Disclaimer: I do not own the Robbins family or the Torres family. Everyone else in this story is my own creation. This is just for fun and entertainment, not for profit. Reprints of this story require my permission, however.

Author's Note: This chapter has a pretty graphic description of the helicopter crash in it. So, just a warning, that it might be a hard thing to read. I do hope it shines a light on Arizona a bit more and sets us up for what is coming with scum-of-the-Earth-himself, Senator Hastings (actually I think his son is worse to be honest).

Let me know what you think. I really appreciate hearing your thoughts.

Ripple Effects

by AmboDriver

Chapter 13

Callie waited in the lobby of CNN's Washington, DC studio building, impatiently tapping the toe of her simple, yet incredibly expensive, shoes softly on the faux marble floor. She had chosen to wear a conservative pantsuit, which would help her image as being part of Arizona's support team. Looking like she could possibly work at the Pentagon was hopefully going to help her lurk around in the background so she could be there for Arizona without drawing too much attention.

But she had little to worry about, she realized, as the lobby door opened and Arizona walked in. Callie couldn't help but smile even as her pulse increased. A woman in uniform, yeah I'll take that. Arizona struck such a figure in her green uniform, her chest bedecked with ribbons, and every crease and seam in place. She had chosen, or more likely was told by Ben, to wear the skirt with her uniform, so that her prosthetic was plainly visible. But it was the expression on her face, one that spoke of far more confidence than Callie knew she was feeling, that put it all together and radiated an aura that made everyone in the lobby stop and look.

And she's mine. Callie realized there was so much about their relationship, if she could even truly call it that, that was up in the air, but she also truly believed that they would be together when this all blew over. Sure, things were confusing now, and there were so many other problems to deal with before they could likely take time to really concentrate just on them, but it would happen, sooner or later. And Callie could be really patient when she needed to be. And she not only needed but wanted to be when it came to Arizona Robbins.

Arizona saw her just then and smiled, her blue eyes lighting up across the distance of the lobby. Callie couldn't help but answer with a bright smile of her own, even as she worried that the look on her face could easily give them away. But right then she didn't really care. She watched as Arizona started to walk toward her only to stop and then look around before motioning with her head toward the restrooms on the other side of the lobby. As soon as Arizona started in that direction, Callie went as well.

When Callie entered the ladies room she found Arizona looking in the last of the four stalls. She then turned back to Callie and laughed. "Coast is clear for now."

"Okay," Callie drew out, unsure of what Arizona wanted in the bathroom.

She was answered by the blonde coming over to her and giving her a brief, but rather intense, kiss. "You look really hot," Arizona said breathlessly.

Callie had to swallow hard and take a deep breath before she could answer. "Me? I have to say I didn't get the whole uniform infatuation thing before, but now I do. I'm definitely loving you in this."

Arizona frowned as she looked down at herself. "I hated the skirt before the crash, now I hate it even more, but Ben said the Pentagon wanted me in it. I guess they figure I need the sympathy."

"Not sympathy," Callie said as she dipped her head to catch Arizona's eye. "It's showing who you are. You're a Marine, and yes you're an amputee. I'm just learning more about the Marines, but I think you guys face reality, right? This is your reality, in addition to being a gay Marine. But most important, you've fought for our country. I mean, look at all those ribbons and your wings. That's all very impressive looking."

Arizona's cheeks got just a shade redder. "Thanks." She pulled down on the coat of her green service coat. "I have to admit, I always feel better when I put my uniform on. It's like it's armor or something." There was a short pause and then she added quietly. "It's usually armor."

"It'll be armor today. Nothing is going to hurt you, I promise."

"How can you?" There was something in Arizona's voice that made her sound like a lost little girl.

"Because you're a Marine, Arizona. You can do anything. And if anyone tries to hurt you, they'll have me to deal with." Callie ended with a smile to show she was maybe kidding, at least just a little.

Arizona laughed. "They'll be quaking in their incredibly expensive shoes."

Callie looked down at her own incredibly expensive shoes before joining Arizona in the laughter. "Exactly."

There was a knock on the door and then Ben's voice came through. "Major, we need to get going."

"On my way, Colonel," she called back before taking Callie's hand and turning her attention back to her. "Now, no matter what they say or do, you need to just stay in the background, okay? Building security will know you aren't from the Pentagon, but everyone else we meet only needs to think you are, okay?"

