A/N: I own nothing.

Hello, gentle readers. The fluff continues in this very early stage of their relationship. I promise, they will have to deal with some stuff. Just not yet. A word of "warning" - I'm flying out for a week tomorrow, which means my dear donteatblue (who betad this chapter fiercely at like 1 AM last night) and myself are going to be on total different time zones. I'm almost certain we will have delays with the next couple of chapters even if small once. Just remember, you are not forgotten, I'm just prioritizing the family I only see once a year first :) Enjoy the chapter and tell your friends and co-workers.

One Month Later…

"I'm moving to New York," Addison announced, her voice sounding excited on the other side of the line.

"What? Why? You love LA!" Callie was happy to hear the news, but also somewhat skeptical. Addison was one for big announcements, the following through part, though…

"I loved LA when my two best friends were here," Addison clarified, "yet both of you deserted me for the Big Apple," she added with a dramatic sigh.

"Addison, I'm there every other week," Callie reminded challengingly.

"Callie, please, you're rolling in the sheets with your girlfriend every other week. I never see you when you're here and the company offered me relocation. It's a promotion anyways so why should I say no?" Addison pointed out the obvious.

"Because you hate the weather?" Callie proposed, reminding the obvious, too.

"But I looooove the food. And the eye candy."

"What you love is Mark," Callie snorted.

"Whatever, Calliope," Addison challenged.

"Only Arizona can call me that and you know as much," Callie warned.

"That's my point, whatever is going on with Mark and me, we're not half as sickening as you and your Superstar of a girlfriend are," Addison gagged.

"Only I can call Arizona, Superstar, and you know as much."

"Oh, shut up. Just ask me when the hell I'm moving to town and what the hell I want you to do for my housewarming party!" Addison whined.

"When the hell are you moving to town and what the hell do you want me to do for your house warming party?" Callie obliged.

"That a girl."

"Oh Captain my Captain," Callie called out as she walked towards her girlfriend who was seated on her cast chair reading her script.

"You're insufferable," Arizona replied without taking her eyes off the script, but she couldn't fight the smile that appeared on her face the moment she heard the voice.

"Hi," Callie said sweetly once she reached Arizona. She leaned in for a short tender kiss, paying the crew around them no mind. They might haven't told the world yet, but at work? Where a person who takes photos of any of the cast members without permission will be destroyed at court? Neither of them cared.

"Mmm… hi yourself," Arizona hummed once they broke the kiss. "I missed you."

"You saw me five hours ago," Callie chuckled.

"I still missed you. You didn't say you were stopping by."

"I can go?" Callie offered innocently and started walking away.

"Don't you dare," Arizona laughed and grabbed her hand, bringing her closer. "But your presence here tells me you missed me, too," she flirted.

"I always miss you," Callie said and winced at her own words.

"Are you okay?" Arizona voiced in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just that stupid Addie said we were sickening and as much as I wanted to tell her to shove it, I can see that we're one of… 'those couples,'" Callie explained, exasperated.

"Those couples?" Arizona challenged with a raised eyebrow.

"You know… super schmaltzy, overly cute couples."

"I, for one, find no problem with us being super cute. Besides, we're in our honeymoon stage. Tell her that she's more than welcome to be a witness when we have our first fight," Arizona offered nonchalantly. "But she can't stay around for the make-up sex."

"She just might take you up on that, actually," Callie snorted. "She called this morning to say she's moving to New York."

"Really? That's great, Calliope," Arizona smiled in excitement. She wanted her girlfriend to be surrounded by people who loved her, especially if she herself couldn't be around. "But tell her that she can't move here until I'm done shooting in town. I require your undivided attention," Arizona stated seriously.

"Arizona, you're on set all day," Callie reminded.

"You have a point," Arizona agreed, "yet I do love having you on call," she teased, tightening her hold on Callie's waste.

"Well, she's moving in about a month. Which means she'll be here in time for my birthday," Callie noted excitedly.

"Yes, your birthday. We need to talk about that because whatever you want to do I'll be there. I was hoping I'll have you all to myself for the whole day?" Arizona proposed hopefully.

