Sorry for not being able to update this story as frequently as I have in the past. Life has been super busy at the moment, but here a little chapter to push the story along. Callie speaks to Jess about her feelings.

Thank you all for the reviews and for getting on board with the story. I've got the chapters mapped out in my head, I just need to find the time to get the words down.

"I really need to talk to her" Callie announced seriously as she stood up

"What now?" Arizona asked surprised by the sudden conviction.

"Yes...I think so...I mean I owe her some answers and I feel as though if I don't do it now, I'll put it off again!" Callie admitted.

"Ooookay, well do you want me to drive you there?" Arizona offered slightly surprising herself.

Callie turned and looked at the blonde who was waiting for an answer.

"I...I can't ask you to do that Arizona, you've already helped me enough what with all the unpacking, and listening to me..."

"Firstly...you're not asking me, I'm offering" Arizona replied "and secondly, I do have an ulterior motive..."

Callie felt herself stop breathing as she looked at the blonde trying to read her face for a signal. What was her motivation for helping? was she experiencing the same kind of feelings that Callie was?

Arizona smiled "...I mean it's my job to get you back on the pitch and scoring goals, so if I can help you get your focus back onto the football..."

"Oh right, yeah of course!" Callie said cursing herself internally for even considering Arizona's interest in her could be anything other than work related.

Callie was silent as she considered Arizona's offer. It would be great to have her company for a bit longer. "If you are sure...then that would be amazing. Thank you." Callie replied

"100% sure. I want you fit and ready for the game against Chelsea in a months time!" Arizona smiled at the brunette who seemed deep in thought. Arizona needed Callie to be focused on her football and so the sooner this thing with Jess was sorted the better.

———

"What happened to Helen?" Callie asked out of the blue on the drive over to Jess's

"Well we dated for just over a year" Arizona responded

"And then what?"

"I got the job at Georgetown so moved to Washington, we tried the long distance thing, but it just didn't work out." Arizona admitted

"Are you still friends?" Callie probed

"We haven't seen each other for a while, but yeah we catch up every now and then via email." Arizona didn't normally share this much information about her personal life, but she could tell the American was nervous and needed the distraction.

"In hindsight, we were very different people. Helen is now Head of the African studies department at Washington University, married with two kids and whilst she tried, she just really didn't get football at all!"

"But you were together for a while!" Callie asked surprised

"Yeah I think the fact that it was both our first time with another woman maybe papered over the differences a bit. We spent a fair amount of time apart because of our work, and so when we did see each other, we ummmm..." Arizona stumbled for the right word

"Had sex!" Callie finished the sentence for the blonde and watched as her cheeks blushed slightly at the word. Lucky Helen thought Callie as she made a mental note to google Helen later on to see what she looked like.

Arizona glanced over at the brunette "exactly!" she laughed before adding "After years of substandard sex with men, we had some making up to do. Something I'm sure you'll experience...you know... when the time comes!"

Now Callie felt her cheeks blush and quickly looked out the window so that Arizona couldn't see.

—————

Arizona pulled up outside the house and Callie smiled to herself as she caught the physio's face react to the house.

"Typical footballers house right?" Callie said

"Yeap. I bet it has a big bling chandelier in the hallway." Arizona smiled and turned to look at Callie "tell me I'm wrong!"

Callie shook her head and smiled "Nope spot on, in fact I probably should have brought my sunglasses with me" Callie joked

Arizona smiled realising that Callie was trying to hid her nerves, she reached over and placed a comforting hand on the strikers arm "I know it's scary, but just be honest with her OK?"

"OK" Callie said softly

"And take your time. I'm in no rush. I'll be here when you are done OK?" Arizona said kindly

"Thank you. Again." Callie took a deep breath and opened the car door.

————

Arizona watched as Callie rang the buzzer at the gate and nervously waited for Jess to answer. As she watched the brunette wipe her probably sweaty palms down her jeans, Arizona remembered just how scared she had been all those years ago. How many times she had pushed feeling back down inside her until she couldn't ignore them anymore. It seemed that Jess had forced Callie to acknowledge her own feelings maybe before the brunette was ready to.

Callie took some deep breaths as she tried her hardest to calm her heart rate.

"Calllie?" Jess responded down the intercom surprised to see her friend on the video cam.

