The Battleship and the Carpenter

by dragonflydreamz4

AU: Largely Arizona and Callie based. What if they met under different circumstances at different times in their lives? Arizona in Malawi, Callie in NY, so how do they end up in a dirty bar bathroom in Seattle? The doctors of Seattle Grace are going on an adventure of a lifetime on a mission trip. Eventual Calzona, slow burn. Rated M after chapter 15.

50. Chapter 50

AN: I can't believe we are at chapter fifty. When I started this, I had no idea that it would lead me here to chapter fifty and well over 500,000 words. You guys have all been so great and supportive, it really means a lot to me. It has been a great distraction over the past year. I have two more chapters mostly written after this but I start my work stretch tomorrow so for the next seven days it's work and sleep. I will try to post another chapter within two weeks. I have until the wedding basically planned out and then after that, I'm not sure where I will go with the story. I have an ending in mind when this has run its course. Do you have anything you would like to see more or less of? Anything in particular you want to happen once they're married? I make no promises but I will consider your recommendations. You guys are split on drama vs rainbows and sunshine so I try to incorporate a bit of both.

I hope this finds you all happy and healthy. I look forward to your reviews. Happy reading :)

---

Chapter Fifty

Arizona

"Callie." Arizona called as she walked into the house from the front door.

Her run had been cathartic and she realized that she had possibly overreacted a bit to Callie's weekend surprise. She was tired and cranky with far too little sleep. Her rational brain had come to the surface during the first mile of her run and by mile three she was regretting leaving Callie alone in bed and had turned around to run back. She smelled coffee and knew her fiance had been up for a while, probably since she had left for her run. She grabbed her water bottle from the fridge and made her way upstairs in search of Callie.

"Babe?" Arizona called as she entered their bedroom. The bed was empty as was the room but the bathroom door was shut. Arizona went to the bathroom and knocked, "Babe, can I come in?"

Callie didn't reply but the door opened and Arizona entered, watching as Callie made her way back to the sink to finish applying her makeup. Arizona turned on the shower and peeled off her sweaty hoodie, socks, and yoga pants. She stood there in her boy shorts and sports bra while she waited for the water to heat up and watched Callie. The blonde knew her fiance was rightfully upset with her but she wanted to rectify that so she approached her quietly and carefully from behind, wrapping her arms around the woman's waist.

"I'm sorry." Arizona whispered into the silky material of the purple shirt Callie was wearing, placing a kiss on her shoulder over the fabric.

"I have surgery in an hour, you'll get me sweaty." Callie said, shaking Arizona off.

"Calliope…"

"Don't. If you don't want to go this weekend, Arizona, I won't force you to." Callie said. Her words were strong and her voice measured but Arizona could hear the emotion in it.

"I want to go, I really do. I'm sorry. I was just exhausted and moody and I overreacted. It's been a long week without you. I didn't mean to ruin this for you." Arizona replied earnestly. She knew she had hurt her fiance's feelings and she was seriously regretting that because the truth was, a girls weekend and wedding dress shopping might not be her first choice but she was excited to start planning their wedding.

"You don't have to say that."

"I know but it's the truth."

"I'm going to be late. Do you have to work today?"

"No, I have no surgeries scheduled so I don't have to go in but if you're working then maybe I will come finish some paperwork. What time is your surgery?"

"I have several today. It will be a long day, you don't need to come with me, I won't have time for lunch or to talk to you anyway. Besides you haven't even slept."

"Callie…"

"I need to go, my first surgery is in a little over an hour."

"Ok. Drive careful. I love you." Arizona said.

She felt defeated, she knew Callie sometimes had difficulty forgiving right away when her feelings were hurt so she thought it was best to let her have her time and space. She had hoped they could talk and catch up before either of them had to work but getting called in the night before, arriving home in the early morning, and then having a fight had prevented any of that. She watched Callie leave the room and her heart sank. If Callie wasn't even going to return her affection then she was very upset. Arizona removed the rest of her clothing and climbed into the shower, letting the hot water wash away the sweat and stress. Her eyes were closed and she didn't hear the door open as Callie reentered the bathroom.

"Arizona?" Callie asked. The blonde jumped and opened her eyes, seeing Callie through the glass shower.

"Yea babe?"

"I love you too. We will talk when I get home. Get some rest."

"Ok baby." Arizona replied, a soft smile crossing her face at Callie's words. Callie smiled back before leaving again.

Arizona spent the first part of her day sleeping. After semi making up with Callie, she was actually able to fall into a dreamless sleep and woke in the early afternoon feeling rested and motivated to get some things done. She had yet to set up her phone so that was at the top of her to do list. She had meant to do it Saturday but had been too busy at work and then Sunday morning she had been too excited about Callie coming home to be able to concentrate long enough on any one task. While her new phone logged into the cloud and uploaded all of her apps, messages, and contacts, Arizona pulled out her laptop and set to work. She wanted to prove to Callie that she wanted this and it was as big of a priority to her as it was to the Latina. She googled bridal shops in Portland and wrote down the names and addresses of several that she thought both she and Callie might want to visit. She also spent some time looking at florists, venues, and bakeries in the Seattle area, making notes on which ones looked promising and then began a page of tasks she and Callie needed to complete. Top of the list was a venue and guest list. She was perfectly happy with a small, intimate ceremony outside but she wasn't sure if Callie would want that. She knew the Latina had put a lot of time and thought into this day starting early in childhood and she didn't want her to be disappointed.

Arizona took a break to order food for herself and Callie. She wasn't sure what time the Latina would be home but she hoped it would be soon as she watched the clock strike seven. She hadn't meant to spend so much time working on wedding plans but once she had started, she had become invested. Putting her laptop and research aside, she set the table, lit a few candles, and poured two glasses of wine, putting them in the fridge to chill. The doorbell rang twenty minutes later and Arizona gave the delivery man a hefty tip. She had ordered steak and lobster for two, hoping that Callie would be home by the time the food was delivered. She brought the food over to the counter and picked up her phone, noting that Callie had texted.

On my way home.

Knowing Callie was still mad by the lack of messages and the shortness of the ones she did send, Arizona took a deep breath and started dishing out their food. The text had come fifteen minutes ago, meaning Callie would be walking in any moment. Just as Arizona sat the bowl of salad and garlic bread in the center of the table, she heard the garage door open. She grabbed their wine from the fridge quickly and checked the table one last time. Candles were lit, a fresh vase of flowers created the center piece, and she had pulled out the fine china and cloth linens. All of her research was neatly stacked on the bar, she intended to go over it with Callie after they had dinner. Hurrying to the door, Arizona made it just as Callie walked through so she could remove her coat for her.

"What's all this?" Callie asked, her tone icy.

"Me groveling."

"I'm not in the mood, Arizona."

"Please, just sit and have dinner with me and hear me out Calliope. Please. I have missed you so much and I was inconsiderate, I'm sorry."

"Is that lobster?" Callie asked, looking over Arizona's shoulder.

"Maybe." Arizona replied.

"Hmmm, you really are groveling."

"Is it working?" Arizona asked, unable to stop the small smile that spread on her lips.

"Maybe."

"Does that mean you will sit and have dinner with me?"

"Yes, but only because there's lobster."

"There's also red velvet cake."

"Maybe you should grovel more often." Callie replied with an arched eyebrow.

"No, I hate fighting with you." The blonde replied as she gestured for Callie to sit at the table. Arizona pulled her chair out for her and then rounded the table to sit at her own seat.

"This smells amazing."

