Callie lifted her head to look down into the blonde's eyes "Really? You want to talk right now?"

Arizona exhaled and nodded, wrapping an arm around the brunette "Yes. I'm saying it now because I'm so close to just falling back into something with you as though nothing has happened…and I don't think that's healthy. Don't get me wrong, I want this, I want you. But I think there's a hell of a lot more to say"

"Ari" the brunette rolled her eyes "when did you get to be so sensible?"

"Maybe when I realised I was pushing thirty"

"Oh my god don't even mention that"

"I'll be sure to let you know how truly awful it is before it's your turn" the blonde teased.

"Ok grandma" Callie poked out her tongue.

"You won't be calling me that when I keep you up all night"

"Arizona…" the brunette breathed, unable to stop the wave of heat that spread across her body.

"Sorry…that wasn't fair. Even if it was true. I do really want to talk though"

Callie somewhat detached herself from the blonde so that she could lie on her side facing her but not immediately touching "I'm listening"

"I just…" Arizona took a deep breath "I was joking about the whole pushing thirty thing, but the reality is that we aren't teenagers anymore"

The brunette's forehead creased "Yeah, I think the last few days have proved that"

"What I mean is…god, I don't know how to say this without sounding ridiculous"

"Just say it Arizona" the brunette reached out and stroked her shoulder sympathetically.

"Ok so…" the blonde exhaled "when we were younger, we got so involved with one another, and yet we never stopped to define what we were doing, who we were to each other. And I realise that I'm going to sound like a crazy person bringing this up when we've just slept together for the first time. Well, the first time this time around, but…I'm not saying that it needs to be now, but I just…I need to know before I start diving in head first that there's a chance that this could go somewhere. That I'm not just signing myself up to being called your friend again. Because if I am…if that's all I can be, then I have to walk away now. I just…I need to know there's that chance"

"Ok firstly, I can't believe that you're the one that rambles now. That was always my job. And secondly, you're not crazy" Callie reached out to cup the blonde's cheek, forcing her to look at her "as much as we might feel like nothing's changed since we were teenagers, the fact is that we're adults now. There's nothing to hide here, and I'm not confused about who I am. I don't think you are either?"

The blonde shook her head "I haven't been confused in a really long time Calliope"

"Back then I think…" the brunette swallowed "I think what was happening between us felt so natural, that at the time, we didn't even think to question whether it needed a label. Looking back, it's like so fucking obvious that we were dating. But I don't even know if I realised that was something that two girls could do"

"Ok, maybe that's the thing that's crazy in all of this"

"So…." Callie frowned "you did understand what was going on?"

"Yes" the blonde said simply.

"But…why the hell didn't you say anything?"

"Because" Arizona shrugged as if it was no big deal "it was literally something we never talked about. Like, I knew that I wasn't interested in anyone else, and I never felt the need to question whether you were. And there was nothing more that I would ever have asked of you, so in a way it felt irrelevant what label we put on ourselves. But oh my god sometimes…I just wanted to be able to shout from the rooftops that you were my girlfriend"

"Are you serious?" the brunette sat up.

"Of course I'm serious Calliope" the blonde scoffed.

"You were more than just my girlfriend" Callie met the blonde's gaze "you were my first love"

"Oh"

"And you're right about it not needing to be right now, because obviously, I've literally been single for a matter of hours. But I'm not a naïve teenager anymore. I kinda get that women can date women" she grinned "and so when I'm ready to be officially dating again, you'll be the first to know"

"Because…."

"Because you're the woman that I want to be dating"

"Oh" this time a wide smile spread across the blonde's face.

"So you're the one that wanted to talk and now all I get is 'oh'? I always used to think you were so eloquent" Callie teased.

"I…I wasn't expecting to get that kind of answer"

The brunette frowned "Why, what did you think I'd say?"

"I don't know. I was obviously hoping that you'd say that this had a chance of going somewhere. I just didn't realise your answer would be so…definitive"

"Does that scare you?"

"God no" the blonde sat up and took Callie's hand "I guess up until this moment I was always terrified that too much had happened in the past for you to genuinely consider that we might have a future"

"Up until a few days ago I thought I knew what my future looked like, and it really wasn't much to get excited about" the brunette leant forwards and kissed Arizona tenderly "and now suddenly it has hope in it again"

"Callie, I…" the blonde reached out for Callie's hand.

"I'm ok, honestly" the brunette reassured her "I can't promise that I won't break down at some point, but right now, I'm ok"

"And when you do, I'll be here"

"You promise?"

