A/N: Be warned, it took me a lot to write this chapter. I wasn't sure how I should go about them meeting for the first time, but here we go.

Chapter 8: Arizona

Present Day

I needed coffee. I need it more than I need oxygen. I almost laughed out loud at that thought. It was always Callie that walked in a dazed state when she wasn't caffeinated in the morning. It was almost zombielike, her moments would be sluggish, her replies short and precise and usually be a mix of groans than actual words. It was too adorable.

Imagine looking at a woman who walked with such purpose that she owned the world and everyone around her behaving like a three year old toddler who didn't know which shoe goes on which foot. That was my calliope.

My

Well, not mine anymore.

I quickly parked my car in my usual spot before I exited. I thought about making coffee at home, but I barely had anything set up there. And honestly, I wasn't in the mood. The kitchen was an intimate place. I mean… not like that. Sure, Callie and I had a lot of fun fooling around with each other all over my beach house back in Miami, but Callie and I would usually hang out in the kitchen.

She liked to cook and I loved home cooked meals, so most of the time that I spent in my house was watching her cook from behind the counter as she tasted something and smiled if it was too her liking. I watched her shirt riding up as she stretched to get something that was in a higher cabinet.

Honestly, I don't even know she didn't figure it out yet. I mean she's taller than me. If she had to stretch to grab something, it meant that there was no way I could reach it myself without using a stool or something.

I have been purposefully putting the ingredients she likes to use in that cabinet, just so I can watch her smooth stomach peeking out of her shirt as she reached to grab it. I would sometimes even walk up to her and put my hands on her exposed skin as I placed wet kisses on her neck. She would always warn me but then I liked to live dangerously, so I didn't mind. In fact, I loved it.

See, I can't enter my own kitchen because it is haunted by the woman who shot me. Before I exited the parking lot I saw it again. The freaking T-Bird, why was it still here? Sure it was a few spots over to the right which meant that it wasn't here for days and it wasn't parked in a designated area, so I still don't know if it belonged to a patient, a doctor or who. That's it, I needed to know, I have to know. Instead of entering the hospital, I made my way to the car.

It cannot be hers, can it? It just can't. There is no way she can know that I have been working here at Seattle Grace, if she did then she would have come to find me right? She would have marched into the Peds ward or into my office. Callie wasn't shy, she was confident. Even if she hated me and was here to… umm finish the job, to end my life, she would have done it by now.

And I know for a fact that I wasn't being followed. Call it an Army intuition, Mafia intuition or simply Arizona's awesome gut feeling, I knew I was safe. I quickly walked towards the car and saw the plates.

Seattle.

Damn. Callie had Miami plates.

But-but she could change her plates right Maybe after she came to Seattle she had them changed? I quickly made my way over to the back of the car to check on a bump. It was simple, if there was a dent, then this car was hers. This car belonged to her. I don't know what I was hoping more of...

Damn, no bumps or scratches, the bumper was smooth as if nothing happened to it. Damn it Arizona! Get a grip over yourself. You can't let this happen to you. A stupid car can't make your heart race.

"Arizona!"

I turned around as I heard someone calling out to me.

I saw a black sedan pulling into a spot next to the T-Bird. "Hey, Teddy"

"Hey, what are you doing checking out the car? You were never a car nut"

"I-I, Tim had a car like this" I lied. But that was the safest thing I could say right now. Teddy was my best friend, she could see right through me and the best explanation I can give her to explain why I was… like this would be to tell her that the car reminded me of Tim and not my ex.

Teddy quickly parked her car and walked up beside me "Oh, you… you want to talk about it?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks" I replied as I tried to smile.

"You should though"

"Hmm?"

"Arizona, you should talk to someone"

"Not this again!" I said as I crossed my arms. Teddy has been trying to make me see a therapist for ages now. And honestly it sounds like a good idea but what am I going to tell the therapist? The ghost of my ex who tried to kill me is haunting me, the person who I met when she was assigned to steal diamonds from me was the person who thought that I betrayed her even though I hadn't. I couldn't possibly tell that to anyone.