"I know, I'm starving. I forgot to eat today."

"Arizona, you were home all day, how did you forget to eat?"

"I slept until one thirty and then I got lost in a bit of research. I only meant to spend an hour or so but before I knew it I was five hours in and half a notebook full of questions, tasks, and all sorts of shops that I color coded but I'll show you that after we eat." Arizona rambled as she shoved a piece of bread into her mouth. Callie couldn't help but smile at her. The irritation she had felt toward the blonde all day was quickly wearing off.

Dinner was quiet, aside from little moans of pleasure coming from both women as they ate their food. When dinner was done, Arizona cleaned up while Callie went to take a shower. The blonde took the time to lay out her findings in an organized manner to go over with Callie before pouring them each some more wine and lit a fire to ward off the chill that an incoming cold front had brought. Arizona's phone chimed and buzzed like crazy as all of the texts, emails, and alerts finally loaded onto her new phone. She picked it up and saw several messages from friends and family over the weekend as well as some from an unknown number.

"What the hell?" Arizona whispered out loud as several photos and videos loaded.

The first was of Jo and two women she didn't recognize at a club, followed by several more photos of a group including Callie sitting at a table drinking. She smiled as she saw the group on the dance floor, thinking one of Callie's ortho friends or Jo must have sent them to her. The next was a video of Callie getting a lap dance from a stripper. Arizona's eyebrow arched at that, seems like her Latina had a little groveling of her own to do, she thought with a smirk, trying to figure out how to play this to her advantage. She would never admit it to Callie but the green eyed monster was slightly awakened by the Latina's lap dance, coupled with the fact that she hadn't told her about said lap dance and she figured she might be able to get back in Callie's good graces. If she thought the lap dance threw her off though, the next photo was a shock. She had seen the male anatomy on another occasion but nothing prepared her for it. This unsolicited photo of the male phallus had a note written at the bottom of the picture that read, This is really what satisfies her. The next one was a picture that made Arizona sick to her stomach, Callie was asleep in bed with a man she could only assume was Arthur shirtless and spooning her from behind. He had obviously snapped the selfie while Callie slept and the familiar black and red suitcase in the background gave no doubt that it was her fiance's hotel room. The last picture was of the roses she had sent her fiancé in the trash with a bouquet of forget me not flowers replacing them in the vase. A note attached to the vase read Enjoy her now because her experiment in lesbo land is over, she wants me back. Arizona fought down the bile and the tears as her brain scrambled for an explanation but she only could come up with one and her brain couldn't process it. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe.

"Arizona, what's all this?" Callie asked, referring to the wedding plans spread across the bar in their kitchen. Arizona had been too engrossed in the texts and hadn't heard her come down the stairs. Without turning around, Arizona replied.

"My research. I'll be right back." And with that, Arizona made her way up to their room, bypassing the bed and going straight to the toilet where the contents of her dinner appeared.

"Baby, are you sick?" Callie asked from the doorway, having followed Arizona upstairs. Callie ran to the sink, wetting a washcloth and handed it to Arizona. The brunette's hands quickly felt Arizona's forehead and cheeks. "You don't feel hot."

Arizona's stomach recoiled again. She was trying to get her breathing under control but she was in the midst of a full blown panic attack. She could see the concern on Callie's face but that just made her more anxious. Arizona clutched her chest as breathing began to cause the familiar chest pains, she closed her eyes and tried to remember her grounding exercises but she couldn't focus. She knew Callie was talking to her but her voice was muffled and sounded far away as if she were speaking underwater.

"I just need a minute." Arizona finally gasped out as Callie tried to pull her up from the bathroom floor.

Finally, Arizona remembered her tapping exercises and she began tapping on her upper arms even as she kept her head between her knees. Once the tapping had slowed her breathing she worked on her senses, five things she could see, four things she could touch, three things she could hear, two things she could smell, one thing she could taste. She took a few shaky deep breaths before the tears and trembling started.

"Hey, hey, talk to me. What's going on? I've never seen you like this." Callie said from her position kneeled down in front of Arizona. She handed the blonde a glass of water and her toothbrush and watched as Arizona gratefully took them and rinsed her mouth. "Come on, I'm putting you to bed."

Arizona didn't resist as Callie helped her stand on shaky legs. At the moment, she welcomed the familiar and secure feeling of Callie's arms around her. She trusted Callie and kept trying to think of a logical explanation for those photos but she could come up with nothing logical to explain them in her current state. She was too exhausted to fight tonight though, her anxiety attack taking every ounce of energy from her. And if she was honest with herself, she was afraid to confront Callie. What if it was just a mistake, could she forgive her? And if it wasn't did that mean Callie was going to end things?

"Will you hold me? Just for a minute?" Arizona asked as Callie helped her into bed. She hated how needy her voice sounded but if things were about to end with Callie, she needed this. She needed to feel close to her and revel in the safety of her arms before she could face what might happen next.

"I'll hold you all night if you want, baby." Callie said as she climbed into bed beside Arizona and wrapped her arms around her. Arizona snuggled into Callie's chest and breathed in her scent deeply, causing the tears to form again.

"I love you Calliope."

"I love you too, so much. You scared me tonight. Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Not yet. I just want to lay here with you for a little while longer."

"But you will tell me when you're ready?"

"I will."

The couple laid there in silence in the dark for a long while. As Arizona's logical brain came back into focus she knew there had to be a reasonable explanation for what she had just seen. The longer Callie held her, the more clear things became as her anxiety ebbed away. She placed a kiss on Callie's chest before she sat up and grabbed the Latina's hand in an attempt to lead her back downstairs.

"Wait, Arizona, I need an explanation, honey. You really scared me." Callie said, pulling the blonde back onto the bed.

"I know and I'm going to but it will be easier to show you." Arizona said.

She placed a quick kiss on Callie's lips and then grabbed her by the hand and led her downstairs to the couch where she had left her phone. She handed Callie the newly purchased phone as the brunette looked at her in confusion. Arizona took a deep breath and paced the floor in front of her chewing on her lip before she spoke.

"I had an altercation with Joann on Thursday night which is how my phone got broken." Arizona started. Callie's head shot up and she arched an eyebrow at the blonde, unsure where this was going or why she just was telling her this now.

"Is that why you just had a panic attack?"

"No but it's relevant so just hear me out, ok? Anyway, she showed up drunk at the hospital to see Steven and she nearly fell but I caught her. Unfortunately in the process my phone fell to the floor and slid into the wall which is how it broke. I stayed at the hospital that night with Edwards and Murphy in my office. The three of us slept on the floor and watched old surgical tapes while Joann slept off her alcohol intoxication on the couch of my office. I couldn't let her in to Steven in that condition. I got a new phone on my way home the next day and I added your number right away but I didn't wait for the phone company to transfer everything for me. You and I talked that night and I fell asleep on the couch but I got called in a few hours later and spent all of Saturday in surgery. When I got home Saturday night I was exhausted and then Sunday morning I was getting ready for you to get home when I got called in again. I was exhausted and cranky so I picked a fight with you which I didn't want to do because I am so excited to start planning our wedding. I just was hoping that this weekend we could be alone since you just got home and I'll be leaving for Malawi soon. Anyway, with all of that going on, I forgot to download everything to my phone so while I was doing research today, I finally did that and all of my missed texts, emails, and videos came through. I've been getting all my texts and phone calls since I got the new phone but in the hours of having a broken phone, I didn't get those until tonight apparently. They've been coming in today so I checked them while you were upstairs." Arizona explained, barely taking a breath as she rambled the story quickly before leaning over Callie and unlocking her phone.

