don't take your guns to town

by pinktrixie

"There are only children here." She waited, waited for that pop. There'd be one and then two. Not three like at Tim's funeral. He'd shoot Callie and then he'd shoot her. A 6x24 introspective on Arizona, feat. a healthy dose of fluffiness amongst the hurt/comfort.; 07/21: fluffy part two added!; complete.

2. better get to livin'

the long awaited soft sequel! title from the dolly parton song of the same name

better get to livin'

At the time, it had seemed like a great idea. Scratch that. It had seemed like a brilliant idea.

Yeah, sure, would love to fly out and meet your parents, Arizona. Yeah, can't wait to meet your clearly terrifying father. I'd love to meet your mother, who does admittedly sound like a lovely woman. Sounds awesome.

Callie chalked it up to post-surviving a mass shooting, getting back together with the love of your life, make up sex adrenaline. When Arizona had proposed a little trip, just for a few days, since they had time off (because they needed to patch up the bullet holes in the walls and clean up the blood and there were funerals to attend), Callie had readily agreed. She wanted to prove to Arizona that she was so in love with her, more than she had ever been before.

But now, actually sitting on the plane, Callie had regrets. She had major, major, colossal regrets.

And it wasn't just because Arizona's nails were cutting into her palm or that someone was eating a tuna sandwich somewhere on this godforsaken plane, although that didn't help.

It wasn't as if she could even complain about it because Arizona had put up with the whole father disowning her and putting her exes through a wall thing. Arizona, who hadn't wanted to date a newborn, didn't flinch, didn't bail on the girl she had been dating for at most a month when her family cut her off. She sat with Callie as she cried and tried to tell her really terrible jokes just to make her smile again. She didn't judge Callie when Callie had been flat broke for the first time in her life.

She hadn't bailed out at the first sign of trouble. Arizona had just quietly smiled when Callie came home and told her that she and her father had made up. She had laughed Callie's favourite laugh when Callie informed her that she could never become a vegetarian.

So yeah, Callie was going to suck it up and meet her girlfriend's parents. Grown-ups loved her. Oh God, she was a grown-up. Well, shit.

"You look like you're going to throw up, Calliope," Arizona whispered, tension bleeding through her voice.

Callie blinked, shaking herself out of her daze. "Hm? No, I'm fine."

"I thought you were fine on planes."

"I am. I'm good."

Arizona quirked an eyebrow and really, honestly unfair how hot she was. Then a brilliant smile lit up her face. "You're nervous!"

"Shut up," Callie grumbled, sinking back in her seat, but never letting go of Arizona's hand. "I am not. I just… I don't want to make a bad impression."

"They'll love you. They're not that scary. I promise."

"Wanna try that again? Or is it gonna make you cry?" Arizona snorted. "Sorry, yes, fine, I'm nervous."

Arizona leaned over to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "That's sweet, Calliope. But I promise, it'll be fine. Just, you know, don't go into the woods with my dad alone." At the expression on Callie's face, Arizona burst into giggles, her dimples peeking through. "I'm kidding. You don't need to worry. We're just going to go for a few days, see my parents, drink some beer, eat my mom's awesome cooking and hang out on the lake. It'll be nice, I promise. Really, what's the worst that can happen?"

"Um, your parents hate me and apparently, your father could go all serial killer on me in the woods? Do you not remember when my dad came to Seattle?"

"To be fair, you did kind of spring some big news on him. And wait, does your father hate me?" Arizona's grip tightened on her hand as the plane hit a patch of turbulence. "He didn't sound like he hated me on the phone. Oh my God, people don't hate me. I'm not a hateable person."

"Okay, no more sugar for you," Callie cut in before Arizona's rambling could pick up speed. "No, he thinks you're wonderful. Like I think he might like you more than me sometimes the way he talks about you. It's a bummer that my parents are out of town, otherwise we could go and see them in Miami." Callie did take a little heart at the way Arizona paled a bit at the mention of meeting her mother. At least she wasn't the only one who was a bit nervous about meeting the in-laws.

Whoa, not in-laws. Her girlfriend's parents. They weren't even living together. They were being cool and chill, Arizona's words, not hers. Callie took things too seriously, too quickly. You couldn't just spring babies on people. She and Arizona, after the few days of blissful reconnection after the shooting, had sat down and had what Arizona had called an adult chat. They both agreed that while they wanted kids, they had time, they didn't need to rush into anything.

Honestly, in comparison to her past relationships (read: George and the Vegas wedding fiasco), it was night and day and Callie had never felt so settled. She refrained from asking Arizona out of fear of freaking her out, but she knew Arizona was it for her. She wanted it all, the babies and the wedding and the cute house. But it was about taking baby steps. Arizona rarely talked about her past relationships, but from what Callie picked up on, Arizona hadn't exactly had many serious relationships since her brother died. Not that Arizona ever talked about her brother.

The only time Callie really heard anything about Tim Robbins was in the middle of the night as she held Arizona through her nightmares. The nightmares had picked up in intensity since the shooting. Callie had started having them too, a new phenomenon for her.

Callie would wake in a cold sweat, the image of Arizona bleeding out before her burned into her eyelids. She didn't scream or thrash around like Arizona did, so she wasn't even sure if Arizona knew. Callie would lay awake, alternating between staring at the ceiling and watching Arizona breathe until their alarms went off.

In the past week, Callie charted the familiar freckles across Arizona's nose. She had been devastated in the wake of her breakup when she couldn't recall the constellations. It was such a small, insignificant detail, but Callie mourned it. As she lay awake, she counted Arizona's freckles and the way her nose scrunched in her sleep and the tiny sigh she let out as she shifted.

"Next time, we'll go to Miami," Arizona said, putting on a brave smile for Callie. "God, I hate flying."

"So you've mentioned. Like twenty times."

"I always-"

"If you say you feel closer to death, I will pinch you."

"You're mean." Arizona traced her thumb in small circles. "I'm serious though, my parents will love you. You've talked to my mom loads of times."

"That was before we broke up."

"And now we're together and not going anywhere." Arizona rested her head on Callie's shoulder, curling as close to her as was possible in their seats. "It's only three days. I believe in you, Calliope. You're great."

"Gee, thanks," Callie laughed, pressing a kiss to the crown of Arizona's head, inhaling the faint smell of green tea and orange that seemed to be always present. "I love you."

"Love you too."

xx

"Okay, when you said woods, I thought you meant some trees. This is a freaking forest."

"A forest is woods."

"You're not cute."

"That's not what you said last night."

"Fuck you."

"I know. You did. That's the point."

Callie let out a groan, pinching the bridge of her nose. She stared out the window of their rental car, watching the blur of trees and fields pass by.

"Horse!"

"What?"

"There was a horse," Arizona said with a shrug as if that answered Callie's question.

"I thought you hated camping. You told me you hated camping."

"This isn't camping. Staying in a house is not camping. There's running water and electricity. So, not camping."

"Uh-huh," Callie hummed, not convinced in the slightest. She knew Arizona's parents lived in her grandparents' house, the house her grandfather had built. But she was not expecting it to be so rural. Arizona didn't even like bugs, so the idea of her living in the woods was comical honestly.

When she pointed that out, Arizona pinned her with an unimpressed stare for a split second before turning back to the road and said, "I don't live there, my parents do. And nobody likes bugs."

Callie laughed at the indignant set of Arizona's jaw. She took a few moments just to study Arizona's profile. It terrified her a bit how close they came to losing each other. Not just in the mass shooting, but because of their own stubbornness and inability to communicate. She loved this woman so much and she couldn't imagine life without her. She didn't even want to imagine that.

"We're nearly there."

"Hm? Oh, okay, cool, that's great." Callie fussed with the hem of her shirt. "And you're positive your dad isn't gonna like try to murder me or anything."

"Let's call it 95% certain."

"Arizona!"

"I'm joking!"

"Well, you're not funny."

"I'm hilarious. All of my kids tell me."

"They think knock, knock jokes are the peak of humour."

Arizona sighed, a fond smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "No, my dad is not going to murder you. Just be your usual charming self and they'll love you."

"I'm not good at talking to people. I freak out and say dumb things. I throw up!"

"It's just two people, not a crowd. I promise they aren't that scary. And if you get nervous, just think of me in the bikini I brought."

"Arizona, that is not helpful!" Arizona shrugged her shoulders, being completely and totally unhelpful. "I am freaking out here."

"Just shake my dad's hand and compliment my mom's garden." Callie gripped tight to door as Arizona made an abrupt turn onto a dirt road. "Are you actually going to throw up? Because this is the last chance before we're there? I can stop."

"And meet your parents with puke breath? No, no, I'm good. I'm fine. I got this. I'm Callie Torres. I'm a rockstar."

"Yes, you are!"

"I'm badass. I can do this."

"I believe in you, Calliope." Arizona reached across the console to thread their fingers together. "I love you so they'll love you."

"Okay, okay. I got this. I'm good." Callie didn't even notice the car stopping until Arizona opened her door and dropped Callie's hand. "You got this, Torres," she mumbled to herself before opening the door.

The smell of pine trees and dirt hit her instantly. She glanced around as if something was going to jump out at her.

"Daniel, Arizona and Callie are here!" Before Callie could react, a blur of fur collided with her legs, nearly knocking her off her feet if not for Arizona steadying her. "Oh, Chester, come here!"

Arizona wrestled the dog away from Callie, scooping him into her arms. "Chester, you are a menace, aren't you?" Arizona bounced the puppy in her arms. "He's barely a year. Dad's still training him. He's just too friendly for his own good." Callie grinned at the puppy, ruffling his spotted ears. "He thinks everyone's his friend, don't you, you goof?"

