Just a quick note, I had to update this chapter to make it fuller, so its longer. The shorter version of part 9 is still true, I just expanded on the chapter. Thanks to everyone for the comments, really appreciate them :D Hope you enjoy.

Aaliyah sat on the bed, her head pounding from all the crying she had done. Silent now, she laid with her face against the comforter beneath her. The sheets bunched up in disarray by her ankles and above her pillow, which was pushed against the head board. It had been a half an hour since Natalie left her; since her heart began to break.

She shuffled on the bed and raised herself up on her hands, then leaned back onto her legs that were tucked underneath her. She felt the cold, damp stickiness against her calves and had to get up off of the bed to prevent any more tears. She stood up beside her bed, kicking clothing away and cursing as she kicked the bowl they'd forgotten about.

She grabbed a pair of old sweatpants and the rest of a raggedy outfit, and threw on a robe, set to wash away the residue of the their failed love making. Aaliyah grabbed her comb and hairbrush and opened her door, pausing to look at her bed, remembering and saying a silent goodbye to her dreams. She swung the door shut and made for the bathroom by her parent's room.

"House re-runs are on... It's a marathon." Aaliyah dropped all of her clothes onto the floor and her body glued itself in place. She exhaled and turned her head to the couch where Natalie sat. "it's the one where 13 starts dating Foreman," the Brunette peered out of her bangs at her girlfriend with cautious but determined eyes.

"I thought you went home."

"I like this episode. They were good together." Natalie watched the television.

"I thought you left," Aaliyah's monotone voice spoke again.

"Olivia Wilde is a better actress than that girl who plays Cameron," Natalie pointed to the television set as if to enforce her idea that they pretend the events from half and hour ago didn't happen.

In complete disbelief, Aaliyah repeated one last time her words. Natalie sighed and pulled a meek smile together. "I'm still here."

For a moment, they existed in silence, ensconced in the lie they were considering. Aaliyah thought hard about all that had happened. She wanted Natalie to leave but she didn't want her to stay gone. If she said anything, it might push her away completely. "Natalie shouldn't have stayed... the sex wasn't good for her, why would she still try to be with me?"

"I'm going to shower." That was the best answer Aaliyah could come up with. An answer that allowed this air of make believe to have a place. An answer that would still, with any luck, keep Natalie around for a while. She gathered up her clothes and made her way to the bathroom.

As Aaliyah walked away, Natalie let her face fall back to the grimace it had become since she left the bedroom, and turned her attention back to the thoughts swirling in her head, trying to find the motivation to force herself to leave for good.


When Aaliyah got out of the shower the living room was empty and the television was off. The apartment was silent in an unsettling way. She had sat in the shower for over 40 minutes in stillness, wishing to pause time. Her skin was red and numb before she found the reserved energy she had to get out and turn the water off. Drying hastily, she dressed and opened the bathroom door.

Most of her thoughts had stopped when she saw the empty room. She had expected to find Natalie in the same position on the couch, watching the same House episode – as if everything outside of the shower was paused, frozen in time like Aaliyah felt. Her shoulders hung low as if the weight of the problem fell solely on them and she sulked to her bedroom.

A small part of her wished Natalie would be asleep on her bed; that they could maintain some semblance of normalcy; some way to recognize they still had a healthy relationship. But the majority of the feelings within the blonde begged some non existent God that her girl wouldn't be there.

Acting was never Liyah's forte and she didn't want to fake anything with her lover, even happiness.

The bedroom was dark and empty and although the bed was cold without Natalie, Liyah was grateful to some extent. However, exhausted and emotionally warn, she wasn't able to fall asleep. She rolled over to Natalie's side, contemplating if she should send her a text, and heard a crumpling on the mattress below her. She gathered the blankets and pulled them back. Her hand slipped across the sheet beside her till it connected with the crinkled paper. Aaliyah grabbed her cell and hit the back light on to read the note, too tired to walk to the light switch on the opposite wall.

The few words chicken scratched on the paper made her heart feel like the carrion of a vulture, intent on ripping whatever was left of her apart. Although the rips were invisible her heart felt actual pain and she brought a hand to her chest as she tried to just be – something that at the moment was a task possibly too tough for the broken girl.

She couldn't stop herself from seeing the words on the paper, no matter if she closed her eyes or looked away.

"I love you, Aaliyah. Too much to spare your feelings this time. I just can't be near you anymore." - Natalie.


Corey called Callie's cell the moment a table opened up, and the two women made their way up to cozy restaurant, brushing sand off of each other in the process.

The path that lead the way to the restaurant was lit up with tea candles placed on wooden stumps erected from the earth. The candles were covered in white paper tubes to block out the wind, and the orange hue they shone with added to the romantic atmosphere.

Four feet more and they were at the entrance waiting to be seated. No one really complained because they figured the pair had a reservation.

Corey greeted the women himself and showed them to their table in the back corner. He even pulled out their seats for them before making a quick run to the surrounding tables to see how service was.

The corner they sat at was a glow with the same orange hue from the candles arranged in the center of their table, amongst small flowers and potpourri. A waiter quickly met them and filled their wine glasses with chardonnay before taking their orders.

Since entering, the women had not said a single word to one another; they just basked in the adoration they shared for each other. Calliope grabbed Arizona's hand and caressed it tenderly as she studied the woman's face in front of her. Although Arizona really hadn't aged much in the last 11 years, the candle light brought her features back to how she looked when they first met. Even the faintest laugh lines erased from her beautiful face and she looked like a memory brought back to life.

Calliope was no different. Though her hair was shorter than when they first met, and small lines had settled on her face, the candle light swiped them away too and the youthful, softer Calliope from over a decade ago was back in front of the blonde. Arizona swiped dark bangs away from the woman's face then rested her hand on her cheek. Her head was turned to the side to admire her wife fully. Callie smiled knowingly and leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips. No one stared at them here. Everyone was so wrapped up in their own magical moments that they didn't even notice.

Most of dinner went on without conversation. It wasn't until half way through her shrimp scampi that Arizona said the first words, easing them into peaceful conversation.

After a third glass each of the chardonnay, the couple's tones became more flirtatious and the conversation more suggestive. They finished their night out with a chocolate gelati they shared, and headed quickly back home to start their night in.