"What's going on?"

"I'm not sure who sent me these but open the ones from this number. I think I deserve an explanation, Calliope." Arizona said, showing Callie the unknown number.

Callie opened the thread Arizona pointed to and the blonde watched her carefully, waiting for her reaction. She wasn't sure how exactly Callie would respond but she was sure it was going to be explosive. At first a smile crossed Callie's face as she saw the pictures of the friends dancing and posing for the camera, she looked up at Arizona and winked.

"I guess I have some groveling of my own to do, huh?" Callie asked as she watched the video of herself getting a lap dance.

"Yea, you do but we will talk about that later." Arizona said. She really wasn't mad about the lap dance, she could see Callie's discomfort in the video but she wasn't going to let the Latina off that easily.

Callie switched to the next photo and the change in her demeanor was immediate. A hand covered her mouth and her eyes flipped up and met Arizona's. Arizona knew immediately that whoever took those pictures had done it without Callie's knowledge or consent and the brunette looked genuinely upset and confused.

"Arizona...I didn't...I wouldn't…"

"I know. I do know that, Callie and I do believe you but I still need some sort of explanation. How did that happen? Who sent me those photos? Who is that in bed with you?"

"It's Arthur." Callie whispered, realization crossing her face. Arizona saw it cross the Latina's face and she mistook the look for guilt.

"Oh God." Arizona replied, her worst fear coming to life as her stomach threatened to empty again.

"Arizona, no, it's not what you think." Callie said, standing and grabbing the blonde's wrist firmly before she could walk away.

"Ok, ok, I'm listening." Arizona said. Her temper was flaring but she was trying hard to keep it at bay along with her rational thought. She reminded herself that she trusted Callie and she deserved to get the opportunity to explain whatever this was.

"Arthur went out with us to the club, which turned out to be a strip club of sorts. His friends made reservations at the club without our knowledge of it involving a strip club. I didn't know until we were there and seated, I swear, Arizona. Owen, Jo, and I didn't stay long, we left right after Arthur pulled that stunt with buying me a lap dance. The three of us went back to the hotel and drank some beer and had a few too many shots. Owen basically carried Jo up to our floor and I was leaning heavily on him so he dropped us both off in my room which was closest to the elevator for him. Jo fell asleep on the bed so I took the couch but I was woken up in the middle of the night by a banging on the door. It was Arthur and he was making a scene and screaming in the hallway. He lost his wallet and hotel keys so Jo and I let him sleep on the couch and I got in bed with Jo. It was after four am and the front desk opened at seven. I told him he had to be out by the time the front desk opened. When we woke up, he was gone."

"How did he get my number to send me these?"

"I let him use my phone to call Graham, he went out on the balcony. That bastard took your number from my phone." Callie said. Now that the shock was wearing off, the anger was flaring. "Coming after me is bad enough but coming after my fiance, sending that picture to you, he crossed a line, Arizona."

"Callie…"

"I can't believe he did this." Callie said, now pacing the floor, "And to think I was nice to him. I bet he wasn't even drunk. I bet he never lost his keys or wallet. Oh my God he planned this. He did this to cause problems."

"Callie..."

"He was hoping he would make you think I slept with him..." Callie said, suddenly stopping her pacing and turning to face Arizona.

"Callie..."

"Arizona, I didn't, I would never, not with Arthur, not with anyone."

"I know that Callie. I believe you."

"But?"

"I'm still mad. I just need a little time to be mad. I'm not running, I'm not leaving, I'm just so mad. Not at you, just at this entire situation. Ok maybe a little bit at you but mostly at the situation." Arizona replied. She was being honest. Both she and Callie had dealt with their exes while they were apart and it made her angry beyond reason.

"Ok." Callie said, sighing out a breath of relief.

"What are you doing?" Arizona asked as Callie brought Arizona's phone to her ear.

"I'm calling the bastard." Callie replied but she cursed a moment later, "The phone number is no longer in service. I should have known he would be too smart to use his own phone, it must have been a prepaid or a burner or something."

"Do you still have his number?" Arizona asked, she wasn't sure she wanted the answer though.

"No. I have no reason to have it. We aren't friends, I never wanted to be his friend not before all of this and certainly not now."

"What kind of scene was he making for you to let him in your room in the middle of the night?"

"He was screaming that he loved me and then he started talking about an intimate encounter that we shared and how he would like to recreate that. A little old lady opened her door, he was going to wake the entire floor so I opened the door to shut him up."

"I need a drink." Arizona said. She walked to the kitchen and picked up the forgotten wine she had poured earlier and downed her glass in one gulp before picking up the bottle and refilling her glass.

"So this is what had you all worked up earlier?"

"Yea. I'm sorry, I saw those pictures and all logical thought left my brain. I just went straight to the worst case scenario and was sure you were about to leave me."

"I'm a little hurt that you thought that for even a second."

"I know and I'm sorry but Callie that was a shock. I mean what would you think if someone sent pictures like that to you?"

"Ok, I get your point. God I am so angry with him but also mad at myself because I know what kind of person he is and I let him nearly come between me and the most important person in my life. Say he hasn't succeeded. Please tell me we're ok." Callie said, beginning to get tearful.

"Hey, hey, I'm upset, I need some time to process and I reserve the right to be upset for a little bit but Calliope, I'm not going anywhere. We will be ok, I promise." Arizona replied, pulling Callie in for a hug.

"What are we going to do about this?" Callie asked.

"Well, the number doesn't work anymore so there's no point in blocking it. We can't prove he sent the pictures, though the pictures themselves are pretty incriminating. He didn't accomplish what he set out to do so I think we should just ignore it. He's looking for a reaction so we don't give him one."

"I don't want to ignore it. I want to strangle him with my bare hands."

"Here, sit with me, have a drink." Arizona said, trying to calm her fiance. She knew she was as upset as Arizona with this so she was trying very hard to get past the unpleasant emotions she was feeling at the moment for Callie's sake. She patted the stool next to her and Callie climbed up on it and sat obediently, taking a long gulp of her red wine. "Better?"

"Much. Is this your research?" Callie asked, feeling the need for a subject change, though she knew they still needed to talk about this.

"Yes but I'm not sure now is the best time to go through it."

"Will it help distract me?"

"I think it probably will, yes."

"Then show it to me, please?"

"Well, I may have gone a bit overboard but the first page is a list of things we need to do. The next few pages are color coded, floral shops, possible venues, bakeries...I guess the first thing we should do is discuss what we want. I also looked up the addresses of some bridal shops in Portland that we might want to visit this weekend. I know I reacted badly to your surprise but I really am excited to start planning."

"You did all this today?"

"Yea, I didn't intend to do all of this but once I got started I just got into this hole that kept getting deeper. We have so much to do and I thought maybe organizing it a little would help us keep track of tasks that are completed and tasks that still need to be completed."

"This is amazing. I know I make fun of your crazy, control freak, type A personality but I'm serious, Arizona, this is incredible."

"I think before we look at venues we need to come up with a guest list. I have no idea what you're thinking when it comes to the size of the wedding. Once we determine how many guests, we can discuss what type of venue we want and which ones are suitable for the number of guests we expect to have."

"Do you think you can complete a list by the end of the week?" Callie asked.

"I can work on it, yea. Are we going with everyone we want to invite or are we setting a limit?"

"I don't want to leave anyone out that either of us want there by setting a limit but I also only want people there that are important to us. No obligatory invites. I don't feel the need to invite my mom's bridge friends just because they are within her social circle."