"Oh, yeah, sure, I mean… I guess I assumed that because it's the middle of the week… and with shooting going back to LA in three weeks…" Callie was lost in thought.

"Calliope," Arizona said softly, gently demanding Callie's attention. "You're my girlfriend, I love you. If we make plans now, I might be able to take a day and a half off while they shoot other people," she explained.

"But that's so crazy, Arizona," Callie started to ramble again."I do a small dinner with friends every year, which, I mean, of course you're welcome to join, but it's a more of a… you know… a public outing, and to fly out just for the night when you're in a middle of a project… you'll be exhausted, it's not worth it."

"Callie, what are you talking about?" Arizona seemed hurt, "of course it's worth it."

"I know, I didn't mean…" Callie sighed. "If you can make it, it'll be the best birthday ever. I just didn't want to pressure you when you're so busy. And I would've come over there but…"

"But I'm on set anyways if you're there, so it's pointless to make you spend your birthday alone," Arizona finished in understanding. "I guess I could've taken a day off anyways but then you'd be far from all the others," Arizona thought out loud.

"Maybe I should. I mean, I love everyone, but it's my birthday, I want to spend it with you," Callie stated sincerely.

"I love you for saying that, but I want you to have everything. And I had you all to myself on your other birthday," Arizona reminded. "So how about I'll get you for the whole day, and night, and maybe just… skip dinner? I can take a nap so I won't even be exhausted. See? Problem solved," Arizona offered cheerfully.

"Okay," Callie agreed, a huge smile adorning her face.

"Great. I'll text April. Here, sit," she gestured to the empty director's chair next to her.

"Won't Derek be upset?" Callie asked in worry.

"No, he's a real sweetheart and he's there, driving everyone else crazy, see?" Arizona pointed towards the crew, where Derek stood, looking as if he was about to rip his own dreamy hair out.

"I'm really glad I caught you in between scenes."

"Me too. You always get lucky, though," Arizona winked and kept typing the message to April, leaving them in comfortable silence for a few moments.

"Hey, Calliope?" Arizona started, her voice laced with concern. "You're not upset that I'm not… coming out, so to speak, about us, right?"

"No, Babe, of course not," Callie assured softly and laced their fingers. "I know that you're just being protective of us."

"I truly am. Because we're so new and I want us to just be us for a while," Arizona explained genuinely, making Callie nod in understanding. "But at some point… I mean, I don't want to hide."

"Believe me, neither do I," Callie agreed. "But I trust your judgment. Whenever you feel like it's time, I'll be there."

"Are you sure you are ready for this?" Arizona asked. She was protective of them both as a couple, yes, but she was first and foremost protective of her girlfriend, who had faced more than one hardship in her lifetime.

"I'm not sure what 'this' entails just yet," Callie chuckled, "but it comes with the territory, and I am sure that I'm in love with the territory," she concluded decisively.

"It's just… I don't want you to get hurt when people start saying mean things or poking into your personal life. I can deal with it, I chose it, you didn't," Arizona reminded, concern still evident in her voice.

"I chose you," Callie stated, her expressive eyes telling Arizona just how much she meant it. "Whatever that means, we take care of each other, right?"

"Right," Arizona said, feeling the tears coming up. Callie could always make her dizzy with words. "You're beautiful, you know that? Like, in every possible way."

"Thank you," Callie squeezed Arizona's hand and smiled brightly. "You're beautiful, too."

"No, but Callie, I mean… you're gorgeous, yes, but you're such a beautiful person. And you use words in such a beautiful way." Arizona made it sound like she was confessing a secret.

"Babe, come on, I mean, thank you, truly, but I just said that whatever happens we'll deal with it together."

"Shut up," Arizona laughed lightly. "Let me compliment my girlfriend, the words' master."

"You are a nerd and I really love you. And speaking of writing… hmmm…" Callie trailed off.

"Did you do it?" Arizona asked, shifting sharply from their mutual teasing to genuine excitement.

