Sunday

the weather had frostiness in it. There were the sound of rustling leaves and creaking branches. An owl was hooting at the distance at a regular frequency. It would have been a pleasant smell of fern trees mixed with the winter breeze if it was not polluted by the pungent smell of burning rubber. She opened her eyes but met with terrifying darkness which engulfed her surroundings. She tried to move but it seemed like her whole body was paralyzed. She tried to scream but no sound came out of her mouth. What is happening where is she and why is it so cold? She tried to squint her eyes to focus on something, anything but the utter blackness of her surrounding once again filled her retinas. She swallowed to clear her throat but she tasted blood. What is happening? Where am I? I am all alone here? As soon as this thought came to her mind panic started to rise from the pit of her stomach, she started to hyperventilate. She opened her mouth to scream again, but again no sound came out. She desperately tried to move but it made her chest contract as if every moment was adding some weight to her chest. The breathing was getting difficult and the panic attack was not making it any easier.

She was trying to calm her pounding heart but was failing miserably. She was going to die and she was sure of it. There was nothing left to do but to wait for her impending end. She closed her eyes and waited for the death to come, she was ready.

A loud blaring sound of the alarm woke Arizona up. She shot up on the bed and looked around frantically to check her surroundings. She took a deep breath of relief when she realized that she was safe in her room. She looked down at her T-shirt which was soaked in sweat along with her sheets and duvet. She took some deep calming breaths to slow down her fast-beating heart.

It's been a long since she had such a vivid dream, these types of dreams were common for her after the crash. It took her solid 4 months to overcome the fear. Every time she closed her eyes she would see the trees and the maggots in her open wound, she would see mark dying over and over again and she would hear the voice of Jerry -the piolet taking her last breath. Gradually, the frequency of nightmares reduced and eventually they stopped completely. Arizona never shared this part with anyone not even with Callie.

Arizona picked up the water bottle from the side table and chugged the whole thing at one go. After some times when she started feeling a little better, she got up from her bed, fixed her prosthetics and changed the duvet cover sheets and pillowcases which were now soaked in the sweat. She glanced and the watch and realized it was only 6:00 in the morning so She then decided to go for a walk to clear her mind and get some fresh air.

While walking in the park the flashes of her past started to float in front of her eyes. The nightmare brought something up, which was buried deep inside of her, somewhere in the back of her mind. She started reminiscing about the crash. How she woke in the middle of nowhere and how scary it was. How she was screaming without even realizing it until Christina screamed back at her. Thinking of Christina made her chuckle when she thought about her "shoe". The sound of the roaring plane engine and smell of fuel leaking near bye, The screams of Derek when Meredith tried to close the gaping cut in Derek's arm with safety pins.

Without even realizing it has been an hour since she was walking and now her leg hurt a bit so she decided to sit on a bench. As she sat and looked around the trees, the idea of being able to live to see this day made her tear up. She thought about Mark and how he would have given anything to be here today, to see Sofia grow up. Sofia would have Mark wrapped around her finger, she would have been so spoiled. She glanced towards the sky and whisper "Hey Mark, I never thought I would ever say this but I miss you. I hope you and Lexie and together and you have not screwed that up again. I wish you were here though, you would have not let this happen, you would have never let me and Callie split up, I am sorry I disappointed you. But I am trying again, I am trying to make things right. I hope I don't mess it up again…. Love you"

After that Arizona started to feel a little better. She felt lighter, so she decided to head home and Shower

…

When Callie woke up it was already 8:00 in the morning, she had a lazy day yesterday and she decided to catch a late-night movie on HBO. By the time she went to sleep, it was 2 in the morning, so naturally, she got up late. After getting up she realized that she needs to prepare for her lunch date with Arizona. She felt the flutter in her stomach upon thinking about her date so she decided to drop Arizona a message

Callie: Hey, Good Morning. I hope you had a good sleep.