"I agree." Arizona replied with a smile.

"Are we inviting work people?"

"I think so. Not everyone needs to be invited but I really have very few friends outside of work now. There's a few people I would like there if they want to come."

"I agree." Callie replied with a smile.

"I know you're excited to go through all of this but I'm exhausted. Can we go to bed and do the rest of this tomorrow?"

"Yea I don't go in until one."

"I have a meeting with the chief, Teddy, and a representative from the Carter Madison Foundation tomorrow at one. Apparently they are going to give me a list of potential candidates they are looking at to replace Lexie with. I am trying very hard to get a resident to go, it's a great learning opportunity but in addition to the two cardiac surgeries Teddy and I are doing, they now have two kids requiring orthopedic surgery so they are pushing for an orthopedic surgeon."

"I heard that at the conference but I didn't believe it."

"Would you say yes to going if I can get them to agree? After that conference, you should be the top choice for something like this."

"Normally I'd agree with you but the chief asked Owen and I today to operate on a senator's daughter. It's a very high profile patient and he wants us both on it."

"But the senator's daughter has access to any ortho surgeon in the world. These children in Africa are lucky to see a doctor at all, let alone have the money to pay for one."

"And the Senator requested me, by name." Callie replied quietly.

"Oh Calliope, that is awesome! Really, I am so proud of you. I'm sorry, you're right. Of course you should do this. I just want these kids to have the best and that is you. Not to mention I now know just how much I am going to miss you."

"If I hadn't already agreed to this, I would definitely consider Malawi. Maybe next year I can go with you."

"I would really love that."

"Come on, let's go to bed. I want to just hold my fiance tonight but tomorrow we need to talk about wedding stuff and I am also going to need the full story about what happened with Joann."

"Only if you let me hold you too."

"Deal." Callie said. She pulled Arizona up from her seat and the couple made their way upstairs.

The next morning, the couple talked over coffee, both filling the other in on the events that took place between them and their exes while they were apart. Callie was furious, as Arizona knew she would be when the blonde showed her the bruise on her ear from Joann's successful attempt at a love bite. Arizona felt the now familiar and uncomfortable twinges of jealousy as she listened to Callie's replay of her lunch in the park. With both women having their emotions running high and the knowledge that they would soon be making decisions about their upcoming nuptials, things quickly became heated and Arizona wasn't the only one with rug burns on her ass this time as the couple walked into the hospital hours later hand in hand.

Callie walked Arizona to the chief's office for her meeting and kissed her goodbye before heading to her lab to replace her files before heading off to prep for her first surgery of the day. Arizona watched the brunette leave, subconsciously adjusting the silk scarf she wore to cover the marks Callie had possessively left on her neck while she waited for the chief to answer.

"Dr. Robbins, come in come in." Webber said as he opened the door with a smile and saw the peds surgeon standing there.

Arizona took a seat at the small table on the far side of the chief's office next to Teddy. The representative from the Carter Madison Foundation hadn't arrived yet so the chief asked Dottie to get the two doctors some coffee while they waited. The three of them chatted quietly about Callie's presentation and Arizona couldn't help but smile at the chief's enthusiasm with Callie's work. A knock at the door sounded and the chief stood to answer.

"Hello Dr. Jensen, please come in." Arizona heard Dr. Webber say as he answered the door. The blonde's head shot up as she saw Hal Jensen enter the room, a wide smile on her face.

"How are you?" Arizona asked, standing to greet the older man.

"I'm well. You look just as beautiful as ever of course."

"Hal, this is Dr. Teddy Altman, she is the Cardiothoracic surgeon joining me for the trip to Malawi."

"I've heard so many good things about you Dr. Altman." Hal said, shaking the other blonde's hand.

"Likewise. I am very excited to see this clinic Arizona has been raving about."

"Me too. I will be joining you this time." Hal revealed.

"You're one of the representatives from the foundation." Arizona replied with a smile.

"Guilty."

"Now, to discuss a replacement for Dr. Lexie Grey." The chief said, getting to the point. "I know you have requested Dr. Torres as the orthopedic surgeon but I am afraid I have already selected her for a high profile case. As Dr. Robbins will already be out of the country, I have promised Senator Zuckerman the best orthopedic surgeon to operate on his daughter."

"I thought you might be reluctant to offer Dr. Torres given her recent success and attention in the media so I have a few other candidates to consider."

"Are you considering an orthopedic surgeon then?" Teddy asked.

"I would like to suggest Jo Wilson. She is an excellent resident and a quick study. She is Dr. Torres's personal choice for the ortho program and is learning under her."

"I'm afraid Dr. Wilson is needed here to assist Dr. Torres. This too will be a great learning opportunity for her Dr. Robbins." The chief replied, effectively vetoing Arizona's nomination.

"I am also hesitant with the resident angle. I need an experienced orthopedic surgeon to handle the two cases and possible third we have in Malawi. We are hoping to make a decision by the end of the week. We wanted to make sure that Dr. Torres was off the table before making a decision between the other three candidates. We will have a skype call on Thursday afternoon with all ten of you so you can meet each other." Hal said.

"If you haven't made a decision yet, I don't understand what the meeting today is about." Arizona said.

"We have your schedule and itinerary to go over and I was asked to get Dr. Webber's opinion on the candidates. I was also sent to try to talk you into staying at the clinic until April first."

"I'm sorry, I can't even consider that at this time, Hal. I am getting married at the beginning of June and I have an agreement with my fiance."

"Well, I thought I would at least try." Hal replied.

"If there's nothing else, we have surgery in an hour." Teddy said, gathering her schedule and the itinerary for their upcoming trip overseas.

"You both are dismissed. See you Thursday afternoon at three for the skype call." Richard said, opening the door for Teddy and Arizona.

"See you then. Have a good afternoon." Hal said, waving goodbye to the two female doctors.

"Too bad Callie can't come to Malawi with us, it would be a lot of fun." Teddy said as the two walked down to the cafeteria for a quick meal before the surgery they were performing together on the baby Addie had delivered the week before.

"I know but this surgery is going to get her a lot more attention and she deserves to be in the spotlight right now."

"Can you believe they asked you to stay at the clinic in Malawi until April?" Teddy asked as the two got in line for food.

"They what?" Callie asked, approaching from behind.

"Hey Callie." Teddy said, turning around to greet Callie and then shooting Arizona a smile before going to pay for her salad, leaving the couple in line.

"We just got out of our meeting. They sent Hal Jensen and he tried hard to convince the chief to send you to Malawi but Webber wouldn't give you up. Then he asked me to stay at the clinic until April first…"

"I can't believe this."

"Callie, wait. I told him no. I told him I couldn't even consider it." Arizona said, stopping Callie from walking away.

"You did?"

"Of course I did. We are getting married in June. Aside from that, we have an agreement and even if I didn't consider you or your feelings, I have a commitment to this hospital, my residents, and my patients. My life is here, in Seattle. Do I miss the work I did in Malawi? Yes, I do because I wonder about the kids I could help there. But there are kids here that need me too. I'm not the only surgeon that can help the kids in Malawi and I'm not the only surgeon that can help the kids here in Seattle but I am the only person that gets to marry you and I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world."

"How long until your surgery?" Callie asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes that Arizona immediately recognized.

"Not enough time for that Dr. Torres." Arizona replied with a smirk. "Besides, your surgery is in twenty minutes. What are you doing down here?"

