HOPEFUL DREAMS & HIDDEN DESIRES

Hi guys :)

Here's chapter 12 for you now before going to bed as I probably won't have the time to upload it tomorrow or Saturday. You are all very invested in this story (I LOVE that btw) and I couldn't leave you hanging on such a depressed note until Sunday. So here you go!

Some of you (all of you probably) are really upset and frustrated with Arizona (and me) as far as her behavior and reactions go. I get that it is selfish and unfair to Callie, but Arizona's CLEARLY not dealing with it all very well and her first instinct is to push Callie away. And I actually think that is understandable. It is kind of her whole life that is changing and she is discovering who she is all over again. And that will affect her. But I hope this chapter will redeem her a little – and get back some of my goodwill with you guys ;) At least at the end.

I think you guys are amazing and I really appreciate you and your commitment to this story!

Also it's like some of you could've written this story. You have the exact same thoughts as me. I have no idea whether that is good or bad. And Guest Reader, you are going to like this chapter for sure! ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's or any of the characters - they all belong to the lovely Shonda Rhimes and ABC. I'm just toying with them for fun with no intentions of profiting.

Happy reading! :)

CHAPTER 12:

'It's just a normal day, it's just a normal day, it's just a normal day' Callie repeated the words over and over in her head as she approached the studio. Today was January 12th and the brunette was a nervous wreck. She hated, that Addison had sorted for everyone to watch the announcement live in the screening room. It's not that she didn't appreciate the gesture, because she did. She just didn't want every single one of her colleagues standing there if her name wasn't among the nominated actresses. Then Addison and maybe Mark and Arizona would have sufficed.

It was 9.30 am and in a couple of hours she would either be an Academy Award nominee or totally defeated. Callie walked through the doors of the lobby and smiled at Nicole behind the reception desk. Nicole gave the brunette a huge smile in return. "Good morning Callie! Big day today, huh?"

"Yeah. Maybe. It all depends on how things turn out I guess" the brunette replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Well good luck. And you're going to get it, I can feel it." Nicole nodded her head with certainty as the brunette made her way to the elevators.

Callie smiled in return and made her way in the elevator. She pressed the button for the second floor which held the screening room and used her time in the elevator to try and calm her nerves. As the door opened she stepped out. Just as she passed by one of the conference rooms a laughing Teddy and Arizona exited it.

"Oh hey Callie. How are you feeling today?" the honey-blonde asked with a big smile.

Callie gave an uneasy face. "Nervous as hell. Intimidated as hell" she said as she let out a breath. "I'm really afraid I won't get nominated. And at the same time I'm really afraid I will get nominated. It's really confusing. I'm not in this for the awards. I don't actually like those ceremonies. They are usually long and uncomfortable. And I'm just me. I'm just lucky enough to do what I love. I honestly don't know how anyone could ever think that my performance can match the likes of Brithany Harper, Noelle Jenkins or Maria Garcia" Callie listed three of the biggest actresses in the industry.

The brunette turned her gaze to Arizona as the blonde spoke up. "You're AMAZING at what you do, Callie. Your performance can absolutely match theirs. No doubt about it."

Callie smiled at the blonde. "Thank you, Arizona."

The duo had really been trying to mend their friendship and had shared a few coffees together since coming back from Christmas break. But their meetings had been awkward and the friendship didn't work at all. It was very clear that they both held back, and Callie had a feeling that they were both waiting for the other woman to voice the subject.

Sometimes lately Callie found herself really angry with the blonde. The mere thought of her could be enough to make Callie's blood boil. Because what the fuck? Arizona's reaction to everything had not been okay. This had been hard and confusing to Callie too, but still she'd spent a huge amount of time trying to make sure, that the blonde was okay, and it didn't seem like Arizona had been the least bit worried for her. And ignoring her for three whole weeks wasn't okay. That made the brunette angry. And sad. Because no matter what she did or how she felt, she couldn't shake the fact that she REALLY liked the blonde who stood before her. The kiss had changed everything for the brunette and she was now fully aware of the amount of affection she felt for the blonde. But she could table that. And she could be friends with her. Hopefully. Eventually. Because that was what Arizona wanted.

