Disclaimer: This is AU. I do not own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy, this is purely imaginative writing most of the contents might not be true or match with how things work in reality bear with me this is just an imaginative work.

A|N: My apologies if this updates come in a little slow, it was a bright idea by a reader and I had to start it immediately…so I might take pauses mid-update…but the updates won't stop all the together.

QOTS: The best relationships are built on love and understanding partners, but the greatest relationships are built from friendship.

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Chapter 3

The thing about the future is that we wait for it, want it, hope for it, expect it, some even swear they can see flashes of it. But the thing about the future is that it can change on a dime by the people we meet and talk to, decision we choose to make, and paths we thread. And when we don't have the future yet all we are saddled with are the past and the present and sometimes some of us are stuck more in the former than the latter.

It had been full two days since Arizona had laid her eyes on Callie, she could deny till she ran out of air that she wasn't excited that her best friend was in the same state, same hospital, walks the same halls as her but she was ecstatic; she had gone down the ortho side of the hospital just so she could steal a glance at her, but Callie was off duty still— so all Arizona could do was wait till she was officially back roaming those halls, Callie's words about the tint in her hair and her eyes kept resounding in her mind and each time a smile found its way to her lips, it was more like she couldn't help it. She sat at her kitchen table sipping her morning coffee, flipping through the newspaper—she checked her phone and pager more than 5 times over the past minute she had been sitting at the table, for some reason Arizona was eager to leave the house—the silence was the reason she was up that early, she needed the restful comfort of the fact the she didn't have to hear her girlfriend talk about marriages, kids and the idea of forever; she loved the idea that her girlfriend was foresighted and believed in the thought of lasting relationships, not that the scene of it all didn't make her feel accomplished—it did. But of recent some things she used to think had started becoming a little cloudy and she didn't know why but she wasn't thinking straight. Normally she had Teddy to rant to but she had gone to a medical seminar along with Derek and a couple other attendings, she couldn't be more excited to have her roof in the pouring rain right back beside her.

She felt the warm embrace of her girlfriend from behind and her cold lips pressed against her cheek, "You zoned off last night, figured you were tired" her sleepy voice said, and the slim figure walked over to pour herself a cup of coffee and paused mid sip after noticing the look on her girlfriend's face, "Babe, are you okay?" she asked

"Just a lot on my mind with work" she smiled and shrugged off the question, it wasn't doubt that had Arizona's knots loosened, it wasn't that she had feelings for Callie either, at least she was sure that wasn't it, she had only one encounter with Callie and she had been with the amazing lady for 1years—it wasn't any form of attraction; she was excited by her presence and the longing to see her and say something to her was the fact that they hadn't seen each other in years—she missed her and that was all that it was, her pager broke her stream of disjointed thoughts, "work calls" she gave her girlfriend a quick peck and was out of the kitchen to get ready.

Callie had taken time before coming in officially, she had begged Owen for one more day; she had guessed she would hate everything about Seattle and would choose to pack her bags after the first orientation, but surprisingly she was here and moving in boxes to her new apartment and set to resume her first day—things were going along smoothly for her and she liked this particular pace her life was moving, wasn't anything extraordinary or out of place; it was extremely calming, was anything going to change anytime soon? Callie had a serious doubt about that.

Callie had been moving boxes up the stairs for more than an hour, she had been having the worst reaction to Seattle's constant rain, "Please tell me that's the last of it" Cristina huffed entering the apartment, she was holding a blender and a spatula

Callie looked shocked at what Cristina was holding, "there are about 4 boxes down there and that is what you could carry?" Callie had the sniffles, normally she would stay home and flip through channels with Mark, but she was in a new environment and Cristina was as comforting as a bed of thorns

Cristina shrugged and dropped it on the kitchen counter, "I am not moving anymore boxes, and I'm spent" she fell heavy into the couch and put her feet up on one of Callie's suitcases

"You know that's not a table right?" she shoved her legs off, and made a beeline for the door, Cristina sighed heavy patiently waiting for Callie to ask her what she had on her mind, "Okay! What's bugging you Yang?—that's the third time in 9minutes"

"I think Owen might still be angry I offered him off to Teddy" Callie shrugged and continued what she was doing, they had the conversation when they had gone apartment hunting the other day and Callie had expressed her aversion for her action but she understood her dilemma, "He's being aggressive"

"Second characteristics of the Burke syndrome, wait till he starts shunning you and then takes you off the OR schedule" Callie joked knowing how much Cristina hated the comparison, "At least you're getting laid even if he burns off all the skin on your ass"