"I just came to grab a coffee and something sweet before I go into surgery."

"Something sweet? That's unusual for you."

"Yea I also have cramps so it makes perfect sense to me." Callie replied.

"Ah yes, how can I forget? I'll make sure to stock up on chocolate, tampons, and pamprin when I stop at the store after work." Arizona replied with a knowing smile.

"Thanks babe. I have to head off to surgery. I'll see you tonight at home, it's going to be a late night for me."

"Ok, I have surgery with Teddy on the baby and then I am going to round on the peds ward and head home. I have a light schedule this week."

"Ok, I'll message you before I leave." Callie said before giving Arizona a quick kiss on the cheek and leaving Arizona to pay for her salad.

"Everything ok in paradise?" Teddy asked.

"I'm not sure Teds." Arizona said. She filled her in on Arthur and Joann as she ate her salad and carrot sticks.

"Wow this Arthur sounds like a real piece of work and don't get me started on Joann." Teddy replied.

The pair of friends finished their lunch and headed down to the locker room to change into scrubs and get ready for their surgery. They kept the conversation light but promised a dinner date in the near future to catch up on each other's lives. Even living in the same city now, the two seemed to see each other only in passing at work. The surgery on the infant went flawlessly and according to plan. Arizona was assisting Teddy with closing up the tiny chest when her paged sounded loudly.

"Get it, I'm all set here." Teddy replied.

Arizona removed her gloves and gown then entered the scrub room and scrubbed out before having the nurse hand her the offending pager. She looked down at it and cursed before taking the stairs up to the fourth floor. She exited the stairwell to see Alex Karev hurrying toward her with a look of distress on his face.

"Steven?" Arizona asked.

"He's gone. I pronounced time of death about a minute after I paged you. I just wanted to let you know in person."

"What do you need me to do, Alex?"

"Nothing, I've got this. I think it would be best if you don't go in there. We had to call security on Joann, she caused a huge scene. I think you should steer clear of there for right now."

"Thank you for telling me, Alex. Can you handle rounds on your own?"

"No problem, boss."

Arizona sent Callie a quick text letting her know she was leaving for the day and she would see her at home before quickly leaving the hospital. She made it to the store and home without any real memory of getting there. The peds surgeon felt numb. She knew Steven was suffering and hospice had been the best choice for him but still, losing a patient that was so young was never easy and she always wondered if she had done everything possible. It was no exception with Steven. She let the tears of grief fall knowing that it was part of the process she had learned when first choosing her specialty. She no longer tried to keep them at bay, she let them fall, she grieved each tiny life, and then she moved on to the next one, hoping the outcome would be different.

The week passed quickly for Arizona. Joann had attempted to contact her on several occasions but Arizona had not returned any of her attempts of communication. Steven's funeral was scheduled for Friday and even though Callie had offered for them to get a later start to Portland so Arizona could attend the funeral, the blonde had decided against it. It wasn't that she never attended her patient's funerals but in this case, she felt it was best for everyone involved if she didn't attend.

It was now Thursday afternoon and she was once again headed to the chief's office. Callie was off now until Monday afternoon and once she was done with this meeting, she would be free until Monday as well. Teddy and Addie were planning to stay at their house that night for a little sleep over prior to their departure in the morning to Portland and Arizona was very much looking forward to the time with Callie and their two friends.

"Hello, come in." Webber said as Arizona and Teddy knocked at his door.

"Hello there Dr. Robbins, I think you have met my colleague, Dr. Joclyn Lachlan. Dr. Lachlan, this is Dr. Teddy Altman, she is one of two cardiothoracic surgeons joining us in Malawi." Hal said from the screen that was pulled up on a big monitor that had been brought into the chief's office and placed at the center of the table.

"It's nice to see you again, Arizona. And nice to meet you Teddy." Joclyn said.

"The doctors from Johns Hopkins, Dr. Winston Channing, general surgery and Dr. Naomi Marshall, an obstetrician, are already on the screen as you seel." Hal said, pointing out an older doctor with graying hair and watery blue eyes and a much younger woman with dark features and black curly hair. He pointed to the upper corner of the screen where a very young looking male and female doctor sat, "These two are joining us from Mass general, Dr. Karsyn Sherry is in general surgery and Dr. Isaac Irving, is our other cardiothoracic surgeon."

"Who else will be joining us, Dr. Jensen?" The female doctor from Mass General asked. She had short dark hair and strikingly green eyes hidden behind horn rimmed glasses.

"We are still waiting on a doctor from Stanford, ah, here he is Dr. Malcolm Stanley. Dr. Robbins, he is the other pediatric surgeon joining us."

"Nice to meet you, I've heard so much about you." Dr. Stanley said to Arizona.

"I'm looking forward to working with you." Arizona said. Teddy caught her attention as the last surgeon popped on screen.

"Yum, he's like a nerdy Shemar Moore." Teddy whispered in Arizona's ear, causing the blonde to shake her head and smile.

"At last, I can announce our ortho surgeon from New York Presbyterian, Dr. Arthur Blake." Joclyn said.

"What?" Arizona whispered, her head turning back to the screen quickly.

"Since you're late to the meeting, I will go around and introduce everyone for you, Dr. Blake." Hal said to the cocky young man that had popped up on the screen.

"What's wrong?" Teddy asked Arizona quietly in her ear.

"I'll explain later." Arizona whispered back.

The meeting lasted an hour, going over details of what to expect. Arizona explained the daily life of the village they were staying in. No one was happy to hear they had no running water or electricity in the rented homes they were afforded by the foundation. They did have an area for bathing and a latrine for their use attached to the clinic, one for men and one for women. There was also electricity and running water at the clinic. As far as the clinic went, it was a fairly new structure with much more supplies than they had been afforded in Afghanistan but still, it was sparse compared to what they were used to. By the time the meeting ended, Arizona was exhausted. She had used all of her energy to remain professional and not get emotional at the fact that she would be spending sixteen days with Callie's ex-fiance who had just confessed his love to Callie.

As they walked to their vehicles, Arizona explained the situation to Teddy. The cardiothoracic surgeon's eyes enlarged when she realized where she had heard the ortho surgeon's name before. Deciding to leave her car in the lot for the weekend, Arizona climbed into Teddy's car with her and the women stopped off at the liquor store before heading to Arizona's house for the much needed girls night.

"How do you think Callie will react?" Teddy asked as she parked in her friend's driveway.

"She's going to blow a gasket. Should I tell her now or wait until after this weekend? I don't want to hide it from her but I also want her to enjoy the weekend without this hanging over our heads."

"Tell her now. You know she will sense there's something wrong. You might as well get it over with."

"Why Teddy? Why can't anything just ever be easy for us?" Arizona asked, dramatically throwing her head back into the seat.

"Maybe you're going through the hard stuff now so it can be easier later. Or maybe it's just life. I'm not really sure but I do know you're lucky to have someone to go through it with. Now, come on drama queen, your fiance and Addie await and I can't wait for a fruity drink and a dip in the hot tub. Wait, you guys did clean it after..."

"Yes, God, yes Teddy, never ever bring that up again. Bleh." Arizona said while squeezing her eyes shut as if that would permanently erase the images of her parents from her head. Teddy laughed and got out of the car to fetch the newly purchased alcohol from the trunk.

"Nice of you two to join the party." Addie said as the two blondes entered the house through the garage. The red head was holding a bottle of red wine in her hands and there was no glass in sight. She was clad in an emerald green bikini that made her skin look striking and her long legs seem twice as long.

