomorrow."

Mark got to his feet and stretched. "Those women have been far too quiet. I bet they didn’t bother with the damn wallpaper and are sleeping like babies."

Alex watched as the other man picked up his cell phone. "Are you going to take more pictures? Hand over your man card."

"Addison is at her finest when she’s asleep." Sloan grinned at him. "Come on."

They walked through the bedroom and Mark paused outside the bathroom door. "Is that glue I smell?"

"Dude, did they bathe in it?"

Pushing the door open, Mark’s eyes widened. Addison was lying on her back, her knees bent, sleeping on a towel. He glanced at Callie, who was sleeping soundly against the wall. "It’s the fumes, man!" Mark cried, hurrying toward Addison. He slipped on the slick, but dried glue and busted his ass, swearing the entire way down. The impact seemed to jar the entire house.

Both women woke up at once and Callie rubbed her eyes. "It’s about fucking time!"

Alex carefully walked around Mark, who appeared to be in shock, and opened the window. "What are you doing, Callie? You don’t use this kind of stuff in a closed off room, but oh, that’s right ... you enjoy closing yourself in with deadly smells."

"The only deadly smell in this room is Addison’s stale pee." Callie snapped. "Do you happen to notice that I haven’t moved, Alex?"

"Oh my god." Alex turned his head from side to side. "Is your hair glued to the wall?"

"NO! Tell me that can’t be so!" Callie stared at him. "A little help would be wonderful."

"Why didn’t Addison help you!?" Mark said, pushing himself up.

Addison, who had remained uncharacteristically silent, sat up beside him. "I’ve glued myself to the floor."

"It’s always about Addison!" Callie snapped, then swore as Alex began to work her hair from between the wall and paper. "Ow. Ow. Ow."

"Maybe we should cut it," Alex suggested.

"NO! I refuse to look like a Cuban ‘Joe Dirt’!" Callie cried, her eyes watering from the pain. "I’m kicking her ass as soon as I’m free. The fight is *on*, Addy."

Addison pointed a finger at her. "Why don’t you stick your head up my ass and fight for air!"

Alex laughed. "She’s seen ‘Joe Dirt’, too."

"Don’t encourage her," Callie growled. "I was dreaming about the fucking ‘Brady Bunch’ because this psychedelic and whoreanus wallpaper was the last thing I saw. Marcia. Marcia. Marcia. Jan made a damn wig out of this shit. It was a nightmare."

"Ouch!" Addison cried, pushing Mark’s hand off her ankle. "It’s *attached*. What makes glue less sticky?"

Alex leaned down and picked up the glue container, reading the back label. "Do you have rubbing alcohol?"

Mark reached under the sink and pulled out a full bottle. He opened the lid and started to pour it over Addison’s feet, but she squealed as if he had just announced that they were having sex right then. "I HAVE BLISTERS!" she cried.

"INFANT!" Callie yelled. "That damn alcohol was within reach, Addison! You could have gotten it and ended this nightmare before I developed Scoliosis. I *asked* you what was under the sink! I told you to look and you said we couldn’t MacGyver our way out of this! I am a natural MacGyver!"

"If you were a natural MacGyver then you wouldn’t have let this glue set, baby."

"Shut up, Alex."

Alex pulled her hair free just as Mark poured the alcohol. Addison’s screams would probably have called every orca whale in the vicinity to the bay.

Addison was freed within minutes, thanks to Mark using a butter knife to gently separate her flesh from the floor. Callie, on the other hand, was unable to move from the toilet.

Alex crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at her. "You’ve got two choices. We can cut your pants off or remove the toilet seat and you can ..."

"Wear it home," Mark said, coming back into the bathroom. He took one look at Callie’s face and began to laugh. It was contagious and Alex soon joined him.

"Get the scissors!" Callie told them. "Now!"

Ten minutes later, Callie slipped on a pair of Addison’s sweat pants and her eyes widened when she realized that they actually fit her. That never, in any reality, should have been possible. When she emerged from the bathroom, she glared at Addison, who was soaking her feet in a basin of water. "Owwwwww." Addison whined. "I’m knocking on Heaven’s door so don’t kick me while I’m down."

Callie put her hands on her hips. "Not for nothing, sitting on a toilet seat really hurts your coccyx. My *ass* hurts, Addison. Ass trumps feet."

"I have to *walk* on my feet."

"You *walk* in stilettos every day!" Callie joined her on the bed, nudging her with her shoulder. "Are you really in pain?"

"No."

"I’d feel bad taking the piss out of you if you were really in pain. Oh, that’s right. It should be out of you already." Callie grinned. "I cannot believe you did that!"

"I cannot believe you said bats were humping the house!"

Callie put her hand on Addison’s. "Consider this my apology for making you worry while I was gone. And for almost killing myself and lying to you about it and for making you dance with my Uncle Kick."

Addison put an arm around her. "I’ll forgive you if you come back tomorrow and help me finish the bathroom."

"No. My birthday is in a few days. Do me a favor and hire someone to do that damn job in lieu of a birthday gift for me."

"Fine!" Addy grinned. "But I already got your gift."

"Can I have it early?"

"Nope."

Callie pushed herself to her feet and sighed. "I’m going home. To soak my *ass* in the hot tub."

"See you tomorrow."

"To NOT wallpaper. We’re grilling out. That’s *it*."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie sank into the hot tub and closed her eyes, letting the powerful jets work the tension in her neck. She actually had developed a painful crick and she doubted she’d be walking fully upright for at least a couple of days. She smiled when she heard Alex walking across the deck and opened her eyes. The steam from the hot tub was rising all around her and when he dropped his towel, she saw that he was as naked as she was. If Monty decided to spy, he would get an eyeful.

Alex had turned off the huge street lights after calling to let the guard know that they wanted privacy. Callie had assured him that his choice of words would bring out the peeping Tom in anyone. As he stepped into the tub, she openly enjoyed the view. He set two bottles of water on the edge and motioned for her to come to him. She slipped across the tub and wrapped her legs around him.

"Are you still feeling hostile?" she asked, kissing water from his neck.

"Is your ass still sore?"

"Very much so."

"I guess that’s decent punishment." He captured her mouth with his. "How the *hell* did the two of you glue yourselves down?"

"Addison! I swear to God she has to be a natural blond. She got glue on my ass and while we were working to put up the first piece of paper, she spilled the entire container of glue, but she kept standing there trying to hold the one we were working on and then when she realized she couldn’t move her feet ... I got tangled under the wallpaper."

"You’re a disaster. A very gorgeous disaster, but you’re a disaster, Callie."

"I prefer interesting to disaster," she replied. "Life with me is never boring, Alex."

"Let’s try to do boring for a while." He pushed her hair back. "Boring can be good, too."

She could see just enough of his face to tell how serious he was. "I can do that."

"If *you* can do that, then pigs are gonna fly and hell is gonna freeze over." He smiled when she splashed his face. "You’re taking tomorrow off, right? You’ve worked every single day for two weeks now and you’re not scheduled so -"

"I was going to volunteer at the clinic. They always need operators for the phone lines."

"They’ll cover it, Gothika. I feel like I haven’t seen you in years."

"You see me every day."

"You’re distracted and busy and tired."

"Fine. I’ll take tomorrow off. We’re supposed to be cooking out with Addison and Mark." She pouted prettily. "No football."

"What!? But the -"

"You feel like you haven’t seen me in years, Alex, so we’re going to be making up for lost time." Raising herself a little, she slid down on his erection. "We’re going to start right now."

He moaned and kissed her, holding her around the waist. "Now is good."

She leaned back a little and said, "Do I have you attention?"

Alex nodded mutely.

"I’m sorry about the past few weeks. For everything that’s happened and for drinking as much as I did. I’m sorry if I made you worry or wonder if you made the right decision by kissing me that day in the hospital. That - that was a perfect kiss," she undulated her hips, "and I’d hate for you to ever regret it."

"That kiss was the best thing I’ve ever done. And I don’t regret *anything* except not doing it sooner." He gripped her hips and took charge, lifting and lowering her.

Callie sighed with contentment. "Everything’s going to be absolutely fine from this day forward."

"Yes, it is."

"Stop talking."

"You stop talking."

"Stopping ... ooooh ... do that again, Jock Strap."

"This?"

"Oh my god."

"You’re a pervert, Elvira."

"Stop talking!"

"I’ll stop if you tell me what you want me to do you."

In the most imaginative ways possible, she told him.

And he covered every request as soon as she uttered them.

*~*~*~*~*~

When the foursome returned to work after enjoying a wonderfully calm day off that offered burnt hamburgers and under cooked French fries, everything in the world felt like it was right. At least to Callie. Her birthday was just a few days away and Cam had called her that morning to detail his flight plans and she felt like she was walking on air when she strolled into the Resident’s locker room. She was the first to arrive so she headed for her locker and changed into her scrubs. She sat down on the bench, which was hidden by a row of lockers, and pulled out a research paper that she had been reading about a new surgical technique.

She wrinkled her nose when she heard Izzie’s annoyingly cheerful morning babble. She half listened as the blond gushed about dancing at Joe’s until the bar closed and rolled her eyes when Meredith asked if George had spent the night with Olivia again. There was no doubt at all in her mind that Olivia was the reason that Izzie’s hatred of her had evaporated. The names that the former model called the nurse were unbelievably horrible. It was sad, in a way, that Izzie didn’t want George, but didn’t want him with anyone else either.

Cristina’s voice interrupted Izzie’s tirade. "So, did you dance with anyone at Joe’s or were you that drunken girl who dances by herself?"

"I danced with people!" Izzie replied. "I’m in my happy moving on place."

"So, you’re finally over Karev?" Yang asked, sounding skeptical. "Your diary said that -"

"I know what my diary said!"

"Then how did this happen?"

"Just because a guy tells you that he’s in love with you ... it doesn’t make it true."

Callie sat up a little straighter. She hoped that the Jedi mind meld that she was sending Cristina would work and she would pursue the topic. She held her breath when Meredith said, "Wait a minute. When did Alex tell you that he loved you?"

"A couple of days before he left with Callie. He kissed me when he found her DNR paperwork in my back pocket and then he told me that he had been madly in love with me when I left him for Denny and that he still falls back in love with me every time the old me comes out."

"Then he doesn’t love you at all anymore. Pod person," Cristina scoffed. "And you kissed him?!"

"He kissed me," Izzie replied. "You know, I didn’t even believe that he was with Callie when the came back. I thought he was trying to make me jealous."

"Did it work?" Meredith asked.

"Did I not hit her with my stethoscope?" Izzie asked. "I still think that he loves her money and the lifestyle she gives him. I mean, she’s got issues. Major iss-ues."

"Isn’t there a saying about not throwing stones when you’re in a glass house?" Cristina said. "He’s crazy about her. Anyone with eyes that are not blinded by jealousy can see that."

"I am in no way, shape, or form jealous of the resident head case."

"That’s because your head case is four billion times worse than hers."

"I was jealous of Alex, Cristina! I thought - I thought with him declaring his feelings *finally* that he’d want to pick up where we left off." Izzie sighed. "I guess not. He won’t talk to me."

"Not wondering why." Cristina shot back. "We’re early. Let’s go raid the snack line.

There was a shuffling of feet and a bench rubbed against the floor, squeaking in protest.

When blissful silence finally fell again ... Callie stood, stone faced and resolved.

Her spine was ramrod straight.

She would not be crying again because of something Izzie Stevens said.

And if Alex Karev had done what Izzie said ... she wouldn’t be crying over him either.

It would just be over.

One lesson had stuck with her.

Never go down the same road twice.

She'd be damned if she would be the third person in a relationship again.

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 32

Callie had an emergency surgery to perform right off the bat. It was complex and exhausting and she welcomed the fact that she had to concentrate on it. As soon as she began to cut, everything Izzie had said that morning fled her mind leaving nothing in it except the procedure. She moved fluidly, controlled. The surgery itself took nine hours and she didn’t request a break, even when Chief Webber came in to relieve her. She simply shook her head and continued operating. When sweat finally beaded on her forehead during the final phase, she took a deep breath and asked the scrub nurse to put the patient’s X-ray on the boards. She took a step back and gazed at the black and white film until it calmed her. And it did calm her.

It always had.

She knew X-rays.

Callie also knew herself and she straightened her back to remind her that her spine was still ramrod perfect and not bent in the least.

After the patient was sutured and she left instructions for follow up care, she walked out of the OR and took off her surgical scrubs. She washed her hands and pulled her cap off, massaging her scalp. With a determined nod, she pulled out her phone and called Alex.

"Hey, Gothika."

"Where are you?"

"I’m stuck in the pit. A bus crashed through a guard rail and rolled into a ravine. We’ve been dealing with some massive injuries down here. What about you?"

"I’m just coming out of surgery," she replied. In a light, conversational tone, she added, "Hey, did you enjoy kissing Izzie when you found my DNR paper in her pocket?"

There was no sound on the other end of the line. Callie shook her head angrily; his silence was all the confirmation she required. "Or maybe you enjoyed telling her that you loved her and, let me try to remember, that you fell for her a little more every time the old Izzie came out."

Alex still didn’t speak.

Callie took a deep breath. "Correct me if I’m wrong, but did you not tell me that I was the only person you had ever said that to? You’ve said it more than once ... that I was the only one. She didn't hit me because of George ... she hit me because she's jealous and that's understandable since *you* made her believe that you loved *her*."

"Where are you at right now?"

"Tell me, Alex. Tell me the truth that you set so much stock in."

"I’m not doing this over the phone. Where are you?"

"Did you say that to her? Did you kiss her? Did you go to California with me just to upset her? To make her jealous? Is that why you stay?"

"Do not do this, Callie. Do not get yourself worked up over nothing. Tell me where you are and I’ll come right now and explain everything."

"I don’t think I want to hear anything you have to say." She hung up the phone and turned it off for good measure. In a soft voice, she whispered, "What would mom say? She’d say ‘Fuck it’. That’s what she’d say. So fuck it. Just ... fuck it. This is not going to get under your skin, Calliope. We have thick skin in our family so own it. Wear the skin it does not wear you ... Dear God, I sound just like her. And ... I needed to hear that."

"Talking to yourself is a sign of insanity," Dr. Jamison, the anesthesiologist, appeared behind her.

"It’s one of many signs that I’ve been exhibiting lately. Gullibility was the first one and it won’t go away."

The man took his mask off and smiled at her. "I think that’s just a sign of being human."

"Considering that I don’t like humans ... isn’t it a shock that I’m a doctor?"

He laughed outright. "Well, human hatred aside, you’re a fine doctor. Very fine ... if I can just be honest."

It was enough to bolster her wounded pride. He was *flirting* with her. Nodding, she smiled. "Yeah, there is that. F.I.N.E., fine. Seeya, Eric."

"Seeya, Callie."

In the hallway, she used the phone at the nurse’s station to call Addison. Her friend was already gone for the day and cheerfully told Callie that she was cooking Mark a special dinner, but had no idea what a special dinner consisted of. Unable to spoil Addy’s good mood, Callie ignored her own problems and rambled off the ingredients for Blake’s chicken parmesan.

While she changed into her jeans and sweater in the locker room, she held her breath, half expecting Alex to walk in.. She was technically an hour over what Sydney had scheduled her to work, so she grabbed her purse and headed for the elevator.

She would simply go home ... where the alcohol was that she had not yet poured out.

"No. No way," she said out loud. "Running? Not so much."

She took the stairwell to the basement instead and sat down on a pile of crates that took up the spot where her bed used to be. This had been her safe haven, she thought. She had hidden away from her parent’s money, been first to respond to all the good cases, and never had to worry about anyone interrupting her power naps like they did in the on call rooms. She missed it, in a way. Staring around the room, she changed her mind. It was dark and depressing. Like a cave. She much preferred standing in the sun while Goon Docks bobbed in the waves. Especially when Alex was there.

Closing her eyes, she remembered the day that Denny Duquette had died. Alex had been the one to lift Izzie from the man’s bed and hold her until she calmed down. Callie had been touched by it, by the way he spoke to her. She had seen something in him that day that obliterated everything she had heard about him. He wasn’t just a ‘Fratboy Jock’ at all. He was a man who could be there for his ex-girlfriend when she needed strong arms around her. That meant he was forgiving. A good trait to have.

And since Callie had experienced his arms around her when she needed him most ... she knew that it was another great trait he had.

He had a lot of them.

She knew that Alex and Izzie had been intimate. It was a fact that she had successfully repressed, however, because the thought of another man comparing the two women in bed wasn’t something she liked to entertain. Alex had never given her any reason to believe that he was thinking anything like that. He had, in all fairness, told her she was the best lay he’d ever had. Several times.

Alex was *hers*.

He had erased all doubt.

Repeatedly.

Yet here she was ... torn.

When she opened her eyes again, she realized that the recessed corner of the basement had become a temporary storage for films while they remodeled the old records department. It took a few minutes, but she finally found a mangled hand to look at. She had told Dr. Gellar that she would do this instead of something crazy.

And she had promised herself as well.

She gazed at the X-ray and traced the bones that would need pins.

She breathed.

She survived.

And after a while she wasn’t very angry anymore.

*~*~*~*~*~

After checking the roof, the on call room, and the parking lot to make sure Callie had not left him, Alex checked the basement. He was close to giving up when he finally found her holding an X-ray up against the poor fluorescent lighting in the darkest corner of the place. She had not flown. She had not run. Granted, she was also not answering her phone, but he’d take a small victory. "Hey."

She didn’t lower the film or look at him.

"Okay, so look ... I did kiss Izzie when she took your DNR paper. I was grateful. She had given me back my best friend. You, by the way. And it was not a kiss like what you’re thinking ... it was one second of my lips on hers in *gratitude* and then it was done."

Callie said nothing. Alex reached up and took the X-ray from her and she crossed her arms over her chest, not looking at him. "And I did tell her that I had been in love with her, but that was a lie. I just didn’t know it at the time. I was honest with *you* when I said that you are the only person I have ever loved or said it to. I never said ‘I love you’ to Stevens. I said that I had *loved* her, past tense, but now that I know what love feels like ... I know that’s not what I had with her."

He pulled her around to face him. "And I did not go to California with you to make her jealous. I didn’t know where we were going that day, but I knew that if I didn’t get you alone I would die. And I stay because I need you, I need to be near you ... just to breathe. I don’t care if she’s jealous, but I care that you are. You don’t have a reason to be."

"I am not jealous!" she snapped. "I just don’t understand why that *girl* is in every relationship I have."

"Do you see her anywhere? Do you see me talking to her? Do you see me giving a damn what’s going on with her?"

"No," she admitted begrudgingly.

"You didn’t run this time, Callie, so that means that you are nothing like my mother and I have nothing to fear. And I’ll be damned if I let Izzie Stevens cost me the only thing I’ve ever wanted in life, so that means that I’m nothing like George and you have nothing to fear." He curled a lock of her hair around his finger. "So can this please be a fight that we don’t have to have? I am so tired of fighting with you."

"Me too."

"Could I have a kiss?"

She shook her head. "I’m thinking that I’ll kiss you after we go to Vinnie’s Italian Bistro and you sing to me."

"No, baby, you would not kiss me because you wouldn’t want anyone to know you were with me. I’d humiliate myself and you."

"A good dose of humiliation would serve you right."

"Come on, Elvira. Give me a pass on this one. I am hungry, though. We could go eat there and you could sing to me."

"What’s a good man hater song?"

"You don’t hate me," he replied. "Let’s go."

"Not until you button your shirt the right way. Did you get dressed in the dark, Jock Strap?"

He looked down and swore. "So that’s why someone asked me if you and I had been in the on call room. I was in a little bit of a hurry to find you and make sure you understood what actually happened."

She watched as he opened his shirt and began working on the bottom button. His chest was bare beneath it and she licked her lips. "Just so we’re clear ... I’m not jealous, Alex. but I am territorial."

"What are you going to do? Piss on me?" he laughed, but it faded when she glared at him. "Okay, maybe that wasn’t funny."

Gripping the front of his shirt, she pulled him forward and kissed him. He responded immediately and was about to push her back against the wall, but she slammed him against it first and moved to his neck. His eyes widened when he realized what she was doing.

She was giving him a hickey.

And she wasn’t content to stop at just one.

"Callie, I have to see patients. This is -"

"Turtleneck." She moved to the other side of his neck and then stood back, content with her handiwork. "I’ll keep them updated, by the way."

"Okay. Ow." He massaged his neck and shook his head. "People have actually died from this, you know."

"That is an urban legend, ass."

"Well, it’s a pain in the neck. Uh, which actually wasn’t intended as a pun."

Her arms crossed over her chest again. "You told me you wanted fifty years with me."

"Yeah, I did. I do ... I think."

"You know what endures for fifty years?"

"My love?"

"Nice try, Jock Boy," she replied, her tone deadly. "Ink. Tattoo ink."

"You want me to ...."

"Yeah, I want you to. Right now."

He laughed again and shook his head. "What the hell is that going to prove?"

She kept her poker face on, fighting the urge to smile. "Well, any woman who sees my name on your dick will think twice about it."

The look on his face was priceless. All the color drained from it and when he swallowed, it was loud. "You’re kidding, right? Because you don’t look like you’re kidding, but the words you’re making are very funny."

"I’m not kidding."

"No one except you will ever see my dick!" Alex protested. "And if I did that to myself ... I couldn’t use it for long time and then I’d die."

"You either do this or it’s over."

His jaw dropped. "Callie, my balls are in my *stomach*. Don’t tell me something like that right now. We are not over. We’re not even nearly over. Over is not in our vocabulary. And neither is tattooed penis."

"I’m pretty sure I called it a dick. And this is what I want for my birthday." She lost control of her resolve when he rubbed both hands over his face. When she saw that they were shaking, she started to laugh. "You’re so clueless. Do you actually think that I would ask you to do this knowing that it would put *me* out of sex?"

"Oh, thank God." He hugged her. "I take back everything I ever said about your poker face. And you won’t have to piss on me to mark your territory because I think I pissed myself."

Callie put her hand on his crotch and said, "No. You didn’t."

He narrowed his eyes at her when she began to massage him through his pants. "If you start this ... you better finish it."

She responded by taking off her shirt and letting it fall onto the file boxes. "You finish it."

Half an hour later, they were both sitting in the floor, trying to catch their breath. Callie said, "I don’t want to have this conversation again."

"Which one."

"All of it."

"Because I was thinking," Alex said. "Why don’t we go get inked? After we eat. Let’s just do it."

"What the hell would we have tattooed on us?"

"I have an idea. Let’s go."

"Are you kidding?"

"No! Come on!" He pulled her to her feet and tossed her clothing to her. "I’m just as territorial as you are, but I’m not bothering with something that *fades*."

*~*~*~*~*~

"Why are you walking like you have a corn cob up your ass?" Addison asked as Callie slid into the chair beside her the following morning. "What did you do? Sex, right?"

"Not quite. Probably not for a couple of days."

"You’re on your period? No, you take Depo. I know this because I have to see your naked ass every three months."

"I got a tattoo."

"WHAT!? Why?"

"Because I marked my territory and turnabout is fair play." She made a face at Alex, who was clutching his chest as he walked toward her. "He writes way too big."

"Hey." Alex leaned down and kissed Callie. "How’s your hip?"

"Every time I move I feel like I’m ripping open stitches. Why did you want it there. My hips move when I walk!"

"That’s because you’re a prissy diva," Addison told her.

"At least I’m not a PISSY diva, bed wetter."

"Enough with the painful reminders, Calliope!" Addison told her. "So, show me what you got!"

"I am not lowering my pants over breakfast for your amusement."

"Chicken shit." Addison looked up at Alex. "Let’s see yours."

He happily lifted his scrub shirt and displayed his chest. Emblazoned above his heart was a kiss. The shape was unmistakable. It was Callie’s kiss. And she had signed ‘Love, Callie’ just below it. The lips were outlined in black and colored in with red, making it appear 3-D with the artistic shading.

"That has *got* to be the cheesiest, the corniest, and most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen!" Addison said. "But considering that both of you need to be wearing turtlenecks, I can’t even pretend to be shocked by anything anymore."

"Clearly, symbology is lost on my friend." Callie shrugged, but touched her neck self consciously.

"What did you get? Tell me that Karev didn’t pucker up for you, too."

"I got a bastard flower and his name." Callie narrowed her eyes at Alex again. "Which he signed, very, very big."

Alex crossed his arms over his chest and winced. "She refused to get a football or baseball or anything else that was purely *me*."

Callie smiled at him. "Honey, the bastard flower? It’s a permanent apology because you’re always pissing me off."

"You called me 'honey'." He leaned down and kissed her again. "You’re making me horny."

"My body is a temple and services are over. I’m in pain, but you on the other hand could do things to me that would-"

"I’m sorry. I think I need to vomit." Addison heaved.

"Oh, there’s Stevens. I bet her scrubs would soak it up," Callie replied innocently, finishing off her bagel. "I’m going to Joe’s for lunch. I’ve had enough hospital food for *years*."

*~*~*~*~*~

The days passed swiftly and the nights became colder as Halloween approached. The hospital staff, anxious to find fun where they could, had taken to donning masks and terrorizing each other. Chief Webber put a stop to it after Dr. Gellar leaped out at him from a supply closet wearing a Freddy Krueger ensemble that was so realistic that it was gross. Webber had spilled coffee all over his sweater, yanked the bladed glove from Gellar’s hand, and threatened to dispose of it in places that were very unprofessional and much scarier than any mask. Webber's mood was a direct result of having been chased by Dr. Shepherd, who carried a fake rat that had ‘bitten’ his hand, the previous day.

Naturally, when the Chief went home every day the masks were brought out again and it kept the mood at the hospital light. And comical. Everyone agreed that the funniest moment had been the eerily realistic rubber snake that Callie coiled in a box and gave to Addison, telling her that she had brought her breakfast. Callie had somehow tied string around the snake's neck so that when Addy lifted the lid, the snake appeared to leap up at her. Addison had climbed onto the nurse’s station, screaming, and doing a bang up impression of Pee Wee Herman’s tequila dance. Beating Addison’s display by a landslide, however, was the fact that Callie had peed her pants laughing.

And Mark Sloan had photographed the proof which he liked to show everyone.

Happiness was enough to staunch Callie’s humiliation and she took her lumps with dignity. And by putting the snake in Addison’s locker that afternoon. The screams were phenomenal.

Cam and Blake arrived the night before Halloween and agreed to stay on Goon Docks. Callie, who had picked them up at the airport, was thrilled by this. She had insisted, after all. When they arrived at the garage, Leon came out, looking terrified, wringing his hat in his hands. "Miss Callie?"

"Hey, Leon. This is my brother Cam and his boyfriend Blake."

Leon inclined his head, but didn’t speak to them. "Miss Callie, there’s a problem."

"Oh?" she asked, trying to look as sincere as possible. "What is it?"

"I think I caught that thing that’s been making all the noise. You may want to take a look at it."

Her eyes widened dramatically. "Is it dead?"

"I clubbed it to death with my flashlight." He nodded. "You might want to prepare yourself. I ain’t never seen nothing like it."

Cam moved in front of Callie, a protective hand on her stomach. "Where is it?"

"What is it?" Blake asked, peering over Callie’s shoulder as if he expected to see the creature hobbling into the room. "Are you sure it’s dead?"

"Come on." Leon continued to wring his hat and Callie thought it was a nice touch when he went on and on and on and on and on about how he had courageously struggled with the beast. To her astonishment, he had a realistic looking scratches on the backs of his hands and arms, which he proudly displayed. *He* should win an Oscar, she thought.

They entered the guard’s area and Callie bit the inside of her cheek. She had spent days setting up the remote controlled demon dog. It was pale gray, suffered from mange, and had a tongue that glistened as it lolled from its mouth. The fur it did have was matted and the tail was mostly bone; most of the skin had been ripped away, making it look like a barb. It was ... disgusting. Leon had taken extra care to make sure the face was a mangled mess. For good measure, he picked up his flashlight and said, "I didn’t leave it laying like that, ma’am. That thing's moved."

"WHAT IS IT!?" Blake cried again, finally getting a good look at it. "Oh my god. It’s a hell hound!"

Callie squatted down beside the animal and reached down to touch its side.

"NO!" Cam cried, grabbing her hand. "It’s probably poisonous. I can smell the disease."

Callie knew that what he smelled was Canned Farts, but she played along. "If it’s not dead then -"

"Cut its head off!" Cam suggested. "Think of it as ending the suffering of a hideous, ugly, and hairless mutt... demon ... thing."

"Leon, can you help me take it outside?" Callie asked.

"I can’t. I hurt my back real bad getting it in here."

"That leaves you, Cam." Callie moved to the feet of the dog and grabbed hold of the towel that it was resting on. "Blake's already having a stroke."

"Why do I have to carry the business end?" Cam moved to its head and made a sickened face that was hilarious. "Oh dear Lord Jesus, God in Heaven, make it stop smelling like farts."

"On three." Callie glanced at Leon as she said it. "One, two, three."

The twins lifted as one and the dog began to howl, thrash, and kick. It bucked so hard that it flopped off the towel and onto the floor, landing near Blake thanks to Callie’s added flip of the towel in that direction. It happened in slow motion. Cam, who was wearing a long leather duster, attempted to climb the wall and appeared to actually levitate toward the ceiling (although he was only power jogging up the filing cabinet) because his legs were hidden by his coat.

And Blake.

Poor Blake hit notes that would make opera singers weep with envy and his fancy footwork could have easily secured him the lead role in ‘Riverdance’. Instead of running from the room, he leaped back and forth over the thrashing dog, obviously torn by whether he should help his boyfriend or rush to safety. He was suspended in a mid air arabesque, his arms flung wide, when he realized that Callie was rolling on the floor with tears streaming down her face.

His first cognitive thought was that she must have been bitten. He pulled out of the move so suddenly that he landed on the dog, whose renewed efforts caused him scream in agony, sounding like *he* was being bitten. He stomped up and down on the animal, screaming, "It’s trying to kill me!! Get it off me!! GET IT OFF ME!!!"

"You’re on it!" Callie wheezed, pushing herself into a sitting position. "Oh my god! That was *classic*! Say hello to my little friend!"

Cam, who had wedged himself in the four feet between the top of the filing cabinet and the ceiling, shouted, "CALLIOPE IPHEGENIA TORRES! I AM GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS!"

"Worth it! Oh so worth it!" she cried. "Leon, did you get it on film?"

Leon wiped the tears off his face and nodded, the camera still pointing at Blake. "Mostly him. I couldn’t look away."

"Happy Halloween, guys!" Callie got to her feet and smiled from one to the other. "Never, ever laugh at a woman who has fallen into a mud hole that smells like the ass crack of a homeless dude in the middle of July."

Cam lowered one leg, glaring at her. "You’re about to find your way back into that fucking mud hole."

Callie screamed and ran.

Cam caught her easily and threw her over his shoulder, stalking down the trail.

She slapped at his back. "Look down, dummy. It’s *cobblestone*. The mud hole is gone."

They met Alex halfway down the trail. He was hurrying toward the source of the noise that had woken him up. "What did she do?" he asked, knowing exactly what had transpired. His girlfriend had been lying in the bed every night for the past week randomly laughing as she thought about the dog. She even laughed in her sleep.

"She filmed it. I’m sure she’ll show it to you on repeat every day for the rest of her life." Cam stalked down the stairs and walked to the edge of the dock. "I know I told you to stay out of the water, little sis, but I’ve changed my mind."

"Don’t you *dare*," Callie growled, wadding the ends of his jacket up in her hands. "If I go in, you go in!"

"Fine with me." Cam stepped off the side of the dock and threw her to one side. They both went under.

Alex stood with his mouth wide open, not believing what he had just seen. Callie came up, swearing and coughing, and headed for the ladder. She climbed up and said, "It’s four degrees below zero out here and he throws me in the water! Where the hell is he? I’m drowning him."

Blake came down the stairs and stood beside them, watching for Cam to resurface. "Something’s wrong," he said after a full minute ticked past. He toed off his shoes.

Callie dove before him. She was aware of two loud splashes and felt someone brush against her as they swam in the opposite direction. Her entire body was numb and it was a struggle after a few seconds to get her limbs to cooperate. Thinking of Cam’s jacket and how heavy it would be, she kicked toward the bottom and felt around frantically. When her lungs could take no more, she broke the surface and took a deep breath to prepare for another dive.

Alex and Blake popped up on either side of her and she said, "Oh god! Where is he?"

"Right here!" Cam called. He was sitting leisurely on the dock, his legs hanging over the side. "I don’t have a video camera, but this image will never leave me."

"You asshole!" Blake screamed, swimming toward him. He ranted in between his breast strokes. "I did not come to Seattle to be tormented. I did not come to Seattle to freeze my balls off in frigid water or to bruise my ass on a fucking fake dog!"

Alex nudged Callie and said, "Payback’s a bitch and apparently I get punished because I'm with you. Come on."

"Can’t. Move." She shook her head as her teeth chattered. "Cold."

Gripping her arm, Alex pulled her along with him and watched Cam pull her from the water. Blake helped him out and Callie stood there shivering, glaring at her brother. "Blake’s right. You are an asshole."

"I guess you can see, Callie, that I’m a much better swimmer than I used to be." Cam threw his head back and cackled. "Look at all the little drowned rats."

Blake pushed him off the dock and back into the water and then stalked toward Goon Docks. "He is *not* sleeping with me!"

~*~*~*~*~*

Callie was dreaming about the demon dog. In it, the creature was chasing her and she was running, but there was a treadmill under her feet that didn’t let her get away. The animal gnashed and snarled at her legs and she put on a burst of speed. It didn’t smell like farts anymore. It smelled like bacon and eggs and possibly pancakes. She turned to look at it and it leaped, landing on her face. For a partially hairless dog ... it was incredibly soft.

Something scurried down her neck and over her chest and she gasped, sitting up in the bed. A sable ferret was gazing at her intently. Her mouth dropped open and she lifted it into her arms where she ran her fingers over the black and silver markings on its thin body. It nudged her fingers, sniffing and playfully nipping. She held it up, confirming that he was a boy. He strained toward her, pushing against her hands with his paws, and she touched her nose to his. She knew it was love when he sneezed on her.

Alex stood a few feet away, watching her with a smile on his face. He joined her on the bed and kissed her neck. "Happy birthday, baby."

"You could not have gotten me a better gift."

"Leon would probably disagree. This thing scratched him all to hell and back last night." Alex reached down and rubbed the ferret’s ear as it explored Callie’s sheet covered lap. "The woman I bought him from says that he’s already litter trained which is a good thing. He’s from a ferret rescue instead of a mill."

She leaned her head against Alex’s. "What’s his name?"

"He doesn’t have one. The woman referred to him as a number."

"Well, that’s just mean." Callie picked the ferret up again and concentrated on his face.

"What are you doing?"

"Ferret whispering." A crease appeared between her brows. "No, we’re not calling you that, little guy. Think again." She wrinkled her nose. "He says that he’s Italian. Italian food was our first date. I guess we better call him Fratelli."

"Fratelli?"

"The bad guys in ‘The Goonies’." The ferret scrambled up her arm and nuzzled the side of her face. "Yeah, he’s apparently a fan."

"You are so strange."

"I try."

Someone knocked on the door and Callie pulled the sheet up over her naked breasts. Blake and Cam stood side by side. Blake took a deep breath and said, "Callie, breakfast is ready. Would you mind letting your brother know?"

Callie looked at Cam, then back at Blake. "Uh, he’s standing right there."

"I haven’t heard from him all morning. I don’t see a thing." Blake put his hands on his hips.

"You see *her*," Cam said, shooting Callie an evil look. "And she’s the one who started it."

"Never, ever make the person you love think you’re dying, Cam," Callie advised. "There’s funny and then there is abuse of privilege."

"You should know," Cam replied, tossing a rectangular package onto the bed. "Happy birthday, brat."

Alex picked up the ferret as Callie secured the sheet a little tighter and opened her gift. When she saw the box, she gasped. "Is this - did you - how the hell?"

"I’ll never tell."

"But this game doesn’t even release until next year!" Callie cried, turning Samurai Ambush: Total Destruction, over in her hands to read the back of it. "How did you get this?"

"I handled a business deal for the father of the guy who created it." Blake smiled. "Cam can’t take *any* of the credit."

Callie grinned. "I’d get up to hug you, but I’m naked."

"Okay, now Blake’s not the only one who can’t hear anything." Cam closed the door, winking at her.

She sighed in contentment and snuggled back into the covers. Fratelli found an opening and crawled in beside her, his body flush against her stomach. "I feel that I should be allowed to sleep in."

Alex nodded. "That’s probably a good idea, because your *other* present is a red bow. I’ll give you two guesses where I’ll be wearing it tonight."

"I only need one."

"You’ll have multiples, Gothika. Bank on it."

*~*~*~*~*~

"I just feel that we’re not *romantic* enough, Mark."

"In what universe, Addison, is self mutilation *romantic*? Tattoos are not romantic. Hickeys are only romantic if you’re in middle school and if I gave you a ferret you’d scream because you think anything small with fur is a rat." He took his tie off and hung it in the closet. "We’re very romantic."

"We eat, sleep, and have sex."

"What else do we need?"

"Forget it." Addison toed off her heels, exasperated, and then slipped her earrings out. "Tonight was fun. I love seeing Callie happy. And with Cam. Isn’t it weird how they finish each other’s sentences?"

"Well, they are twins." Mark unbuttoned his shirt while he watched her take her dress off. Her face was red and her nostrils were flaring. "You want to tell me how I managed to piss you off?"

"It’s PMS." Addison crawled in next to him and rested her head on his chest. "I have cramps."

He rubbed a hand over her hair and smiled. "You know what would stop your period?"

"Depo Provera. I know. I just don’t like needles and -"

"Being pregnant," he corrected. "Nine long months of no cramps or -"

She sat up, looking down at him with shock and fear. "What!?"

"No cramps or tampons so you won’t have to worry about getting your hand caught in a machine again and ... this is a big one ... pregnancy tends to increase a woman’s sex drive and I’d be very happy about that."

"And then your sex life comes to a screeching half for eighteen years!" Addison pulled a pillow into her lap as if shielding her stomach would change the subject.

"You said we’re not romantic enough." Mark sat up, facing her. "I think the most romantic thing in the world ... would be a person we make who has the best of both of us in them."

"Is this a Halloween prank? Because I'm so over Halloween."

"No."

"You want a baby?" Her mouth dropped open as she said it aloud. "Like, an actual baby who will grow into a toddler, then a sullen tween, then a rebellious teen, and then put us in a rest home one day and take our house."

"I’ll tell you what I want." Mark leaned over and opened his sock drawer. He withdrew a small, blue box and fisted it in his hand so she couldn’t really see it. "I was going to do this on Christmas morning after I gave you a crock pot or something else you’d hate. I was going to tie it to a ribbon and hang it from mistletoe. I was going to pull you under it and kiss you and tell you that the best Christmas gift you could give me would be one word.

"One word, Addison, and I’d have everything I ever wanted." He opened his palm and watched her eyes widen in shock when she saw the box. Reaching up, he flipped it open and heard her gasp. "Now maybe this is not romantic to you, but I’d still like to hear that word. Will you marry me?"

Her eyes took in the enormous round diamond which was circled with several smaller diamonds. It gleamed in the lamplight and she took a deep breath. Looking at Mark again, she saw that his jaw was tight. As she watched him, he gave her the smile that always turned her insides to mush. "Mark-"

"That’s not the word, Addy. Although I do like hearing you say my name." He reached up and brushed her hair back. "I’m not asking for much. Just ... forever."

Addison caught his hand in hers and squeezed it. Her heart was pounding, her mouth was dry, and she was so in love that it made it hard to exist at all. "Yes."

"Yes?" His eyes widened and he leapt from the bed, punching the air. "Yes!"

She watched him, amused, as he strutted around naked, talking about the life they’d have. He still carried the box and when he launched into what he’d be doing to her on the honeymoon, she cleared her throat. "Mark?"

He stopped in mid-stride and looked at her with trepidation. "You can’t take it back."

"In your Christmas morning fantasy ... did you actually put the ring on my finger or did you carry it around until New Year’s Day while you crowed like a rooster?"

"Oh, right." Sitting beside her, he slipped the ring from the box and took her left hand. "Am I supposed to say anything while I put it on?"

"Uhm, no. Those would be wedding *vows*, Mark."

"I don’t care. I have something to tell you." He smiled at her again. "I’m still the guy who has to program Christmas into his phone, but I’m also the guy who has been thinking about Christmas morning for weeks now. And Thanksgiving. I’m *thankful* for second chances and for you. I’m going to make you so happy."

"You already did." Addison replied, her eyes welling with tears. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He slid the ring into place and nodded. "Perfect fit."

"Yes, we are."

"So, do you have PMS or is your period actually here?"

"I’m still the girl who fakes PMS when she’s pissed." Addison pushed him back on the bed and straddled his hips. "This was very, very romantic, Mark."

"It wasn’t Christmas."