"Sex starved Callie is rather bitter if you ask me" Cristina said, instantly wiping the laughter from Callie's face

"Get up! 4 boxes left and I don't want to be late on the very first day" Callie pulled the lazy petite Asian woman off her couch and back down the stairs, "rest of my furniture comes in later today"

"You're sure you don't need a jacket?, Tissues?, Tea?, Lava? Something for the flu—you're turning red there Torres" Cristina said to her friend

"I'm fine"

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Teddy had arrived early that morning feeling tired and jetlagged, so she decided to crash on the couch in Arizona's office, the one in hers just didn't feel right enough for the nature of comfort her tired body was craving, she heard the door slam and pushed her arm that was placed over her eyes away lazily to stare at blonde, "You're here early"

"Calliope Torres is here" Over the years that Teddy and Arizona had been friends, that name had been mentioned almost every time; she always had a story from her past that involved the brunette and over the time Teddy had finally asked what the story behind the estranged brunette was, and after hearing it Teddy had over and over again equated that to the case of her and Owen except she stayed and tried as hell to unring the bell and Callie fled the scene completely.

"The Calliope Torres? The one from your past? The one you don't talk to anymore? Your used-to-be best friend? That Calliope Torres?" Teddy sat up from her position expecting more from that little sentence, she knew Arizona loved her best friend; during their intern year she had mentioned her a couple times and always with so much glimmer in her eyes

"Yes, that one—she's here Teddy and she looks amazing, I still felt that closeness even though she has changed and she sent Lauren packing" Arizona said with a giggle seeing as they both never liked Lauren, she was a know-it-all and never did more than her time demanded

"Oh that I would have loved to see—I want to meet her right now" Teddy said standing up from the couch like she knew exactly what she looked like, she had seen pictures of Callie but the reality in person was sublime and she looked older than that.

"You're both working together today, saw her name on your surgery later today" Arizona shrugged like she didn't wish it was her surgery Callie was on

"If you do that freaky thing where you bring me coffee or something just to stalk her, or hang around my service I will tell her you still kept her sweater, and you wear it sometimes" Teddy issued out her threat with a deadpan expression knowing her friend already had it in mind to be around her service that day

"Have I told you how much I hate you lately" Arizona said to her friend walking out of her office, Teddy paused halfway between the halls and her friend's office, wrapping her hand around the door handle, "You love me…Hey! This is you trying to rekindle your friendship right?" Teddy asked the loaded question of the year

"What's that supposed to mean?" Arizona asked

"Heather…your girlfriend? Remember her?" Arizona smiled knowing Teddy was just looking out for their great circle of friendship. Teddy, Arizona and Heather had become friends ever since she joked and proposed to her with a macaroni made ring and they had been together a year ever since, they had their marbles but they found a way round it

"I'm aware Teddy…she's just a friend" They smiled at each other and Teddy was off to find the mystery brunette whose details had plagued her ears for years

Callie stepped into the hospital damp with Mother Nature's blessing as her neighbor often called it, but Callie hadn't seen how a blessing could ruin her hair and cause sniffles,

"Oh you're looking green" Arizona said stepping up to the brunette with a smile she wasn't sure she was allowed to wear just yet, but she was pushing forward either way, "So this new acquaintance thing how far does it go? Am I allowed to mock?"

Callie smiled knowing she had stepped into a mocking filled day with the blonde, "It would be incomplete without mocking don't you think?" Callie raised her eyebrow at the blonde waiting for the first hit

Arizona was more interested with the missing top button on Callie's shirt that exposed her tanned cleavage, rain droplet streaming down from her hair to her neck, and down her chest and for one second Arizona wished she was that little droplet of rain, she swallowed a lump in her throat. I love Heather and Callie is an old friend who just happens to look extremely hot, "You're in OR 3 with Teddy all day?"

Callie looked up from the papers in front of her, "Teddy the best friend?" she smiled, "the Callie 2.0" Arizona giggled softly but her eyes kept slipping back from the loose shirt back to Callie's face, what was she thinking? She had a girlfriend and she had this weird feeling towards Callie, she knew that they were friends at some point in her life and whenever Callie wore a shirt with the top button gone she never really noticed but it was a little hard to miss, the sight was rather distracting, "where's your mind, Robbins"

Callie ran her hand through her we hair and in that moment Arizona felt uncomfortable, complete exposure of her neck region, Arizona stared longingly at the water streaming down her neck, down her décolletage till it was out of sight down her top, "Robbins!" Callie called again, "Where's your mind?"