"Where's Callie?" Arizona asked, looking around for her fiance.

"She went to change into her bikini so we could have some drinks in the hot tub."

"Teds, why don't you go ahead and change and Callie and I will meet you two out there in a few minutes." Arizona suggested. Teddy nodded her head in understanding and headed toward the downstairs guest room only to be stopped by Addie.

"I already claimed the bigger bed." Addie smiled. Teddy huffed and pulled her bikini from her bag to change in the downstairs bathroom. She didn't want to change upstairs and chance overhearing Callie's reaction.

"Callie?" Arizona asked, knocking on their bedroom door.

"Hey babe. How was your meeting?" Callie asked, emerging from their bathroom with an armful of towels. She was dressed in the red bikini that Arizona loved. There wasn't a bikini that Callie wore that the blonde didn't love now that she thought about it.

"Have I told you how sexy you look in that bikini and I really wish Addie and Teddy weren't joining us in the hot tub tonight." Arizona said, removing the towels from the brunette's arms and placing them on the bed so she could wrap her arms around her.

"Mmm, you have but you can say it again." Callie said, pulling Arizona in for a heated kiss. Just as the blonde's hands began to roam, Callie pulled back and handed Arizona the royal blue bikini from on top of the towels, "Get changed, sexy time later."

"Ugh." Arizona huffed but she began to undress.

"So you didn't answer, how was the meeting? Did they announce the ortho surgeon?" Callie asked as she went into the closet to pull out a few things to remember to pack in the suitcase for their weekend trip.

"They did and you know him." Arizona said she couldn't see Callie anymore as she had disappeared in the closet.

"I do? Who is it?" Callie asked, walking back into the room as Arizona pulled her bikini bottoms up.

"Arthur Blake." Arizona said, looking Callie in the eyes as they both stood there clad only in their bikinis.

"That's not funny, Arizona."

"I'm not joking, Callie. I wish I was."

"You're not serious." Callie said in one last attempt at denial.

"Baby, I am. Arthur Blake is the orthopedic surgeon selected to go to Malawi with us."

"No, this can't be happening."

"I'm afraid the decision has already been made."

"What if I tell them that I want to go instead?"

"I think it's too late for that. Besides, like you said, this surgery that you and Owen are doing is a big deal for you. It is going to really get your name out there. You deserve to have this Callie."

"I don't want him anywhere near you."

"What's he going to do? It's you that he wants, Callie. So maybe he's going to try to get under my skin, it will only work if I let it. But he can't get under my skin, do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because in five months, I will be Mrs. Dr. Calliope Torres. I get to marry you. I already have you. There's no reason for me to fight with him. I have what he wants and I am not letting you go." Arizona replied. She wrapped her arms around Callie once more and placed a hard kiss on her lips.

"I still don't like it."

"Neither do I but let's not let it ruin our happiness, ok? Right now our best friends are in our hot tub with alcohol waiting for us. And tomorrow morning we are meeting our moms and your sister in Portland to shop for wedding dresses. I have my guest list completed so we might even be able to nail down a venue before I leave for Malawi. Let's just focus on that and each other, ok?"

"Ok." Callie agreed, placing another kiss on Arizona's lips.

"Let's get this dress shopping started!" Aria said as she walked into the lobby of the hotel where the group of women were staying.

"I'm so excited! Where to first?" Callie asked her sister.

"Well, Addie, Mami, you and I are going to start with the shops on the East side and Arizona, Teddy, Sara, and Barbara are going to the shops on the West side of town and then we will switch if neither of you have found a dress yet."

"Wait, we're splitting up?" Callie asked.

"Why?" Arizona asked, her hand sliding into Callie's.

"Because, hija, you cannot go dress shopping for your wedding together." Lucia replied as if the answer were obvious.

"She has a point." Arizona replied, knowing they weren't going to win this argument.

"We are going to meet for lunch at the hotel at one." Aria said.

Callie kissed Arizona goodbye as she watched her climb into one of two vehicles that had been ordered for them before she followed Addie into the backseat of their car. They arrived at the first shop five minutes later and within twenty minutes, Callie was in a dressing room with five dresses. She looked through the five that she had selected with the help of her mom, sister, and Addie and selected the one that she liked the best. She closed her eyes for a moment and turned and looked at herself in the long mirror. The dress was gorgeous but it wasn't quite what she had in mind, still she came out to show it off to everyone.

"How does it feel, Callie?" Addie asked.

"It's beautiful but it's not quite right." Callie replied.

"I kind of had a feeling. Go try on another one." Addie encouraged.

Callie tried on the other four quickly but none of them were what she was looking for. She tried on two more but those weren't correct either so they moved on to the next dress shop. The process was repeated. She tried on gorgeous dress after gorgeous dress but none of them gave her the feeling she was hoping for. By the third shop, she was feeling slightly disheartened but she kept up appearances for the group anyway. This was her first time looking for dresses after all, did she really expect to find the perfect dress on the first try? After the third shop, the group headed back to the hotel to meet Arizona, Teddy, Sara (who had surprised them by joining Barbara), and Arizona's mother for lunch.

Across town at the shops they were at, Arizona was having a much better experience. Every dress she tried on made her feel like a princess and she enjoyed the experience much more than she had anticipated. At the second shop on her list, she had found the dress that she was sure she was going to wear on her wedding day. She would still go to the other three shops at her mom's insistence but she knew in her heart that she had found the perfect dress. No other dress had brought all four of them instantly to tears, it was what Arizona had been waiting for when she looked at herself in the mirror of her dressing room.

Arizona's group only had two shops on the West side of town so they made it back to the hotel first. Sara even had time for a little nap before lunch. She was nearly seven months pregnant by then and she looked like she had swallowed a small watermelon that was stuck low in her belly. At a quarter to one, the group of four women made their way down to the restaurant where they had made reservations and waited for Callie, Lucia, Aria, and Addison to return. They had just finished ordering drinks when the other four women arrived. Arizona rose and pulled Callie's chair out for her, placing a kiss on her cheek before sitting back in her seat beside her.

"Did you find anything you like?" Arizona asked once the other women had ordered their drinks.

"Not really. Did you find anything?"

"I think so but mom still wants to go to the other shops." Arizona replied. Noting Callie's quietness, she placed her hand over the other woman's, "Hey, are you ok?"

"Yea, just a little disappointed that I haven't found what I'm looking for yet."

"Well this is the first time we have gone looking for dresses. If you don't find something here, you can go to Boston and shop with mom or Miami and shop with Aria, Maria, Nonna, and Lucia. You will find your dress, Calliope, and you will look as stunning as ever."

"Thank you." Callie replied with a smile at her fiance.

The group ate a light lunch and chatted for a while before separating once again and heading to the last of the shops. Callie had better luck at the next two stores, she found a dress that she liked better than any of the others but she still didn't feel as if it were "the dress." She arrived back to the hotel that night empty handed and a little discouraged but she remembered what Arizona said and decided while the blonde was in Malawi that she would take a trip to Miami and see if she could find a dress there. Having a plan in place, the brunette felt far less disappointed and decided to join her sister at the pool while they waited for Arizona's group to return.

Arizona tried on dress after dress at the shops on the East side of the town but nothing even came close to the one she found at the second shop. The group all agreed to go back to the second shop for Arizona to try it on again. With Aria and Callie busy at the pool, Lucia and Addison met the group at the second shop which happened to be closest to the hotel. Arizona found the dress and tried it on in the dressing room with Teddy's help. Both women instantly became tearful as the sales woman clipped the dress where it needed to be altered. They walked out into the waiting area where their group sat together.