"It was better." She eased down onto his cock and closed her eyes. "And if you get me a crock pot anyway, I’ll bash your head in with it while you’re sleeping."

"Damn."

Arching her back, she moved upward, letting him almost drop from her. Then she slammed down onto him and nodded. "Damn."

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 33
The first week of November was intolerable for Callie and Alex. They helped Mark and Addison celebrate their engagement over a plate of crab legs and had to pull over on the way home because they were both so ill. The flu season had taken hold of them both and they spent all their time alternating between praying to the porcelain princess and trying not to kill each other. Callie blamed Cam for throwing her in the bay ... in between the choking and whining. After quarreling over who would puke where, Alex camped out in the guest bathroom, his pillow in front of the toilet and Callie staked claim to the master bath. They called back and forth to each other, an hourly litany of ‘are you okay’ and ‘yeah’ or ‘no’ ... depending on the circumstances.

It took six full days for either one of them to feel like humans again. Poor Fratelli had to go and stay with Addison, who had a running fit when Callie suggested that she *hold* the ferret. Addison and Mark took turns bringing food every day, masks over their faces, and gave them injection after injection of Reglan for the nausea and Tamiflu pills. When the miserable but recovering twosome finally returned to work, they were sluggish and pale. Callie’s new scrubs were so ill fitting that she had to tie the drawstring tight enough to bunch the top of her pants into an uncomfortable mess. Food turned her stomach and since Alex was in the same boat, he didn’t pressure her. Much.

When their first four days back at work ended, paving the way for two days off, Alex breathed a sigh of relief and headed into the locker room. He showered and dressed in his jeans before he walked, barefoot and shirtless, back to his locker. The others had trickled in and he greeted Meredith and Cristina, but ignored Izzie, who seemed to be doing the same thing to him.

Alex tugged on his socks and shoes and then stood, searching for the shirt he had worn in that morning. He found Callie’s panties in his bag and smiled, running his fingers over the red lace. A paper was pinned to the crotch that read, ‘Guess what I’m not wearing’.

"Are those panties?" Cristina snatched them and held them up by the spaghetti string. "Callie likes lace? I had her pegged for commando.Wonder what Bailey would do if I put these on the board."

Alex yanked them from her hand and put them in his pocket. "You need to get laid, Yang."

"Hey, what is that on your chest?" Cristina squinted her eyes at Alex, then wrinkled her nose when she saw the unmistakable red lips. "Okay, that’s beyond grotesque."

"What is?" Izzie asked, closing her locker and turning around. Her eyes widened when she saw the tattoo. "Is that permanent?"

"You bet your ass it is." Alex glanced down at Callie’s kiss and rubbed his thumb over it. They had gone back to the tattoo parlor the previous day to have one more thing added and it was still tender to the touch. "Very permanent."

Meredith grinned at him, leaning closer to see the detail. "I think it’s, well, I won’t say beautiful, but -"

"You can say beautiful. It’s part of her." Alex grinned. "Her lips make me crazy."

"Well, yeah. They move and sound comes out." Izzie rolled her eyes and then realized that silence had fallen all around her. She tried to play it off when she saw the look on Alex’s face. "Haha, I made a funny."

"No, you didn’t." Alex pulled his shirt on, glaring at her. "You just proved that you’re still a bitch."

Izzie’s jaw dropped. "You don’t get to call me a bitch! A few weeks ago you were-"

"Delusional," he cut in. "I was delusional enough to think that you had located the one human cell you still have in your body and could use it to become a decent person. Clearly, I was wrong."

"I’m not a decent person? *I’m* not?" Izzie pointed her finger at him. "What have you done that’s so great? Besides shack up with a married woman and live off her money? And -"

"Let’s get something straight," Alex interrupted. "I don’t give a flying fuck what you think, but you’re going to stop dogging Callie. Especially to me. We’re not friends, Izzie. We’ll never be friends. All you are to me ... is just a mistake that won’t go away."

"Scoreboard. Alex, ten. Izzie, none," Cristina said, tying her shoelaces. "And you can’t say shit about him hooking up with a married person, Iz. You’re the reason she’s getting a divorce."

Izzie ignored her. "Maybe Callie would like to know that you kissed me and that -"

"I already know," Callie replied, walking from the back of the room, where she had been changing clothes at her own locker. "And I don’t give a flying fuck either because mistakes happen. I should know."

Meredith cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable. "Callie, did you get a tattoo also?"

Smiling, Callie nodded. "I did."

"So, share!" Cristina motioned for her friend to display the ink. "Unless it’s in places that only Dr. Montgomery should see."

"I’m not quite that brave." Callie happily unzipped her jeans and slipped them down on the right side, displaying the rose on the front of her hip.

Cristina sighed and shook her head. "This from the girl who said she’d never wear a bow on her ass or flowers in her hair. Now you have a flower on your hip which is your front ass ... in a way. I’m so disappointed. You’ve gone soft."

"Shut up," Callie told her, a twinkle in her eyes. Izzie was trapped between Meredith and Cristina and she had the distinct feeling that it had been intentional. The blond looked like a deer frozen in headlights.

"‘You belong to me, love Alex’," Meredith read, sitting down on the bench to get a better view. "Aww, that’s so sweet."

"It’s our song," Alex trailed his fingers over the new words on Callie’s hip, which had scabbed over. He had the same spiraling script over the tattoo on his chest. "She sang it on our first date and we realized it was us."

"The lyrics could not *be* more us." Callie pulled her pants back up and buttoned them. A sharp pain sliced through her side and she jumped a little. It had been aching for days, but it had never felt like a knife before.

"You okay?" Meredith asked, looking up at Callie, who nodded at her.

"So, which song is it? ‘You Belong To Me’? Which version?" Cristina stuffed her dirty scrubs in her bag.

"The old one. Patsy Cline did it and so did Dean Martin," Callie replied. "You know the one ... see the pyramids along the Nile, watch the sunrise on a tropic isle. That one."

"It’s because she likes to travel," Alex said. "And she can go to Algiers, to the Nile, or fly her plane across the ocean ... but she’s still mine."

"And I’ll always come back," Callie assured him. "Because for some reason I seem to be hooked, Jock Strap."

"I’m officially dying from cute overload." Cristina got to her feet and poked Callie in the hip, causing her to wince. "You should eat more and tattoo less, Torres. You’re going to look like Amy Winehouse if you don’t start consuming more than semen."

Callie turned and kissed Alex, saying, "Are you ready to go? I’m hungry."

"Ew. Ew. Ew." Yang poked her in the hip again. "Skank."

"Crack whore," Alex and Callie said simultaneously, causing everyone except Izzie to laugh.

The door of the locker room opened abruptly and hard enough for it to hit the wall. Addison and Bailey practically charged into the room. When Addison saw Callie, she leaped up and down, clapping happily. Callie looked at Alex and said, "Is she trying to tell us that she got a spanking again?"

"No, pervert. You are not going to believe this!" Addison cried. "I was killing time in the clinic waiting for Mark to finish his surgery so I was answering the Ava line and Oprah Winfrey’s people called! They want to feature her on their holiday show about missing people!"

"Get out!" Callie looked at her friend in disbelief. "Really?"

"And that’s not all," Bailey said, beaming in triumph. "She’s donating two million dollars to the clinic and will mention it on her show as well."

"Callie, this is huge! High five!" Addison pushed Alex out of the way and slapped her palm against Callie’s, then hugged her so hard that Callie was sure her ribs were breaking. She finally let go after Callie groaned. "We *must* celebrate!"

Callie massaged her right side, which continued to throb so much that she sat down on the bench. She rested her elbows on her thighs and leaned forward, taking several deep breaths. Alex kneeled down in front of her and said, "Are you talking to the Opus Dei again?"

"No. I think I’m still sick."

Addison put her hand on her forehead and nodded. "She’s got a fever."

"I’m gonna barf if you don’t shoot me up with Reglan, guys."

"I’ll get it," Meredith said. "Chart or no chart?"

"Take it from the clinic," Bailey said. "I’ll cover it somehow. Just like I did all the other doses you gave them."

*~*~*~*~*~

"So, then she was all like ‘oh, it’s our song and aren’t we so ridiculously happy and perfect and great’ and he was like ‘you’re not my friend because you’re a mistake’ and she was all, ‘ooooh, I’m so sick’ so she could get all the attention. I was like ‘gag me until I’m freakin’ dead’." Izzie took a deep breath and finished off her third donut, looking at George. "Hello? I’ve finished ranting so it’s your turn."

George chewed his hot dog and swallowed before he spoke. "I had a pretty good day, actually. No ranting here."

"Did I mention that they have their names on each other!? Like *on* each other. In ink."

"Did I mention that I was asked to scrub in on a Humpty Dumpty for tomorrow? You think Cristina would give me her notes?"

"George-"

"Because I’m not really getting enough information online about it and she actually performed one with Burke. I’ll have to ask her."

Izzie picked up her burger and bit into it. "Look at what they’re making me do! I ate three donuts before dinner! And I’m still starving."

George smiled at her. "You may want to hurry. Our movie starts in thirty minutes. Hey, do you want to race against me in the arcade?"

"No, George. I don’t want to play a video game. I hate video games. I don’t want to race or do anything except have you agree with me that Callie is a -"

"I have more in common with Alex than with you on this. I don’t want to hear it." He wadded up his food wrappers and tossed them into the trash can. The food court of the mall was crawling with people and he grinned when he saw Addison and Mark holding hands nearby. "They’re getting married."

"Callie and Alex!?"

George shot her a pointed look. "No, Izzie. Dr. Sloan and Dr. Montgomery." He indicated where they were with his head.

Izzie turned and looked at the duo, who were waiting in the Dippin’ Dots line. She watched as Mark wrapped his arms around the red head and kissed her forehead. "You think that’s the reason that Derek’s been such a bastard lately? Meredith said that he hasn’t said more than five words to her and he hasn’t been to the house at all."

"I heard a rumor that he had the flu." George finished off his soda. "He’s been off for a few days."

"I think it’s the engagement." Izzie returned to her burger and devoured it. "Would it bother you if Callie and Alex -"

"We’re not talking about that." George gripped his cup so tight that the lid popped off. He rubbed a hand over his face and blurted out, "What did her tattoo look like?"

She ate a French fry before she answered. "Yellow rose with red tips and I thought you didn’t want to hear it."

"You said they had their names on each other."

Izzie nodded and told him about the song title. She bit her bottom lip and said, "Uh, he got her kiss tattooed over his heart. It’s unmistakably hers. Her lips are -"

"Better than Angelina Jolie’s." George put the lid back on his empty cup and stood. "We better go watch the movie before I curl into a fetal position."

There was a line outside the theater and they found themselves standing behind Addison and Mark, who were enjoying their ice cream and joking with one another. Izzie’s eyes widened when she saw the rock on Addison’s hand. "Your ring is incredible," she said, trying to sound as friendly as possible.

Addison looked down at the diamonds and nodded. "It is. And it’s heavy. Too bad I didn’t have this on when I slapped your face." Grinning innocently, she added. "Haha, I made a funny."

Mark smiled down at Addison and whispered something in her ear that caused her to giggle like a schoolgirl. He goosed her in the ribs and she smacked his hand. With a groan of pain, Sloan held up his hand, which was scratched all over. "I’m going to kill Callie. That damn thing she calls a pet is rabid."

"Callie has a pet?" George asked.

Addison nodded. "Alex gave her a ferret for her birthday. She is, after all, a ferret loving whore, right?"

"Hey, didn’t you ask me to race you in the arcade?" Izzie asked suddenly. "We have time for a good game, George."

"Yeah, we do."

The coming attractions were well under way when they returned and every seat was filled except for a couple in the front row. It was a hideous way to watch the movie.

But George had become very familiar with hideous.

He looked at it in the mirror every day.

He just wondered when Izzie would look into hers and see the same thing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

The camera crew from the Oprah Winfrey Show arrived four days later. Alex was asked to detail the ferry accident and how he had stumbled onto Ava. If he was nervous ... it didn’t show. He spoke with confidence and clarity. Callie, who was feeling only moderately better, was certain that the footage of Ava and Alexandria would surpass anything that the media outlets had put together. The crew wrapped on the Eighteenth and she surprised Ava with a copy of Samurai Ambush: Total Destruction of her own and hung around to play it with her.

Callie’s hand went to her side several times and she found herself eating Tylenol like candy.

Eight big names had signed on to perform at the fund raiser and the publicity was huge. Jennifer Lopez actually plugged it on The David Letterman Show, talking at length about affordable health care. Two days before Thanksgiving, Callie received word that the Key Arena had sold out for the star studded event and the ticket cost (at one hundred and fifty bucks each for the nosebleed section and five hundred for the floor) had not deterred the fans.

Callie did her trademark happy dance of joy and George, who happened to be standing nearest her, joined in like he always did. Both of them laughed their asses off when they realized what they had done ... what they had always done. George, apparently encouraged by the easy interaction, reiterated that his mother would love to see Callie for Thanksgiving dinner and as an afterthought ... told her that she could bring Alex along if she wanted.

"We’re going to Addison’s that day." She gave him a small smile and raised her right arm to see if it would help lessen the aching pain that was plaguing her. "But I appreciate the offer. Tell Louise that I’d love to stop by the day after and eat all the leftovers."

George looked down at his wife’s body and shook his head. "I don’t think you eat at all."

"I had a huge breakfast this morning. Plus, I did have the flu."

"Three weeks ago."

"I think it’s hanging around. I’ve been taking Reglan around the clock just to stop puking."

"You want me to make a chart and have someone look at you?"

"No, I think that I just jumped back into work too quickly. I’ve been so busy running all over town to get everything organized for the clinic that I feel like I walk twenty miles a day. Plus, Fratelli is into everything so it’s like I’m chasing a toddler from the moment I get home to the time he goes to sleep."

"Fratelli?"

"Our ferret." Callie grinned and held up her finger, which was bandaged. "He loves to hate me. Alex is apparently the better parent because -" She trailed off when George’s smile faded. "So, uhm, I met your Uncle Hal. He looks so much like your dad."

"Yeah, he told me that you had stopped by the station with the details of the talent competition. And just like my dad ... he went on and on about you."

Callie laughed. "No offense, but I think he’d go on and on about anything. The man can talk."

"That he can." George took a deep breath and pointed at the stack of charts. "Bailey sent me down here to be useful. Is there anything I can take?"

"I think everything’s covered. I already offered to hang out and help, but they refused." She shrugged.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"You haven’t had anything to drink since - you know. Right?"

"No, I haven’t."

"The day that I brought you home from the hospital you - you drank again. Why did you do that?" He saw the way her expression changed. "Please, tell me. Just ... be brutally honest."

"Okay, I can do brutal. It was the only way I could be near you. I don’t think you’ll ever know how much you hurt me, George. And I can’t tell you because the words it would take to convey it haven’t even been invented yet. It was *that* bad." She felt her eyes well with tears and looked away. "I did try to kill myself. I know I was convincing with the denial, but I knew what I was doing."

George looked like she had slapped him. "So, instead of being with me you’d rather be dead."

"No. I didn’t want to be with *me*. I hated myself more than I hated you. I hated that I wasn’t blond, I wasn’t a super model. I hated that I wasn’t your best friend. I hated myself for being willing to take you back even though I knew that I’d never be able to let my guard down with you. I hated myself for being willing to *settle* for something I wasn’t happy with." She reached out and touched his hand. "I feel like I settled enough while we were dating. I settled into last place and I stayed there without really protesting, so it’s not your fault that you didn’t change after we got married. It’s my fault for believing you would."

He took her hand in his. "If it’s any consolation ... I hate myself enough for the both of us."

"Don’t." She smiled at him. "Because the minute you stop hating yourself ... everything in the world goes from black and white to vivid color. Everything makes you smile and you laugh at stupid jokes you’ve heard a million times because ... you’re free. Be free, George. Everyone makes mistakes. Don’t hold yourself hostage for it, because I forgive you."

George hugged her. She still smelled the same, but her slimmer body felt foreign in his arms. "You’re wrong about not being my friend. You were my friend all along."

She hugged him back. "I think that’s all we were meant to be."

He finally let her go and she playfully punched him on the shoulder. "Who are you bringing to the fund raiser?"

"Izzie’s forcing me to be her date and since she paid for my ticket ... I have to go."

"She’ll probably need you. Denny’s family has agreed to let us put together a videography of his life. They’ve sent home movies and your uncle is putting it all together to show at the telethon, but we’ll also be broadcasting it at the arena during the concert." She took a deep breath, which caused her side to renew its efforts to drive her insane. "Addison is technically supposed to be working with Izzie on this thing, but I have yet to see the fruits of that labor. So, prepare Izzie for the video."

"I will." His pager went off and he groaned. "I guess I better go." Looking into her eyes, he said, "Just for future reference, being able to talk to you like this makes it better, easier, for me to see in vivid color."

She watched him walk away.

It made it easier for her, too.

*~*~*~*~

The day after Thanksgiving, Callie kept her promise to visit Louise. On the drive out, she felt the worst fatigue of her life and her stomach was so tender and bloated that she had worn sweat pants instead of jeans. By the time she arrived at the O’Malley house, she had stopped the car to vomit three times. Louise took one look at her, pushed her on the sofa, and stuck a thermometer under her tongue.

Her temperature was one hundred and three. Callie asked for a washcloth and rubbed it over her face. Clutching her side, she began to cry and told Louise that something was wrong.

Louise called the ambulance and rode inside with her, bemoaning the fact that she had forgotten to call George and had left her cell phone at home. By the time they arrived at the hospital, Callie was either sleeping or had lost consciousness. Louise followed the stretcher into the emergency room, wringing her hands. She spotted a familiar face and called, "Dr. Stevens! Dr. Stevens, it’s Callie! She’s sick. Can you page George and - and her boyfriend?"

Izzie took one look at Callie and rushed to the phone, where she paged both men to the ER, stat. Yanking gloves on, she rushed into the room right behind Mark, who was the on duty attending for the day. "What do we know?"

The medics rambled off Callie stats and Louise explained that she had complained of intense pain in her side. Mark palpated Callie’s stomach and said, "Abdominal distension. She’s presenting with ascites."

"What is that?" Louise asked.

Izzie looked at her and said, "It’s a build up of fluid in her peritoneal cavity."

"What does it mean?"

"We don’t know yet," Mark told her, lifting Callie’s eyelids. "She’s jaundiced. Somebody page the Chief! And get an IV line started, people!"

Alex arrived first and skidded to a halt when he saw Callie. His heart stopped beating, he was sure of that. He stood at the foot of the bed, waiting impatiently for the EMT’s to leave before he rushed to her side. Two attempts at waking her up yielded nothing so he looked at Mark. "What happened?"

Mark listened to Callie’s heart, then her lungs. "Alex, this is very important. Has she been taking any medication?"

"Uh, Tylenol. She - she’s been taking it every day. I can't remember what she said was hurting her. And - and she had Tamiflu a while back and she’s been taking pretty strong doses of Reglan because she can’t seem to kick the nausea."

George, who was standing in the doorway, said, "All of those drugs are hepatotoxic. With her liver ... did you monitor her enzymes at all during this time?"

Alex shook his head, his eyes never leaving Callie’s face. "I don’t -- no, she canceled her appointment and was supposed to reschedule it, but .. I don’t know."

"Smart! Really smart!" George snapped. "Her blood alcohol was at a fatal level and it never crossed your mind to keep an eye on possible damage?! And you say you love her!?"

"Stevens, get him out of here," Mark said. "And page Addison. I want an ultrasound of her liver and I want it done by the best."

"Alex?" Callie stirred and reached to her left, which was his side of the bed on Goon Docks. "I don’t feel good. Can you call in at work for me? I’m just ... ugh."

He took her hand in his and tried to keep the shock off his face when he saw how yellow her eyes were when they found his. "Baby, you’re in the hospital."

"Oh. When is my shift over? I think I better go home."

He brushed her hair back, feeling how hot she was, and watched her close her eyes again. "What’s her temp?"

"One hundred and three." Mark watched as Alex stepped aside to let Izzie start the IV. "Draw her blood first, Stevens. I want GGT, AST, and ALT. Make sure they check her for hepatitis."

Alex gasped. "You can’t think it’s alcoholic hepatitis. She hasn’t been drinking, Mark."

"I’m being cautious," Mark replied. "She didn’t present with irregularities after she binged on the bourbon. She could have developed a fatty liver that she wasn’t aware of because she didn’t keep the damn follow ups! And it never crossed my mind before I shot her full of Reglan and fed her all those fucking Tamiflu doses that if her liver *was* compromised ... that could compound it."

"Surely if she had liver -"

"Look at her, Karev! She’s yellow!" Mark rubbed the stubble on his face. "I hate teaching hospitals. Hate. Only in a teaching hospital would the plastic surgeon be dealing with this shit! Where the hell is Addison?"

"Right here," Addison replied, pushing the ultrasound machine in front of her. She almost tripped over her feet when she saw Callie. "They didn’t tell me it was her. Is she - she’s pregnant?"

"I need a very clear look at her liver." Mark stepped out of the way as Addison wheeled the machine to Callie’s right side.

Wasting no time, Addison cut away her friend’s shirt and spread gel over her side. Her hands were shaking when she lowered the imager. Callie cried out when Addison pressed against her ribs and tried to push her away. Alex caught both of her hands and held them over her head, talking softly to her. It didn’t seem to help, she was sobbing as Addy poked and prodded.

"Her liver doesn’t look enlarged, but, wait ... that looks like a little swelling right there. Yeah, there’s definite swelling." Addison said quietly. "It’s probably because of her diet. She’s not -"

"I think it’s pharmaceutical." Mark explained his theory, watching as Addison’s face fell. "We didn’t think about it before we treated her so aggressively for the flu."

"Oh my god," Addison said, rubbing Callie’s arm. "Order the liver biopsy, Mark."

"The ascites is so severe that I don’t want to do the biopsy yet. Can you get a catheter started, Addy? I'm going to load her up with diuretics." Reaching for Callie’s chart, he opened it and flipped through. "Somebody go light a fire under the lab’s ass! I want those blood tests now."

Callie clutched her stomach, drawing her knees upward. "God, it hurts."

Mark palpated her again and swore. Her stomach had gotten larger and the rate that she was distending was alarming. He took the ultrasound from Addison and ran it over Callie’s belly. "We’re going to have to drain the fluid. I can’t give her anything for pain until I get those results."

"Drain it anyway," Callie cried.

"Check her pancreas," Alex said. "It could be pancreatic ascites."

Addison took the imager back from Mark and nodded, zooming in on the screen. "Bingo. Definite pancreatitis."

The Chief arrived and ordered antibiotics.

He also ordered the liver biopsy to be performed after the abdominal fluid was drained.

Her test results had come back.

Callie’s liver enzymes were off the charts.

*~*~*~*~*~

Alex sat in the waiting room, between Meredith and Cristina. It was enough that they were there. George and his mother sat across from them and it helped the tension he felt that the two girls had chosen to sit beside him, like loyal bookends. He had watched helplessly as George signed all the consent forms. It was a painful reminder that Callie was still legally married and her *husband* could make her medical decisions. Chief Webber had spoken to George and not to Alex as he explained the procedures, which he did at length for Louise’s benefit.

They had been waiting for almost two hours. The biopsy should have taken twenty minutes. Leaning forward, Alex put his head in his hands and stared down at his shoes. Callie was sick and he had known it. He’d been telling her to let Bailey do a comprehensive panel, but she had insisted that it was exhaustion. He had watched her clothing grow increasingly baggier and never equated that dramatic weight loss went hand in hand with a myriad of liver diseases. And pancreatitis. He had been so blinded that she was there with him that he hadn’t bothered to look past her bravado. All the times she jumped and grabbed her side ... he believed her when she said it was a cramp or a muscle spasm.

He rubbed his temples with his thumbs when the first tear fell. Because he was looking down, it dropped onto his scrub pants and another fell behind it. Cristina passed him a tissue and said, "Stop doing that. It’s not going to do any good and you shouldn’t worry until you know there’s a reason."

Several more tears fell and George watched every last one of them. Alex Karev actually having tear ducts defied all logic, but he was *crying*. Because of Callie. Shifting in his seat, George looked away. He knew exactly how it felt. He had been there, done that. A lot. When Alex blew his nose, he glanced back at him. Maybe, he thought, Alex really did love Callie ... but ... he doubted it.

"Did you call her parents, Alex?" Louise asked softly, gently.

"They’re on the way," Alex replied, still cradling his head. The walls were closing in on him and as he listened to George and Louise make small talk about their Christmas plans, he was visited by the urge to throw his chair at them. Callie was *sick*. Who cared if Christmas even came? Getting to his feet, he said, "I’m going to go and -"

Mark opened the door and his eyes found Alex. "I’m sorry we made you wait so long. We rushed the results of the biopsy and just heard back. The good news is that she does not have hepatitis or cirrhosis, which given the circumstances is nothing short of amazing. The bad news is that she has drug induced cholestasis. That coupled with the pancreatitis has put us in a very difficult position because the medication she needs could exacerbate one problem or the other."

Louise had gotten to her feet. "What does all that mean?"

"Cholestasis means that her liver is not producing the bile between the liver and small intestine. That means that her bloodstream is carrying a waste product and it’s accumulating. It's because she was mixing liver damaging medications," George replied. "And the pancreatitis is really not that uncommon. We see it all the time."

Mark held up a clipboard and a pen. "Dr. O’Malley, I need you to sign a consent form for a jejunostomy feeding tube."

George accepted the board with a frown. "It's so severe that you have to bypass the pancreas and go straight into the bowel with it? You can't do it nasally?"

"No. We can't," Mark replied. "She needs nutrients and she can’t eat until her pancreas settles down. That could take several days. Her potassium is low, her electrolytes are imbalanced, and her magnesium is pathetic."

George glanced at Alex, who looked as if he had aged ten years in the past ten minutes. "Alex, are you okay with this? Do you ... have a preference?"

Alex looked shocked that his opinion was being asked at all. "She’s gonna be mad as hell, but it has to be done."

"What does that mean? The jeju - whatever," Louise inquired.

"We'll be inserting a tube laprascopically into her abdomen instead of through the nostril. There's less risk for infection and like O'Malley said ... we need to bypass her digestive system," Mark replied, accepting the clipboard again after George scrawled his name on it. He picked up the phone and called the OR, informing Webber that they had gotten the consent. "We should be finished in an hour and then you can see her. She’ll be in the ICU."

Alex looked at George as Mark left the room. "Thank you for including me in that."

"Do you have a minute? I’d like to talk to you in private," George said.

"I was about to go to the chapel, actually. Wanna go?"

"Sure," George replied, then looked at Meredith and Cristina. "Could you guys hang out with my mom for a while? Explain it all a little better?"

They both nodded and watched silently as the men left the room.

In the elevator, George put his hands in his pockets and said, "I was wrong to say what I did to you earlier. I shouldn’t have blamed you. I know what that felt like after she drank so much. Everyone blamed me and they were right, but it still sucked."

Alex leaned his head back against the wall. "I should have forced her to follow up. I could have done the blood work myself. She crawled my ass about being so over protective, though, so I stopped pushing her."

"I’ve yet to see anyone who could force her to do anything."

"You’ll see it everyday when she gets better. The kids gloves are officially off."

Neither George nor Alex spoke as the elevator opened and they walked to the chapel. It was empty and George watched as Alex walked forward and lit a candle, then bowed his head. He saw the way Alex wiped at his eyes when he finally lifted his head and knew that he was crying again. It made George feel sorry for him ... almost. "Are you Catholic?" he asked.

Alex shook his head, still facing away from George. He shouldn’t have been embarrassed by his emotions, but he was. Callie would tell him that he was not a jock anymore. "No, but Callie is. Or at least that’s how she was raised. She dragged me along to a service on Thanksgiving morning and it was actually pretty ... decent. It made her happy."

George sat down on the front pew, studying the other man. "You make her happy and I hate you for that. For doing what I should have done. All I can think is that you stole my wife and -"

"I didn’t steal your wife. You gave her away." Alex swiped the tears off his face and turned. "You practically begged me to take her."

"No, I didn’t. I was trying to make it work. You knew that and you still-"

"Whatever, dude." Alex shook his head. "Your marriage ended when you cheated. The fact that I was there at all is *your* fault. You demolished her so you’ll have to forgive me if I have no remorse for doing what you *should* have done."

"I just - I have a hard time believing that you're in this thing with her for the right reasons. She's not your type."

"I know that a lot of people think I’m with her for her money or for a million other wrong reasons, but I’m with her because I love her," Alex snapped. "I love her. And I'm not talking to you about what we have together or what she means to me because she *knows*. I don't have to justify shit to anyone."

"I'm not asking you to. I just think that -"

"Do you get that she could die? Do you get that her liver could be -"

"You know that drug related cholestasis usually clears up with minimal damage once the toxins are filtered out." George cleared his throat. "Besides, I had something to say to you.

"Then spit it out."

George exhaled and said, "It’s Izzie. Don’t repeat this. Dr. Gellar told her that she has post traumatic stress disorder. From Denny’s death and the inheritance and stuff. She’s been taking Zoloft for over a week now. For a bunch of doctors we sure do miss the obvious even when it's staring us in the face."

Alex tilted his head a little. "Here’s something obvious that I didn’t miss. Your wife is sick as hell and as usual ... you’re thinking about Izzie Stevens instead of her. That’s why your marriage ended, O’Malley."

"It explains a lot, Alex!" George shot to his feet. "I thought you’d want to know! You did claim to love Izzie too, right?"

"I was wrong. You should know how it is ... you did claim to love Callie too, right?"

"Hey-"

"I’m going back to the waiting room. Maybe you should go find Izzie. I’m sure she’s missing your head up her ass by now."

CH 34
"Welcome back," Addison said, pulling the cover up over Callie’s chest. She was monitoring her friend’s vital signs in the recovery room, having relieved Olivia of the task."How do you feel?"

"Roadkill ain’t got nothin’ on me." Callie groaned and rubbed her stomach. "This sucks."

"How’s your pain? I have an injection ready when you are."

"It’s not horrible. I can wait. I don’t want to zone out." Callie lifted her hand and Addison took it. "Chief Webber explained everything. Whose bright idea was the feeding tube? I’m going to have a scarred stomach just in time for Christmas sex."

"You can’t eat until we get the inflammation in your pancreas under control and your blood tests were scary, Cal. You have to have nutrients because you are *malnourished*." Addy leaned her elbows against the bed rail. "I know you’ve been sick and that can wreak havoc with your system, but you really *are* channeling Karen Carpenter at this point."

"Addy, come on."

Tightening her grip on Callie’s hand, Addison said, "We can get you through *this*, but the rest is up to you. You have to take better care of yourself. You have to start eating."

"I do eat!"

"Once a day. And it can usually be measured in one cup."

"Pancreatitis! Hello! It hurts when I eat."

"So you’ve been in pain all this time? Since September? Because in the three months since your last Depo shot you’ve lost over fifty pounds and you were already losing then. I checked your chart. That’s too much too fast."

"Webber said it could be chronic and not acute. If it’s chronic then that explains why -"

"STOP EXCUSING IT!" Addison yelled, letting Callie’s hand go so she could point her finger at her. "You put yourself in this bed and you know it!"

Alex, who had heard most of the conversation, pushed the curtain aside. He looked at Addison and said, "That’s enough."

"Alex, she has to realize that she’s -"

"That. Is. Enough," Alex repeated, glancing up at the monitors to read Callie’s vitals. "Let her recover a little before you scream at her. And even then you’ll have to stand in line. I’m going first."

"Or not." Callie sighed, rubbing her forehead. "You people are too damn dramatic."

Addison looked back down at her. "Do you get that you could have died from this? You can still die from this, Callie. You’re not out of the woods yet. Your body was shutting down! AGAIN!"

"I have a medical degree, too, Montgomery! I know what it means!" Callie snapped, still rubbing her head. "So, shut up!"

"Fine!" Addison threw her hands up in the air. She looked at Alex and said, "You deal with her!"

He watched the redhead shove the curtain back with such force that he thought it would rip loose, but it didn’t. He heard her mumbling under her breath all the way down the hall. Glancing back at the monitors, he saw that Callie’s heart rate had risen in the short time he’d been in the room. "You pissed, Gothika?"

Callie crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.

Alex lifted a stethoscope that was nearby and pulled the cover back, trying to listen for any recurring fluid in her stomach. He also wanted to make sure the tube had been inserted correctly and was not bleeding out. She pushed his hand away and said, "Could you please not be a doctor right now?"

"Someone has to be. You might have a medical degree. Hell, you even have a specialty, but you’re the worst doctor I’ve ever met."

She looked at him, eyes narrowed. "You can shut up, too!"

"How long have you been in pain? How long have you been ignoring your body’s warning signs?"

Callie took a deep breath and immediately paid the consequences. She drew her knees upward, toward her stomach, and made a face. "It got really bad today. Is - is it still today? I was going to see Louise like I told you and then -"

"How long before that?"

"Alex-"

"HOW LONG?!"

Callie glared at him, shocked. "What happened to yelling when I’m recovered?"

"You seem to be holding your own." Alex walked to the foot of the bed, watching her the entire time. "Do you know what I’ve been doing? I’ve been watching your *husband* make all your medical decisions. I’ve been watching him sign your consent forms and listening to him explain everything to his mother. I’ve been listening to his Christmas plans and then he got to see me cry, which I’m sure made his day so -"

"I’m sorry." Callie rubbed her side, which had begun to throb again. "Do you think I wanted this to happen? I mean ... I still have miles to go with the fund raiser and -"

"Stop talking. Don’t you say one word until I finish." Alex laid his hand on her leg, absently rubbing it through the blanket. "Trying to love you is exhausting. You think you're tired from the work you’ve been doing? Imagine that I’m in that bed and you are standing here in my shoes. Then you’ll know exhaustion. Trying to save you from *yourself* is a constant uphill battle that I feel like I can’t win.

"Callie, I picked you up in the parking deck of the Archfield and you were dying. You almost did. And you lied, very convincingly to my face, and said it was an accident. I believed you." He shook his head. "And then you refused to take your antibiotics and got sick and once again ... I had to pick you up and beg you to take care of yourself. I’ve been trying to get you to eat, to let Bailey see you, to just *live* and you refuse to even try.

"And in all fairness, you did warn me. You lack a fear gene, right? Isn’t that what you said?" He didn’t wait for her reply. "Well, I don’t. I don’t lack a fear gene and you scare the hell out of me because you don’t *care* about yourself at all. How long have you been in pain, for the win?"

She refused to cry. She *refused* to shed one tear. "Since we had the flu. It would come and go. It was just an ache sometimes and other times it was worse. It was worse when I ate."

"And you just ignored it and took more medication?"

"I had to. I had things to get done."

"What's more important? Work or you?"

"I just thought-"

"It never dawned on you that your liver could be -"

Callie finally surrendered to the urge to cry. When the first tear dropped onto her cheek, she said, "Yeah, Alex, it dawned on me. I kinda thought that God could not possibly be that cruel, though. I guess I’m just not cut out for the fairy tale because I really believed that your heart would cure whatever was wrong with me." Her next words were spoken through a sob. "Because it cured everything else."

"I am still mad as hell at you," he replied, lowering the railing on the bed and gently sitting beside her. Leaning forward, he kissed her cheek, then her nose. "But when you say things like that ... it makes me remember why I keep fighting this battle."

"It’s not a battle." Reaching up, she hugged him. "And you don’t have to yell at me. Calling me a bad doctor was worse than yelling."

"I’m not taking it back."

"Fine." Smiling through her tears, she said, "Then I’m not sorry you cried. You’re not much of a jock."

"Wanna bet?" He cupped her face, his eyes on hers. "Jocks are notorious for their determination and willpower. George told me earlier that I couldn’t *force* you to do anything, but he’s gonna see. And so are you."

*~*~*~*~*~

Addison had worked herself into a full blown temper tantrum. She was pissed. So severe was her anger that she managed to slam the locker on her hand and was head first in the ice machine to build herself an ice pack when Mark found her. After taking one look at her, he told her to sit down and filled her pack himself, then sat beside her and covered her hand with it. "We do have those new fangled ice packs. You know, the ones that are not antiquated. Want to tell me what happened?"

"Callie Torres happened! She’s hell bent on being a fuck up, Mark. And I don’t understand why." Addison ran her uninjured hand through her hair in exasperation. "I’m sick of saving her life. I’m sick of worrying and watching her not care that -"

"Call me optimistic, but I don’t think that she meant to do this. She’s happy, Addison, anyone can see that. This was just too much Tylenol on top of the Reglan and the Tamiflu. It happens. And she’s been running herself ragged for this damn clinic thing."

"Oh my god," Addison sneered. "Are you actually going to defend her? For heaven’s sake, Mark, she is a doctor. She had to *see* the fluid gathering in her belly. She had to *feel* it."

"She was delirious when she was brought in. Her fever was pretty high." Mark put his arm around her. "I’m not defending her. I just happen to remember that it slipped *our* minds as well."

"She’s starving herself on purpose."

"Well, I rectified that. That feeding tube can go home with her and Karev can fill her up with nutrients while she’s asleep if he has to. It’s okay."

"We can’t justify this. We can’t enable her anymore. She has got to learn that her actions have consequences."

"What should we do? Public flogging? Tar and feather? Wanna throw rocks at her?" Mark smiled. "She’s going to be in a lot of pain for a few days. That should be enough to wake her up."

"You’re supposed to be on my side, Mark."

"I’m not on anybody’s side, but Callie’s obviously been kicking her own ass enough for all of us. And she’s going to need a friend. You’re her best friend so I think you should suck it up and make sure she knows that you’re there for her."

Addison got to her feet and threw her ice pack into his lap. "*You* be there for her. I’m going home."

"How am I supposed to get home?"

"Maybe you should spend the night in her room. Someone has to be here to mollycoddle her. Alex is on *my* side."

*~*~*~*~*~

In the Intensive Care Unit, Callie was hooked up to a pain pump after listening to Mark and Webber discuss which would be the least harmful alternative for her liver. When Callie began to vomit after the first of the medication was administered, Mark ordered a nasogastric tube to be inserted into her nose to prevent the bile in her stomach from making her sick again. The tube would continually suction the contents of her belly and keep it clear, thereby reducing the strain put on her pancreas in the process and eliminate the nausea. She sleepily protested, but George arrived just in time to sign the paperwork.

She was vaguely aware of the conversation around her, saw Louise smiling down at her at one point, and then there was blissful, peaceful quiet.

Visitors were not supposed to spend the night in the ICU. It went against hospital policy, but Alex, still dressed in his scrubs, would not leave the room. They had given Callie the largest corner room, one that also happened to be the furthest from the nurse’s station and that did not sit well with Alex at all. He appealed directly to Chief Webber, stating that none of the visitor’s would know that he was her boyfriend. They would simply think that she needed round the clock care and he was the doctor for the job. After a ten minute battle of wills, Webber relented and allowed a cot to be set up against the back wall.

Alex ignored it.

The narcotics they had given her could cause more harm than good so he spent the first three hours hovering over her vital signs like a sentry. She awoke during the fourth hour and said that she was thirsty. All he could give her was a swab for her mouth because she could not drink anything per Webber’s instructions. Since she had hit the pain button again, she missed her mouth entirely with the moistened swab so he did it for her, smiling. She was high as a kite and grinning at him like an idiot.

"I love you," she told him after he had thrown away the swab.

He replied in kind, watching her slide to the right and pat the left side of the bed. "I can’t get in bed with you, Callie. It’s very small and I might hurt you or -"

"I can’t sleep without you," she replied, scratching her nose. When he made no move to join her, she gave him the sad eyes she knew killed him. "Please?"

"Just for a minute." Crawling in beside her, he opened his arms, not moving as she situated herself comfortably against him. With her head against his chest, he said, "How’s your pain?"

"What pain?"

He chuckled. "That good, huh?"

"I love the meds. The itching nose, not so much." She scratched it again. "Alex, are you still planning to yell at me?"

"Yep. Very loud and very long."

"And then you won’t be mad any more?"

"I don’t know yet. Why?"

"Because you can’t leave me. Not for this."

He put his hand over hers, which was on his stomach and frowned. "I think I made it very clear that I’d never leave again."

She laced their fingers. "So, you’ll be staying in bed with me all night, then?"

"Even when you’re high you can manipulate me."

"Apparently."

He listened to her breathing even out as she fell asleep and kissed her head. "Apparently," he agreed.

*~

Alex slept fitfully, mindful of every move, every sound that Callie made the entire night. If she sounded like she was in pain at *all*, he hit the button for her, and she’d drift back off to sleep every single time. He also ran his fingers over her abdomen, feeling for a recurrence of the ascites every time he got the chance. Between the diuretics and the suction in her stomach, she had not retained any more fluid and that was a good sign that the worst of the attack was behind her.

The first rays of the morning sun were peeking through the blinds when Melana, Raphael, and Cambyses entered the room. Alex had been dozing again, but the sound of the door woke him instantly. He started to ease away from Callie to greet them, but Raphael shook his head and said, "Don’t. Don’t wake her up."

