Finally getting home, Merida releases Okja from her leash, who runs excitedly around the room, and the Welsh locks the door.
— Oh, you came back! — Arizona exclaims excitedly and Merida looks at her. The blonde is in the kitchen preparing food and points to the Welsh. — Are you hungry?
Feeling curious about that woman, Okja approaches Arizona and starts to smell her frantically and the blonde screams scaring the little pig:
— AAAHHH! A PIG!
— OINK! OINK! OINK! — Okja grunting running like crazy around Arizona. — OINK! OINK! OINK!
With a smirk, Merida walks into the kitchen, leans against the sink and observes Arizona:
— This piglet is Okja, I got it from my father. I was very... sad and alone... then he decided to give it to me.
— Alone? I think you're being a drama queen, Merida! — Arizona exclaims rolling her eyes and finishing preparing a salad platter: — I saw that Addison is doing a great job keeping you company! In fact, for how long have you been having an affair with her?
— It is not an affair with Addison, we only see each other from time to time and... — Merida begins to answer, but widens her eyes and exclaims: — Aaahhh! I won't say anything to you! Anything! You can stay here as long as you want, do what you want and feel at ease... but I'll live my life and you'll live yours.
Sighing heavily as she places the dish over the sink, Arizona slowly approaches Merida as she says:
— Don't you think it's weird that we're together again, but at the same time, separated? I mean, in the past we would be playing and cooking together... no other woman would lie on your bed or be here while I was...
— Yeah... it's weird to be with you and not be the same... There are so many years of friendship... of love... — Merida comments almost touching the blonde's face, but takes a few steps back. — But that was before you put me out of your life... Now we're just old friends who don't have much in common... So, again, you'll stay here and I want you to feel at home, eat whatever you want, buy what you want, change what you want, use what you want! Anything! The only restriction is that you do not talk to me, do not touch me and do not even feel entitled to comment on anything about my life. Are we understood?
Sighing heavily and sadly, Arizona returns her attention to the food by saying:
— It is not fair that you ask me for these things, Merida, we have always been such friends and you were the one who ignored me all these years! — she points her fork at the Welsh. — I looked for you! I called, I sent an email, I did everything to find you, but you did everything to get away from me. To put me out of your life! It seems like you didn't want to be found!
— I didn't want to be found by you! I didn't want to contact you, Arizona! — Merida exclaims desperately and puts her hands in her hair, leaving the American shocked, because the British was never to lose control that way. — You are not MY Arizona! It is not! Look at that person you became, Arizona! Look at you!
— I'm looking, Merida, I've been looking at this one-legged Arizona for years! What should I see? — Arizona questions irritated and opening her arms. — I've aged, Merida! I'm 40, I've changed, just like everyone else! I changed my clothes, yes, I changed my way of living life, yes!
Putting her hands on her hips, Merida shakes her head and says:
— Arizona, each person dresses the way they want and the way they prefer. You are beautiful anyway, with any piece of fabric on your body that is even more beautiful! — the Welsh points Arizona as a whole and smiles: — You have a beautiful waist! You are more fleshy, even more beautiful! You are as you want to be and I am very happy! That's not what I'm talking about, creature! I'm talking about this inner Arizona, the essence that we have here, you know? — Merida squeezes her own heart. — Who we really are, the real us, never changes, Arizona! But you have changed! You have changed COMPLETELY! And it's entirely your fault! — she points the blonde again: — Because you LET YOURSELF be changed! Let them take your true essence! The Arizona playful, cheerful, crazy about sex and kisses and who ate muffins all the time is gone! She's gone! My friend, the love of my life, the real Arizona Robbins is gone!
— Merida... please... stop... please... I'm already suffering too much... please... — Arizona pleads, stroking the face of the Welsh who holds her hands. — Please... you weren't there! You weren't with me, Merida! You were not on my side! But this time, I can't let you go again, I can't! Because if you run away, you will never come back... I want you to know that I won't let you escape again... We lived so much, Merida, we lived so much together that it would not be right for you to turn your back... — the blonde desperately tries to caress the Welsh, who persists in holding her hands firmly, looking at her seriously. — I will reconnect with the real me, I promise... things will be different this time, I promise! Please don't see me as a different person... because I look at you and see my eternal Merida... whereas... you... you look at me and see me differently...
— Arizona... who said I'm leaving? — Merida asks in a weak voice, because she also cries. — I am not going anywhere, I will not abandon you... Despite all this change, Arizona, you are still my Barbie... you will always be my Barbie. And I don't intend to turn my back on you... I just don't want any intimacy with this Arizona in front of me... this strange, cold and unknown woman... I'm going to help you, take care of you and return to normal... I fully understand that you are broken, bruised and hurt, and I will help you, I repeat. But... I want MY ARIZONA back... — Merida turns away from the blonde. — ...until then, we just share the house, nothing more... each one with her own life… And now I have to go, I have some work to do in Paris...