"Oh my God, Arizona, you're right, this is the dress." Addie said, covering her mouth as her eyes got misty.

"It is Zozo." Barbara said, crying too hard to say more.

"Arizona, you look stunning." Sara said, snapping a picture to send to Tim and Daniel.

"Lucia?" Arizona turned to ask the woman. Her face was buried in her hands and she had yet to offer an opinion. When she lifted her head up, Arizona could see the tears.

"You are absolutely beautiful, Arizona. Este vestido de novia es perfecto para ti."

"Gracias Lucia."

"You understood that?" Teddy asked in surprise.

"I guess hearing Callie speak Spanish so much has helped me understand much more Spanish than I did before. Maria has been teaching me and I also downloaded an app but I am not very good at speaking Spanish yet. I want to learn Spanish so when we have kids we can speak both languages with them. I might take a class at some point, I've been looking into it." Arizona replied.

"Arizona, you are just full of surprises." Lucia said with a smile.

"Go change honey. I will let them know we are going to buy this one." Barbara said, composing herself.

Addie and Lucia left to go back to the hotel before Callie noticed their absence while the other women stayed to pay for Arizona's dress. The seamstress clipped the dress and took Arizona's measurements so the dress could be altered. It would be ready to be picked up in three weeks, meaning there would be another trip to Portland in the near future. They had offered to ship it but Arizona was worried the measurements wouldn't be right so she had declined. She wanted to try on the dress before it left the store in case it needed further adjustments.

It was after six when Arizona returned to her hotel room. They were all planning to meet in Aria's suite for pizza in half an hour. Arizona found Callie asleep in bed still in her robe. She slowly removed every article of clothing before climbing up onto the bed with Callie. She slowly undid the loose knot in the belt that kept the fluffy robe closed and slid it over tan shoulders. Her lips followed the material, kissing the soft skin gently.

"Mmm, what are you doing?" Callie asked from beneath her.

"Taking advantage of you being naked under this robe."

"I have underwear on. Why are you naked?" Callie asked, rolling over and taking in the sight of her fiance.

"Because we have half an hour before we have to be to Aria's room and I spent the whole day looking at white dresses."

"And that does it for you, huh?"

"Apparently so. Now, less talking, more touching." Arizona said as she brought Callie's hand down and placed it between her thighs. Her own hand snaked down to Callie's center and was stopped upon trying to enter the black cotton panties the Latina was wearing.

"I can't." Callie said.

"You just showered and I don't mind." Arizona said, continuing her advances. She rubbed against the outside of Callie's underwear applying pressure against Callie's core. She could see the brunette caving before her eyes so she slipped a finger into the side of her panties and came in contact with Callie's clit causing the brunette to buck her hips.

"Together." Callie whispered, continuing her own circles against Arizona.

Arizona nodded in agreement and crashed her lips into Callie's for a needy and harsh kiss that left them both breathless. Callie's nipples were pressed against her own and Arizona was enjoying the feeling of their bare chests being smashed together while they touched each other. Arizona kept her touch light, knowing Callie had been having cramps and would be sensitive. When she felt the brunette responding positively to her circles, she applied more pressure, using her thigh for leverage.

"God Arizona, that feels so good."

"Shit Callie." Arizona whispered against her shoulder as she felt Callie's fingers enter her. Arizona held on, struggling to keep her rhythm against Callie going as the brunette gently but firmly pumped in and out of her, the heel of her hand pressing firmly against her clit, causing the blonde to reach climax quickly.

"Oh Arizona, I can't hold on much longer." Callie whimpered. Her orgasm was quickly approaching, the muscles in her abdomen already rippling and her legs shaking at the effort to hold off a little longer.

"God Callie, cum with me."

Callie couldn't hold off any longer, an orgasm crashed through her body causing her to convulse and shake against Arizona. Feeling Callie fall over the edge was all Arizona needed, her own orgasm causing her body to stiffen before she trembled all over. They removed their hands from each other slowly and laid in bed holding each other as their breathing returned to normal.

"I should shower." Arizona whispered a little while later.

"I'll join you. We can be a little late for dinner." Callie replied with a smile. She kissed Arizona's lips lightly before standing and leading her to the bathroom.

"You know, my dress will be ready in three weeks. I looked at the calendar, that's Valentine's Day weekend. Why don't we come down here and spend the night? Have a romantic evening on the town. I leave the following week for Malawi. It would be nice to have a night away with just the two of us."

"You found a dress?"

"I did." Arizona replied with a bright smile.

"I can't wait to see you in it."

"And you will on June seventh."

"It's starting to feel real." Callie replied with a giant smile.

"It really is. You are going to be my wife, I can't wait."

"Me neither." Callie said, kissing her blonde passionately.

"No, don't start that, we have to get dressed and meet everyone for dinner before they come pounding on the door." Arizona said, releasing herself from Callie's embrace and grabbing a towel.

"That ass though."

"Is all yours tonight babe. So, what do you think about Valentine's Day weekend?"

"Getting you to myself for a whole forty-eight hours, I would never say no to that." Callie replied with a wink.

*** Three Weeks Later ***

Callie

"Come on you don't really think that aliens exist do you?" Callie asked Arizona.

The couple was walking down the streets of Portland on their way to dinner and a movie for Valentine's Day. They had watched Signs together earlier in the week and Arizona had been trying to convince Callie that aliens really do exist ever since.

"Callie, I am telling you, Tim saw a spaceship once. We were on my grandparent's farm. Tim, Reese, and Trent were playing out in the cornfield one night when this unidentifiable object flew overhead. They told Dane and I about it the next morning and the five of us spent the rest of the week hunting for the spaceship."

"Did you ever consider Tim was teasing you?" Callie asked, suddenly interested in the story. She rarely heard the blonde talk about Dane.

"He wouldn't do that, Callie."

"Have you forgotten the masked man with a knife in Afghanistan already?" Callie asked with an arched eyebrow.

"But he was just a kid. I must have been no more than five. Do you think a seven year old would make that up to scare his little sister?"

"Absolutely." Callie replied, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"What happened to Dane?"

"Oh. Well, I guess I don't really know the answer to that. No one talks about it. I can tell you what I do know. As an adult now, I am fairly certain Dane was the product of an affair. I think he was my Uncle Darrel's illegitimate son. I know Dane spent time with us in the summers but lived with his mom who was not my Auntie Bev the rest of the time. That summer, with the spaceship, Dane's mom died. He was acting out, my Uncle Darrel always paid a lot of attention to me and said how much he had wanted a girl. I think that upset Dane even at our young age. He was six months younger but we were the same size. He pushed me off the dock one night. We had been looking for the spaceship and got into a silly argument and he just pushed me. I don't think he meant to hurt me, I saw the panic in his eyes and he immediately started screaming for help. I couldn't swim, I was scared of the pond because there were sometimes snakes around there but thankfully Trent saw the whole thing and jumped in and saved me. The twins must have been about eight at that time. My uncle was furious and I remember the adults fighting. After that week, Dane was gone. My mom said that he went to live with his mom's family and they didn't want him to visit us anymore but I think there's more to the story. I tried to find him once when I was in college but I didn't have any luck. Now I'm sure his last name was probably not Robbins and if it ever was, it could have been changed by now."

"Wow, that's sad. If you still want to find him, I could talk to my dad. He has a private detective he uses sometimes."

"Really? Your dad has his own PI?"