"Oh, Alex," Melana walked to Callie’s side of the bed. "She looks so bad, so small. She’s yellow."

"That’s the jaundice," Alex replied softly, settling down beside her again. "It should clear up today or tomorrow."

"And the tube in her nose?" Cam asked. "Is that the feeding tube?"

"No. The feeding tube was surgically inserted into her intestine to bypass her stomach. That way the pancreas doesn’t have to work at all for the next few days. The tube in her nose is suctioning the fluid out of her stomach before it can make her sick."

"She’s on a heart monitor?" Raphael walked to his wife’s side and put his hand on her shoulder. "Why?"

"Her system was in shock when she was brought in. Her liver was throwing off some pretty strong toxins that were in her blood stream. It could have been fatal if left untreated so they’re watching everything, just to make sure that she’s going to pull through it unscathed." Alex shifted a little when Callie cried out, clutching at her side. He laid the pain controller in her hand and closed her fingers around it. "There it is, baby."

"Hurts," she moaned, dropping the control to rub her side again. "Alex -"

Alex pushed the button for her, smoothing her hair away from her face. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes were tightly closed against the pain. He kissed her head and rubbed her side himself. A moment later, her face softened and her hand returned to his stomach, where she bunched his shirt in her fingers.

She was asleep again.

"How did this happen?" Raphael asked, his voice stern. "What have you been -"

"Raphael, you will not lose your temper. Not with him." Melana gave Alex a reassuring smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "This was brought on by the alcohol. Wasn’t it, Alex?"

Nodding slowly, Alex said, "Most likely. We think that her liver was weakened by the alcohol and already functioning improperly when she got the flu. For about three weeks now she’s been self medicating to stop the nausea and the pain ... so ... her liver couldn’t metabolize the drugs. Basically, her liver was shutting down and ... the pancreatitis can also be caused by too much alcohol, but that usually presents immediately after binging."

"This could kill her, right?" Cam laid his hand on her foot, which was under the cover, and massaged it. His expression was full of anxiety and apprehension. "That’s why she’s in intensive care."

"She’s in intensive care because she’s part of the hospital family," Alex replied. The look on Cam’s face was almost a mirror of Callie’s the night Alex had left her ... and it forced him to sugar coat the response as much as possible. "The cholestasis has a very low mortality rate. The symptoms should clear up by tomorrow. The pancreatitis can be fatal, but rarely is, and we’ve taken all the steps to make sure that it isn’t."

"And long term?" Cam asked.

"We don’t know if it’s chronic pancreatitis right now. If it is then it could come back, but there are treatments and ways to prevent it. She has to change the way she eats ... well, she has to *actually* eat and slow down a little." Alex took a deep breath. "She’s her own worst enemy and she doesn’t see it."

"Oh, she will," Raphael crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at his daughter. "I fear that I’ve worn my rose colored glasses for the last time where she’s concerned."

Alex tightened his grip on Callie protectively. "For what it’s worth, Addison and I opened both barrels on her after she came out of surgery and -"

"Then it’s time for the canon, isn’t it?" Raph replied. "And I just happen to know how to fire one."

*~*~*~*~*~

Addison woke up and reached for Mark. She had forgotten that she had left him at the hospital. Sitting up, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed his number. She heard it ring somewhere in the house and got to her feet. She found him sleeping on the sofa, still dressed in his scrubs, and let the phone ring for the annoyance factor alone. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, snapping her phone shut. "I thought I made it very clear that -"

"Half of this house is mine," he growled. "I’m sleeping in my half."

"How’s Callie?"

Mark sat up on the sofa, his hair sticking straight out on one side. "I had to put a nasogastric tube in."

Addison gasped, her hand going to her mouth. "Why?"

"The narcs made her sick." He rubbed his eyes. "She asked about you. Said you were mad at her."

Looking petulant, Addison flopped onto the sofa across from him. "I’m not mad. I’m furious."

"Still?"

"Still." Addy nodded.

"Why are you so upset with her?"

"Because I am selfish."

He raised a brow. "Yeah. And?"

"This is supposed to be the happiest time of my life, Mark. I’m engaged. I’m happy. And instead of looking at bridal magazines and trying to figure out which horrible color I can force Callie to wear ... I’m worrying about the fact that she is *yellow*."

"You made it very clear that you want a long engagement. I’m sure she’ll be back to normal by the time that I actually get you to the ... are we doing a church wedding?"

"Maybe we should do a destination wedding."

"You mean elope?"

"Well, it’s not like we have family. And no, it’s not like eloping. It’s less trashy."

Mark regarded her with a skeptical look on his face. "How the hell is that any different?"

"Hawaii is not Vegas. We can do barefoot on the beach or ... oooh ... on a yacht. Or, even underwater."

"Uh, no."

Addison made a face at him. "My number one brainstormer is sick! It’s like I’m -"

"Your number one brainstormer eloped with Frodo in Vegas! I’d like to have a decent wedding, Addy. I’d like to have a church and you in the dress and -"

"Nobody in the pews."

"People would come."

"Mark, we have no friends! We have no family! You have had sex with most of the women at the hospital and no offense, I really don’t want to think about all your conquests taking up the first twelve rows of seats!"

"Derek’s still not speaking to you, huh?"

"What?" Addison snapped.

"Yeah, he’s been ignoring me since you flashed your rock at Grey." Mark leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs. "Are you upset at Callie or are you upset because Derek’s pissed at us again?"

"Both," she admitted. "I can’t believe he’s being such a child about this."

"How would you feel if he got engaged to Meredith?"

"Relieved."

"You would not."

She nodded her head. "Yes, I would. Derek is madly in love with her. I saw that after she almost died and I think it’s killing him that she’s never going to turn thirteen. She’s the perpetual twelve year old. I heard a rumor that he is sleeping on her sofa because she won’t let him in her bedroom."

"It’s none of our business."

Addison gasped. "You don’t think it’s because of us, do you? Because we’re engaged and he’s bothered by it."

"Well, I can’t imagine that it makes her feel good to know that he cares one way or the other."

"I should talk to her."

"She’s very small, but she could cut you. Maybe you should just keep your distance and let them work it out." Mark stood up and stretched, then flopped onto the sofa beside her.

"Excuse me," she said, pulling away when he leaned in to kiss her. "I didn’t tell you that you could sit on my fifty percent of the house."

"I didn’t come over here to sit."

She slapped his hand when it went under the tank top she wore. "Mark!"

"I didn’t like sleeping without you."

"Then you should remember whose side you’re on."

"Right now I’m on yours." He easily flipped her onto her back and kissed her belly. Smiling up at her, he eased the crotch of her panties to one side and slid his fingers along her cleft. "Your side of the living room, that is. I still think that you’re being a bitch to Callie."

"I don’t give a fu- oooooh." She arched her hips when his finger dipped inside her. "I hate you."

"Let’s see if I can make you change your mind."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie slept for almost three full days. Alex, who had no more time to take off, spent all of his breaks and his lunches with her and her family. He taught them how to keep her mouth moistened and made it clear that they should page him when she woke up. His shift was finally over for the day and he was on hand when they utilized the feeding tube for the first time. Her parents had gone to the cafeteria, leaving Alex alone with Mark and the nurse. Halfway through the administration of the nutrients, Callie’s eyes fluttered open and she put a hand on her lower abdomen, crying out.

Mark, who was watching the tube on the CT monitor, ordered the nurse to back off the feeding. To Callie, he said, "Does it hurt?"

"Yeah," she rasped, her throat scratchy from lack of fluids.

Mark rested the back of his hand on the packet that contained the milky contents, then frowned. "Go and warm it up," he told the nurse. "And make sure that it’s not cold again."

The nurse hurried out of the room as Mark rolled the CT over her pancreas and nodded when he saw that it had almost returned to its normal size. "How’s the pain here?"

"Gone."

"You want some water?"

Alex lifted a cup to her mouth when she nodded and watched as she took several sips. "Drink it slow."

She was relieved to find that the nasal tube was gone when she felt a moment later. "I feel better. Is it over?"

"The worst of it is." Mark tapped above her pancreas. She didn’t flinch. He repeated the process over her liver and smiled when she didn’t react. Nodding, he put the scanner down and lifted her chart. "The jaundice has cleared up and your enzymes are starting to fall within range which is great news."

"So you can take the feeding tube out," Callie replied, rubbing her eyes.

Mark and Alex exchanged a look that she didn’t notice. Clearing his throat, Mark said, "Actually ... we’re going to leave the tube in until you gain and *maintain* twenty pounds."

She looked at him, stunned. "That - that could take *weeks*! I can’t stay here for weeks! I can’t -"

"When we do release you ... you’re going home with it." Mark shrugged his shoulders when her jaw dropped open. "You won’t eat on your own so we’re going to do it for you."

"Where the hell is George? Did he tell you that you could do this? Well, I’m telling you that you can’t!"

Raphael, who had been standing just inside the door with Melana and Cam, walked to the foot of the bed and cleared his throat. "I’m the one making your medical decisions, Calliope, and what I say goes. The tube stays."

"You can’t do -"

"You’re in the process of a divorce," Raph replied, his voice somehow calm and stern at the same time. "Therefore your soon to be ex-husband has no right to continue to make your decisions. I appealed to the courts and yesterday I was granted an injunction that named me your legal guardian."

"What!?" Callie cried, sitting up. Mark and Alex both tried to stop her, but she prevailed and pointed her finger at her father. "I do not need a feeding tube! You can’t do this to me! I am not incompetent!"

"The judge disagreed."

"Dad, this is insane!"

"No, Mija." Raphael’s voice lost the calm entirely. "Insanity is trying to kill yourself with alcohol. Insanity is starving yourself and ignoring that you’re ill. *You* are insane and I won’t stand by an watch it for another moment."

Mark, who had ignored Callie’s father entirely, put a hand on Callie’s arm and said, "If you want to take a shower, if you feel up to it, that’s fine, but make sure that your back gets the brunt of the water and dry the area around the tube very well when you’re done."

Callie looked up at him and Mark winked at her. He was giving her an out and she jumped on it. "That would be great."

Mark nodded. "I’ll ask the nurse to remove the catheter and disconnect the IV for a while. We’ll still want to monitor your urine output for discoloration and for quantity, but I want you back on your feet so after you’ve showered do a few laps in the hallway." To her father, he added, "It’s very important for her to be under minimal stress. Keep that in mind."

Mark left the room and after a few moments of strained silence, the nurse came back in and asked that everyone wait outside. Alex refused and sat down on the bed beside her as the nurse unhooked the IV tubing and covered her hand with a bag for the surgery. "I’m sorry," he said to Callie. "I was trying to figure out how to prepare you for this, but -"

"Did someone tell him the truth about -"

"George did, but I think it was accidental. It just slipped out in conversation." Alex glanced down at the nurse and lowered his voice. "I didn’t say one word when they asked me. Neither did Cam."

Callie flinched when the catheter was taken out and happily closed her legs when the woman walked out of the room. Her eyes filled with tears and she said, "They’ll try to send me away."

"No, they won’t. Your parents talked about it, but I made it very clear that being kept away from the people who love you would do more harm than good. Your mom and your brother both agreed with me."

Alex picked up his duffel bag and pulled out her favorite yoga pants and a tank top that was airbrushed with their names. They had gotten it done in San Francisco, laughing at how they were living the couple cliché. He also removed her soap and shampoo, then held out his hand. "Come on."

In the bathroom, Callie brushed her teeth and used almost an entire small bottle of Listerine while Alex adjusted the taps. The walk to the bathroom and the simple act of brushing left her exhausted and shaking so she sat down on the toilet to catch her breath. Alex kneeled down in front of her and pulled off the hideous socks that every patient was given. He could feel the way she trembled and rubbed his hands over her legs. "Are you sure you’re up to this?"

She wasn’t sure at all, but she nodded. "Yeah, I just - I’ve never felt so weak."

"You’re in luck." Alex stood and peeled off his shirt. He toes off his shoes and stripped out of his scrub pants and boxers, standing before her naked. "I’ve never felt so strong so I’ll help you out."

She smiled at him. "My own personal cabana boy."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Speaking from experience?"

"I’ll never tell." She let him untie her gown and watched it slip to the floor.

Alex eased into the shower first and held out his hand. She stepped in and let him turn her back to the water. It felt so good that she groaned, tilting her head back so that the hot water could chase away the chill as it massaged her scalp. A second later he was pulling her forward, into his arms. He clung to her, one hand in her wet hair and the other around her waist. When she hugged him back, she realized that he was crying.

"Alex-"

"Don’t." He held onto her for several seconds, then let her go and turned, using the search for the shampoo to covertly wipe the tears off his face.

When he turned back to her and began to wash her hair, she finally noticed the bags under his eyes. She saw how pale and tired *he* looked and she knew that the redness in his eyes was not something new. This was not the first time he had cried lately. Knowing that she had done that was the most sobering wake up call she had ever experienced in her life. She took a deep breath and stilled his hands. "Saying I’m sorry doesn’t feel like enough, Alex, but I am. I really am. I - I’ve never been in this place before ... where someone loves me enough to care. I mean ... someone who isn’t family so I’m not very good at it, but - but I’ll get better. In every way, I’ll get better."

"You’re gonna have to, Callie, because I don’t have many more days like this in me." He finished washing her hair and tilted her head back under the water to rinse it.

They finished in silence.

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie’s family was waiting in her room when she emerged. Cam grabbed her, lifting her off her feet as he hugged her. When he finally put her down, Melana fretted about her weight loss, about how pale she was, and insisted that she get back into the bed immediately. Raphael took a step toward Callie, but she ignored him and let her mother lead her to the bed, where she gently climbed under the cover.

Alex lifted her shirt and cleaned the area around the tube with an alcohol pad, then he listened with his stethoscope to make sure that the shower and Cam’s enthusiasm had not unseated the tube. Satisfied, he pulled the cover around her and kissed her forehead. "You want some juice?"

"Water’s fine."

"Well, your choices are cranberry juice, apple juice, and grape juice. I don’t think that orange juice is the best idea because it could hurt your stomach." Alex smiled down at her. "You need the calories and the vitamins so pick your poison."

She sighed. "Surprise me."

"I’ll be right back." He kissed her hand and looked at Raphael, then at Cam, who nodded his head. Cam would intervene on Callie’s behalf if he needed to.

Raphael took the spot that Alex vacated and said, "How do you feel?"

"Betrayed," she snapped.

"You lied to us. You said that you did not try to kill yourself and now you expect us to do nothing when you’ve clearly done it again?" Standing straighter, Raphael added, "How much more can you possibly put us through?"

"I did not try to kill myself. I got *sick*." Callie shook her head. "It’s not my fault that -"

"It most certainly *is* your fault." Melana moved to the other side of the bed. "And maybe you didn’t try to commit suicide this time, but you put a nail in your coffin with every meal that you skip! You look like Anita and she’s in the final stages of cancer!"

Callie flinched when she heard her Godmother’s name. She had talked to Anita on Thanksgiving day and her voice had been weak and shallow. Her eyes burning with tears, Callie said, "Can we please not do this?"

Cam cleared his throat. "She did just wake up a little while ago and -"

"You will stay out of it," Raphael barked at Cambyses. "You *knew* the truth and said nothing so you’re just as bad as she is. How could you keep something like this a secret. How could either of you not -"

"Daddy, stop!" Callie cried. "Just stop!"

Alex opened the door and walked in with several containers of juice. He saw the tears on Callie’s face and his jaw tightened. Walking to the bed, he opened one of the cups and slid a straw into it. Callie shook her head, but he persevered and watched her take a sip. "Look," he addressed Raphael. "I get that you’re upset. I’ve listened to you make it very clear for three days now. And Callie gets it, too. Making her cry, making her feel bad ... that’s not the answer. So, if you want to keep seeing her then leave her alone, because if you don’t stop then I’ll ask Mark to limit the number of visitors she can have to *one*. Me."

Cam raised his brows and looked at his father, who had turned red in the face. "Dad, he’s actually -"

Raphael shushed him and glared at Alex. "You don’t want to cross me. I like you, Alex. I think that you’re a decent man and I believe that you love her, but you are clearly incapable of taking care of her."

"I can take care of myself!" Callie said, wiping at the tears on her face. "This has nothing to do with him!"

"Then why? Why are you starving yourself?" Raphael reached forward and grabbed her shoulders. For a second, it looked like he would shake her, but instead, he pulled her against his chest and hugged her. "We can’t help you unless you tell us what’s causing it."

Callie buried her face against his neck and closed her eyes. The idea for fasting had been planted in her head the morning after George called her curvy. She had dressed in her pretty brown outfit and pearls after her father had called to say that he was in town to meet George. In a fit of despair, she had gone to the local Catholic Church and prayed for ... she wasn’t sure what. So, the priest had invited her into the confessional and she told him that she was fat and her husband had lost interest. The priest had suggested that gluttony was the culprit and told her to fast on one small meal a day. One meal a day rapidly became one small snack a day and while she was in North Carolina, she had gone fifteen full days with nothing but alcohol and everything felt clearer, better.

She had visited the church again when she returned from her trip with Alex and this time, she confessed that she was an adulterer and had no plans to stop. She confessed that she was divorcing, but to the priest, it did not matter. He reminded her that God would not care that a divorce was imminent, that God would only care that she was straying. Sins of the flesh could be stamped out with fasting, he assured her, because depriving the body of food would make her mind sharper and make God see that she was at least trying.

And she was trying.

"Callie," Raphael said, holding her a little tighter. "Please help us."

She pulled back, looking down at her hands. "It’s penance."

"What!?" Melana cried.

Closing her eyes for a second, Callie dug deep and finally admitted what had transpired. "Father Todd told me that God would view fasting as an act of contrition for all the things I’ve done. And I keep doing them so I keep fasting. It makes me feel less guilty."

"I told you that the church makes people crazy!" Cam cried. He put his hand on her leg. "Whoever this Father Todd is ... he’s an idiot. And if one of the things you’re feeling guilty for is being with Alex while you’re still married then stop. Because I’ve said it a million times ... God doesn’t care *who* you love, he cares *how* you love."

"Thank you, Cambyses, for your heathen insight," Melana told her son. She reached out and took Callie’s hand in her own and added, "Religion is not God’s anymore, Callie. It’s man's. And it was a man, not God, who told you to fast."

"A man that I will be visiting very soon," Raphael said. "Perhaps I’ll give him a special message from God and -"

Melana slapped him on the back of the head. "God would never send a message through you, Raphael, not given your carnal desires and -"

"Eww, stop!" Callie and Cam said as one, then laughed.

Chuckling a little, Melana looked back at her daughter. "The only thing in this world that you should feel guilty about is not taking care of yourself. That’s all."

Alex remained quiet listening to their exchange.

Callie felt like she had to apologize to God for being with him.

And it broke his heart.


*~*~*~*~*~

After her family left, Callie took a deep breath and rubbed her hands over her face. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. Alex moved across the room and she watched him as he stood at the window, gazing down at the city. He looked like an old man and it shattered her soul to see him that way. "Are you okay? My dad can be an evil overlord when he has to be and it looks like you’ve been dealing with -"

"All this time I’ve been thinking that you were just ... not hungry. I’ve been thinking that you didn’t really miss your curves the way you said you did and that - that you would realize sooner or later - but, you’re doing this because you’re guilty. Because I’m the *affair* you’re having. Is that right?"

"You are not an affair! This - this is not about you at all. It’s about me. I’m not a good person."

"What?" He turned and looked at her. "You’re the best per-"

"You’re wrong." Her stomach cramped and she pulled her knees against her chest. "I’m the person who tormented my family for years by running away. I’m the person who tried to kill herself, on purpose, and lied about it. I’m the person who married someone just because I couldn’t hurt him and not because I wanted to and -"

"And you don’t need God to forgive you for any of that because you’re the only one holding a grudge."

"I only said it was about God to get my parents off my ass."

"Then what is it about!? And don’t you dare lie to me!"

"Father Todd did tell me to fast." She chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. "But that’s not the ... thing. I’m completely happy and I feel like I don’t have a right to be. Not eating ... not eating stops me from being too content. It reminds me that ... if I can lose my curves ... I can lose everything. I need that reminder, Alex, because I take things for granted."

He sat down on the edge of the bed. "The only thing you take for granted is yourself. That’s the only thing you’re losing. I’m not going anywhere. Your family’s not going anywhere. The world is not going to stop spinning just because you’re happy. And that tube in your stomach is going to stay there until you stop this ... so stop."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"I’ll stop."

"Are you lying again?"

"I hope not. I don’t want to be."

"You’re killing me, Gothika."

"You’re not yelling, though." Leaning forward, she kissed him, letting her hand linger over the stubble on his face. "You are a very patient man."

"No, I’m not. I’m in love and I’m very close to losing my patience, Callie. And I don’t want to."

There was a slight knock on the door and Alex called for whoever it was to come in. The nurse had arrived with medication. Callie held her arm out, letting the woman reattach the IV and start a fresh bag of saline and inject her with antibiotics, diuretics, and steroids, but she refused the pain medication.

When the nurse left the room, Alex reached out and touched Callie’s hair. "I need to tell you something."

"What?"

"Your dad had your plane moved from Los Angeles. He said that he won’t tell anyone where it is and - and he bought the land that you’re renting for the yacht. He’s having a house built there, Callie, and he - he had Goon Dock’s propeller removed."

"What? Why?"

Alex took her hand in his. "He said that he’s doing something he should have done years ago, baby. He said he’s clipping your wings."

"Well, I’ll be damned." Callie’s frown was rapidly replaced by a grin. "And it’s about time."

"You - you’re happy about this?"

"I have been *begging* for this my entire life."

*~*~*~*~*~

Addison took a deep breath before she entered Callie’s hospital room. It was early, well before rounds and she hoped that her friend was awake. She was relieved to see that Callie was sitting up in the bed, drinking a carton of Cran-Grape juice as she flipped through a magazine of some kind. Addy crossed her arms over her chest. "Mark won’t do a destination wedding. Derek isn’t speaking to either one of us. Your mother has offered to take over the planning herself and your brother wants to design my dress."

Callie didn’t look up from the comic book she was reading. She also didn’t acknowledge that Addison had spoken to her.

"I’m not going to be the one to apologize, Callie. I’m just ... not. I’m not sorry that I yelled at you or that -"

"Are you sorry that you didn’t return my messages?"

"You left me *one* message, last night, and I’m returning it in person."

"No, I sent several messages through Mark."

"Will you look at me? You child." Addison took the magazine and glanced at the cover. "Captain America? You really are a child!"

"Dude, he dies in that one!" Callie cried, gesturing at the comic book. "Killing Captain America is killing the *dream*, man. I’m going to need a tranquilizer by the time I finish it."

"Want me to read the last page and tell you what happens?"

"No!" Snatching it back, Callie closed the comic book and wrapped her arms around it. "Although the generous offer is duly noted."

"Are you eating yet?"

"No, food police, I’m not. Mark has me on a liquid diet full of salty broth and juice, but if you could talk him into a frappucino from Starbucks ... I’d ignore the fact that you yelled at me."

"Strawberries and Cream?"

"That’s the one."

"Consider it done."

Callie put the comic down, slipped off the side of the bed and hugged her friend. "I missed you. I think this is the longest you’ve given me the silent treatment. It’s been *five* days."

"You were asleep the first three." Addison held onto her. "And I missed you, too. When are they letting you go?"

"Today, I think. I’m feeling one hundred and ten percent better." Callie pulled back and smiled. "Plus, I have new perspective."

"And a new house. Granted, it’s really just a pad at this point, but your dad is a miracle man, so it should be finished before you know it. It’s going to be beautiful."

"You’ve seen the plans?"

"Yep." Addison grinned at her. "I’ve had dinner with your family for *five* nights. You actually told them that God was the reason you weren’t eating? I don’t know which is worse, that your brain cooked that up or that they believed it."

"It was not a complete lie. Father Todd did tell me to fast."

"And you’re oh so religious? Right. Do I need to remind you that you are the one who took me to the sex shop for my vibrator and you knew the staff by name and the inventory by number? You are *not* the kind of person to give a shit what a priest tells you."

Callie sat back down on the bed. "It’s under control, Addison. I promise. I have seen the error of my ways and I’m changing it. I have gained *three* pounds. I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do."

Addison sat down beside her. "And you’re going to keep doing it?"

"I am," Callie assured her. "Guess what?"

"What?"

"My divorce is final."

"That was *fast*!"

"My dad is a miracle man, you said so yourself. He made George lie and say that we had been separated for the ninety day cooling off period and then Daddy basically paid quadruple for it to be rushed."

"Does Alex know?"

"Not yet." Callie pulled the papers from under her pillow. "George just left when you came in. He’s ... well, devastated. No one in his family has ever been divorced so he’s catching hell about it. He said that he wasn’t expecting it to be over so quickly and ... I’m not even sorry. I’m just relieved. Is that ... that’s bad, right?"

Addison had talked to Alex at length about the real reason that Callie had stopped eating. Her friend thought she was a bad person and used it as punishment. Shaking her head, Addison took her hand. "There’s no set way that you’re supposed to feel. It’s different for everyone. As much as I hated that I was getting a divorce, I still felt like I was breathing for the first time when I got the finalized papers."

Callie wrinkled her nose a little, her thumb rubbing Addison’s engagement ring. "Why are you doing it again? Marriage?"

Addison looked down at her ring. "Because I love him. I believe him and I want that life. And check it out, I won’t even have to get rid of my monogrammed bath towels. Montgomery-Sloan is the same as Montgomery-Shepherd."

"Why the hell are you hyphenating it? Just be Addison Sloan?"

"Well, that doesn’t sound as pretentious and my thesis was published under Montgomery so I refuse to lose my identity." Addison nudged her with her shoulder. "Callie Karev sounds much better than Callie O’Malley."

"Not gonna happen. I prefer to live in sin and I have no desire to walk down the aisle ever again."

Addison looked skeptical. "Give it time. You’ll change your mind."

"Why mess up a good thing?"

"Because a good thing can become a *great* thing."

Bailey pushed the door open, followed by a couple of residents and a gaggle of interns. Cristina presented her case and Callie tried to trip her up by making up symptoms and side effects, but Yang kept her cool and never faltered. She did flip Callie a bird and Callie winked at her, chuckling as the group left the room.

Grinning, Callie looked at Addison and said, "I already have a great thing."

"What’s that?"

"My life."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie was released at noon. Alex had the day off, thankfully, and was able to talk her parents into letting her have a couple of hours to get settled in at home before they visited. As soon as Callie saw her yacht, she stuck out her bottom lip and put a hand over her chest. She couldn’t *see* the missing propeller, but knowing that it was gone, that her beloved yacht had been hobbled, was enough to break her heart.

"Poor baby," she said, rubbing the steering wheel as she slumped into the captain’s chair. "She’s like a lame horse now."

Alex grinned at her. "I thought you were happy about this."

"But what if we wanted to go to Alaska? To -"

"Then I guess we’ll be flying in coach." He held out his hand. "Come on. It’s too cold out here."

"I have been cooped up for days, Alex." She opened her mouth and watched her breath fog as she exhaled. "It’s only two days until December."

"I know," he replied. "I bought a ton of Christmas lights to put out here."

"You’re decorating our yacht?"

"It will shine as bright as the top of the Chrysler Building."

"Okay, Miss Hannigan." Callie got to her feet and kissed him. "We have to get a tree, too."

"Maybe lights aren’t the only thing I got."

She gasped and let him lead her down into the salon. The tree he had picked up was beautiful, but sadly undecorated. It was tall and full and made the entire yacht smell like pine. "How did you get this thing in here?"

"Mark." Alex nodded at the bags in the corner. "I was forced to go with him to the home improvement store because Addison demolished their shower head, don’t ask, and we both wound up looking at the Christmas junk. Check it out." He walked to the nearest bag and pulled out a large package of ornaments. "Black and red. If that doesn’t just scream you ... I don’t know what does."

Callie grinned and took the box from him. The balls were mostly black with red velvet designs that looked Victorian. "These are beautiful. The Goth in me approves."

"The jock in me approves of these." He pulled out another box and laughed at the expression on her face.

"Santa dressed in every sports uniform known to man." She wrinkled her nose. "No one should ever see Santa in wrestling shorts, Alex. Ever."

"Maybe on Christmas morning ... you can see me in mine. I still have ‘em."

"Be still my heart." She handed him the box back. "So, when are we decorating?"

"When you feel better. And it’ll be a bitch because Fratelli thinks that the tree is his." To prove his point, Alex opened the ferret’s cage and the animal made a beeline for the tree.

Callie scooped the ferret up and gave him a kiss. "Did you enjoy staying with Aunt Addison?"

Alex followed her to the sofa, putting an arm around her. "I’m glad you’re home."

"Me too." She leaned her head against his shoulder and watched Fratelli jump off the couch and rush the tree. "When my dad gets the house built, we are ferret proofing one room and he can have free reign."

"I can’t believe that you’re not freaking out about this house. Your dad thinks that this is the calm before the storm. You know that, don’t you? He thinks that as soon as you feel better you are going to pitch a tantrum to end all tantrums."

"He’s wrong." Callie leaned down and picked up her purse. "Because even though my dad is a meddlesome busy body who can’t leave well enough alone ... he made sure that my divorce was final before the new year."

Alex’s eyes widened as he took the papers she held out. "Seriously?"

She nodded, beaming. "I feel like Pinnochio. Like I should just burst into that song about not having any strings to hold me down. It’s like ... I was in this tunnel with two exits and one meant reliving it and staying rooted in one spot and the other was freedom and my dad put a rocket launcher on my ass and pointed me at freedom. So he can build a house and hide my plane and fuck up my yacht, but he gets a pass. Because I’m *free*."

*~*~*~*~*~

"And then she would tilt her head to one side and her tongue would kinda come out and she’d beat me every time. Samurai Ambush ... that was her thing." George sloshed some of the whiskey in his glass onto the table at Joe’s. Looking back and forth between Izzie and Olivia, he blinked. "There was one time when I thought I was about to beat her, but then she put her hand on my leg, which was clearly cheating, and I dropped the control. And she didn’t miss a beat."

Olivia watched him kick back his shot and shook her head. "How long are we going to let him keep going?"

"Until he passes out?" Izzie wrinkled her nose when George belched. Loudly. "George, do you want something to eat?"

"They released her from the hospital today. Just - just a few months ago I was the one taking her home and we made love that day. We did. I dreamed that she was leaving me and then she was there and I couldn’t touch her enough." He took another shot and almost fell off his chair. "And that tattoo on her back? Hottest thing ever. I almost died just looking at it."

Izzie filled his shot glass and drained it herself, grimacing. Olivia quickly followed suit and crossed her arms over her chest as the liquor burned down into her gut. She listened as George launched into way too many details about his honeymoon and sighed. "How long can he keep doing this?"

"I don’t know," Izzie replied. The fact that they weren’t listening to him didn’t seem to deter him from waxing poetic about the hot tub at the Palms in Vegas. "All we can do is be here for him."

"You think I want to hear him talk about her all night? It’s *my* birthday." Olivia took another shot. "We were supposed to be having dinner at that new place over on Cline Street and instead I find him here. Drunk."

"Well, the divorce was final today." Izzie reached out, steadying the bottle as George tried to aim it into the glass. He finally slapped the glass off the table and turned the bottle up instead, taking several pulls. "We should feed him bread."

"I will miss her for the rest of my life!" George announced in a loud, booming voice.

Olivia rolled her eyes and then shrieked.

George had vomited all over her legs and brand new boots. Standing, she put her hands on her hips. "We’re done, George! It’s over!"

"Okay. Bye," he replied, heaving again. A second later he looked up at Izzie, who had put a wastebasket in front of him. "Is she gone?"

"She’s gone." She patted him on the back and watched him throw up again. "You really are a charmer, you know that?"

"Clearly."

Izzie didn’t let the remainder of the alcohol go to waste. She drank it herself and called a cab. They arrived at Meredith’s, him crawling on his hands and knees across the porch and her slipping and sliding on the frosty wood. Cristina had a fire going in the fireplace and George crawled to the rug in front of it and sprawled out, face down.

"Is Derek finally in Meredith’s room?" Izzie asked, glancing at the television show Cristina was watching.

"Yeah."

"Are they having sex?"

"Yeah."

"Wow. Finally. What happened to wake them up?"

Cristina lifted her beer and took a sip. "Burke’s gone."

"Where did he go?"

"He resigned. That’s all I was told."

Izzie got up from the recliner and moved to the sofa. "Are you okay?"

"We’ve only been here in Seattle for a little over a year. In that year I got engaged and then my wedding was called off. George got married and divorced. You fell in love and lost your fiancé. And Meredith and Derek are still doing that crazy on again off again thing." Cristina drained her beer. "Who would have thought that of the five of us, Alex Karev would be the only happy one."

"Not me," George whined, rolling his head to look at Cristina. "You know don’t you got ‘til gits on."

Izzie translated. "You don’t know what you got until it’s gone. He's been singing that all day."

"I knew what I had in Burke. I just ... I loved medicine more." Leaning forward, Cristina pulled a fresh beer from the case and turned the cap. "Guess what? Medicine is a cold companion, but-"

"So is a divorce paper," George cut in, pulling a wad of papers from his back pocket.

"So is a death certificate. I keep Denny’s in my purse."

Cristina looked back and forth between the two of them. "I will never be as pathetic as the two of you. This won’t break me. Medicine is a cold companion, but it’s what I love. I wasn’t meant to be a Burke and George wasn’t meant to be married and Denny ... Denny wasn’t meant to survive."

"How can you say that?" Izzie cried, her eyes filling with tears. "He - he loved life and -"

"In death he’s saving hundreds of lives. We’re having a benefit concert for *him*. To celebrate his life. And if George had not fucked up and fucked you, then Callie wouldn’t have almost died and been forced to make this fund raiser happen. So, maybe I don’t know why yet ... but I have to believe that Burke leaving will make something better happen. Because George’s divorce papers and Denny’s death certificate hurt the two of you, but look at the good that came from it."

George lifted his head from the rug. "Have *you* been reading Meredith’s inspirational calendar?"

"No," Cristina replied. "I have to make my own inspiration, courtesy of eleven Heinekens. Otherwise I’m going to do what you’re doing right now and I refuse to sink that low."

"I am low," George said. "I’m as low as a snake."

"You’re lower than a snake," Cristina told him. "A snake crawls on its own belly. You’ll crawl on anyone’s."

Izzie watched George put his hands over his head, then turned to Cristina. "Did that make you feel better? To kick him while he’s down."

"Yeah, it really did."

George snored a moment later.

"It was sorta anticlimactic, though."

*~*~*~*~
CH 35
"How about Valentine’s Day?" Mark leaned against the nurse’s station and nuzzled Addison behind the ear. "You ruled out New Year’s so that’s the next best day."

Addison flipped a page in the chart, scratching her chin. "You just want a date that you can’t forget and I’m not going to live the cliché. A Valentine’s wedding is worse than eloping under water."

"Aha!" He nudged her, grinning. "You finally admit that it would be eloping in Hawaii. Calling it a destination wedding is just a roundabout way of saying -"

"Can we talk about something else?" Addison flipped another page and glanced to her left, where Derek was sitting behind the station with his own chart. She could tell by the tense line of his jaw that he was eavesdropping and didn’t like what he was hearing.

Mark followed her gaze and reached out, closing Addison’s file. "Come on."

"What?" She yelped as he pulled her down the length of the station and paused before Derek.

Clearing his throat, Mark said, "Derek, would you please come to the lounge? We’d like to talk to you."

"No." Derek didn’t look up from his notes.

"Okay, then we can do it right here." Mark leaned on the counter and peered down at Derek, who seemed intent on ignoring them. "I know that we should have told you privately that we were getting engaged and I know that -"

"If you had a dollar for all the things you *think* you know, you could retire tomorrow as a billionaire," Derek replied. "You don’t have anything to say to me that I want to hear."

Addison bit her bottom lip, shaking her head at Mark, but he persevered. "You’re happy with Meredith. You should understand how it is -"

"How it is?" Derek got to his feet and finally looked at his old best friend. "I’ll tell you how it is. I came all the way across the country to get away from you two. I made a life here. I started over. And then you two showed up and practically ruined that life. Again. As far as I can see it ... you two deserve each other and all the misery that entails."

"Why can’t you just be happy for us?" Addison asked. "When Callie almost died we had a talk and you asked me if I wanted to be the person who changed Mark and my answer is no. I don’t want to force him to change ... I just want -"

Derek pointed at her ring finger. "You did change him. You’ve got the ring to prove it."

"Can’t you just say congratulations and I hope you’re happy?" Addy lowered her hand so that her ring no longer sparkled in the light. "Because we hope *you’re* happy, Derek, and we’d be thrilled if you -"

"Why did you say yes?" Derek interrupted. "Why did you say yes when he asked you to marry him?"

"Because - because I love him." Addison’s voice was soft. "Because I need him."

Derek looked at Mark. "Must be nice to be so loved and needed that you pop the question with no worries and she says yes. Must be really fucking nice to know that you can -"

Mark frowned. "Did you - are you and Meredith getting-"

"No," Derek snapped. "That was her answer. No. She thought I was only asking her because you two idiots decided to get engaged. She thought I was upset about it and decided to ask her to marry me to even the score and I didn’t. I’ve been planning it for months."

"Derek, I’m so sorry. Do you - I’ll talk to her if you want me to." Addison reached out to touch his arm, but he stepped away from her. "Please don’t-"

Derek glared at her. "I told you that all I wanted was Seattle. I meant a Seattle without you in it!" His gaze moved back to Mark. "Without either one of you in it."

Addison started to cry when he stalked down the hall. She hurried into a nearby conference room and sat down, her head on the table. Mark followed and shut the door, taking the seat next to hers. He absently rubbed her back, but didn’t speak for a long time. Finally, she sat up and dried her eyes. "We can’t get married yet. We need a long engagement and -"

"No," Mark cut her off. "I’m not planning my life around Derek’s. It’s not our fault that Meredith is a child."

"Mark, she -"

"She would have said no even if we had never come here, Addison. Because she’s not ready. She has issues that we’re not involved in, that we didn’t cause."

"You can’t know that."

"Well, I do. She's a wreck. And we’re getting married in February and that’s final."

"It’s too soon! It’s already December the seventh and that’s not enough time. And I don’t want a winter wedding anyway. I don’t want an anniversary right after the holiday season or on Valentine’s Day."

"When do you want it, Addison?"

"Maybe in ... October?"

"So we can do it two months *before* the holiday season, but not two months *after*?"

"The fall colors are beautiful in October and I was thinking of having a harvest theme."

"Why don’t we just have a Halloween theme? Oh, or a carnival. Then I can dress up as a clown and you can dress as the ringleader and I’ll jump through all the hoops that you hold out so that we -"

"Mark, I am not asking you to jump through hoops! We’re living together. We’re practically already married and a long engagement will just make it that much sweeter when we do tie the knot."

"Is this about Derek and Meredith?"

"No."

"You’re scared to marry me, aren’t you?"

She looked down at the ring on her finger, toying with it. "I’m scared of rushing. I don’t want to get married in three months and have you wake up three months later and realize that maybe you don’t like the ball and chain. It’s better to live together for as long as we can and then do it."

"I am begging you for the ball and chain, Addison. I have wanted it for *years*. I have wanted it since the tsunami when I brought you back that ivory comb. I used to hate Derek when I would leave your house because he was living *my* dream."

Her forehead creased. "Is that why you ... seduced me while I was married?"

"I did not seduce you. You’re the one who was walking around in that damn CBGB t-shirt and your panties."

"You dropped by unannounced!"

"And you were crying, Addison. You were miserable in your marriage and you knew it was over when you took my hand and led me to your bedroom! Do not put this off on me. You invited me upstairs ... you practically begged me."

"I had been drinking. You were sober."

Mark’s mouth fell open. "Were you drinking when you asked me to move into the Brownstone? Were you drinking when you told me you loved me? Were you drinking when you killed our kid?"

Addison shot to her feet. "It always comes back around to that, doesn’t it?"

Mark stood as well and slammed his chair under the table. "No, it always comes back to you blaming me for ruining something that was already demolished. You didn’t want to see that your relationship was in shambles and -"

"Well, I can see it now!" She wrenched the ring from her finger and threw it at him. "I’ll get my things tomorrow!"

Bending down, he retrieved the ring from the floor and bellowed, "Get your shit *tonight*!"

"Fine!" she yelled over her shoulder.

*~*~*~*~*~

Not realizing the drama that had unfolded between their friends, Callie and Alex had dinner with her family. Callie was so tired of being cooped up on Goon Docks that she refused to let them bring dinner to her. Mark had given her the go ahead to eat on top of the tube feedings and she had embraced the notion with fervor. They met at the seafood place and Callie ate enough to satisfy everyone. Crab had never tasted better and the conversation around the table was light and fun.

