Thanks for the recent review and follows. Means the world as always.

No song in this chapter either. They will be back soon, though.

Chapter 49 is up. Enjoy.


Chapter 49


No words could explain just how Arizona was feeling right now. She had gone from being one of the most amazing women in the world, for contacting Aria, to a suspected cheat in a matter of weeks. It hurt. It hurt a lot. Should she have told Callie about her assistant? Should she have introduced them so that her fiancé knew exactly who she was working with? The more she thought about it, the more she knew she hadn't done anything wrong. Work was work, and her personal life was very separate from that.

Callie couldn't have it both ways. She couldn't suggest that she not come by the office because of who she was, but then demand answers about who her fiancé was working with. It didn't work like that. Arizona was nothing but professional in her job, and it had always been that way. Never had she brought her personal life into work, and never had she developed a personal life via work. Sure, she had been hit on a few times over the years by colleagues, both male and female, but she had never ever let it come to anything. It would only end in disaster.

Truthfully? She barely knew anything about her new assistant, other than her name, and her previous experience. That was all she had needed to know. Not once had she got the impression that Julie was about to try anything, and honestly, she was pretty sure she was straight. It baffled her how Callie could even just assume that the other woman wasn't straight. It's not as if heterosexuals are a minority, so Callie's insecurities were unfair to Arizona, and she wasn't about to bow to them. Not when she had never given the brunette any reason to fear for their relationship. This is bullshit, and I'm not rolling over for her this time!

She had spent the past two hours out on the decking, and right now, she had no intentions of heading back inside. She now needed her own space. She needed her own space, and she would take as long as she felt she needed to.

She had truly believed that employing someone around the office would help their relationship. She could see that Callie had insecurities, so getting help in would only help, right? Clearly, she was wrong.

Unable to even look at her fiancé right now, she sat with her back to the glass doors. Still picturing Callie's face when she walked into her office not only saddened her, but it angered her too. More than she cared to admit to herself. Everything they'd been through, and she had never felt this much anger towards her other half. The whole Claire saga hadn't even left her this angry. Yes, it had broken her heart, but she had never once felt angry about it. It was just one of those things. Unsure of how they could fix this, she tried hard to see it from Callie's point of view.

Now, two hours later, she realised that she couldn't. She couldn't, because she hadn't done anything wrong. It wasn't even the same situation as they had found themselves in with Claire because Claire had made it clear that she wanted Callie. Julie hadn't. Julie simply came in, done her work, and went home. Honestly? She was pretty damn good at her job too. Arizona had thought about letting her go, but she quickly dismissed that idea. Callie wouldn't win this one. She would have to face up to the consequences of her actions, and although Arizona didn't know what those consequences were right now, she knew that this wasn't as simple as kissing and making up.

The distance she had put between them right now was a little comforting. The plan had been to come home, grab some stuff, and stay with Meredith, but Callie had already won that fight. So now, Arizona would sit in silence and think long and hard about where they go from here.


I can't believe I actually did that. I almost pushed the most amazing woman in my life away. I may still have. Callie was spent. The emotion of the day had caught up with her, and now she had retreated to the bedroom. Arizona had made it clear that she didn't want to talk right now, and although she didn't want to wait too long, she understood the blondes need for space. She had caused this, so the least she could do was wait patiently for Arizona to get her head around what had happened.

Checking the time, it was a little before six. She knew they would eventually have to eat, and talk, but right now, the feeling of sleep felt good. The previous night she had gotten what she believed to be a whole hour before her dream started, so maybe a little nap wouldn't be such a bad idea. Maybe feeling a little more refreshed would help with the situation when it arose.

Closing her eyes, and holding onto her own body in the foetal position, she tried to clear her mind. She needed to sleep. She needed it desperately. Arizona would come to her when she was ready, and she would be prepared to give her everything she had.


"Hey, you said you were calling by, what happened? I have wine and tequila waiting for us."