Arizona looked at the brunette before her. She was very clearly nervous and the blonde wished she could reach out and hug her close to ease her nerves. But they weren't in a place right now where that would be appropriate. If anything it would probably aggravate the situation for the brunette. And Arizona hated that. Somehow everything had become so screwed up. The brunette had gone from being the blonde's closest confidant to being practically a stranger. All because of a kiss. A kiss that they had both liked. The blonde was confused and on the verge of some kind of breakdown.

Teddy cleared her throat. It was evident that something had changed between the blonde and the brunette, but every time Teddy voiced it, Arizona just said it was nothing. The honey-blonde didn't want to pry, but she'd kept an extra eye on the duo's interaction, and it had been very painful to watch to be honest. Something was totally amiss. Teddy desperately wanted Arizona to open up about it, but she didn't know how.

"Let's get you in there Callie. The guest of honor can't be late" Teddy stated and went for the door.

The honey-blonde held the door for Callie and Arizona to enter. As soon as she stepped foot in the screening room, Callie's eyes found a pair of blue ones, she hadn't seen in ages. "Erica! Oh my God, what are you doing here?" the brunette asked as she crossed the room and swung her arms around the other woman's neck.

Erica laughed and hugged Callie back. "Addison called. I mean I'd heard the rumors, but she invited me to this thing and I was so grateful she did, because I really want to be here for this."

The brunette released her friend and smiled at her. Then she turned her attention to Addison who stood behind the returned blonde. "Surprise!" the red head let out as she gave Callie a dazzling smile.

Callie stepped past Erica and hugged Addison too. "Thank you."

The red head smiled at the brunette as she eased out of the hug. "Don't mention it. Plus this gives me an opportunity to try and persuade her into coming back to us" Addison winked at Callie and smiled at Erica.

The brunette laughed and stepped back to Erica. She put her arm around the other woman's shoulder. "I can't believe you're here. How are you? Tell me everything!"

Erica looked at her friend and gave her a guilty smile. "I'm sorry I've been so out of touch. But it was really hard transitioning into the new work environment. Addison is an amazing boss, and trust me when I say, that you'll probably never work for anyone as laid back and accepting again. But I'll do better in the future and try not to step of the face of the earth for months on end, I promise."

Callie couldn't stop smiling. Seeing Erica again was so nice. And she couldn't have come at a better time. "It's okay Erica. I should have been better at getting in touch with you too. My life wasn't the one that changed."

"It was though. And I'm sorry I wasn't there for you during that. I fully expect to hear about it and bitch about Sloan later. But no depressing stuff now, because you are going to be an Academy Award nominee and that is anything but depressing."

Arizona watched from a distance as Callie chuckled at something Erica said. The brunette's brown eyes were shining with joy and life at the other woman's presence. It was clear to Arizona that the two of them were really close friends. The blonde felt a pang of jealousy towards the other blonde, who had left at the last summer hiatus and had been absent from the brunette's life for the past seven months, but then just came waltzing in here like she owned the place on such a day as today.

Teddy stepped up next to Arizona. "Aren't you going over there?" she asked the blonde.

Arizona shrugged her shoulders. "Nah. She should have the opportunity to catch up with Erica. I'm sure they have a lot to talk about."

The honey-blonde looked at the trio of woman laughing and talking. She sent Addison a smile when her girlfriends' grey-blue eyes connected briefly with her own green ones. "I'm sure she would want you there Arizona. You are her friend, right?" the honey-blonde asked.

"Yeah. But Erica is her best friend. She should be there with Callie. Besides, Callie doesn't look like she's missing me" Arizona said crestfallenly.

Teddy didn't have the chance to comment on that as the screen lit up, and Addison shushed them all when the announcement began. The nomination-show was hosted by Joshua Halls and Gaby Raymond, an up and coming actress, who'd landed several big roles this past year.