"Seven magazines," Callie nodded and bit her lip. "Statistically, one of them gotta say yes, right?" She squeaked, hopeful.

"I don't know about statistics, Calliope, but I know that the story was really good, moving and truthful. If not this time, then next time. It will happen, it has to," Arizona decided in determination, making Callie smile, some of the tension leaving her shoulders.

"Is that what you used to tell yourself when you just started?" She asked in curiosity.

"It is," Arizona smiled nostalgically.

"But, Arizona, you're those one in a Million cases. You're gift is really special and…"

"Stop, Babe. I know you tend to ramble in those rare moments when you feel insecure, but your gift is really special, too. And you took years off from it. So this is basically you starting over from scratch," Arizona reminded softly. "And I'll say this again, if you ever write me a script, I'll do it. No questions asked. Unless it's like a question about a character's background, or subtext or…"

"Arizona!" Callie whined, interrupting Arizona's ramble with one of her own. "I told you! A script is a totally different thing! I don't have the first idea of how to deal with it! The format, the whole… there is no 'inner' world! You can't have thoughts. If you want something to be known you have to put it in the dialogue, and…"

"Sounds to me like you have more than a few ideas of how to deal with it," Arizona smirked. Her girlfriend was a goddess of words and no one, especially not said girlfriend, could convince her otherwise.

"I'd argue with you, but you're actually really hot when you're stubborn. I don't know how you do it," Callie admitted and chuckled.

"I'm keeping the best for you and am a monster to everybody else," Arizona brushed off.

"Lies," Callie decided and leaned in to peck her girlfriend's lips.

"Maybe," Arizona shrugged. "So, what are you doing after this lovely visit, which, by the way, I can tell will be over soon because Derek is eyeing me," she added apologetically.

"It's okay. I'm glad I managed to squeeze some Arizona time," Callie smiled.

"Aww, squeeze some time with your main squeeze!" Arizona melted at her own adorableness.

"My god, Woman. Addison was right. We're horrible, because I didn't even hate that," Callie noted miserably.

"The rules are simple, Calliope. You can, and should hate it when anyone else says it, but when it comes from me, it's adorable and pure genius," Arizona explained in seriousness.

"You mean just like with my writing that everyone else can hate it but you have to say it's good no matter what?" Callie challenged.

Arizona rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, shut up already and tell me what are you doing for the rest of the day!"

"Arizona, five minutes warning!" One of the production assistants called at her.

"Got it, thanks!"

"Park is next on the agenda," Callie finally answered Arizona's question as they both started to get up.

"Fun! I wanna go to the park with you. Roll in the grass and be all sexy. Or sickening if we're so inclined to believe Addison."

"Never believe Addison," Callie deadpanned. "She always has an agenda!" She added in a sing-song voice.

"Maybe, but I owe her. I'm always gonna owe her," Arizona admitted kindly as they walked hand in hand towards the set.

"Okay. I'm gonna go now. I'll see you later?" Callie asked in hope. Their new arrangement may have only been going on for a week, but Callie already experienced the crazy hours Arizona was dealing with.

"I'll get home late," Arizona apologized, making them both feel secretly fuzzy inside at her use of the word home. "I'm sorry. Don't wait up," she said regretfully.

"Maybe I will and maybe I won't," Callie offered her a dazzling smile. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Go, be a master of words."

"Aye aye, Captain," Callie saluted dramatically.

"Insufferable," Arizona shook her head.

Callie laughed that kind of infectious laugh that made Arizona's heart soar, and leaned in to kiss her goodbye.

"Don't rock the boat," Callie teased when they broke the kiss, lightly slapping Arizona's ass, and walked off the set, not concerned at the least if anyone was watching them, or that her girlfriend's face got ten times redder.

Arizona tip toed into Callie's apartment. She was exhausted and had to be back on set relatively early the following morning. All she wanted was to take a shower, quickly read through her lines for the following day one more time, and snuggle with the most amazing human body pillow ever. Over the course of the week she had already spent in New York, she learned that even if Callie didn't wake up, she always hummed in content when Arizona joined her in bed and spooned her from behind.