Callie finally got a good look at the plans for the house and she had to admit it was going to be beautiful. Her father, ever the odd and whimsical one, had decided that his ‘princess’ needed a castle. The exterior of the one story house was drawn in as rock and there were matching round turrets on either side of the large stone steps. Seeing it in a rough drawing was impressive enough, she could only imagine what it would look like in the flesh.

"Dad," she said, looking up from the blue prints. "Why do we need five thousand square feet and four bedrooms?"

"Perhaps you’ll have a family soon, Mija, and when you do ... you’re ready." Raphael smiled at her. "Do you like it?"

Callie shifted uncomfortably. Just as she predicted, her parents were dropping hints left and right that she should settle down and have kids. "It’s amazing, but it’s also huge. And we don’t really need huge."

"You never know." Raphael leaned over to point out the solarium, a completely glass sun room that was attached to the master bedroom. "One entire wall here opens out to make this a balcony. That’s where the hot tub will go."

"I believe you two were conceived in a hot tub," Melana said, grinning at the faces that both twins made. "It was actually quite romantic. And -"

"Never speak it out loud," Cam interrupted. "Especially not while people are trying to digest."

With a resigned sigh, Callie handed Raphael the blue prints and sipped her water. It took all of her resolve not to leave the table in a huff. No one had bothered asking her what she wanted her house to look like, if she wanted the property cleared or the landscape screwed with. When she set her glass back on the table, she was aware that every eye was on her and she raised a brow. "What?"

"You’re not freaking out or getting territorial or being ... you." Cam tilted his head a little, studying her. "Why?"

Callie shrugged in defeat. Her father had clipped her wings so closely that it was more like a shave. He had stopped her unlimited funding and put her on a very short leash. As much as it relieved her, it also irritated her more than she had expected. He was organizing her life without any input from her at all. "Why bother?"

"It’s scaring me, Cal. I feel like you’re under the Imperious curse or Nagini is inside you and you’re doing the work of He Who Must Not Be Named." Cam put his elbows on the table, his eyes never leaving her face. "You’re never, ever agreeable about change. And you’ve never been content to let people make your decisions for you. Ever."

She forced herself to grin at him. "Watching your Halloween performance on tape all day put me in a good mood. Who knew you were so agile? You looked like a freakin’ overgrown bat on top of the filing cabinet. Oooh, Snape. You’re such a Snape."

He threw a piece of sliced strawberry at her. "You’re lucky that you weren’t put in the hospital that night to get that devil dog out of your ass."

"Twin language," Melana interjected. "It’s nice to see that the two of you still make it impossible for those of us around you to understand what you’re saying."

"It’s one more service we offer. We can’t just be witty and good looking," Cam replied.

"One of us can." Callie made a face at him, then looked at Raphael. "I’ve gained eight pounds, Daddy. You just saw me eat enough to gain ten more so any time you want to sign off on this tube coming out ... that would be great. I can’t sleep on my stomach and it’s killing me."

"Try being pregnant." Melana smiled. "With *twins*. I couldn’t lie on my back because you two brats would sit on my lungs and when I was on my side the two of you played tug of war with my bladder. And did I complain? No."

"Did she just ask if she complained?" Cam asked Callie, looking dumbstruck. "Because my first cognitive memory is of her telling me that we were not the fruit of her looms at all."

"I think she called us bad seeds." Callie nodded. "Or maybe it was leeches. Yeah, it was leeches."

Melana narrowed her eyes at her children. "I can only hope that if you two *leeches* ever procreate you will be damned to sire the Children of the Corn as I was apparently damned. The two of you could have turned Mother Theresa into a fornicating serial killer."

Alex laughed long and hard, grabbing Callie’s arm as she aimed her elbow at his ribs. "Sorry, it’s just ... you could still do that, Gothika. So, I think I can see your mom’s point."

Melana lifted her glass at him in mock toast. "And I’m quite sure that Blake would agree as well. Actually, I know he would because we enjoyed a nice venting session just the other day about Cambyses’s desire to turn Blake completely gray headed."

"What did you do?" Callie asked her brother.

"Speeding ticket." Cam shrugged. "I tried to lie to Blake, but he found the ticket in the car and took offense to the speed *and* the lie. So, he called our mother."

"How fast were you going?" Raphael glanced up from the pie he was enjoying.

"Ninety, but I was on the interstate and -"

"Ninety miles an hour!" Melana reached over and pulled Cam’s hair. "You’re lucky we’re in public! I could flay the skin off you! What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking I was in a hurry. And OW!" Cam massaged his scalp when she finally let go. "Callie’s the one who got her license pulled for illegal street racing!"

Raphael dropped his fork. "WHAT? I thought you lost your license for unpaid parking tickets."

"Ass!" Callie kicked her brother under the table. "It was *years* ago and I did have quite a few parking tickets that cluttered up my console so that’s the only reason the Judge was a bitch."

"Street racing?!" Alex’s jaw dropped when he realized it wasn’t a joke. "Are you serious?"

Callie pretended to be engrossed in her chocolate cake, then she glared at Cam, who cleared his throat and said, "They were racing title against title and ... would hit speeds of like one hundred and thirty, but ... she won. Every time."

"More than once, Calliope?" Melana shook her head. "And what, pray tell, did you do with the cars that you so dangerously ‘won’?"

"Played Robin Hood." Callie took a deep breath, aiming for complete and utter sincerity. "I sold them and gave the money to charity. It was all completely selfless. I didn’t even enjoy the adrenaline rush ... even though it lasted for days."

"Sell that line of total shit to someone who doesn’t know you." Melana pointed her finger at her. "I should have sent you to a convent."

"The vow of chastity would have been a faster death sentence than the racing, Mom." Callie shrugged.

"You get that from your father." Melana shot Raph a look across the table. "A healthy sexual appetite does not have to involve daily-"

"Oh my god! Do not finish that sentence." Cam covered his face. "I need shock therapy."

"I need a valium." Callie added. "Moving right along ... Dad, can you please get the tube out? Please? I am not fasting anymore and there are known complications with these things that I’d just as soon not deal with. And I have to go back to work tomorrow so ... someone could kick me in the stomach while I’m setting a bone and really screw me up."

"Twenty pounds, honey. Just give me twenty pounds."

"Nobody is *that* patient! Not even Job," she replied. "Not only did you have some idiotic judge declare me incompetent ... you stole my plane, crippled my yacht, forced me to have security guards and now you’re building a house. And I haven’t said a thing, which illustrates that I have grown in leaps and bounds, so a little acknowledgement would be great."

"I acknowledge that you are eerily calm," Raphael said. "But I also know that calm with you usually comes before the storm and the storm usually involves me tracking you across whichever continent happens to strike your fancy."

"THIS continent is striking my fancy. I can’t go anywhere, Dad, and not because you took everything."

"Oh?" Raphael looked puzzled. "And why is that?"

"Hello?" Callie pointed at Alex. "He can’t take any more time off at work and I get separation anxiety when he goes to the *store* so I’m completely anchored to one spot. This spot. I’d very much like to be anchored without hardware in my stomach."

Raphael took a deep breath and looked at Alex, who was beaming after her comment. "Has she been eating as much as she says?"

"Yes, she has." Alex nodded, still smiling. "And she’s doing it without a fight."

"See?" Callie implored her father with her eyes. "I can do this. I want to do this. On my own."

"But," Alex added and took her hand. "Premature removal of the tube can also have side effects. Most people -"

"Stop talking," Callie said, shaking her head. "I - I think that it should come out ... tonight or tomorrow morning. Really. I do. The sooner the better. I can go alone and just ... get it yanked out and be completely better in no time."

"I know that tone." Melana narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "You’re up to something."

"No, I’m not." Callie took a bite of her cake, chewing slowly. "I just ... why wait? Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today? That’s what you always say, Mom."

"Lift your shirt," Cam said suddenly, leaning his elbows on the table to peer at her stomach. "Let me see the tube."

Every eye was on her again so she groaned and rubbed her forehead. "Crap. Don’t freak out. I tripped over Fratelli earlier and the tube fell out. That animal is evil and cunning and always -"

"Fell out?" Cam snapped. "Callie, that thing was surgically implanted in your intestine and now you could be bleeding or -"

"Because I am a *surgeon*, I cleaned the area and I know that it’s not bleeding. I sutured it with two stitches in the bathroom mirror. Which hurt, by the way, so I’ve been thoroughly punished." Biting her bottom lip, Callie glanced back at her father. "And it’s been more than twelve hours and you’re supposed to have one put back in within twelve hours because the hole closes that fast and ... I really don’t want to be put under anesthesia so can we please pretend that you already agreed to have it taken out."

"I would love to take my belt to you," Raphael glared at her. "Did you do this on purpose?"

"Absolutely not. I may be dumb about a lot of things, but that would be insane. I could get a hernia from pulling it out. I didn’t."

"When we’re finished here," Alex growled, forcing her to look at him, "you’re getting a cat scan at the clinic to make sure it’s fine and -"

"And-" Raphael cut in. "I may decide to have it put back in once I find out whether or not these things can just ‘fall out’."

"It happens all the time," Callie assured him, then turned back to her cake.

She ate so slowly that Cam threatened to shove it down her throat.

Or up her ass.

*~*~*~*~*~

"How did you say this happened?" Bailey asked, squinting at the CT screen.

"Tripped over my ferret and it just popped right out." Callie’s voice was unwavering, even though her entire family had decided to waltz into the exam room with her.

"What did you catch the tube on, though?" Miranda repositioned the scanner.

"Is there any bleeding?" Callie’s tone was so light she may have been inquiring about the weather.

"No. It’s fine, but I don’t understand how you -"

"Who knows?" With a shrug, Callie started to sit up. Alex held her at bay and glared at her. "What?" she asked, reclining comfortably on her elbows as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

"You didn’t answer Dr. Bailey. What did you catch the tube on?"

"I don’t remember. It happened so fast." Callie smiled innocently. "It was just one of those random -"

"You’re going to tell me the truth!" Alex yelled. "You took it out! Didn't you?"

Callie’s eyes widened at his tone and she shook her head. "No."

"You didn’t trip over Fratelli! Do you know how I know?"

She shook her head again.

"Because he’s always in the Christmas tree when he’s out. Always." Alex narrowed his eyes at her. "Do I need to remind you what happened the last time you lied to me?"

"No."

"Then spit it out!"

"OKAY!" Callie cried, flopping back against the stretcher. "Fine! I was trying like hell to pull on a wet suit and the tube came out while I was squirming on the bed trying to zip it! I did *not* mean to do it. And I did not get that damned propeller on either."

"You ordered a propeller?" Raphael asked, shocked. "Calliope Torres! You had a propeller delivered and you were going to install it yourself?!"

"Yeah. I did. I was." Callie finally sat up and rubbed the gel off her belly with a towel that Bailey held out. "It’s heavy as hell, too, so the damn delivery guy was going to wait and then lower it into the water for me when I got in and -"

"If you had half a brain you’d still be a half wit." Melana moved to the foot of the bed so she could see her. "Did you start the engine and check to see if the propeller was actually gone?"

"No." Callie’s eyes widened as comprehension dawned on her. "You didn’t really have it removed! Daddy, that is so dirty and underhanded and -"

"Put the tube back in," Raphael said to Bailey. "I’ll show her dirty and underhanded."

"No! No, really! Don’t do this! I don’t *need* it and it’s a ridiculous waste of time and money and - and if you do it then I *will* pull it out and I’ll keep pulling it out until I’m so scarred and herniated that I can’t walk upright. You’ll be sorry."

Cambyses finally gave in and started to laugh. "Now *that* is the Callie I know and love. I knew that you were being too cooperative. Vixen."

"Stop laughing! Did I not sound believable?" Callie asked.

Bailey shook her head. "No, you didn’t. I’m going to wait outside while you try again."

Callie watched her friend go and crossed her arms over her chest. "Give me one month. One month, Daddy, without this tube and I’ll show you. I will."

Alex tapped her on the shoulder. "You have been out of the hospital for *nine* days-"

"Technically ten," Callie corrected.

"Nine and a half," he snapped. "Nine and a half days and you thought that it would be okay to dive into the filthy bay in freezing weather to attach a propeller?"

"I know it sounds insane, but you are the one who demanded the truth. It’s not my fault if you can’t handle it." She took a deep breath. "Besides, you decorated the yacht so pretty that I entered her in that floating lights things and she has to get there in order to float."

"Most people live and learn. You just live." Alex rubbed a hand over his face and looked at her father. "Is she having the tube put back in or not?"

Raphael could see that Callie was close to tears. Alex’s anger was tangible and everyone could feel it. Shaking his head, he looked at Callie and said, "One month. I’m giving you one month and I want twenty pounds out of it. If you don’t give me that, then I’m going to do everything in my power to send you away for treatment. Do you understand?"

Callie nodded, looking at the floor. Raphael walked to where she sat and gave her a kiss. "Call us tomorrow, darlin'."

*~

Alex was quiet on the drive back to the yacht. Once they were safely inside Goon Docks and Callie adjusted the thermostat, she touched him on the arm and said, "I feel like we should change your name to ‘I’m Sorry’ because that’s what I say to you the most."

"Where is the propeller?"

"Under the bed."

"Where’s the wet suit?"

"Beside it."

He disappeared into the bedroom and emerged a moment later carrying the large box that contained the propeller. The wet suit had been tossed on top of the box and he glared at her. "Open the door."

"What are you doing?"

"OPEN THE DOOR!"

Callie did as he ordered and followed him onto the deck. She watched as he opened the box and hoisted the part into his arms. Her mouth dropped open when he stood and tossed it into the water. With wide eyes, she watched as he pulled out his pocket knife, lifted the wet suit, and ripped it to shreds. He tossed it into the large trash receptacle on the dock and looked at her. "I accept your apology, Callie. Now I’m fine."

"Did that really make you feel better, Jock Strap?"

"Absolutely."

"Then great. Good for you." Callie kicked the empty box across the yacht and headed down below deck where she stalked into the bedroom and slammed the door.

He shoved it open while she was gathering her pajamas. "Do I finally get to see a full blown tantrum, Gothika? Let’s get it over with then! Do your worst!"

"I’m going to take a bath."

"You shouldn’t submerge the incision and -"

"Don’t tell me what to do!"

"This is the part where I remind you that someone *has* to tell you what to do because when you’re left to your own devices -"

"Do NOT go there."

"If I go there it’s because you keep dragging me there!"

"Alex-"

"Oooh, I tripped over the ferret!" He raised his voice a few octaves to sound like a girl. A very whiny, annoying girl. "Ooops, that was a lie. Ooooh, I starved myself for God. Ooops, that was a lie. Why are you -"

"If I’m such a liar then leave. There’s the door!"

He looked as if she had slapped him. "What?"

"I’m not going in circles with you! I’m not! And that’s what we’re doing, Alex! We’re running in circles and having the same tired arguments and the same stupid disagreements and I won’t do it any more!" She sat down on the foot of the bed, clutching her pajamas in front of her. "You said that trying to love me was a battle you felt like you couldn’t win and I’m starting to feel the same way. Everything I do pisses you off and -"

"I have a right to be pissed!" he yelled. "You are hell bent on getting yourself killed! What goes on in your head? Did you think ‘well, I didn’t drink myself to death and I survived the liver issue and the feeding tube in my stomach can’t possibly be there because I’ve been starving myself so why don’t I try hypothermia on for size and jump in the fucking bay like a god damned idiot’? Because that’s what the fuck you are!"

"Get the hell out of my house," Callie said through gritted teeth.

"With pleasure! And I’m taking the ferret! He doesn’t like you either!"

Callie was too furious to cry and too stunned to move. She sat on the foot of the bed until her shoulders began to ache, then she flopped back against it and closed her eyes. A while later, someone knocked on the door and she sat up, grinning. He had come back and she would let him in, but oh, there would be much groveling on his part and she would torment him before she finally gave in. And she would give in. He just didn’t have to know that.

She tossed her pajamas on the bed and walked very slowly to the door, hoping that the cold air would be horrible for him. The knock sounded louder now, more insistent, and she crossed her arms, standing just on the other side of the door. "What do you want?"

"Let me in, Callie, it’s cold as hell out here!" Addison cried.

Callie quickly unlocked the door and opened it. Addison flew past her, almost knocking Callie off the stairs. She turned in time to see her friend flop on the sofa and bury her face in her hands. "What happened?" Callie asked, sitting beside her.

"Mark and I broke up." Addison held up her left hand, which was bare. "I hope he masturbates so much that he goes blind!"

"Wait ... you broke up with him because of too much sex?"

"No! I broke up with him because he’s trying to marry me *tomorrow* and he won’t stop throwing the abortion in my face every chance he gets."

"He has so much in common with Alex." Callie slumped back against the plush leather of the sofa. "No wonder they’re friends. Alex keeps throwing every mistake I’ve made in recent history in my face."

"God, I bet that took a long time."

Callie glared at her. "Shut up! Or I’ll kick you out, too."

"You kicked Alex out?"

"Yep."

"Damn."

"Damn." Callie nodded, then looked at the vacant spot where Fratelli’s cage usually rested. "He actually took my fucking ferret and left his clothes."

Addison smiled, something that she felt she would never do again. "Good. I hate that thing and it looks like I’m your new roommate for the time being. You got anything to eat?"

Callie motioned at the galley. "Help yourself."

Addison stood and rummaged through the fridge, finally settling on Pizza Rolls. She nuked a package in the microwave and joined Callie on the sofa again, holding out the plate. "Want some?"

"I ate forty pounds of crab less than two hours ago." Callie plucked one off the plate anyway and blew it, cooling it before she bit into it. "Alex called me a god damned idiot."

"Shut up! Why?"

Callie told her exactly what happened.

Addison finished off the last pizza roll as the story ended and shook her head. "You *are* a god damned idiot, but I’m sure you don’t need anyone else to tell you that tonight."

"Okay, Saint Addison, what happened with you and Mark?"

"He wanted to get married on *Valentine’s* Day."

"Awww, that’s so romantic." Callie put her finger in her mouth and pretended to gag. "When did he become *that* guy? At this point I wouldn’t be shocked to find him reading greeting cards at the super market for new material."

"That’s my point." Addison put the plate on the end table. "I don’t want him to be *that* guy. And I deserve this because I told him that we weren’t romantic enough and I deserve the abundant sex life because I told him that I needed sex to survive, but he’s trying too hard and pushing me too hard. I want a long engagement and he doesn’t."

"Why do you want a long engagement?"

"Because I don’t want him to regret it and if we rush into this then it’s done and I don’t want to have two divorces under my belt, Callie. One was bad enough."

"I hear you."

"Derek asked Meredith to marry him and she said no."

"Dude, she just watched George go through a divorce. He lives with her. She wouldn’t *dare* say yes to Derek right now. She’d feel too guilty about doing that to George."

"Oh my god." Addison sat up, mouth ajar. "It’s not about me at all."

"You finally got the memo? Everything is not about Addison."

"Fuck."

"It’s a cluster fuck is what it is," Callie amended. "I’m not calling Alex. I will break that phone before I call him."

"I’m not calling Mark either."

"So ... what should we do?"

Addison looked as if her next words took everything out of her. "Want to teach me to play that game you and Ava love so much? The Ninja one?"

"They’re Samurais and I’d love to."

"Great."

"Don’t sound so enthusiastic, ass."

*~*~*~*~*~

"I just can’t believe her!" Alex ran a hand through his hair and glanced at the football game on Mark’s television. "Oh, when did they score the touchdown?"

"About thirty minutes ago," Mark replied, glaring at him. "Are you sure you don’t want a beer?"

"I’m sure. She doesn’t drink so I haven’t been and ... I can’t believe her! She kicked *me* out for telling the truth."

"Addison gave me back the ring for telling the truth."

"No wonder they’re friends. They have so much in common. Neither one of them can stand the truth!" Alex glanced at Mark’s hand, where Addison’s ring rested on his pinky. "Are you going to call her?"

"I am most definitely not going to call her."

"Me either."

"You’re welcome to the guest room. For as long as you like."

Alex nodded. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

Mark wrinkled his nose as Alex stroked Fratelli. "That thing has spent more time at my house than yours."

"I couldn’t leave him. He’s ... mine. More mine than hers. And she blamed him for the tube coming out."

"They really are all about blaming anyone but themselves, aren’t they?"

"They are." Alex agreed. "She’s going back to work tomorrow. Which means I have to see her."

"Take a page from my book, Karev, ignore the hell out of her and make *her* come to you."

"Callie’s stubborn as hell."

"Then take a page from her book and be stubborn as hell."

"I can do that."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie and Addison rode in to work together. Callie drove and they stopped at Starbucks for Latte and several espresso shots. They were both jittery as hell by the time they arrived at the hospital. Callie headed for the usual morning meeting that Sydney would be hosting and the second she stepped into the room, Cristina stole her coffee and finished it off. "Bitch," Callie said in a low voice. "I hope you -"

"Callie’s back!" Sydney cried, waving at her. "Hello, you! If you keep missing work you’ll have to repeat another year just to complete your residency."

"Do you have super sonic hearing or what?" Callie called back as several people laughed.

"I have super sonic smelling and I smelled your coffee." Sydney smiled. "Today is the big day, everyone. Our hospital and our famously unknown patient will be featured on the Oprah Winfrey show. Eeeee, I’m so excited! We’ll need extra volunteers in the clinic on the phone lines so if you find yourself with nothing to do then don’t stand around looking dumb ... go help out."

Callie headed to her locker as the meeting broke up. Cristina and Meredith both followed her. "What?" she finally asked.

"You look *so* great!" Meredith beamed at her. "You’re all colorful again."

"Colorful?" Callie stared down at her black shirt and jeans.

"She means your face." Cristina told her. "You don’t look like a zombie anymore."

"I looked like a zombie?" Callie pulled on her scrub pants.

"Now you don’t," Meredith said, watching as Callie tugged her shirt over her head. "The tube’s gone!"

"Yeah, I’m an eating machine." Callie finished dressing and sat down to pull her sneakers on. "I have to gain twelve more pounds by the end of the month or my dad will shit and have the tube put back in."

"We can help you with that," Cristina said. "We brought an entire three layer cake for lunch."

"Jesus, why?" Callie looked from one woman to the other.

"Burke resigned and Derek is living in his trailer again." Meredith glanced at Cristina, then at Callie. "And Alex told us that you kicked him out last night."

"So, we’re officially doing the Angry Woman Club. And it comes with chocolate," Cristina said.

"Three layers of chocolate. I’m in." Callie nodded. "Can I invite Addison? She’s -"

"We already know that, too. Mark actually wore her ring into work this morning and blamed Derek in front of everyone. Then Derek tried to be all sad and they talked in the conference room. I think they’re friends again. They were smiling when they came out anyway." Meredith crossed her arms over her chest. "And yeah, she can come. Do you think she will if I’m there?"

"She will," Callie affirmed. "Is - you’re not inviting Stevens are you?"

"She’s off today. So is George."

"But she did make the cake." Cristina shrugged. "Don’t worry, I watched to make sure that no chocolate Ex-Lax found its way into the frosting."

"Then we’re getting a sugar rush for lunch." Callie got to her feet and smiled. "We don’t need *men*."

*~*~*~*~*~

At twelve thirty the Angry Woman Club had four very raucous members. They had eaten their lunch and dove straight into the chocolate cake with careless abandon. They did not bother cutting it, they simply dug in with their forks, which surprised the people seated nearest. After hearing the sailor mouthed banter going on at the table, it would have shocked no one to see the women forego utensils entirely and use their hands.

Derek took a seat beside Mark and Alex, tilting his head from side to side as he watched Meredith put an arm around Addison’s shoulder and laugh uproariously. "What in the hell -"

"They’re united in their man hate," Alex told him, his eyes on Callie who was saying something that caused Cristina to blow soda through her nose. He felt red hot anger when Callie tossed her head back and laughed like she didn’t have a care in the world.

"How do you figure?" Derek asked.

"Yang has a sign on the back of her chair that says ‘We Hate Men’." Mark shook his head. "Karev, we clearly need a plan B because ignoring them hasn’t done shit."

"I really thought I got to her earlier!" Alex snapped. "She walked right up to me and asked about a patient and I just handed her the chart. Two seconds later she was laughing at Grey and acting like I was ... nonexistent. She turned the tables on me!"

"You and Callie are on the outs, too?" Derek raised a brow. "God, do you think they coordinate this shit just to torment us?"

"One of us should go in," Mark said. "One of us should walk right up to the table and say ... something."

"Since you’re the one who can apparently speak so well," Derek said. "I nominate you."

"Seconded," Alex blurted, looking apologetic. "It was your idea, dude."

"Fine." Mark got to his feet and straightened his jacket. "I’ll go."

Derek shook his head. "I feel like I should start humming ‘Taps’."

Callie cleared her throat and sat up a little straighter. "Enemy approaching. Addison’s enemy."

The smile faded from Addison’s face and she sat up a little straighter. "Left or right side?"

"Directly behind you," Meredith replied, scooping up a fork full of cake.

The other three women did the same thing, not bringing it to their mouths. Callie raised a brow when Sloan cleared his throat. "This is a hen party. We didn’t invite any roosters."

"Addison, can I talk to you?"

"No," she shook her head, her eyes on Callie.

Mark reached out to grip her shoulder and Meredith, Callie, and Cristina let the cake fly. Callie’s hit him square in the face while the other two fork loads hit him on the chest. Addison turned and smeared a very large F.U. on the front of his scrub shirt.

"Any more questions?" Cristina asked, loading her fork again.

Mark flicked the cake off his face and glared first at Callie, then down at the back of Addison’s head. "You are the most childish and -"

Three more chunks of cake flew at him.

He retreated without another word.

"So, we’re going to Joe’s after work, right?" Meredith dug into the cake again, stuffing a large bite into her mouth like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Callie licked the frosting from her fingers and nodded. "I’ll go, but I can’t drink. I won’t."

Cristina pointed at her. "Designated driver! Such an honorable duty. We bow to you."

"I’m getting wasted," Addison said, her mouth full of cake. "I plan on puking every bit of this up."

"Ugh," Meredith groaned and rubbed her belly. "I think I may get a jump start on that."

Callie glanced at the table where Alex and Derek were attempting to salvage Mark’s pride for him. Alex caught her eye and she smirked at him. He flipped her off and she chuckled.

He only *thought* he could ignore her.

*~*~*~*~*~

"My favorite ladies!" Joe cried in greeting as Addison, Meredith, Callie, and Cristina slipped their jackets off and hung them over the back of the chairs they had pulled out. "It’s cold out there tonight, huh?"

"Freezing." Callie smiled up at him. "Can I get a coke?"

"Beer," Cristina said.

"Tequila, straight up," Meredith said.

"Bring us a bottle of tequila." Addison pulled a hundred dollar bill from her wallet. "And four shot glasses."

"No!" Callie shook her head. "Three shot glasses. I’m strictly soda and I’ll happily watch you guys make asses of yourselves, but I’m not going there. Ever again."

"Sorry, I forgot. And good for you," Addison replied. "Three shot glasses."

Joe walked off and Callie grinned. "I overheard Nurse Debbie telling her little group of buddies that Mark called us all every name he could think of as he headed for the shower."

"And we care because?" Addison said.

"Because we are winning the war!" Meredith cried. "Derek actually came up to me and said -"

"Burke."

Meredith glanced at Cristina and shook her head. "No, he said -"

"Burke." Yang lifted her finger.

All three ladies turned to door and gasped. Preston Burke had walked into Joe’s wearing a heavy leather jacket and a skull cap. He nodded at the women and walked to the bar, where he pulled off the cap and stuck it into his jacket pocket. "Oh my god," Meredith said softly.

Joe arrived with their drinks, looking apprehensively at Cristina. "He comes in almost every night."

"What? How? Where is he -"

"Mercy West," Joe replied, his voice low. "They swapped doctors. Dr. Hahn is coming to Seattle Grace as the head of Cardio because Preston is in the running for Chief over at West. And apparently they hate each other."

"I thought he left town. All of his important things were gone from the apartment." Cristina stole a glance at the bar. Burke had his back to her. "I - where did he go?"

"He spent a few nights back at his parent’s house and then when he came back he found out that you and Meredith had gone on the honeymoon and he ... he kinda snapped. He resigned."

"Is he still living at the apartment? Because I’ve been paying the rent and -"

"No." Joe shook his head. "He got a place in our building. It’s closer to West."

"Fuck." Cristina drained her beer and reached for the tequila bottle, drinking directly from it. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

Callie glanced at the front door and said, "I see your fuck and raise you a bastard ass shit head."

Alex, Derek and Mark walked in. Alex, either in a fit of stupidity or exhibiting brass balls the size of Texas, walked straight to the table and lifted Callie’s glass, taking a sip. He nodded at her wordlessly, then joined the other men at the bar. "Okay, this officially sucks." Callie ran her finger over the condensation free area on her glass. Where Alex’s fingers had been.

"No, it doesn’t." Addison looked at Cristina. "It’s just one more person to ignore. Actually, three more, but who’s counting?"

"And the best way to ignore someone is to dance. Give me your dollars for the jukebox." Meredith smiled, then frowned when the most god-awful ear assaulting caterwauling filled the room.

"Oh dear God." Joe, who was still lingering behind Addison’s chair, looked at the back of the room. "Walter *insisted* on a karaoke machine. He claimed it would drive up business, but every single day Olivia comes in here and tries to sing Britney Spears and it’s enough to make me close up shop. For good."

"Go wrestle that microphone away from her before I strangle her with the cord," Callie said, her fingertips in her ears. "I only *thought* Britney was tone deaf. What the fuck?"

"The only way to get her off the stage is for other people to sing." Joe shook his head. "I learned this the hard way. When there were no takers the other night I wound up singing Neil Diamond and Celine Dion until the place closed. Walter had to tend the bar by himself so he didn’t speak to me for two days."

"Fuck this!" Cristina said, getting to her feet. "I'll sing!"

"You cannot possibly be drunk already," Meredith said, reaching for her. "What are you doing?"

"Salvaging our ear drums." Cristina stalked to the stage and flipped through the selections.

"Can she sing?" Callie asked, watching with wide eyes as Cristina snatched the mic from Olivia and practically knocked her off the slightly raised platform that made up the stage.

"I don’t know." Meredith watched through her fingers as Alanis Morissette’s ‘All I Really Want’ began to play.

Callie closed her eyes altogether, unable to watch. A second later, Cristina began to sing. It wasn’t quite as bad as Olivia, but it would have been enough to give Simon Cowell a stroke. To her credit, Cristina knew all the words, but she had carried the tequila bottle with her and kept pausing to drink more of it in mid sentence.

She was halfway through when Izzie and George came in. Izzie pointed and laughed, doubling at the waist. George was smiling as well, until he saw Olivia, who crossed her arms and scowled at him. He looked frantically around the room, then his gaze landed on Callie, who waved. Hurrying forward, George leaned down and gave her a quick hug. "You look nice. Today was your first day back, right?"

"Yeah," Callie replied. "It was a very long day."

George sat down at the table next to hers and Izzie sat across from him, giving Callie what passed for a smile. George wrinkled his nose and said, "What the hell is Cristina doing?"

"Burke." Meredith indicated the bar.

George and Izzie both gasped and then their heads went together to gossip about the new development. Callie glanced at the bar in time to see Alex sending her a death glare that should have killed her on the spot. She resolutely looked away and clapped enthusiastically as Cristina finished her song.

Olivia took the mic from her and launched into a truly sad rendition of Britney’s song ‘Everytime’. Her gaze was on George the entire time. Callie had to laugh. She nudged her ex-husband and said, "You clearly have a stalker."

"God, I know." He avoided looking at the stage at all. "I keep expecting a dead rabbit or something in my locker."

"What did you do to her?"

"Puked on her. On her birthday."

"Ouch," Callie laughed. "Why?"

"Because it was the day our divorce was final and she kept talking."

"So you’re to blame for the fact that we have to listen to a perfect rendition of cats in heat?" Cristina slapped him on the back of the head. "You’re singing next, Bambi."

"I can’t sing!"

"And she can?" Meredith pointed at Olivia. "You’re up, George. You’re the only guy allowed near us right now and -"

"He’s not really a guy. He’s a guy-lite." Cristina corrected. "And your ass is getting up there to sing or we’ll kill you."

"Shit," George groaned when she thrust the song choices in his hand. He looked at Callie and said, "Any requests?"

"I heard you do a mean version of ‘Sexy Back’," Callie replied.

Cristina’s tequila went through her nose. "No! Please! Not that! Send a message to your stalker and sing ‘Bye Bye Bye’ by N*Sync."

George chuckled, drained his third shot, and took to the stage. His singing was only slightly more tolerable than his dancing. Callie’s stomach was aching so much from laughter halfway through the song that she had to stop watching and clutch her sides. When she looked back up at George, it was obvious that Olivia had gotten the message.

She threw her drink at him and sat down in the far corner.

Meredith was encouraged to sing next. She flat refused until Izzie agreed to accompany her and their rousing rendition of ‘Lady Marmalade’ was enough to have the entire place in stitches. Joe actually put his head down and howled, hitting the bar. It had been that bad and that good.

Addison was pulled to her feet by Cristina and Callie, who pushed her to the stage. The red head was drunk enough to stagger over her own feet, but she made it to the microphone and warbled her way through ‘Give Me One Reason’ by Tracy Chapman. She may have gotten four words right in the song, but she received a standing ovation simply because she had dedicated the song to Mark with the most scathing swear words known to man.

When she sat down at the table, she pointed at Callie. "You’re up!"

"No way! I’m not drunk."

"You can sing, though!" Addison snapped. "Get your ass on the stage or I’ll pour my drink on you."

"Trust me, that’s not comfortable." George fanned the front of his shirt, which was still soaked from Olivia’s drink. "Go on. We all did it."

"Damn it." Callie got to her feet, walked to the stage, and punched a number into the machine. Picking up the microphone, she said, "This is a song for people who don’t respect three thousand dollar propellers."

‘Respect’ by Aretha Franklin began and Callie sang the hell out of it. She growled her way through the riffs, changed up the words a little, and had so much fun that she was sad to see it end.

When it did finally stop, everyone stood up, even Mark and Derek and clapped like idiots. Grinning, she put the microphone down, shot a look at Alex, who was standing, but not clapping. He took a step toward her, but Joe appeared and said, "Sing another one!"

"What? No!"

"I will pay you every week if you will come in and sing a couple of songs just to show people that it *can* be done well."

"I don’t need your money, Joe." Callie shook her head. "But I’ll sing whenever I’m in, okay? I promise."

"Then do another one." He glanced at Olivia, who looked ready to stand up. "Please. For the love of God, one more."

Callie let him pull her back to the platform and watched him flip frantically through the song choices. "What do you want to sing, Callie?"

"Just pick something."

"Cher!" He held up the paper. "Sing Cher."

"Okay, you’re living the gay stereotype." Callie took the mic again as ‘Heart of Stone’ began to play. She put her soul into the song and meant every word of it.

When she finished and stepped off the stage, the guys were walking toward the door.

"Good job," Addison said loudly. "Run the bastards out with the truth."

Mark turned on his heel and marched to where she sat. He flipped her chair back and kissed her, long and hard. Then he slammed her upright and stalked from the room.

"I hate him," Addison said, her face as red as her hair.

Everyone pretended to believe her.

Later on, Callie drove back to the yacht and parked in the garage. Alex's old Jeep was gone and the Mercedes was parked in the usual spot. She helped Addison down the stairs and into the bed, then went to her room. One of the dresser drawers was ajar and her hand trembled when she pulled it open. Alex had clearly stopped by and picked up a few things. Tears burned her eyes and her hand went to her phone, but she couldn't dial his number. Her pride was too powerful.

Instead, she went to the bathroom and drew up short.

A yellow rose with red tips was lying on the countertop.

A bastard flower that matched the tattoo on her hip.

She called him.

But it went straight to voice mail.

*~*~*~*~*~

CH 36
The following morning, Alex returned Callie’s call while she was stumbling around in the bathroom, bleary eyed, trying to find her hair brush. She tripped over her own feet as she scrambled back into the bedroom to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey," he replied. "I saw that you called. I was charging my phone at the time. Just turned it back on."

"It - it’s okay. Uhm, I found the rose. Thank you."

"Yeah, I left that before you got touchy feely with George and sang bitch music at the top of your lungs."

"I did not get touchy feely with George!"

"Bullshit, Callie. You forget that I was there."

She sat down on the edge of the bed. "Did you call me to fight or to apologize?"

"Hell would freeze over before I apologized to you for *anything*."

"Then what was the rose, Alex?"

"A peace offering, but I’ve changed my mind."

"Why?"

"Because I’m pissed and until I’m not pissed ... I don’t want to talk to you."

"You called me a god damned idiot. If either of us has a right to be pissed ... it’s me."

"I’m off work for a couple of days. Mark and I are going camping with some friends and -"

"With who?"

"I didn’t tell you?"

"No."

"Hmm. It must not have been any of your damn business then."

"Alex-"

The phone went dead and Callie angrily threw it across the room, just missing Addison who stood in the doorway with tears on her cheeks. "Mark hates me. He called to tell me that he’s happier without me and he’s going camping to celebrate that fact."

"This feels like a concerted effort on their part to get back at us." Callie got to her feet and hugged her friend. "We’ll just rise above it."

"I’m tired of rising. I just want to go home."

"Tonight when we get off work, we’ll toilet paper the cabin. Then you won’t want to be there."

"Okay."

*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next couple of days were torment for the women of Seattle Grace. It seemed like George was the only man who walked around the halls of the hospital and it filled him with such self importance that he had begun to strut ... until Cristina told him that he looked like a gay John Travolta. Properly chastened, he returned to normal and joined the women at their lunch table to tell them all about the last time the men had gone camping.

Addison and Callie not only toilet papered the cabin, they forked the yard. It had taken them close to two hours to spell out ‘Fuck You’ with hundreds of plastic forks that they drove into the frosty ground, but once it was done, they high fived and took photos of their handiwork with their cell phones. For good measure, they filled the mailbox with a dead fish they had found floating outside Goon Docks and then headed back down the trail, arm in arm, with the full moon lighting their way.

Addison and Meredith worked on a case together, bonding over their daddy issues. Callie wound up working with Izzie and while they did *not* bond, they did get a good laugh out of the screams that a very muscle bound personal trainer emitted while Callie set his wrist. They laughed in the hallway, but it felt good to finally let it out. They chuckled for the rest of the afternoon when one or the other would randomly imitate the sound, which was very similar to the baying of hounds.

On the third day, the day that the men would return to work, Addison and Callie both spent extra time in front of the mirror. Callie curled her hair in long, round waves and put on the dress she had worn the day that she had left town with Alex. She had expected it to be loose, but it was incredibly baggy so she went back to her closet. Four thousand calories a day were not helping as quickly as she would have liked. She settled on a different dress, one that was much tighter and firecracker red. She had ordered it the same day she ordered the propeller and as she studied herself in the mirror, she knew that she looked damn good.

After she slipped on her panty hose and heels, she walked into the galley. Addison had already brewed coffee and she whistled when she saw her friend. Callie did the same. Addy had pulled her hair up in a French twist and was wearing a pair of dress slacks and green v-neck sweater. "We’re so obvious," Addison said, patting her hair.

"But we’re also very hot," Callie replied. "I think I’ll just wear this all day if I don’t have surgery. I feel *good*."

"Do you think they freaked out when they saw the yard?" Addison asked.

"Shit, I bet they screamed. We’re as talented as we are annoying. Let’s go to work." Callie picked up a banana, peeling it as she climbed the stairs.

She screamed bloody murder a moment later and tossed the banana in the air. Someone had hung a deer, very dead and very gutted, from the deck. Most of the blood had run all over Goon Docks and Callie almost busted her ass on the gore. "Fucking bastards!"

Addison *did* bust her ass and rolled around like a ball for good measure.

Alex, who was sitting in the captain’s chair to film it, said, "Awww, I bet that hurt."

Mark stepped out from behind the deer and grinned. "This says ‘fuck you’ much louder than the forks in my yard."

Alex walked past Callie without a word, carefully stepping through the worst of the blood. He handed Mark the camera, then looked down at her. "I hope you didn’t get all dressed up for me."

"I didn’t," Callie snapped, reaching down to help Addison to her feet. "I happen to have a lunch date. Handsome guy, knows how to treat a woman."

Addison was so shocked at the lie that she lost her footing and pulled Callie down with her.

The men left them there.

Their laughter traveled back to the yacht all the way from the trail.

"I’ve decided to become a non-practicing lesbian," Callie said, slipping and sliding to her feet. Her panty hose and dress were soaked with blood.

"I’ll join you." Addison almost pulled her down again. "Wait, what does that mean?"

They both wore jeans to work.

