104Ok so this one was long overdue. But honestly, I didnt get enough reviews to know whether I should continue writing it or not. But then I thought, since I already have the story in my head, I might as well type it out.
Disclaimer : All recognizable characters belong to Shonda, I'm just playing with them.
The ferocity with which Callie dotted her "i" caused the pen to slip from her fingers and fall to the floor. She cursed inwardly before bending to pick it up. As soon as she straightened herself, she resumed with what she had been occupied with for the past half-hour. That is, shooting daggers at Ginevra Fontane.
She was standing by the nurses' station from where she had a clear view of Nick's room. The surgery had gone off well. Or relatively well, given the circumstances. But given the chance, Callie wouldn't ever want a repeat of what happened in the OR today. She wasn't particularly proud of what she had done. In plain, honest words, she had been a bitch to . And was she feeling any better after it? Nope. Not now that she saw her wife, laughing away with , as they sat by Nick's bed and talked about God knows what.
She hadn't seen her wife this relaxed in a while. Now that Nick was out of immediate danger, all thanks to some brilliant work by Fontane (yes, she would have to grudgingly admit that she was good at what she did). Now that Nick was awake, they were filling him in. To an outsider, they would appear to be just a group of friends, reliving their shared histories and revelling in each other's familiarity. But Callie was no outsider, and she knew that Ginevra Fontane had once upon a time meant much to her wife, and if she were being honest to herself, she would have to admit, that she was still very special to her wife.
"Whom are you planning to kill?" asked Mark, as he walked up to her with Sofia in his arms. Sofia immediately leaned forward with her arms outstretched.
"Aww Baby" Callie cooed before shutting her file and plucking out Sofia from Mark's arms. She busied herself in fussing over her baby. After the terrible day she had had, Sofia was the only medicine she needed. That and maybe, an explanation from her wife.
"I would hate to have to kill that pretty one" exclaimed Mark from my side as he idly leaned on the nurses' station and pointed his fingers over his shoulders, to Nick's room. At the lack of an answer from me, he continued "Isn't that Blondie's friend from med-school?"
I just grunted. That peaked Mark's interest. He turned to look at them, who I noticed where now laughing at something that Nick was saying. But all the laughing and talking, was wearing him out and when he began to cough up, Ginevra and Arizona began helping him to settle into bed. Mark turned back to me.
"Must say, Blondie has excellent taste in women" That earned him a death glare from Callie. Callie shifted Sofia around in her arms. "They were more than friends. But that was a long time ago. A long long time ago" Callie paused to kiss Sofia on her forehead. "Arizona and I are married and we are a happy family now. And I am not gonna be jealous over some ex-girlfriend of hers. Who I must add is an excellent surgeon and has really helped me with Nick's case" Callie offered, what she hoped was a smile, at the end of her lofty claims.
"For your sake Cal, I hope you believe in half those words you just said." Mark answered with a smirk. "Arizona has enough on her platter right now. You acting all crazy right now, is just gonna get her all pissed off" he added in an ominous voice.
"What am I gonna be pissed off at?" asked Arizona as she walked over to us, a dimpled smile firmly in place. She placed a quick kiss on Callie cheek before holding out her hands for Sofia, who gleefully jumped into her momma's arms.
"No one" both Callie and Mark answered at the same time. Arizona peaked her eyebrows, but she let it pass as Sofia cuddled into her.
"She's beautiful" observed Ginevra as she stood a step behind Arizona, and lightly ran her fingers through Sofia's hair. "You guys are such a lucky couple" She lifted her eyes to meet Callie's. She sincerely hoped that would work in thawing the ice between the two. Callie smiled briefly, accepting the compliment. After all, it was the truth.
"I'm Mark Sloan, by the way, Head of Plastics" said Mark, standing up straighter and offering a hand to Ginevra. "They always tend to forget me when they're around each other" he smiled cheekily.
"Oh trust me Mark, how I wish I could forget you" snorted Arizona.
Ginevra laughed and took the proffered hand "Ginevra Fontane, Surgical Oncology" Then to Arizona she added with a chuckle "The sperm-donor, huh?" Arizona bobbed her head in assent.
"I prefer the term baby-daddy" Mark offered coolly.