She put her phone back on the bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up. After like 30 minutes she received the message back

Arizona: hi, Good morning to you as well, Sorry was taking a shower so didn't reply right away

Callie: No issues, you took shower already? Impressive! Years and years of being a surgeon and you still can't change the army habits huh? ;-)

Arizona: Haha! Nothing like that I got up super early today and then decided to go for a walk so I had to shower as I was sticky and stinky

Callie: Alright! I'll get ready as well coz I need to prepare for my date with someone.

Arizona: Oh really! Who that might be?

Callie: Someone very special

Arizona: Well that's someone, is very excited about that.

Callie smiled brightly upon reading this message and replied quickly

Callie: Can't wait! See you soon!

After their small chat, Callie went ahead with her day. She cleaned the apartment and the mess she made in the living room last night. There was a bowl of popcorn on the table and some beer cans lying around. On the couch, all the cushions were lying haphazardly and the duvet was half on the ground half on the couch. Callie quickly cleaned everything and put the chicken for defrosting.

Arizona meanwhile cleared some pending work, she conducted few online interviews and send some documents to her lawyers covering her legal side of the clinic. They were still waiting for their accreditation and they were hoping to get it at least 1 week before their soft opening so that they would get some time for the marketing campaign.

Around 11, Arizona got up to get ready for her date. After the last date, they have grown closer, not only emotionally but physically as well. She didn't know what to expect from today, was Callie expecting anything from her, what are the rules of dating someone you were once married to anyway? Is the "third date rule" still applies? Isn't that for kids or the young-ish generation? All these thoughts were running in Arizona's mind and she was getting nervous with each passing minutes.

Eventually, she got ready and head towards Callie's house. The weather was good outside therefore she decided to walk. In 10 Minutes she reached Callie's apartment. As she rang the buzzers her heart was beating so fast that she felt that it will rip her chest and come out.

"Why I am so nervous… this is ridiculous," Arizona thought as she heard the footstep coming towards the door.

…

After cleaning the house Callie started to prepare for lunch. Today's special, Cobb salad, Chicken fried steak and beans. She put Jacob creek rose to chill. After she was satisfied with her preparation she went to get ready. Around 12 she heard the buzzer, indicating Arizona's arrival. She ran so fast towards the door that she stubs her small toe at the corner of the cabinet. Hopping on one leg, with pained expressions she opened the door.

"h-hey," Callie said with a frown

"Hi, you okay?" Arizona asked looking Callie up and down.

"Yeah, I just stub my toe… it will be fine… come in," Callie said, opening the door wide to let Arizona in

"Hi," Callie said again placing the light kiss on Arizona's cheek.

"Hi," Arizona said with a little blush "are you sure you are ok?" Arizona asked again looking Callie up and down in concern.

"Yeah, Yeah! Don't mind me, you know, how clumsy I am, it's fine" Callie replied "Make yourself at home I'll be right back"

Arizona went to the living room and sat on the couch while Callie went to the kitchen to bring drinks she prepared earlier

"Pina Colada?" Callie said as she entered the living room.

"Oh wow! You went all the way huh?" Arizona said with excitement taking drinks from Callie

"Psshh! It's nothing" Callie said dismissively, sitting on the other side of the same couch.

They started talking casually where Callie asked about Nicole and work at the centre "Nicole is Nicole!, still striving on my misery" Arizona said laughing "She loves to tease me, but I am so grateful that she gave me this opportunity else I don't know what I would have done."

"Come on Arizona. I know she gave you a great opportunity but it's nothing you don't deserve. You are one of the best surgeons in the country, people come from all around the country to see you, you deserve every bit of this and you are going to do amazing and-" Callie stopped rambling when she looked at Arizona's slight smile and raise eyebrows. A blush crept up to her face when she realized how openly and enthusiastically she was praising Arizona.