"Can you blame him? He's adorable. What kind is he?" All Callie knew about dogs was that she was very much not fond of her aunt's neverending collection of pomeranians and that they were pretty cute.

"German shorthair. One of my cousin's had a litter last year."

"I see our welcoming committee found his way to you." Callie forced her gaze away from her adorable girlfriend and the equally adorable puppy. "Callie, it's wonderful to finally meet you in person."

Callie took a half step forward. "Thank you for having me, Mrs Robbins." She offered her hand for a handshake, praying that her palms weren't horribly damp. "It's lovely to meet you."

"Oh none of that, call me Barbara." Barbara sidestepped Callie's outstretched hand to pull her into a hug. Callie tried to relax as much as possible. Her family wasn't exactly big on hugs, but she could do this. She was a badass and she was definitely not afraid of her girlfriend's mom or her hugs. "Are you just going to stand there holding the dog or are you going to give me a hug, Arizona?" Barbara asked as she released Callie.

"Down you go, Chester." Arizona dropped the puppy to the ground. Chester immediately wound his way around her legs. "Hey, Mom."

Barbara cradled Arizona's face, searching for something, Callie wasn't sure what. "Hi, sweetheart." Barbara blinked back some tears before pulling Arizona into a tight hug, mother and daughter holding tight to each other.

As she watched the pair, she was struck with a longing for her own mother. She should give her a call soon. They rarely spoke, unless her mom happened to be in the room during her weekly call with her father.

"I'm so happy you're here, Zo."

"Me too, Mom." Arizona stepped back, easily looping an arm around Callie's waist. "Where's Dad?"

Barbara waved a hand dismissively. "Messing around with that dock again. You know how he gets."

"How do I get, Barb?" Callie's head snapped in the direction of the voice. She swallowed back the wave of nausea that rose as Arizona's dad appeared at the top of a set of stairs Callie didn't even realize were there.

Yep, okay, he was just as intimidating as she thought he'd be.

"Dad!" Arizona broke away from Callie, and Callie instantly missed her warmth and reassurance. Arizona bounded across the driveway, all but leaping into her father's arms.

"Hey there, squirt," he replied, swinging Arizona around.

Callie stifled a chuckle. She had not known Arizona's dad called her squirt. That was great, excellent even.

"Dad, I want you to meet my girlfriend, Callie Torres," Arizona said as she dragged her father towards Callie. His bright smile gave way to a stern scowl, even as Arizona flashed her brightest, happiest smile. "Calliope, this is my dad, Daniel Robbins."

"You can call me Colonel Robbins," the Colonel corrected, holding out a hand for Callie.

"Daniel!"

"Dad!" came the recriminations from his wife and daughter. "Honestly," Arizona huffed, shaking her head.

Callie gripped his hand, fighting a wince at the strength of his grip. She squeezed back, unwilling to back down. But this handshake had to end before her girlfriend's dad broke her very valuable hands. Somehow she doubted that the hospital would accept that as a reason for not working.

"Nice to meet you, Colonel." She held his gaze, ignoring Arizona's dramatics behind him. All she could think about were Arizona's words from earlier about picturing her in a bikini and that was not what she wanted to be thinking about as she shook Colonel Robbins' hand.

"Likewise." Finally, after a few beats, he dropped her hand. "That's quite a grip you've got there, Torres."

"Thank you." Callie fought the urge to stretch out her fingers until Colonel Robbins turned back to Arizona, throwing an arm over her shoulders. As soon as his back was to her, Callie stretched her fingers and gave her hand a shake. Okay, that had to be the worst of it.

"Was the drive alright? No trouble?"

"Nope, totally fine, Dad."

"Why don't you two come in and we can have a late lunch?" Barbara suggested as she picked up Chester before he could run off again. "Daniel, could you grab the girls' bags?" She phrased it as a question, but given how quickly Colonel Robbins moved, it was certainly an order. "Come along, Callie dear."

Callie fell into step with Arizona, who linked their pinkies together, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

"See, not so bad."

"It's been three minutes," Callie whispered back. "There's still time."

The pair followed Barbara into the house, Callie eagerly looking around for pictures of a younger Arizona. It was instantly homey, a stark contrast to the ornate, almost museum-like house she grew up in. The smell of baking paired perfectly with the earthiness of outside. Callie felt her shoulders drop an inch.

"Go, sit, I'll bring the food over."

"Do you need a hand, Mrs Robbins?" Callie offered.

"Call me Barbara, Callie. And no, I think I've got it. Thank you for the offer. Arizona can grab the plates, thank you for offering, Arizona."

Arizona's mouth fell open. "I was going to offer!" Her mother just chuckled and turned to the fridge. "You're making me look bad," Arizona hissed.

"Your parents already like you. I need them to like me," Callie spoke quietly into Arizona's ear before pressing a kiss to Arizona's cheek. "You should go help your mom."

Barbara unceremoniously shoved a pile of plates into Arizona's arms. "Go set the table."

"Yes, ma'am. C'mon, Callie." Arizona led Callie out of the kitchen and into a large family room, dominated by a beautiful stone fireplace. "This is the den. And this is the table. It's all very open plan. This was the part that my grandfather built himself, the first floor that is. It was a wedding present for my Oma. The upstairs and the garage and the basement a contractor built."

"Oma?" Callie asked as she sat in the chair Arizona gestured to.

"My grandma, my dad's mom. It's German."

"German?"

"Mhm," Arizona hummed as she distributed plates and silverware. "She was first-generation German-American. It was her first language. I'm the youngest of all my cousins so I didn't exactly get a say though. She and my grandfather grew up like twenty minutes from here. They were high school sweethearts." A soft smile lit up Arizona's face.

"Zozo, what did you pack in your bag? Rocks?" Colonel Robbins yelled from the kitchen.

"Yeah, Dad, I was worried that you didn't have enough for the shoreline. So I thought I'd bring some from Seattle," Arizona called back.

"Smartass," the Colonel chuckled as he passed them on his way upstairs.

Callie leaned back in her chair, trying to discreetly look for photos of a baby Arizona. What she found instead was a large stag head staring at her. There was a strange lack of family photos around. She expected pictures of Arizona and her brother, maybe even a small memorial of Tim Robbins. Arizona only had a few pictures in her apartment, but she also just didn't have many things in her apartment to begin with. But there was essentially no trace of Arizona's older brother, or Arizona for that matter.

"Chester," Arizona let out a surprisingly loud whistle.

Callie couldn't help but grin as Arizona cuddled Chester. Just this image alone might make all of the discomfort and stress of meeting the Robbinses worth it. If only their schedules weren't so hectic, they could get a puppy.

Actually, a puppy might be a great idea. It was like a test run for a baby and Arizona clearly liked dogs. And they liked going for walks anytime they were free. They were both responsible adults with good paying jobs.

Well, Arizona, as Callie had learned in her poor little rich girl phase, was seriously in debt from her undergrad and med school. She had admitted that keeping their dates more lowkey would go a long way to saving money, so she was more than happy with pizza nights and home cooked meals. Callie had discreetly looked into how she could help; afterall, Callie's parents had paid for all her schooling, housing and pretty much everything, plus her trust fund was well managed. But Arizona was incredibly independent and Callie didn't want to overstep. And that also struck her as something a bit beyond just girlfriends. She saw it as a sign of personal growth that she hadn't just done it without asking. That was something that the old, immature Callie would do.

But yeah, they could get a puppy.

"Is the Admiral behaving?" Callie nearly leapt out of her chair at the sound of the Colonel's voice behind her.

"He's an angel," replied Arizona, straightening up and taking the seat next to Callie. She pulled one of Callie's hands into her lap, rubbing soothing circles across the top of it. "Much better behaved then Rosie."

"He's certainly promising. Frank thinks he could be as good as Ike and Monty."

Callie desperately wanted to ask so many questions about their dogs, but she was also fully terrified of the Colonel.

"Frank's my cousin. He breeds and trains dogs for a living," Arizona supplied.

"Got it." Callie nodded, very much aware of how Colonel Robbins was observing her. It reminded her a bit of how Arizona watched people, quiet, but very much aware of her surroundings.

"Torres," the Colonel began and Arizona let out a groan. Her father glared at her for a moment before turning his attention back to Callie. "What is it exactly that you do?"

Callie nearly let out a sigh of relief. She could talk about work. She was good at that. She loved her job. "I'm an orthopedic surgeon, sir. And I also do some research, mainly focusing on developing artificial cartilage."

"Callie's brilliant," added Arizona, "She invented artificial cartilage."

"Interesting."

"Here we go. Callie, I hope you like chicken salad sandwiches. I've also got some chips and fruit salad. Arizona, you're looking a bit peaky. Are you eating enough?" Barbara laid out a spread of food that seemed more likely to fit 14 people rather than four.

"Yes, Mom. Actually, Callie's a really great cook. Right, Callie?"

"Uh, yeah, I mean, I guess. It's only really been in the past year that I've started exploring more recipes beyond ramen and peanut butter sandwiches. Neither of my parents are big cooks, except for around the holidays."

"What do your parents do for a living?"

Callie paused for a moment. She didn't want to necessarily open the line of questioning about her father, but also she couldn't exactly avoid it. "My dad is in the hotel business and my mother recently retired from her law practice last year."

"That's wonderful. Do you see them much? It's like pulling teeth sometimes to get Arizona to visit." Arizona let out a noise of dissent at her mother's accusation. "They're in Miami, yes?"

"Right now, actually, they're in Europe, but most of the year, yes, they're in Miami. That's where I grew up. My father manages to come out to Seattle a few times a year, thanks to his work," Callie explained, holding far too tight to Arizona's hand.