"You should hand you phone over to Melody" Addison whispered to Callie and pointed to one of the PA's. "If you get nominated it is going to ring non-stop, and she can help you field the many calls." The brunette nodded and handed over her phone to the young woman with a grateful smile.

Callie felt a presence on her other side and looked over to find Mark standing there. He smiled at her before looking at the screen.

It seemed to take forever and hushed chatter could be heard through the room. Callie couldn't talk though. She felt like she couldn't even think in this moment.

Finally the words "and now for the nominations for actress in a leading role" sounded out throughout the room and everyone went deadly silent. Callie was sure that her beating heart could be heard by her colleagues. Her nerves were at an all-time high, and she could feel droplets of sweat make their way down her back. She jumped a little as she felt a familiar hand take her own and looked at Mark. He sent an encouraging smile and a wink her way as he squeezed her hand a bit. Callie smiled back at him gratefully and turned her attention back to the screen.

"A lot of very talented portrayed female characters have made their appearance on the big screen this past year. But I firmly believe that the five nominated women have been extraordinary in their performances. Let's take a look at the nominees for actress in a leading role" Joshua Halls stated.

Then his female companionship took over. "The first nominee is Noelle Jenkins for her performance in 'A Life to Behold'." The screening room was still deadly quiet except for a few whispered words of appreciation for the actress' performance as a picture along with clips of the actress' work in the movie played out on the big screen.

"The next nominee is Beatrice Barnes for her performance in 'Love and Betrayal'." Still not a sound in the room and Callie wasn't sure she was even breathing anymore. She felt the nerves and the need for air creep up on her as she looked at the actress' work on the screen. Beatrice was undoubtedly very, VERY good in that role.

"The third nominee is Callie Torres for her performance in 'A Better World'." As the room erupted in cheers and praises Callie felt all her blood rush to her toes, and she was sure she was going to pass out any second. Before that happened though, Mark had engulfed her in a big hug, and Callie felt herself exhale at the familiarity of the hug.

"Callie, you did it! Oh my God, I'm SO proud of you. Congratulations" Mark said with an emotional voice.

Callie just hugged Mark tighter and for a second it was just the two of them. The brunette couldn't help but to be grateful to the man that had been at her side as she struggled with the role. "Come with me" she whispered into his neck.

"Where to?" Mark asked confused.

Callie leaned back a little to look in his eyes. "To the Oscars. Come with me?"

A surprised look flashed across Mark's face but was replaced with a timid yet happy smile "Really? I thought you'd might take your dad or something, given the situation and all."

The brunette shook her head. "No. You were a big part of this. I couldn't have done it without you and I want you there with me. Besides, we're friends, right?"

Before Mark had the chance to respond, Callie was yanked away by Addison and Erica.

"Enough hugging for you, ex-husband. Now it's the best friends' turn" Erica said as she hugged Callie to her.

Across the room Arizona watched as Callie was hugged by first Mark then Erica and Addison. The brunette had clearly said something to the man that had surprised him, because he had this look of a small shock on his face. He looked happy though.

When Erica and Addison hugged Callie repeatedly the brunette broke out in giggles and she was absolutely beautiful. She looked so happy and right where she wanted to be. Arizona couldn't believe that she'd distanced herself from the woman this much. Had this happened a month ago, the blonde would have been the first person to hug her. And Callie would have wanted her to be the first person to hug her. Arizona would have probably taken advantage of the situation and inhaled the brunette's scent at the same time, because she wouldn't have been able to stop herself. It would have been a win-win type of thing.

But now she was relegated to the outskirts of the brunette's circle. And it was entirely her own fault, she knew that. The blonde felt a tear slip from her eyes and looked to the ceiling for a second before returning her look to Callie. This was actually the first time since Christmas that Arizona had the chance to observe the brunette from a distance. And as she stood there Arizona couldn't believe, that she'd freaked out as she did. Or ignored the other woman as long as she did. Maybe deep down it was the fear of what conclusions her heart and mind might have come to, if she'd talked and listened to the brunette. Because the Callie that stood there surrounded by close friends basking in her moment was breathtaking. She glowed. And Arizona felt like keeping away from her was a battle she was losing very fast.