*~*~*~*~*~

By December the fourteenth, every relationship at Seattle Grace had hit a brick wall. Chief Webber was served with divorce papers, Bailey spent her lunch hour with the Angry Woman Club as an honorary member because of an argument with her husband, and the four founders were so stressed that they ate another cake (this one red velvet). The men had upped their counter attacks, taking a page from the women’s book and laughing carelessly at their lunch table. Derek had actually approached Callie to ask her to bring a few of Alex’s things to work so he could avoid stopping by the yacht. Callie had told him what Alex could do with his things in no uncertain terms.

With the concert just a few days away, Callie had plenty to do to keep her mind off Alex, but it didn’t seem to help as much as she would have liked. It was very easy to keep her poker face while she was at work because the level of man hatred was infectious, but at night ... at night she hugged his pillow and cried herself to sleep. She had taken to wearing one of his button down shirts to bed, one that she had pulled from the hamper, and she would lift the collar every night and breathe him in through her tears.

She knew that her family was aware that Alex was no longer staying on the yacht and that Addison had moved in. Subtlety had never been their strong suit, but they had finally gotten the hint that Callie didn’t want to talk about it. At all. Not even to Cambyses, who called her daily to ask if she was still regressing into toddler-hood. Callie marked the days off on the calendar with a black Sharpie and when the day of the concert finally rolled around, she greeted it feeling like a large, heavy cloud was hanging over her shoulders. It had been eleven days since Alex left and those eleven days had felt like boot camp for the heart. It left her soul weary and tired.

Callie and Addison both had the day off and they woke up early to get ready for the concert. They started their day with breakfast at the local IHOP and drove by the Key Arena to gawk at all the tour busses that where lined up in the back. After getting manicured, pedicured, waxed and pretty at the salon, they ate lunch at the mall and finally addressed the horrible, deformed, and nauseating elephant in the room.
"I miss him," Addison said, picking at her sandwich. She looked up at Callie as if she expected to see disappointment on her friend’s face. Instead, she saw that Callie was close to crying on her hamburger. "And you miss Alex."

Callie nodded and swallowed her food before she replied. "He promised me that he would never leave again."

"He didn’t leave, Cal, you threw him out."

"How do I throw him back in?"

"If I knew the answer to that I wouldn’t wake up scared to death every morning because I’m seeing myself on your ceiling," Addy said, smiling sadly. "It’s more fun to watch yourself when someone is going down on -"

"I don’t need you to paint the picture. I’ve lived it myself."

"Mark has a great mouth. And his tongue-"

"I’ve lived that as well so we can skip that little walk down memory lane, too." Callie propped her chin in her palm and sighed. "They’ll be there tonight."

"I don’t think we should wear the dresses we bought."

"Why?" Callie sat up straighter. "My dress is hot and very sexy."

"Let’s buy ‘come fuck me’ clothes instead."

"My dress screams ‘come fuck me’. It’s -"

"It’s not leather." Addison pointed at the nearest shop window, where a leather skirt had been paired with knee boots and a form fitting long sleeved T-shirt.

"You want to wear that?" Callie asked, scandalized. "Okay, *I* could pull that off, but you’d totally look like a poser."

"Wanna bet? Look at my hair, Callie. It screams 'ho'."

Addison was right. Her red hair had been curled in big, barrel rollers and was teased up and out to perfection. Callie had actually called it 'porn hair' when she saw the final results.

They ate fast and walked into the shop. Callie splurged on a red leather mini skirt that barely covered her ass, black knee boots, and a tight black shirt that was more lace than fabric. The shirt tied down the front with a red ribbon, making it impossible for a bra, but the built in bustier gave her so much cleavage that she looked like she belonged on the cover of a trashy bodice ripping book. It left most of her stomach exposed and nearly all of her back and it showed off both of Callie’s tattoos with a vengeance.

Addison chose a black skirt and red shirt. Her skirt was only slightly longer than Callie’s, and the shirt was far more modest, but she felt sexy as hell in it and knew that the red lipstick she had purchased earlier would scream ‘I am woman, hear me roar’ when coupled with the ensemble. There was a considerable bounce in their step when they exited the store and ran straight into Cristina and Meredith.

"What did you get?" Cristina took Callie’s large bag and poked around in it. She pulled out the skirt and her eyes widened. "You guys had the same idea we did. We’re whoring it up tonight."

"It’s time to step up the offensive," Addison said. "And one thing all of our boys have in common ... is a jealous streak."

*~*~*~*~*~

Alex was sitting in the back seat of Mark’s car beside Burke. Derek rode shotgun and thus far, barely four words had passed between them all. When Burke sighed, Alex looked at him expectantly, but the man camouflaged it by stifling the biggest, most pretend yawn that he could muster. With a sigh of his own, Alex looked back out the window, absently rubbing the spot over his heart where Callie’s kiss was. He usually woke up with his hand in that same location.

"We’re going to have to apologize." Mark made the statement with the same tone that you’d expect to hear someone announce that the cancer had spread to all the organs. He said it like a death sentence had been placed over their heads. "It’s time to suck it up."

Beside Alex, Burke sat up a little straighter. "You’re right."

"What happened to holding out for as long as possible?" Derek asked. "It’s supposed to get easier the longer we do it. That’s what we’ve been saying."

"Take it from me," Burke replied. "It doesn’t. It’s been months since I spoke to Cristina and I still wake up shocked that she’s not there."

"Dude, you’ll get killed if you attempt to apologize," Alex advised Burke. "You left her at the *altar*. She hates you. She uses your photo as a dart board."

"And you left Callie on the yacht. And I left Meredith at her house and Addison technically left Mark, but he pretty much threw her out," Derek replied. "Leaving is still leaving ... no matter where it’s done. We’re all just as guilty. And probably just as hated."

"That’s such a comfort." Mark glared at Derek, then back out at the road. "Addison is coming home with me tonight and that’s all there is to it. I’m not doing twelve days."

"So we’re apologizing?" Alex put his hand back over the tattoo. "Even if we didn’t do anything wrong."

"You called her an idiot." Mark met his eyes in the rearview mirror.

"She is an idiot!" Alex scowled, then added, "But she’s *my* idiot."

"Then we’ll do this." Derek laughed a little. "I once told O’Malley that love was the most innocent murderer to ever walk the face of the planet. I think it’s actually a serial killer, though. I feel like we’re about to come face to face with the female counterparts of Bundy, Dahmer, Gacy, and Richard Ramirez."

Alex chuckled. "Callie’s the Ramirez, right."

"She does have that Gothy-Satan vibe thing." Mark nodded. "Addison would be Gacy. He dressed like a clown to lure victims and she’s a clown with or without the makeup. Plus, red hair. And she’s evil. Very, very evil."

"Cristina would be Dahmer." Burke smiled. "She’d be the first one to resort to cannibalism if she needed to eat. Hell, she’d resort to cannibalism just because she hates people."

"That leaves Bundy," Derek said. "Meredith is a Ted Bundy. She’s pretty, she’s smart, she’s manipulative, and she rampages on my heart every time she comes around. Yeah, she’s a Bundy."

"You think Bundy was pretty?" Mark laughed. "That’s so sweet."

"I’ll punch you. Even when you’re driving."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie gave Addison the VIP pass that was meant for Alex and they parked in the back of the Key Arena. Security let them in and they spent the hour before the show watching different celebrities. Even though Callie was on a first name basis with a majority of the performers, Addison’s star struck disease was contagious, and when Jennifer Lopez greeted them both, Callie grinned like a buffoon and it was Addison who did the talking.

The lineup was huge and the concert itself would begin at seven and was expected to still be going strong at midnight. Several artists that Callie did not personally know had been last minute additions and when Justin Timberlake walked past with his entourage, Addison’s eyes almost bugged out her head. Callie had to stop her from pinching him on the ass. They finally headed around the stage and spotted the rest of their group when someone called out to them. Two men were approaching, two gorgeous, flawless men. Both were shirtless and wore matching pants and combat boots. The tallest had blond hair and blue eyes and the other, who was slightly shorter but still pushed over six feet, had coal black hair and a chiseled face.

"Hi," said the blond, looking at Callie. "I’m Seth and this is Jake."

"We’re backup dancers for Kanye West." Jake grinned at Addison with an air of egotistical importance.

"Callie," she shook Seth’s hand and watched as Addison introduced herself as well. "It’s nice to meet you."

"I thought that was you. We saw your picture in the program," Seth said, looking her up and down. "But I gotta say, the photo just doesn’t do you justice."

Callie took the booklet he held out and groaned at the photo of her on the first page. "Why? Why did they do this?"

"Because you’re the reason we’re here," Jake smiled, revealing the whitest, prettiest teeth God ever put in a man. He looked at Addison and said, "You guys are officially invited to the party afterwards. Drugs, sex, and rock and roll in no particular order."

"We’ll keep that in mind," Addison replied, her smile less friendly now. It was one thing to be a pretty man ... it was another to be so open about the fact that you knew it.

"You guys are up front, right?" Seth asked.

"We are."

"Keep an eye out for us," he told Callie, then reached up and boldly touched her hair. "Nice. Very nice."

Addison and Callie both dissolved into giggles when the guys walked off. When they made it to their seats, they knew that Mark and Alex had witnessed the entire exchange, but it was Cristina who spoke up, "Did you guys just get mistaken for groupies?"

Callie nodded. "We’re officially invited to the after party."

"Sex, drugs, and rock and roll." Addison ignored Mark as she slipped in front of him and walked toward her chair.

"Must be the clothes," Meredith said, adjusting her leather pants and barely there shirt. "We got hit on by roadies."

"Yeah," Alex said, stepping forward a little to trap Callie against the stage. "The clothes scream tramp."

Callie looked up at him, fire in her eyes. "Wow, I’ve graduated from idiot to tramp. You’re still stuck at ass, though."

"As least I covered my ass." Reaching down, he touched the back of her leg where the skirt ended. The cheek of her butt was bare and he glared at her. "You’re not wearing panties. You’re not wearing panties and this skirt is a *belt*. Where’s the rest of it?"

"I’m wearing a thong and you didn’t cover your ass at all. If you had I wouldn’t be hearing it. It would be muffled." She pushed against his chest, but he didn’t let her go. "Alex, I’m not-"

"Put my jacket on."

"If I wanted a jacket I would have worn one."

"You’re half naked!"

"That's the whole point. I don't plan on going home alone tonight." She smiled deviously, running her finger over her cleavage, which she had sprinkled with glitter. Lifting her leg a little, she pressed her thigh against his crotch. He was rock hard. "Apparently you don’t mind as much as you’d like me to believe."

Alex let her go and walked away. She joined her friends and Addison raised a brow. "That looked intense."

Callie shrugged. Her parents and Cam had purchased one of the private balconies that hung over the stage and she waved up at them. A moment later she saw that Alex had joined them and she turned her back to them all, listening to the conversation between Addison and Cristina. The show was starting when George and Izzie arrived. Izzie’s eyes almost bugged out of her head when she saw the way the other women were dressed. She had opted for jeans and a Justin Timberlake t-shirt that was not very flattering and her hair was in a messy pony tail.

"Did you work today?" Cristina asked her.

"No, why?" Izzie was looking at Callie’s legs, which were far more toned and muscular than she imagined they would be.

"Because you look like crap."

"Gee, thanks," Izzie replied.

George moved past Izzie and greeted Callie, eyeballing her up and down. "You look like you belong on the stage."

"Oh, God," Callie told him. "Don’t ever say that where my mother can hear you. She’d probably start crying and mourn the fact that I’m *not* on stage."

"You really can sing," he said, still gazing at her breasts. "I was stunned the other night. You never told me you could sing like that."

"You weren’t with me long enough to learn all my secrets, O’Malley." She glanced back up at the balcony as the big lights went down the stage started to swirl with laser beams. Alex was sitting beside Cam and he looked miserable. "You ready for the show?"

George licked his lips as the glitter on her chest reflected the lights. "I’m ready."

Callie cut her eyes over at him. "The stage is that way, Salivator."

"Oh, right." He looked at the stage, unashamed of the fact that he had been enjoying the view that Callie gave him much, much more than the show.

The first couple of hours passed in a blur for Callie. She danced her ass off with Cristina, who proved to be a better dancer than Addison and Meredith combined. When Kanye West took to the stage for the first of his ten song set, the roars were deafening. Seth, the back up dancer, marched to the front of the stage and decided that he needed to dance right in front of Callie and proceeded to do just that. When he leaned down and motioned for her to come closer, she shook her head, Her persisted and when she didn’t join him, he hopped off the edge of the stage and gave her a standing lap dance that made all the ladies in the vicinity whoop and holler.

When he finally returned to the stage, she forced herself to smile, give him a thumb’s up, and then excused herself. She headed into the lobby and bought a bottle of water. Alex was standing behind her when she turned back toward the stage. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you want to taste my water to make sure it’s just water?"

"I trust you." He reached out and touched her arm, shocked at how true the words were. As much as it had infuriated him to see her dance with the blond guy, he still trusted her. He knew her. "Your parents want you to come up to the balcony."

"Okay."

He held out his hand and after a moment’s hesitation, she took it. He laced their fingers and pulled her a little closer as a group of college aged boys looked her up and down. Wordlessly, he led her through a series of hallways and then opened the door to the private balcony with a magnetic key. He let her walk in ahead of him and then he shut the door behind them, making sure it closed all the way.

Callie started to head up the stairs, but he grabbed her, yanking her around to face him. "Listen, Jock Strap, I’m not -"

Alex crushed her mouth with his. It was a hard, punishing kiss that was passionate and painful. His hands tangled in her hair, pulling, and she scratched at his arms as they each struggled for dominance. After two attempts, he pinned her against the wall and slid his thigh between hers. His tongue moved against hers and then he bit her bottom lip and broke away.

Callie was breathless, gasping for air. Wordlessly, she reached between them and unbuttoned his pants. Within seconds, she had freed him from the confines of his jeans and he responded by wrenching her skirt up over her hips. Pushing her thong to one side, he pulled her leg over his hip and slammed into her. His head fell back as she enveloped him and she seized the opportunity to latch onto his neck, suckling at his flesh, licking a path to his ear.

Alex untied the ribbon on the front of her shirt and lowered his head, rolling his tongue around her erect nipple. He palmed her other breast, twisting and kneading. When he finally reached between them and rubbed her clit, she cried out. He captured her mouth again, silencing her, tasting her hunger. Her hands moved under his shirt and a second later she came, bringing blood as her nails raked his back. He surged against her from the pain and the ecstasy of being inside her again pushed him over the edge.

With his head against her chest, he whispered, "I miss you, baby."

"Apologize to me." Callie ran her hands through his hair, breathing hard. "Say you’re sorry and come back home."

"I’m not apologizing." He lifted his head and looked her in the eye. "You wanted me without the kid gloves and that’s what you got. If I can accept that you’re an idiot then you’ll have to accept that I have no problem telling you so."

She shoved him backwards and yanked her skirt down. "You’re not coming home until you take it back, until you’re sorry!"

"Then I guess I should get everything I own from the yacht and move on, because it’s not happening." He refastened his pants. "We either meet halfway or end it. Right now."

"Why are you so fucking stubborn?"

"Pot. Kettle."

"I’m stubborn because I’m *right*!"

"No, I’m right." Alex watched her fumble with the ribbon on the front of her shirt. "Callie, you know that I’m right! All I’m asking is for you to think before you do things! You never think and -"

"Yeah, well I’m thinking right now!"

"What do you mean?"

"I’m fine without you, Alex. I am. These past eleven days have shown me that I’m not weak, that I have a spine, that I can be okay on my own. I’m strong as hell and I don’t need a man." She finished working on her shirt and reached up, smoothing her hair down. "I don’t want to live without you, but I can and I will if I have to. If you can’t -"

"I apologized to you after you lied to me and I left. I didn’t have to do that, Callie. I didn’t have to come back with that stupid bear or that ugly potted plant, but I did it. I apologized even though *you* were the one that was wrong. I swallowed my pride and I said it." Alex pointed a finger at her. "You are the one who keeps fucking us up. You’re the one who -"

"Fine, Alex! I’ll take all the blame and act like I’m perfectly content to be in an emotionally abusive relationship!"

"Emotionally abusive!?" Alex yelled, his face flooding with color. "Emotionally abusive!? What the fuck do you think you’ve been doing to me these past few months? I have been put through hell by you because you don’t care about anyone but yourself!"

"First you accuse me of not caring about myself and now you say that’s all I care about! And you call me the idiot! Which one is it!?"

"I’m done!" he shouted. "I am not doing this anymore!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!"

"Both of you shut up right now!" Melana snapped, pausing halfway down the stairs. Her hands were on her ample hips and she pursed her lips as she glared from one to the other. "We’ve missed Vanilla Ice because of you two shouting at one another!"

"Then count your blessings!" Callie cried. "He was here as the joke!"

"No, you are the joke!" Melana growled. "And I have had it with your behavior, Calliope. I’ve had it!"

"I haven’t done anything!"

"Oh, you’re not standing before me with hardly any clothing on? You didn’t manipulate your father into leaving the tube out? You didn’t lie to us about how it came out? You didn't try to kill yourself or -"

"Mother, Alex has already rattled off my many faults! I really don’t need you to chime in for the chorus!"

"Apparently you do!" Mel bellowed, her voice echoing off the concrete walls as she stalked down the stairs. "Because you’re not listening to him! You’re not hearing the truth! You’re standing here ready to throw your future with him away because you don’t know how to accept the fact that *we* won! You’re not able to run away, you’re not able to starve yourself or take your plane and fly because *we* won. Our love for you has finally rooted you to one spot and you’re angry that you can’t change it, but you hate that you don’t really want to. You like being grounded for the first time in your life! You’re not pissed at him for calling you an idiot ... you’re pissed at yourself because you know he’s right. And you’re pissed at yourself for needing him like you do."

Callie closed her eyes against the tears that were threatening to spill. A second later, her mother put a hand under her chin and lifted it. "Honey, you don’t have to win every argument. Love is a battlefield, but if you want to get out of it alive then you have to learn when to concede defeat. He wins this round because he earned the right to win it. He earned that right because he has almost lost you several times now. And why did he almost lose you, Callie? Say it."

Taking a deep breath, Callie crossed her arms over her chest. "You want me to say that it’s because I was an idiot."

"If the shoe fits." Melana brushed the tear off her daughter’s cheek. "I heard you tell him that you could live without him. We can live without *everything* except food, water, and oxygen, but you have to ask yourself if that would really be a life worth living? And is your pride really more valuable than your happiness? Surely I’ve taught you better than that."

Callie didn’t answer, she simply stared down at the floor. Melana pushed her hair over her shoulder and said, "Addison and Mark seem to have mended their fences. They probably could have conceived a child a few moments ago if they hadn’t been fully clothed. And your little Asian friend was, as Cam called it, dry humping the black man that I haven’t yet had the pleasure to meet. He’s very handsome." She cleared her throat. "Perhaps being the only active member of the Angry Woman Club won’t be quite as fun without the rest of the team, mi vida."

"How did you know about that?" Callie asked, stunned.

"One day you will have a daughter and you’re going to see that everything I know ... I know because I’m your mother." Melana smiled and hugged her. "And because Addison tells me far more than you do." Taking a step back, she looked at Callie’s hip. "I’m going to go back upstairs and I’ll expect the two of you to join us in ten minutes because I can’t wait to hear why you have *another* tattoo on you after your father almost died from a stroke over the last one. Idiot."

Alex watched Melana walk back up the stairs and had to fight hard not to smile. Callie was just like her mother in appearance *and* in attitude and it was amazing to him. He adored Melana Torres and hoped that Callie would be just as feisty at her age. And he hoped that she would be just as curvy. When he looked back at Callie, the urge to smile left him immediately. She was crying and as usual ... it did things to him that he hated. She had slumped back against the wall and looked as defeated and dejected as a child in time out.

He slowly walked to where she stood and put his palms on either side of her head against the wall. "I’m glad that you can live without me, but I haven’t learned how to live without you yet so if you could keep that in mind ... I’d appreciate it."

She looked up at him, her chin trembling. "You get that I was lying, right? I cry myself to sleep every night in *your* shirt because -"

He silenced her with a soft, sweet kiss, then hugged her. "I love you, Callie. I swear to God, I love you."

She sniffled against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, too."

Easing back, he caught her tears with his thumbs and kissed her cheeks. "Do you really think I’m emotionally abusive?"

"No, but I really think you’re an ass."

He smiled at her. "It’s too easy. I won’t say it."

"I know, I know. You think I’m an idiot."

"No, I was going to tell you that you could kiss my ass, but I think if you did that we wouldn’t get upstairs in ten minutes and ... your mom would probably catch us in a very compromising position."

Callie’s phone trilled loudly from her back pocket and her eyes widened. "Holy shit! I have to go. Stay with my parents, make an excuse, I’ll be *right* back."

"Where are you going?"

"You’ll see."

*~*~*~*~*~

Addison leaned her head back against Mark’s chest and smiled as Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony sang a very romantic song in Spanish. At least, she thought it was romantic. She had no idea what they were saying, but the fact that Mark had slipped her ring back on her finger a few moments before made it the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. To her left, Derek was kissing Meredith and to her right, Preston was slow dancing with Cristina and they were looking at each other in *that* way. The way that Mark looked at her now.

She wondered where Callie had gotten off to. She looked up at the balcony and saw Alex sitting beside Cambyses and she waved. Alex smiled at her, throwing up his hand, and she took that as a good sign. Karev had not been smiling much lately ... and when he did, it was apparent to anyone with eyes that it was fake and pathetic. The music stopped and everyone cheered as J-Lo and Marc left the stage. Addison opened her mouth to say something to Mark, but his loud, "Oh my god!" startled her.

Following his gaze, she looked back at the stage and gasped. Callie had emerged wearing a beautiful winter white dress and had a guitar strapped over her shoulder. She wore a microphone on her head and spoke in a loud, clear voice, introducing herself.

"You guys knew this was coming," Callie said, smiling. "We’re in the home stretch and as much fun as we’ve had tonight, we do need to take a moment and remember why we’re here. We’re here to honor Denny Duquette, the man who, in death, funded the clinic this year and that clinic has treated over two thousand patients who could not afford medical care on their own. We anticipate that number to triple in the new year."

Callie pointed up into the nosebleed section. "The hundred and fifty that you paid for your seat tonight will buy flu shots. It will buy mammograms and X-rays and saline solution." She gestured toward the people on the ground. "And the five hundred that you paid for your seats will help fund the surgeries and more advanced treatments. So give yourselves a hand because with your help, we’ve raised over fifteen million dollars."

The applause was deafening and Callie waited patiently for it to die down. Three large screens were lowered, one behind her and one on either side of the stage. "Denny Duquette was not the only person to die at Seattle Grace this year. Since so many of our loved ones couldn’t be here ... I brought them in the only way I knew how. I’m going to sing you a little song and we’re going to see their names and faces and *remember* why we’re here."

Callie began to strum the guitar and the unmistakable melody of Eric Clapton’s ‘Tears In Heaven’ filled the arena. In alphabetical order, names and photos began to fill the screens. The intro to the song was long and entirely acoustic and when Callie finally began to sing, a hush had fallen over the arena that was broken frequently by people applauding for certain names or shouting that so and so was their cousin, brother, sister, daughter.

It was very plain that most of the audience had lost someone that year, someone who was being honored and that was the reason that no one had flinched at the ticket costs. They had been called there by a ghost, by the pain, and for many of them, the song and the photo, or in some cases just a name, put a bandage over the hole that was left in their heart.

For George O’Malley, that was definitely the case. The photo of his father was one of his favorites. Harold was dressed in his hunting gear and bright orange hat and was beaming as he held up a turkey. In that moment, George knew that if he ever had a son, he would take him turkey hunting, pick cars, and not say a word when he found a Playboy under his mattress. He wanted to be just like his father and, while it was too late to tell Harold that, George believed that he knew, that he was there in spirit. Because Callie had called them all there with her beautiful voice and the power of the song. He wiped the tears off his face when Addison hugged him and then Izzie had her arm around him as well.

To cover all the names and faces, Callie had to make the song last for close to seven minutes so she added a couple of verses that she had written herself. Glancing at the screen, she saw that she had timed it perfectly and strummed the final notes of the song. Once again, the applause was deafening and then the screen filled with Denny’s smiling face. A second later, the words, "Please observe a moment of silence" dominated the monitors and the crowd quieted instantly.

After one full minute, a home movie of Denny’s life began, showing him as a toddler, playing in the pool. Callie sang ‘Amazing Grace’ acapella and when the film faded on a still picture of his face, she took a deep breath and said, "Thank you so much. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I introduce Justin Timberlake."

Callie exited the stage during an insane laser show and made small talk with the banking company in charge of the funds and donations. She didn’t want to interrupt the big finale for her friends, so she headed the back way, still wearing her white gown, to her parent’s balcony. Her VIP pass unlocked the door and she hurried up the stairs. Her father pulled her into his arms and lifted her off her feet, hugging her ferociously.

Melana was a sobbing mess when she finally got her hands on Callie. "Oh, it was so sad, but I’ve always wanted to see you on a stage this size and you did it! You did it beautifully! You have given me the best gift in the world, honey."

Callie beamed at her. "Nobody booed. I was sure they would."

"Why would they? It was incredible." Cam clapped her on the back. "You still don’t play the guitar as well as me, but you’ll do."

"Shut up," Callie slapped his arm, then turned to Alex and hugged him. In a low voice, she said, "You notice how I strategically covered my tattoo?"

He laughed out loud and held onto her. Callie was spastic, crazy, and omitted parts of the truth every chance she got. She was annoying, abrasive, and the biggest idiot he had ever known in his life ... but he loved her. He loved everything about her and when he kissed her a second later, he knew that she was perfect for him, flaws and all.

And he would not change her even if he could.

*~*~*~*~*~

CH 37
Callie slept in late the following morning and awoke to the smells of French Toast. She grimaced, remembering the last time Alex had cooked it. He had dipped the bread in grease instead of eggs and burned it to a crisp, but put enough syrup on it to make it slide down the throat without chewing. Actually, that was probably due to the grease. Sitting up, she pulled on her tank top and located a pair of his boxers, folding the waist down several times so that they hung low on her hips.

She stretched, popping her back. Acrobatic sex had never felt so good. Alex had attacked her in the car, in the living room, and in the bathtub after the concert. Then he had woken her up before dawn to love her again and that time had been slow and easy. Callie pulled a brush through her hair before she padded out of the bedroom. If breakfast could be salvaged, she would gladly do it herself.

She drew up short when she saw her mother in the galley, flipping the toast with one hand and bacon with the other. Her father sat beside Alex on the sofa lost in conversation and Cam was sitting in the floor, trying to train Fratelli to roll over. "That’s a lost cause," Callie said, bending down to kiss her brother on the head. "That ferret has three sixes on its head."

"Then he’s perfect for you, huh?" Cam winked up at her.

Callie stole a piece of bacon from the plate, only to have her hand slapped by her mother. "If you want me to eat then don’t hit me for it, child abuser. Need some help?"

"I’ve got it. And do you have *any* clothing that actually covers you well?" To prove her point, Melana smacked her again, this time on her hip which was bare.

"I wasn’t expecting company! Where’s Gucci?"

"He’s in your spare room. He doesn’t like your ferret and was tormenting him so he’s in a time out."

"You don’t like my ferret either, Mom. I’m surprised you didn’t give Gucci a cookie for terrorizing him."

"Hush!" Melana scolded. "We had those pictures developed for you, honey. The ones from your little vacation to California. They’re gorgeous."

"Really?" Callie left her mom to the cooking and walked into the salon, reaching down to pick up one of the many packets of photos. Her father grabbed her arm, glaring at her. "Dad?"

"Stand up."

"I am standing up."

"Straight."

Callie straightened, confused. "Okay."

Raphael poked her hip with the tip of his finger. "What is that?"

With a gasp, she tried to pull her shirt down, but it was no use. There just wasn’t enough fabric. "Henna."

"Henna?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do I look like I was born yesterday?"

"No, you’re way too gray for that."

"My goodness, I wonder why." Her dad pulled her a little closer and took his glasses out of the front pocket of his shirt. He slipped them on and looked at the tattoo. "Well, it’s far nicer than that thing on your back. Smaller, too." Turning, he looked at Alex. "I take it you have one as well or was my daughter the only crazy one?"

Alex nodded and pointed at his chest. "We both did it, but she is the only crazy one."

"I see. Do the two of you understand that tattoos are quite permanent? Even if you have them removed, it leaves a scar." Raphael raised a brow at his daughter. "It’s not like a wedding band that you just take off, Mija."

"Which is why we got the ink. A wedding band *does* come off and it leaves an even bigger scar when it does. Invisible ones are worse, Daddy."

"Ooooh, someone’s jaded." Cam called, then smiled when she flipped him a bird.

Callie picked up a envelope of photos, clearly putting an end to the conversation. Opening it, she smiled. "Disneyland!"

"Disneyland," Alex replied, pulling her into his lap. Her comment about the wedding band rankled him, but he said nothing. He had told her on a few occasions that he wanted to marry her one day and she was making it very clear that she didn’t want that. Ever. "These photos are great, but wait until you see the ones from Alcatraz."

Callie frowned as she flipped through the Disney photos. In every shot, no matter where they were, the person dressed in the Eeyore costume was standing a few feet away. They were in every frame, even the night shots of the two of them at the fireworks display. She started to comment, but Alex handed her the Alcatraz photos.

She forgot about their Eeyore stalker entirely when she saw the first photo. "I so had a perfect hair day!"

"You’re vain." Alex goosed her in the ribs and watched as she flipped through the pictures. He could tell by her expression that she loved them as much as he did.

There were several of them in their matching jackets, doing the classic ‘prom’ poses in front of different landmarks on the island. The ones that were breathtaking, though, were the ones after their fight. She was in his lap and had her face turned against his to avoid the cold. There were a couple of them looking at each other, their faces inches apart, and a few of them hugging at the back of the ferry, also after their fight. In one of the photos, the moon was hanging behind them, silhouetting them, and she was gazing up at him with her hand on his cheek.

"Those old people must have been professional photographers!" Callie cried. "These are beautiful."

"They really are," Alex agreed.

"We’ll have this one enlarged," Callie replied, showing him one that was a close-up. It looked like they were about to kiss. His hand was in her hair and her eyes were downcast. "Huge. And hang it in the house."

"You’re crying in that one," Alex said. "I don’t like it."

"Which is why we’ll hang it in the house. That way you’ll have a constant reminder that you don’t like it. And maybe you won't make me do it."

"Why were you crying? If you don’t mind me asking," Raph said. "It was a shock when we saw that."

"Because right from the start of our rocky relationship, Alex has been excessively cruel to me." Callie attempted to sound pitiful, but wound up laughing at the skeptical looks on everyone’s face. "Oh all right ... he told me that he thought I was going to go back to George and as you can see ... he is *always* wrong."

"Not always, idiot," Cam called, then yelped because the ferret bit his finger. "Ow, shit!"

"Good, Fratelli," Callie cooed, leaving Alex’s lap to pick up the animal. She nuzzled her face against his and plucked another piece of bacon off the plate, taking a bite and feeding the ferret a small amount.

"You’re rewarding him for biting me." Cam got to his feet, shocked. "You asshole."

"Hey, do you guys want to watch Cam’s birthday surprise?" Callie smiled at Alex, who had seen the tape enough to memorize the opera that Blake channeled.

"Don’t you *dare*!" Cam told her, taking Fratelli and putting him back into his cage. "We’re staying for Christmas, by the way. Alex can't take off to travel to Florida and we like him more than you."

"Really? Not the liking him more part, but you guys are going to stay?" Callie looked at her father for confirmation. When Raphael nodded, she smiled. "Are Stav and Louk coming out?"

"They’ll be arriving on the twenty third," Melana told her, handing her a bottle of soap. "You two wash the rodent off you before you come to breakfast and for the love of God, Calliope, go put on a robe."

Callie tossed the soap to Cam and headed back to her room. A second later Alex joined her and said, "Your family kicks ass and your mom? She’s better than a sitcom mother and swears more, too."

"You’re only saying that because she took your side last night," she told him. "But I kinda agree. Even if they do show up unannounced and -"

"I actually invited them, Cal."

"Why?"

"Because I didn’t know if this morning would be awkward and -."

"Why would it be awkward?" She had been digging through her drawers for something to wear, but she stopped and looked at him. "Alex?"

"We were apart for eleven days and even though we had a lot of make up sex and it was amazing, I didn’t really want to wake up this morning and fight again. So, they’re here. To mediate."

"Well, damn, Alex. It wasn't awkward until right now." She leaned down and finally found her red track pants and matching jacket. Turning to look at him, she added, "Is there something else you need to say to me that you didn’t cover already?"

"No." Alex reached for her, kissing her forehead. "Is there something you need to say to me?"

"How about welcome home?" she offered. "And don’t steal my ferret again! Oh, and I bleached all your underwear because I was pissed at you so now the dark ones look tie dyed, but I'll buy you new ones for Christmas."

"Anything else?"

"Just one small thing that I’d rather tell you about now than later." Callie bit her bottom lip, looking anxious. "I got my propeller that you threw overboard. And I did it without a wet suit thanks to you."

To illustrate that it was true, she lifted the dust ruffle on the bed. Alex leaned down and saw for himself that the propeller was indeed there. His jaw was tight when he looked back at her. "I can see right now that you haven’t learned a thing."

"Oh, yes I have."

"What?"

"That I don’t want to fight with you any more." She took a deep breath. "But when you challenge me-"

"I did not challenge you! I told you not to do it!"

"Don't tell me what to do, Alex, because that’s a dare as far as I’m concerned!"

"You are going to be the death of me, Callie! I need blood pressure meds to be near you!"

"Listen to me before you start screaming at me! I can explain this!"

There was a knock on the door and Melana walked in. She had the same look on her face that she had the night before. "I am two seconds away from knocking your heads together. If you can’t talk to one another without yelling then don’t talk."

"Do you know what she did?" Alex snapped. "She dove into the bay to get that damn propeller that I threw overboard! She could have drowned! It’s heavy as hell and she didn’t have a wet suit and -"

"Carry on," Melana said.

"Mom!" Callie watched her mother leave the room and looked back at Alex. "Did I not just say that I don’t want to fight with you?"

"What did you think would happen when you got that thing out of the water?"

"If you would shut up, I could give you all the details!"

"Let me guess ... God told you to get it? The Opus Dei sent you a special message? Father Todd told you that cold water was penance?"

"Oh my god! Now I need blood pressure medicine!"

"Think of something really good, Callie, and lay it on me."

"I was scrubbing deer blood off the deck, Alex. Deer blood that was there because of you and I fell in! I figured that since I was already there I’d get the damn propeller! Because I was pissed at you!"

"You fell in?"

"You’re welcome to call Addison. She almost dialed 911."

"Maybe I will!"

As if on cue, the red head burst through the bedroom door. Her hair was sticking up at all angles and she was wearing her red shirt from the night before inside out with a pair of jeans. "Why can’t you answer your damn phone!? It’s all over the news!" she cried.

"What is?"

"Ava! Her family! They’re here. She remembers them! They’re actually from Canada and our episode of Oprah was delayed up there and aired yesterday!" Addison looked at her friend expectantly. "Well? Callie, will you have a reaction?"

"Can you please tell him how I got the propeller?" Callie said softly.

"When you fell in? That was so scary. I thought she hit her head on the side of the boat. It looked like it." Addison shivered. "It’s cold in here. Would you get dressed so we can go see Ava!?"

"Okay, okay. Get out." Callie sat down on the foot of the bed as Addison hurried from the room. She took a moment to digest the news about Ava. After a while, she said, "Wow. I should feel so much better than I do. I’ve been waiting for this for months and the only thing I can think is you’re going to leave again and -"

"I’m not going anywhere," Alex said, sitting beside her. He reached over and took her hand. "You piss me off, Torres, almost every day. And you do make my blood boil ... also nearly every day. But I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the fight we just had and I am very, very sorry for calling you an idiot."

"Everyone agrees with you."

"They’re wrong."

"Do you actually mean that or are you trying to make me forget that my family likes you more than they like me?"

"They don’t. For eleven days I had daily ass chewings by your parents and Cam threatened to dismember my body and bury it in the woods at the concert. He was very graphic and painted a truly scary picture for me."

"Really? That is so sweet."

"Sweet?" Alex’s eyes widened. "Hello, Richard Ramirez. You know who that is, right?"

"The Night Stalker?" she asked. Alex nodded. "He’s a serial killer convicted of thirteen murders, five attempted murders, and eleven sexual assaults. He’s currently in San Quentin awaiting the death penalty and the chick he married says that she’ll kill herself when he’s executed. I don’t think Cambyses would do a Night Stalker on you, Alex. He’d probably do an Ed Gein and turn you into furniture. Ooh, or a rug. Maybe a purse for me."

He simply blinked. Several times.

"Quit looking at me like I’m not of those freaks who worship murderers, Jock Strap. I ran a serial killer website when the internet was all new and shiny. It was very informative and a fun hobby." She shrugged. "It annoyed my mother so I kept it up for years."

"As scary as your brother is ... you’re worse."

"You better believe it." She leaned over and kissed him. "I’m sorry, too, by the way. For everything."

"Let’s go see Ava. Because we really need to make up the correct way and you’re over dressed for that."

*~*~*~*~*~

It was true.

Ava’s family had come in from Canada, which explained why they had not seen the news coverage. Oprah, apparently, was a universal language and the moment they saw Ava on the show, they recognized her voice and the scars on her arms. Derek was in Ava’s room when Callie and Alex walked in. Ava flung herself past Derek and into Callie’s arms, then Alex’s. She kept thanking them through her sobs and when she finally returned to the bed to answer Derek’s questions, her husband Jeff stepped forward.

Callie shook his hand, grinning. Alexandria looked just like her father. He had red hair and a cupid bow mouth and his eyes were the richest, most vivid shade of green that the baby’s eyes matched perfectly. Ava’s parents were in the corner and Callie hugged her mother because the woman was a blubbering wreck. Ava’s dad was holding Alexandria, so she shook his hand and then she listened to what had happened.

Ava, whose real name was Rebecca, was from Prince Edward Island, but lived with Jeff in Montreal. Five days before the ferry disaster, she had taken a trip to Vancouver to see several of her friends from school, three of whom were also pregnant, for a girl’s adventure. Ava, who was the last to leave on the fifth day, missed her plane and was told that she’d need to wait overnight for another one. Bored, she had driven to Seattle to see the Space Needle, something she had always wanted to do. After going to the aquarium, she had decided that the lure of the ferry was just too much to ignore and parked her rental car in its large belly to enjoy the view the boat afforded her.

It had crashed, taking with it the evidence of her rental car and all the traces of who she was as well. Her family never dreamed for a moment that she would have driven into the States and the news of the ferry had not reached Prince Edward Island or Montreal so they never had an inkling that Ava could have been on board it. The police in Canada were working it as a missing person case, but thought it was just as likely that Ava had met someone and left with them. Callie was furious that the Vancouver police had not checked the possibilities because she doubted that the news of the ferry disaster had gone unnoticed by *them*.

When she found out that Ava’s parents were staying at a local motor inn, Callie put her foot down and secured them two rooms at the Archfield. Ava wasn’t ready to be released and if they were staying for the duration then they’d stay in style for their troubles. And Alexandria was going home for the first time that day with her daddy, so it needed to be a nice home.

Callie and Alex hung out with Ava for a short while and then spoke with Derek in the hallway. Shepherd assured them that it wasn’t uncommon for someone’s memory to be jogged by a voice or a face and that’s exactly what had happened with Ava. She saw her husband in the hallway, screamed, and ran into his arms.

Callie decided that Christmas had come early.

Life was good.

*~*~*~*~*~


Life may have been wonderful for Callie, but Cristina announced at work the following morning that she was restarting the Angry Woman Club and would pilot it solo if she had to. While she had taken tentative steps toward a reunion with Burke and had definitely enjoyed dancing with him at the concert ... that’s *all* they had done. They had danced. They had not talked or addressed their issues at all. And he was not returning her phone calls, either.

Despite the fact that it caused them physical pain to do so, the other three founders of the club ditched their guys and had lunch with Yang, whose new sign said, ‘Men Suck AND Swallow’. Callie helped her tape it to the back of her chair, shooting an apologetic glance at Alex, who simply grinned at her. Alex understood solidarity and Callie had smoothed it over with him twice in the on call room that morning.

"So, what are you going to do?" Callie asked Cristina, digging into the carrot cake that Izzie had baked for them the night before.

"How long would I get for killing him? I mean, seriously?" Cristina asked, her mouth full of cake. "And what kind of guy leaves someone at the altar, then dances with them like they didn’t do that, and then doesn’t respond to forty six voice mails?"

"Oh, sweetie," Addison patted Yang’s hand. "That’s desperation."

"I am not desperate. I’ve waited months for an explanation. I lost my eyebrows for this man. I was choked for *hours* by a necklace that I swear Mama remote controlled so that it got tighter and tighter and he left *me*." Cristina devoured another fork full of cake. "And he got to scrub into surgeries that entire day so it’s not like he was stressed. I was the stressed one. I had no vows! And my eyebrows had been painted on by Stevens and still felt tacky to the touch. The fuckers wouldn’t dry!"