Ginevra pulled back her hand from Mark's grasp. "Yes, I hear you're a lot more" she said with a twinkle in her eye.
"Has blondie been talking about me, then?" he asked with surprise. "Don't believe every word she says, she's just jealous that she's committed and she can't score as many women as me" Mark smirked. That earned him an eye-roll from Arizona.
"I don't know Mark" Ginevra said, while looking fondly at Arizona "where I come from, there are many who would still fall for Arizona even if they had you swooning all over them" For a second she watched Arizona blush under the effect of her comment, then she turned to continue to look at Mark "Many a great, straight, upright citizens I know have fallen for her."
Callie believed she had had enough of it. She, not so subtly moved to stand closer to her wife, and placed a hand round her waist, even pulled her closer to herself. Then with as much nonchalance she could muster, she croaked out "It's late, we should head home now" to Arizona. Then she glared at Fontane "Thank You for your help today, "
"No problem. Anything for a friend." She smiled. She then checked her watch "Guess I should head back to my hotel, catch some sleep. I'll come in to check up on Nick before I leave for the airport tomorrow"
"What about dinner?" asked Arizona "Why don't you join us for dinner? We could catch up" she asked sweetly.
Callie couldn't believe her ears. She unconsciously dug her fingers into her wife's hip. Arizona instinctively winced and looked up into Callie's eyes. That's when she realized what had slipped out from her mouth. She should have asked her wife, if she would be comfortable with the idea. But now the words had already been uttered.
"No thank you guys" Ginevra said sensing Callie's displeasure. "I'm really burnt-out. And I desperately need a bath. I'll just have a quick quite dinner and catch up on some much needed sleep"
"How come no one ever asks me to dinner?" Mark pouted.
"Because you always just come over whenever you want." Arizona answered with a deadpan expression "even when you are not wanted" she added, putting an extra emphasis on the "not".
Callie couldn't help but laugh. "Pouting doesn't suit you Mark" she patted him on the shoulder. "Plus your shift starts in half hour" Sofia babbled in her baby language. "Yes baby, tell Daddy to go do something consequential" added Arizona with a devilish grin. Callie had to admit, getting a laughing, joking Arizona was worth having endured Ginevra Fontane. And tomorrow she'd be gone and she and Arizona would be back to their normal lives. She wouldn't be feeling this insecure, and Arizona wouldn't be teasing her about it.
"This is cute" Ginevra commented, her face lit up with a grin. "I never imagined such a domestic Arizona Robbins, but this" she flayed her hands to capture the strange family that the three had created "this is…something. And it's good to see you so happy" she added the last part with an uncharacteristic softness in her voice.
Callie noticed the sad smile that Arizona gave Ginevra. "Aww Ginny…" she began to say something, but apparently words failed her. She instead moved towards her and enveloped her in a one-handed hug. Ginevra hugged her back tightly and released her with a quick kiss to her cheek. She then kissed Sofia on her forehead. Standing back, she gave them a watery-eyed smile, before putting out her hand towards Mark "It was nice meeting you Mark" After Mark was Callie's turn. Ginevra debated for a second whether she should hug her or just offer her a hand. She settled for the latter "It was wonderful getting to work with you Callie. And I really hope you understand and appreciate how lucky you are" with those words, she released Callie's hand and pulling up her purse over her shoulder, she walked away towards the elevator.
Exiting the building, and walking through the parking lot Ginny wondered if what she was feeling right now, could qualify as regret. Did she regret not having Arizona in her life? She shook her head and moved the wind-blown hair out of her face. Was she jealous of what Callie had? She paused, almost imperceptibly. But then she continued walking. Yes, she couldn't admit that she wasn't a little jealous of Callie. But not because she had Arizona. Well, not only because she had Arizona. Callie Torres had everything that Ginevra had ever wanted in her life. The life of a kick-ass surgeon, winning awards, working on interesting cases, receiving the love and respect of friends and colleagues and most importantly, a life with a loving, adorable family that she could go back to at the end of the day.