"Just… I don't like seeing you like this"

"I know Teddy, but I need to do this by myself, sure it's slower but it's still progress right?" I asked.

I mean Teddy saw me at my lowest when I refused to get out of bed, threw stuff at anyone who said anything to me. I had even lost a lot of weight because I had pretty much given up on life and had to be forced to eat.

I was still dealing with things, but they weren't as bad. It was mostly just the nightmares and the restlessness now. Which I'm sure Teddy could tell by looking at my eyes, but honestly the both of us were surgeons in very demanding fields in one of the top most hospitals. If I was sleep deprived, it was safe to assume that Teddy was too, just our reasons were different.

"I'm worried about you"

"I know and I'm sorry, but I'm getting better, I'm trying" I explained.

Teddy nodded before she moved to collect her things from her car. I was thankful that I had Teddy in my life. She was always there if I needed to talk to someone, sure we never discussed about anything that happened in the past five years, but she knew that it was something really bad. I love how she does not pry.

After Teddy locked her car, we made our way towards the doors of the hospital. It's another day, it's another challenge. I glanced behind my shoulder to get a final look of the T-Bird, I was so sure that it was Callie's car. It had to be. But.. I need to get her out of my head, I have a surgery that needs my attention, not her, not anymore.

Less than six years ago

"Come on Arizona it will be fun!" Callie said as she drove. I have no idea why I agreed to this, but because Callie wanted to go there, so I had no other choice, did I? I told Callie that my shooting skills were weak and she insisted that we go to a gun range so she could help me out.

I just wanted to lie in bed all day and do absolutely nothing, it was my day off, a day off in a long time might I add. But then I opened my mouth, told her about my shooting skills and Callie dragged me out of the bed. She quickly parked the car in the lot. We would usually drive around in her car and I obviously had no problem with it, it was a magnificent T-Bird. Most of my cars were crap because well, I was a skilled driver, that usually meant that my cars required more maintenance. If I can call it that.

From what I gather , Callie was a strategist. She only went to the docks when her dad asked for it and she never took her T-Bird there, she always said that the car was too precious to be taken to the docks, it deserved to go to the beaches instead.

Once, I managed to convince Callie to let me drive her car and I had even gotten away with it. But then, my attentioned wavered just for a second and I hit the lamppost. To be honest, one of my hands wasn't on the wheels but was inside Callie's pants. My attention didn't waver, it was barely on the car and more on the sounds that were coming out of her mouth. But then I hit the post and all of that went out the window.

I was so sorry that I had dinged it but Callie just laughed. She said that I had given her car some personality. I was mortified. I offered to get it fixed for her. But she said that she liked the bump. It's been a month since the accident and yet the bump sits proudly at the back. But it was safe to say that I never drove her car after that incident, even when she offered to let me take the car out for a spin.

Going to a gun range wouldn't be my first choice, but today I wasn't a gangster. I was Arizona, just an ordinary woman, here in a gun range with her girlfriend.

That's what normal couples do, don't they? Keep secrets about their missions and then come home to each other and spend the rest of the day together, go to gun ranges together and give pointers on how to shoot better. Well, that's us. Plus, the sex was great, so that's definitely an added bonus.

The employee explains a few rules to us about how to handle a gun, it truly is a day for ordinary woman Arizona and her girlfriend. If the guy had any idea who we were, he'd be pooping his pants right now. Nevertheless, I tried paying attention to him but mostly looked at Callie who was standing in front of me nodding along to all of his rules and even repeating a few after him.

He handed each of us a gun and some headphones and led us to our booth. The place was pretty quiet. Actually, the place was quiet. There was no one in the gun range but Callie and I and this employee who had now made his way back to his booth and was way more interested in his phone.

Oh Florida!

"Come on, show me what you got" Callie challenged me.