Meredith lost it entirely. She tried to pretend that she was choking on her cake, but her laughter was unmistakable. Callie made a big show of hitting her lightly on the back to dislodge the cake, but it only made her laugh harder. Pretty soon, Addison had joined in and hid her face behind her napkin, dabbing at her eyes as if she were crying from sadness and not glee. Callie bit her bottom lip, looking anywhere but her friends. She would remain stoic for Cristina’s benefit.

Cristina threw her fork down in a huff. "I actually contemplated cutting off my pubes and gluing them to my forehead! That is the level of stress I was under!"

The sip of Dr. Pepper that Callie had taken came out her nose and she actually did get choked. Meredith beat her on the back, laughing so hard that her blows were pretty pathetic. Addison was the first to recover and said, "He’s living in Joe’s apartment building. Maybe you should cut off your pubes and glue them to his front door. I’ve got the glue."

Callie looked at the red head with admiration. "Jesus, Addison. You are now a Jedi Master. You have trained Cristina our evil ways. I’m so proud of you."

Addison slapped her palm against Callie’s across the table, beaming. "Seriously, we should roll his car and write horrible things on the windows with shoe polish. I’m down if you are."

"You’re a rebel, Addison," Meredith said with approval. "Who’s driving the getaway car?"

"Me." Callie leaned on her elbows, motioning for the other women to come closer. "My car will hit speeds of one hundred and thirty at the drop of a hat. And not only did I graduate from the Mario Andretti racing school *twice* with honors, I have been incarcerated for illegal street racing. The only time out of fifty that they caught me."

"I love you," Cristina told her, sappily petting her arm. "Marry me?"

"Been there, done that," Callie replied with a smirk. "Trust me, Yang, being left at the altar was a blessing. But, despite that fact, we’re still going to make him pay."

That night, the four friends sat in Callie’s car, casing Burke’s apartment. They all wore black, even black toboggans, but it did little to ward off the chills they all had. The top was down on Callie’s car to aid in the getaway and it was cold enough for their breath to turn to ice crystals as soon as they exhaled. Addison, taking her Jedi Master ranking to heart, had brought them unopened Army face from Halloween (Mark was apparently a compulsive buyer and bought it just because it was half price). They each had stripes on their cheeks and looked bad as hell, despite the fact that they all sipped girly frappucinos and had just finished singing along to Fergie.

Finally, the light in Burke’s apartment went out and they waited another ten minutes before Callie drove behind his car and put hers in park. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Okay, work fast. Anyone could look outside and call the cops."

Leaving the engine running, they crawled out of the car, staying low to the ground. Cristina had already opened the shoe polish and was busily scrawling lewd drawings on the tinted windows while Addison and Callie tossed rolls of toilet paper back and forth. Meredith used a spray bottle to wet it into clumps that would be harder to remove and they were giggling like mad when the first egg struck Meredith in the back.

Meredith screamed, "Bats!" thinking that it was a bat that had attacked her and a second later, an egg sailed past her and hit Addison in the neck. The red head screamed, apparently in agreement that it had to be bats and took off running for the car. Mark darted from behind the cover of the shrubs to tackle her on the frosty grass.

They knew they had been sabotaged when Derek and Alex climbed out of Burke’s car, drenching Callie and Cristina with cold water from their Super Soakers. Callie raced for her Mercedes, but Alex caught her and pinned her against the side of it. "You are so busted, baby." He grinned at her.

"Who told!?" Callie cried.

Addison, who had been flung over Mark’s shoulder, raised her hand. "I didn’t think he would be a traitor!" She slapped Mark on the back with the hand that she had raised. "Dickhead."

"Bros before hos," Mark laughed. "While you were forming the Man Hating Club-"

"Angry Woman Club!" Meredith corrected, trying in vain to get away from Derek. "Get it right!"

"While you were forming the Angry Woman Club," Mark continued. "We were forming a brotherhood and you should know that you cannot beat us."

"It’s a solidarity thing," Alex told Callie. "Isn’t that what you said to me in the on call room today?"

Burke had joined the fray, carrying a waste basket in one hand and his cell phone in the other. "Cristina, perhaps you’d like to clean up your mess?"

"Perhaps you’d like to get kicked in the balls," she shot back.

Burke held up the phone and the trash can. "The police or the mess. Take your pick."

"I can shove the phone up his ass," Callie said, trying to step around Alex, who held her a little more firmly against the car. She glared at him. "Or yours. Take your pick."

Alex simply kissed her.

Meredith finally wrenched herself from Derek’s grasp and reached for the trash can. "We’ll get it."

"No." Preston shook his head. "Cristina can get it. The rest of you can go."

"We’re not leaving her!" Meredith cried, reaching again. A second later, Derek grabbed her around the waist and headed across the parking lot with her. He had parked his car right out in the open and no one had noticed.

"We’re leaving." Mark stalked toward his own car, smacking Addison, who was still over his shoulder, hard on the ass when she protested.

"So are we," Alex said, finally letting Callie go. "Get in the car."

"Cristina, come on," Callie called.

Yang was obviously torn. She looked at Callie, then at Burke, who had raised a brow. He flipped open the phone and said, "I’ll call the police. Right now."

"Shit!" Cristina grabbed the trash can and started gathering the wet tissue. To Callie, she said, "Don’t you dare leave me!"

"I’m not budging."

Preston caught Cristina’s arm as she reached for more tissue. "I just cooked dinner. Maybe you’d like to stay and eat."

"Do you have any rat poison that I could lace your plate with?"

Burke smiled. "I do and witnesses to the premeditation." He pointed at Callie and Alex.

"I heard nothing!" Callie snapped. "How could you not return her calls!?"

"What calls?" Looking at Cristina, comprehension dawned on Preston. "You’ve been calling my old number. I don’t know where my phone is. I had to buy a new one and ... well, I told them to cancel the old one months ago, but apparently they haven’t if you got through the the voice mail. I didn’t know that you had called, Cristina."

"Well, you know where I work!"

"You know where I work as well!" Preston put his hands on his hips. "I left you flowers at the apartment after the concert."

"Oh, I never go there. I’m living with Meredith."

"I didn’t know. So, I thought you got them, but ... that it didn’t matter." Burke put the phone in his pocket and held his hand out. "Come and have dinner. We should talk."

"Hang on." Cristina looked at Callie, nodding for her friend to follow her to the other side of Burke’s car. Callie followed her and Cristina pulled her close, whispering, "What would you do?"

Callie glanced at Burke with narrowed eyes. "Do you still love him?"

"Mostly I feel blinding fury."

"The best sex is born out of blinding fury. I know this well. I live with Alex," Callie replied quietly. "You deserve an explanation and if he’s finally willing to give it to you then you should let him."

"You’d stay?"

"Not knowing why this happened is making you insane. Get your answers. If they suck then kick his balls. If they don’t then ... do other fun things with his balls, but you have a right to know." Callie patted her on the shoulder. "And you can call me if you still need that getaway car."

"Okay, I’m staying."

"Good luck."

"Oh, I don’t need luck. He does."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie still had work to do on the talent show/telethon, which would be airing right after Christmas, but she didn’t sweat it. It didn’t consume her because she had brought fifteen million dollars to the clinic and for that, Webber was giving her anything she asked for. Not to abuse his generosity, the only thing she asked was for Christmas Day off. For her and for Alex. The Chief readily agreed and modified their Christmas Eve schedule as well, requiring them on duty for four of the ten hours they had agreed to work.

On the night of the twenty second, Callie sailed Goon Docks, with her family on board to the floating lights show and won an oversized blue ribbon that was attached to the side of her yacht. She hugged Alex and agreed to let Cam sail them back home, though his track record forced her to hover over his shoulder and tell him how to do it. Blake was waiting on the deck when they arrived and Callie and Alex joined them all for dinner at the hotel.

Addison had become a neurotic mess by the twenty third. She had agreed to host the Christmas dinner. Melana would be cooking it at the cabin and Mark had to work hard to keep Addy’s nerves calm. She had spent her Christmas’s with nannies and had no idea how to host a huge holiday event. She eagerly surrendered the reigns to Melana, who arrived that morning to decorate the house and drop off all the food they had purchased for the festivities.

The Angry Woman Club met again that day, this time because all the men were in surgeries and Cristina finally got to tell everything that had happened with Burke the night they were busted. Preston had apparently laid out a fine spread for Cristina, complete with all her favorite foods and the chocolate truffles he made that were to die for. While she wouldn’t tell them what his explanation to her had been, she did say that it was enough for her to agree to ‘date’ him. Thus far they had not been intimate, but Cristina didn’t seem to mind. Her friends understood that some hurts ran too deep and didn’t ask her too many questions.

Seeing her smile again was enough.

There was no sign on the back of her chair that day.

*~

Holidays were notoriously busy for Seattle Grace. When Callie and Alex arrived the morning of Christmas Eve (after spending far too much time kissing under mistletoe) there were patients lining the hallway and several more that were en route. Addison was already in surgery and Mark looked frazzled as he ran around the ER tending to multiple lacerations. It was going to be one hell of a day, but it was only four hours so Callie and Alex dove headfirst into the mayhem so they could get it over with as quickly as possible.

Callie was setting her fifth bone of the morning when Cristina tapped her on the shoulder. Callie jerked the guy’s leg into place, ignoring his cries, before she turned to her friend. "What’s up?"

"There’s some woman out in the lobby asking for Alex. Do you know where he is?"

"He scrubbed in with Derek." Callie took her gloves off, a worry line on her forehead. "What does she look like?"

"Calm down, green eyed monster," Cristina replied. "It’s his mother."


Callie almost swallowed her tongue. "What? Are you sure?"

"Well, she looks just like him and she said ‘I’m his mother’ so unless she’s lying and had a face transplant, I think she may be who she says." Cristina watched Callie peer around the doorway. "I’m so glad that I’m not the only one who gets freaked out by meeting parents."

One look at the woman in the lobby confirmed to Callie that she was indeed Irene Karev. Anger bubbled ferociously inside Callie and she shook her head. "I am not freaked out by meeting her. I’m freaked out that she’d show her face at all. It's Christmas! What is she thinking?"

"I’m not even gonna ask." Cristina took the chart from Callie’s hand and said, "I’ll take over. You go meet your very own Mama Burke. If she has a necklace ... run."

With her heart pounding, Callie squared her shoulders and walked down the hallway. Irene was almost as tall as Callie, but she was reed thin, wiry. Her hair was completely gray and the wrinkles on her face did not come from laugh lines. As soon as Callie saw her eyes, she decided that the woman probably never laughed at all. The sadness on her features thawed Callie only slightly, however, because as she paused a few feet away from the woman ... she knew she was looking at the person who had destroyed Alex for years.

"Are you Irene?" Callie asked, her tone anything but friendly.

The woman nodded, then looked at Callie’s left hand. "I thought perhaps you were his wife, but you’re his girlfriend. Aren’t you?"

Callie’s eyebrows disappeared behind her bangs. "How did you -"

"I saw the two of you in California. Disneyland." Irene smiled sadly. "He looked so happy that I couldn’t say anything to him there. I thought maybe it was your honeymoon. You - you acted like it."

"Why are you here?"

"He was on Oprah. I heard him talking about that girl and how she must have people looking for her and how hard it must be for them. I knew that he was talking about himself. And me." Irene shifted from one foot to the other. "It took me a while to save up the airfare, but I finally came. Is he here today?"

"Yes." Callie crossed her arms over her chest. "You saw him at Disneyland, huh? It must be nice to go on vacation and forget what you did to him."

"I work there." Irene began to wring her hands.

Callie’s mouth dropped open. "You’re Eeyore, right?"

"Yes," Irene replied. "But how do you -"

"You’re in all of our pictures." Callie uncrossed her arms and tilted her head a little. "You stayed on us that whole day because you were everywhere that we went."

Irene nodded. "I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I always knew that he would come to Disneyland one day. He put letters in our mailbox every year for Santa, begging for Disneyland. So, that’s where I went. I knew that he’d eventually get there."

"Why didn’t you call him? Do you understand what you’ve done to him? He calls your old neighbors in Iowa every week to see if you’ve come by. He tried to get the police to find you. He almost lost his scholarship because his grades dropped so much for a while and you saw him at Disneyland and didn’t think you owed him something, anything?"

Irene looked at the ground for a few seconds, then back up at Callie. She was crying when she finally spoke. "It wasn’t right, what I did, but there were circumstances that I couldn’t control."

"You’ll have to forgive me if I can’t see any circumstance that would excuse you hurting him as much as you have." Callie realized that several people had stopped what they were doing to listen, Izzie included, and she sighed, lowering her voice. "Let’s go to the family room and I’ll have someone get Alex for you."

Irene looked ready to flee, but she adjusted the strap of her purse and nodded. "Okay."

"I’m Callie, by the way." Callie extended her hand.

"I know." Irene grasped it. "He said your name a million times that day. I never saw anyone as happy as the two of you. I don’t think he stopped laughing once."

Callie nodded and headed to the lounge, where she insisted that Irene accept a cup of coffee, then she led her to the family room. Leaving the woman inside alone, Callie closed the door and leaned her head against it. Tears blurred her vision and her legs threatened to buckle as the weight of the situation finally hit her. Alex had been so carefree that morning and now his world was about to be rocked off its axis.

"Callie?" George reached out and gripped her hand. "You’re sweating. The last time I was sweating like this there was toxic blood. Are you okay?"

"Get Alex. He’s in surgery with Derek. Get him now."

Without another word, George raced down the hallway and disappeared.

Callie was still guarding the door when Alex arrived a few minutes later. Despite the fact that she was drenched in sweat, she was shivering with a cold that made her teeth chatter. Alex took one look at her and said, "Is it Anita? Did she -"

"No. Oh, god." Callie took his hand. She would have given everything she owned in that moment to not say what had to come next. "Alex, your mom is here."

"What? Is she a patient? Is she -"

"She’s fine. She’s -" Pointing at the family room, Callie trailed off.

Alex laid his palm flat against the door, staring at it with a look of wonder on his face. A second later, he leaned his head against it the same way Callie had done. "How does she look?"

"Old. Sad." Callie put her hand on his back, rubbing it. "I - I talked to her. She knew me." Alex looked at her in confusion and she hastily added, "I think she should explain it. Are you - can I do anything?"

"Come with me."

"Oh, Alex, I don’t think-"

"I need you."

His voice trembled over the words and made up her mind instantly. "Okay."

Alex hugged her ... then took her hand and opened the door.

CH 38
Irene got to her feet as soon as Alex entered. She stared at her son the way most new mothers gazed at their infants when they held them for the first time. Callie quietly closed the door and leaned against it, watching Alex. He took a step forward, then stopped, his hand going to his mouth. It was something he did when he was at a complete loss. When Irene started toward him, he took a step back and Callie moved to his side, taking his hand in hers.

"Where have you been?" Alex finally asked. "It’s been *years*."

"It’s a long story."

"Surely you didn’t come here to not tell me." Reaching down, he pulled out one of the chairs and guided Callie into it, then he slumped beside her.

Irene sighed and sat down across from them. "I saw you on Oprah." When Alex didn’t reply, she said, "And I saw you both at Disneyland. That’s where I work now. I - I went to work there because I didn’t know how to find you and -"

"That’s a lie. You knew where I was going to school."

"I wasn’t ready to come and look for you until I went into remission, son."

"WHAT!?"

"You weren’t the only one who got news that last weekend that you were home. You came to tell me about your medical scholarship and I was so proud of you, Lex. What mother wouldn’t be? Look at what you came from and who you became in spite of that." Irene reached out to touch his hand, but he lowered it into his lap. She continued, undaunted. "I had found a lump in my breast and gotten the biopsy results the morning you came home. It was cancer and they told me that I was going to get very sick before I got well ... if I got well at all."

"How could you not tell me that!?"

"If I had told you ... you would have given up your plans, your future, for me. I couldn’t let you do that. I needed treatment and there was an experimental drug that the free clinic told me about so I signed up for it. They gave me room and board and treatment in Texas and I eventually went into remission. It came back fast though and I almost died. By then you had graduated medical school and I didn’t know where you were."

"You could have found out if you wanted to."

"How, son?" Irene shook her head. "I was homeless. I lived in shelters and on the street. I finally realized that you would go to Disneyland as soon as you were settled into your new life and I went to work there. I waited for you to find me."

The silence stretched between them all and Callie kept her eyes on the table, barely breathing. Her eardrums felt like they would pop from the pressure and she cleared her throat. "Alex, you know the photos we took? The ones where Eeyore is in every shot? That was her. She followed us around trying to work up the nerve to talk to you, but she said that you looked too happy so she didn’t."

Alex’s jaw was tight and he didn’t reply. Callie looked at Irene and said, "You’re in remission now?"

"It took a double mastectomy, but I am in remission. Almost eight months now. I had only been working at the theme park for a few weeks when you showed up. It was ... it was like fate. I was drawn there and I think you were too." Irene looked at Alex, then back at Callie. "Seeing the two of you together there, hearing you laugh, it - it made it easier for me."

"Well, I’m glad it was easy for someone, because it’s been hell for me." Alex glared at her. "I didn’t know if you were dead. I didn’t know if you were out there starving and cold. And you didn’t know if I was alive, Mom. What kind of parent doesn’t care to know?"

"I can’t think of a parent who wouldn’t sacrifice everything for their child’s happiness," Irene replied. "If I had stayed there ... you wouldn’t be here right now. You wouldn’t be a doctor and you wouldn’t have been here to save that girl who was on television. And you wouldn’t have a future because all you would have had in Iowa is a dead end job. I couldn’t let you be like your father and -"

Alex shot to his feet, upending his chair. "I am NOTHING like him! Nothing! Don’t you ever compare me to that bastard! He lived to hurt us both! If either one of us took a page out of his book ... it’s you!"

Without a word to Callie, Alex slammed out of the room. She got to her feet and looked at Irene. "Are you staying at a hotel here in town?"

"The Crestview Motel. Room two nineteen."

Callie wrinkled her nose. "That place is pretty dirty."

"It’s all I can afford and even that’s a stretch." Irene leaned down and picked up her purse. "I’m only here until the day after Christmas. I have to get back to work. Can you give this to him?"

Callie accepted the journal that the woman held out. "Stay in town, Irene. Don’t just up and leave early. Please?"

Irene nodded solemnly. "Will you tell him I love him?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Callie. You should go after him. Karev men have tempers that -"

"Alex doesn’t. He’s the most patient and kind man I’ve ever known."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie ran all over the hospital searching for Alex. She was wracking her brains when it occurred to her that she would have gone to the roof in his situation. Grabbing both of their jackets from the locker room, she hurried to the helipad. He wasn’t leaning against the railing so she frowned and scanned behind the security area. She was about to give up when she heard a loud racket from the far side of the rooftop.

She walked around a small tower and found him sitting on the ground, his back against it. There was blood all over the wall and she gasped, looking down at him. His right hand had split open. Kneeling, she wiped the blood away with her jacket and tried to feel for broken bones, but he pulled away from her and cradled his arm against his chest. "Alex, please? You’re hurt."

"Just leave me alone, baby. I’ll be okay."

"You’re a surgeon. This hand could save a lot of lives so let me see it. I’ll fight you if I have to." She gestured for his hand and he finally held it out again. Callie poked and prodded and said, "You need stitches, but I don’t think it’s broken."

"How could she just show up here?"

"How could she not?" Callie applied pressure, ignoring the fact his blood was dripping onto her pants and shirt. The cut was way too deep for her liking. "I know you don’t want to hear this and I’m sorry in advance, but she had cancer, Alex. And from what you’ve said to me she was in a bad way emotionally when she got that news. I mean, you can’t hate her for that. We all deal in different ways. Hell, I wrecked my dad’s car and disappeared for *weeks*. She did this for you and -"

"Go inside, Cal. It’s cold out here." He took his hand from hers and put pressure on it himself. "Go. I’ll be in soon."

"Well, that’s not gonna happen." She laid his jacket over his chest, tucking the edges around him, then sat beside him. "She asked me to give you something."

He watched as she rubbed as much of the blood off her hands as she could and picked up a leather bound journal. "Open it," he said.

"Alex, this is yours. It’s between you and your mom and -"

"My life is yours. I share everything with you." He nodded. "Just ... open it."

Callie scrubbed her hands a little harder against her pants, satisfied that she wouldn’t smear the pages. She opened the clasp and turned to the first page, then the second. "She didn’t keep a diary. She wrote letters to you."

"Read the first one."

"You should read it. This is very personal and it’s meant for you. I don’t want to." She looked at him and took a deep breath. His eyes were beseeching her and she quickly looked away, back down at the letter. "Okay, I’ll do it, but don’t look at me like that ever again. Dear Lex, I’m on a bus heading to Texas. I wish I could have said something to you, but you deserve better than this, better than anything I could give you. You’re an adult now and what a man you are. You’re ten times the man your father ever hoped to be and I am more proud of you than you’ll ever know. You have made something of yourself ... something that most people in your situation wouldn’t have had the will to do.

"When they told me that I had breast cancer, I remembered feeding you. I wondered how something that nourished a life could make me so sick and I realized that what nourished you would also kill you before it kills me. It will stop you in your tracks and change your life. I can’t let it do that to you. I’m not afraid of dying alone. I’m afraid of dying knowing that I was the reason you didn’t go on.

"I want to tell you that the day you beat your father up and he left home was the best day of my life. You were finally big enough to be the man of the house and you filled that role better than he ever did. You were still a child, son, but you scared him, you got him off me and you filled an icepack for my head. You apologized to me for making him go and you shouldn’t have because you saved my life. He would have killed me that day.

"If I do survive this sickness I will find you again. I think that’s what will keep me going because I will have to find you one day and see your face again. I’m so sorry for the way I had to leave you, but if you knew where I was headed, you’d follow me. Because you’re a good son, a better person, and your heart is always in the right place.

"I love you, Lex. You’re my reason for being. And I believe in my heart that you will remember that. No matter what comes." Callie closed the journal and laid it to the side. When she started to turn to him to speak, he laid his head in her lap.

And he cried like he had never cried before.

Helpless, Callie could only hang onto him.

She forgot the cold entirely.

Her blood was racing in her veins hard enough to keep her warm.

*~*~*~*~*~

Raphael hurried into the hospital. He had received a phone call from George telling him that Callie appeared to be sick. Not to worry Melana, who had taken their sons to Addison’s to begin preparing some of the dinner, he headed to Seattle Grace himself. He was stalking down the hallway with determination when Callie emerged from behind a curtain, covered in blood. He grabbed her, holding her at arm’s length. "Is this your blood?"

"No. It’s Alex’s." Callie closed her eyes. She had been so strong, so determined to be there for Alex and not get emotional, but as she stepped into her dad’s embrace ... she lost it. "He’s down in X-ray. He punched the wall and -"

"Was he angry at you?"

"No, Daddy," Callie replied, taking a step back to dry her eyes. "He lied to you about what his parents do for a living and -"

"I know."

"You know?"

"His father has a record that would probably wallpaper this hallway and his mother is a missing person."

Callie gasped. "How did you -"

"I knew everything there was to know about your Alex three hours after you left town with him."

"Goddamn it! There is such a thing as privacy! If you knew that then how could you grill him about his family? How could you ask him? How could put him on the spot!? I can’t believe you!"

"Honey, it’s my business to know who you run away with. It’s my business to know what kind of man he is and -"

"You can’t judge him by his parent’s mistakes, Dad!"

"Of course I can’t. I haven’t and I won’t. I’ve liked him since the moment I met him." Raphael took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at her face. "Tell me what happened."

Callie explained and burst into tears again. Cristina got his attention by waving frantically and motioned at an empty room across the hallway. Raphael nodded his thanks and led his daughter into it, shutting the door behind them. "Calm down, Mija. You’ll make yourself sick and what good would that be?"

"He’s devastated. Dad, he’s *broken*. He completely lost it and I don’t know what to do. I can’t see him this way because it’s killing me." She put her face in her hands. "He’s so hurt. What do I do?"

"Love him. That’s all you can do."

"There has to be something else. I can’t just sit here and watch him suffer."

"Where is his mother now?"

"She’s staying here in town until the day after Christmas and then she’s going back to work at Disneyland."

"That’s not enough time to repair this, honey." Raph indicated a chair and asked her to sit down. She complied and he kneeled down in front of her. "Invite her to dinner tomorrow."

"I don’t think-"

"Baby, she’s in town alone for the holidays. She came all this way and perhaps they will use the opportunity to talk." Raphael squeezed her hand. "Do you remember when you disappeared to Mexico? You were gone for weeks and I hunted you every single day. When I finally found you ... you were terrified to go home because of how you thought your mother would react. You begged me to stay right with you when we got home. Alex’s mother has no one. She came here alone and she’s probably even more scared than you were when we pulled into the driveway and your mother was standing there looking like Medusa."


Callie grinned, remembering the way she had thrown up three times before she got out of the car. Her mother had stunned her by hugging her. The yelling eventually came and when it did it was horrific, but her mother had hugged her for so long that it made it less painful to endure. "He wouldn’t even let her touch him. And I was pretty mean to her, too."

"Of course you were. The same thing that motivated me to find out about Alex is what motivates you to stand up for him." He reached out and put his palm on her cheek. "You and Alex are a team now. So, if he can’t extend the olive branch then you do it for him. I’ll take over here and you go talk to her. You need to get away for a while because Alex doesn’t need to see you upset. It bothers him the way it bothers me."

"Don’t tell Alex that you know or that I’ve gone to see her. I don’t - just tell him that I had an emergency surgery or something and I called you. He’s so embarrassed by his family situation and -"

"I can handle it."

Callie nodded, hugged him, and rushed to the locker room to shower and change.

*~*~*~*~*~

Cambyses had given up trying to figure out the inner workings of his sister’s mind. When she called him and told him to go get Alex’s old Jeep and meet her at the hospital he didn’t bother to ask why. Her explanation probably wouldn’t have made any sense at all so he had simply excused himself from kitchen duty and did as Callie requested. He found her pacing in the parking lot and tried to question her about why she had obviously been crying, but she had simply shaken her head and instructed him to follow her in Alex’s jeep.

Callie drove her Mercedes into the dilapidated and pot hole filled driveway of the Crestview Motel and parked in front of room two nineteen. Cam pulled in beside her, raising a brow as she exited the car and knocked on the door. He started to join her, but she held out her hands and said, "Keys."

He tossed them to her. "Callie, what the hell-"

"Watch my car," she replied, shooting a covert glance at a group of teenage boys who were watching with interest.

Irene opened the door a moment later, shocked to see Callie on the other side. She looked around, clearly searching for Alex and her face fell when she saw that he wasn’t there. "Come in, Callie."

"Thanks. I’ll be back, Cam." Callie followed Irene into the dingy little room and closed the door.

Cam leaned against the Jeep, scowling at the kids with enough vengeance to make them think twice about starting anything. For good measure, he pulled out his pocket knife and cleaned under his nails with it. When the youngsters fled, he smiled and called Blake. Whatever crazy shit Callie was doing, Blake would keep him from strangling her.

*~*~*~*~*~

"You’re inviting me to dinner with your family?" Irene was stunned.

"Get your things together. You can’t stay here." Callie moved her foot as a cockroach the size of a rat crawled very close to her. She had the sudden urge to call George and apologize to him for the fact that he had actually spent multiple nights in the Crestview after they broke up. "A friend of mine has an apartment that she’s not using and she agreed to let you stay there. I’d invite you home with me, but ... well, you were right about the Karev temper. Alex is currently getting stitches in the ER because he punched the wall."

Irene’s hand went to her mouth the exact same way that Alex’s had earlier. "It’s a kind offer, but -"

"The apartment is amazing and I’ve got Alex’s old Jeep outside for you to drive. Irene, I know that today didn’t go well and I’m sorry that I was so hard on you when we first met, but ... your son is, well, he’s my life and I love him very much." Callie reached out and took the woman’s hand. "And it’s been pretty hard for me to get him to trust me because I’m a lot like you. I run when things get bad, but if he can forgive me for that ... then I think he can forgive you."

"You don’t have to apologize. I was actually proud of you and what you feel for him was pretty obvious. He’s a lucky man."

"No, I’m the lucky one. You raised one hell of a guy."

Irene hugged her. It was impulsive and gentle and insanely sweet. Callie patted her on the back, shocked at how bony the woman was. When they broke apart, Irene began to gather her meager belongings, then looked at Callie. "I don’t - is the dinner with your family formal?"

"No. We wear jeans and sweaters and -" Biting her bottom lip, Callie trailed off. Irene’s clothes were tied in one small plastic bag and she doubted that it contained a sweater since it was so sparse."What size do you wear?"

"Zero." Irene glanced down at her frame. "I used to be a twelve, but the cancer ate up everything."

"I was a twelve!" Callie gazed down at the woman’s narrow hips. "I can’t wait to be a twelve again."

"You looked much healthier in California," Irene agreed.

"I’ve been sick, but I was also trying to be very thin."

"Alex doesn’t like thin. All his girlfriends are curvy. Before you, I mean."

Callie grinned. Irene couldn’t have given her a better Christmas present than that knowledge. She waited outside while Irene paid her bill and then she handed the woman Alex’s keys. After introducing Cam, she led the way to Burke’s old apartment, calling Meredith (a size zero) on the way. Her friend agreed to bring something nice to wear for Irene later that day as well as dinner. Callie apologized for pawning the woman off on her, but Meredith assured her that she understood mommy issues and wouldn’t mind at all.

*~*~*~*~*~

Alex turned crimson when he saw Raphael standing in the hallway. Olivia pushed his wheelchair back into his room and he frowned when he saw that Callie wasn’t waiting for him. He got back on the stretcher and looked at Raph, who had followed them inside. "Where is she?"

"She had something she needed to do so I’m here in her place. I’m not as pretty, but I can be just as amusing." Raphael nodded at Olivia as she left the room. "Do you make it a habit of hitting things?"

"I wasn’t mad at Callie when I - and I’ve never been that mad at her. I’d never-"

"I know." Raphael reached down and unwrapped the towel that was around his hand. He hissed when he saw the laceration. "No wonder she was so upset. This looks bad."

"She’s upset?"

"Of course she is." Leaning back against the wall, Raphael took a deep breath. "She loves you so she hurts when you hurt."

"She told you." Alex didn’t ask, he simply stated it as fact. "I just want you to know that I lied to you about my parents because we had just met and it’s not something I’m proud of or doomed to repeat. My dad was a bastard and he was cruel to me and my mom and because of that and because I love Callie so much ... I would never, ever do the things he did. I - I would die before I hurt her, Raphael, I swear to God."

"I trust you with her life, son, so calm down," Raph said, smiling at him. "And she didn’t tell me as much as you think. As soon as I found out that Calliope had left town with you I had you checked out. I could probably tell you more about yourself then you could tell me."

"You’re a mobster, right?"

"A gentleman never tells."

"There’s more to you than just resorts and oil."

"There’s more to us all, Alex. That’s why I know that you are nothing like your father. And that’s why Callie is across town right now talking to your mother. You don’t reflect your father so you must reflect her and she can’t be as bad as you probably think because just look at you."

Alex opened his mouth to reply, but Izzie walked in, her hands on her hips. "I just checked your films. Nothing is broken, but damn, Alex. What the hell? Just because Callie was a bitch to your mother in front of everyone really is no reason to -."

"What?"

"She told her off! I mean, that was a first impression right? They obviously never met before."

Alex grinned ear to ear. He could only imagine what Callie must have said. She had the biggest brass balls he had ever seen in his life. He saw Izzie glance at Raphael and the look of recognition on her face. "Oh, Iz, I don’t think you’ve met -"


"The bitch’s father," Raphael replied, glaring at her. His gaze moved to her name tag and his eyes narrowed. "I guess it takes one to know one, Izzie Stevens. It was the bitch that kept you out of jail after you assaulted her so why don’t you go find us a real doctor to take over because I don’t see any wires in here that need cutting."

Izzie left the room without another word. Alex actually laughed out loud. "So, *that* is where Callie gets it."

"My daughter *is* a mobster." Raphael smiled. "Must be in the genes."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie made a pit stop at the mall before it closed, forcing Cambyses to suck up his hatred of crowds while she frantically tried to find something for Alex to give his mother. She finally settled on a watch that wasn’t flashy or overly expensive, but it was nice. As an afterthought, she bought a couple of sweaters and jeans in a size that she had not actually seen since she was a child and threw in a purse for good measure. The bag that Irene carried had a broken strap that she had tied in a knot.

When she arrived home, she saw that her father’s car was parked nearby and she sighed with relief. She cut her engine off in the garage and leaned her head against the steering wheel and finally, with Cam’s hand on her back, she told him about Alex’s upbringing and his mother’s disappearing act. He had no words by the time she finished and that was okay. She drew plenty of strength from his touch.

Cam carried her purchases and followed her down the trail to Goon Docks, who was shining festively with her lights already on. It was rapidly approaching seven p.m. and Callie realized as she trudged down the deck that she had not eaten all day. Alex had remained on the rooftop, his head in her lap, for close to an hour. He probably would have stayed much longer if he hadn’t heard Callie’s teeth chattering. They had retired to the on call room where it took two additional hours and a pretty decent tantrum on Callie’s part to finally convince him to get checked out.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked down the stairs. Her father put his hands on his hips and said, "Why the hell do the two of you have cell phones if you refuse to use them? I’ve been calling you all afternoon."

Callie’s hand flew to her hip. "Crap! I left it attached to my dirty scrubs. In my locker."

"And my battery went dead while I was talking to Blake." Cam put the packages on the sofa. "Although your worry is not misplaced. She made me follow her into hell. I was almost jumped by a gang."

"That was not a gang, dumbass." Callie sighed. "Where’s Alex?"

"He’s lying down. We’ve been here for about an hour."

Callie glanced at the closed bedroom door. "How is he?"

"He knows that you went to talk to his mother. And he knows that you were rude to her thanks to Stevens ... I refuse to call her a doctor." Raphael kissed the worry line on her forehead. "He’s not upset with you, honey, I promise. I took the liberty of having Stavros go out and pick up some Chinese for your dinner. It’s in the refrigerator."

"Thank you, Daddy. For everything."

"That’s what I’m here for." Raphael nodded at Cam. "Let’s go get your mother. She’s still at Addison’s and the suspense about today is killing her. I wouldn’t tell her anything over the phone."

"So, we’re meeting at Addison’s tomorrow at five, right?"

"Yes, we’ll exchange gifts with the family at the hotel beforehand so try to get there at about two." Raph gave her another kiss. "This is your first Christmas with Alex so enjoy it tomorrow, princess. A person doesn’t get many firsts."

Callie watched them leave and looked at the bedroom door again. Instead of going in to check on Alex, she fixed them both a plate of food and nuked it in the microwave. When she finally opened the door, she carried their dinner on a tray. She set it on the foot of the bed and looked at him. He was sleeping on his back and the journal Irene had given him was open on his chest, face down. She gently picked it up and closed it, laying it on the bedside table.

Sitting beside him, she watched his chest rise and fall, then let her gaze linger on his face. He was pale and his eyes were swollen from crying. Whatever he had read in the journal had been hard for him. She hated herself for not being there with him during it. She should have been. His right hand had been bandaged and she noticed a couple of prescription bottles lying on the bed next to his thigh. She picked them up and nodded. Mark had prescribed a strong pain medication and something for the inflammation.

"I didn’t take it yet." Alex smiled up at her. "I was waiting on you and I didn’t want to get knocked out."

"How many stitches did it take?"

"Too many." He sat up and kissed her. "I know I scared you and I didn’t mean to. I just -"

"You don’t have to explain." Callie hugged him. "People do what they have to do, Alex. You had to hit the wall. It just - it makes sense while it’s happening and there’s no point in rationalizing it after the fact because ... you can’t change it."

"You saw her. You ... you’ve been talking to her all this time, right?"

"Not really. I had some other things to do. I got her out of the Crestview and into Burke’s apartment. She’s got your old Jeep and she’s coming to dinner tomorrow. So ... I bought her a few things that you need to give her for Christmas." She saw his jaw tighten and took his left hand. "Alex, you taught me to believe in fate. I had to go through George to get to you. I had to let him destroy me so that you could show me why it’s so good to be put back together. And you put me back together. You carried me when I couldn’t walk.
"Don’t you see what’s happened, Jock Strap? We have dealt with all of my issues. I’m fine now. Your mother is our last obstacle. It’s the last part of our past that we have to conquer together. And you can lean on me. I can carry you if I have to and I want to, because you’ve carried me into a life that I never thought I could have. I’m gonna support you no matter what, but I’m asking you to listen to her because you’ll hate yourself if you don’t and I don’t want to watch you do that."

"Baby, I was gonna talk to her without the big speech, but damn I enjoyed it." He reached up and tugged her hair, pulling her forward. "And even though you like to think that you’re not gonna marry me, even though you protest and talk crap about weddings and act like the thought of it is repulsive ... I’m gonna carry you there, too. You’re going to be my wife, Gothika, and you’re not wearing black for it. You are going to be a Karev where you like it or not."

Callie grinned at him. "I was gonna marry you without the big speech, but damn I enjoyed it."

They forgot their dinner.

And if Alex had any pain at all ... he didn’t show it.

*~*~*~*~*~

Addison woke up on Christmas morning with something tickling her nose. She rubbed it away and snuggled further into the comforter and then whatever it was brushed against her forehead. With a gasp, her eyes flew open. Mark smiled down at her. "Merry Christmas. Would you look at that?" He held up his hand. "Mistletoe."

She sat up and kissed him. "Merry Christmas. What time is it?"

"A little after six. I thought maybe I could convince you to come outside and watch the sun rise with me."

Addison shook her head. "It’s feels like an Eskimo's ass out there. I’m not stupid."

"I’ll keep you warm."

"Mark -"

He picked her up and carried her through the house. She screamed for a robe as she was naked, but he didn’t comply. He pushed open the screen door with his foot and said, "I didn’t get you a crock pot, baby."

"Be glad!"

"I got you this instead." As he spoke, he eased her down into a huge hot tub that was bubbling, sending steam all around them. Wordlessly, he slipped his own robe off and joined her. "You like it?"

"As soon as my cold chills stop having cold chills ... I will tell you yes."

He pulled her across the tub and into his arms. "Next October is fine for the wedding. Good things come to those who wait, right?"

"You’re okay with waiting? Really?"

"I am. I don’t want to rush you and I don’t want to pressure you into something that you’re not ready for." He kissed her. "But if you’re not ready in October we’re going to Hawaii and getting married under water. That’s all there is to it."

"I love you." Addison looked at him as if she wanted to memorize every pore on his face. "I never, ever knew that life could be as perfect as it is with you. You make me happier than I’ve ever been and I trust you, Mark. I really do."

"I’ll never give you a reason to stop." He reached down and cupped her breast. "Why would I? I have everything a person could want and then some."

"I’m seduced, Mark. Can you please stop talking and get to the action part?"

"Are we really back to that? You using me like a piece of meat?"

She grinned devilishly. "A certain piece of meat is poking me in the leg so I think you have the same thing in mind."

The sun rose behind them as they made love in the water. It broke the horizon with a fiery vengeance, bathing everything in yellow. It brought with it the promise of a new day and a family dinner that would teach them both what they had missed out on growing up.

And they couldn’t wait to experience it all.

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie rolled over and reached for Alex, but he was not in the bed. Concerned, she climbed from beneath the warm cover and checked the bathroom, but it was empty. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was almost eight and grabbed her robe. She found him brewing coffee in the kitchen and wrapped her arms around him. "You're supposed to be in bed with me right now."

"You're supposed to be asleep so that I can surprise you."
"Waking up alone was a surprise." She kissed his neck. "For future reference, Christmas morning sex is a *requirement* before we get out of the bed."

"I think we took care of that several times in the wee hours this morning." He hugged her. "I want you to know that it was so hard to get your present here that I almost gave up and sailed you to it instead ... work be damned. And I'm really glad you have your robe on."

"Why?"

"Hola, Calliope!" Anita spoke from the doorway of the starboard bedroom. "Feliz Navidad, mi corazon!"

"Oh my god! Mami!" Callie rushed across the room and pulled the tiny woman into her arms. "Are you okay to travel? I can't believe you're here! Did you fly? You really look good!"

"I feel so much better." Anita hugged her god daughter tightly, patting her on the back. "And yes, we did fly."

"It took some coaxing to get her to do that." Mario came out of the bedroom and kissed Callie on the head. "Alex made sure that we were as comfortable as possible in your private jet and the pilot that he found to fly us in was wonderful. Very accommodating."

"I have something to tell you, Calliope. Something that I wanted to say to you in person," Anita added, squeezing her hand. "The doctors were wrong. I'm cancer free. I got a second opinion and it's gone. It's completely gone, sweetheart."

Callie looked at Alex, stunned, her eyes shining with tears. "You just shot my gift to you all to hell and back. I can't top this."