"Hey, Mer. I, um, I came home from work instead. Something happened today and I really don't feel like talking about it right now."

"What? Why, what happened?" The dirty blondes voice was laced with confusion and a little worry.

"Callie."

"Oh my God. I-Is she okay?"

"Oh yeah. She's fine." Arizona scoffed. "Just fucking great."

"Wait, did you two have a fight?"

"Well, yeah. I guess so. More Callie wanting to cause a fight, though. I just, I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"About what?" Meredith questioned. "Actually, you know what? We aren't having this conversation over the phone. Come over, please?"

"Yeah, I think I might. I need to get out for a little while." Arizona agreed. "I'll head over soon."

Ending the call, Arizona removed herself from the garden furniture outside and made her way into the kitchen. No sign of Callie meant that there wasn't going to be an argument right now, and for that, she was thankful.

Pulling on her jacket, she picked up her keys, and quietly made her way out. I just need a little room to breathe.

Slipping into the car, she started the engine and backed out of their drive. If anyone could calm her down, it would be Meredith. Sure, she had told Callie they had a lot to talk about, but she hadn't given the other woman a time frame for doing so.

Making her way through the streets of Seattle, she arrived at her friend's house a short while later. It felt good to be out. They didn't need another argument tonight, and although the blonde didn't plan on starting one, she knew Callie wouldn't be happy about her upping and leaving without a 'goodbye' or a 'See you tonight'. Fortunately for the blonde, she wasn't doing this rile her fiancé up. She was doing it for herself.

Cutting the engine and climbing out, she found Meredith waiting at the front door. White wine in hand. Giving her a dimpled smile, she thanked the dirty blonde and slipped inside. "Have I ever told you what a good friend you are, Mer?"

"I don't believe you have. Well, not recently anyway."

Moving into the living room, Arizona kicked off her shoes and spread herself out on one of the couches. "This feels good."

"It does?" The other woman furrowed her brow.

"Yeah. I love her, but I need some space. I need to think without expecting her to start up a conversation."

"That's fine. Pretty sure we all feel like that sometimes." Meredith shrugged. "So, what happened?"

"She's been really weird lately since Aria left to go back to Miami. I mean, she told me she was worried she would lose me, but I promised her that wouldn't happen. It won't happen."

"Why is she scared of losing you? Have you suggested that might happen?" Meredith was confused. Arizona and Callie had been doing amazingly well of late, so this conversation was new to her.

"No. Not at all. Jeez, I even contacted her family and invited one of them down. I won't be doing that again in a hurry. Look at the thanks I've gotten for it." The blonde scoffed. "The way she spoke to me. It was like she had so much hatred for me. I don't even know where it came from."

"This is all very odd."

"You're telling me?" Arizona laughed. "She was horrible. Really horrible."

"Okay, so you said she's been off lately? But what happened today? Whatever it is, it's got you angry."

"Angry doesn't even begin to cover it, Mer. Really!" Pale fingers ran through blonde curls. "She had some sort of dream last night."

"Okay?"

"I woke her, and tried to calm her down, but she just went crazy. Told me not to touch her and left the bedroom. I found her sitting outside, at 4am. Tried talking to her, you know, asked her to come back to bed, and she wouldn't. She snapped at me, and that's when it all went downhill."

"Must have been a bad dream, huh?"

"Clearly. I was running late this morning so I left her a note to tell her that we needed to talk. Didn't hear from her, and then she showed up at my office." Blue eyes darkened as she thought back to the accusations her fiancé had made. "She hit the freaking roof when she saw my new assistant in my office."

"Why?"

"Why do you think, Meredith?" Arizona gave her friend a look.

"She didn't?" The dirty blonde closed her eyes. "She didn't say it did she?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Arizona's voice broke. "You know, I thought we were past all of that. We have a house and a great life, well at least I thought we did."

"You do, you have that. This is just, well I don't know what it is, but you will figure it out."

"She accused me of sleeping with another woman, Meredith. I'm not sure what there is to figure out."

