Part Eleven

Teddy
"Can you come and look at this one?" Arizona shouts at me from her bedroom. I roll my eyes and go to look at the seventh outfit she's tried on so far. This one's a classic little black dress. It shows off her long, toned legs and the cut out parts of the dress that sit just above her hips highlight her skinny waist.

"You look hot, Zo!" I say, in an attempt to boost her low self-esteem. She's always had a little dent in her confidence, but definitely more so recently. "I can't believe all your baby weight has gone," I say, grabbing her waist in disbelief. "How did you do that in six weeks?" She simply shrugs at me.

"So... this one?" She asks, nervously, turning to look at herself in the mirror again.

"Uh huh, definitely that one," I nod. "Dressing to impress?"

"No!" She protests. I raise my eyebrow and smirk at her. We both full well know she wants to look sexy for Amelia. "I just don't want to look completely gross in front of Amelia's friends."

"As if you could ever look gross, Zo," I say, genuinely. "Plus, I don't think you could ever be gross in Amelia's eyes..." I throw my friend a wink and she sighs out, exasperated.

"Will you stop it with that?" She says, slapping me on the arm lightly. "I've told you a million times, we're friends!"

"Uh huh," I continue to smirk and it prompts an eyeroll from her.

"Shut up and help me do my hair," she replies, changing the subject very quickly.

...

Arizona
Finally ready, Teddy and I make our way to the elevator at the end of the hallway. Pieces of curled hair that won't go into my low bun hang by the side of my face. Teddy did a good job with it.

"You should be working as a stylist instead of a stripper," I joke as I look at my hair in the elevator mirrors. I start to tweak little parts of it and she slaps my hands away. "Ow!"

"No messing!" She demands.

As the bell dings and the doors open to Amelia's floor, I fidget with the immaculately-wrapped gift box in my hands. I really hope she likes these gifts. What if she doesn't? Urgh.

"Zo," Teddy's voice startles me. "You alright?" She asks. That's when I realise my feet have stopped moving.

"Uh, yeah..." I say shaking my head back to reality. "Sorry," I say with a genuine smile.

Amelia's door is propped open, presumably so she doesn't have to go back and forth from the door to the terrace. Teddy's eyes widen as we make our way to the outdoor area.

"Holy shit!" She says, surprised by the penthouse. "Why don't we hang out here more often?!"

I laugh at her reaction and start to look for Amelia. There's about thirty people here already, but the terrace could easily fit a few more people on. The music is just at the right volume. It's a great atmosphere filled with talking and laughter. When I spot Amelia, she's already making her way over to us in a sequined dress partially covered by a leather jacket.

"Oh my, God. You look incredible," she says as her eyes roam up and down my outfit. I can feel my cheeks already burning at the compliment.

"Ahem," Teddy clears her throat and does a full turn with her arms stretched out to the side, showing off the dusty pink bandeau dress she's wearing.

"You look great, too, Teddy," Amelia laughs.

"Um, this is for you," I say, awkwardly handing her the gift box. Too late to take it back now.

"Arizona, you shouldn't have," she says with the sweetest smile. Then she narrows her eyes. "It's not '30th' themed, is it?" She asks with mock disgust.

"No," I laugh. "I wouldn't dream of it," I say, playfully, holding my hands up.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone," she says, placing a hand on the small of my back and leading us towards the closest group of doctors.

...

Amelia
I've been mingling for a while now, nursing the only glass of champagne I'll be having all evening. Slow and steady, Amelia. Don't lose control.

As I look to my left, I notice that a slightly tipsy Teddy has got herself involved in a serious conversation with Owen. She hangs off his every word as he recounts tales of his time in the army. To my right, Meredith looks to be getting kind of cosy with Deluca. I find it weird. I find the idea of her with anyone who's not my brother weird.

I excuse myself from the group of friends I'm talking to and begin to search for a quieter spot on my terrace. I walk towards the half-wall, and see it's already occupied. Arizona seems quite content, leaning her forearms against it and staring into the distance, taking in the sights of Seattle. She lets the gentle breeze blow through her hair and occasionally takes a sip from the glass of wine she's holding. She looks serene, but in deep thought at the same time.