Somehow, this felt like a job interview. And technically, she already had the position. The position being Arizona's girlfriend. But Arizona was very close with her parents and Callie wasn't positive that Arizona would be able to handle falling out with her parents over Callie.

Arizona squeezed back reassuringly, jumping in with some questions about her mother's garden club to give Callie a breather.

Callie hadn't focused so much on her posture since those cotillion classes her mother made her attend years ago as she sat in front of Arizona's very intimidating father. Seriously, he looked like he was appraising her usefulness on a battlefield.

Finally, after a few more perfunctory questions about growing up in Miami and her parents, the meal ended and Arizona dragged her down to the lake.

"So, you've survived so far," started Arizona as they sat on the bench on the dock. "I told you it wouldn't be so bad."

"Your dad is terrifying."

"I know, right?" Arizona's response sent Callie into peals of laughter, which in turn led to Arizona cracking up, leaning into Callie's side. Once their laughter subsided, Arizona let out a long sigh, her eyes drifting shut. "This was Tim's favourite place in the whole world." Callie hummed in response, trying to give Arizona the space she needed to discuss her brother. "Every morning we were here in the summers, he'd swim with the dogs before breakfast."

The silence stretched between them, occasionally punctuated by the sounds of boats and wildlife around them. It was kind of perfect in Callie's opinion.

xx

"So… are we going to talk about your pink hair or not? Because I would really like to talk about it. And take pictures of it. And have it printed out for my apartment. And put it up in my locker."

Arizona rolled over in Callie's arms. "Don't you dare. No one would take me seriously."

"Babe, I don't know how to tell you this, but you wear roller skates for shoes and have animals on your coat."

Arizona reached between them to tweak Callie's nose. "Rude. I'm in peds. I'm allowed to have some fun. Kids love me. We don't have to be all stuffy."

"But seriously, the pink hair." Callie sat up to grab the picture of Arizona with her childhood friend, Nick from the bookcase next to the bed. "I am begging you, talk me through the thought process. And how many earrings did you have? I love every part of this."

"This is so unfair. I don't have any embarrassing photos of you." Arizona tried to grab the photo frame, but Callie held it out of reach, utilizing her longer arms.

"Uh, I used to live in the basement of the hospital and consistently wore yesterday's eyeliner and had bangs. Everyone lived through my embarrassing phase."

"Hey, you were hot!" Arizona made another grab for the photo, rolling on top of Callie. "I liked your bangs."

"Stop trying to distract me," Callie laughed. She carefully set the photo back on the bookshelf so she could have two free hands. One hand tangled in Arizona's hair, the other coasted up her back, brushing beneath her t-shirt. She drew Arizona closer to her until their lips brushed. "So, pink hair?" She prompted.

"I was 15 and trying to rebel and Tim was at bootcamp and so I acted out. To be fair, we tried to dye Nick's hair green, but it didn't turn out. Now, can we make out?"

"I am not making out with you at your parents' house, Arizona." Arizona shifted her weight forward to lean down, only for Callie to flip her over, catching her wrists. "Stop it," Callie hissed as Arizona rolled her hips up. "Arizona."

The door flew open behind them.

"Just wanted to say goodnight," the Colonel said from the doorway. "Sleep well."

Both of them froze.

"Night, Dad!" Arizona called after a beat or two. That seemed to satisfy Colonel Robbins enough to close the door.

Callie buried her face in the crook of Arizona's shoulder. "I hate you so much."

"We weren't even doing anything," Arizona said with a laugh, brushing Callie's hair back from her face. "He probably didn't even see anything. He has bad eyes."

"So you'd be totally fine if this happened at my parents' house with my dad?"

"Uh, your dad throws people into walls, so, no."

"You're such a brat," groaned Callie, rolling back onto her side. "Just for that, I'm taking a picture of the pink hair."

"Calliope," whined Arizona, "fine, you can take a photo, but you cannot show anyone. Even Mark. Especially Mark."

"Deal."

"Now, sleep. I'm exhausted."

"Mmkay." Callie pressed a kiss to Arizona's pulse point. "Love you." Callie couldn't help but delight in every time they had said 'I love you' since they got back together. Those weeks apart, Callie had tried to come to terms with the fact that she'd never be able to tell Arizona she loved her again. She tried to convince herself that if she hated her, it would be better. She even told Arizona she hated her. Those could have been some of her last words.

But blessedly, they had found their way back to each other and Callie could tell Arizona she loved her as much as she wanted.

"Love you too."

xx

"'rizona, go 'way," Callie mumbled into her pillow, swatting weakly at her girlfriend's shoulder. A cold, wet nose nudged her face. Wait, a cold, wet nose? Callie sat straight up in bed, accidentally elbowing Arizona in the jaw.

"Jesus Christ," Arizona yelped.

"Language, Arizona," the Colonel called as he passed by in the hallway. "Chester, here." The puppy launched off the bed, scratching Callie in the process. "Breakfast is ready."

Arizona scrubbed a hand over her face, her hair a tousled mess. "Did you really think I was the dog? Should I be offended?"

"Is your face okay? Let me check." Callie cupped Arizona's chin, carefully tipping it up. "Oh thank God, there's not even a mark."

"Still hurt, helluva way to wake up."

"Do you really want to go down to breakfast with a bruise on your face?" Callie arched an eyebrow. "That's what I thought." Callie stretched an arm over her head until her back popped.

"Should you go to a chiropractor?"

"And let someone break my bones? Absolutely not."

"I'm almost positive that that is not what a chiropractor does."

"They freak me out."

"Hey, more power to you. I'm just saying your back makes weird noises."

"Your back makes weird noises."

"That is not the comeback you think it is, Calliope." Arizona kissed her cheek before climbing out of bed. "Do you want to shower?"

"Um, no, I'm good. Are you guys dressed before breakfast people?" Callie asked. Admittedly, most of the time she and Arizona were having breakfast, they either had to go out because Callie and Cristina forgot to buy groceries or half of the hospital was descending upon the apartment. Or, and this was Callie's most favourite option, it was breakfast in bed and clothing was very much optional.

"My dad is. My mom isn't." Arizona leaned down to dig through a drawer and Callie was content just to watch. "Are you getting dressed or are you just going to stare at my ass all day?" Arizona asked, not even looking up from her search.

Callie shrugged. "Option two sounds pretty great to me." Slowly, she stood to her feet, ignoring the look Arizona gave her when her ankles popped.

Arizona shut the door after tossing some clothes on the bed. "You know you don't have to call my dad Colonel." She stripped off her shirt and Callie's brain stalled for a moment.

"Uh, pretty sure I do."

"Uh, pretty sure you don't." Callie pulled her shirt off, if for nothing else to mess with Arizona. "That's just mean."

"What? My boobs?"

"Yep. But seriously, you can just call him Daniel." Callie pouted as Arizona slipped a bra on and then pulled a t-shirt over it. "He's just being… you don't have to call him Colonel. It's like a weird power thing."

"It's working."

Arizona rolled her eyes, but dropped the subject as they finished getting dressed. As she followed Arizona down stairs, Callie found herself deeply regretting the fact that they had to wear scrubs so much. Or maybe that they lived in Seattle. If they lived somewhere warm, Arizona could wear shorts like that all the time.

"Morning, Zozo, Callie," Barbara greeted them, passing Callie a cup of coffee. "I assume you're as addicted to the stuff as Arizona."

"Thank you. I've never been able to drop the habit since my freshman year."

"A coffee habit's preferable to other habits," Barbara said, her voice light, even as she pinned Arizona with a knowing look. Arizona busied herself with her own cup of coffee.

As Barbara moved back towards the stove, Callie bumped her hip against Arizona's. "Your mom is right about the smoking."

"Bite me," Arizona hissed, "I haven't in a while."

"You do know that I can taste when you've been smoking, right?" She knew that the night after the shooting Arizona had been smoking. Almost any other time, she would've said something. But that wasn't important that night. Hell, she might have taken a cigarette if offered one.

"Did you two sleep well?" Barbara asked, passing Arizona a rack of toast and a plate of condiments. "I know some people have a hard time with the animal noises and all the trees."

"No, no, I slept really well. It's a nice change from hearing sirens all the time."

"Arizona mentioned you live across from the hospital. That must be convenient." Barbara motioned for Arizona to set down her coffee before handing her a plate of bacon and sausage.

"Yeah, it's been really great. My roommate, Cristina, she's still a resident, so she's at the hospital more than home. And I save a fair bit on gas money." As she spoke, Callie was hit with how immature it sounded. She was an attending and yet, she had a roommate and was worried about gas money. She didn't want a roommate. Not that she didn't love Cristina. Cristina was great in her own Cristina way. But she didn't want to share her space with a friend. She wanted to share it with Arizona. Before the whole baby-break-up debacle, Arizona spent more nights at Callie's than her own apartment, claiming it was just easier if pressed. And Callie had been weighing asking her to move in. But now she was gunshy. But also moving in would be a normal progression of their relationship. They could live together, get a puppy, talk about marriage, get married and have babies. That was a normal, adult relationship.

"That sounds lovely."

"Mom, how much food did you make?" Arizona asked after her mom handed her yet another dish, this time a bowl of fruit. "Did you invite people over?"

Barbara tsked, shaking her head. "This is a perfectly normal amount of food."

"Do you want me to take something?"

"Oh, no, dear, you're a guest. Here, take that in and I'll just get the quiche. And tell your father to turn the soccer game down. At least while we're eating." Arizona started to turn, when her mother called her back, "Wait, one more thing." Barbara passed Arizona a tray of donuts. "I got your favorite. Dad had to drive specially for them."