"I already told you, I'm not that good, why are you still getting so competitive?" I asked, putting my gun on the counter as I put my arms on her waist.

Callie looked at me, but before she could say anything, I quietly picked up the gun again. I know Callie, if she sets her mind to something, she needs to do it no matter what "Alright, I'm picking up the gun"

Both Callie and I put on our headphones as I turned and faced the target. I took three shots before I put my gun down. All of my shots hit the target, but none of them make it to the bullseye. I took off my headphones as Callie took off hers as well.

"See I told you, none of them hit the center," I said.

"Well, your stance seems right, maybe you just aren't focused enough"

"I wasn't focused enough? What kind of an explanation is that?" I asked.

"A reasonable one?" Callie challenged as she folded her arms "You are looking at the target, but your mind is somewhere else, I can sense it" she replied with a smirk.

"You can sense it? One of your other talents I presume?" I mocked her as I watched her put on her headphones and face the target. I put my headphones on as well. I don't want my eardrums to burst. Callie took five shots and all of them hit the center.

"See, you need to focus," she said as she turned and faced me.

"Well, I find it too hard to focus when you're around" I admitted as I tucked a strand of her hair behind her hair.

"Excuses! I brought you here so I could teach you to be a better marksman and here you are flirting with me" she said as she put her gun down and put her hands on her hips.

"What? I'm telling you the truth! I bet you couldn't make the same shot if you were distracted too!"

If I know Callie, I know that she'll take the bait. She loves a challenge, an opportunity to show that she's the best, even though she actually is the best in the room. Well, I don't really know how well the employee shoots but I'm pretty sure he couldn't shoot better than us, or well me.

"You're on" she said as she looked at me as she made a face at me as she shook my hand. There was a glint in her eyes as she smiled at me. Yes! She had taken the bait "But how do you plan on distracting me?" she asked.

"Leave that to me babe, you just hold your gun" I said and took her gun from the counter and handed it back to her and stood behind her.

She pushed a button on the wall and the target sprung towards us, she quickly changed the target sheet into a fresh one and pressed the button again before she put her headphones back on and took her position.

Callie then looked back at me and waited for me to distract her.

And that is exactly what I have been wanting to do all morning.

I put my hands on her hip and kissed her on her pulse point. I wanted to take her earlobe between my teeth but there wasn't much space since the headphones had taken up much of the space. I knew biting her earlobe would have driven her crazy but I also know that spot drove her crazy. I started leaving kisses on her neck. She was wearing her black tank top and some tight jeans, the outfit she wore when she went out for missions or rather came back to my place from her mission. But I wasn't complaining, I had more than enough space for what I had in mind.

I looked towards the employee but he was barely paying any attention to us, I could hear Callie taking deep breaths, trying her level best to focus. I could tell that she was turned on, I cannot believe I did that to her. I continued leaving kisses on her neck and moved one of my hands under her shirt, lightly tracing her belly button.

"Oh Arizona" she moaned.

Honestly, I didn't think I'd win this, rather I didn't want to win, I just wanted to have fun. And by the looks of it, I was winning and I was definitely having fun.

Two birds, one gun.

I moved my other hand over her shirt and placed it on her breast as my thumb circled her nipple through her bra. I could feel it coming to life under my hands becoming taut and expanding against my thumb. I heard her taking a sharp breath as I moved the strap of her bra and her tank top with my teeth before kissing her exposed shoulder, making sure that I grazed her skiing with my teeth.

I don't know who's enjoying more, me or Callie.

I slipped my hand that was on her belly button and under her pants but over her underwear, a move I know will frustrate her and bring her closer to the brink.

Callie groaned as I gently touched her.

I knew it, she needed more. So, I increased the pressure on her breast slightly pinching her nipple as I sucked on her neck making sure my hand that was in her pants barely moved. I could feel her wetness through her panties. I gently moved my fingers across her sensitive flesh as I moved to kiss her on her collarbone.

"Ah" she moaned a little loudly.

