Hi all :) I wanted to thank you very much for your reviews, you are very sweet and kind. Thank you!

CHAPTER 3

"That's right Calliope, I am Arizona Robbins...It's a small world after all, even the big city of Seattle. Well, I guess apart from the girl at the bus stop, I will be your psychologist from now on. If you wish so of course."

Arizona was surprised, pleasantly surprised. However, she was worried and very curious to hear the reasons for Callie's visit. She couldn't imagine why this incredible woman was seeking for her professional help. She hadn't forgotten a single detail from their close meeting at the bus stop a few days ago so she thought that maybe her visit had something to do with Callie's feelings on that day. That was their first close meeting but not the first time that Arizona noticed Callie. As she had stated to Callie that day, she had seen her at the stop lots of times but she meant to tell her that this was the first time she'd found the balls to talk to her. She had been eyeing her for a couple of months, how she always looked tired but stunning nonetheless, how she fiddled with the contents of her bag most of the times, probably searching for her mobile phone and how she enjoyed listening to her iPod very loudly and sometimes closing her magnetic brown eyes in order to savour the music. All this time, Arizona couldn't find the courage to talk to her, she didn't know what to say and she thought she would look like a fool flirting with the good looking girl at the bus stop. But, if Arizona dared to think about her apprehension some more, she would come to the conclusion that the thing that kept her back was her fear of something good coming out of this, the fact that she couldn't risk the sterile security which she has built so hard for the last year.

"Wow! What a coincidence!.. A co-worker gave me your number, just the number and without knowing who the psychologist would be, I made an appointment…" Callie said looking obviously very surprised. But Arizona couldn't distinguish if it was a good or a bad kind of surprise.

"Hmmm.. If you had known, wouldn't you have called? Then how did you know my name?" This wasn't an irritated comment, on the contrary Arizona feared that it might have sounded a bit desperate for confirmation.

"No no, of course I would have called, it wouldn't make any difference. Besides, I'm...quite happy to see you again, even under these circumstances. And about knowing your name, well, that's a big story... heh" Callie let a small chuckle and her face shone with a breathtaking smile. Since Arizona has been 'reading' people's reactions and feelings for 10 years now, she could tell that Callie was truthful about her feelings for their meeting.

"We have plenty of time, you can tell me about it whenever you want. But before we start, are you hungry Calliope?" Arizona has been in her office for hours non stop and her stomach had started to make a small riot. Furthermore, she didn't feel like staying in her office for her session with Callie, it seemed a bit too professional and it might prove to be awkward to be behind her desk and playing the role of the very-willing-to-listen psychologist. They could have their session somewhere else, making it feel like a friendly meeting. This was something that Arizona used to do with the people that visited her and were a bit hesitant to open up. She knew that places outside her office would make them see her more as a friend and less as a therapist. And it had worked until now.

"Actually, I am starving. I came straight from work and I had only managed to eat a small sandwich during a five minute break."

"What do you say we eat something outside and talk there?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Hmmm… I can see that it's still raining so it would be wise to go somewhere near. Oh I know where! Follow me."

"Ok."

Arizona exited her office with a tiny smile playing on her lips. As she was walking, she could 'feel' Callie's eyes burning her back... and maybe not only her back.

:-:

They entered the elevator with a sense of uneasiness between them, it was pretty obvious from the looks they gave to their surroundings, trying to find something important on the floor or on the elevator buttons in order to avoid the other's eyes. Arizona didn't know the reason for this tension between them, maybe it was because they knew each other before, even very briefly, or maybe it was because Arizona found the woman standing on her left extremely attractive. But she didn't want to admit the last thing, not even to herself.

"We're going...upwards?" Callie wondered as Arizona pushed the button of the last floor.

"I thought that since it wouldn't be a good idea to go outside due to the rain, we could enjoy some lunch at the building's cafe. It has wonderful spaghetti. Unless you're not a fan of spaghetti and in that case you can taste a good steak." She smiled towards the brunette hoping she had made the right choice of place.

"Oh I didn't know there's a cafe at the top. Sounds fine then. And I love spaghetti by the way, so it would be a good and safe choice at the moment... I could faint from hunger, so even macaroni and cheese would taste like magnificent cuisine to me." Callie shrugged and seemed quite relieved that she would eat soon.

TING!

The elevator's doors opened and the two women found themselves in a small but cosy-looking cafe. Its walls were painted a light green with flowery details covering some parts and the chairs and tables were plain and wooden, like the chairs and tables that you would find in your house's kitchen. It wasn't a place that you would call unique or exquisite but it somehow made the two women feel more at ease. Arizona sighed almost inaudibly with relief when she sat down and saw Callie looking a bit more relaxed. She knew she had made the right choice.