"Wh-What I just stating the fact," Callie said meekly still blushing "Any Hospital would have been happy to have you, after all, you are double board-certified neonatal surgeon"

"That's the thing, Callie, They were not" Arizona replied "There are enough fetal surgeon in New York. The only Jobs I was getting was Pead's surgery but with Nicole giving me this offer I can continue my specialization as well as do some consultation in paediatrics as well"

Callie nodded in understanding "well. I am grateful as well as and happy that you are here"

"Me too" Arizona replied with a smile.

After a while, they took their conversation to the dining room where they had their lunch which Arizona loved. After the divorce, one of the things that Arizona missed was Callie's cooking. It's not liked that Arizona can't cook; she is a good cook but there was always something special in Callie's cooking. Maybe because Callie had a wide spice palate than Arizona or it's just the way Callie enjoy cooking which made her every dish mouthwatering.

After lunch and dessert, they took their glasses of wine and went back to the living room.

"Movie?" Callie asked

"Sure" Arizona replied

"What do you wanna watch?"

"Whatever you want, I am okay with that, what are you watching nowadays?"

"I am trying to complete Game of Thrones before the next seasons come. Last night I was watching it till 2 at night" Callie replied sheepishly.

"Really? You know what I have never watched Game of Thrones" Arizona replied

"What! Seriously… You don't know what you are missing" Callie responded "You wanna watch it? From the beginning of course," Callie asked

"Sure why not"

Callie started Game of Thrones from the beginning, and they relaxed on the couch. Gradually, No one knows how, they both were sitting really close to each other. Arizona was leaning slightly into Callie and Callie's hand was wrapped around her shoulders. Without realizing Callie was caressing Arizona's upper arm. They were sitting in that position for a long time and nobody moved a muscle. Callie was too indulge in the episode to realize that Arizona was not paying any attention to the show; until the scene with Bran, Jamie and Cersei came on and there was no reaction from Arizona.

"Hey, are you even watching?" Callie asked

"Huh?" Arizona said coming out of her pensiveness "Of course I am" Arizona tried to cover up.

Callie squinted her eyes and looked at Arizona suspiciously.

"What?" Arizona asked with a little blush

"If you were watching, then believe me you would've had some reaction." Callie confronted jokingly

"Okay, you got me… I wasn't actually watching" Arizona confessed

"You don't like it?" Callie enquired

"No! It's not like that" Arizona said but a blush came up to her cheek which didn't go unnoticed by Callie

"Then what?"

"Nothing, it's stupid to let's just watch," Arizona Said dismissively

"No, tell me… Tell meee" Callie insisted in a childlike manner which made Arizona chuckle.

"Fine... it just…" Arizona started with a stutter "It's just you're… ahem… hand was on my shoulder and… you were… mmm… it got me distracted" Arizona said shyly, the blush of her cheek was now a darker shade of red.

Callie couldn't help but smile broadly "Oh wipe that smug look off your face… I am already embarrassed" Arizona scolded lovingly

"Why? There is nothing to be embarrassed about… "Callie replied "I would be distracted too" she added the last line in a whisper.

Despite herself, a smile form on Arizona's lips "Can we drop it already… let's just watch the show" Arizona turned her head towards the TV and pretended to ignore the sniggering from Callie. As Arizona pressed play Callie wrapped her hands around Arizona waist and shoulder and pulled her towards herself, surprising Arizona in the process.

"What are you doing?" Arizona asked as now her back was at Callie's sides and she was in a half-lying position.

"Hush! Watch the show" Callie replied pointing at the TV which made Arizona smile, So she threw the caution to the wind and settled herself comfortably. Callie felt a strange kind of peace as the smell of Arizona's Shea butter shampoo filled her nostrils.