This weekend we're switching, she decided. I wanna be the little spoon, too, she pouted and quietly stepped into the bedroom to put her bag down.

As she walked into the room, her girlfriend turned in bed and rubbed her eyes.

"Hi," she said in a voice that indicated that she wasn't one hundred percent awake.

"Calliope, it's three in the morning, what are you doing up?" Arizona asked in shock.

"I waited up!" Callie announced victoriously.

"I told you not to!"

"Well, I'm a rebel. When you forbid me from doing something I just go and do it anyways," Callie said sleepily, but with a hint of challenge in her voice. Arizona couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face.

"You're crazy," Arizona concluded and walked towards Callie's side of the bed to kiss her girlfriend a proper hello.

"I just missed you, and you'd probably be gone again before I wake up."

"Probably," Arizona nodded in agreement.

"So I just wanted to see your face and say hi. So, hi," Callie added sweetly and kissed Arizona again.

"Okay, well, I need to take a shower, and then read my scenes for tomorrow, so you should go to sleep now that you said hi," Arizona chuckled.

"No, I need to be your scene partner," Callie pouted, making Arizona laugh louder.

"Are you coherent enough for me to tell you something?" Arizona asked.

"Yeah, sure, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, hmmm… so… my parents are taking advantage of the fact I'm here and are flying in for the weekend. Which means we're having dinner with them," Arizona finally blurted out.

"We are?" Callie asked, her expression unreadable. "Like, in two days?"

"I mean, of course we don't have to if you don't want to. I know we've only been together for a couple of months. But I need to be a bit of a tour guide so I might be MIA during the weekend, and I know I promised you some us time on the weekends, but…"

"Arizona, Babe, take a breath, jeez," Callie soothed, somewhat amused. "I'd love to meet them, and to co-tour guide with you. If you feel like you already wanna do the meet-the-parents thing, I'm more than okay with that. Just a bit surprised," she admitted.

"Well, you shouldn't be. This, us, is every important to me," Arizona explained emotionally, lacing her fingers with Callie's. "I know we're not announcing it to the world just yet, but with the most important people in my life? Of course I want them to know how much I love you," she added, putting her free palm on Callie's cheek, caressing it. "I want them to know you," she finished, eyes locked with her girlfriend. She was trying to convey just how deep her feelings went. Both of them were full of little promises on occasion.

"Okay," Callie said hoarsely and incredibly touched. "Master of words," she teased, making Arizona burst into laughter.

"Shut up!" Arizona tried.

"No, seriously, so suave," Callie added, pulling Arizona who tried to break away from the embrace, closer. "So much game!" She finished, falling back on the bed, pulling the laughing Arizona on top of her.

They stared at each other for a few moments. Arizona leaned down to kiss her girlfriend, and then rolled off her and got out of bed.

"Do you think your dad will like me?" Callie suddenly asked in worry. Moms she could do. Moms loved her. But Colonel fathers? She wasn't sure about that.

Arizona turned around and when she saw the real concern on Callie's features, she put her hand on Callie's hip.

"You make me so happy, he has no choice," she teased.

"Okay," Callie gave in defeat. She knew she'd just have to deal with it.

"I'm going to take that shower now," Arizona smiled softly, pecked Callie's lips, and got up.

"I'll be here to read with you when you come out," Callie yawned.

"That's if you manage to stay up until I'm out of the shower," Arizona added playfully.

"I will. I promise," Callie nodded in determination.

And so she did.

"Now remember, he just seems mean but he's actually a muppet inside," Arizona put a reassuring hand on her girlfriend's back.

"Arizona, I refuse to believe your father is a muppet inside," Callie gulped.

They were nearing the restaurant and Callie was starting to reconsider her whole laid back approach about the pending dinner.

It was a Friday evening, Arizona's parents flew in a few hours earlier, and while two more days of walking around awaited the group of four, this was their first rendezvous.

"You'll be fine, Calliope. You're the most charming person I know," Arizona admitted with a smile.