"I don't need anything." Alex winked at her. "I've already got it all."

*~*~*~*~*~
CH 39
"Melana asked me to do *one* thing and I’ve burned it!" Addison cried, glancing at the clock. It was almost time for the guests to arrive and the kitchen was so full of smoke that the smoke detector went off. "Damn it!"

Mark opened the back door and picked up a newspaper, fanning the detector until the loud beeping was silenced. "I told her you would burn them so she bought extra."

Addison checked the cupboard and sure enough, there were several additional packages of dinner rolls. "I love that woman."

"I promise I won’t ‘seduce’ you again while they’re cooking." Mark reached past her and tapped the stove. "And would you look at that? It has a timer and everything. Why don’t you set it this time?"

"You don’t get to be a smart ass on Christmas! It makes baby Jesus cry!"

"The things we just did on the sofa would cause baby Jesus to have a stroke."

She smiled at him. "That was pretty dirty. Even for us."

"Want to do it again?"

"NO!" To prove her point, Addison dumped the charred bread into the sink and turned on the garbage disposal. She wiped out the pans and put the new rolls in. "You’re not going to watch football all day are you?"

"It’s background noise."

"Most people don’t randomly cheer for background noise."

"They do when it comes with touchdowns." He kissed her on the neck and smiled when the doorbell rang. "On the plus side, maybe that’s Melana and she can work the timer."

"Shut up!"

"I should have bought you a cookbook."

"Screw that. We’ll live off pizza and love. Go get the door."

*~

Melana and her sons had done all the cooking the day before. Blake, who she had taken to calling ‘son’, had wowed her with his skills and she seemed to love the fact that he had taken it upon himself to learn many of the Greek dishes that Cambyses loved. Stavros and Loukas had learned to cook before they could talk, but Cam had refused. His skills stopped at charred grilled cheese so he had provided the entertainment before he had gone to help Callie and rearranged Addison’s living room to hold four long tables and folding chairs that were draped with red velvet.

Never one to miss an opportunity for over the top party planning, Melana had a large centerpiece on each table that consisted of chocolate dipped strawberries in the shape of different Christmas themes. If the fact that it was tacky bothered her ... she didn’t show it. The white chocolate had been tinted green and red and it matched the dishes she had rented for the occasion. She had also strategically placed mistletoe all over the house and put a disposable camera beside every plate on the table. It was a Torres family tradition to have so many flashes going off around you that you were blind by the end of the night.

Callie and Alex were standing in the driveway alone, discussing the fact that Callie *refused* to enjoy the gift she had given Alex. She had bought him season tickets and his very own box at the local football field and had no plans to join him. "Take Mark. I’d rather watch paint dry," she said.

"Well, if you paint like you wallpaper then I’m sure it would win Best Comedy at the Oscars."

She narrowed her eyes. "Only if a certain red head is involved. She’s a disaster waiting to happen."

"And you’re not?"

"Not anymore. I’m turning over a new leaf. I have more to think about before I act now."

"Oh yeah?"

"Hell, yes! There are a million things to consider!" Callie looked at him with awe and wonder. "Like, how will my diet affect my hair?" She pointed at her head, which was perfectly coiffed thanks to Anita. "I mean, lack of nutrients gave me split ends and my hair is very important to me. Perfect hair only happens to like, one in fifty people and I am blessed. And now my stomach is scarred so I can’t really pull off slut bomb with my clothes and I have to buy *another* wet suit and keep it hidden from you because -"

"Why don’t you skip to the part where I’m important and -"

"You’re important?" Callie gasped. "Inconceivable!"

"You’re asking for it, Torres."

"You’re right. I am." She stepped into his arms and kissed him. "Did I mention that your other present involves a lapdance and red lingerie?"

"Oh, man." He glanced down at her body. She had on a plunging black sweater that hugged her body like a second skin and tight jeans that caused his mouth to water every time he saw her bend over. "Are you wearing it now?"

"Nope. I’m commando."

"Damn it, Callie! Don’t say things like that!" He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "Your family will wonder why I’m walking bowlegged."

"They’ll understand. This is true love ... you think it happens every day?"

"You should *not* have watched ‘The Princess Bride’ while Anita worked on your hair. Are you going to quote it all day?" Alex raised a brow. "Because I know it better than you."

"Ooooh, there’s something to be oh so proud of. You’re going to get kicked out of the brotherhood and have to join the Angry Woman Club since your diary of chick flick dialogue rivals all of ours put together." She kissed him. "How do you feel? About today, I mean? Your mom should be here soon."

"I’m okay. Talking to her on the phone this morning helped. That was a good idea, by the way."

"One day you are going to learn that I am the smartest person you know."

"One day you are going to learn that I am very aware of your many talents and appreciate them all. Even your ego is impressive."

They both turned when they heard a car approaching. Alex’s familiar Jeep was creeping up the drive and Callie squeezed his hand. "This is where I pretend that I have to go set the table or something. Let me know if you need me."

"I will. And thank you, Gothika, for being you."

"I’m amazing. I know. And you’re very lucky to have me."

He pulled her in for a kiss. "And I’m even luckier to know that."

*~*~*~*~*~

Irene knew that Alex’s coworkers had money, but when she saw the limo parked in front of the picturesque cabin, she felt a surge of apprehension. Callie’s friend Meredith had brought her dinner the night before and a lovely outfit to wear, but she still felt like she would be lacking. She reached for her purse, but decided to leave it in the car at the last minute. It was broken and dingy and she didn’t need it.

Gripping the wheel, she watched her son step around a SUV and head in her direction. It was startling how much he looked like her. She could see nothing of his father in him and when her eyes met his, it was like looking at a much happier version of herself. In her heart, she prayed that she could have that same bounce in her step, that same careless smirk that he now flashed at her. He was gorgeous, her son, and her heart swelled with love as he opened the passenger door and climbed in beside her.

"Leave the heat running," he said. "Callie’s had me outside for too long. I’m freezing."

She reached down and turned the heat up a notch. "Thank you for calling me this morning. It - it was a wonderful way to wake up."

"I read most of the letters." Alex took a deep breath. "It’ll take me a long time to forgive you, but I know why you did it. I get it. I can even understand it when I try very hard, but it still wasn’t right. I can’t think of anything worse than not knowing where someone is."

"I’m here now." Irene put her hand on his. "I hope it’s not too late. And you’re not the only one who didn’t know. I worried about you. I prayed for you and I wanted to find you, but ... I wanted you to be happy more. And you are happy so it was worth it."

"I would have been happier if you had sent me a note saying that you weren’t dead."

"You don’t know that and I think it would have made everything a million times worse. It would have reopened wounds that I didn’t want to touch until I knew that you had reached the finish line. You’re there. You’re a doctor now and you’re not just a doctor ... you’re a doctor who risked his life to save someone. That girl ... she’s here because of you. Her baby is here because of you." Irene watched him closely. "I really like Callie, by the way. She’s what your grandmother used to call ‘hell on wheels’."

"She really is. I heard that she gave you a hard time."

Irene grinned at him because he was obviously proud. "And you wouldn’t have it any other way. She told me that she’s a lot like me, but she’s not. She has no problem standing up for what she believes. I never did that."

"Yeah, you did." Alex squeezed her hand. "Almost every beating you took was for me ... so that I wouldn’t have to. I don’t know why you stayed with him as long as you did and I don’t want to know ... but you stood up in your own way and I know that. I’ll never forget it."

"I wish that I could -"

"Let’s not talk anymore. Not right now." Alex glanced at the house. "I want you to meet some of the most amazing people you’ll ever know. Callie’s family, our friends ... you’ll like them."

Irene nodded her head at the backseat. "I didn’t really have the time or the money to do any shopping, but I cooked some things last night. That chocolate cake you always liked and the peanut butter pie that you used to beg me for. So -"

Alex swallowed back the lump in his throat. "You were making that pie the year that you used dad’s beer money to buy me a used bike. He broke your nose that night. He knocked you out and left for -"

"And you put a blanket over me and stayed in the kitchen floor beside me." A tear slipped down her weathered face and she brushed it away. "That’s why I left you, Lex. Because you deserved better than the kitchen floor."

Alex leaned over the console and gave her a kiss on the cheek. His eyes were burning with tears that he had to fight hard to control. A second later, Meredith and Derek pulled up beside them and Alex reached for the door handle. "We should go in. Dinner’s soon and ... well, I can’t wait to get to dessert and have that pie."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie sat between her two older brothers, listening to them tell her off well enough to rival Melana at her finest. Stavros had wrapped up his sermon about the dangers of tattooing and was chiming in randomly during Loukas’s rant about her weight loss and need for a feeding tube. She looked at her mother for help, but Melana simply pretended to be engrossed in the football game that was playing on the plasma over the fireplace. Callie lifted her sweater and said, "Wanna see my scar?"

Her brothers leaned over her and she seized the opportunity to shove their heads together. The both howled their outrage and she shot to her feet, running behind Cambyses, who towered over them all. He glanced over his shoulder at her and said, "You get that I’m on their side, right?"

"Blake?" Callie said softly. "Help?"

"I’m a lover, not a fighter." Blake patted her on the head. "And I haven’t gotten over Halloween."

"Oh my god! That reminds me! I brought the dog video for our viewing pleasure after dinner." Callie grinned when Blake’s face reddened. "For what it’s worth, Alex and I memorized your song, but we have yet to master your fancy footwork."

"Let me at her!" Blake cried.

Cam shifted out of the way, leaving Callie exposed. Thinking fast, she said, "Gucci, come!"

The little monkey flew off his perch and landed on her arm. She glared at her brothers, then at Blake. "I’ll say it. I’ll so tell him to a.t.t.a.c.k. and -"

"Gucci, come!" Melana said, still gazing at the television. The monkey, ever the loyal one, scurried down Callie’s body and ran across the floor. He climbed onto Mel’s lap and ‘grinned’ at Callie. "Calliope, perhaps you should remember that Gucci doesn’t like to travel and because of you that’s all we’ve done for months now. He *knows* why so if anyone gets a.t.t.a.c.k.e.d. it will be you."

Addison came down the hallway and Callie grabbed her, using her as a human shield as Stavros reached for her. The red head laughed. "What did you do now?"

"I’m completely innocent."

"Yeah and pigs are flying."

The doorbell rang and Callie pushed Addison toward her brothers. "I’ll get it."

"This is not over," Stavros told her, catching Addy. "You will pay as soon as you let your guard down."

"I recommend throwing her in the bay," Cambyses advised. "She just loves that."

"Leave her alone!" Mario said, watching Callie walk toward the front door. "She’s our only girl."

"Oh for God’s sake, you sound like Raphael. She may be our only girl, but she’s also a pain in the ass." Melana shook her head. "I took no part in making her that way. Let it be known."

Raphael looked at his wife. "Lying on Christmas is horrible."

Callie pulled the door open and stepped aside as Derek brought in a honey baked ham that was almost as big as he was. Meredith followed behind him with a pink bakery box. Alex and Irene walked up next. Irene smiled at her and Callie said, "I’m so glad you came. I apologize in advance for my family. We mean well, but we’re insane. You get this many Cuban and Greek hybrids in one place and it’s mayhem."

"I happen to be Mexican," Anita appeared beside Callie and extended her hand. "You must be Irene. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Callie’s godmother Anita. Come in, come in. It’s terribly cold."

Alex closed the door behind them and watched as Melana and Raphael introduced themselves. Melana hugged his mother and led her into the kitchen to meet everyone else. Callie stood on her toes and whispered, "Is everything okay?"

"I think it will be. And we’re standing under mistletoe so -"

Callie kissed him.

All three of her brothers took a picture.

Leon arrived last, having been invited by Callie because he could help her give a play by play of Cam and Blake’s terror.

And because he had no family of his own.

*~*~*~*~*~

"Who is going to lead us in prayer?" Mario asked after he helped Anita into her seat. "Raphael?"

"If he attempted to pray the house would probably catch fire." Melana waved her hand to dismiss the notion. "Mark, it’s your house."

Mark shook his head so fast that it made him dizzy. "Pass."

"That would cause Armageddon," Derek said, smiling. "The Heavens would come crashing down on our heads."

"Would you like to do it then?" Mark asked him.

Derek’s eyes widened. "Addison? It’s your house too."

Addison worried her napkin, putting it in her lap just so. "Callie, you’re the one who claims to have an in with the Opus Dei."

"Calliope, that is blasphemy!" Melana cried. "*I* will lead the prayer and say a special one just for you! Bow your heads!"

She waited until every head went down before she bowed her own. "Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Bless our family and our wonderful new friends. I pray this year for hearts that need mending to be knitted with your grace and hearts that are weary to find a new rhythm to beat. I offer thanks for the healing that we have at this table tonight and for the cancer free women who are able to join us.

"And most of all, I pray that we never lose sight of what’s important. Let us greet the new year with the knowledge that love is forgiving, love is kind, and love is the greatest gift we have to share with others. And, while I know that it must be very hard on you, Lord, I pray that you will ignore the fact that my twins, especially my daughter, are heathens. It is most certainly not through any fault of my own. I am quite sure you know who the culprits are and will make sure that they have heartburn later. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen."

Everyone tried valiantly not to laugh as they echoed her sentiment. Cambyses was the first to lose it. He looked at his sister. "She doesn’t get that this is why we’re heathens, Callie. Because we heard prayers like that our whole life."

"I don’t mind being a heathen," Callie told him, putting a spoon full of potato salad on her plate. "I get all the food and none of the praying."

"I thought you were praying the day you almost died from carbon monoxide in the garage," Alex said, passing her the corn.

"Ay dios mio!" Raphael cried. "Explain!"

Callie looked sheepish. "That’s not polite dinner conversation, Daddy."

Leon cleared his throat. "I’m sure it was an accident. She didn’t know that the garage doors would close right behind her and it shocked her as much as it shocked me."

"See!" Callie pointed at Leon. "Someone *finally* believes me."

"But you still should never let your engine run in a garage." Leon shrugged his massive shoulders. "Everyone knows that."

Callie wanted to kick him. She settled for changing the subject. "Addison, why does the kitchen smell like burned toast?"

"You told her to ask me that!" Addison accused Mark, who shook his head. "The timer on the stove malfunctioned and it was ... not my fault."

Melana accepted the cole slaw that Anita passed her. "The timer’s working fine. I set it when I got here earlier."

"Lying on Christmas is *bad*," Mark told her. "Raphael said so and he’s a very wise man."

"Chock full of wisdom," Alex agreed. "Case in point, he told us that women were made to carry love and not just because they have a womb. He said that it gets inside them and -"

"Stains their soul?" Melana asked, one eyebrow in a perfect arch. Alex nodded at her so she turned to glare at her husband. "That is *my* wisdom, Raph, and it’s nice to see that you pass it off as your own. Ladies, let this show you that behind every ‘wise’ man is a woman who teaches him everything he knows."

"This from the woman who gets her wisdom from Pat Benatar," Callie said. "Love is a battlefield? Seriously?"

"The dinner table may become one if you keep talking." Melana shot her a scathing look. "We’ll discuss the garage incident later on."

"Damn." Callie gave Alex a look that was identical to her mother’s. "You’re not getting your other present now, Jock Strap. No way."

"Wanna bet?" he asked.

As a steady progression of food made its way around the table, the conversation turned more intimate between each individual table. Derek and Mark reminisced about growing up together and the Shepherd family traditions. They kept Addison and Meredith in stitches as they shared embarrassing stories about their misspent teenage years. Raphael and Mario talked in rapid Spanish about Raph’s business ventures and Melana and Anita had their heads together, talking about Anita’s cancer scare.

Callie smiled when she saw that Leon was saying something to Irene that was amusing the woman so much that she was barely able to eat. Alex put his hand on her leg and leaned closer to her. "If I didn’t know better, Callie, I’d think that you were playing matchmaker."

"Me? Never." Callie put her head on his shoulder. "But if she were to meet someone then we’d probably have an easier time convincing her to stay."

"You are diabolical and I approve." He kissed her on the nose and at least seven cameras flashed all at once.

"Bright light! Bright light!" Callie cried, a hand over her eyes. "Damn it. Now I can’t see my food."

"Potato salad’s at six o’clock and the ham is at four," Alex rubbed his own eyes. "And you’re eating every bite of it so quit stalling."

"Yay! The food police rides again!" Callie lifted her fork and dug back into her dinner. "Notice how I’m doing it without a fight. That gives me a pass on the carbon monoxide."

"You are unbelievable." Stavros glared at his sister from across the table. "I have a goose egg on my head thanks to you. You could eat all your food and mine and I’m still going to whip your ass. Whether you get a pass or not."

"You’d have to catch me first, old man," Callie told him. "You’ve got fourteen years on me."

"I don’t," Loukas interjected. "I’ve got six and I’ll not only catch you ... I’ll make you wish *he* had."

"Ooooh, death by Geek Squad! I’m quaking!" Callie rolled her eyes. "You two are as scary as a Chip and Dale. I break bones for a living so your matching goose eggs will seem like child’s play when I crack your ribcage open and -"

"Stop that!" Melana chided. "Can we have a civilized dinner? Just once? Without threats? Because I’ll choke the next one who --- oh --- okay, I suppose I am moderately guilty of negatively influencing you brats."

Cam’s eyes widened. "I swear on my guitar that I just saw a light bulb over her head."

Callie snapped a photo of her mother. "Maybe I got it on film. From here it looked like her devil horns finally exploded."

Melana sighed. "I never should have encouraged either one of you to speak."

*~*~*~*~*~

After dinner, they exchanged gifts. Addison almost expired on the spot when she opened Callie’s gift and saw the Fendi purse inside. Likewise, Irene was stunned and a little embarrassed to realize that she had several gifts as well. She tried to refuse them, saying that she had brought nothing, but Melana silenced her by reminding her that all of her desserts had been eaten and carbs were the gift that keeps on giving. By the time the festivities wound down, Callie was half asleep on the sofa.

"You’re lazy." Alex kneeled down beside the couch and gave her a kiss. "Are you still taking Cristina something to eat at the hospital?"

"Yep." She stretched and sat up. "She’ll kill me if I don’t. Why?"

"I know it’s Christmas night and I should be at home with you, but ... if you don’t mind ... I’d like to go with Mom for a couple of hours and talk to her. She - she asked me if I’d go back to the apartment and -"

Callie silenced him with a kiss. "Of course I don’t mind. Go. Talking’s good."

"Pick me up after you leave the hospital, okay?"

"I’ll be there." She yawned and let him pull her to her feet. "I may be asleep when I arrive, but I’ll be there."

Alex left with his mother a while later so Callie headed into the kitchen to help clean up. She drew up short when she saw that Melana, Addison, Anita, and Meredith were sitting at the kitchen table while the men loaded the dishwasher and put the leftovers away. Addison scooted over in her seat and Callie sat down beside her, leaning her head against her friend’s. Cameras flashed and Callie groaned. "I’m wearing sunglasses next year."

Meredith looked down at her camera. "Well, all my film is gone so my work is done."

Melana added Meredith’s camera to the many that filled her purse. "I’ll have it all developed tomorrow with enough copies for everyone involved."

Addison nudged Callie. "So, Alex’s mother? Is he okay?"

"He really is. I’m shocked that he handled it as well as he has. Well, beating up the wall notwithstanding." Callie yawned. "I hope it’s not hard on him tomorrow when she leaves."

"I spent a lot of time telling her how great Seattle is," Meredith offered. "And I may have mentioned that Cristina said she could stay at the apartment as long as she needed."

Addison nodded. "And I told her that the hospital is always hiring and that the job market here is fairly secure."

"Nicely done," Callie told them. "See? The Angry Woman Club doesn’t just manipulate men. We can manipulate women just as easily."

"We need a new name," Meredith said, smiling when Derek splashed himself at the kitchen sink and swore loudly. "How about -"

"How about The Useless Women Club?" Mark suggested, tying up a trash bag. "Because that’s what you are right now. This is woman’s work and you should be in here doing it. I’m missing the game!"

Addison opened her mouth to speak, but Melana put a hand on her arm. "Let me."

Getting to her feet, Mel put her hands on her hips. "Did you just say ‘woman’s work’?"

The bag slipped from Mark’s hand as he stood up and looked at her. He noticed that the Torres men had taken several steps back. He met Cam’s eye and saw the younger man’s unspoken warning loud and clear. "No. Because that would make me a ... a misogynistic asshole and I - I love women."

"Do you now?" Melana cocked her head to one side. "Plural?"

"No! No! Not plural! Not even close to plural! One! One woman, but I respect all women equally." Mark picked up the bag. "They’re all very equal to each other and -"

"Oh, but not to men?" Melana asked innocently. "Should I get you a shovel so you can dig a little deeper?"

Mark swallowed hard not daring to look away from her. "They’re far superior to men and that’s why I’m happy to miss the football game to do the cleaning. I am a lowly nothing. Who is whipped. By one woman."

"Watch out for this one, Addison," Melana said, taking her seat again. "He’s smooth ... even though he just came very close to becoming a eunuch."

*~

Callie drove Alex’s SUV because she carried enough food in the back of it to feed the night staff at the hospital. Even though she was stuffed, the heavenly aromas were enough to make her stomach rumble and she made a mental note to have a little more potato salad before she left it all at Seattle Grace. She parked in front of Admissions and looked around for Cristina, who had agreed to meet her and help unload everything.

When she didn’t see her friend or the promised cart, Callie got out of the car and opened the back hatch, trying to stack everything neatly. A second later someone called her name and she looked up in time to see George crossing the parking lot. She frowned. He was supposed to be spending the day with his mother. "Hey, you," she said when he was a few feet away. She stepped away from the car when she saw his face. He had clearly been crying. "What’s wrong? What happened? No one’s sick are they?"

"My dad didn’t shoot the turkey this year for Thanksgiving so we didn’t have one." George kept walking toward her and pulled her into his arms the second he could touch her. "Callie, we had turkey today and it was store bought and disgusting and I hated being there. His chair was empty and Mom insisted that we watch home movies and I couldn’t do it anymore. I just - I can’t be there."

"Oh, George." She patted his back, hugging him tightly. "I’m so sorry. I wish I could help. Is - is your mom okay?"

"She’s asleep." He eased back a little, his arms still on her waist. "I gave her a sedative. The home movies got to her."

"They got to you, too." She put her hand on his cheek. "Can I do anything?"

George stared at her for a long time, drinking in her features as if he was seeing her for the first and last time. He gazed into her eyes, then counted a few of the freckles on her nose, and finally he studied her lips. They were slightly parted and as she exhaled he could see her breath. Reaching up, he brushed his thumb over her lips. "You know, I bought you a Christmas present a few weeks before we broke up. I used the money that my dad left me in his will to buy you a better ring. I bought it *after* I slept with Izzie and I was going to put it on your finger while you were asleep and have you wake up on our first Christmas together to a bigger, better promise of forever."

"George-"

"You’re really never coming back to me. Are you?"

"No, I’m not."

"I have to let you go."

Callie shifted uncomfortably as his hands moved to her hips with far too much familiarity. "You should start right now, George. Let go."

He let go of her hips, but gripped her head and pulled her forward, kissing her on the mouth. She tensed immediately and pushed at his chest, effectively breaking his hold on her. "What the hell are you doing!? Don’t you ever-"

"You didn’t kiss me goodbye before, Callie. Now I can let go."

Callie watched him walk toward the hospital and cringed when she saw Cristina standing a few feet away, her arms crossed over her chest. "What the hell was that?" Yang snapped, then shoved the empty cart toward Callie. "What are you thinking?"

Callie caught it, but it was heavy enough to shove her back against the car. She almost lost her footing entirely as it pinned her back against it. "He kissed me!"

"That was disgusting! It was worse than the carolers who showed up here earlier that *I* was forced to lead to various rooms!" Cristina pulled the cart off Callie and watched her massage her thigh. "Alex is going to kill both of you and since I know you both I’ll be forced to attend the funerals and I hate funerals."

"Stop," Callie said, her teeth gritted. "I feel guilty enough with you adding to it!"

Cristina wrinkled her nose when her friend burst into tears. "Oh, for fuck’s sake! I’m not going to tell him! I overhead everything!"

"Just help me get the food out." She started unloading the car, working fast. Her tears fell steadily and she muttered under her breath until the last of the bags had been laid on the cart.

"Would you please stop freakin’ out?" Cristina said. "I think you’re out of Bambi’s system now and -"

"*I* have to tell Alex. *I* have to tell him and -"

"Don’t be an idiot! What he doesn’t know won’t kill him! But what you tell him will kill the fetus and while I’m all for abortion, the death penalty is a shady area for me. You tell Alex and you’re strapping George into the electric chair."

"His temper is not *that* bad," Callie snapped.

"Right. That’s why his hand is mangled. I forgot."

Shutting the back hatch, Callie wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly chilled to the bone. "I have to go. Enjoy your dinner."

"Think before you speak." Cristina steadied a casserole dish on top of the cart. "I’ll deal with George if you want me to."

"I don’t. He misses his dad and ... like you said, this was his twisted and saliva filled way of getting me out of his system."

"Ew, there were tongues?"

"Shut up! And Merry Christmas."

"You get that I’m still Jewish, right?"

"Goodnight, Cristina."

"Goodnight, Callie. Try not to fuck up your life, okay? It’s a pretty decent one."

"It’s better than decent."

*~*~*~*~*~

"Are you sure you have to leave tomorrow?" Alex asked for the fiftieth time in the two and a half hours he had been talking with his mother. "Because you can stay. I’m making decent money and I can help you out."

Irene sipped her coffee as she considered his offer and her response. "I’d like to stay, son. I would, but I don’t want to be a burden and -"

"You’re not." Alex drained his third cup and stood to refill it. He’d probably be up all night, but that was fine. A certain black haired beauty had given him a mental image of red lingerie that would have kept him wide awake without the coffee. "If you want to go back and get your things and work out a notice or something then that’s cool, but you can come back. Cristina said you can stay here and she’d happily let me take over the rent."

"Addison said that there are a lot of jobs around here."

"She’s right," Alex replied, taking his seat once again. "And Seattle Grace has the best cancer unit. With the free clinic you can get the best tests done until you get insurance and you have to watch this closely."

"I know. I’m supposed to go in January for another battery of tests just to make sure the remission is holding."

"I’d really like to have you around. I want you to get to know Callie and ... well, me. I want you to know me and you can’t do that in such a short amount of time."

"You’re very persuasive. I hope Callie knows that." She grinned at him. "Okay. I’ll go home tomorrow and put in a two week notice and find someone to rent my house. Then I’ll come back."

Alex hugged her. It was the first real hug they had shared, but after two hours of crying, laughing, and bonding ... it felt like the only thing left. When they broke apart, he took a deep breath. "What time is your flight?"

"In the morning at ten."

"Me and Callie will take you to breakfast before you fly out and - and you’ll call me, right?"

"I will." She grinned. "And I’ll be back before you know it."

Alex nodded, then frowned down at his watch. "Where is she? It’s almost eleven."

"Try calling her again."

Taking out his cell phone, Alex dialed Callie’s number. She picked up on the fourth ring. "Hey, Alex, are you ready?"

"Yeah. Where are you? I’ve called a few times."

"I’m downstairs. I went to church for a while."

"What happened to you being a heathen?" He heard her sniffle on the other end of the line and his smile faded. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I’m fine. I’m coming up."

Alex heard her disconnect, but he glanced down at his phone in shock anyway to verify that she had cut him off so abruptly. Irene must have recognized the look on his face for what it was. "Is something wrong?"

"I don’t know."

Callie knocked a few minutes later and Alex let her in. Her makeup was freshly done, but he could tell that she had been crying. She smiled at him and he leaned down to kiss her, only to have her turn her face at the last minute so that he kissed her cheek instead. He brushed her hair back and started to speak, but she moved past him and began talking to Irene.

After securing their plans for breakfast the following morning, they said good night to Irene and headed toward the elevator. "You want to tell me what’s wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing’s wrong," she replied. "I’m just tired."

He reached out and put the back of his hand against his forehead. "You’re not having any pain in your pancreas are you? Because it could be chronic and-"

"No." She moved away from his touch, biting her bottom lip as she stepped into the lift. "I’m fine."

"You’re not fine. Are you - wait - are you mad that I came here instead of going home?"

Shaking her head, Callie pressed the button for the bottom floor and massaged the back of her neck with her hand. She always wanted someone who would know her better than she knew herself, but now that he was here it terrified her. "How did everything go with Irene?"

"Really good, but right now I want to talk about you."

The doors opened and Callie headed into the parking lot. Reaching into her pocket, she took out the car keys and held them out. "You drive."

Alex grabbed her arm and spun her around, roughly, to face him. "You’ve been drinking! That’s why you wouldn’t kiss me and that’s why you want me to drive! YOU DROVE HERE DRINKING!?"

"No, Alex, but thank you for the vote of confidence."

"Then what!? You tell me right now or I swear to God-"

"George kissed me. Tonight at the hospital."

Alex took a step back, looking more furious than Callie had ever seen him. "He’s at the hospital?"

"Yes, but-"

"Get in the car."

"Alex, you can’t go there and -"

"Don’t you dare tell me that I can’t kick his ass! Don’t you dare! That mother fucker knows that we’re together! He knows that I love you and --- get in the damn car!" Alex yanked open the passenger door, glaring at her. "Now!"

"He was upset about his dad and he said that he was finally letting me go and that -"

"Are you actually going to stand there and try to defend him!?"

"No, but this is where I remind you that if you go to the hospital and try to kill him then -"

"What would you do!?"

"Exactly what I did when I found out that you had kissed Izzie! I’d go look at bones and remember that I trust you!" Callie snapped. "I made it very clear to him that -"

"I kissed her before we were together, Callie!" He looked up and down her body suddenly. "Did he touch you? Did he put his hands on you? What kind of kiss was it?"

"Don’t do this." She shook all over. "I have spent an hour and a half sitting in the church praying that you would not react this way. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt because he was crying over his dad and we both know that he still has a thing for me. A thing that I don’t encourage or care about. He said it was a kiss goodbye and that he was letting go."

"You don’t encourage it? You had your tits pushed in his face at the concert and he was practically dry humping your leg! You think I didn’t see it? And then that night at Joe’s -"

"I’ll call a cab. You go do what you have to do." Callie turned on her heel and stormed toward the main road. Alex’s SUV squealed to a stop beside her a moment later. She snapped her phone shut and glared at him when he shoved the passenger door open. "Will you please -"

"Get in."

"Where are we going?"

"Home."

She nodded and climbed into the seat. He told her to put her seat belt on and she complied. Alex drove them onto the road and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. "What were you doing when he kissed you?"

Callie told him everything. She told him about Louise being sedated, about the ring that George had bought with his dad’s life insurance, and about the kiss. By the time she finished, she was crying again and Alex pulled over into the supermarket parking lot that they had made love in on their first night back in Seattle after their trip. He left the engine running and watched several minutes tick past on the clock. His anger abated more every time her breath hitched and it was hitching at a rapid pace. And she was begging him, pleading with him to not leave her, to not end it.

"Look at me," he finally commanded.

She drew the sleeve of her sweater over her eyes and turned to face him. "I want my life to be with you, Alex. I want to live in that stupid, big castle thing that my dad is building for us. I want to hear our kids on Christmas morning opening our door because we’re trying to sleep in and they can’t stand it. I want to forget that this happened because I don’t care and I don’t want you to care because -"

"Shut up." He watched her face fall and reached out, cupping her cheek to soften the blow of his harsh words. "Everything we have done ... we’ve done it fast. I said ‘I love you’ to you after just a few days. We moved in together without dating and people kept saying that we were crazy, that we were impulsive and we’d fail, but I didn’t listen."

"Don’t start now." She began to cry even harder and put her hand over his on her face. "Please don’t say what you’re about to say. Alex, we can have a good life. We can."

"Sometimes when you’re asleep in my arms I think that we *could* have gone slower. We could have waited and not jumped in head first or gone away together while you were pissed at George and -"

"I went away with you because I wanted to! I left George because my marriage was over and I wanted more! I wanted you! Alex, I love you! Maybe it was fast, but it’s still real!"

"Stop interrupting me." He moved his hand away from her face, but she gripped it tightly with both of hers now, not letting him pull away completely. "I think of all the things we *could* have done differently and I know that I wouldn’t change it for the world, Callie. Because when you fall asleep in my arms ... you also wake up there and one look in your eyes, the sound of you telling me good morning, the feel of your skin against mine ... I know that it doesn’t matter how fast we got there. What matters is that in this entire world ... I found the person I want to spend a lifetime with.

"I could quote a million movies right now, but like I told you the day we left, this is *our* movie. I’m gonna be original." He squeezed her hand. "So, open the dash."

"Why?"

"Just do it." Alex watched her fumble with the handle on the dash and turned on the interior lights for her. A small box was inside the compartment, wrapped in snowflake paper and he watched her lift it. "Anita and Mario, while very inventive on my part, aren’t really your Christmas present. And there’s still thirty minutes left of Christmas so - go ahead."

Callie stared down at the box in her hand, which was shaking so hard that she was afraid she would drop it. She pulled the paper off and opened it, gasping, her eyes wide. The most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen rested against the red velvet. The diamonds were shaped like a butterfly and the white gold band was covered in smaller calla cut diamonds. "Oh my god," she said. "Alex-"

"I want you to know that I did this right, Callie. I asked your father for permission to marry you while you were in the hospital and he said yes." Alex reached over and plucked the ring from the box, holding it up. "The butterfly ... that’s to remind you that you can fly, that I’ll never hold you down and this circle is to remind you that we will *never* end."

He smiled at her. "Marry me, Gothika. Please say yes."

Callie was crying so hard that she could only nod.

"Why don’t we see if it fits?" He took her left hand and slipped it on her finger. It was perfect against her skin and he kissed it. When he met her eyes again, there were tears on his cheeks. "I love you, but this little drama tonight ruined my hot tub plans. That’s a sacred place for us and that’s where I was going to do this, but-"

"It’s perfect just the way it is." Callie unbuckled her seat belt and hugged him. "And any place with you is sacred."

Alex kissed her. He didn’t care that O’Malley had trespassed a few hours before, he didn’t care about the fact that he would be kicking his ass the following day, and he didn’t care that they were in the parking lot with the interior lights on. He had her pants down and in the floorboard and was sheathed inside her so quickly that it was like a magic wand had been waved at them both.

When the officer knocked on the window a few minutes later ... he *did* care about that.

*~*~*~

The phone rang in Raphael and Melana’s room a little after one in the morning. It startled Gucci, who had been sleeping soundly in his bed, so much that he screamed. That, more than the ringing phone, jarred Melana from slumber. The last time the monkey had made such a ruckus was the night Callie had almost died. When Louise had called her, Gucci made the same ear splitting shriek at the phone.

She sat bolt upright and answered on the fourth ring, muttering a prayer as she did so. "Hello?"

"Mom?" Callie said, her voice shaking. "I need help."

"What’s wrong? What is it, baby?"

"Uhm ... I was arrested."

"WHAT!?!"

"I need you and daddy to come and bail us out of jail."

"Us? Who is-"

"Alex."

"Oh my god, Calliope! What happened?"

Callie told her.

Melana hung up on her and glared at Raphael. "Your *daughter*, that little *girl* that you are so proud of, who can do *no* wrong has been arrested for lewd behavior! She was fornicating in a parking lot with Alex in his *car* and now they’re both in jail."

Raphael threw his head back and began to laugh. He laughed until his sides ached. "Your *daughter* is apparently trying to live up to our standards," he finally said, wheezing for breath. "Only we were lewd *and* lascivious and we had to rely on Mario to bail us out. And that was only two years ago."
CH 40
"You can’t get your car out of impound until tomorrow after nine a.m.." The woman behind the desk poured out the bag containing Alex’s things and he affirmed that it was all there. She grinned knowingly and added, "Are your pants zipped?"

He gave her a terse smile and followed a male police officer down the hallway. He had called Mark with his one phone call and hoped that Callie had done the same. Mark had not heard from her when Alex talked to him, but Sloan had assured him, after belly laughing for far too long, that he’d be there soon. When Alex stepped into the lobby, he spotted Mark right away and opened his mouth to speak, but Melana stepped around him and put her hands on her hips so he drew up short.

"Well?" Melana said. "I can’t wait to hear how you two explain this one."

Alex felt the blood rush to his head so fast that he knew he looked like a neon sign. He wanted to say something, anything, but thought better of it when Raphael put his arm around his wife. He sat down to put his shoe laces back in and prayed that Callie would come out soon. Addison sat down next to him, fighting hard not to laugh. "Did you drop the bar of soap? Why are you so quiet?"

"I’ve been violated. They strip searched me and -"

"Weren’t you already naked anyway, Oh Lewd One?" Mark asked conversationally.

Alex looked at him, then at the others and realized that they were all shaking with silent laughter. "I’m so glad that my pain amuses you people."

The door opened again and Callie walked out, slipping her shark bracelet back on her wrist. She saw that Mark and Addison were there and glared at Alex. "You called *them*? Addison can’t keep a secret! Now *everyone* will know and -"

"Addison’s not telling," Mark told her. "I’m telling. This is priceless. I’ve already called Derek."

"Great." Callie flopped down beside Alex and crossed her arms. "My cell mate hit on me and tried to grope my ass. She was very ... persistent."

"Well, you certainly have had plenty of action tonight," Melana told her. "Have you ever heard of impulse control, Calliope? No, never mind, I know the answer to that."

"We were kinda ... caught in the moment."

"Clearly," Addison said. "Caught red handed."

Callie cut her eyes over at Alex. She would wager that her face was as red as his. "We can’t get your car out tonight, Jock Strap."

Melana laughed. "They impounded the sin wagon? My word, perhaps they’re checking it for evidence of any further debauchery. How and why did this happen?"

Callie put her head in her hands and took a deep breath. "Because George kissed me earlier and I told Alex and he went crazy and -"

"George kissed you?" Mark made a face.

"You *told* Alex?" Addison asked. "Why!?"

"You wouldn’t tell me?" Mark snapped, glaring at her. "How could you-"

"I’m killing that little piece of shit," Raphael said simultaneously.

"No, I would not tell you!" Addison replied. "Because you would not get naked with me for weeks if I told you something like that and I’d take care of it on my own! And-"

"Where is he now?" Raphael continued, oblivious to the argument that was beginning. "Because I have a club in the car and he needs to be knee capped just once."

"You’re damn right we wouldn’t get naked!" Mark growled, undaunted. "You better hope that you never keep something like this from me because when you kissed Alex-"

"Oh my god!" Addison yelled. "That was a -"

"You kissed Addison!?" Raphael shouted at Alex. "What are you-"

"Shut up! All of you!" Melana tapped Callie on the head and waited for her to meet her eyes. "Did you beat the living shit out of George for this?"

Callie shook her head. "No."

"Well, now I’m about to be arrested." Melana grabbed Callie’s shoulders and shook her, hard. "You should have put him in the hospital! You should have -"

"Melana!" Alex pulled the two women apart. "It’s fine. I’m gonna take care of it and -"

"No, you’re not." Callie rubbed her face with her left hand. "You’re going to just forget about it and -"

Melana grabbed her daughter’s hand and gasped. "Is that -" She looked at Alex. "Did you - are you -"

Alex smiled at her. "It is. I did. And we are."

Leaning down, Melana hugged them both. Rubbing their backs and warbling about how much she loved them, despite the fact that they were both going to be the death of her. When she pulled back, she grabbed them each by an ear and twisted. "This should have been the phone call I got tonight! You should have told me the moment you did this and instead you -you got bare assed naked in a parking lot. Let this be a lesson that your family should come before your carnal needs."

"Move out of the way, Mel!" Raphael nudged her to one side and pulled Callie to her feet, hugging her. "I’m so proud. He asked me weeks ago and of course I said yes. I’m so glad that you did, too. And don’t worry, I’m already working to get the charges dropped. I’ve got Judge Spencer in my back pocket and he’ll let this go. I promise. Especially when I tell him the circumstances."

Melana rolled her eyes and looked at Alex. "You’re just like her father. You reward her for horrible behavior and -"

"She didn’t do anything," Alex replied softly, reaching out to shake Raphael’s hand. "You can’t be pissed at her for what someone else did."

"She should have kicked his balls into his ass! Or ripped his still beating heart through his rib cage and fed it to him!" Melana pointed out. "I’ll take care of that myself."

"Damn," Mark said, patting Alex on the back. "Congratulations and God help you, dude. Your future mother in law is scary as hell."

"I think of Addison as a daughter, too." Melana shot Mark a look. "Keep that in mind."

Addison beamed at the woman. "I’ll be the good daughter. The one who behaves."

"We’re doomed," Mark said to Alex. "Doomed."

Alex watched Callie and Addison hug and then laugh at something that Callie whispered in her ear. Mark was probably right. They were doomed, but as long as it was a life sentence, Alex was fine with it.