For the next few hours, they sat like that watching and commenting on the show and enjoying the closeness which was familiar but still new. Arizona could not remember the last time it felt so good being that close. Even though there was always love between them before the divorce, but this feeling was different. It was not loaded with unsaid words or suppressed feelings. It was free of all the obligations and formality. Even though the arms, the embrace and the body of Callie were familiar but the feeling between them had a hint of newness, yet it was the same as the time before the crash. That plane crash changed everything for them. Lying there in Callie's arm Arizona mind drifted back to the crash and how she wished she was with Callie all the time when she was in the forest. Thinking about that Arizona slowly entangled her fingers with Callie's and took a deep breath before speaking "I could only think about this in those four days" Arizona said in almost a whisper.

"Huh?" Callie asked diverting her gaze from the TV "What did you say?"

"I thought about this in those four days when we were stuck in that… forest… after the crash," Arizona said meekly.

Arizona hardly ever talked about the crash after she came back. This was the one thing that bothered Callie the most. Anytime Callie attempted to talk to Arizona she would simply refuse to discuss anything on this topic. So when she saw, that for the first time in all these years Arizona is opening up about the crash Callie quickly switched off the TV sat up straighter to focus solely on Arizona.

"When I was lying on the ground and didn't know that if I was ever going to see you or Sofia again, all I could think about is you I and Sofia cosied up in a blanket on a winter night watching some Disney movie that Sofia insisted. I am there leaning into you and your one hand wrapped around my shoulder and others on Sofia. At that moment I realized how safe and warm I used to feel around you both." Arizona said with a hint of sadness in her voice

Callie swallowed a lump in her throat caused by Arizona's confession, she cleared her throat slightly before speaking "We never discussed that before… I mean… I can't even begin to understand what you went through there, but I always wanted to talk to you about that… but I guess then it was not the right time to talk"

Arizona gave a weak smile "I was in a weird state of mind at that time… Being a doctor we feel that we know what is good or bad for our health and we never think that anything like that could affect us… we think that if something is wrong with us we will come to know because… we are know-it-all people with God complex. Being a doctor I know that venting out your emotions, talking about your trauma and seeking professional help is important after an incident like that but I did what all of the patients do. I suppressed all my feelings and let it become a never healing wound. I let it come between… "Arizona's voice cracked as tears formed in her eyes.

Callie waited for a while before speaking "Sweetie, don't think like that, you went through something horrifying nobody can go through something like that have come out with no emotional scars or baggage. I in fact have seen people going way worse. You on the other hand handled it very well. I wasn't even there and yet I feel like that's the worst thing that has happened to me, even worse than the car crash."

Hearing that Arizona realized how Callie must have felt in those days. After the car crash Callie was in front of her and yet she felt like she can't breathe properly till the time Callie came out of the coma. Here Callie didn't even know if Arizona was dead or alive for three days. "You never talked about how it was for you when we were out there and you came to know that our plane crashed"

Callie took a deep breath "There was never a right time to talk about that. Once you arrived I could only focus on your… ahem… leg… then it was your recovery and stuff. When we got back normal I didn't want to discuss that part because you know… I didn't wanna remind you about that. So it never came up" Callie said with a shrug of her shoulders.

At that moment Arizona realized how selfish she had been at that time. Yes, she was the one who was stuck in the forest without food and water for 4 days and didn't know if she is ever gonna see her wife and daughter again but Callie was going through somewhat the same minus the physical injury, but emotionally she was in the same state.

"Would you tell me?" Arizona said lightly "about that time… I mean your side of the story"

"You really wanna know?" Callie asked and Arizona nodded.

"Well, the day you all were supposed to come back I had the evening all planned. I … ahem… had made all the arrangements for your … mmm… welcome" Callie said remembering how she had planned their sensual evening with edible paints and lingerie. The look of embarrassment at Callie's face made Arizona chuckle and she understood that Callie might have plan something kinky.

Callie cleared her throat before continuing "Moving on" she said with a smile "while I waiting for you in our bedroom my pager beeped with 911 so naturally I had to go. So I took Sofia to daycare and went to the board room. When I entered I saw Bailey, Karev, Webber and Hunt looking at me with grim expressions." The expressions on Callie face changed and even though her eyes were at Arizona she wasn't actually looking at her and Arizona knew that Callie is reliving that day.