"April got us a private table, right?" Callie suddenly inquired.

"Yeah, of course," Arizona supplied in puzzlement.

"Good. So when your dad throws his pudding at me it will at least be in private," Callie deduced.

"That will never happen," Arizona guaranteed.

"You sure?" Callie challenged.

"I am. My dad hates pudding," Arizona winked and held the door for her now defeated looking girlfriend. It was the back door, just like April instructed. "After you, my lady," Arizona added chivalrously.

As Callie passed her, Arizona grabbed her by the wrist, making her turn around. She looked Callie straight in the eyes.

"You blew my mind and made my world start moving again. They're going to love you," she promised.

"Thanks," Callie said quietly as she laced her fingers with Arizona's and walked in.

Two hours later, Callie's nerves were in a much better state. After she got over her initial shock, she found that Barbara and Daniel Robbins were wonderful, lovely people. Yes, Arizona's dad was a bit on the gruff side at times, but they made sure Callie felt welcome among their family.

I'm sure cancer helped, she thought solemnly, assuming Arizona had told them how they met. Well, I'll use what I can.

"So, how did you two meet?" Barbara asked in perkiness that reminded Callie very much of her girlfriend who currently stopped mid-chew and looked at her guiltily.

Maybe not, then.

"Hmm…" Callie started to fidget when a soft hand slid on top of hers, lacing their fingers.

"I'll answer that," Arizona smiled at her softly. "That is, if that's okay?"

She didn't know if I'd be okay with them knowing, Callie realized in relief. She was happy to learn it wasn't anything more complicated than that.

She took a quick glance at the elder Robbins couple who now seemed curious at their mysterious exchange.

"Yeah, of course," she finally told her girlfriend softly.

"Okay, then," Arizona gave her another reassuring smile and turned to her parents. "I met Callie nearly two years ago in LA," she started.

"Two years?" Barbara huffed in discontent. "I thought you said you've been together for two months! Why did you hide her all this time?" She demanded and crossed her arms, seeming way more intimidating than Daniel ever did.

"We actually met a year and eight months ago," Callie said quietly when she thought no one could hear her, but she saw her girlfriend smirk.

"Well, Mom, we met a year and eight months ago," Arizona winked at Callie, "but we only got together two month ago. And don't blame me for hiding her, she was hiding from me for a whole year," she added innocently, making Callie groan.

"I was not!" she whined.

"This is all very confusing," Daniel said, making Callie realize her girlfriend was trying to lighten the mood before she got to the heavy stuff.

"Are you sure you're not the storyteller in this relationship, Arizona? With all that build up?" Callie teased.

"Oh, I tell stories, Calliope. I just don't write them," Arizona teased right back.

"You were saying?" Barbara Robbins was having none of it.

"Fine, mom. I'm getting there! So, anyways, Callie had cancer and…"

"Wait, what?" Barbara asked, now worry in her voice. She looked at Callie in a way that Callie could only describe as maternal.

"I'm fine now, Barbara," Callie assured.

"Yes, she's fine now, Mom! I just thought she was dead for a whole year, but that's old news," Arizona brushed off.

"Arizona…" Callie warned.

"Enough!" Daniel Robbins finally announced in full on colonel mode. "Arizona, start from the beginning, and tell the damn story! Sorry, Callie, I didn't mean to call your cancer, damned," he apologized sincerely.

"It's exactly what it was, though," Callie offered with a smile, "in more ways than one." That earned her a chuckle from the older man.

"Great, I'm glad everyone is making cancer jokes," Arizona narrowed her eyes bitterly. "So Callie had cancer, and she was a fan of mine…"

"Still am, if we're honest," Callie mentioned gleefully.

"Stop interrupting!" Arizona whined. "I'm telling the story!"

"Fine! Go on!" Callie said in surrender.

"And so Callie's best friend, Addison, called and asked me to come see her at the hospital because she was dying. Sorry, Babe."

"No, no. That's fair. I was dying," Callie confirmed nonchalantly.