On the first day back, Callie had told her that she'd liked kissing her. And that statement had made the blonde's insides erupt in butterflies. This gorgeous, astonishing woman, who was now also an Academy Award nominee by the way, had liked kissing HER. A girl from Little Creek, Georgia. And once again the blonde had been an idiot and hadn't even responded to, nor acknowledged, what Callie said to her.

Arizona sighed at her own stupidity. She desperately hoped she could fix things with the brunette. Because no matter how much Arizona tried to deny it, she'd really liked kissing the brunette as well. She had no idea what that to do with that or what it meant for her relationship with Callie. But she knew she at least needed to tell the other woman.

The blonde took a glass of champagne that was offered to her and congratulated the brunette and her nomination in a toast with the rest of their colleagues.


Callie, Addison and Erica sat at a restaurant downtown. When the red head had gotten confirmation that Erica could make it today, she'd made reservations for dinner for the three of them. They used to hang out all the time, and the red head had kind of missed Erica too. Not as much as the brunette though, but still.

"…I did have a mental breakdown, when she appeared on the cover of 'Gossip' hugging Mark. Going after my ex-husband is NOT okay, when we're friends. But it turns out it was just a misunderstanding and she didn't. They just had dinner to get to know each other better. Which is a good idea taking their on-screen relationship into consideration" Callie finished recounting her friendship with Arizona, well some of it at least, to Erica. She really hoped the blonde would change the subject soon, because talking about Arizona stirred all kinds of emotions in Callie.

"So what you're saying is that both you and my on-screen bae have replaced me with another blonde?" The blonde chuckled at her brunette friend. "That's harsh" Erica finished as she sent Addison a pointed glare.

The red head laughed at her friends' antics. "You were the one who left, Erica. What did you expect? Dr. Daess does not stay single for long, you should know that! And it turns out that Mark and Arizona's chemistry is of the charts which means I'm definitely keeping them together. So don't make any big fantasies about you coming back and breaking them up, because that won't happen, chica." the red head spoke.

"Hmm. Well Mark Sloan never really liked me anyway." Erica said.

Callie turned to her friend and slapped her shoulder. "Hey, he did" the brunette let out in earnest.

"Oh please Callie. He really didn't. And that's okay. I am friends with you and not him" Erica replied as she smiled at Callie. "How are you really doing with the divorce, Callie?"

The brunette lowered her gaze to her plate and played with the meat that was left there before looking up again and smiling, first at her red headed friend and then at the blonde. "Okay. Better than okay, actually. I mean a part of me will always love him, we were together for ten years after all. But I've accepted that we're over, and I'm truly ready to move on. I handed the signed divorce paper over to my lawyer last week, and now we just have to wait until it's finalized."

Erica smiling teasingly at her friend. "Ready to move on, huh? Already got your beautiful brown eyes set on someone else?"

Callie chuckled and by some miracle managed to keep a straight face. "Not at all. But when I do, I'll definitely be ready for it."

"What about you Ads. How are things with your lovely green eyed blonde?" Erica turned her attention to the red head as she took a sip of wine.

Addison couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "They are really good. Now at least. We broke up for a while. Well Teddy broke up with me for a while."

Erica almost choked in her wine. "What?! What happened? You guys were sickeningly sweet when I left."

The red head looked at the table for a second. "I was an idiot. I didn't talk to her. She wanted a baby and my communication skills completely vanished which meant that all I said on the matter came out entirely wrong, and I didn't get to tell her that basically I wanted a baby too, just maybe not this second." Addison sighed before a small smile crept up on her face. "Luckily Arizona went all crazy on Teddy one day, and that made her agree to talk to me. And then we worked it out, thank God."

Erica smiled at her friend "I'm really glad to hear that Ads." Erica then looked at Callie. "Sounds like I missed out on all sorts of drama while I was away. You better make me a newsletter at least once a month from now on, Cal. Make sure I don't miss anything"

Callie laughed at Erica, who turned her attention back to Addison. "So you're going to have a baby with Teddy? That's kind of big Addison."