"I asked them that why I was paged 911 in the conference room? My first thought was that either one of my patients died or someone is suing me. Little did I know that the reality was worst… way worst. They asked me to take a seat and they dropped the bomb that the plane carrying my wife and father of our child is missing and the probability of anyone being alive is next to nothing."

Callie swallowed the lump before continuing "I felt like my world was crumbling down around me and I couldn't do anything to stop it. Even though I knew it was futile but started calling your number over and over again but when there was no response, naturally I started hyperventilating. Once my panic phase was over, I offered to go in search of you all, but they didn't know where you were. There was nothing we could do, other than wait. They asked me to go home and stay with Sofia so I did just that and I stayed the whole night in Sofia's room. I couldn't sleep and Sofia also kept crying for you. I know she didn't know about anything but I felt like she understood your absence, so to calm her down I called your phone and let her hear your voice message which strangely worked. After she slept I kept on calling your phone to listen to your voice mail. I know that's stupid but that gave me a belief that you are not gone and I am not left alone to raise Sofia without her other two parents." Callie's voice was shaking remembering that time, she stopped to take a sip of wine to catch a break. Arizona had tears in her eyes, she gently put a hand over Callie's in a loving manner.

"I am so sorry Callie… God, I can't even begin to tell you how deeply sorry I am for treating you like an enemy in those days. I never thought about the toll that the whole incident would have taken on you. If I was afraid of not seeing you and Sofia ever again, you didn't even know that I and mark were alive or not… I mean I don't know what would have I done if the situation was reverse" Arizona said sobbing.

Callie nodded and held Arizona's hand tightly "don't beat yourself up, you were in no condition-"Callie tried to reason out but Arizona interrupted.

"No Callie, please don't justify on my behalf, I was horrible to you, I know it and you know it," Arizona said apologetically

"Fine! I won't justify. Yes, it hurt a lot but Arizona let bygones be bygone. You are better and stronger now and I am so happy with everything you have achieved since then." Callie replied with a supporting smile and Arizona nodded.

For the next few minutes, nobody spoke, both of them were dealing with these overwhelming emotions they just experience. After a while, Callie continued "you know when you experience something bad and then you believe that whatever comes next will never be as bad as this one… I thought that about the car crash but then when I heard about your plane, my accident started to feel like a minor hiccup in my life. The thought of losing you bought me down on my knees, it broke everything in me. Everything inside of me was breaking down. Every cell in my body was protesting to give up but I still had to get up and keep moving for Sofia. I knew I couldn't break down because I was the only thing Sofia was left with if the worst has happened. I couldn't do that to her." Callie said softly

"-and then we heard that you were found and all but one survived and I prayed so desperately that it's not you who died, without realizing that I was trading you for one of our friend's life…Lexie's life. When Hunt informed me that you all were in chopper coming to SGMW, I took a breath of relief thinking that finally, the nightmare was over… Boy! Did I call it wrong!" Callie said the last line with a sad chuckle." But believe me, when I saw you for the first time in 4 days I felt like somebody blew the life back in me. Like in those 4 days even though I was working and moving but I was lifeless-"Suddenly Callie found herself in a tight embrace. Arizona had thrown her hands around Callie's neck and she was hugging her as tight as she can, trying to convey all of her said-unsaid feelings.

They sat like that for a long time, no one wanted that moment to end. Callie was gently caressing Arizona's back and Arizona was lost in the smell of Callie's perfume. Both of them had only one thought in their mind. If only they would have talked like this before, life would have been something else.

A/N

Hello lovely people. I am back with another chapter

I hope you enjoyed it. I tried to cover a big and important part of the story.

Thank you for the reviews and wishes for my recovery. I am glad to inform you that I got full mobility in my arm and am back to work.

Please review that chapters and if you have any suggestions feel free to PM me.

Until next time - stay safe.