"Hey..." I stand next to her, mirroring her position. She gently smiles back at me.

"Are you feeling alright?" She asks. I look at her confused and she gestures to my glass.

"Oh! Yeah, fine," I say, smiling at her concern. "This is much classier than the stuff that used to get me hammered, believe me!" She smirks at my poor attempt at dark and twisty humour.

"You've got some great views up here," she says, casting her eyes back over Seattle.

"Yeah..." I whisper, staring at her and trying to figure out how someone can be so breathtakingly beautiful.

Then it hits me; I'm falling for her. I've been falling for her for months. Maybe since the moment I met her. How could anyone not? She's incredible.

I've fallen for the way the sun bounces off that golden hair and the way those eyes sparkle with intrigue. I've fallen for that enchanting smile and the way it makes her dimples pop. I've fallen for her kind heart and her witty sense of humour. And, her ambitious nature. And, her positive outlook. And, her bravery. And, her generosity. And, her intelligence. And, her curiosity.

And, and, and...

Oh, God... I'm in trouble.

"Did you open your gift?" She asks, motioning to the table that's full of boxes.

"Oh, uh... not yet!" I say, trying to suppress the blush that's creeping across my face as I stop my mind from listing all the reasons this woman is incredible. "You want me to?"

"Sure," she says with a quirky smile, not moving position. I reach for the beautiful gift box she brought up with her and begin to unwrap it, looking at her suspiciously. As I look down at the open box, my eyebrows shoot to my hairline. The first thing I see inside is a paper fortune teller, just like the one which helped me decide which college to go to. My mouth twitches into a sideways smirk as I remember that time in my life. There's some incredibly thoughtful stuff in here; loads of my favourite candy, a CD full of classical music to help me sleep, and a voucher for that Italian place I've been dying to try. The last gift I see is a framed picture of Arizona and I in Joe's bar. It's candid, so we're not looking at the camera. We're looking at each other and laughing... a lot. As I look at the picture, the butterflies in my stomach are going crazy.

I look up to see her staring at me in anticipation. She's left her wine glass balancing on the wall and she's unconsciously fidgeting with her hands. She needs reassurance that tells her she gave me the right gifts and that it doesn't matter that she doesn't have the money to buy expensive '30th birthday' themed crap. This stuff is worth so much more to me. I put the box to one side and pull her into a tight hug.

"They're so thoughtful," I say, pulling back to look at her but staying in our embrace. "Thank you," I say, earnestly.

"Oh, it's nothing really..." she says, beginning to blush.

Falling further...

"Arizona..." Her name falls from my mouth before I can stop myself.

"Mmm?" She murmurs, looking at me, contentedly.

"Uh... I... I was wondering..."

"Oh my God, Zo!" I'm interrupted by a slurring Teddy. Thank God! I don't actually know what I was about to say. "That guy... the hot one... the ginger guy," she says, wrapping an arm around Arizona's shoulders and pointing in the direction of a blissfully unaware Owen. "He was a medic in the army. That's what I'm going to do!" She explains as though she's never told Arizona this information before. "He's so interesting... and serious... but, handsome!"

"Okay, Teds," the beautiful blonde smirks at her friend. "Should we maybe get some water?"

"Hmm... Yeah," she decides, quickly.

...

Arizona
I've just got Teddy home, and safely into her bed. She is going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow. God knows why she got so hammered. Sure, we end up like this after a night out sometimes, but never after a casual event.

"You know what? You're the best," she says, aiming to tap me on the arm, but clumsily slapping the air instead.

"Okay, drunky," I laugh. "Goodnight," I say as I start to exit the room.

"Arizona," she says, quietly. I hate it when she uses my full name. It mostly means that something serious has happened or is about to happen. It makes me stop in my tracks. "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" I ask, warily.

"The army called," she says, solemnly. Oh, fuck. I know what that means. But, I need her to confirm it for me.

"They did?" I ask, rhetorically. "And..."