Arizona waved her hand dismissively like she had not been staring at Callie lustfully for the past couple minutes, Callie wasn't just the girl with all the dark shades of clothing and shy attitude; she was all woman and curvy, her toned features hadn't gone unnoticed by Arizona ever since she kicked Lauren out of her OR couple days before, but why would—should she care that Callie looked like she got cropped off a magazine catalogue?

"Surgeries back to back" she said and walked off mentally smacking herself for being the one holding the torch now, but she wasn't holding a torch for her friend, she hadn't seen her in a long time and this was to some extent usual, she wouldn't do anything stupid intentionally, Callie is hot and she noticed; of course she would it's not exactly like she is blind. Callie watched the blonde walk off and furrowed her brow wondering what exactly she said that might have drifted off to the side of weird.

Callie couldn't deny that seeing Arizona everyday wasn't a perk to the job but she came here for other reasons, she had her research to think about, and she was sure Arizona had a love life; she was a beautiful, funny, a little dorky when the occasion called for it, she was adorable and sexy and that kind of person doesn't stay single unless it was a personal decision. She smiled at the view but was quick to shake the thoughts out because this wasn't something that was happening again, and whatever she had for Arizona broke away a long time ago, now she was just interested in being friends with her. Cristina was right she was sex starved and this was something she needed to get out of her head, the generally scorned looking brunette had planted a really naughty seed in Callie's head.

She had to find Teddy she had never met the blonde before but she had heard stories of her brilliance in the OR and well, her other activities when it came down to relationships that weren't hers; apparently she wasn't too charming on that front but Callie was willing to keep an open mind, she was Arizona's best friend after all she really couldn't be that bad.

"Teddy Altman?" Callie walked in the scan room to see a skinny, beautiful blonde in her navy blue scrubs and her white overcoat, the lady looked towards the sound of Callie's voice and smiled

"Callie Torres?" She said proffering her hand for a shake, "nice to finally meet you" she scanned Callie up and down and thought for sure the verbal descriptions didn't do her enough justice, "Welcome to Seattle Grace, I'm officially welcoming you"

Callie figured that this was Arizona's best friend so obviously she has heard something about their little past and she probably had her fair share of questions; it was just a matter of time before she asked. They stared at the scans for a couple minutes; they had an invigorating conversation and walked through each treatment plan and each other's thought process. Teddy was impressed at how easy it was for her to work with her even though this was their first encounter, she turned to face Callie

"So I can say we're friendly now right" Callie had her face printed in a jotting pad just gave a shrug urging the conversation on, "can I ask you something"

"Yes, sure!" Callie responded

"So you and Arizona, have you two had a conversation since you came" Callie stopped writing and stared right at the blonde with a puzzled expression

"You're not the subtle type are you? Teddy shook her head expecting a reply after that

"We're friends I guess…or we're trying to be friends" Callie did nothing to clear the air but she hoped that answer was good enough for Arizona's inquisitive friend

"Just friends?" Teddy asked again which brought Callie's mind to exactly what she was asking, she wasn't asking to be sure if they had gotten over years of grudge; she was asking if Callie had gotten over her years of crushing

"If you're asking if I'm still carrying a big torch for Arizona, I am not—that was eight years ago and now I'm just trying to be friendly and work" she said with smile, that might have been good enough to convince Teddy but was she actually lying to herself? She didn't think so—she had dated after Arizona and she moved on from that hurt girl to an ambitious freight train

That answer appeared to have satisfied the blonde cause she had this calmer air around her, and Callie understood but she was the one who got bruised by what happened so why was Teddy trying to protect Arizona?

After long hours of consulting with Teddy they had the surgery scheduled for another day after the patient sneaked in some food, which wasn't something to do before a surgery.

