DISCLAIMER: Grey's Anatomy and all its characters are the property of Shonda Rhimes and ABC.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
SPOILERS: Season 4, 'Freedom part 2'
I Need My Keys
By BowlnBat
Part 1
Walking out the doors of Seattle Grace Hospital with her arm entwined with Dr. Mark Sloan, Dr. Callie Torres was ready to have a bit of fun.
"So…you wanna finish what we started yesterday?" Callie asked with a Cheshire cat grin on her face.
Sloan had already noticed they weren't alone and nonchalantly implied something completely different, "Or you could finish what you started."
Looking a bit confused Callie followed Mark's gaze and saw he was looking at none other than Dr. Erica Hahn digging through her bag at a near by bench. With a raised eyebrow Callie looked back at Sloan questioningly.
"I'm growing," was his only response, but Callie wasn't moving and still appeared to be rather confused. Sloan finally gave her the push she needed, "Go. Get outta here."
It was all the encouragement Callie needed. She took a breath and headed towards her friend over at the bench.
"Hey. Wanted to see if you wanted to grab a drink," Callie was a bit nervous. She knew there was something more between the two of them, but it was so new to her. She just didn't know how to play it.
Erica never even looked up before talking, "I can't find my keys."
Not to be deterred so easily Callie simply continued on her path, "Maybe we could uhhh…I had something I wanted to talk to you ab…"
Erica was still not paying attention to a word Callie was saying, but continued on her rant about her keys instead, "I had the damn keys this morning. I put them in the bag this morning, but I can't remember. This whole thing with Yang has got me so messed up…"
"Erica!" Finally getting her attention, Erica and Callie's eyes meet for the first time.
"What?"
"I'm saying something here. I just…I wanted to say," Callie takes another deep breath and continues, "I just wanted…" Oh the hell with it. I am never going to be able to put this into words anyway. Callie timidly took a step towards Erica and gently kissed her.
Erica was shocked at first, but she quickly returned the kiss. Taking a brief moment, the two women looked at each other, smiled and began to kiss again.
Finally pulling away from the unexpected, but welcomed kiss Erica looked directly into Callie's eyes with a very intense, almost nerve racking look on her face.
All of a sudden Erica blurted, "I need my keys!"
"Uh, ok. Where did you last have them?" Callie asked. She was confused as to why Erica was so concerned about her keys at this exact moment. Weren't there other things on her mind?
"I thought they were in my bag, but I guess not. I am going to check my locker—I'll call you." With that last statement, Erica walked back into Seattle Grace—never once stopping or looking back at Callie.
Having witnessed the whole exchange between the two women, Sloan walked up to Callie.
"Well, either I was completely off and she isn't interested after all or you are a really bad kisser. Which I know isn't the case."
"Oh shut up Sloan. You have no idea what you are talking about." Truth be told, Callie didn't either.
It had taken a lot for her to approach Erica. She has never been attracted to a woman before, but there was something about Erica Hahn. No matter how hard she tried, Callie just couldn't stop thinking about her. She blamed Sloan and his dirty talk.
"I've gotta go. Christina is on a cleaning binge again I have to make sure she doesn't throw my crap away." Callie knew it sounded lame because it was a lame excuse to leave, but she needed to be away from everyone, Sloan and Erica included.
Giving the sliding doors a glance and not seeing anything there, she turned and walked away.
Part 2
Erica didn't know what to think. She had wanted this. Oh how she had wanted this, but never in a million years did she think it would actually happen. She had taken it pretty hard when she found out about Callie and Sloan, but tried her hardest to keep her bout of jealousy under wraps. The kiss in the elevator was her way of gauging Callie's feelings. Well that and to get under Sloan's skin. She thought that she had a good read—Callie was speechless after, but she also saw fear in her eyes, which meant this was new to her.
It wasn't new to Erica though. She already had her 'coming out' affair. Granted no one at Seattle Grace new that, but she had and it tore her apart when it ended. It seems that is the way first loves are suppose to go. Your first love is meant to break your heart. It makes you strong. It makes you able to take on whatever life throws at you. It makes you realize the hard way that no one has ever really died from a broken heart, well at least not in the philosophical way, and no matter how painful it might be there is light at the end of the tunnel. Callie was Erica's light.
Snapping out of this line of thinking, Erica found herself staring at her locker. She had no idea how or when she got there she just knew she was there.
"I need my keys," she said aloud.
Oh shit!! Realizing what she had said to Callie she began to chastise herself. She must be so confused right now. How could I be so stupid?! I am an intelligent woman and the best I could come up with was 'I need my keys'!! Way to go Hahn. She is never going to talk to you again.
As she didn't make friends easy, Callie had quickly made her way up the speed dial food chain. Pulling out her cell phone, Erica pressed number two and waited for the phone on the other end to ring.
No answer. Matter of fact it rang once and went to voice mail. Callie had sent her call to voice mail.
"Serves me right," she muttered while Callie's greeting played in her ear.
After the tone Erica said the only words she could, "Don't change your mind."