She knew she had tormented Callie in the OR today. And as jealous as Callie felt today, Ginevra had only trifled with her because she knew that whatever she did, she could never have what Callie had. Truth be told, it had been amusing to see Callie try hard to contain her anger. And her reaction, when Arizona had invited her for dinner had been hilarious. But at the end of the day, she would be the one, who would go home with Arizona and their beautiful daughter. While she, Ginevra Fontane, would go back to an empty hotel room and sleep off her insecurities and broken dreams.
While waiting for a cab, she caught sight of a bar on the opposite side of the road. She decided, a single drink would only do her good. So even as a cab slowed down near her, she waved it off and headed into the bar.
Alex Karev was nursing his third drink of the evening when Ginevra Fontane slipped onto a chair next to him. She ordered an expensive scotch, well relatively expensive, considering it was after all Joe's. She didn't seem to notice him as she played with her phone till her drink arrived. When it did, she smiled perfunctorily before picking up the glass and drowning most of it in one go. Alex wondered if the surgery didn't go as well as they had hoped. For Robbins' sake he hoped it had. He hated having a crappy-mood Robbins cracking a whip around the Ped's floor.
"How was the surgery?" the question seemed to startle the pretty surgeon for a second and she stared at him for a minute before recognizing him. "Karev" she stated simply. Alex nodded his headed. She shrugged her shoulders "He'll live another 6-8 months max. Might need another surgery or two in due time" and she drowned the rest of her drink.
"Something stronger" she told Joe and Joe nodded with understanding. "How was yours?" she asked turning to him again.
"Good" Karev smiled his patent half-smile. "I nailed it as usual." He sipped his drink while Joe placed an electric blue drink before her. She looked at it quizzically. Then shrugging her shoulders she gave a crooked smile to Karev before picking up the glass and emptying half of it in one go. It had to be strong, judged Alex from her expression. He couldn't help but chuckle. She shut him off with a small glare.
"So is this how you always celebrate a successful surgery?" she asked placing her elbows on the counter and dropping her head into her hands. "Getting drunk?" she continued. "Don't you need to still go to work tomorrow?" she asked peeking up at him.
Alex considered her for a moment. He instinctively reached forward and brushed aside the hair from her face. But he quickly withdrew his hands. She looked at him weirdly for a second till he started speaking "Naah…I usually take someone home and celebrate more privately." He wiggled his eyebrows. She snorted.
"Aaahh…a famous Ladies' Man, huh?" she questioned sipping her drink while Alex drained his glass. "Two tequilas" he called out to Joe.
"Infamous" Alex corrected her. "There was time when there wasn't a single nurse at Seattle Grace that hadn't slept with me" Normally he never boasted like that to a woman. Whatever he normally did, he believed it was disrespectful to let a woman know that she was just one of his many conquests. But he felt no such inhibitions with her. He didn't know what it was about this woman. She was talking to him. And all he wanted was to keep talking to her.
Joe placed their shots before them.
"So what happened today? Or are you now a convert?" she asked with a strange look in her eyes. Alex tried reading what they meant. But when he instead felt himself just staring endlessly at them he pulled himself back together and looked around the room. "Out of luck today" His eyes finally rested on her. He pushed one of the glasses towards her and picked up the other.
She smiled. No it was a smirk. No it was like a minx smiling. "I thought you were smart" were her words before she emptied the shot glass.
It took Alex a minute to catch on. He shook his head at his dumbness. "You staying at the Archfield?" He looked expectantly at her for the answer.
"What if I said yes?" she said standing up and stepping in closer to Alex. He angled himself towards her so that she was standing between his legs. "Then I'd want to drop you to your room safe and secure" Alex wanted to sound confident, but what came out was an almost strangled whisper. Flirting was something Alex had mastered long time back. Why would his superpowers fail him now?
"I hate gentlemen" she whispered stepping in closer and taking hold of his shirt collar.
"I assure you I'm anything but" He whispered back.
She laughed. A rich throaty laugh. And took the glass from his hand and in one go emptied it.
This was not how Ginevra had planned her night. But pulling Alex Karev into her room, she believed this one-night stand with a stranger couldn't be such a bad idea. She didn't want to be alone. Alex Karev was available. It would be a once and for all occurance. So what if it wasn't the plan?
As always, I love hearing from you. What you think about Ginevra, or how you want this story to proceed, or even if you just want me to stop writing it all together- do let me know! Lots of love-G