"Thanks, Mom." Arizona smiled, but it only barely reached her eyes and looked more sad than anything else. "Can you grab the coffee?"

"Sure." Callie trailed after Arizona, thoroughly impressed by Arizona's balancing skills.

"Dad, Mom says to turn the game down," Arizona said as they passed through the den.

"Good morning to you too," Colonel Robbins groused. "Germany lost. Callie, do you follow soccer?"

"Not really. I see a lot of soccer players though, for work, so I have a decent sense of when the season is at least."

"Hm." Callie was honestly at a loss with the Colonel. Was he waiting for her to say something wrong? Or right? "Arizona and," he stumbled over his words and Arizona looked up from the table, disappointment clear on her features, "and her brother used to play. Easiest sport to play no matter where you are in the world."

"Makes sense." Callie nodded, thrown off by the energy in the room. Colonel Robbins' phrasing was odd to say the least. She had noticed that Arizona did that as well, not always say her brother's name. But from the look Arizona was giving her father, it was deeper than that. "I was always terrible at sports. My parents tried, but neither my sister or I had much interest. But I'm happy to watch. My dad's had season tickets to the Dolphins for as long as I can remember." She didn't add that her dad had a box and mainly used it for business purposes. Better to keep that to herself. The last thing she wanted was to seem like a snob.

"Football makes no sense to me," Arizona cut in. "I had a patient last year, seventeen years old, and all he wanted to talk about was football. His mom had piles of DVDs of old Super Bowls for him to watch. It all went over my head. Soccer's straight forward. Kick it in that place, don't let the other team kick it in this other place."

"You do realize that you've also described the basic idea of football, right?" Callie said with a laugh.

"She doesn't have the patience for all the stops and starts," the Colonel added, an almost smile gracing his face. And you know what, Callie would take that as a win. "I took the pair of them to a game at Lambeau Field against the Bears. She cried almost the whole time."

"I was eight and it was minus fifteen." Arizona finished setting the food out, rolling her eyes at her father and girlfriend. Arizona slipped into the same seat as the prior night and Callie took that as a sign to sit down.

The Colonel took his seat across from Callie. "So being in orthopedics, you must deal with a lot of athletes."

Perfect, sports and her job. This was her bread and butter. She even had stories for each sport lined up, depending on who she was speaking with. She launched into one of her more popular stories about football, deciding to stay on topic. As she spoke, she was distinctly aware of the way Arizona was watching her with a proud smile. But she ignored it, focusing more on impressing her girlfriend's dad with fun sports anecdotes.

By the time Barbara emerged with the last part of the meal, Callie felt that she had finally made progress, going off the slight relaxation of the Colonel's shoulders.

"Arizona, I need your help with the dock."

"Can't Frank do it?"

"Is Frank here?"

"No, sir."

"Alright, that's settled then."

Arizona's phone chimed in her pocket. And then again. And once more. Arizona fished it out of her pocket, trying to read it discreetly under the table. But the Colonel, despite apparently having bad eyes, said, "No phones at the table."

"One second."

"Arizona."

Arizona's head snapped up. "Sorry, it was just Teddy, er, a friend of ours who's a cardio surgeon. She was just updating me on Alex, my resident who was shot in the chest. Just letting me know that he's still doing well and all that."

"Arizona."

The deeply impulsive part of Callie wanted to blurt something out about the weather or the Seahawks or something to break the staring match between Arizona and her father.

She had always thought that Arizona got along well with her parents. Obviously, there were issues with her dad, hence the crying problem. But this undercurrent was confusing.

"So, Callie, have you lived in Seattle long?" Barbara asked before Arizona or her father could continue their odd little interaction.

"Nearly five years now. I transferred after my intern year in Miami. The hospital I was at before didn't have a very strong orthopedic program and that was what I was wanting to do. And I'm so glad I did. The opportunities I've been afforded I don't think would be possible elsewhere."

"That's wonderful. How did you know you wanted to go into orthopedic surgery? Arizona spent so much time in pediatric departments with how accident prone she and the boys were-"

"I wasn't that accident prone, Mom."

"I always liked science classes and then after college, I had the chance to work for the PeaceCorps in Botswana and I decided to go to medical school after that," Callie explained with a smile.

"Didn't you submit a proposal for a clinic in Africa a few years ago, Arizona?" Colonel Robbins asked.

"Ages ago. Clearly, I didn't get it. That's the sort of thing that goes to researchers most of the time." Arizona waved it off and Callie's brow creased. Clinic in Africa? Arizona hadn't ever mentioned that. She had talked about wanting to make pediatric surgery more accessible, about wanting to help underprivileged kids, but Callie hadn't heard her talk about a clinic.

"Arizona, stop feeding the dog," the Colonel said, barely glancing up from his food. Callie turned to look at her girlfriend and sure enough, Arizona was passing Chester pieces of bacon. "He's going to get fat."

"I'll take him for a walk later."

"Sure, you will."

The rest of breakfast passed with easy conversation about the weather and Barbara's plans for her garden and discussions about one of Arizona's cousins who just got married. Callie was positive that she was slowly, but surely winning over the Colonel. He had stopped glaring at her, so that was a win at the very least.

xx

Okay, to borrow a word from Arizona, super unfair. She hadn't realized she walked into an episode of peds-surgeons-gone-wild as she followed Barbara out of the house towards the patio that looked out onto the lake.

The Colonel had dragged Arizona out to help him fix the dock or reposition it or something, Callie honestly wasn't sure. She had volunteered to help Barbara clean up from breakfast, refusing to take no for an answer, which had definitely won her points with the older woman.

Once the dishes were finished, Barbara suggested sitting on the patio with iced tea and who was Callie to argue.

But as they walked out, Callie found herself needing to focus on the challenging task of walking and breathing and you know, not saying something dumb to her girlfriend's mom.

Arizona stood in the sunshine, her hair piled on top of her head. Her hands rested on her waist as she chatted with her dad. Callie couldn't make out what they were talking about, but to be fair, her focus was more on those very tiny shorts and the bikini top she was sporting.

Callie swallowed, trying to look anywhere but Arizona's ass, but finding it very challenging.

"Iced tea?" Barbara offered, a knowing grin playing across her expression.

"Um, yes, thank you, Mrs Robbins."

"Barbara," she corrected. "By the end of the weekend, I'll have you calling me Barbara. I'd say Mrs Robbins sounds too much like my mother-in-law, but I was very fond of her so…. I can only hope you'll be as fond of me as your mother-in-law."

Callie choked on her iced tea, dragging her eyes away from the lake. "Um, I mean… I, we're not… you know, um-"

"Breathe, Callie."

"Did Arizona say something?"

"What? About marriage?" Callie nodded. She wasn't even sure what she wanted the answer to be. "Oh, no, but I know my daughter. And she is so very in love with you, Callie. I could tell from the night before your first date. She was so nervous, bless her. I won't claim to know too much about Arizona's personal life, but I don't think she's ever, hm, lacked interest or charm. She and Tim were so much alike in that respect. But she was nervous like I haven't seen in years for your date. I knew then."

"Knew what?"

"That you were special," Barbara said matter of factly, as if it was common knowledge. The sky was blue. Water was wet. Callie was special to Arizona. Well, when she put it that way, Callie also thought it was common knowledge. Arizona loved Callie. Callie loved Arizona. It was rather simple.

A splash from the lake drew both of their attention. Arizona's head popped up from the lake a few moments later.

Callie watched in fascination as Arizona and the Colonel debated something before Arizona dove back under the water. Then seconds later, one end of the dock moved.

"Is she moving the dock?"

"Hm, oh, Daniel's convinced it's in an unstable position, so he wants to move it a few feet over." Then Barbara leaned in conspiratorially. "I think he just misses ordering his troops around." She gestured to where her husband was barking orders. "And he missed Arizona. It's taken them a long time to get back to a good place."

"Really?" Callie blurted out before she could stop herself. "Sorry, that was rude."

The corners of Barbara's eyes crinkled. "It's fine, Callie. You should really ask Arizona about it, but I doubt she'd tell even you. It wasn't either of their finest moments." Barbara stared out across the lake as some sort of bird of prey dove towards the surface. "After… after Tim died, none of us dealt with it well. But Arizona and Daniel, they're far more alike than either would admit. They're both high strung and lash out." Callie couldn't help but remember that night months ago when Arizona picked a fight just for the sake of picking a fight. "I don't know the exact details, but I came downstairs to them screaming at each other before Arizona stormed out. It took them months to even be civil enough to sit through dinner."

"Wow, I had no idea."

"I would be surprised if you did." Barbara sighed. "Those years are probably not Arizona's proudest. I'm convinced that she basically lived at the hospital for those three years."

"I used to live in the basement of Seattle Grace," Callie volunteered, instantly regretting it. That was not something to share with people.

Barbara let out a chuckle. "You two are well matched then. Norman McCale honestly should get a lot of the credit. He managed to point her in the right direction and helped her mellow out and mature a bit."

"Arizona! I said left! Not your left, my left!"

"Then say right, Colonel!"

"Don't you know right from left?"

"Yes, I do, thank you very much!"

Callie stifled a chuckle at the exchange between Arizona and her father. But that laugh died on her lips as she took in the scene before her. Arizona had emerged from the water and was currently standing in the shallows trying to readjust part of the dock. Callie swallowed as she watched Arizona manage to squat and lift the edge of the dock, moving it a few feet to the left. She knew Arizona ran and Callie was very appreciative of that fact. She had even managed to drag Arizona to a few yoga classes, but honestly, Arizona didn't have the patience. But this, this was hot.