"Well, yeah. I can see why you are so pissed." Meredith gave her friend a sympathetic smile as she poured some shots of tequila out for them both. "I can't believe she said that."

"We are supposed to be getting married. I'm not sure it's what she wants, though." Pale shoulders shrugged. "I'm not sure it's a good idea right now."

"Maybe, maybe not. But you have to work through this, Arizona. I know better than anyone just how much Callie loves you. She is obviously dealing with something right now, and she needs you."

Knocking back a shot, Arizona laughed. "Yeah, and I was willing to be there for her. I really was. I cannot do that though if she is going to accuse me of having an affair. That's not who I am."

"I know." Meredith sighed before knocking back her own shot.

"I just can't believe she said it. I would never do that to her, you know that, right?"

"Of course I do. Sure, you liked to have your fun a couple of years ago, but you changed when you met Callie. You changed, for her."

"Well, I kinda changed for myself too. I had to. I'd never been in a relationship before, at least not one worth writing home about, and then she walked into my life and god, I couldn't believe how happy I felt. How happy I do still feel. Until earlier."

"She has really hurt you by saying what she did, hasn't she?"

"Like you wouldn't believe, Mer." Blue eyes dropped their gaze. "Like you wouldn't believe."

Pouring out a row of shots, Meredith gave her friend a knowing smile before throwing her a wink. "Maybe you need to forget about what happened today for a little while. What do you think?"

"I think that is a great idea. Best I've heard all day, and believe me, I've heard a lot of ideas today."


Throwing her head back, laughing, Arizona felt the burn of the alcohol hit her stomach. She hadn't let herself go like this in a while, and strangely, it felt kind of good. Not having to worry about anyone else around her, not having to worry about getting home. She had always loved Meredith's company, and tonight felt like she hadn't had it in a long time. It wasn't true, they often caught up, but this was like old times. Meredith bitching about her latest lay, and Arizona comforting her was something they had always done, but this time, the tables had turned.

"You know, I never thought I'd be the one giving you advice."

"I know. I didn't either." Arizona continued to laugh. "I think this next shot may come back up." Throwing it back, she once again felt the burn of the liquor hit her throat. "Yep, that one is so coming back up."

"Who cares!" The dirty blonde slapped the coffee table. "Again!" Her words turning from a slur to a demand, she filled their shot glasses once more.

Rolling her eyes playfully, Arizona smiled. "I've missed this."

"Which?"

"Us getting painfully drunk together."

"Painfully?" Meredith closed one eye and tried to focus on the blonde in front of her.

"Yep. Because tomorrow when I wake up, I will be in a great deal of pain sitting on the bathroom floor." The blonde laughed. "Won't be asking Callie to hold my hair for me, though."

"You still not over the cheating claims?"

"Nope." Throwing back another shot, Arizona groaned. "Okay, no more. The next one may kill me." Struggling to get her bearings, she lay her head back against the couch and sighed. "Pass me my cell phone."

Handing her best friend the device, Meredith watched her facial features change. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I have a message from Callie." Pale shoulders shrugged.

"What are you going to do tonight?"

"What do you mean?" Blue eyes narrowed.

"Are you going home or are you going to avoid 'the talk' forever?"

"I'll go home, but there will be no talking tonight. No way."

"Fair enough. You know you can stay here if you really don't want to face her right now."

"I know, but I need my own surroundings. I don't want to be hungover tomorrow in someone else's house. No matter how familiar I am with it."

"Okay." Meredith gave her friend a nod. "Are you going to call her?"

Shrugging, Arizona toyed with the idea. "I don't know. It will probably only end in an argument. Maybe I'll just sneak in and slip into bed."

"Yeah, you've never been one to sneak, Arizona. Especially when you've gone through a bottle of tequila with your best friend. Stumble, maybe. Sneak, never."