The red head smiled bright at the thought. "Yeah I know. But we decided to wait a little. We've talked about starting the process during summer hiatus or in the fall. But I'm kind of hoping she'll want to wait until after we're married." Addison said and took a sip of her wine while eyeing her friends' reaction to that statement.

"What?!" This time it was Callie who almost choked on her wine. "You've proposed to her? When? And why didn't you tell me?"

Addison smiled, took her purse and started rummaging through it. "Relax Callie. I haven't done it yet. I only just got the ring yesterday." The red head took out a small, blue box and opened it for her two friends to see. It was a three stoned, round, 2,5 carat diamond ring and it was beautiful.

"Wow Ads. That is stunning." Callie said as she lifted the box to explore the ring closely.

"Thank you. I just hope she'll like it. I want it to be perfect for her" the red head stated with a loving look in her eyes.

"She'll love it Ads. No doubt about it. When are you going to do it?" Erica asked as it was her turn to get a closer look at the ring.

"I don't know yet. I want to create the perfect setting." Addison told her friends.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out. But just know that it will be perfect to her no matter when or where you do it. Oh Addison, I'm so happy for you" Callie squealed and raised her glass as she motioned for the other two to do the same. "To Addison and her soon-to-be fiancé" the brunette reached out to clink her glass against the other woman's but the red head withdrew hers the last second.

Callie sent the Addison a questioning look. "And to Callie; an amazing Academy Award nominee." With that the red head tipped her glass against the other two's.


Callie was finally home and had just gotten off the phone with her dad. He was ecstatic and so proud of his eldest daughter. The brunette still couldn't believe it. She was nominated for an Academy Award. It was unreal. She was absolutely sure she wasn't going to win, but the nomination itself was something that only a few got to experience. And Callie had every intention of enjoying this to the fullest. It was probably a once in a lifetime experience. Today had been a long and emotional day, and she was exhausted.

She was shaken from her thoughts by a knock on the door. The brunette rose from the couch and made her way to the front door. When she opened it, she was met with a shyly and slightly uncomfortably smiling Arizona with a bouquet of red gladioli flowers in her hand. "Hey Callie. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

Callie looked at the blonde. She hated that things were obviously still awkward between them. "Not at all Arizona. I was just sitting by myself, processing it all. What's up?"

Arizona looked at Callie and for a second she got lost in the dark brown eyes. "Can I come in?" she hesitantly asked.

The brunette blushed a little. It was kind of rude of her not to ask the blonde to come in immediately. "Of course, I'm sorry I didn't offer that. Please come in" Callie stated as she moved from the door to grant the blonde entrance.

Arizona walked in and turned to Callie handing her the bouquet of flowers. "These are for you, Callie."

The brunette took the bouquet from the blonde. "They are beautiful Arizona. Thank you."

"Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady" Arizona replied without thinking. In fact she didn't even know she said the words out loud until she noticed the confused and slightly resigned look on Callie's face. "Oh God, I'm sorry. That was…Sorry!" Arizona blushed.

Callie sighed and beckoned for the other woman to sit down on the couch. The brunette sat down next to her. "What are you doing here Arizona?" Callie asked as she put the flowers down on her coffee table.

"I just wanted to properly congratulate you on your nomination actually. I didn't really do it earlier. I mean I wanted to, but Erica was there and I didn't want to intrude. So I decided to wait. I stopped by earlier, but you weren't home" the blonde let out as she fiddled with her hands.

Callie looked at the flowers once again. "I went out to dinner with Addison and Erica. Addison had made reservations. It was nice."

Arizona smiled at Callie. "I can imagine. It must be nice seeing Erica again. I mean she's your best friend and all" the blonde stated.

"She's one of them at least" Callie said before getting up. "I'm just going to put these in water. Can I get you anything?" the brunette asked as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Just some water, thank you" the blonde said.

