Knock knock.
Letting out a loud groan, Arizona rolled over in her bed, subconsciously attempting to block out the sound by burying her face in her pillow. It became much harder to ignore the noise as it quickly grew louder and more frantic amongst the steady background noise of heavy rain. Eyes springing open, Arizona began to gain consciousness, and she at last realized what the sound was and where it was coming from. She wondered who could possibly be knocking on her door at - she checked the digital alarm clock on her bedside table - 1:47 in the morning.
The blonde groaned again before sitting up in the bed and securing her prosthetic leg. She stood up and began to make her way down the hall and to the front door. She squinted through the waterlogged window next to the doorway, and felt a little guilty for making this person wait so long in the rain.
Pulling the door open, she was surprised to find Amelia Shepherd standing outside, her clothes completely soaked through and her body shivering against the cold water.
"H-hey," she managed to get out between shivers. She was clearly distraught, and appeared somewhat embarrassed to have come here. Before she could say anything else, Arizona pulled her inside, shutting the door behind her and rushing to the bathroom to grab a towel. She hurried back to where Amelia stood and wrapped the towel around the brunette's petite frame, a million questions racing through her head.
She could tell that the faint streaks of mascara running down Amelia's face were not just the result of the rain. She took note of the woman's red eyes, her shaky breaths, and her heart ached when she realized she had been crying.
Her suspicions were confirmed when Amelia spoke again, her voice raspy and trembling.
"I'm sorry, I d-didn't know where else to go. I don't want to both-"
"Shhh," Arizona cut her off. "Don't apologize. You're always welcome here."
The brunette nodded weakly, forcing a small, grateful smile, and Arizona took note of how she was still shivering.
She wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leading her down the hall and stopping when they reached the bathroom. She turned on the shower and waited for the water to become hot, and then turned to face the brunette.
"Take as long as you need, okay? I'll lay out some clothes for you and make you something to eat."
"Arizona, you really don't hav-"
"Hush. I want to," the blonde smiled.
She was still confused, and dying to ask Amelia what was going on. Clearly, something had happened. Something bad. And, for some reason, she wasn't willing to talk to Meredith, or Maggie, or even Owen about it. Still, Arizona was glad she had come here, instead of trying to deal with this - whatever this was - on her own.
While the brunette showered, she picked out a T-shirt and pair of sweatpants, and slipped the items of clothing into the bathroom before heading to the kitchen.
Amelia reveled in the warmth of the water trickling over her skin, feeling instant relief from the bitter coldness of the rain outside. She was grateful that Arizona hadn't asked questions, that she had simply given her what she needed without demanding an explanation. But, she knew she owed it to the blonde to tell her what had happened. She wanted to tell her, she just needed to compose herself first.
She stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. After dressing herself in the clothes Arizona had left for her, she followed the clanking sounds coming from the kitchen. Arizona grinned at her when she entered the room, handing her a plate containing a grilled cheese sandwich. Amelia smiled, remembering Arizona once mentioning that grilled cheese sandwiches were her "specialty," mainly because they were the only food she knew how to cook.
"Thank you," Amelia told her, situating herself at the counter next to the blonde.
"Of course," Arizona beamed. "Want anything to drink?"
"Um, a glass of water sounds great, actually."
"Coming right up."
They sat in silence for several moments, Amelia contemplating her thoughts and Arizona letting her. After a moment's hesitation, Amelia spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I had a drink tonight."
The brunette looked up from her plate, meeting Arizona's kind, concerned eyes. The blonde said nothing, patiently waiting for Amelia to continue.
"It was only one. I left before it could get worse... but, still. I had a drink tonight. And I... I don't trust myself."
Her voice was soft, cracking slightly. She looked down again, as if ashamed. She let out a shaky breath.
"I didn't want to be alone, because I knew... I didn't know if I'd be able to stop myself from having another. And another, and another..." she shook her head, pausing to find Arizona's eyes again. "I'm scared."
The honestly in her voice made Arizona's chest tighten, and the blonde let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She reached over to cover Amelia's hand with her own.
"You have me."
Amelia looked at her again with big, sad eyes.
"Arizona, you've done enough. More than enough. It wasn't right for me to drag you into this, I feel bad enough for even coming here in the first place."
"Hey. None of that, okay?" Arizona told her. Her voice was serious now. "I meant it when I said you're always welcome here. And I meant it when I said that you have me. I'm here. Whatever you need."
Amelia still felt guilty, and Arizona could sense it. The blonde squeezed her hand in reassurance, causing the other woman to meet her eyes again.
"I mean it," she asserted.
Amelia nodded, her lips curving upward into a small smile.
"Thank you," she whispered.
The two moved to the living room, situating themselves on the couch as Arizona put on a movie. The blonde still had a few questions, but she didn't want to push the other woman. She wanted to make her feel comfortable. She wanted her to feel safe here, and she was unsure whether asking more questions would ruin that.
However, her questions were answered when Amelia spoke up again.
"Meredith kicked me out." Her voice was quiet, and she paused to look to Arizona. The blonde's eyes were questioning, encouraging Amelia to go on.
"This thing between Owen and Riggs... it's driving me crazy. Owen won't talk to me. He's pushing me away. And so is Meredith, because, apparently, I wouldn't understand. She made a promise, to Cristina, that she would... I don't know, 'look out' for Owen, or whatever. Which means I'm not allowed to know what's going on."
She paused, shaking her head in frustration.
"So, everyone's shutting me out. Literally. I'm not allowed back in Meredith's house. Because I'm 'not her sister'..."
Her voice cracked, and she laughed sharply, bitterly, and the unsettling sound sent a chill down Arizona's spine.
"Cristina's her sister. But me? I'm just Derek's sister," Amelia continued. "And she's right... who am I to assume she'd want me in her life? Derek's gone, so why should I get to stick around, right?"
Her eyes welled up with tears, but she fought them back. She wasn't going to cry, she couldn't. Otherwise she'd never be able to stop.
Arizona scooted closer, cautiously taking Amelia's hand in her own. The contact caused the brunette to crumble, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.
"Come here," Arizona whispered, her heart breaking.
Amelia leaned into the blonde, burying her face in the crook of her neck as she broke down. Arizona only wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close and resting her head on top of hers. She rubbed a warm hand up and down her back, patiently allowing her to cry, to break, to feel for as long as she needed to.
After what seemed like hours, the brunette pulled out of the embrace, wiping her cheeks and trying to compose herself.
"God, I'm so weak," she huffed, upset with herself, angry at herself for drinking, for crying, for everything.
Arizona looked at her incredulously.
"Are you kidding me, Amelia? You are anything but weak. You may have taken a drink, but you stopped. That's gotta count for something... God, that counts for everything. That doesn't make you weak, Amelia. That makes you pretty freaking strong."
Amelia smiled, remembering her own use of those exact words, years before.
Arizona looked at her, wiping a tear off of her cheek with her thumb before speaking again.
"So, here's what we're going to do. You'll go to meetings, every day. And you can stay here with me. DeLuca's never here anyway, it gets pretty lonely. I could use a roommate," she smiled. "And I'll be here for you, whenever you need me. Okay?"
"Okay," Amelia replied.
She reached up to press a gentle kiss against Arizona's cheek, the small gesture sending a jolt through the blonde's body and causing her to blush.
"Thank you," Amelia said, leaning back into the other woman.
Arizona sighed, wrapping her arm back around the brunette's body and holding her close, her mind still buzzing from that one kiss. It was just a kiss on the cheek, for God's sake. Get it together, Robbins.
She leaned her head against Amelia's, sighing contently.
What had she gotten herself into?