"Hi. I'm sorry for turning up out of the blue, but can I come in and talk. I'm ready to talk Jess"

Callie responded with a shaky voice.

Callie turned and saw Arizona giving her a reassuring smile as she watched from the car as Jess buzzed her in.

"Hey" Jess said as she opened the front door with a warm smile

"Hey you." Callie replied frozen to the spot

"Do you want to come in?" Jess asked her friend who looked scared to death.

Callie nodded and followed Jess into the living room.

"Jess I'm sorry I ran the other day" Callie started "and that I ignored your calls and messages afterwards"

Jess remained silent

"I wasn't expecting that?" Callie tried to explain

"Really? Because you know...to me it's been coming for a while Callie. The feelings I have for you didn't develop over night!" Jess replied strongly

"No I know" Callie responded

Spending time with Jess had generated new feelings. Feelings that Callie had never felt for a friend before. Their friendship was super close, but it was at breaking point and Callie knew that she needed to be honest with Jess.

"Jess I care about you...a lot, it's just I wasn't ready to admit to it...the other day..."

"And now?" Jess responded "what are you saying Callie?" Tears started to form in Jess's eyes

Callie took a deep breath "I'm saying you were right...I do have feelings for women..." Callie paused and wiped away the tear that had escaped and was slowly making its way down her cheek. "I just don't know if my feelings towards you are at the same level as yours..."

Callie could see that Jess was confused "so I need you to kiss me!"

"What?" Jess replied surprised at the request.

Callie gulped at the lump that had formed in her throat and repeated her request "I need you to kiss me...again..."

"Callie...I'm not sure..." Jess started responding but was interrupted by a desperate Callie

"Please Jess...just kiss me!" She pleaded

Jess looked at her friend before leaning in and placing her lips on Callie's.

Callie closed her eyes and waited...waited for butterflies in the stomach to start, waited for her heart rate to increase, waited for the warm sensation between her legs to come...but nothing happened.

Jess pulled apart sensing that Callie didn't feel the same way as she did . There had been nothing in that kiss, no emotion, no passion and Jess knew it as she looked into Callie's almost apologetic eyes.

"Jess I..." Callie started to speak unsure of what she was going to say, how she could say what she needed to say without hurting her friend

"It's OK Callie..." Jess said softly "I get it, you don't feel the same way!" Jess was hurting inside and she wanted to be alone.

"I'm sorry Jess, I really am, but I can't lie about my feelings...you've made me see something new about myself that I hadn't acknowledged before...and I wish more than anything that I felt the same way as you do...about you ...but"

"But you don't." Jess felt the tears spring to her eyes.

Callie looked back at her friend and slowly shook her head "No...I love you...but not that way and I'm so sorry Jess, I wish I did...I honestly do..."

"It's OK Callie. I mean I'm obviously disappointed, but you can't force something if it isn't there...but I think it was...at one point, I honestly think you did feel something more than friendship for me...but I guess those feelings have gone now...I maybe waited too long..."

Callie thought back to the night they had been out and had held hands and Jess was right, back then her feelings had been developing towards her friend, but things had changed and those feelings were gone.

"Maybe...I don't know. Do you hate me?" Callie asked worriedly

"No I don't hate you Callie, I could never hate you." Jess replied honestly

"Thank fuck for that!" Callie said with relief "listen do you wanna come over on Saturday for dinner, you can check out my new place?" Callie asked keen to make sure their friendship survived this.

"Umm I can't Cal, I'm heading to the Netherlands tomorrow to join up with the girls" Jess replied with a slight tone of awkwardness in her voice

Shit Callie had completely forgotten all about the international game, it would be the first one she had missed in five years.

"Oh right...of course..." Callie replied

"You know you'll be missed right?" Jess said as she saw Callie's face drop at the mention of the USA National team "Everyone will miss you not being there" she added

"Hmmm I'm not so sure about that." Callie said "times are a changing and there is a new kid on the block" Callie added sarcastically in reference to the young forward who had been called into the squad in her place. Hope Powell was just 18 and was making a name for herself in the US College league playing for Stanford. She was the great new hope for the team and it didn't hurt that she was blonde hair, blue eyes and as American as it came.