A couple of minutes later Callie returned with two bottles of water and a vase with the flowers. She put the flowers on the table and sat down next to the blonde again and an uncomfortable silence filled the room. Callie felt anger starting to rise in her, but just as she was about to open her mouth and tell the blonde to leave, Arizona spoke up.

"I need to apologize to you Callie. You have been amazing to me. Like really, really amazing. With everything. I can't believe you gave me the time of the day when we got back from Christmas break actually. Because I have been really horrible. And I'm so sorry Callie. The thought of facing what had happened, and what it meant to me, was just too much somehow. I just…" the blonde sighed and looked down and removed some imaginary lint from her jeans. Then she flicked her gaze to the flowers standing on the table.

"Do you know what the red gladioli flower mean?" the blonde asked and looked at the brunette who just shook her head. "The red specifically means passionate remembrance and the gladioli flower itself tells the receiver that he or she pierces the heart."

Callie locked her eyes on the blue ones next to her. "What are you saying, Arizona?"

The blonde closed her eyes for second to escape the intense look from the other woman. Then she took a deep breath and opened her eyes again. "You and I got really close really fast. It was like sometimes you just knew what I was thinking before I even knew myself. You always seemed to know what I needed the second I needed it. And whenever you weren't there I couldn't help but look for you. Because I was so addicted to you and your presence. And I didn't really think about that. Until you kissed me. That changed everything Callie. All of a sudden my feelings weren't the feelings I thought they were. Suddenly everything cleared and kind of made sense to me somehow."

The brunette was captured by the blue color of the other woman's eyes in this moment. She'd never seen it before. It was like a mixture of cerulean and cobalt and it was alluring like nothing Callie had ever seen before. "I know what you mean. Everything made sense to me in that moment too" she softly said.

"But you're a woman." Arizona whispered.

Callie smiled a little at the statement "I am! And so are you."

Arizona looked to her hands. "Yeah, I know."

The brunette moved closer to the blonde who still held her gaze down. Callie decided to take a risk and reached out for one of the blonde's hands. Arizona tensed up at first, but then she relaxed and intertwined her fingers with Callie's.

"Is that what made you ditch me on the balcony at the Christmas party?" the brunette gently asked.

Arizona exhaled loudly and nodded her head. "Yeah. I think it was. It scared me that it felt so right. I REALLY liked it. And that freaked me out. Which is why I ran. And I'm so unbelievably sorry I did that to you" the blonde played with the caramel fingers intertwined with her own.

Callie reached out with her free hand and tilted the blonde's head up by the chin. Callie tried to convey all of her feelings for the other woman in one look. "You should have talked to me Arizona. And I'm not going to pretend I'm not mad or hurt by the fact that you didn't. But I forgive you. Because I can tell that you're genuinely remorseful and you're talking to me now. I can't do anything about being a woman. Well actually that's not true. I don't WANT to do anything about it." The blonde chuckled a little and the brunette smiled in return. "And I totally get if it's too much Arizona. That's okay. Just don't lead me on with flowers or sweet words, please. Because I can't take that. Like I've said before I REALLY liked that kiss too and I desperately want to do it again. But if you don't feel the same way, you need to say so. And then you need to stop bringing me flowers that mean passionate remembrance and tell me I'm beautiful and stuff like that. And then we'll never speak of this again, I promise."

Arizona could see the honesty and tenderness in the brown eyes before her. Callie gave her a way out. Again. And Arizona felt so much appreciation and warmth for the other woman in that moment. But the moment made her finally admit to herself what she already knew deep down; she didn't want to never speak of it again because she really wanted to kiss Callie once more too. The woman sitting next to her was absolutely magnificent. And Arizona desperately wanted to get over the fact that Callie was a woman. It shouldn't matter.

Callie watched as Arizona slowly leaned in. The brunette's eyes flickered between the blue orbs and the pink lips in front of her. Just as the blonde was about to connect their lips Callie earnestly whispered "please don't do this unless you mean it, Arizona."