"Promise."

"Good." Arizona gave her another brief kiss, this one just a sweet light touch of lips.

Callie's heart melted at the emotion she swore she could feel in even that simple kiss. "Okay, now let's go." She turned and held the door open. "After you, Major."

"Thank you, Dr. Torres," Arizona answered as she walked by with just the quickest of winks in Callie's direction.

Callie followed her out and then to the security checkpoint, her unease about what Arizona was going to have to deal with growing with each step.

Arizona took a deep breath as she sat down on the set at the CNN studios. She wasn't sure she had ever been this nervous before and she hated it. She liked being in control or at least she liked when she could use her skills to control the situation, but she didn't have skills in this area. And that uncertainty scared her more than anything, more than dying in war had scared her, more than living life without her father's steady guidance. And only seeing Callie off to the side with Ben allowed her to sit up straight and face whatever was coming her way during this interview.

"We're going live in 20 seconds, ma'am," the producer said into the earpiece she had tucked in her right ear. It seemed only a second when he began counting down, "Ten, nine..." She closed her eyes and took a final deep breath before schooling the expression on her face, trying to remember how she had been taught to not allow anything to phase her during her plebe summer at Annapolis. This was just another form of hazing, she told herself, as the last seconds ticked down. "Three, two, one."

The male newscaster, who Arizona reminded herself was named Arthur Ward, immediately began speaking to the camera. "And now we have with us Major Arizona Robbins of the United States Marine Corps." He then turned to her. "Thank you for joining us Major Robbins."

"Thank you Arthur," she replied dutifully.

"As you know," he began in that almost condescending tone newscasters got when trying to recap why their guests were even there, "Senator Danforth Hastings of Florida, who happens to be the father of your deceased co-pilot, has entered two complaints with the Pentagon about the death of his son and about the fact he believes you've had an affair with the wife of one of the other pilots who died on the same mission. And yet you have been nominated for a Silver Star, which is one of the highest honors a member of the armed forces can receive. So, it would seem as if the Marines think your actions during that mission were not only honorable, but extraordinary. Could you please give us your side of the story so we can better understand which is the real truth?"

"I'll do my best," she answered simply, reminding herself once again that Ben had told her to be truthful but tactful. She wasn't sure she would be able to truly accomplish that, but she would do her best.

"Can you tell us, first off, if the Senator's allegations about your colleague's wife are true?"

Arizona bit at the inside of her lip for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Not in the strictest sense. It is true that we became attracted to one another but we never engaged in conduct that would constitute adultery, either for the military or any civilian court. We had decided to keep things platonic until after we returned from this last deployment. That was when she planned on separating from her husband and getting a divorce. But she didn't want to do it before we left so he wouldn't have that weighing on him, which I fully supported."

"So you're essentially denying this allegation."

"I'm denying that I committed adultery. And I'm denying the implication that I somehow did something intentional to hurt an officer under my command because I was having some kind of affair with his wife." She took a deep breath to quell the anger that was starting to gurgle within. "I'm not denying that I had feelings for her though."

"Did you ever break any military regulations because you were gay? You were, after all, a midshipman at the Naval Academy before Don't Ask Don't Tell went into effect in 1994."

She hadn't anticipated having to justify her entire career in this interview and it made her even more nervous to have to navigate the treacherous waters of this question. "I was in my second year at the Academy when Don't Ask, Don't Tell went into effect. Both before and after that, I did not participate in anything that could have been construed to be against regulations during my time at the Academy or my years in the Marine Corps."

"But you knew you were gay those first two years?"

She hated having to justify all of her decisions and actions, but she was certain that if she left any question open, it would just come back to haunt her. The truth. That's what will end all this insanity. "If you ask Senator Hastings, I'm sure he would contend that you are not born gay, but that you choose to be gay. That isn't something I agree with, but I have heard the Senator speak and that is what I've heard him say all too often. While I was at the Academy I chose to be neither gay nor straight. I was too worried about learning to serve my country and that was all I had time and energy for."

"Very well. Let's turn to serving your country, then. Can you tell us what happened that day?"

