A/N: Initially a one shot, this story is going be a multi-chapter. And I know Africa has been done to death but I'm putting my own twist on it.
Heading towards the departures gate, Callie attempts to remain as positive as possible about their forthcoming three year stint in Africa. The Latina has taken on the persona of a little ray of sunshine who brings to joy to everyone's life but her own. The fake cheer in her voice seems to have gone unnoticed by Arizona as Callie talks up the opportunities available to them Malawi. Although Callie points out all the positives of this "exciting" adventure, her mind continues to file away the countless negatives which have stacked up into a pile the size of Mount Everest. Third world medical care is average at best and tends towards the medieval in Malawi. But once Arizona was awarded the Carter Madison Grant, saying no just wasn't a word in the blonde's vocabulary. Callie was adamant that it had something to do with Arizona's Marine upbringing which meant that the Grant was a duty that she has to honour. Callie was simply along for the ride could either sink in Seattle or swim in Africa.
Suddenly, their progress towards the gate comes to a grinding halt as Arizona turns around to face Callie. The words of, "You are ruining Africa for me," come spewing out of Arizona's mouth. The calmness of Arizona statement worries Callie more than the actual words as a sense of impending doom washes over her. If a picture tells a thousand words, the expression on Arizona's face tells Callie the whole damn story.
"No I'm not," Callie sharply retorts as she prepares to win over Arizona with some fake perk and shooting out one of those super magic smile. At this moment, Callie's certain that she could sell ice to Eskimos.
"You are," Arizona quickly replies, sticking to her guns as she pulls Callie up on her less than stellar behaviour. After all, no one could possibly get so attached to a waffle iron. Arizona had seen the effort behind the smile that Callie had put into misleading their friends and colleagues about the happy couple's move. But this deception has gone on long enough and they have reached the point of no return. So as much as it hurts, Arizona knows she needs to offer Callie an escape route.
"Okay fine, I don't want to go to Africa, but I do want to be with you," Callie reluctantly amends as she realises that her façade hadn't been as effective as she'd first thought. A look of resignation settles over Arizona's face as she ponders the words Callie has just uttered. The distance between them is increasing at lightning speed as Arizona prepares to break her own heart with the next set of words that she utters.
"You stay here and be happy. And I'll go there and be happy," Arizona manages to say as she hold in the tears that threaten to fall. Arizona knows that if they get on the plane together that their future will be filled with resentment, tears and end with a shattered heart. Arizona needs to be the good man in a storm and allow Callie the normal life that she has always wanted. Africa was never Callie's dream.
"If you get on that plane and go without me we are done. Do you hear me? We are over." Callie snaps out in a panic as she recognises the direction that this conversation is going.
"We are standing in the middle of an airport screaming at each other. We are already over." Arizona says in a resigned voice as she turns and walks away. It had taken left than a minute to end a relationship that had taken months to build. Arizona hides her face from Callie as tears slowly stream down her face as her heart shatters into a thousand pieces.
Callie was shocked into stillness as she watches the love of her life, the woman that she planned to eventually marry and have children with, hand her boarding pass to the air hostess and board the Africa bound plane. Not once does Arizona glance back at the woman she is leaving behind. It's nearly as if Arizona has already wiped her hands clean of her Seattle life – which includes Callie.
Finally, Arizona disappears from view down the corridor and Callie feels her fellow commuters brush past without a care in the world. Callie had given up her home, job and friends to follow Arizona to ends of the Earth (literally). And that had just been thrown back into her face a mere three steps from their future.
Slumping into a vacant chair, Callie pulls her handheld luggage to her side and she replays the conversation in her mind trying to see a solution. Never in her wildest dreams had Callie thought that Arizona would break up with her when they were an inch away from starting a new life together. Although moving to Africa had never been Callie's dream, her need to have married and have children was based on the assumption that the other person in her life would be Arizona.
Maybe in the past, Callie would have settled with Jane (or possibly John) Doe from around the corner and pumped out the 2.5 kids and live happily ever after. But that wasn't that case anymore and her happiness was solely held in the hands of one paediatrics surgeon who had just boarded a plane to the other side of the world. Arizona's wish for Callie to stay in Seattle and be happy was about as likely as Yang voluntarily producing a child. Couldn't Arizona see that Callie's happiness was dependent on the blonde's presence in her life? Had the two of them been completely been on different pages?
The minutes drag by as the pain radiating from Callie's heart refuses to lessen as her chest has constricted to an agonising level. Callie can't ever see herself ever being happy without the blonde at her side. The bad-ass Calliope Torres simply didn't exist without Arizona.
"Final boarding call for Flight TX-456 to Johannesburg, South Africa" rings out over the PA system. The noise jolts Callie from her internal musing as she plays with the boarding pass in her hand. Although Arizona had made it perfectly clear that Callie's presence wasn't required or wanted in Africa, what did Callie have to lose? In the end, there isn't a decision to make as Callie simply can't live without her blonde bombshell of a girlfriend (although now an ex-girlfriend) who has an affinity for Heelys, donuts and the word awesome. Arizona can't force her to get off the plane so it's time that Callie does some chasing.
Handing her boarding pass to the air hostess, Callie prays that this gamble pays off. The resignation in Arizona's eyes had broken Callie more than the words as it seemed Arizona couldn't see them surviving as a couple in Africa. But Arizona can't know that for sure and Callie is sure that she's onto a sure bet.