Callie sat down in the hallway after hours of standing from another grueling surgery; she had just taken out her French braid so her hair was a little frizzy, she ran her hand over her face when she heard,

"Here!" she opened her eyes to see Arizona holding out a paper cup filled with a hot liquid substance for her, "I could hear your cold wheezing all the way from the Peds floor" she gave Callie the cup

"Twice in one day? – and to think I thought we wouldn't run into each other…" Callie paused mid-sip and sniffed the tea Arizona brought, "is that eucalyptus?" Arizona smiled and nodded knowing how much Callie hated the taste—she was always quick to protest whenever Arizona made her that for her flu

Callie found the fact that Arizona was being friendly very new even though they had been down this road before, but the fact that she was right there in Callie's line of view every time felt new to her but she wasn't complaining about the new found familiarity; after all this was her idea to let the history be buried under their pretense of aging out of the memory of the past. Callie seemed fine with the pretense but Arizona was dying to hit her upside the head with something hard and ask her why she let them get so bad, how she would walk away and never look back, how she could not be there for her when her brother died, how she let her go through the insane hours of internship alone and every other moment she needed her best friend but got complete silence from Callie—maybe Callie got bruised by something she didn't take a minute to try to understanding, but Arizona got bruised by the aftermath of her actions— more like an emotional domino effect; Callie walking out without understanding pushed the first chip and they had been falling ever since, in the long run it became both their pain.

Callie stared at the cup of hot liquid brimming with revulsion, she set it down on the corridor bench and caught the knowing smile on Arizona's face, she hadn't seen those dimples in a while but, God she missed them.

"I see some things haven't changed in a while" the tone of her voice almost seemed patronizing coupled with the smile and head tilt, she was trying the reverse psychology trick on Callie, she cast a look back at the cup and decided she wasn't going to fall for that

"Oh, like what?" Callie watching Arizona's facial expressions intently, their conversations weren't exactly free and easy just yet; but she was required to at least make an attempt for a friendship she once cherished

"Fact that you can't drink that without cringing" Callie rolled her eyes at her with an agreeing half hearted chuckle, she raked her fingers through her hair and smiled, Teddy hadn't shown too much affection for her rather chummy warm relationship with Arizona so she was quick to seek out the hallways for wandering blondes

"I mean, substantial stuff Arizona" Callie dared her on, which Arizona gracefully took on, she smiled and sat beside Callie, hands beside her pressed palm-flat on the bench and gripping the edge, she turned to stare at the somewhat gloating brown eyes waiting for her to come up with nothing, Arizona's mind trailed off to the multitude of things she remembered about her friend. They shared a glance, Arizona smiled slightly

"Well, like how even when you knew Seattle was a wet state you packed 0 sweaters? Like your addiction to peanut butter? Like how I know you're waiting out your flu till it actually becomes a bother" Callie had an expression that could be likened to being scolded, Arizona was spot on with everything even though they were barely anything; realization that she still knew something about her that would never waver was near impressive and the guilt slowly washed the look off her face. Arizona remembered her as she was but she had lost pieces and details about her; over the years of resolute suppression of whatever memory they might have shared, pieces of Arizona got left behind gradually; she avoided the pain, buried the pain and drank off the pain and she sat in front of Arizona staring into those amazing blue orbs trying to find portions of what she had left but they were barely enough to make one point.

Callie let out a breath, smiled "You Robbins and your need to show off all the time, you and Tim have that in common" she was oblivious to the shift in behavior, Callie opened her mouth to continue but noticed that Arizona had trailed off into her own mind leaving Callie to converse with a shell, "Arizona, did I say something wrong?"

"No, you…uhmm, you mentioned Tim—I haven't heard that name in a while" Arizona forced a smile, showing what she was really feeling or talking about it isn't a concept Arizona was used to, it was the concluding attribute of her military upbringing and her years of being alive.

"He is your brother…what do you mean you haven't heard that name in a while? He is practically your hero" Callie sat back leaning against the hallway walls waiting for the little crack in her hard exterior, she had no place to push an answer out of Arizona anymore, that severed connection that had created boundaries Callie wasn't so sure she was ready to start crossing or was even allowed to.

"Was—was my hero…he died 4 years ago, hearing you say his name and refer to him in the present is just…it's been a long time" Arizona's half smile did nothing to express a relaxed attitude, Callie bringing up her brother obviously brought about some deep-seated emotions she was talented at covering with layers of veneer, but even in her moments of laughter her feelings no matter how small found ways to bleed through.

"I'm sorry for bringing that up, I didn't know" Callie said

"How would you? It's not like you were here" Arizona waved off her statement dismissively but Callie knew that was a loaded reply, Arizona meant that in more ways than one, that wasn't a laid-back statement to make Callie feel better for bringing up her deceased brother; no, that was blame in a well boxed sentence but it was blame either way but Callie didn't exactly know what for.