"I'm sure you understand that I can't talk about much of the mission due to security but I will do my best to explain what happened. I was in command of a rapid response team in Afghanistan. We were called in to help defend some troops trapped in a narrow canyon. On the way in, the other helicopter flying with me took enemy fire from an RPG, a rocket propelled grenade. To avoid being hit, he performed an evasive maneuver which unfortunately caused his propeller to hit my tail. We both crashed. I was able to get my helicopter down without either myself or Captain Hastings being killed. The other two officers were not so lucky. They died on impact."

"So the senator's son was alive after the crash," the newscaster repeated.

"Very much so. He was able to get out of the wreckage but I was pinned. My left leg was pinned under the instrument panel about mid-calf. I ordered the captain to take cover, because I knew we would be under attack shortly, but he ignored my order. He insisted on trying to get me out. It was incredibly brave of him."

"And he obviously was successful, because you got out."

Arizona looked into the dimness beyond the studio lights and just made out Ben's straight posture. Knowing that one of the few people in the world who had heard the entire story was there with her really helped. She tried to forget that there were a number of people—her mother, Tim, and Callie—who didn't know the entire story and would be hearing it for the first time because of this interview. "Actually, not entirely. While he was working on freeing my leg, he was shot in the neck, but I was still trapped at that point."

Arthur leaned forward just a little, obviously sensing a great story that was about to land in his lap. "So how did you get out?"

She really just wanted to forget everything about that day, but those horrific moments in the cockpit most of all. It was painful both mentally and physically to even think back on it. But she couldn't stop now. "My leg was really trapped. Completely. I pulled and twisted and did everything I could to get my leg out but it wasn't budging. When Captain Hastings climbed up to the cockpit to help, he told me he could see Taliban ground forces working their way toward us. The gunfire between them and our own troops was getting closer and closer and I knew if they reached us, I'd be a sitting duck. I needed to get out of there." She took a deep breath. "So I made Dan help me amputate my own leg." She closed her eyes as she thought back on what had happened out there.

"I can't get out," she yelled at Dan, pulling for the umpteenth time on her leg, but it just wouldn't move an inch. She was so beyond hurting that she didn't even notice the pain shooting up through her leg anymore, the panic and resulting adrenaline were simply too overwhelming. "We need to find a way to get me out."

Dan looked up in the direction of the not-so-distant gunfire before he drew his sidearm. "We can wait, Arizona. I'll keep them back. It won't be long before the reinforcements get here and beat them back and then we can get you out of here safely."

As if on some sick schedule, a bullet ricocheted off the open cockpit canopy. "I think our time is running out, Dan. Just go get under some cover. No sense in us both dying."

He looked at her with such a sense of horror in his eyes. "I'm not leaving you out here for target practice."

"That's an order, Captain," she barked at him.

He hesitated for a moment and then shook his head. "You can have me court-martialed later, but I'm not leaving you." He looked up again toward the fighting and fired off two quick shots in that direction. "They'll get us out of here."

"Clearing the valley so they can land will take too much time." She knew it was useless to try to get him to see reason. As much as they had sometimes had their differences, the last month or so they had really drawn closer and she knew he would never leave her behind. She needed to find a way out so they could both get under better cover. "We need to cut off my leg," she finally said as she frantically reached down toward her free foot to unlace the boot so she could create a tourniquet.

"What? How?"

"Get your knife out. We'll cut through the tissue and then…" She had to think a moment about how they were going to break the bone that would still have her tethered to her lower leg. "We can shoot through the bones."

"Arizona," he said, desperation in his voice.

She looked at him and saw the horror in his gray eyes. She knew this was going to hurt beyond belief and that he would have an incredibly hard time causing her that much pain. But it was that or very likely die, and she would be damned if she was going to die that day. She pulled the lace free and tied it tightly around her calf, clenching her jaw to keep from crying out in pain as she did so. "It has to be done," she finally said between clenched teeth.

"I…" He shook his head. "I don't think I can."

"Fine," she huffed out as she dug her own knife out of her survival vest.

"What are you doing?"

"Cutting off my fucking leg, what do you think I'm doing? Keep us covered." She took a moment to just look in his eyes, to see the mixture of horror and relief there before she nodded. "I can do this. It'll be okay."

He seemed so torn for a moment before he put his hand on her arm. "No, I can do it." He leaned over into the cockpit more, getting a better angle. "I'm sorry," he added quietly before she felt the most excruciating pain she'd ever imagined as he started sawing through her flesh.