Having said that, the Welsh takes the key to her motorcycle and slams the door, running to the vehicle.
Arizona sitting on the couch watching an old movie on TV, sighs thinking of Merida who was gone two days ago and hadn't heard from her. Okja, who is sitting next to her, keeps her company during those days and follows her around. Then, picking up her cell phone for the twentieth time, Arizona tries to call Brendon to find out news from the Welsh, but someone unlocks the door, revealing it to be Merida.
Feeling a relief when seeing the Welsh, Arizona hides the cell phone under a pillow and Okja looks at it with a playful look, approaching the device:
— Don't even think about it, Okja... — the American murmurs pointing a finger at the pig, who sits on the pillow with a sad face. — Don't even think about taking my cell phone... your mother arrived, go there with her, go! Otherwise, I'll take you and turn you into bacon, do you hear me?
— OINK? — Okja asks fearfully and, before Arizona says anything, Merida takes the animal in her lap, rubbing its noses. — OINK! OINK!
— My dear little girl, how are you? — the Welsh smiles as she sits on the couch with the piglet in her lap and looks from the corner of her eyes to Arizona, who is watching TV. — Hey, good night, Arizona!
Pretending indifference with the presence of Merida, Arizona responds calmly and without taking her eyes off the movie:
— Good night, Merida.
Opening and closing her mouth several times, Merida thinks about asking if the blonde wants to eat something and maybe ask her out, but Merida shakes her head and, putting Okja on the sofa, gets up walking to the kitchen.
Looking from the corner of her eyes to the Welsh, Arizona sees her very tired and apparently hungry. Then, she sees Merida's cell phone beside her and opens her eyes wide, but Okja sits on top of it:
— Okja! Get out of there now! — Arizona exclaims angrily and, at great cost, takes the device under the piggy's chubby butt and shows her tongue. — You are terrible, you know?
Without thinking twice, Okja jumps off the couch and runs over to Merida, making crazy groans and the Welsh scolds her:
— Hey, Okja! Stop it, are you crazy? Stop this! I'm too tired to play! I need to take a shower and sleep, tomorrow I have a busy day at the studio... — that said, Merida looks again at Arizona, who does not return the look, and goes up the stairs. — Good night, Arizona!
— Good night, Merida... — Arizona responds seriously and, as soon as she notices Merida far away, takes out her cell phone and observes several calls and messages from countless women, among them is Addison. — Oh! What is it? She comes home after two days gone and doesn't even give an explanation! She's so strange… she wasn't used to being like this…
Later that night...
Dying of thirst, Merida gets up from bed and goes down the stairs slowly, walks to the kitchen and, after taking a glass from the cupboard, puts water from the tap. Then, returning to the stairs, Merida sees Arizona asleep crookedly on the couch, with one arm and leg tossed out, the blanket practically on the floor and the pillow falling.
— I won't worry about her... I won't worry about her... — the Welsh goes up a step repeating: — I won't worry about her... — however, Merida sighs again without being able to stop worrying about Arizona and gives a punch in the air: — What the fuck! — she drinks more water and deposits the glass inside the sink, then walks to the living room and stops in front of the sofa. — She will be feeling pain in her whole body by sleeping on this sofa...
Merida crouches watching Arizona sleeping peacefully and her heart races, her eyes look passionately at that beautiful and sweet American face. Merida touches Arizona's face trembling and runs her fingers over Arizona's eyes, nose, cheeks, until it reaches her half-open lips.
— You are so beautiful...
Then, without restraining her hands, Merida pulls the blanket to the floor and admires the neck and shoulders of the blonde until her green eyes reach Arizona's breasts. Merida admires them with her eyes over the nightgown... her body feels hot, looking like an erupting volcano.
Suddenly, Merida stands up and runs to her basement studio. She takes out her professional camera and, quickly returning to the living room, ahead of Arizona and starts taking several pictures. When Merida notices the blonde differently through the lens, Merida slowly lowers the camera and looks at that incredible woman with her own eyes. Something had definitely awakened within the Welsh.
Merida places the camera on the small coffee table, stands up and, carrying Arizona still asleep, climbs the stairs to the bedroom. After placing the American on the bed, the Welsh returns to the living room where she takes the prosthesis, the pillow and the blanket and returns to the bedroom, where she leans the prosthesis beside the bed, gently places the pillow under the blonde's head, folds the blanket by placing it in the closet.
And when Merida returns to bed, she lies down next to Arizona covering her with the huge soft blanket.
— I would not forgive myself if she feels any pain sleeping on that sofa... — the Welsh whispers lying on her side and staring passionately at the blonde. — But she sleeps there... and I here... The bed is very big, we can share it, but without touching each other...