"I promise" Arizona looked her straight in the eyes.

"Thank you" the brunette smiled "I guess, I know that at some point the reality of everything that's happened is going to hit me. Just right now, I feel like I'm in a place where I'm actually safe. And that makes it so much easier"

"Callie…" Arizona looked down at their joined hands before meeting the brunette's eyes again "you still never told me what happened when you told your father about what Eduardo did"

Callie exhaled "You really want to know?"

The blonde nodded.

Earlier that day

"Right now I don't care Papa" Callie laughed, feely freer than she had ever felt in her life "You see, Arizona left for one reason, and despite what you've said, it was the sole decision that was made that night to protect me. She left because Eduardo threatened to rape me if she didn't"

"No" Aria gasped.

Carlos stood there, rooted to the spot. He opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again.

"Callie…" her sister turned to her "if you're joking, you need to say something now"

"I wish I was" Callie said sadly "but that's the truth, there's no getting around it"

"That's your husband you're talking about" her father said quietly.

"Yes Papa" Callie eyeballed him "the man that you told to make sure Arizona left town, that's the same man you encouraged me to marry"

"I mean, I shouldn't be surprised. You do love an ultimatum, don't you Papa?"

"I don't appreciate your tone, Calliope"

"Ha" Callie scoffed "Well you know what I don't appreciate? I hope you're ready, it's a pretty long list. You see, I don't appreciate you blackmailing me into dating Eduardo…"

"What?" Aria looked between her sister and her father, clearly confused.

"Guessing he didn't tell you about that either then" Callie smiled at her father fakely "You see, Papa told me in no uncertain terms that if I didn't start dating a man, that you and Mom would have no further contact with me. And conveniently, Eduardo was there, constantly trying to get me to go on a date. And happily for Papa, that just so happened to open up further business opportunities for him"

"Cal…" Aria put a hand on her sister's shoulder "surely you didn't believe that I would ever stop talking to you?"

Callie turned to her sister sadly "He made it very clear that you wouldn't have a choice. And besides…when Arizona left…it's not like I could be sure that you had my back"

The sisters looked at each other as the realisation dawned on Aria "I'm really sorry. I should have done more…I guess I thought that it was a bit of fun with you two, that you guys were just good friends who'd been experimenting…and so I didn't realise quite how much it hurt you. But no matter what I did or didn't realise, I never would have cut you out of my life, Cal. No matter what Papa said. I'm really sorry that I wasn't there for you"

"Thank you" Callie gave her a small smile "I appreciate the sentiment. And what about you Papa?" she turned to her father "Do you have anything to say?"

"I refuse to believe that Eduardo would do the things you're accusing him of" Carlos said, his jaw clenched tight.

"I guess there's nothing else to say then" Callie said quietly.

"That would appear to be the case"

"I think I've just learned an important lesson" she told him, fighting back the tears.

"And that would be?"

"When people say that the only man a girl can really rely on is her father, that's not always true"

And with that final statement, Callie turned and ran out of the house, hurrying to Arizona's car before anyone could catch her.

Present day

"Calliope…" the blonde could feel her own face crumbling as she pulled Callie into her arms.

"I'm ok" the brunette whispered, placing a kiss on Arizona's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry that you had to go through that"

Callie lifted her head so that she could make eye contact with the blonde "We've both been through things we didn't deserve to go through"

"I guess we have"

"I just…can I be honest?"

"Always"

"The thing that's scaring me…like, really terrifying me, and I'm trying to push it aside, is the fact that I had a life. And for all its faults, I had a place in the world. And now…I've walked away from it all" Callie took a deep breath "I'm not saying I regret it, I just…I don't know where I belong anymore"

"I understand" the blonde said softly, leaning in to claim Callie's lips with her own.

As their lips moved together, their bodies wrapped around one another, their limbs seeming to entangle of their own accord. Hands lazily wandered as their tongues brushed together, causing both women to sigh.

"I'm sorry" Callie whispered against the blonde's lips "that was insensitive of me"

"No" Arizona kissed her again "don't you ever apologise for being honest"

"I…" the brunette could feel the tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks "I just don't know what to do. My life…"

"Hey" the blonde brushed the hair out of Callie's face "the thing is…and this might sound crazy, but I have a life. A life that I've made in New York"

"I know " the brunette said quietly.

"No…you see, I mean…you know that there will always be room in my life for you. And if I can start again, so can you"

Callie frowned "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I'm asking you to come back to New York with me"