It would have been a mercy to pass out from that much pain, but she forced herself to stay conscious. If they were both going to survive, she had to be awake and able to help defend them. She kicked her right leg hard against the floor as it felt like she could feel ever muscle fiber and nerve being severed under his knife. She tried so hard to not think about it, about the fact her leg would be gone before long and she'd never know what it felt like to walk on two feet again. She couldn't think about any of it if she wanted to survive these next seconds and minutes. Surviving was what mattered. Surviving and making sure that Dan made it out with her. It was the only thing she could do.

Finally the sawing stopped and he looked up at her. "Just the bones left."

She looked down at the bloody mess just visible above the crushed instrument panel, seeing the white bones poking out of the mangled flesh hanging from both sides of the cut. For a moment she hesitated, terrified of what came next, unable to give the command to amputate her own leg. A memory of her father playing This Little Piggy on her toes before bed when she was probably no more than five flashed through her mind and she suddenly just couldn't do it. She looked up at him. "Dan, I—"

He leaned over her, his eyes boring into hers. "You can do this, Major."

"I…" She looked back down, knowing that the damage was already irreversible. She couldn't feel her foot anymore, of course, because all the nerves had been cut. What did it matter if the bones were also broken? But it was just so hard to give the order. "I—"

A shot rang out and she looked up suddenly. Dan's hand went quickly to his neck and a strangled cry went out as his eyes opened wide in surprise. Blood already started seeping out of his neck as she reached for him. But then he started to fall, in a strange slow motion, off the side of the helicopter and toward the ground.

"Dan!" She leaned over, watching him hit the ground with a sickening bounce. "Dan?" He looked up at her and she could tell he was still alive, but she knew that wouldn't last for long. She quickly grabbed the gun he had dropped in the cockpit and searched the area around them, trying to find the shooter. She saw one man scamper back toward a boulder and hit him with a single shot before he could take cover. No other enemy forces were within sight.

"Fuck," she muttered as she looked down at her leg. Before she could give herself a moment to think about it, she put the pistol up to one of the two bones and fired, screaming in pain as the bone splintered and the raw nerves above the cut were jarred by the force of the impact. She moved to the other bone and did it again, biting hard on the side of her mouth and tasting blood as she did. The breaks hadn't been complete, however, and she had to give each bone one more shot and a hard twisting pull before she was suddenly free with a sickening noise as the last fragments of bone broke apart.

She did her best not to look and instead focused on getting out to Dan on the ground below. She used her right foot to push herself up and over the side of the cockpit before she fell to the ground, her left leg hitting in a shot of white hot pain that almost caused her to lose consciousness. But she fought it off and climbed over to Dan. He was barely breathing and there was so much blood coming from his neck. She reached into her vest and pulled out the warm knit cap she kept in there for cold desert nights, using it as a lousy approximation of a bandage to cover the wound in his neck.

"Dan?" she asked, grateful when his eyes opened and fixed on hers. "We're going to get out of here, you and me. We're going to go home. I'm going to get to see Emily again, and you'll get to see Phillip. I promise." When his lips showed the smallest hint of a smile, she was glad that they had a shared secret, that she knew the real Danforth Hastings and he knew the real Arizona Robbins. "We'll get out of here."

It felt like forever, the gunfire getting steadily closer on the other side of the helicopter. She shot off a few shots every time the bullets started to hit close to them. This went on for what felt like forever until finally she could hear the rapid fire of another set of Cobra helicopters coming in from the south. Then it was only a matter of minutes before two Hueys were landing nearby and they were surrounded by Marines and Navy medics.

"We've got him, Ma'am," one medic said as she started to work on Dan.

"Ma'am, let me look at your leg," another said, drawing her attention away from her weapons officer.

"It's gone," was all she could say as her own eyes went down to where her flight suit ended in a bloody mess of mangled tissue and bone. "It's gone."

Arizona shook as she finished telling the story to the newscaster, her eyes fixed off against the far wall as she fought hard to keep the tears at bay. "They got us both into the helicopter and Dan died just after we took off. I saw him take that last breath and I kept waiting for another and it never came. We came so close to saving him. So close. If only I could have done it myself and he could have taken cover, maybe we'd both be alive."