"It looks nice" Callie said with a smile.

"I come here quite often, especially between sessions, when I only have ten minutes and I want to eat something really quick. And the food is quite decent... hmmm… let's see." Arizona opened the menu and narrowed her eyes looking thoughtfully at the options. She wasn't paying much attention though, she was trying really hard to focus but Callie was absorbing all her attention. She quickly peered above her menu and saw Callie looking at the piece of paper as well.

"Ok I'm done. Tell me when you decide."

"I'm ready...I think...No no, I am, let's call the waiter."

After a short dialogue with the waiter, Arizona thought it was the right moment to make the start and urge Callie to talk. She reminded herself this was the reason she was there after all, not to have lunch with her.

"So...Calliope, you didn't tell me...Was I right? Did something good come out of that horrible day that you had?" Arizona hadn't forgotten their unofficial agreement on that day, Callie would tell her if she had been right. She instantly felt guilty for not showing up the following two days but it was her best friend's arrival in town and she couldn't miss it.

"You did actually! And I meant to tell you but you didn't show up..." Do I sense some disappointment here? "Anyway, it turned out that one of the patients that died that day was an organ donor and his organs were given to people who had been on the list for some time."

"That's good news! I'm glad, both because it improved and probably saved the lives of other people and because it must have made you look at things more positively, am I right?"

Was it too much?..hmmm..

"Yes, sure it did. But..." Callie was hesitating.

"But what, Calliope?"

They were interrupted by the waiter who placed their orders in front of them on the table. Arizona looked expectedly at Callie's reaction to her first bite, she wanted to enjoy her lunch. She felt delighted when she saw the pleasure in Callie's eyes and smiled proudly.

"Either that's a pretty good carbonara or I'm extremely hungry."

One point for Mrs Alabama! Ha!

Arizona didn't lose any more time, she knew their time was limited. Not because she wasn't enjoying her time with Callie, she surely did, but because she had another appointment afterwards. "You didn't finish Calliope, what happened after that difficult day? Are things at the hospital better for you these days?"

"Yeah, they are back to normal, I guess. But life is not only about work, I have been trying to deny it for almost...two years, but it's difficult not to have someone to turn to on days like that one. Of course I have friends but…" Callie sighed heavily. "It's not the same with finding someone waiting for you at home, someone that you can cry on their shoulder and sleep next to them while they're assuring you that everything is gonna be alright."

I can be that someone..

"And are these two years a conscious decision to be alone or something that just happened?"

Arizona was dying to learn more and she hoped the brunette considered it as a professional interest.

"A mixture of both I suppose. It started as a conscious decision and I gradually became absorbed in my job, completely blind to the world outside of it."

"But what could lead you to such isolation? You are young, very smart and undeniably attractive, you could have a dreamy life." As soon as these words escaped Arizona's mouth, she internally prayed that Callie hadn't mistaken her words for flirting, although she unintentionally had done it.

There was a small pause, Callie was looking as if she was pondering on Arizona's words. She shook her head lightly, like shaking the deep thoughts away and replied. "I've been married, twice." Arizona tried very hard not to look shocked. She had heard many revelations in her career, so she used her 'poker-face', as she called it in her mind, not to show even the slight hint of reaction. "The first time I got married to George, another doctor from the hospital. It was a quick and very rash decision, I still don't know why I did it. We broke up a few months afterwards, he cheated on me with a couple of other doctors and left the hospital for another position at one of the top hospitals of New York. That position was intended for me but it seems sweet-looking Georgy had an affair with one of the hospital's chiefs."

"That sounds very harsh. You must have been utterly dismantled after being betrayed twice from the same person."

"It was a hell. I survived from it, after a very long year at the hospital where everyone, from the nurses to the surgeons, was looking at me with pity." Arizona was sure that she could see tears welling in Callie's eyes but she urged her to continue.

"And when was your second marriage?"

"One day, another surgeon came to the hospital, a very talented one. We met and I was asked on a date. One date led to the other, and the days that we were together officially became months so... I married Erica."

Arizona couldn't believe her ears, Callied had got married to a woman? That was a big surprise and it made her eyes go wide, unable to hide her shock this time.

Is this a bad or a good thing? Woohoo, Calliope is gay..or bisexual and I'm her psychologist. meh! This brings me in the position that something good happens and I am bound not do anything about it. How unlucky that makes me?