I smiled as I continued attacking her shoulder. Suddenly, I put my thumb inside of her panties and stroked the neatly trimmed hair that greeted me while the rest of my fingers were still stroking her through the layer of her panties. I know she was barely satisfied, but I didn't want this to end so soon. So, I withdrew my hand that was on her breast and put it under her shirt gently caressing the underside of her boob through her bra. I could feel her breathing getting more ragged as I touched her, purposefully not applying enough pressure.

I had never done this with any of my girlfriends before. This was a completely new territory for me. Honestly, I wouldn't even know that Callie was enjoying this if she wasn't moaning against me.

I gently removed my hand from her pants and put it back in, but this time I put my hand inside of her panties.

Bang!

I dropped and covered my ears. I felt like I was back in the desert. I could feel the air getting hotter and the sun scorching my back. I'm okay, I'm not in the army, I'm here with Callie. I'm with Callie.

I'm with my girlfriend and that's all I need to focus on.

"See, even with you trying to distract me I still hit the center" Callie jumped to my side as she saw me on my knees covering my ears, that's when it clicked.

My headphones were around my neck and not on my ears.

Somehow, when I was touching Callie, they must have come off and I didn't even feel them falling from my ears. I was too focused on Callie.

"Oh my god Arizona! Are you okay?" she asked as she took my face in her hands.

The ringing in my ears was starting to subside. By the feel of the guns I knew they didn't feel like the ones I was used to, so I knew my ears weren't permanently damaged. But that was close. I had almost slipped back to the state I was in when Tim died.

"I'm fine, I just-"

"Is it about the Army?"

I nodded.

Callie gently tucked my hair behind my ear. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"I want to, but I can't"

We had already had this discussion. Because of the dangerous lives we lead, we promised each other that we wouldn't tell the other person anything significant about us so that if our gangs tried to extract information from the other, they wouldn't be able to do so.

I didn't tell Callie about the Army. In fact, she just knows that I was in the Army because she saw my dog tags. I still continued to wear them though. No point in hiding them now, when the cat was already out of the bag.

"I understand," Callie replied.

"Did you really manage to hit the bullseye?" I asked as I slowly got up and brought her up with me. I called for the target with the button. Damn, she actually hit the center. My ears were still ringing, but damn! Her shot wasn't just inside the center ring, it was in the center of the center. It was the best shot she had taken so far.

"Maybe we shouldn't have come to the gun range after all" Callie said as she looked up at me with a worried expression on her face.

Present Day

I raced towards the scrub room after I received a 9-1-1 page. Apparently it was a routine surgery but the doctor couldn't get the bleeding under control so they paged the on-call Peds Attending AKA me. While I scrubbed I saw the scrub cap of the attending who was moving around trying her best. Even with all the monitors going off, she didn't look frenzied, she looked like she knew exactly what she wanted to do and how she was going to do it.

That's when I saw her scrub cap. Huh, It was red and grey, unlike any I had seen in this hospital before. Oh, I guess this must be the new Ortho attending. Perfect, I can make my acquaintance and at the same time see if she was actually as good as people described her.

I tied my mask over my face before I entered the OR. Someone should suction the kids belly to get more visualization. But before I could say it I saw the nurse handing her the suction. Huh, maybe she was good at her craft.

This should be fun. I took the towel from the other nurse and dried my hands before I let her drape the extra layer of gown on me.

"I was paged? What do we have?" I asked as I gloved myself. "I'm sorry it took me some time to get here. you must be the new Ortho attending? Hi I'm-"

I started introducing myself but she suddenly turned around.

Life couldn't be so easy could it? Out of all the women in the world, all the hospitals out there even all the billion ORs that we have here at Seattle Grace. I had walked into hers. There she stood not more than five feet away from me.

"Arizona?"

With my name on her lips.

A/N: Psych! Not yet, but I promise, the next chapter will be an actual chapter where Callie and Arizona interact with each other.