Callie felt like she was going to throw up. I can't believe... She couldn't even bring herself to finish the thought. Just as she felt like her legs were giving out on her, Ben's arms were around her waist, giving her just enough support to keep her upright.

"Come with me," he whispered in her ear.

She wasn't entirely sure how they got there, but they were suddenly in the lobby. Ben walked her over to the restroom where she and Arizona had kissed only 30 minutes prior. "Thanks," she said, her voice shaking uncontrollably.

"Go take a few minutes. We'll be leaving for Fox as soon as Arizona gets out here." He then opened the door and held it for her.

She nodded and forced a weak smile to her lips as she walked past, but the second the door shut she nearly ran into the nearest stall, feeling like she would vomit any second. Luckily she didn't and the quiet of the bathroom allowed her the time and peace she needed to let her thoughts settle. My God, I knew she was a hero, but amputating her own leg to try to save Dan? I can't even begin to understand how hard that must have been. How the fuck can his father be such an ass and go after her? He's got to have access to her records, right?

She took a few deep breaths to calm the swirling emotions whipping through her before venturing out to the sinks. A quick splash of cold water on her face helped until she looked into the mirror at her puffy eyes and realized she must have been crying. "Damn," she muttered as she rubbed at her damp face with her hands, hoping that would somehow help.

The bathroom door slammed open then and Arizona hurried into the room. "Are you okay?"

"Me?" Callie immediately pulled the blonde into her arms, kissing the soft hair before tucking Arizona's head into the crook of her neck. She didn't care in that moment if anyone saw them. She simply needed to hold her. "Are you okay?" she asked in barely a whisper.

"I guess." Arizona let out a quiet sigh and snuggled into Callie's shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to hear it like that. If it's any consolation, even Tim and my mother didn't know everything. I was hoping they'd never find out."

"What? Why?" Callie pulled back to look at Arizona with an astonished expression on her face.

"I didn't want the people I love to know I'd been through that." She shook her head and let out a deep breath. "Now the whole country knows. I did what I had to do and it was awful. I want to forget it as much as possible."

Callie thought she understood. "And having your family know will make them react differently around you, right? So now not only do you have the news after you about the story, but your mom and Tim will feel even more sorry for you."

Arizona's eyes dropped to the floor. "Yeah, that's about right."

Callie wondered if Arizona worried about Callie's reaction as well. "Hey, will you look up at me?"

Arizona's blue eyes rose hesitantly. "Looking."

"Good." Callie forced herself to smile, as much as she just wanted to scream or curl up in a ball at the thought of how broken Arizona seemed in that moment. But she needed to be supportive, and most importantly she couldn't seem like she pitied Arizona. "I don't feel sorry for you, okay? I'm proud of you. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't horrified, but I know you did what you had to do. I also know that if you could have changed places with Dan you would have. I'm glad you didn't, or I would have never gotten to know this amazing woman. But I know you would have done anything to save him, and you really did. I don't feel sorry for you, because hearing what you went through just made me realize you are probably the strongest person I have ever met."

Arizona smiled. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me." Callie leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss and then reached up to wipe a little of the red lipstick she was wearing off Arizona's lower lip. "You going to be okay for two more interviews?"

"I have to be."

"Well, at least Fox will likely have to be nice to you now. They won't be able to keep up their reputation of being all gung-ho America if they beat up on you after what you just told CNN." Callie at least hoped that would be the case.

"Maybe," Arizona answered but she didn't seem that convinced.

"You'll be fine. You can do anything you put your mind to." Even amputate your own leg to try to save one of your men. She pushed the thought aside, knowing that if she really thought it through the nausea and anger at how unfair this all was to Arizona would return. Arizona may have been the strong one, but Callie could be strong too, especially when it came to the people she really cared about. She would carry whatever burden Arizona couldn't.

Arizona nodded as her face took on the serious visage that Callie was associating with Major Robbins. "I'll be fine. We should get going."

Callie reached out and took Arizona's hand, squeezing it momentarily before letting it drop. "Let's do that." She then went and held the door open for Arizona, following her out. When she caught a quick glimpse of the prosthetic below the knee-length skirt of Arizona's uniform, Callie somehow found the courage to smile. She's the strongest person I know and I'm so lucky to have her in my life.

To Be Continued...