"You'd think after all these years Daniel could manage to put the dock in correctly. I swear, he just creates projects for the sake of having projects," Barbara said fondly with a shake of her head.

Callie managed some sort of humming sound that she hoped was appropriate. Because honestly, she was not convinced that any words she said wouldn't be completely inappropriate.

"Dad, it's fine. It's not going to sink into the lake," Arizona huffed as she passed her father, towel and shorts in hand. "Mom, can you please tell him it's fine?"

"Daniel, if Arizona says it's fine, then I'm sure it's fine," called Barbara.

Arizona dropped onto the end of Callie's lounge chair, lifting Callie's feet up. "I'm not moving the dock again. He can call Frank or someone else." Callie forced herself to drag her gaze from Arizona's chest and the very enticing beads of water dripping down it up to her face, which was sporting a shit-eating grin. "Can I have a sip of your iced tea, Calliope? I'm parched."

If Arizona's mother hadn't been sitting next to them, Callie would've had some choice words for her. But instead, she just passed the cup over with a weak, "Sure."

Arizona took a long sip, tipping her head back. And yep, confirmed, very cool, Arizona was trying to kill Callie.

xx

"Are you sure you have enough sunscreen on, Arizona?" Callie asked, leaning back to look critically at Arizona's back. "I don't want you to get burned."

Arizona glanced over her shoulder. "Thanks, Calliope. I guess you'll just have to keep reapplying throughout the day." She winked before leaning back for a quick kiss.

"Callie," the Colonel called from his position on the pontoon, "would you give me a hand with the boat? Arizona, could you go find out what's holding your mother up? It'll be dark by the time we leave." Callie chose not to comment on the fact that it was maybe noon and the sun would be up for hours. She was just thrilled that Colonel Robbins had started calling her Callie, and not Torres.

"Good luck," Arizona whispered, giving Callie's arm a squeeze.

"Good luck? Arizona," Callie hissed, but her girlfriend was already jogging back up the hill. She turned back to Colonel Robbins, plastering on as much of a smile as she could manage. "How can I help, Colonel?"

"What do you know about boats?"

"I grew up in Miami, sir. My parents have had a few over the years and my mother is an avid sailor."

"Good, good." The Colonel clapped his hands together and smiled and Callie wondered if Arizona's warning about not going into the woods with her dad extended to the lake. "I just need a hand moving it out. I could do it myself, but two pairs of hands makes quick work of it."

"Of course, sir." Why did she have the sudden urge to salute? That would be dumb. Right? How long would Arizona and Barbara be? "Where do you want me?"

Silently thanking her mother for all of the times she dragged Callie and Aria out sailing, Callie helped the Colonel maneuver the boat out of the lift and out to the front of the dock. It felt like each step was a test. How did she undo knots? How did she stand? Was she strong enough to drag the boat out? Did she listen to instruction well?

"Excellent job, Torres."

Oh, were they back to Torres? Or was that the Colonel's way of showing affection?

Callie nodded, twisting her hands behind her back. Where was Arizona?

"Why don't you hop on board? If I know my wife, it'll take her a few more minutes." The Colonel unlatched the door, motioning for Callie to step onto the boat. Callie propped a hip against one of the chairs. "At ease, Torres."

Callie swallowed nervously. This was the shovel talk, wasn't it?

"I wanted to thank you, Callie," the Colonel began, his tone gentler than anything Callie had heard so far.

"Thank me?"

"Arizona told me what happened." Callie just nodded. That was so, incredibly vague. "With the gunman." Oh. "Thank you, thank you for protecting my daughter."

"Oh, I didn't really-"

"She said you stood in front of a gunman. You protected her. There aren't words for how grateful I am for that, Callie."

Callie's cheeks burned and it certainly wasn't from the midday sun. "Uh, of course, Colonel. I love Arizona. I am so in love with her. I don't even think I hesitated."

The Colonel sighed, suddenly looking far older, lines creasing his face. "I need you to promise me you won't ever do something like that again."

Callie's first instinct was to make light of it, say "I doubt we'll encounter many more mad men with guns." But the solemnity on the older man's face gave her pause. She loved Arizona. She wanted to protect her always. She had stepped forward on pure instinct.

"I don't know if I can promise that, Colonel Robbins," she finally said, choosing her words carefully. "My first thought in that moment, if it was even a thought, was to protect Arizona and that child. I understood the risks and I still did it. And it was easy in a way, because I love her." Callie shrugged. It was as simple as that.

"I respect that, Callie, more than you understand. But Arizona doesn't need a hero. She needs someone who supports her and stays, who makes her a priority. I realize that I am to blame in part for that, the lack of stability. But Arizona has spent so many years being alone, or being in relationships where she wasn't valued or appreciated. She… she doesn't need a hero, Callie, she just needs you. Just… don't leave her behind. She's had enough of that in one lifetime."

Callie's whole body stilled as she listened. She barely even breathed.

"I don't plan on going anywhere, Colonel. I want everything with Arizona. Everything that she'll give me. She came out of nowhere when I was convinced that there wasn't any good left in the world, that love was something for fairy tales. And Arizona walked into my life and made me smile for the first time in ages. Your daughter, she's… she's… breathtaking and wonderful and everything I could have ever dreamed of and, and awesome," she managed a slight smile at the use of one of Arizona's favourite words. "So long as she'll have me, I'm not going anywhere."

The Colonel continued to appraise her for what felt like an hour. The boat swaying gently under them and the silence was punctuated by a loon call. And then Colonel Robbins stepped forward, hand outstretched. "You can call me Daniel, Callie. I look forward to being able to call you family someday."

Unlike their first handshake, where Col- Daniel had been trying to crush her hand, this was a clear sign of respect.

Call her family someday? Had Arizona been talking to her parents about marriage? Both had mentioned it today and it was barely noon.

"I had my doubts about you, Callie," Daniel said, a sort of jovial lilt to his voice, not unlike Arizona's. "I've always found it hard to forgive anything that makes Arizona cry, since she was small. And when you two, hm, separated, I hadn't heard her cry like that in years." The unspoken cause lingered for a moment before he continued, "She mainly goes to her mother for those sorts of emotional things. But I hear things. Arizona has protected her heart fiercely and yet, you managed to slip through her defenses. I worry."

"I understand that. My father, he… he's always wanted what's best for me."

"As is a father's prerogative. But you make her smile and she's always had a beautiful smile. So I think I can move past this most recent blip, so long as you keep her smiling. And it would be great if you two could give Barbara a wedding. Just maybe no more divorces, hm?" He clapped her on the shoulder, nearly sending her flying into the lake. "You ladies finally ready?"

Divorces? What? Oh, she was going to kill Arizona.

Callie spun on the spot to see Arizona and Barbara loaded down with coolers and reusable bags, Chester close to their heels.

"Barb, we're just going out for the afternoon, not circumventing the globe."

"I just packed some snacks and beverages. That's all, Daniel," Barbara huffed as she climbed aboard.

Arizona bumped her hip against Callie's. "You survived." She grinned up at Callie, a pair of sunglasses shielding her eyes. "You did survive, right?"

"Did you tell your dad about George?" Callie whispered.

"About George?" echoed Arizona. "No? Why would I? My conversations with my dad tend to be very sports and weather focused."

"'Cause he just mentioned it to me."

"Mentioned it to you?" Arizona sounded far too much like a broken record as she tipped her head to the side. "Why were you talking about…" Arizona trailed off, her focus shifting to her father. "Dad! Did you run a background check on Callie?"

Daniel looked up from one of the coolers he was arranging. "Pardon? Oh, yes, Terry Alva ran one for me."

"Doesn't Terry Alva work for like the NSA or something?"

"Something like that," Daniel said as if that was a totally normal thing to have a spook buddy run a background check on your daughter's girlfriend.

"Seriously?"

"Babe, it's fine," Callie murmured. She had finally made progress with Daniel. She wasn't about to lose that all now.

"Daniel, Callie is a perfectly nice girl. Don't you trust Arizona?"

"Do you not remember Carly?"

"Okay, can we not?" Arizona folded her arms over her chest, a slight pout to her lips. "Just… Dad, don't run background checks on Callie."

"I mean I already read it. Not even a single parking ticket. And really, an outstanding student."

"Dad!"

"Daniel!"

Callie rubbed at the back of her neck. Chester licked at her knee.

"It's fine, really," Callie said, "I'm sure my dad did the same," she offered weakly. And honestly, that was probably the truth. "Let's just move on."

"Fine," Arizona relented. "Chester, stop licking the sunscreen." Arizona scooped the dog up to press a kiss to his head. "That's not good for you, Admiral."

"Can I ask why you're calling the dog Admiral?" Callie asked as the boat pulled away from the dock, she and Arizona settled on one of the couches. She rubbed at Chester's ears, the dog's tail thumping on Arizona's leg.

"His name is Chester."

"Yes, and?"

"Admiral Chester Nimitz. He was the fleet commander in the Pacific." At Callie's blank expression, Arizona added, "In World War Two."

"Ah, gotcha." Callie had more questions, but was interrupted by Barbara offering drinks. "I'm easy, honestly."

"Not gonna say anything," Arizona sang quietly as she passed by Callie to grab their drinks. Callie narrowed her eyes and poked out her tongue.

"Can you grab a Spotted Cow for me, Zozo?"

"Zozo?" Callie perked up, more than ready for some solid embarrassing childhood stories of Arizona. Arizona passed her dad a beer with a glare. "I have so many questions."