"They have a job for me," she says, sadly. I don't understand her mood. This is what she's always wanted; to be the doctor who saves the lives of heroes. I don't get it.

"That's great," I say, enthusiastically. I grab her hand in support. Maybe she's just in shock. "Just what you wanted, right?" She nods at my question but doesn't say anything. "When, uh- when do you start?"

"I start training tomorrow and leave in two weeks," she says, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Nick said he's gonna come and stay here a while."

"You told Nick before you told me?" I ask, shocked and, I must admit, a little upset that I wasn't the first person she told. "When did you find out?"

"That a job was coming up? A couple of months ago... I found out my departure date about a week ago," she explains.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I whisper, tears forming in my own eyes as I wait for her answer.

"Because... because this year's been shit for you, Zo!" She says through tears that have started to roll freely. "And, now I'm leaving. I'm leaving to go to a place where I know you're going to worry about me every single day." She sobs out in a mixture of sadness and intoxication. "And... And... The thought of having to break this news to you... It was unbearable."

"But, Teds... I support you in every way," I say, rushing my best friend into a hug. "You have to know that... You do know that, right?"

"Yeah, of course... I just..." she sighs out, trying to regain some sort of control over her emotions. "I want you to be okay," she says, cupping my cheek.

"Teddy... I'm gonna be fine," I say, convincingly.

"You sure?" She sniffs.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I say, with a smile and a light punch to the arm, before pulling her into another hug. "You don't have to worry about me," I say, quietly. "Just focus on those soldiers and coming home safe."

...

Amelia
"Hey," I say to Arizona as I let myself into her apartment the next morning. She's lay out across the couch, a blanket draped over her, probably recovering from a hangover. "Hangover cure," I say, holding up a dish full of leftover food from the party.

"Thanks," she says, sitting up and making room for me. I plonk myself on the opposite side of the couch.

"Teddy still in bed?" I ask, looking around.

"Oh... no," Arizona says, distracted. "She's out."

"Have you sent off your Hopkins application yet?" I ask her for the seventeenth time this week. I sound like a broken record, but this woman has such little confidence in herself I worry that if I didn't nag her constantly she'd never send it.

"This morning," she says, vacantly. "I doubt I'll hear anything, it's so late in the year to be applying..."

"You never know," I say with a shrug. "Loads of people drop out before they even get there... Plus, some people decide to defer a year."

"Mmm," she says, her mind wandering.

"Everything okay?" I ask, concerned by how little the usual chatterbox is giving to our conversation.

"Um... T-Teddy..." She stutters. "Teddy has a new job... in the army."

"She does?" I ask with a grin. "She must be over the moon!"

"She is," Arizona whispers, beginning to nibble her bottom lip. She's terrified. I can see it in her eyes.

"She'll be fine," I say, comfortingly stroking one of Arizona's arms. "She'll be better than fine... She's been dreaming of this for years!"

"I know," she says as a sob gets caught in her throat.

"Oh, hey... Come here..." I pull her into the best hug I can, and I feel her silent tears leak through my shirt. Then she utters a sentence that breaks my heart.

"I've already lost my brother... I can't lose my sister, too."

...

Teddy
My training came and went in a blur. Now, it's time for me to leave. It's 3:27am and I'm sitting on a bench in the fairly empty Sea-Tac airport with my best friend next to me, waiting for the monitors to reveal my gate. Her head is leaning against my shoulder in tiredness. I'm also getting a little apprehension from her. It's apparent she doesn't want me to go, but she'll never admit it. She wants what's best for me. And, I want what's best for her. It's just how it's always worked with us.

An intruding voice suddenly announces the gate number for my flight. I sigh out and pat Arizona's knee.

"Well, that's me..." I say as we both stand up.

"You all set?" She asks me, nervously.

"Yeah," I say, quietly. I look at my luggage then back to her. We share this weird kind of sad smile and a look that declares nothing more needs to be said. We step into an embrace and I immediately feel her little body tremble slightly.

"You have to come back," she whispers in my ear.

"I will... I promise."