Thanking the driver, Arizona paid her cab fare and stumbled out of the vehicle. She had finished a bottle of tequila off in under three hours, and now she was beginning to pay for it. Meredith had offered to ride in the cab with her, but Arizona had refused. Every now and then the blonde would feel a little uneasy being in a cab alone. It stemmed from her attack at the festival, but she decided to put on a brave face, and thank her friend for her time, and her ear.

Stumbling up the steps, she fumbled around in her purse for her keys. Go quietly. Don't wake the entire city up. Slipping off her heels, she knew that would lessen the noise some. Key sliding into the lock, she held her breath and quietly entered. It was a little after ten, and the house was in darkness. Flicking on a lamp as she closed the door behind her, she was startled as she caught sight of Callie's sat on the couch. "Jesus, are you trying to kill me." Placing her hand over her chest, she concentrated on her breathing. Setting her heels down, she tiptoed further inside and turned to head down the hallway.

"Where have you been?" Callie's voice was cold.

"Out," Arizona stated flatly.

"Where?"

"Drinking." Pale shoulders shrugged. "I'm going to bed."

"Where have you been, Arizona?" Callie's voice rose.

"I've just told you, I've been out." The blonde turned to face Callie. "You're not my keeper."

"No, I'm not. I am supposed to be your fiancé, though." The brunette spat back.

"Oh. Now you are my fiancé?" Arizona laughed. "Now, after all of this, you are my fiancé?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean! Earlier today you believed that I'd been fucking someone else, and now you want me to be here with you? As your fiancé? You are unbelievable."

Shuddering at the blondes words, Callie dropped her gaze and tugged on her fingers. "I thought we were going to talk about this."

"We are. When I'm ready." Arizona stated. "You are the one who caused this, Callie, so we will do this when I'm ready, and right now, I'm not." The blonde's body swaying, she gripped onto the door frame for a little extra support.

"When will that be?"

"I don't know. Maybe tomorrow? Maybe next week. Who knows."

"Next week?" Callie's voice broke. "I've fucked this up, haven't I? Us?"

"Yeah, Callie. You have." Arizona threw the other woman a sad smile. "I'm glad you can see that now."

"I'm sorry."

"Maybe you need to be alone with your music, and me alone with my thoughts, I don't know." A tired milky body leant back against the wall. "I just need some space right now."

"What do you mean we need to be alone?" Callie swallowed hard. "Y-You, I mean, do you want me to leave?"

"No." Blonde curls shook. "This is your house, Calliope."

"No, Arizona. This is our house."

"It's yours. You bought this with your money. Not me, not us." Blue eyes glistened. "You have put everything into this. Me? Nothing!"

"B-But I-" Cut off by the blonde, Callie listened.

"It got me thinking. The only thing I've ever put into our relationship is myself. I don't have the money you do, Callie, so I put myself into this. I thought that maybe that would be enough for our relationship, you know, me? But it's clearly not."

"You are enough, Arizona. More than enough."

"Then why don't I feel like it is? You clearly have doubts, Callie. You believe that one day I'm going to walk away from you."

"Th-That's just-"

"I have put my all into our relationship, everything I have. Physically and emotionally. I gave you the entire me, but it's not enough, and I don't know what else I can give you. I don't have anything else to give. I'm sorry." Arizona shook her head and removed herself from the wall. "I thought I was good enough."

"Arizona, please. Come sit."

"No, Callie. I'm going to bed." She smiled as she gave a slight nod. "I want to be alone. I want to think hard about where I have gone wrong with this. With you. With us."

"Arizona you haven't gone wrong anywhere."

"I must have because I can't think of any other reason for your behaviour lately. Last night? That was way too much, and then today just plain hurt. I'm trying hard to figure out what I did wrong, where I went wrong. Somewhere along the line I must have given you a reason to doubt me, so I need to find that place, and try to correct it."

"You haven't. This is all me." Callie sighed.

"Please don't follow me. Maybe I'll see you before work tomorrow. Goodnight, Calliope."

Thanks for reading, guys. Hoping to get another update out by tomorrow if possible. Halfway there at the minute.