"If you call me Zozo, you will never see me naked again," Arizona whispered in Callie's ear as she leaned in, pressing a cold beer into her hand.

"It was her cousin, Billy."

"He goes by William now, Mom."

"He's still Billy to me, but anyway, he was, hm, 3, I think when Arizona was born and that was just too many syllables for the poor kid. So Zozo. With the kids, Arizona was Zozo for probably the first, what? Ten years of her life."

"Aw, that's cute." Callie wound an arm around Arizona's waist, holding her close.

"And then Nick, when did you two meet him?"

"In Georgia, I think. I think I was going into kindergarten and Nick was in second grade and Tim was in third grade."

"That's right. Because Nick did his state report on Arizona. I think that he may have memorized every city in Arizona at one point." Barbara laughed, her eyes lit up with fond nostalgia.

"Heaven forbid, Nick actually call me by my name."

"Aw, he just had a crush on you." Arizona gagged dramatically, burying her face in Callie's shoulder. "He's a nice boy. Where is he these days?"

"Nepal, I think?" Arizona rested her head in the crook of Callie's shoulder.

"Barb, did you manage to pack a bottle opener in one of the thirty bags you brought aboard?"

"Oh shoot, I didn't."

Daniel groaned, already turning the wheel to head back towards the house.

"Wait, I can open beers without an opener," Callie volunteered. "Does anyone have a lighter?" Arizona fixed her gaze somewhere on the opposite side of the lake. Callie squeezed her waist gently.

"Callie, where exactly would I be keeping a lighter?" Arizona gestured to her bikini, one eyebrow lifted.

"Right, right, I just need two bottles." She shifted Arizona back onto the couch, pulling Arizona's beer from her hand.

Okay, she had done this hundreds of times. Well, maybe not hundreds, that made her sound bad. Dozens. She had done this dozens of times. It was a fun party trick. If it worked. If it didn't work, she'd probably break a bottle and that would be embarrassing.

Inhaling a slow breath, she adjusted her grip on the bottles, grateful that Arizona had told her to wear tennis shoes, not flip flops.

With a surge of confidence and a wink in Arizona's direction, she kicked up and the reassuring clink of two bottle caps sounded.

"You should keep her around, Arizona," Daniel said with a laugh.

Callie handed the two now-open beers to Arizona, who's mouth had fallen open in awe. She then retrieved the caps and used one to open the other two beers.

"Wasn't planning on getting rid of her," Arizona responded after a few beats, her gaze fixed on Callie. "Where did you learn that? And why don't you do it all the time?"

"In college," Callie replied with a shrug, stealing her beer back from Arizona. "And when exactly would I be doing that?"

"I dunno. It's hot though."

"Hm, really?" Callie pulled Arizona's legs into her lap, rubbing small circles on her calves. "Good to know."

Callie couldn't help but smile. The warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze off the lake and the sounds of animals around them, Barbara and Daniel chatting with each other, and the way Arizona was looking at her, there wasn't much that Callie would change. Soft, old country music added to the moment. It wasn't exactly Callie's favourite genre, but it fit the moment, twangy guitar and a crooning Johnny Cash.

"You know my dad met Johnny Cash once?"

"I don't know why, but that doesn't surprise me."

"Yeah, he stayed at one of my dad's hotels at some point. He's got a picture and autograph and everything."

"If he just let the Colonel see the autograph, I think my dad would love him forever."

"I'll have to tell him that before we introduce them. They can compare our background checks. Good holiday dinner conversation." Arizona's smile shifted from an easy one that just played at the corners of her mouth to a full-blown grin. "What?"

Arizona reached over to twine their fingers together. "I just, it's nice to think about the future. The future with you. I can't wait for it all. You know, like our parents meeting and having Christmas morning together and, and kids, and chickens-"

"Again with the chickens?"

"Oh hush, I'm trying to be romantic."

"If this is you trying, I shudder to think how good the real deal is."

"I'm going to push you in the lake."

"You just want to see me wet in a bikini."

Arizona's tongue darted out to wet her lips in a totally unsubtle display. "I'm not an idiot, Calliope. But really, seriously, I want the whole thing with you," Arizona paused, "I am so, so in love with you, Calliope."

The seriousness in Arizona's voice warmed Callie from within. They were in this together, they were on the same page. Callie leaned in for a brief kiss, still cognizant of the elder Robbins behind them. Arizona tasted of beer and sunscreen and sunshine. They both grinned into the kiss, cutting it short.

"I'm in love with you too, in case that wasn't clear."

"I don't mind hearing it from time to time."

xx

After a long day out in the sunshine on the boat, including a particularly fun hour spent curled up with Arizona on a raft behind the boat, Callie was wiped. The easing of tensions with Daniel went a long way towards relaxing Callie and she no longer felt like she needed to step so carefully all the time.

Dinner was far smoother than the previous meals, everyone a bit tired from a day of sun.

Daniel and Barbara both turned in early, each pressing a kiss to Arizona's forehead before heading upstairs.

The pair of them stretched out on the sofa, Callie leaning against Arizona's stomach as Arizona idly braided her hair.

"How long have your parents lived here?" Callie asked, looking around the house. The stag head still totally freaked her out and the lack of pictures was a bit off, but there was something so lived in about the house.

"Um, almost ten years now I think. They were in Virginia for a while after my dad retired, and he was working in the private sector. My mom said that she wanted a change of pace, but honestly, I think he was tired of it all. I mean, he spent nearly a decade on and off in Vietnam and then whatever he did for thirty years after that. He never talked about it and I didn't want to know. I think he didn't want to get involved in yet another war." Arizona's fingers paused in Callie's hair. "He didn't want to get involved, but Tim did." Arizona let out a shaky exhale.

Callie tried to twist around to look at Arizona, but Arizona held her head firm.

"That's why he doesn't talk about Tim. He can't even say Tim's name. He's guilty." The anger in Arizona's voice seemed so at odds with her normal energy. "Damnit." Arizona dropped her hands from Callie's hair, the braid falling to pieces. "Sorry."

"It's fine. Arizona, we don't have to talk about-"

"No, no, I want to. I want you to know about Tim." Callie just nodded, settling back so Arizona could resume her braiding. "He is, he was important."

"He is important to you, Arizona."

There was a quiet sniffle behind her and all Callie wanted to do was turn around and hold Arizona. But she was afraid if she moved, Arizona would retreat. Callie wanted to know everything about Arizona and a huge part of that was her brother.

"Yeah, yeah, he is. But I'm worried I'm forgetting him. Sometimes I can remember him so clearly, I can hear him like he's right next to me. But other times, it's like he's just out of reach."

Callie rested one hand on Arizona's knee. "You can always talk to me."

"I know, it's just hard."

"Why don't you just tell me something easy then? Whatever you want."

Arizona hesitated. "He called me Zoie. Everyone else called me Arizona or Zo or Zozo, but Tim called me Zoie. No one else called me that."

"That's sweet."

Arizona tied off the second braid, moving it over Callie's shoulder. Gently, she pushed Callie forward so she could slip out from behind her. She held out a hand for Callie. "I want to show you something."

Callie followed Arizona up the stairs, trying not to wince at the tight grip Arizona had on her hand.

Arizona paused at the top of the stairs, listening for any movement from her parents' room, before leading Callie past the room they had been sleeping in. Taking another turn down a hallway, Arizona stopped in front of a closed door, her chin dipping towards her chest.

Callie studied her profile. The slight tinge of pink across her nose from improper sunscreen reapplication, the constellations of her freckles, her braids, all familiar to Callie. But the set to her jaw and her downcast gaze was not a common sight. Arizona was happy and full of life and smiling and magic and all that.

And Callie loved that version of Arizona.

But she also knew this quieter, sadder version of Arizona was just as important.

Arizona pushed the door open with a creak. The smell of dust and wood and leather poured from the room. Callie let Arizona step through first, giving her a moment. Without even stepping into the room, she knew this had to be Tim's room. Or at least where they kept Tim's belongings.

As Arizona turned towards her, eyes shining, Callie stepped in, pulling Arizona into a hug. Arizona's breath hitched for a moment before evening out. Callie ran a hand up and down Arizona's back, her fingers tracing over the knobs of Arizona's spine.

With a sigh, Arizona pulled back, but didn't step too far from Callie's side. She flicked on the overhead light, illuminating the bedroom.

"This was Tim's room. Tim and I always kept stuff here, when it was my grandmother's house. With all the moving around, it was just easier." Arizona spun in a slow circle. "And then when my parents bought the house from my dad's brothers, we both left stuff here. Tim more so than me because he was always moving around with the Army."

Arizona drifted slightly away from Callie, their fingers still interlinked. She lifted a photo frame, her eyes squeezing shut for a moment. Callie stepped closer. As she held Arizona, the shake of Arizona's body broke her heart.

A smiling teenager grinned up at them, his smile the same as his sister's. A younger Arizona stood in front of Tim, the pair of them in matching sweaters.

"Mom's Christmas card photo for that year," explained Arizona. "This was the only good photo that day. Tim and I wouldn't stop arguing. About a minute after my mom took this, Tim threw me in the lake because I was annoying him." Arizona breathed out a laugh. "I pulled him in after me and I swear my mother was about to have an aneurysm over the sweaters."

"You two look so much alike." Callie had seen the handful of pictures that Arizona kept in her apartment, but she had never looked too closely. It had seemed like an invasion of her privacy. "You have the same smile."

"Yeah." Arizona dropped onto the bed, her shoulders slumped.