"Listen I umm I'd better get going so you can get on with what you need to do before you leave tomorrow." Callie said as she stood up to leave

"Do you want me to call you a cab?" Jess asked

Callie shook her head "no I'm fine thanks Arizona is waiting outside" Callie replied causing Jess to give her friend a worried look

"Arizona the physio?"'Jess asked surprised at her being here

"Yeah she ummm helped me today..with the unpacking...and she's been, well she's been really helpful and supportive."

Jess watched as her friends face lit up as she talked about the Spurs physio and then it twigged. Callie had feelings for the blonde.

That was why she wasn't interested in her anymore, she had moved on to this new woman. Jess felt a arrow of jealousy hit her at the realisation that someone else was now the focus of Callie's attention.

As Jess opened the door to let Callie out she watched as she saw the Latina's face break into a smile as she exchanged glances with the physio who was parked outside Jess's front gate.

"Cal, be careful" Jess said. Just because Callie didn't feel anything romantic towards her, it didn't mean she didn't care about the brunette

"What do you mean?" Callie asked as she turned to Jess with a confused look on her face.

"Be careful with her." Jess replied as she nodded her head in the blondes direction

"Why do you say that?" Callie asked curiously

"Because I heard things about her at the game the other night" Jess added

"Like what?" Callie asked suddenly feeling slightly defensive of Arizona and what Jess was about to say.

"Like her ex wants to get back with her" Jess added

"So?" Callie replied still confused

"You DO know who her ex is?" Jess asked to a still puzzled looking Callie

"No, she's ummm pretty private...anyway, I'm not sure why we're even having this conversation" Callie replied sharply

"Her ex is Alex Andersson...the hot striker who just joined Chelsea...apparently she's telling people that she's here in the UK to fight for your blondie!" Jess informed Callie

"She not my anything Jess other than my physio OK?" Callie replied but inside she was flipping out this news "listen, I'd better go. Good luck with the team, send everyone my love" and with that Callie turned and headed towards the car and towards Arizona.

———-

Callie sat in silence for most of the journey back from Jess's having reassured Arizona that she was fine at least five times .

Arizona knew not to push it, but she was dying to know what had happened between the two friends. Had Callie discovered feelings for Jess, had they kissed? Why was she so quiet now? And why did it bother Arizona so much? Why had she offered to drive the brunette here in the first place?

Out of the blue Callie turned and asked the question she had been thinking about from the minutes Jess had told her the news

"Why didn't you tell me Alexandra Andersson is your ex?" Callie stared at the blonde who was focusing on the road ahead, but she did spot a flinch on the blondes face at the mention of the Swedish strikers name.

Arizona responded without taking her eyes of the road ahead "because it's none of your god damn business" She said firmly, maybe a little too firmly.

Callie didn't respond instead she looked out the window at the passing houses. Arizona was right, it was none of her business really, but Callie couldn't help but few a little hurt, especially after they had sat there and watched her on TV the other day. That would have been the time to say "oh look...it's my hot ex wife!" But no, she had said nothing.

It was none of the brunette's business but for some reason Arizona started feeling guilty at how she had responded to the American's question, she had maybe been a little too firm.

"Look Callie, I sorry I responded that way, it's not something talk about much OK?". Arizona admitted

Callie looked over at the blonde who was still focused on the road.

"What happened?" Callie asked softly unsure of the blonde would open up to her.

"We were married and now we're not." Arizona replied matter of factly before continuing "and now she's in London!" Arizona scoffed

"And by all accounts she wants you back!" Callie said without thinking

Arizona looked away from the road to hold Callie's glaze for a few moments, checking if she was being serious, before turning back to focus on the drive as they approached Callie's road.

"I very much doubt that!" Arizona scoffed at the suggestion

"What happened Arizona, you can tell me?" Callie tried again

Arizona let out a sigh as she flicked the indicator as Callie realised that the blonde had reached her house and that they journey was

over.

Switching off the engine the physio turned to look directly at Callie. "She cheated on me" Arizona said with a lump in her throat "Alex slept with another woman and it crushed me."

In the next couple of chapters we're going to see Arizona open up a lot more to Callie as their relationship develops. Hope you'll stick with it.

IRL - Alex Morgan scored her first goal for Spurs the other day YAY!

Stay safe and keep wearing those masks!