*~*~*~*~*~

Raphael and Melana went home the day after Irene left, taking Callie’s brothers and the lewd conduct charges with them, having had the slate wiped clean. Stavros and Loukas got their revenge on Callie at the airport as soon as her guard was down. It involved Loukas chasing her through four levels of the parking deck with a spider, which Alex was very amused to find out was her weakness. Stavros had taken the elevator and was waiting for her with a fake tarantula that he tossed into her face. Even four floors below the action, everyone could hear her screams. It was quite the send off.

Alex was annoyed during the days between Christmas and New Year. George had taken his vacation time and wasn’t there to see the big announcement of the engagement during lunch. Izzie’s reaction almost made up for it. She stood up and declared that she was late seeing her shrink and disappeared. Cristina had laughed until she choked on a Frito Lay and Meredith beat her on the back while she pronounced that Callie’s ring was the prettiest thing she had ever seen.

When Callie was paged into surgery, Alex explained to the other two women that living with Callie and only paying half the utilities had been a god send because he had been able to save up money for three months. The ring had cost well over six thousand dollars and while it wasn’t as flashy as Addison’s, Callie *got* the symbology and wore it like it was worth a million bucks.

The day that George came back, Callie was in a horrible mood. She had scrubbed in on four surgeries and lost three of the four patients. She was in the hallway, glaring at the surgical board when he tapped her on the arm. "Callie?"

She glanced at him. "What?"

"Is it true?"

"Dammit. Yes ... for the very last time ... I was arrested for lewd conduct. With Alex."

George stood up a little straighter. "Okay, yuck and ew ... and that’s not what I mean."

"What, then?" she queried, looking back at the board. She had *ten* minutes before her fifth surgery of the day and her body was protesting already. Her back ached in ways she never imagined and she knew that hot tub therapy was in her future.

"You’re engaged?"

"Oh! Yes." Callie uncrossed her arms and flashed her ring, something she had been doing for days now.

George gently caught her hand and looked at the diamond. Or ... diamonds. The four that comprised the butterfly were huge enough, but the band itself was encrusted as well. "I guess I should have just let you buy your own ring in Vegas, huh?"

"I didn’t buy this." Callie pulled her hand from his. "Alex did."

"Yeah, right. I priced rings. He doesn’t make enough to buy something like *that*." George looked back up at her, sadness in his eyes. "Don’t you think it’s kinda soon?"

"No, I don’t."

"You should know better after what we did. And I think -"

"I’m not the same person I was when I was with you. So, this is NOT the same thing as what you and I did."

"It’s still warp speed."

"It’s still none of your business."

"I thought we were friends," George replied. "Maybe everyone else will tell you that this is great and that you’re going to be oh so happy, but I’m not gonna lie to you! This is Alex Karev. The guy who spread syphilis all over Seattle Grace. The guy who cheated on Izzie and -"

"Walk away." Callie’s nostrils flared. "Walk away right now while you still have full use of your limbs."

"I’m just saying that as your friend-"

"We’re not friends, George. I can actually respect the boundaries of friendship and you can’t. You kissed me and that was dirty and pathetic. So, you shut up about Alex because I don’t give a damn what you think about him."

She watched as her ex-husband’s eyes widened and he scrambled back down the hallway the way he had come. She called him several vile names under her breath and turned on her heel, running straight into her fiancé. She put her hands on his chest to keep him from going after George, but Alex didn’t even try. He was looking at her and when he kissed her ... he was smiling.

*~*~*~*~*~

Time began to move fast after the New Year celebration that the hospital hosted. Callie was roped into singing again and she sang ‘You Belong To Me’ ... her eyes never wavering from Alex’s face. When the clock struck midnight, she was in his arms and standing beside her, Addison and Mark were locked in the time honored tradition of tonsil hockey. It wasn’t for the benefit of the clock striking midnight either; they had been stuck together at the mouth for most of the night, prompting Callie to ask if Addison had been in the wallpaper glue again.

Irene came to Seattle at the end of January, apologizing profusely for taking so long to get back. She had not been able to find renters right away and had remained at Disneyland past her resignation date to cover the costs. She settled into Burke’s old apartment and found work right away as a waitress at the seafood place Callie and Alex loved so much. After eleven days, she was named night manager. Callie and Alex came in almost every day to watch her in action. She knew what she was doing and the bounce in her step she had wished for during Christmas was not only back, it was infectious.

February was a bitter sweet month for everyone. Ava went home amid much fanfare and many tears. She promised to come back regularly to see all of her friends and left with her face in the back window of the car, waving at the assembly of doctors who stood under the awning to see her off. Callie had kept a stiff upper lip until Addison lost it and they both went into side by side stalls in the bathroom to cry. Cristina finally threatened to lob wet tissue at them if they didn’t suck it up so they did. But it was hard. Ava had been the catalyst for so many wonderful things at Seattle Grace.

The construction on Callie’s house would be finished mid March so she spent most of her free time pouring over fabrics, paint swatches, and ideas with an interior designer. Her only real requirement was that the house carry over the Gothic feel of the outside to the inside and she hand picked tapestries and wall sconces that reminded her of the castles she had toured in Europe. Red became a dominant theme in most of the rooms, except for Fratelli’s which she hired someone to paint with murals of the desert at sunset. The hardwood she chose had a rustic feel, wide planked and scrubbed, that reminded her of a pirate ship and the night it was installed, she slept in a sleeping bag with Alex in front of the fire they had built in the fireplace, which was large enough to hold an entire roasted pig. Although that was only in theory, Callie refused to go there.

When they finally moved in, Addison threw a huge housewarming party and invited so many people that the humongous house felt small. Louise brought Ronnie and Jerry, who lugged in a large antique desk that she had stowed away in storage for years. She took Callie aside and begged her to start talking to George again, saying that he was sorry and that he missed their friendship. Since she was riding on happiness, Callie agreed and approached her ex-husband the following morning to tell him a joke. He had laughed for a long time, then told her one of his own and slowly, surely, they started to speak again.

George had surprised her to the point of speechlessness when he apologized to Alex in the lunchroom that afternoon. Her ex-husband congratulated them on their impending nuptials and shook Alex’s hand, telling him that he hoped they had a long and happy life together.

Life was nothing short of blissful and when the Angry Woman Club had lunch together the first week of April, Meredith was grinning secretively. Callie finally had enough of the covert glances that Cristina and Meredith kept sharing and threatened them both. Meredith sat back in her chair and said, "Cristina moved out of the house last weekend."

"George helped me. He was so excited to get his old room back that he practically packed my shit himself." Cristina smiled. "I’m living with Burke again."

"That’s great!" Addison cried. "Are you in Joe’s building?"

"I guess making Chief of Surgery at Mercy West came with a huge sign on bonus because he bought a house. He - he calls it ours." Cristina looked at Callie, who was clearly gearing up to poke fun at her. "Not one word, Miss Living The Fairy Tale in a Real Life Castle. We’re not buying a pet, I’m not doing laundry, and I’ll never, ever marry him. Ever."

"I said the same thing," Callie told her, grinning. "But I was only trying to convince myself ... just like you are."

"I said the same thing, too," Meredith replied, taking a deep breath. "And - well, now I’m not saying it."

Cristina’s mouth dropped open. "Are you freakin’ engaged? Gross!"

"Not yet, but Derek asked me to go away for the weekend so I think he’s going to ask me again. I’ve been dropping hints that I won’t say no this time. So, maybe."

"Great, I get to be the fourth wheel in this little group!" Cristina finished off her hot dog.

"Uh, four wheels make for a perfect machine, dumbass." Callie patted her arm. "It’s the fifth wheel you want to avoid."

"I was close." Cristina turned when she heard someone laughing behind her. George and Izzie had their heads together and were enjoying whatever they were looking at. "They would be the fifth wheel. Tweedle Douche and Tweedle Ditz, perpetually joined at the head."

Meredith sighed, ignoring the other two people completely. "They’re doing the whole ‘we’re going to laugh because we’re so cool and don’t care’ thing because I may have suggested that it was time for them to leave the nest this morning. Derek’s living with me full time now and he isn’t really big on the whole roommate thing. Especially when one of those roommates eats everything in the house. Izzie’s a garbage disposal."

"It actually shows," Addison said. "She’s gained quite a bit of weight."

"She says it’s the anti-depressants." Cristina glanced behind her again. "I happen to know for a fact that she’s in the double digits now."

"Hey!" Callie said, tossing a fry at her. "I happen to be in the double digits. Size ten and holding, thank you very much."

"Yeah, but you wear it well," Yang replied. "She’s a pear."

"You guys don’t have to talk shit about her for my benefit." Callie addressed the table at large. "It’s been *months* and I’m over it."

"I talk shit about her because she told Dr. Hahn that I was living with Burke and caused Hahn to blacklist me from all the cardio surgeries. Which is what I want to go into. I mean, I could go tell Hahn that Izzie stole the heart from her patient, but do you see me doing it? No. Why? Because Izzie’s already pathetic on her own."

"Why did she do that?" Addison asked, finishing up her salad.

"I’m happy and she can’t stand it?"

Callie met Izzie’s eyes across the room. The blond had been watching their little group off and on during the entire lunch hour. She was doing what Callie had done for years; she was standing on the outside looking in. And their reasons were the same ... Callie’s appearance had intimidated people and pigeonholed her into the weird chick and Izzie’s appearance intimidated people and pigeonholed her into the model doctor role. "I think she’s lonely," she finally said. "And she hates that she’s not included."

Meredith could tell by the expression on Callie’s face that she understood the feeling all too well. "Well, we could invite her into our group."

"No!" Cristina yelped. "I am president and founder so I am the inviter! It’s not happening."

Callie took a deep breath. "She’s a woman. And maybe she could be angry since none of us are. Our club has gone soft."

"Well, I have a rant to bring to the table," Addison declared, unwrapping her snack cake. "I picked up our dry cleaning earlier and the clerk gave me a piece of paper that was in the pocket of Mark’s pants. It had a phone number on it. And a name. Brandy."

Cristina’s eyes widened. "The only Brandy I ever knew was a slut."

"So, give me the number," Callie said, pulling out her phone. "I’ll call her."

"You have the biggest dick ever," Cristina told Callie. "Wanna elope?"

"Alex has a temper. Remember?" Callie accepted the piece of paper that Addison held out. She dialed the number and when the woman said hello, Callie said, "Yes, this is a friend of Mark Sloan’s. He gave me your number -"

"Oh, are you Alex? That’s one of those names that can go either way. My name is Brandy and my hourly rate is one hundred and twenty five per hour."

Callie, who had the phone on speaker, gripped it so hard that she heard it creak in her hand. "That sounds fine. Where are we doing this?"

"I can come to you. I’m pretty easy about where we do it. Mark should have told you that much." Brandy laughed on the other end of the line, a tinkling, air headed sound that indicated that she probably only had two working brain cells. "He is always sending me clientele. Do you know Dr. Shepherd? Derek? I’ve done him a few times and he referred Preston and well, apparently I get around because here you are. I don’t have many female clients, but I don’t mind doing you. If you’ve got the money, I’ve got the time."

Callie felt raw, unbidden anger and it rendered her tongue incapable of moving at all. Addison took the phone from her and said, "How about today? I’m working at the hospital, but there are plenty of empty on call rooms that we could use."

"That’s fine," Brandy replied. "I’m free at three o’clock."

"I’ll meet you in the lobby. If I’m not there then have me paged. Alex Karev," said Addison. "See you later."

"Oh my god. I’m so glad I didn’t unpack." Cristina put her head on the table. "This is - I need to cut someone."

"Meet us in the lobby at three!" Meredith called after her friend. She looked at the two remaining women. "It looks like I won’t be going anywhere with Derek this weekend. That - that -"

"Prostitute loving hair gel abuser!" Callie said for her. "I hate men. HATE."

"At least we’re angry now," Addison soothed.

She forgot all about her snack cake.

*~*~*~*~*~

At three that afternoon, the four women peered around the corner looking very much like a demented totem pole. Cristina was practically on her stomach, Meredith was right over her, Callie was next, and Addison was actually on Callie’s back like a clumsy cheerleader. It would have been comical as hell, but the looks on their faces prevented anyone from commenting.

"Oh my God," Addison said, having spotted a brown haired vixen who wore a mini skirt in a way that no one should *ever* wear a mini skirt. "I think the hooker has arrived."

"What kind of person comes to the hospital for a booty call?!" Cristina snarled.

"Me!" her three friends answered as one.

No one laughed.

And no one breathed as they strained to hear. The woman asked where radiology was. "False alarm," Meredith signed in relief. "Oh no! That’s got to be her."

Cristina narrowed her eyes at the beautiful black woman who sashayed across the floor in tight denim jeans and a leather shirt. "Who wears mammal flesh as a *shirt*!?"

"I do ... so watch it!" Callie growled, heaving Addison a little further onto her back. "You need to stop eating before recon missions."

"Shut up!" replied the red head. "Oh, that’s her! Right there."

"She *had* to be blond!" Callie, who had her hands on Meredith’s back, accidentally pinched the other woman.

"Ouch!" Meredith elbowed her in the gut. "It’s a false alarm, too. She’s heading for the elevator."

"What time is it?" Cristina asked.

"Five ‘til. What are we going to do when she shows up?" Meredith asked. "We didn’t get that far."

"Kill her and then Alex." Callie narrowed her eyes at another blond who sailed past the information desk as well. "Are hookers usually on time?"

"Who knows?"

*~*~

"What the *hell* are they doing?" Mark rubbed the stubble on his chin as he joined Derek and Alex, who were watching the women with the same look of confusion he wore. Mark opened his phone and snapped a photo, then two more for good measure as Addison almost fell off Callie’s back.

"We have no idea." Derek raised a brow as Cristina sat up fast enough for the back of her head to clip Meredith in the chin. He listened to his girlfriend’s loud grumbling for a few seconds before he spoke again. "They’ve been like that for ten minutes."

"They’re up to something." Alex crossed his arms over his chest. "Apparently four months of drama free life is the most that Callie can take. We haven’t had so much as a harsh word from January to April and now ... she’s up to something."

Derek chuckled. "You guys are still in the puppy phase."

"Puppy phase?"

"You put the ring on her finger so for at least four to five months she looks at you like you’re a fuzzy puppy who can do no wrong." With a sigh, Derek watched Meredith again. "If all goes well, Meredith will be looking at me that way after this weekend."

"You’re going to propose?" Mark clapped him on the back. "Finally!"

"She did say no last time," said Derek.

"She won’t now." Alex stood a little straighter when his name was announced over the intercom system, paging him to the front lobby ... which was the spot that seemed to be fascinating the women. "I’m suddenly terrified."

*~

"I’m suddenly mortified," Callie said, standing up so fast that Addison slipped off her back and lost her high heels in the process. "A masseuse?"

"A *geriatric* masseuse," Cristina corrected, then gestured behind the others. "Your men are approaching with caution. God, I’m glad Burke’s not here anymore. I highly recommend not working with your boyfriend."

"Hey, Mark!" Addison’s voice was at least two octaves higher than it usually was when she smiled at him. The smile made her look drunk. Or possibly high. "How are you? I - uh - what are you doing?"

"What are *you* doing?" he asked suspiciously. "What were you looking at?"

"People."

Next to them, Callie stepped in front of Alex, both hands on his chest. She was going straight into the suggestive sex kitten thing he seemed to like. Licking her lips, she winked up at him. "I thought that you were in surgery."

"We finished." He studied her face closely and opened his mouth to say more when his name was called again. "I better go see what that’s about."

"We got it!" Meredith announced. She had not looked at Derek once. "Give me the money, Callie."

"Money?" Alex raised a brow. "What are you doing?"

"We, er, were craving pizza." Meredith took the wad of cash from Callie’s pocket herself, then gasped when Alex snatched it from her hand and counted it.

"A hundred and fifty dollars worth of pizza?" Alex questioned. "And you ordered it in *my* name?"

Cristina reached out and tugged the bills from Alex’s grip and said, "I’ll get rid of her."

"Her?" Derek walked around the corner, then smiled. "I could use a deep tissue massage so if Alex isn’t taking her, I will."

"What?" Alex joined Derek and raised a brow when he saw the older woman standing nearby clutching a folding massage table.

She had a see through satchel over her shoulder filled with oils and she waved at Derek and crossed the lobby, extending her hand. "Hello, Derek! How are you? Do you know where Alex Karev is? I’m waiting on her so that I can do her massage. I need to get started because I have another appointment at four thirty."

Derek pointed. "This is Alex."

"I think there’s been a misunderstanding." Brandy blinked several times. "I spoke with a woman on the phone and -"

Alex looked at Callie and crooked his finger, beckoning her forward. Callie took a step back and glared at Addison, who put a hand on her face. "It’s my fault!" the red head finally spluttered. "I found her number in Mark’s pants and Callie called and we all thought she was a prostitute so ... we all pitched in to pay to see who all of you had in common. She kept ... calling you her clientele. She knew you by name. Except for Alex and ... it was obvious that she was expecting his call."

Wordlessly, Cristina held the money out, not looking at the masseuse at all. Brandy threw her head back and laughed so hard that she had to lean the massage table against the wall. "This happens *all* the time. It’s my voice."

"No, it’s the name," Cristina corrected, still holding out the cash. "It screams ‘naughty catholic school girl’."

Brandy accepted the money and dropped it in her bag. "So, who am I doing?"

"It could also be your phrasing," Cristina added.

Dr. Bailey walked up, her hands on her hips. "Oh, I’m sorry! I thought this was a hospital. There are sick people and half the staff has gathered here to talk."

"You!" Callie grabbed her arm and looked at Brandy. "This is Dr. Bailey, who really could use a massage so ..."


Bailey smacked Callie’s hands off her. "What? A massa-"

"We all pitched in," Meredith told her seriously. "Your birthday was yesterday so -"

"I’ll cover for you," Callie said, now pushing the shorter woman next to Brandy. "Surprise!"

"Y’all ain’t got a lick of sense." Bailey grinned. "But I will gladly go get my rub on, thank you very much. Sydney tried to force me to choke her earlier."

Callie watched the two women walk toward the elevator and moved back, hiding behind Addison. Derek was the first to speak. He glared at Meredith and snapped, "You thought I was with a hooker?"

"It was the phrasing! Like Cristina said!" Meredith slouched back against the wall.

"What were you going through my pants for, Addison?" Mark asked. "What happened to ‘I trust you’?"

Alex walked beside Mark and looked at Callie. "You can actually answer that one, too, Cal."

Four pagers trilled one right after the other and the four women all looked down, pulling their beepers from their hips. They muttered quick apologies and rushed for the elevator, practically sprinting. Izzie Stevens walked into the lift right behind them and waited for the doors to close before she turned to face them, "That was me, by the way. I paged you all."

"What?" Cristina asked, stunned. "But it said 911 to the pit."

"I saw enough to know that you guys needed to be saved by the bell." Izzie smiled expectantly. "So ... I did a good thing, right?"

"You did a very good thing," Callie told her. "Thanks."

Izzie looked at Meredith. "Do I still have to move out?"

Meredith shook her head. "Nah. You guys can stay for now. Just - as soon as Derek is speaking to me again I think he’s going to propose and well... newlyweds should be alone."

"Ooh!" Callie snapped her fingers as the doors opened into the pit. "Irene is going to be moving onto the yacht soon so Burke’s apartment will be available."

"We’ll take it!" Izzie cried. "When is she leaving?"

"End of the month."

"Thanks, Callie," Izzie replied, grinning at the other woman. "And - uh - I bought the stuff last night for a pound cake with cream cheese frosting. If the Angry Woman Club is in need ... it’s yours."

"Yes!" Addison declared. "Something tells me we’ll definitely be needing it."

"And - as the president of this club of buffoons, I officially invite you to sit with us." Cristina added in a tone that dared anyone to object. "Even if you did lure me here with the promise of carnage and I’m very disappointed."

"Carnage will come when you get home. You know they’re telling Burke." Meredith pulled her hair back and secured it. "I’m going to find something to do."

"Me too," Cristina followed after her.

Addison made a face. "I’m going to the nursery. I’ll change diapers to avoid what’s coming."

Callie and Izzie were left alone and they both looked at one another in a way that spoke volumes. Izzie broke the silence. "You know, Callie ... you have *my* life."

"What?"

"You’ve got my friends in a way that I never had them. You’ve got the guy I wanted for a while. And - you put more money into the Denny Duquette clinic than I’ll see in a lifetime." Izzie chewed her bottom lip for a few seconds. "And - you deserve it. What I did to you was wrong. So ... the best person won."

"It wasn’t a race."

"I made it a race."

"We’re a lot alike, Stevens. You came from a trailer park and I came from a mansion, but we both spent years trying to hide from our upbringing. You hid in pictures, becoming someone else, and I hid behind black clothing. You became the model, I became the weird girl ... and ... we both made mistakes."

Izzie shook her head sadly. "I don’t think you can top me sleeping with your husband."

"I *did* naked pee." Callie laughed. "And I did try to knock your head off the first day we met. I threw a ... I don’t remember what ... at you."

With a chuckle of her own, Izzie said, "It was a calibrator and you bruised my boob, by the way."

"It set the tone for our very bruising relationship," replied Callie, pointing at the small scar under her eye. "So, I’ll take half the responsibility and you can take the other half."

"Let’s just start over." Izzie held her hand out. "I’m Izzie Stevens and I think that anyone who can do what you did with the fund raiser shouldn’t hide behind black clothes. You were really beautiful in the white dress that night."

"I’m Callie Torres." Callie shook her hand. "And I think that anyone who can model as well as you did should be proud as hell of that fact. The Italian backdrop was my favorite pose, by the way."

Izzie laughed. "I’ll always be trailer trash. My new boyfriend? His name is Viper. He rides bikes and has more tattoos than those dudes on Miami Ink."

"I’ll always be a rich bitch. Even though I lived in the basement ... I had a multi-million dollar yacht waiting for me. And I flew to get it on my private jet."

"Yeah, you win." Izzie smiled at her. "It’s nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

*~*~*~*~*~

It was a bad sign when Callie and Addison left the hospital together and saw that both of their vehicles were gone. Mark and Alex had left them and while they were used to highs and lows in their respective relationships ... this particular low was a new one since it was pouring down rain and neither woman had an umbrella. They made a mad dash for the Emerald City Bar and were soaked to the skin when they tumbled through the door.

They bellied up to the bar and asked for water. Callie heard someone laughing in the corner and glanced that way, smiling when she saw that George was sitting next to one of the new interns. This particular intern had something in common with Meredith ... namely a father. As she watched, George pushed the Lexie’s short, brown hair over her shoulder and kissed her neck. He caught her eye a minute later and she lifted her glass, toasting him.

"At least she’s not blond," Addison said, looking at Callie with apprehension. "Or cute."

"He looks happy." Callie sipped her soda and smiled. "And I think she’s adorable. George finally got his very own Grey."

"Love has softened you too damn much. Your little underbelly is all exposed."

"It’s not so little anymore. I have *curves*. And Alex loves it. He wants me naked the entire time we’re home. Who knew?"

"Having just seen you naked the other day for your exam ... I can tell you that you look much, much better than you did."

"I feel better. No, that’s an understatement ... I feel incredible. I feel like my life is absolutely perfect. It’s perfect and I love waking up every day." Callie smiled at her best friend. "Thank you for sticking by me during my manic depressive, self destructive, suicidal and certifiably insane phase."

"Are you kidding? Friends like you come along once if you’re lucky. You made me crazy, but I loved you through it all."

"Now who has the exposed underbelly?" Callie laughed. "And I love you too, pookie."

Joe refilled their waters and pointed at the karaoke machine. "Olivia just walked in. Will you please salvage this night? You did promise."

Callie, who was waterlogged from the rain and shivering thanks to the many ceiling fans, eventually nodded. "Fine, but our drinks are free!"

"Sing Cher again!"

Addison watched as Callie beat Olivia to the stage. The nurse had noticed George and Lexie and almost tripped over her feet, which gave Callie the edge she needed in the final stretch. Leaning her elbow on the bar, Addison listened as Callie sang ‘After All’ by Cher. As usual, she did a bang up job. She smiled a little when Alex and Mark came in during the last chorus. They didn’t join her at the bar and took a table in the middle of the room instead.

"Joe," Addy said. "I’d like to send the two sullen and pus filled *children* a couple of beers."

"Alex doesn’t drink anymore." Joe shrugged. "How about one beer and one coke?"

"That’ll work."

Callie joined her at the bar after nodding politely at the spattering of applause. Neither Mark nor Alex so much as looked at her. A second later, Joe returned the drinks that Addison had sent to the men down on the bar. "Alex sent this back," Joe said, "with a ‘fuck you very much’. He said that Callie would get that. Unless I’m mistaken, Cal, you did the same thing to him when he first came here. He sent you a fruity drink and you sent it right back."

Narrowing her eyes, Callie glanced at the piano that sat behind the karaoke machine. "Is the baby grand in tune, Joe?"

"Yeah. Oooh, can you play?"

"Yep. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. Want me to hook up the house microphone instead of the karaoke or are you just tickling the ivory?"

"Hook up the mic. And unplug that fucking karaoke before Britney's stalker tried to sing again."

"On it."

Addison’s eyes widened as her friend got to her feet again. "What are you doing, Callie?"

"Apologizing."

"No fair! I can’t apologize with my voice!" Realizing how stupid that sounded, Addison hastily added, "Okay, yes I can, but I can’t *sing* with it."

"Then I better sing well enough for both of us."

A few minutes later, Callie settled at the piano. She threw up a hand at Meredith and Cristina who had joined Addison at the bar. Taking a deep breath, she said, "There’s a song for every occasion and this one just felt right."

Her fingers sailed over the keys with the same ease that she had played the guitar during the concert. Being a rich bitch had its perks and she’d never regret the fact that her mother forced her to learn almost every instrument known to man. She played Elton John’s ‘Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word’ as if she did it every day, never missing a note.

She glanced at Alex before she started to sing. He was looking at her and that was good. "What have I got to do to make you love me? What have I got to do to make you care? What do I do when lightning strikes me and I wake to find that you’re not there. What do I gotta do to make you want me? What have I gotta do to be heard? What do I say when it’s all over, baby, and sorry seems to be the hardest word."

Cristina smiled when she saw Alex's jaw tighten. "Oh, she’s good. Ten bucks says that Alex caves."

"Nobody’s taking that bet," Meredith assured her. "He looks ready to pounce on her."

"I like this version better than Elton John’s." Addison drained the coke she had sent for Alex.

Izzie dropped her purse on the bar beside her. "It’s the Mary J. Blige version."

"Really?" Addison glanced at her and her eyes widened when she saw the handsome guy standing beside the blond. "Uh, hi."

"Viper," he said, shaking her hand. "She’s good, eh, this singer?"

"She is," Addison agreed. "You from London?"

"Cotswolds," the man replied.

"You’re a long way from home."

"Home is where the heart is." Viper grinned at Izzie, pulling her down for a kiss.

Cristina threw a peanut shell to the ground as she watched Stevens thoroughly make out. "Well, *she* isn’t going to bring the angry back into our club."

*~

Mark fought hard not to smile as Alex stared at Callie. If anyone was in the puppy phase ... it was Karev. Glancing at Addison, Mark knew that he was in the same boat. They had both been done in by sneaky, annoying, and insanely endearing women. He tossed back the rest of his beer and leaned forward. "I’m going to talk to Addison."

"As soon as Callie’s finished ... we’re leaving. Talking’s overrated. Since sorry is such a hard thing for her to say ... she can apologize with her body." Alex smirked at him.

"Good idea," Mark replied, getting to his feet. It took him less than five minutes to convince Addison to leave with him and they passed Derek and Preston on their way out.

Alex got to his feet as Callie wrapped up the song. He gave her a standing ovation and walked forward, helping her off the raised platform. "Let’s go home, Gothika."

"It worked?"

"Oh, you’ll be apologizing for hours once we’re in the bed."

"Screw the bed! Let’s go parking and -"

"That’s not funny!" Alex shook his head back and forth, wide eyed. "I don’t think they’d toss out the charges a second time."

"Damn. Spoil my fun."

"It’s going to be very, very fun. Come on."

Callie grabbed her purse and her jacket, smiling when she saw that Meredith and Cristina had obviously been forgiven as well.

*~*~*~*~*~

In July, Callie flew her private jet to Miami for the holiday weekend with Alex as her faithful co-pilot. Seated in the passenger seats were Mark, Addison, Meredith and Derek. Cristina alone, out of all of her friends, knew the real reason behind the trip and had declared that she could *not* go. It was just too soon, too hard to even contemplate it. Par for the course, Callie ran headlong into a storm and filled the cabin with her much maligned ‘Devil music’ that Alex apologized to their friends profusely for.

When they finally landed, everyone except Callie had jelly legs and she mocked them all the entire way to the solid white limo that was waiting at the private airstrip. No one could contain their awe and wonder as they pulled up in front of Casa Torres fifteen minutes later. The Mediterranean style mansion was so big that it prompted Mark to compare it to the Biltmore. Callie assured him it was an exaggeration and led the way inside.

After spending two hours at a dinner table that could have held thirty people, Callie made the announcement. "Alex and I are getting married tomorrow."

Addison pulled her key lime pie into her lap. "You stole my destination wedding!"

"Who stole my Halloween idea?" Callie asked.

"I am getting married on the twenty fifth of October! Not Halloween!"

"You’re still having stupid pumpkins in your centerpieces *and* you’re missing my birthday for your damn honeymoon!" Callie took a deep breath and silenced her best friend with a look that was so Melana like that her mother applauded. "Besides, this is the only time that Chief Webber would let so many people off. Bailey’s coming tomorrow, too."

"Cristina!" Meredith cried. "She-"

"It’s too soon for her to do this." Alex reached over and took Callie’s hand. He knew that she wanted Yang there, but no amount of begging on his part had changed Cristina’s mind. "We’re getting married on the beach at sunset."

Callie leaned over and kissed him. "Yes we are."

"I cannot believe that you are getting married before *me*!" Addison growled, still wiping the pie from her sundress. "You *always* do this. You do things first and -"

"If you don’t shut up, then Meredith is the maid of honor."

"Maid of honor?" Addison stopped dabbing at her lap. "I’m so happy for you, Cal. Wait, what are we wearing? It better not be something Gothic and scary!"

"It’s red and trust me ... it’s not scary."

Melana and Raphael drew the line at the unmarried masses sleeping together in their house. The guys were shown three large bedrooms, but wound up playing pool in the game room for most of the night. In Callie’s room, which was actually a suite, the three women kept dissolving into laughter as they flipped through the many scrapbooks that Melana had kept for her daughter over the years.

Addison attacked Callie’s closet next, doing a running commentary on the state of her wardrobe. When she pulled out a kilt, she literally got in the floor and rolled. Someone knocked just after two in morning and Callie rushed across the room. She leaned against the door and said, "Alexander Karev, if that is *you* then get your ass away from here! You cannot see me on our wedding day!"

The knock sounded again and Callie unlocked the door when she heard her mother’s voice. As soon as she opened it, Callie squealed in the most girly, un-Gothic and pathetic way a person could squeal. Cristina stood beside Melana, looking haggard and exhausted. "You!" Callie cried, pulling her friend into a hug that prompted Cristina to sound like Callie was flaying the skin from her body. "You’re here!"

"Hugging! Violation of rule number two in the Angry Woman Club!" Cristina sailed past her and dropped her overnight bag on the floor. "No male strippers?"

"I tried," Melana replied, kissing Callie on the forehead. "She refused."

"Dumb ass," Cristina told Callie as she hopped up on the bed beside Meredith. "So, you’re really getting hitched. Again."

"Goodnight, girls." Melana put her hand on the doorknob to close it, then paused and looked back inside. "Calliope, this is the first sleep over of your entire life."

Callie nodded. "I was waiting for the best."

*~*~*~*~*~

The bridesmaid dresses were anything but scary. Because it was eighty four degrees in Miami and the reception was being covered by Carlos Santana, Callie had chosen strappy, sexy salsa attire for the three women. The color was not quite as red as her friends had expected and once they saw her wedding gown, they understood. The ivory fitted bodice of Callie's dress had red lace roses woven into it. It was astounding and everyone told her it was beautiful, even Cristina, who despised anything ivory or lacy.

With her hair down and curled, Callie took a deep breath. The wedding was thirty minutes away and she was alone for the first time in hours. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, eyeing her curves. She had not made it back to a size twelve. She was still holding on to a size ten, due in large part to the fact that Alex had taken to mountain climbing with the same passion she had and they got plenty of exercise because of it.

"You look beautiful," Cam said, standing in the doorway. "Like a dream."

"Don’t you dare make me cry," she scolded, seeing the tears on his face.

"I can’t help it." He crossed the room and hugged her, hanging on tight. "You’re my baby sister."

"I’m six minutes younger than you!"

He pulled back a little, keeping his arms around her. "Those were the loneliest six minutes of my life ... waiting for you to come out and join me."

"Damn it!" She backed away and snatched a tissue from the box. "What did I just tell you?"

He took the tissue and blew his nose, forcing her to get another. "Alex looks so handsome in his tux."

"He *refused* to even consider linen pants and a Hawaiian shirt."

"That’s because Mom told him not to." Cam put his hand on her cheek. "You’ve done so many great things with your life. You’re blessed to be a blessing. You touch people around you without even trying and we’re all better for it. Your friends, your co-workers, they’re all out there waiting for you. You’re not a loner anymore."

"I was never a loner, Cammy. I had you."

"That’s never gonna change."

She held up her hand. He did the same and cracked their knuckles together. As one, they said, "Wonder twins power, activate."

"You two are ridiculous! Stop doing that! It’s creepy!" Melana said, hurrying into the room. "It’s time, honey. Cambyses, will you please go make sure your Uncle Kick stops sexually harassing the servers and takes his seat?"

"I’m on it." Cam kissed his sister one more time. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Callie watched him go and accepted the red and white rose bouquet that Melana held out. Her bridesmaids were carrying solid white ones that were tied with a red ribbon.

Mel saw the way her daughter's hands shook and reached out, steadying her. "I wanted a little girl my entire life, from the moment your grandmother put a doll in my arms for the first time. And while you never really let me play dress up with you and you didn’t take to the dainty dresses or the pink ruffles, I got everything I could have asked for with you. You’re beautiful, you’re strong, and you’re one hell of a woman, Calliope. You amaze me and I did something right to have God let me have a hand in making you."

Callie walked into her arms and put her face against her neck. "I said I wasn’t going to cry today and just look at what you’ve done to me."

Melana rubbed her hair. "I know exactly what I’ve done to you, mi vida. I finally got you in the dress and *this* is the coming out party that you ran from. You won the battles, baby. I won the war."

*~*~*~*~*~

"Are you okay?" Mark asked, tugging at his tie. It was not scorching hot by any means and there were people all over the place waving large bamboo fans at the guests, but Alex looked like he was ready to faint. "It helps if you breathe."

"Remember not to lock your legs. You’ll faint," Preston advised. He had arrived the night before with Cristina and happily assumed his role as the third groomsman. "At least that’s what my mother says."

Derek clapped Alex on the back. "The second you see her you’ll be fine. An atomic bomb could go off right behind you and you wouldn’t even notice."

Mark glanced at Derek. He remembered the day that he had stood as best man for him and as he watched Addison walking toward them ... he had fallen in love himself. "Uh, Derek?"

"Hmm?"

"Come here for a second."

Derek followed him toward the water’s edge a few feet away from the large archway and flower arrangements. Each man was barefoot and Derek pulled up his pants leg to dip his toes in the water. "What’s up?"

"I just - I’m not sorry that I’m with Addison. I’m not. I can’t be and I’m not going to lie to you." Mark tugged at his tie again. "But I am sorry that it happened the way it did and -"

"Everything happens for a reason. Everything. Meredith is going to marry me and you’re going to stand next to me the same way you’re standing next to Alex today." Derek smiled at him. "You’ll be my best man again and this time ... you’re going to live up to it."

Mark nodded. "Yeah, I am."

Derek gave him the kind of handshake that instinctively turns into a one armed hug. When they took their places beside Alex again, they both felt considerably lighter. Preston stood on the end, his hands clasped in front of him. Derek stood between Burke and Mark, who was reassuring Alex again, fulfilling his role as best man to the best of his abilities.

"You okay?" Izzie asked George, who was flipping through the keepsake album each of the two hundred chairs had contained.

"Yep." George nodded, then showed her a photo. Callie was a freckle faced little girl and on the opposite page Alex was giving a toothless grin and he had just as many freckles. "Their kids are doomed to look like dalmations."

"I don’t know." Izzie flipped her own album to the last photo. It was a closeup of the two of them, their faces almost touching, their eyes locked on one another. Callie had told Izzie that she was a great model, but Izzie had only ever made sexuality pop off the page. The love that the two of them shared was strong enough in the photo to take a person’s breath and it took Izzie’s every single time she saw it. "I think they’ll have freakishly beautiful babies."

Music swelled suddenly, the theme from ‘The Princess Bride’, and a hush fell over the crowd. Having Carlos Santana play it was incredible. He sat on a stool just off to the side of the wedding party. Irene was escorted to her seat by Cambyses and a moment later Stavros led Melana to hers. Cristina walked down the aisle next. She hid the fact that her palms were sweating, her heart was racing, and she despised the feel of sand on her bare feet. She relaxed when Burke came into view. He was looking at her in a way that only he could. She took her place on the end and watched Meredith.

Feeling incredibly sexy in a dress that she *never* would have had the nerve to wear on her own, Meredith sailed down the aisle, grinning at the look of shock and wonder on Derek’s face. Unless she was much mistaken, she’d definitely be getting plenty of use out of her dress in the bedroom. Derek had a thing for costumes and lingerie and the dress could have been either.

Mark locked his knees when Addison appeared. His mouth went dry, his hands started to shake and it wasn’t until Alex nudged him that he realized he was muttering under his breath. "Sorry," he whispered. "She’s just -"

"Shut up," Derek hissed. "You can hump her leg later just ... stop talking."

Addison took her spot, her eyes still on Mark’s. She mouthed that she loved him and he did the same, finally relaxing a little. October couldn’t come fast enough for him. He would go to Hawaii and get married under water surrounded by sharks if it could just happen tomorrow.

The theme music segued flawlessly into the wedding march and everyone stood. Mark cut his eyes over at Alex, who was staring at the spot where Callie would appear. "Hang tight, dude."

"She’s not there."

"She will be."

"What if she -"

Horses whinnied suddenly and Alex saw a white carriage approaching from the right side of the beach. It was bedecked in red roses and a man dressed in all white pulled to a stop at the end of the aisle. Alex took a deep breath as Raphael opened the door and stepped out and then Callie was exiting the carriage and her black hair was blowing in the breeze and even from so far away, he knew that she had never looked more beautiful.

There were so many people that her view of Alex was impeded so Callie clutched her father’s arm a little tighter. He laid his hand over hers as they started down the pathway which was far too long in her estimation. "Daddy?"

"Yes, baby?"

"She really did invite two hundred people, didn’t she?"

"Yes." He smiled down at her. "The original list was over six hundred. I put my foot down."

"Thanks."

"You can always count on me."

"There’s something I already knew."

At the halfway point, Callie smiled at Miranda, who brushed her on the arm. George sat in front of her and to her shock, he winked at her and she smiled at him. Finally, she could see Alex and her heart flipped over in her chest. She grinned so big that it hurt and he gave her the cocky smirk that she loved. When she was a few feet away, the priest spoke up and asked who was giving her away.

"Her mother and I," Raphael replied. When he kissed Callie on the forehead, he was crying and when he put her hand in Alex’s, he saw that Alex was as well. He laid his hand on their joined ones and said, "Take care of her."

"Always," Alex replied, nodding.

The first few minutes of the ceremony were a blur for the bride and groom. They gazed at one another alternating between smiling and wiping their eyes and when it was finally time for their vows, Callie took a deep breath. "Alex, some people would look around and say that I’ve never had to want for anything, but you know that’s not true. I’ve spent my entire life wanting you, waiting for you. You’re the love of my life and you’re my best friend. I don’t think that there is anything we can’t do because when I think of what we’ve done already ... I know that there are no impossibilities for us. You are the missing piece of me that I needed to be whole and thank God you’re here. I love you more than I can ever say, but I promise you I will spend the rest of my life showing you in everything that I do."

Alex reached up and brushed a tear off her face, then his own. "Callie, fate was never something I considered until I looked at you in the glare of the X-ray light and I saw forever looking back at me. You have made me a believer in so many things: destiny, soul mates, a love that is greater than anything I’ve ever seen ... and you. I believe in you. I believe with all that I am that until the day I die ... I will have faith that the reason I was put on this earth, the reason that I was there when you needed me, and the reason you're alive today is because *I* couldn’t have lived without *you*. I love you, Gothika, and I always will."

There wasn’t a dry eye for the remainder of the ceremony.

And when Alex finally got to kiss his wife ... he took his time.

That kiss, more than any kiss that has ever passed between two people, was the most passionate, the most pure, and the most enjoyable for both parties.


The End

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