"Yes honey." Callie laughed at the blonde's childlike enthusiasm. She could just imagine the stories her fiance was creating in her head about that. "Come on, we're going to be late for our reservation."

After dinner, the couple went to a movie and then walked back to the Torres hotel they had stayed at on their last trip. Arizona was going to pick up her dress in the morning and then the couple would head home in the afternoon. They had exchanged Valentine's gifts before leaving their house for Portland that morning. Callie had given Arizona a bracelet and Arizona had found a watch she had inscribed for Callie with their initials and the date of their first date. Arizona had another gift for Callie but she was hesitant to give it to her, wanting to wait until closer to the time of her leaving so she had held off but she was thinking about it now as the couple got ready for bed.

"You ok?" Callie asked.

"I am." Arizona replied with a smile as she looked up at Callie.

"I think while you're picking up your dress tomorrow I am going to go shopping at the mall. There's a store I want to go to." Callie said. There were moments when she looked at Arizona and had felt so unbelievably lucky that she had chosen her. She felt that way now and an idea had popped in her head.

"Oh, if you wait for me, I can go with you."

"No, I want to get something for you so you can't." Callie said, kissing the tip of a freckled nose.

"Oh a surprise." Arizona said. Callie laughed, the blonde hated surprises but she loved presents.

"I have another surprise for you too." Callie said, undressing herself as she stalked toward her blonde.

"Oh and what would that be?" Arizona asked coyly.

Callie pounced and tackled Arizona to the bed, tickling her sides as they landed. The blonde squirmed and giggled beneath her until the touches became more sensual and the giggles turned into moans. Callie took her time worshipping the lithe body beneath her. When the couple finally collapsed, exhausted after a night of passion, the sun was coming up.

*** Five Days Later ***

"Callie, are you home?" Arizona called as she removed her coat and dropped her purse on the bench of the hall tree by the garage door.

"Over here." Callie called, waving her hand from her position laying on the couch. She had taken the day off today since Arizona left in the morning for sixteen days in Malawi. Arizona had only had to go in for a few hours that morning to hand off some patients to other attendings and make sure everything was in order for her to be gone for two weeks.

"Hey babe, what are you doing?" Arizona asked, rounding the couch to see Callie laying there surrounded by a pile of tissues. "Are you ok?"

"Yea, I'm sorry, I said I wasn't going to do this but I just suddenly realized you're going to be gone and I'm going to miss you so much. I don't want you to go." Callie cried.

"Oh, Callie, come here honey." Arizona said, sitting next to the distraught woman. She used one hand to rub her back and the other hand cupped her face, bringing her head to her so she should kiss her. They sat that way for a while before Arizona leaned back, bringing Callie with her so she could get more comfortable. They laid down on the couch, Callie burying her face into Arizona's chest as she let the tears fall. Arizona just held her, offering words of comfort and affection as she let Callie cry it out.

"I'm ok." Callie whispered a short time later.

"I know but I still want to hold you just a little longer if that's ok." Arizona said, tightening her grip on her fiance.

"I'd like that." Callie said. She flicked on the tv and the two laid there, Arizona stroking Callie's hair absently and Callie drawing patterns on Arizona's abdomen.

"Should we order a pizza? I think it's a pizza in bed kind of night." Arizona asked.

"That sounds perfect babe. I have a gift for you to pack." Callie said.

"I have one for you too, something to get you through the next two weeks." Arizona replied, kissing the top of Callie's head.

"You go order the pizza, I'll go get the gifts." Callie said.

"Ok, yours is in a gift box in my bottom drawer. What kind of pizza?"

"Anything but pineapple."

"Anchovy it is then." Arizona teased.

"I love anchovy pizza." Callie replied with a smirk.

"No, no anchovies."

"Come on, try something new, don't you love me and want me to have the pizza I want?"

"We'll get two pizzas." Arizona replied. Callie pouted, "Fine we will get anchovies on your half."

"I'm just teasing, babe. I don't want anchovies." Callie laughed as she patted Arizona on the ass and made her way upstairs to grab their gift.

Arizona had a fire going and a bottle of champagne out for them when Callie returned to the living room a few minutes later. The couple sat in front of the fire and drank some champagne before Callie handed Arizona the wrapped box she had purchased in Portland. She held onto the small wrapped gift box that had her name on it in Arizona's loopy handwriting.

"Pizza will be here in twenty minutes." Arizona said as she shook her box.

"Open it." Callie said with a smile. She watched as Arizona enthusiastically removed the pink wrapping paper from the box and pulled out the miniature red teddy bear with pink hearts. It was clearly from a build a bear workshop.

"It's so cute, Callie."

"Squeeze him." Callie said with a smile. Arizona obeyed and her eyes instantly filled with tears as she heard Callie's voice singing the bridge of The Universe and You. "Don't cry. I just wanted you to have something to snuggle and to hear my voice if you needed to. If you squeeze his foot here, you can hear me talk."

Callie squeezed the foot for Arizona and she heard her own voice tell Arizona that she was beautiful and she loved her in Spanish. Arizona fought to get her emotions in check as she hugged Callie tightly, "He's perfect, Calliope, thank you."

"Should I open mine now?" Callie asked. Arizona nodded her head and watched as Callie opened the package carefully while the blonde hugged the teddy bear closely.

"There's sixteen of them." Arizona said as she saw Callie look up at her in confusion as she opened the package and several envelopes fell into her lap.

"What are they?"

"There's a letter for each day that I will be gone." Arizona replied.

"You wrote all these?"

"Yes, I wanted you to be reminded everyday that I love you and I can't wait to start our life together. There's also some movie tickets in there, a giftcard for dinner, and some cash for you to go out for drinks one night. I don't want you sitting at home moping because you miss me." Arizona said as the brunette pulled the other items out.

"What's this for?" Callie asked, holding up a plain silver chain.

"Oh, I almost forgot about that." Arizona said sadly. She twisted her ring around on her finger.

"What is it honey?"

"Where I am going in Malawi, it is poor. The people are so kind and gracious but showing this kind of wealth is not smart and may even be considered disrespectful. Also, it is illegal to be gay in Malawi. Having to lie about my engagement is not how I want us to start out so I bought you that to keep my ring safe for me until I get back."

"You're leaving your engagement ring here?" Callie asked.

"I think it would be for the best. I ordered this little silicone ring to wear in place of it. Will you keep my ring for me while I am gone?"

"Yes. I hate that you have to take it off. I didn't ever want to see that ring off your finger if it wasn't because you were in surgery."

"I know, I'm sad about it too but it really is for the best."

"I understand. I don't like it but I understand." Callie said, holding her hand out for the ring. Arizona carefully placed it in the Latina's hand, her eyes getting misty as she helped her clasp the chain holding the ring behind her neck. Callie watched as Arizona pulled the pink silicone ring from her pocket and handed it to her.

"Will you put it on me?" Arizona asked. Callie kissed the material then kissed Arizona's finger before sliding the ring over her slender knuckle. The two shared a few tears before the doorbell rang, pulling them back to reality.

"I'll get it." Callie said, quickly wiping her face and moving to answer the door.

Arizona was already waiting at the bottom of the stairs with their champagne and a roll of paper towel when she returned with the pizza box. Callie followed the blonde upstairs and watched her carefully tuck the stuffed bear in her carry-on before hopping onto the bed. The couple cuddled close as they ate their pizza in silence, just enjoying the closeness. They spent the night alternating between cuddling and sex, making sure they worshipped each other adequately before falling asleep naked and tangled together.