— Huuummm... what an amazing night I had... — Arizona murmurs as she stretches. — I need to be careful not to fall off this sofa and... — the blonde's eyes widen when she sees herself on a soft bed and covered by something fragrant. — Where... where am I? — she sits realizing that she is in Merida's bed. — How did I get here? I'm sure I didn't drink last night...
— Good morning, Arizona!
The blonde looks at the bathroom door and is amazed to find Merida drying her hair with a towel and another one tied around her waist, leaving her breasts completely naked. Arizona had never really noticed her friend and unconsciously bites her lower lip as she looks at Merida's muscular, shapely body, the tattoos that surround her and her beautiful, intriguing face. A heat grows inside Arizona, causing her to have a crazy attraction and an urge to jump in those arms almost owns her.
Opening and closing her mouth several times without being able to say anything at once, Arizona clears her throat several times before forcing herself to say:
— Good morning, Merida...
— I hope you slept well tonight. — Merida comments stopping drying her hair and points to the blonde: — I mean, you were all crooked on that sofa and as I don't want to be blamed for you having back problems, I brought you here. I don't see any problem in sleeping in the same bed, especially this one, which is huge, where the two of us can fit perfectly without having to touch each other...
Raising her eyebrows and agreeing, Arizona says:
— Well... we always slept together, so, I see no problem at all! — she points to the Welsh: — But thank you, thank you.
The blonde bites her lip, trying to decorate each part of her friend's naked body and holding back her crazy desire to attack Merida.
— I need to go out and do some pictures for ... I don't know what time I'll be back. — Merida comments embarrassingly, trying not to look at the neckline of her friend's nightdress and walks to the closet. — Do you already have a job at any hospital? Did you get any work?
Throwing herself on the bed, Arizona covers her face with her hands and gives a little cry, trying to run away from that uncontrollable lust for Merida.
— I don't know any hospitals here and I didn't think about it when I came here, I just took my things and came...
— You did what?! — Merida appears in the closet doorway wearing boxer panties and looks indignantly at the lying blonde. — Hey, Tinker Bell, you came her without a career plan? Why didn't you say this before?! I'll help you!
— I know, Merida! — Arizona sits down again and looks at Merida half naked. — Oh, God... — she mumbles trying to focus on what to say, but keeps her eyes fixed on the redhead's breasts: — But I didn't think about it and I hoped you could help me...
Sighing heavily, Merida returns to the closet and exclaims:
— Yes, I know several people. I just need your resume! — she puts on white pants, silver shoes, a top, a pink shirt and returns to the room trying to button it, holding the grey bow tie in her hand. — Damn it! I hate these shirts with small buttons... Shit!
— Come here! Let me help you! — Arizona exclaims sitting on the edge of the bed and pulls the Welsh from her pants pocket to get closer. — You always had difficulty with buttons. Remember that shirt you wanted to wear on your graduation?
Laughing as she remembers the situation, Merida sits down next to the blonde who buttons her shirt and says:
— Yeah... if you didn't save me, I would never have gone with that shirt.
The two smile silly and, after finishing buttoning and putting the tie on the Welsh, Arizona supports a hand on Merida's breast and the two look at each other intensely.
At that moment, their eyes talk more than any words could mean, Arizona feels that this was the moment to tell her that she had run after Merida... that she had gone to the airport to say what she was feeling and that she didn't want Merida away from her... that she loved her... that she wanted her...
Merida was also with that feeling, with the desire to release all the love saved only for the American, to say that she loved her and that all those years served to maintain this living flame within them. She needed to know if the American felt the same way, it was all still very confusing for Merida.
But then, before a word is said, Merida's cell phone rings and the Welsh immediately walks away from the blonde, who looks disappointed.
— I... I need to answer... it could be the people from the studio. — Merida says still lost in Arizona's blue eyes. Then, Merida goes down to the middle of the stairs and, before she controls her mouth, she shouts: — WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO WITH ME? WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW WHAT I DO? MY REAL JOB?
At first, Arizona couldn't understand the request, but then she broke into a huge smile and shouted:
— I WOULD LOVE IT! I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR WORK! — she sees Merida stop in front of her excitedly and the blonde nods. — Yes... I would love...
— Perfect! So, let's help you put on that prosthesis, choose an outfit and go to the studio! — Merida exclaims excitedly and hands the object to the blonde. — Can I help you with this?
Almost with a certain rudeness, Arizona forces a smile, realizing that the redhead is being kind and consents:
— Of course! Please... — she observes the loving and caring way in which Merida fits her prosthesis. — You can let me put the buckle on, it's okay...
— I'll... I'll wait for you in the living room, okay? In case you need any help, you call me... — Merida points down and leaves with a smile on her face.