With You By My Side

A/N: Hey guys! This is my first Calzona fic, and I know I haven't finished my other glee fic, but I had to get this idea out of my head first! There is no beta so all mistakes are mine. Please review if you'd like me to continue down this line!

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy, all rights go to Rhimes and ABC.

"Don't give me that look. I'll be back before you know it, and you'll be here with Aunty Christina and you'll be just fine. Trust me."

"Callie, please. You're embarrassing yourself. Just go. Two weeks and you'll come home, he can make it"

"Yeah, yeah I know..." Callie reached into the back seat one more time and scratched her golden retriever puppy behind the ear. "All right, Zeus. Be good for Christina, okay?"

Zeus could only look up at her with big, sad, brown eyes.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Callie sighed as she got out of the car. The cold, humid, Seattle air hit her full force and she filled her lungs with the crisp air, knowing she would soon be breathing in the smell of old ship metal and sweat for the next two weeks.

Dressed in her full working uniform, she was an imposing figure. A tall, authoritative, Lieutenant, with a don't take shit from anyone attitude.

Callie enlisted in the Navy Reserve immediately after high school, and used their programs to help her get through college. When she graduated she began training to become a Naval Aviator. Now, looking back, there was nothing she would change. She loved her job, loved her life, and was happy to serve her country.

Callie approached the back of Christina's car and yelled to her, "Christina, pop the damn trunk already!"

Christina groaned and opened her door to reach for the trunk release. As it poped open, she rose to her feet and made her way to lean against the side of the back door as Callie unloaded everything. Christina watched her roommate and one of her closest friends, again unload her seabag, a disgusting shade of green, filled with even more unattractive uniforms, in Christina's opinion.

Zeus put his nose to the back window and barked at Christina with an expectant look. Christina simply rolled her eyes and pushed off the window to walk towards Callie, who was now standing on the sidewalk at the airport, with a much more solemn look on her face.

"So here we go again, huh?" Christina suggested with a facade of indifference.

"Yeah, here we go" Callie breathed out nervously and chuckled

"I'll see you when you come back, and I'll try to take care of your little brat too" Christina shrugged and began walking back to the driver door.

"Christina, wait!"

"What?"

"Don't be a bitch while I'm gone." Callie smiled and Christina's expression softened a bit as well.

"You know me, Cal. But I'll try for you. And Cal?"

"Yeah?"

"I uhh... Need your rent money so don't get hurt, okay?"

Callie cracked a smile, which Christina returned. "I promise. And I love you too."

With a final smile and a wave, Christina got back in the car and drove off, with Zeus hanging his head out the back window, looking at Callie.

Callie waved at the fleeting car and looked down at her bag. 'Leaving doesn't get harder, but it sure never gets any easier either' she thought to herself.

Taking one last look at the city she loved, the tall brunette slung her sea-green bag over her shoulder and made her way into the airport, holding her head high.

She got her ticket, and passed through security to wait at in the lobby of her terminal. She set her carry on bag on the seat next to her while waiting for her flight to board. She flipped open her phone one more time and smiled at the picture on her screen.

The photo was of a sunny day when her, Christina, and Zeus had gone to the park only a few days after getting him. Christina may have pretended to hate the puppy, but in this picture Zeus had hopped into her lap and was licking her face and Christina was fighting back a smile. The photo was snapped at the perfect time and showed the Christina who Callie knew.

They had been roommates since college and were unbreakable friends, a friendship Callie valued higher than her own life. They had helped each other through break ups, mourning, and Christina had been a vital support when Callie had come out to her family. Her father had taken it well, but her mother still refused to acknowledge any of her relationships with past girlfriends.

It had been painful in the beginning, but when "don't ask, don't tell" was repealed, she didn't need to hide anymore. She could be out with her family, and with her team, and that's what mattered to her.

Lying to her CO's had always scared her when she was an Ensign, but as a Lieutenant, in command of her own women, lying to them made her feel guilty. What trust could she foster if she couldn't be honest about her life?

She thought of how lucky she was overall. A great job, a great apartment, great friends. Callie knew she was blessed. Before the brunette could get even more lost in her thoughts, a woman over the loudspeaker announced that it was time for her section to begin boarding.

Lt. Torres picked up her small carry bag and rose to stand in line.

One man called out from behind her and asked "Where are you going, Lieutenant?"

"Reporting for 2 weeks of mobilization, sir" she answered, turning to meet the man. He was an older gentleman, in his 70s, wearing a USS Bismark cap with the marks of a 3rd Class Petty Officer.

"You are doing us all a favour, officer. Thank you", the man said as threw her a small salute.

"Your service was just as valuable, sir. Thank you,"Callie smiled as she returned the salute and smiled brightly.

She approached the desk and handed her ticket to the man who checked it and handed it back to her without looking up."Thank you," she replied as she took her ticket back.

Then she quietly made her way down the tunnel that connected to the door of the small plane that would inevitably take her from her safe Seattle apartment to the unpredictable, rough, flight deck of the USS Makin Island.