Callie took a moment to look around the room. It was a strange mix of teenage boy and grown man, all shoved into one place. A cork board filled with pictures: pictures of Tim and Arizona, a group of blondes she assumed were their cousins, graduation pictures, hunting pictures, Tim and Nick. Old sports medals were draped over a bedpost, glinting faintly under the light. In one corner, half shrouded in shadow, a folded flag and a box sat.

Callie tore her gaze away from the memorial and back towards Arizona. She joined Arizona on the bed. Arizona instantly leaned into her, evidently desperate for contact.

"He was the best big brother. He could be a total jerk too. Case in point, the pushing in the lake. But… you know, he always looked out for me. I was always Tim's little sister. He was always better at meeting people at first." Arizona paused, taking a shuddering breath. "It was always the pair of us against the world. He always had my back. He, uh, he left me his lucky lighter for my intern exam. I was so stressed about it and studying instead of spending time with him when he was in town. He kept trying to drag me out to bars or for dinner and I…. He left me his lucky lighter and I was supposed to give it back when he came home, but Tim didn't come home."

Arizona choked out a sob and Callie's heart broke for her. This was by far the most she had ever heard Arizona speak on Tim and she wanted to hear more, but it hurt to see Arizona in pain.

Callie pressed a kiss to Arizona's temple. "I'm sorry." She didn't even know what else to say. "I, I wish I could've met him."

"He would've loved you," Arizona managed a bit of a chuckle. "He always had a bit of a thing for brunettes."

Callie latched on to Arizona's joke as a chance to alleviate the moment. "Oh, so you two were really similar then?"

Arizona weakly hit Callie's arm. "Shut up." She curled further into Callie's side as Callie pulled her closer. "He… Tim, he liked playing Bob Dylan and Elvis on this crappy guitar he bought in California when he was in high school. His voice was… he had this sort of old country way of singing, but he loved rock music and wore a dumb, beat up jean jacket every day of high school no matter where we were stationed. But he was a dork and he always helped me with my homework…." Arizona trailed off, her voice cracking a bit. "He was so good and I still can't believe he's gone sometimes. Somedays, sometimes it feels like he's going to come around the corner with his stupid smile and an even dumber joke. Sometimes, it feels like I'm just waiting for him to come back. But he's gone. He's dead. He's never going to push me in the lake again, or help my mom make breakfast, or argue with my dad over football games. He's just… just gone."

Callie twined their fingers together, squeezing gently. "Tim's not gone, not really. He's always with you, Arizona." Arizona hiccuped. "You know you can always talk to me about him, right?" Arizona nodded, her cheek brushing along Callie's arm.

"Can we go to bed? I just, I just need you to hold me."

Callie left Tim's room first, letting Arizona have a moment to close the room alone and without eyes watching her.

She could've sworn she heard Arizona whisper, "Sweet dreams, Tim," but she let it be. This was about showing Arizona she could trust her, that she was worthy of being let in.

It wasn't as if Callie was unaware of how guarded and cautious Arizona was. She understood that Arizona was easily spooked and how she had to approach topics like Tim with ease or Arizona would just shut down again. And Callie really couldn't handle that. She wanted, no, needed to have Arizona in her life. She had tried being apart from Arizona and it had been more miserable than any other time in her life.

The mess with George had been awful and devastating, but humiliation had been at the root of everything. Callie could see now with retrospect that she and George were always doomed to fail. But it had hurt, there were no two ways about it. But not like losing Arizona had hurt.

Watching Arizona walk away from her, watching her shoulders shake with quiet tears, watching Arizona leave her hurt like nothing Callie had ever experienced. It was like she couldn't breathe and all she wanted was Arizona.

Even with a facade of anger and rage and hurt, Callie never could convince herself to stop loving Arizona. Because Arizona, she now knew for certain, was it for her.

Arizona was who she wanted to see every morning, all tangled blonde hair and a sleepy pout and tugging Callie back to bed. Arizona was the only person she could imagine bringing home to Miami to meet her family, to show her where she grew up, to bring her to the beach where Callie had had her first kiss. Arizona was who she saw at the end of that aisle, poofy white dress and the fairytale right out of her mom's magazines. When she imagined kids, they had Arizona's smile and laugh and it was everything she could ever want. And she was willing to wait for Arizona to catch up.

Arizona's perpetually cold fingers brushed against hers, breaking Callie from her reverie. Their fingers tangled together and Callie had the fleeting thought that they just needed rings.

Callie fought the urge to smile at the thought, a spark of nerves catching in her chest. Despite what Barbara had said about Callie being special, about her being different for Arizona, Callie couldn't help but be nervous that Arizona was still uncertain about their future after everything.

They were on the same page now, or rather, for now.

Callie wanted to just ask Arizona outright, but she was also very much aware of how skittish Arizona could become.

Callie abandoned her musings in favour of watching Arizona, almost waiting for her to say something, to reveal what she was thinking. Callie perched on the edge of the bed, her gaze fixed on her girlfriend. With a carefulness she wouldn't usually need, Callie reached out for her, her fingers brushing along her arm.

"Why don't we go to bed, sweetheart?" Arizona nodded minutely, her eyes still downcast. Callie moved to lean back against the headboard, beckoning Arizona to join her. Arizona shuffled across the bed to join her; the best way Callie could describe it was limping, as if some old scar ached and tugged at Arizona.

Which, she supposed, was probably true. While the loss of her brother may not always be the most dominant force in Arizona's life, there was no denying the impact it had on her on an almost molecular level. Arizona would always carry that scar with her, no matter what. There would always be part of Arizona that would be mourning her brother and part of her that would always wish he was there.

Arizona settled against her side, her head resting above Callie's heart.

Callie noticed months ago that Arizona liked to listen to her heart to help her sleep and Callie was entirely supportive about it. There were a lot of things Callie loved about her girlfriend, but there was truly something special in these small, miniscule moments, when it was just the two of them existing together.

"I love you," Callie said, her voice just barely above a murmur. Arizona tilted her head up to look at Callie. "Just wanted to say it," Callie said as an unnecessary clarification.

"Love you too," Arizona whispered back, "Thank you, y'know, for listening. It was… I liked…. It was nice to share Tim with you. He really would've liked you."

Callie found herself at a loss for words at the meaning and sincerity behind Arizona's words. She hadn't ever felt like she and Arizona weren't in a relationship (barring last month's break up) or like they weren't very much committed to each other. But Arizona finally opening up and sharing about her brother, about the man who had been her best friend for her entire life, it felt important and monumental and like they were deeper than just girlfriends.

She managed to rasp out, "Thank you," but it didn't feel like enough.

Arizona shifted slightly on her chest, one hand moving to curl in Callie's shirt. Callie held Arizona closer, desperate to feel that closeness, that connection. Arizona sighed a bit as her eyes drifted shut and Callie knew she should join her in sleep, but some instinctual part of her wanted to stay awake and protect Arizona.

Swallowing back a yawn, Callie pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of Arizona's head. Maybe she'd just close her eyes for a moment….

xx

"Smile," Arizona called, prompting Callie to look up from her book.

"Arizona, c'mon," Callie said with a laugh, even as Arizona snapped a picture. "A little warning next time, hm."

Arizona crossed the narrow space of the boat, picture already in hand. "You just look really, really pretty right now, that's all."

"You don't need to charm me, y'know," Callie said, setting her book to the side. "How was the water?"

Arizona tugged a hand through her damp hair, which had already started to curl a bit in the early afternoon sun. "It's so nice, you should try."

Callie wrinkled her nose. "I'm not convinced on the whole lake thing, if I'm being honest. I grew up with the ocean."

Arizona rolled her eyes and laughed and really, Callie loved her laugh. "Aren't you fancy, Calliope Torres, with your fancy ocean-"

"I don't think anyone's ever called the ocean fancy-"

"Or maybe you're just scared."

"Of what, the Loch Ness monster?" Callie tugged at one of Arizona's wrists, pulling her into her lap. Brushing some of Arizona's wet hair back, she let her hand linger, cupping Arizona's cheek. "You smell like a lake." She ran her thumb gently across Arizona's cheekbone. "You're also a bit sunburned."

"It'll turn into a tan in a few days."

"What do you want to do when we get back to Seattle?"

Arizona shifted in her lap, one hand coming to rest on Callie's bare shoulder. "Teddy wants to hang out. She's… I don't know how she's doing." Callie hummed in acknowledgement. "But otherwise," Arizona trailed off, shrugging, and Callie's gaze fell, following a bead of water down Arizona's neck towards her collarbone. "What if…" Arizona's teeth sank into her bottom lip as she thought through her next words. "What if we got a hotel for the last few days of our, er, time off, and that way we're not tripping over Yang and my apartment's still a disaster, and we can just suspend reality for a bit longer."

Callie's lips lifted in an easy smile. "I think that sounds nice. I don't… I'm not sure…."

"About going back to the hospital?" Callie bobbed her head in a nod. "I know. It's… I mean, it wasn't like we really had that bad of a-"

"Arizona," Callie cut her off, her voice harder than she probably intended, "a crazy guy with a gun, who was going around shooting doctors, shooting surgeons, found us hiding in a room. He could've just as easily shot us as anyone else. We got lucky. For some reason, he walked away."

"I know," sighed Arizona, her voice shaky, "It's just… we got lucky. We got lucky and so many other people didn't."

"We got a second chance."

"I don't want to waste it."

"We won't." Callie pulled Arizona in for a gentle kiss, their noses brushing together. Leaning into the kiss, Arizona tightened her grip in Callie's hair until Callie let out a whimper. They separated for a breath, forehead pressed together. "I promise," Callie breathed out, "we'll do it right this time."

"Promise?" Arizona asked as she moved to straddle Callie, cupping her face between her hands.