Being one of the last people to board also has the advantage of not being herded along like a piece of livestock as Callie quickly boards the plane. Spotting her seat up ahead, Callie can see very little of Arizona other than the crown of her head peeking out from the seat in front. Stopping in the aisle, Callie looks down at the forlorn figure that always had and always will hold her heart. Observing Arizona, Callie heart breaks even further as she sees Arizona shoulders' slightly shake as she quietly cries to herself.
Oblivious to the presence of her ex-girlfriend, has Arizona curled herself up in her seat as she attempts to hide her face from the world. Tears stream down her face as the image of Callie's shocked face has become imprinted in her mind as Arizona broke both their hearts in one fell swoop. Arizona attempts to convince herself that she had done the right thing in ending the relationship before the bitterness, resentment and finally silence consumed their relationship. Arizona knows that Callie is "the one", but she had to make a stand to preserve what they once had. Arizona's mantra of a good man in a storm was crashing down around her as she drowns in her feelings of despair and loneliness. Arizona can't imagine a life without her Calliope; but now it looks like this is a life she will have to become accustomed to in Africa.
Hearing someone sit down in the seat next to her, Arizona briefly glances over her shoulder. Her mouth drops open in shock as she sees Callie staring back at her with bloodshot eyes indicating that she has also been crying. Furiously drying her eyes on her jumper sleeve, Arizona sits up straight and says "What are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be on this plane. Get off!" The fact that Callie is on the plane sitting next to her has floored Arizona and she struggles to wrap her head around the Latina's presence.
"I'm catching a plane to South Africa. What are you doing?" Callie casually replies as she scrolls through the songs on her iPod. Callie knows that they had to talk, but was hoping that Arizona's fear of flying would override her need to argue about the Latina's presence. The alertness of the blonde indicates that Arizona hadn't taken any medication yet to calm her nerves so an argument was inevitable.
"We broke up," Arizona hisses out in a slow voice. "There's no longer a requirement for you to fly half way around the world to be with me because there is no longer a need for us to be on the same continent. So you may as well get off this plane."
"No!" Callie exclaims in a loud voice which draws the attention of several passengers around the couple. Shooting them an apologetic look, Callie waits until these people have returned to their own personal bubbles before continuing. "You unilaterally decided that we were over without even talking to me at all. It takes two people to be in a relationship and it also takes two people to break a relationship. So, I'm not accepting your decision that we are over." Callie replies, keeping her voice as quiet as possible.
"Calliope, this isn't your dream. Your dream is marriage, children and a white picket fence. Going to Africa offers you none of those dreams. It's three years. This isn't a field trip which you can go home from after it loses its appeal." Arizona replies, her voice returning to its resigned tone as Arizona honestly believes that Callie has no idea about what is heading their way.
"I know what my dreams are Arizona – my dream is you. Yes, I still want to get married and have kids. But I want to get married to you. I want to have kids with you. Can't you see the trend here, the common denominator? I need you. I can't just pick a random person off the street and get a happily ever after. If you had wanted me to do that, you shouldn't have made me fall in love with you. As you made a commitment to Africa, we made a commitment to Africa. This is your dream so it has become mine," The firmness in Callie's tone tells Arizona that the Latina's mind is made up and for the time being both women are going to Africa. But Arizona is still not convinced about this. Arizona feverishly hopes that this house of cards will not come tumbling down around them.
"Ok" comes Arizona's simply reply as there is nothing left to say as Callie is a grown woman and can make her own decision. Maybe this will all blow up in their faces – but Callie seems to be intent on trying a relationship in Malawi – whatever the consequences. Arizona decides that postponing the rest of this conversation is probably a good idea.
Feeling the plane begin its approach for take-off, Callie takes Arizona's hand in her own as is the norm whenever the couple fly together. The touch of Callie allows Arizona to believe that they can survive this and find a solution. Turning to look back at her lover, Arizona still can't believe that Callie is going to follow her to the ends of the Earth. "I love you" Arizona whispers out, unsure whether this is the time or the place to be offerings such declarations.
"I love you too," Callie replies as she looks upon the love of her life. "Even if you do have the tendency to sprout off breakup speeches at inappropriate times," Callie lessens the accusation with a kiss to the forehead as she pulls Arizona against her body.
"We still need to talk," Arizona continues with as she plays with the hem of her shirt. "We can't pretend it didn't happen and you still don't really want to be in Africa." The greatest weakness in the couple's relationship was their inability to communicate and there are still a lot of issues to resolve.
"Well, we have three years to sort this out so I'm sure we will find the time." Callie replies with a small grin. Leaning in, Callie initiates a passionate kiss as she couldn't remember the last time that she had done that. Swiping her tongue against Arizona's bottom lip, their tongues tangle in a well-practiced routine that is slightly risqué considering their public location. Arizona moans into Callie mouth as she hopes in three years time, she'll still have this amazing woman at her side.
"Yeah, I guess we will," Arizona says as the two women rest their foreheads together. They may not be ok in the relationship stakes and they both may be naïve in thinking that their relationship will survive the stresses of Malawi. But there is no Arizona without Callie and vice versa. So come what may, they'll be facing those issues together.