Arizona smiled at Callie and cupped one of her cheeks with her hand. The brunette closed her eyes at the soft touch. Then the blonde leaned all the way in and connected her lips with Callie's. Arizona felt the brunette tense at first, but soon the other woman's body relaxed and Callie moaned on to the blonde's lips. Arizona let out a little gasp at the intoxicating sound and the feeling of vibration on her lips, and she opened her mouth slightly. As soon as she did, Callie's tongue made its way to her mouth and found hers.

Arizona slowly twirled her tongue around Callie's. The feeling of the brunette's tongue and lips against her own was every bit as sensational as the blonde remembered. The blonde cursed herself for treating this amazing creature next to her as she did only because she was a woman. It was ridiculous. Callie was so gentle and soft and attentive. As the kiss slowed, Arizona gently bit the brunette's bottom lip before soothing the spot with her tongue. Callie moaned again and Arizona sighed as she released the brunette's lips and put her forehead against Callie's.

Arizona opened her eyes and took in the sight before her. The blonde could really see the length of the brunette's eyelashes as her eyes were still closed. The freckles on her cheeks were also more obvious and the blonde found the brunette even more beautiful this close. Arizona couldn't help but smile as she closed her eyes again and brushed her nose against Callie's.

Callie held her breath. The kiss had once again been totally and utterly amazing. Maybe even better than the first one. But she could feel the fear of the blonde fleeing again creeping up on her. The feeling of the blonde's forehead against her own and the soft brushing of their noses grounded her a little bit though. She whimpered and instantly felt herself panic when the blonde removed herself from her. But the panic were subdued a bit when the brunette felt soft, pink lips place a lingering peck on her lips.

Once the kiss ended the brunette opened her eyes. And Arizona's heart broke at the uncertainty and trepidation she found in the chocolate brown orbs. She once again cupped the brunette's cheek. "Callie, I'm not running again. I promise." The blonde slowly caressed the brunette's cheek with her thumb. "I might not know what is going on between us, and we don't have to figure that out right now, but I do know that I really like this. And I really like you. So can we please explore this together? Just you and me?"

Callie smiled at Arizona and the blonde saw most of the uncertainty and trepidation be replaced with hope and relief. "I'd really like that. Because I like this and you too. Very much." the brunette finished and leaned in for another kiss. This time the kiss was playful and almost easy. Callie felt the blonde trace her tongue at the back of her teeth and their tongues were teasing and almost trying to escape each other at times. It made Callie's head spin and she never wanted to do anything but kiss the blonde ever again. Screw her career and Academy Award nomination. She just wanted to sit on this couch with Arizona until they both shrank away.

Eventually she had to pull away though as the need for air became too great to ignore. Arizona smiled at Callie and once again traced the brunette's cheek with her thumb. "I should go. It's getting pretty late and we both have work tomorrow. But maybe we could see each other tomorrow night. Dinner, wine and movies like we used to. And then just see what happens. I'm not ready to label this yet, Callie, I'm sorry. But I would truly like to spend some time with you. Alone." Arizona smiled at Callie and the brunette could see the twinkle in the blue eyes before her. The blonde was happy.

Callie smiled back and reached up to put her hand on top of the blonde's on her cheek. She guided the paler hand to her mouth and placed a kiss on the palm of it. "That's okay. To be honest I don't think I'm ready for that either. Let's just see how it goes. We'll just do whatever we feel like when we feel like it, okay? And dinner, wine and movies tomorrow sound really good."

The blonde smiled before withdrawing her hand and getting up from the couch. Callie walked the blonde to the door. As she was about to open it, the blonde's hand covered her own on the door handle. The brunette looked at the blonde who smiled bashfully with a little blush on her cheeks "Maybe just one more kiss?"

The brunette chuckled at the adorableness of the other woman and leaned in. She planted a soft kiss on pink lips before looking into the eyes of the other woman. "Goodnight Arizona. Drive safely." Then she opened the door and the blonde stepped out into the night. As she reached her car she waved at Callie before getting in her car and driving towards her apartment.

And that's it for chapter 12! A happy 'ending' for the weekend! I hope you liked it :P

Let me know :)

Enjoy your weekend.

Lots of love /Julie