Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

A/N2: This is my first fanfic ever. I have an idea in my head of how I want it to go... but it's up to you, my readers, whether or not this is a success. Regardless, I hope you enjoy reading as much as I've enjoyed writing. Reviews are greatly appreciated.=)

"So what's going on with you two? Blondie's been back for a few days now. I thought you two would've sat down and talked by now." Mark said, jogging a few steps to catch up to Callie as she headed out of the hospital.

"I don't want to talk about it Mark. Leave it alone, ok?" Callie said as she headed across the street towards the bar and what was guaranteed to be another long night of drinking.

"You can't just push this away Cal, she's the love of your life and –" Mark started before Callie cut him off.

"She left me standing alone in an airport! She left me there, alone, after I packed up my life to follow her, to be with her. After I begged her, after I tried to tell her we'd work it out, she just turned around and left!"

"I know. I know how much it has hurt you, how much it has affected you. You've hurt to the point of us sleeping together again. You know that I love you and that you're my best friend; but I also know why you did what you did. You slept with me for the same reason I slept with you: to forget about the person we love, even if it was just for one night. The difference between you and I is that you can do something about it. Arizona is here, she is back. What's most important, she LOVES YOU. She came back for you. She's as crazy about you as you are about her. I know that what happened between you two will not be an easy thing to overcome, but God Callie, this is not something you walk away from!"

"She didn't even hesitate! You weren't there, you didn't see her. Just drop it Mark!"

Mark followed her into the bar and sat next to her as she ordered drinks. They'd spent the last week like this. She would sit, drink, and not say a word. He would be there for her, in the event she ever did want to say something, and to take her home when she'd finally hit her limit.

Arizona set the chart on the counter and took in a deep breath. She was ready to call it a night. She'd spent the better part of her day in surgery. A 5 year-old boy had come in with multiple traumas after a collision on the highway and after spending hours in the OR trying to fix him, he'd coded with no possible way to get him back. It was days like these when she hated her job. Having to give news to a family that their little one was gone was something she would never be able to get over. It broke her heart to see their reactions, and was later tortured in her dreams as the pile of tiny white coffins just kept growing.

This is why she hadn't wanted children. The mere thought of something happening to them terrified her to no end. She was able to move past it, and she and her beloved Calliope had continued their relationship. Arizona loved her, more than words could ever express. She never thought the newborn she'd daringly kissed in a dirty bathroom at Joe's would turn into the love of her life. They'd gone through major hurdles together; first with Calliope's coming out to her family, and everything that came with it. They'd gone through the kid talk, the resulting awkwardness and breakup, the shooting at the hospital, all to realize what idiots they were being and were reunited once again. Everything could not have been any more perfect. Then the grant came.

Africa had been her dream. The grant gave her access to a considerable amount of funds. Funds which would be used to help all the little kids that normally didn't have access to medical care, kids who had never even seen the inside of a clinic. She'd applied for the grant on a whim. She'd just moved to Seattle. She was single, and in a new environment. After the life she'd left back in Boston, the last thing on her mind had been personal relationships. Her plans had been to engross herself into work and be the best doctor, the best surgeon she could be. She had it all figured out. She had just never seen Calliope coming.

Arizona thought back to the night at the airport as she drove home. She thought about the whole plane ride to Africa which was spent in tears, longing for the person who was to occupy the now empty seat beside her. She knew she'd done the right thing. Calliope didn't want to go to Africa. She'd spent weeks with her passive aggressive attitude, making loaded remarks on the trip and their situation. Arizona didn't doubt their love for one another. She knew Calliope loved her, and knew the only reason Calliope had turned in her resignation along with her was because she didn't want to give up on them. This wasn't for Africa or for the medicine, this was for her. Arizona knew she couldn't let this continue. She couldn't let her get on the plane that would eventually lead to their permanent breakup with Calliope hating her. She wouldn't be able to take the fights and the resentment that would come when Calliope reached her boiling point. She couldn't, wouldn't let the love of her life give up her blossoming career to follow her to the other side of the world knowing it was for the wrong reasons, knowing that she was making a huge sacrifice that would hurt them both in the end. So she'd done what she thought was best. She'd broken up with her and left her there. She knew how Calliope would react to this. Her biggest fear was being realized yet again: she was being abandoned. There would be no turning back. She knew her actions were hammering the last nail into the coffin of their relationship; but she loved Calliope. She loved her more than she'd ever loved anyone, more than herself… and so she had let her go.

Arizona had spent her weeks in Africa in a robot-like state. The clinic was a huge success. She'd saved the lives of hundreds of tiny humans, but she had also lost so many. The long days were bearable because work never seemed to stop. But then the short nights would come and they would stretch into eternity. She would be in bed alone, not being able to get the raven-haired love of her life out of her thoughts or dreams. As the daughter of a Marine, she'd been raised with a strict code of honor and duty. It was that which had pushed her to Africa, even though she had wanted with all her heart to stay in Seattle. She vowed that she would go and fulfill her duty and see her project through. But what about the promises she'd made Calliope? After weeks of tormenting herself, she'd had enough. She'd written the necessary e-mails and made the necessary calls until she worked it all out: she'd be getting a replacement to head her project in Malawi, and she would be continuing to oversee the project from Seattle, with the occasional trip back to see progress. She'd called the chief and gotten her job back. Everything seemed to be working well. She couldn't wait for the moment when she stood in front of her love once again.

Now it was over a week later. She'd gotten a door slammed in her face, which she knew she deserved. Calliope's only words, apart from expressing surprise at seeing her in the hallway waiting the next morning, were for her to go back to Malawi. If possible, the pain Calliope's actions caused were even greater than the pain she'd endured through the breakup and her time in Africa. Arizona knew she'd messed up, and she knew she was willing to do anything to fix this. She wasn't going to give up on them. Calliope just needed a little bit of time to get used to her presence again. She needed to get used to seeing Arizona in the hospital hallways, and to stop avoiding her. There would come a point in which Arizona would finally be able to give her side of the story.

It had been a little over an hour and Callie still sat at the bar, on what looked like her 6th or so tequila shot and beer. Mark sighed, paid Joe, and turned to Callie.

"Come on Cal, I think it's time to call it a night. Let's take you home."

"Why did she do this Mark? How could she do this? Why is she back?" Callie asked, with tears filling her eyes.

"That's something I can't answer for you Cal. I just know that she loves you. You need to talk to her. You need to work this out."

"I can't. I wouldn't even know what to say. Every time I see her, all I want to do is wrap my arms around her and kiss her Mark. I want things to go to the way they were before. But how can I do that with this nagging feeling I have in my heart? How can I overlook everything that has happened and have things go back to how they were?"

"You can't go back Cal. You can never have things go back to the way they were before. What you can do is work together and look to the future. Don't let this break you, not anymore. Talk with Arizona. Work through this together. There is enough love there between you both to overcome this, I know there is."

"Thanks Mark. Thank you for being here for me. Thank you for helping me through all of this. I don't know what I would've done without you. Let's go home. I need to sleep this off. I want to be fully conscious when I speak to Arizona."

"That's the Callie I know and love. Let's go home."

*Beep beep beep*

Callie looked down at her pager.

"Damnit, 911. I have to go back in."

"You're in no state to practice medicine Cal. They'll get another ortho."

"I made an oath Mark. I'm fine. I have to go in."

*Beep beep beep*

This time, it was Mark's pager that went off. He looked down and read the incoming message. How was he going to deal with this?