"Promise," Callie echoed.

xx

Callie couldn't help but feel at least mildly disoriented by the Robbins family. They moved with a near (or perhaps entirely) military precision to some extent, but they also were imperfect and casual and very clearly loving.

When she thought back to her own family, they had all loved each other, some more than others, but there wasn't that same comfort and familiarity. Her parents were perfunctory with their affections for each other and concerned with image. And while there was no denying the order and crispness in the Robbins's behaviour, there was far more affection.

She watched as Arizona's parents moved around each other in the kitchen, Barbara preparing dinner, Daniel drinks. They practically floated around each other, their motions clearly bred of familiarity and affection. As they brushed past each other, Barbara tugged at the Colonel's shirt, pulling him in for a kiss.

Callie's gaze shifted to Arizona, who was far more preoccupied with Chester than her parents. The more she observed of her parents, the more she felt like she knew Arizona. Arizona's affection the majority of the time was subtle and almost casual, far flung from the dramatic speeches she was known to give from time to time. It wasn't about proving a point, it was a reminder of care and love and adoration.

Callie, on the other hand, had always believed that love was in grand gestures and major sacrifices and transformations. When her parents wanted to commemorate their love, hundreds of people descended on their house to celebrate them, or her father gifted her mother something that would easily cover Callie's rent for a year, or her mother planned elaborate month-long vacations. It was all extreme gestures, often done in public so others could see their love for each other.

"You look very deep in thought, Calliope."

"What?" Callie jumped a bit, finding Arizona back on the couch next to her. "Oh, I was just thinking I should call my parents."

Arizona smiled a bit, leaning her head against Callie's shoulder. "Tell your dad hi. I'd say hi to your mom too, but, well, I feel like I should at least try to make a better first impression on her than your dad."

"My dad likes you."

"To be fair, Calliope, I was pretty sure he was going to put me through a wall. So really, I can only go up from there."

"That's, uh… one way of thinking of it."

Callie really wasn't sure how her mother felt about Arizona in general. They didn't have a strained relationship, although Callie had known from a young age her mother preferred Aria, her half-sister. No matter what Callie did, how high her grades were, what she achieved, Aria was always just always that much better in their mother's eyes. Aria and their mother had a special relationship, and Callie was often on the outside looking in, desperate for any connection with them.

Which was a long way of saying, Callie hadn't spoken to her mom, beyond in the background of her chats with her father, in a while. And she had no idea how she really felt about Arizona, but given her mother's genuine closeness with her assistant, who was most certainly gay, and her far more modern views than her father, Callie felt safe in assuming her mom didn't mind, she was just uninterested as always in Callie's life.

"Girls, dinner," Barbara called out, distracting Callie from thoughts on her own mother. "We're eating outside since it's such a beautiful night."

Callie followed Arizona outside, their pinkies linked together. As they sat across from the elder Robbins on a bench that she could only assume one of Arizona's relatives made, their legs pressed together, Callie almost couldn't believe how content she felt.

Dinner was a laid back, casual affair, with Barbara happily sharing embarrassing stories from Arizona's childhood and promising Callie baby pictures the next time they visited, much to Arizona's chagrin. They were just discussing when they needed to leave for the airport when the Colonel broke the light mood.

"When do you two work again?" The Colonel asked, his tone brusquer than Callie had heard it since their chat the previous day, almost as if he had slipped back into the character of the Colonel.

She and Arizona shared a glance before Callie replied, "We're not sure yet. They haven't… um," Callie stumbled over her words under the weight of Daniel and Barbara's gazes. "I think they were waiting on maintenance and cleaner-"

Before Callie could finish her sentence, Barbara stood up abruptly with a quiet pardon, turning on her heel and retreating into the house.

Daniel moved to get up but Arizona waved him off, saying, "I got it, Dad."

Callie watched her go, half tempted to follow her, but she could sense Daniel watching her.

"Barb, well, she's not taking it well."

"What?"

"I don't think we would've come back from losing Arizona. Losing a child…" Daniel trailed off, shaking his head. "To lose one child, to bury your child," his voice shook uncharacteristically, "I wasn't, I wasn't home when they, when they…." Gone was the stoic, self-assured Colonel from Arizona's memories, and in his place, a grieving father. "We couldn't… we can't…" he trailed off, a sort of horror and dread flashing in his eyes. "I never thought Arizona would be in danger, not like… not like her, her, not like Timothy," he let out a shuddering breath and Callie couldn't help but wonder when the last time he said his son's name was.

Callie searched for the right words to say, the right apologies and condolences, the "I'm sorry for your loss"es, but it all felt cheap to say to the father of the woman she loved.

Arizona had told her, in tiny bits and pieces, and small anecdotes, never in detail, about her father. About his career, and how he came back more and more haunted when she was a child, how he was a good man, but he struggled to reconcile his own experiences with those of his children.

She had been prepared for the stoic soldier, the protective father, but she hadn't been prepared for how haunted his eyes seemed, and how much of her father Arizona had in her eyes.

"I only ever wanted them to be happy, my children, that was what I told myself every time I left them behind, every time I uprooted them. That I was ensuring their freedom, and futures, and happiness. That I was doing the right thing. And then I… I sent my son to die and then I wasn't strong enough to…. For Christ's sake, I didn't even accept his flag." The Colonel slammed a hand on the table as his voice rose suddenly, the scattered dishes clattering on the table. "I spent a long time being angry," he said, sipping at the whiskey that seemed almost omnipresent in his hand. "A long time lashing out and hurting and now my daughter doesn't come home and she nearly died. And my wife is crying again. And, and, and I just… I need to know, is Arizona happy?"

Callie froze. Was Arizona happy? She thought so. Or at least, she thought so now that they had fixed things. "Yes," she said, her voice surprisingly steady, "she's happy, we're happy."

An almost dazed smile appeared on the Colonel's face, melting away some of the grief that had been present moments before. "That's good. I worried, not that Arizona ever knew, I worried when she told me she was a lesbian." Callie couldn't stop the sharp inhale of breath. "I didn't have a problem with her being a lesbian, but all I could think about was how much harder her life could be, the struggles she would have. And like always, she's proven that my worries, my concerns were unfounded. I knew you made her smile, but seeing you two together these past few days has, it's her smile from before we lost her brother. You make her happy."

"She makes me incredibly happy, sir."

"I thought we dropped that sir nonsense."

"Sorry, Daniel."

"I trust when you decide you're ready for that next step, you'll come and speak with me, hm?"

Callie honestly hadn't considered it, hadn't thought through the logistics of a proposal and wedding, because all that came to mind when the concept came up was being married to Arizona and being each other's wife.

She didn't say that though, instead she said, "Of course."

"Good, good, I'll have a ring for you. My mother's ring, she left it for Arizona, well, her future spouse." Callie swallowed against the dryness in her throat as things suddenly seemed incredibly real and fast and was this how Arizona felt when she started talking about babies? "No need to look so spooked, Torres, I haven't got a shotgun," he said with a laugh and Callie felt the opposite of reassured. "I'm just giving you the option, and what Arizona would probably like."

"Uh, thank you, sir, er, Daniel."

Thankfully, Arizona and Barbara reappeared, not so subtle tear tracks still present on their cheeks. As soon as she sat down, Arizona moved closer to Callie, threading their fingers together and leaning against her. Instinctively, Callie turned and pressed a kiss to Arizona's head, and then became very much aware of the Robbins watching her, her cheeks flushing red.

"Are you two packed?" Daniel asked, a sort of false levity in his tone, "And by you two, I mean, Arizona."

"I'm completely packed, thank you very much, Dad."

"I've seen you pack a hundred times, and it's always last minute."

"Don't worry, I'm a grown up, I can manage. We should probably leave first thing in the morning though. Our flight is on the early side, and it's a long drive."

As Arizona and her father launched into a far too detailed discussion about logistics, Callie contented herself with just watching Arizona and the faint pink sunburn on her cheeks, and the way she spoke with her hands, and how there seemed to be an ever present smile around her eyes.

Sometimes, it almost surprised her how much she loved Arizona. She thought she had been in love before Arizona. Every time, Callie had felt like she was talking herself into loving them. But with Arizona, she had been in love with her before she even realised what was happening and it was perfect. It felt unlike any other relationship she had been in before and she wanted so much for them, for Arizona.

That thought stuck with her through the end of dinner and until she and Arizona were curled up in bed, Callie laying half on top of Arizona, playing idly with her fingers. "I want so much for us."

"Hm?"

Callie shifted slightly to see Arizona better. "I know we're not rushing or anything, but I just wanted to say I want so much for us, I want a future and a life with you, you know that, right?"

Arizona brushed her fingers along Callie's cheek as she smiled down at her. "I love you."

"I love you too?"

"I mean it, I love you and I love that you want a future, and I know things haven't been perfect lately, but none of that matters any more and we're here and we're together and we love each other."

Callie pulled her down into a soft, slow kiss, trying to impress on Arizona just how much she loved her, how happy she was. And as Arizona smiled into the kiss, she thought she must have succeeded.

xx

"So, you didn't die. My dad didn't kill you in the woods."

"I did get two shovel talks though, which is less than I expected."

"And he didn't even bring out his shotgun."

"He did mention it."

"See, no bodily harm."

"Expect for you're about to break my scalpel hand."

"Oh shut up, you know I don't like planes. I always-"

"Feel closer to death? I know, you keep saying it. And honestly, Arizona, it feels like you're starting to will a plane crash into existence and ow! Don't squeeze my hand like that, I need it!"

"Yeah, you do."

"You're awful."

"You love me."

"Hm, yeah, I guess I kind of do."

xx

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