"So I went there, and…"

"Wait, you went to see a complete stranger?" Barbara realized in horror.

"Of course not, Mom. I went to see a dying stranger," Arizona explained innocently.

"Arizona Robbins!" Barbara scolded.

"And then I got there, and Callie was charming, of course, and pretty…"

"I was not pretty."

"You were pretty, and then hours went by of us talking without me ever realizing how long it had been since I got there."

"I didn't realize it either," Callie smiled at her softly and got a smile in return.

"And then I left and it was really sad because I knew I'd never see Callie again, which sucked because I really liked her," Arizona sweetly looked at her girlfriend again. "And it didn't occur to me until a year later that I never heard anything about her passing. So I contacted Addison to ask where Callie was buried so I could go and pay my respects. Of course it sounds morbid now, but how could I have known?"

"I told you I was sorry like a million times," Callie brushed off.

"And Addison replied," Arizona continued, ignoring her girlfriend, "and lo and behold, Callie was alive and well, figuring herself out in New York City."

"Remember how I explained to you that you can't sound so disappointed when you tell this story?" Callie chastised.

"So I got on the first flight to New York and pretty much scolded Callie for not telling me she wasn't dead, and…"

"You flew to the East coast to scold a stranger?" Barbara Robbins seemed unhappy again.

"She wasn't a stranger at this point," Arizona defended before Callie could semi-contradict her, "and there was more of the liking each other and the Callie being beautiful thing going," she stopped for a moment, waiting for interruptions. "What, you're not going to object again?" she challenged her girlfriend.

"Oh, no, I was beautiful by then because I was healthy," Callie offered in a condescending tone, making Arizona's parents chuckle. "Please, do go on with this very accurate story with no omitted details about your craziness."

Arizona huffed. "And the rest is history!" She concluded.

"Really?" Callie inquired with a raised eyebrow. "You're not gonna mention how you came back unannounced a month later and practically pounced on me and my grocery bags?"

"Arizona!" This time it was Daniel.

"I…" Arizona tried.

"Or how when I finally came to visit you, I was nearly escorted off the perimeter?"

"But…" Arizona defended.

"Oh! I know!" Callie's face lit up in excitement. "Tell them about the paintings!"

"What paintings?" Barbara asked in suspicion.

"I would, but hey, look at that, my glass is empty because of all that wine I drank. I gotta go to the ladies room," Arizona sidetracked and quickly got up.

"I'll come with you," Barbara offered.

This woman is gonna drill her daughter for all those details Arizona "forgot" to mention, Callie thought, laughing on the inside. If Arizona thought the same, she didn't let it show.

"Good," her girlfriend said. "People are less inclined to bother us when Mom is around. Moms make people more respectful somehow."

"I have a feeling your mom makes people more respectful," Callie teased and all three joined her laughter.

When the two women were out of earshot, Callie turned around just to be surprised by the Colonel, now much closer, invading her personal space.

The evening might've turned better than she had expected, but there was a part of her which kept anticipating this moment.

"Sir?"

"My daughter is perfect and she deserves the best," Daniel Robbins started without missing a beat. "Yet I can't help but think that people only want to get close to her because of her fame and fortune."

"Well, Sir, at least you have that in common with my father," Callie replied bitterly.

"Which part?" He asked, voice now softer. Callie didn't say much about her parents, but he could tell things were strained there.

"The fortune part. Believe me, I don't need your daughter's money. Nor am I the least interested in fame," she guaranteed, not backing down from looking him straight in the eye so he knows she meant it.

"You might get it anyways."

"I know."

"Are you okay with that?" he wondered.

"I have to be. Because I love your daughter," she promised.

"I think you're a good person, Callie. You've been through a lot, you don't take things lightly. You clearly love her and god, she clearly loves you. And apparently there's no real practical reason for you to take advantage of her," the Colonel observed.

"What are you saying?" Callie asked in confusion. He basically listed things that she already knew.

"I guess I'm saying… stay tuned. And trust me, Callie, with Arizona's romantic history? That's a first."