Callie Voice Over:

As human beings, we're constantly faced with choices. Turn right, turn left, put the pen down, flip a page - it never ends. It might be hundreds or, more likely, thousands of minor decisions which, in the end, mean nothing during a single day or series of days.

As Doctors, we're faced with decisions and choices that affect the lives of other human beings. And, in either case, there could be just one choice, one decision that affects you for the rest of your life and, sometimes, that incredibly important decision is the one where there is no choice.

"Wow," Callie breathed to herself.

Simmering paella and the question she was going to ask completely forgotten, Callie had found herself staggeringly reacquainted with the phrase "Heart stopping" when she had heard the bathroom door open. Because, as if reinventing tales of the Norse Valkyrie, a naked and quite unabashed Arizona had just stepped through billowing clouds of steam on her way to the bedroom.

"Smells amazing!" Arizona commented, dimples out in full force with her quick smile as she strode fluidly into the bedroom.

As soon as Arizona was out of sight, Callie blew out a large breath and shook her head in an attempt to get blood flowing north again. "Amazing. Yep."

It was a constant source of surprise for Callie that Arizona had been a veritable hurricane of perky goodness, strength and honesty that brooked no argument about belonging in Callie's life, bed and heart. Not that Arizona wasn't obviously gorgeous and smart and well, too many things to list, especially at this moment when Callie's brain was a pile of lusty goo. But with as many lovers as Callie had experienced, the peds surgeon was leagues ahead of them in so many ways, it was the whole package. Everything, definitely including the mind-blowing sex.

Callie's thoughts went on a winding trip down the Arizona river again.

"Yep. Lusty brain goo."

It was on her mind to just turn off the stove and say to hell with dinner, but Arizona came out of the bedroom in her sweats as Callie was about to move to the burner.

"Hey," the still smiling blonde greeted Callie. "Almost ready? I'm starving."

"Oh yeah," Callie replied with a slow smile.

Arizona cocked her head slightly seeing Callie's smile. "What?"

"Just glad you're home," Callie replied and forcibly returned her attention to the stove. "Want to get the wine?"

"Sure," answered Arizona as she moved to the fridge and began to pour. "Hey, I was talking to Teddy earlier and she seems kinda down. I mentioned that maybe we could meet at Joe's tomorrow night. I checked your schedule and it looked good, think you can meet us?"

"Yeah, that'd be good. We haven't had everyone together in a while, so I'll spread the word. Be nice to just hang for a while."

"Great! Here you go," Arizona said as she handed Callie a glass, leaned in for a quick peck on the lips and then moved to sit at the bar to just relax with her girlfriend for a while. "Sorry I couldn't meet you for lunch, that emergency appy took a bit longer than I thought."

Taking a sip of her red wine, Callie divided her attention between the paella and Arizona. "Problems?" she asked.

"Just about as close to rupturing as I've ever seen without it actually doing so. I had to be extra careful and I had yet another scrub nurse I've never seen before, so it took a while to get a rhythm, you know?"

"Yeah, I've been lucky with the rotating nurse thing but I did have a new anesthesiologist manage to knock over my tray the other day during a hip reduction," Callie countered.

"And he lived?"

"Barely," Callie chuckled. "But I did hear something about another hospital poaching some of our best nurses."

"That's not good, which one?"

Callie replied, "I dunno, Bailey came in then and shut the chat down. Hey, this looks like it's almost done. Ready?"

"Oh yesss. I've been thinking about this all day. You make the best seafood paella I've ever had."

"You didn't get lunch then?"

"Donut from the cafeteria." Arizona got up and retrieved plates and silverware from their appropriate locations and then straightened with a look of excitement as she placed them on the bar. "Ooh, I forgot. I've got that peds surgeon visiting tomorrow to check us out. It'd be great to have another surgeon on board."

"Do you know them?" Callie queried.

"By reputation. She's supposed to be one of the best. I'll check her out in more detail later. I want to be prepared in case she has questions."

Turning off the stove, Callie carefully brought the paella pan to the bar and placed it on the colorful trivet. "Here we go!"

"Yay! Where's yours?" Arizona impishly asked.

"Cute, Arizona. Cute."

"Well you know it's one of my favorites. Hmm," Arizona began, her face taking on a questioning look as she scooped her dinner onto her dish, "So, why are you cooking one of my favorites again?"

"'cause it's one of your favorites?" Callie replied, keeping her attention firmly focused on the counter.

Blonde eyebrows raised, Arizona asked, "Because it's one of my favorites? I'm missing something and it's not my birthday. What am I missing, Calliope?"

Callie shook her head as she filled her own plate. "Nothing. I haven't cooked in a while and I just felt like doing this."

"Mm," Arizona answered, her mouth temporarily busy with the mouth-watering food and then continued, "God, this is good. Believe me, I'm not complaining but what's going on? Might as well tell me now."

When Callie just shook her head again, Arizona simply said, "Calliope."

Callie was very well aware of how impossible to resist her girlfriend when she used that tone and cocked her head to the side with her eyebrows raised. Swallowing her food and chasing it with some wine, she relented. "Fine. Okay. I was a total bitch yesterday and I just wanted to do something nice so you remember I'm not always the hardass bitch from hell."

"Hot," Arizona stated, and then took another bite of dinner.

"What?" Callie asked with some confusion, looking at the food and wondering what she was missing.

"You forgot hot," replied Arizona with a smile. "Hot, hardass bitch from hell."

As frequently happened when she had this type of conversation with her lover and knowing she was already forgiven, Callie was totally disarmed and simply smiled before saying, "I love you."

Returning the smile, Arizona said, "Me too. Plus, I seem to recall a very... satisfying evening afterwards."

Callie raised her glass towards Arizona. "Mmm. Well, here's to repeating the satisfaction tonight without the bitch part."

"I think I can arrange my part in that." Arizona met Callie's glass with her own and following it by leaning in and placing a light kiss on Callie's lips.

"Yep," thought Callie as she returned the kiss. "Definitely heart stopping."