Callie knew that was the end of the conversation but she felt she owed Arizona something after that, "I got an apartment" Callie said offhandedly throwing the words out in the wind, awkward moment be damned!—Callie clenched her jaw knowing that was miles away from the conversation

"And let's not forget your meager attempts to raise the air in a depressing room, you always sucked at that" Arizona concluded

Callie conceded and raised both hands in defeat, "can't blame a girl for trying, right?" Callie flashed her a weak smile, while she was busy nursing her bruised ego, Arizona went through actual lose and she didn't even hear about it—she had met Tim on countless occasions; he was the brother she never had, and Arizona's family were the version of hers that didn't exist, she never had a family support her sexuality; hers casted biblical quotes at her and versed her with daily lessons of what the fiery pits of hell felt like.

"Notwithstanding, you're not painting it gray or black are you? I know how much the idea of living in a bat cave seems thrilling to you" Arizona said shoving Callie's shoulder lightly; a gesture of familiar friendship.

"Oh Robbins, if you keep going on like this, guessing my every thought like this? I might have to check for a person with dark hoodie and binoculars outside my window every night" that little statement broke Arizona's tense resolve and she broke out into a soft chuckle, "want to help me move things around?", they held each other's stare for a while, Callie finally averting the stare that felt longer than ever to push out the concluding statement so as not to come off as an imposition, "if you want to"

"And this is not the part where you sit back and put me to work? You're skilled at that" Callie couldn't deny that Arizona's constant stroll down memory wasn't an attempt to guilt trip Callie even more, she was saying the things she remembered innocently but they had their little effects on Callie, they were things she used to do, if she had stayed would she be Arizona's Teddy, she would have been there for Tim's death, and what other thing would she have missed?

Callie giggled softly and shook her head, "no"

"Fine! Meet me at the lobby at 7" Arizona squeezed Callie's shoulder and walked away not before sounding off the order to her, "Drink that tea!" Callie smiled as the glanced at the ebbing figure of the brunette and tried to savor the fleeting feeling of their encounter, somehow they were building a connection again and this time Callie knew she was smart enough to tell the difference between a friendship and a deeper connection that was love.

Callie wrapped up everything she had to do, post-op cases were taken care of, on call nurses were assigned to the critical ones that needed over night watch, she would have put in the effort herself but she couldn't manage one more night in that hotel or another second in those annoying showers that made her hair smell like rain water off a rusty roof, she had to get settled in; Cristina was as helpful as TV remote without a battery and Callie wasn't sure how long she could go on hearing her spiel on the sexual escapades with her rather caveman-like boyfriend, especially when she was sex starved.

Arizona remembered it was a Thursday and that was the usual date night for her and Heather, it had practically become rote for Arizona; she would drive from work straight to the restaurant every Thursday it was something that had never skipped her mind, and if by work emergencies she was likely not to make it she would send her a text, but for the first time—it actually skipped her mind and there she was standing in the lobby looking at the approaching form of the stunning Latina and she thought in that moment that a change for a day wasn't the worst idea in the world.

"Ready?" Callie asked flashing her amazing smile

"Yup—so you're driving or am I?" Arizona asked quietly

"Arizona I wasn't wet this morning cause it was raining in the cab, I live a few walks from here" Callie said walking out of the double doors into the chilly Seattle breeze, she blew out a shuddering breath as the cold breeze cut through her light layers of clothing and caused Arizona's raised eyebrow, "what?"

"Get a sweater!" she fell in line after Callie so as they strolled down the street to her house, the air was damp but like Arizona clearly said Callie was the type to equip herself if a leather jacket in a wet state.

After the bed was fixed and half a glass of white wine had been wolfed down, Arizona received a text from her girlfriend.

_running late? Hoped you wouldn't be busy tonight I had a sexy lingerie date planned, call me when you get this… love you_

Arizona's eyes searched for Callie in the maze of clustered furniture, for a little while her feelings that being in that room, hiding that text and the detail that she was dating someone from Callie made feel like she was mentally cheating on her girlfriend.

_post-op complication on this kid so we're going back into the OR, see you when I get in later…love you_

Arizona typed in her reply and hit send.

Callie was quick to pick up on her friend's scrunched up expression, she might have guessed for a while that Arizona had a place to be, or something planned for a Thursday night she wasn't ready to make her stay for her, "Everything okay?" Callie asked, walking through her cluttered living room, it had become even more spacious with her boxes stowed away in another room.

"Yes, perfectly fine—so are we moving the furniture now or what?" Arizona asked after putting her phone away

"Yes!" Callie said

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Sorry for the delay!