"Arizona, I hope I didn't... shock you or anything…" These words snapped Arizona out of her internal bubbling and brought her back to reality. Sensing the worry on Callie's voice she hurried to give a soothing answer.

"No, no! It didn't shock me, why would it?" Arizona didn't share the truth about her sexuality with Callie, she didn't feel that it was the proper time and place. After all, Callie was the one sharing details about herself and her feelings at that moment, not Arizona. "And what happened with Erica?"

"One day I went to the hospital and when I came back she wasn't there. She had left. I haven't learnt the reason yet, so if you happen to hear anything, let me know." She winked at Arizona and chuckled with her ironic statement, she seemed like someone who made fun of her misfortunes, maybe in order to make them sound less painful.

"I see..." Arizona didn't want to push the subject any further, she could see that this separation had hurt Callie more than her first marriage. So she moved on and decided to ask more about it in another appointment. "I presume this happened two years ago, am I right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"And after that, there has been this big period of getting over it and emotional isolation... So what made you change your mind? What happened lately that brought you out of it?"

There was a short pause, Callie either didn't know what to say or she hesitated on sharing something for a reason. Arizona kept looking at her intensively, secretly wishing there was a small, tiny, slight possibility their bus stop meeting was the reason for Callie's change. Suddenly, Callie opened her mouth.

"I...well…"

Open your eyes now, Open your eyes now

It's time to see, If you can reach me

Open your eyes now

Damn! Not now!

The ringtone of Arizona's mobile interrupted Callie. Arizona, cursing in her head for this interruption, looked at the caller's id and then her watch, it was her secretary and it was almost half past eight. This meant that it was time for her next appointment.

"Yes."

"Ms. Robbins, your next appointment is here... sorry for bothering you but I thought I should let you know."

"I'll be right there."

People are always on time when you least expect them to.

"Calliope, I am very sorry but we'll have to stop our first session here and continue in our next... Of course, only if you decide that you want us to have another session, it's up to you."

Please say yes!

"Sure. we will continue next time." A contageous smile spread on Callie's lips and reached Arizona's face, forming a smile full of sweet dimples.

:-:

"Mer, I have surgery in like...thirteen minutes. All I need is some quality time with my burger. You know I don't do 'girl-talk' so stop bugging me about 'McDreamy this...' and 'McDreamy that...'. I only have one thing in my mind now and it isn't Mr-perfect's-hair and your obsession with him."

"What is it?"

"These potato chips aren't cooked well... I want my food just like my surgery dammit, ready for me on my plate." It was another common banter between the duet. Meredith was obsessed with her wanabe-relationship with Dr. Derek Shepherd and Cristina was...well...Cristina, always pissed off with something and with a very big mouth.

"So, what's up?" Callie sat on one of the empty seats on the right of Cristina, eating a tuna salad.

"Not much... How come you're eating just a salad? Are you in love? After what seemed like ages..." Cristina noted sincerely.

"I am not in love, why do you people keep saying that? I don't get it why people make assumptions just because someone's eating a salad. I'm just trying to lose some extra kilos, just for MY OWN good. No big deal!"

"Because it's you Cal, and you love your burger and your steak and you only eat salads when you have a new love interest. Something that we haven't seen you doing for a very loooong time, I believe since Er... the you-know-who. And don't think that we haven't noticed the big change in mood that you have latey. You were humming a love song this morning for God's sake!" Cristina was Callie's roommate for a long time now, so she knew she wasn't what you call a 'morning person'. Also, Erica's name was obviously a taboo around Callie. Everyone knew how much she had hurt Callie so they believed by not refering to her name they wouldn't remind Callie of that black period of her life.

"Hey, that's not true! I eat salads, I like sala..."

I'm beautiful in my way

'Cause God makes no mistakes

I'm on the right track, baby

I was born this way

Callie's phone rang, cutting her off before she could finish her protest. She checked the caller's id and saw that it was Arizona's office. She decided to answer it somewhere more privately, she still wasn't comfortable with everyone knowing that she was seeing a therapist.

"Girls... later. Don't think that I'm gonna forget about it." She stood up and left the cafeteria leaving a puzzled Meredith and a more suspicious Cristina.

"Hello."

"Good afternoon. Am I talking to Ms. Torres?" Callie immediately recognised the voice of Arizona's secretary.

"You're have an appointment with Dr. Robbins on Thursday, am I right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Well, Dr Robbins wanted me to call you and ask you if you could meet her at the Aquarium for your session. Same day and time. Would it be an inconvenience?"

Aquarium?

"Sure, no problem."