A/N: Merry Christmas my friends. This is a super long one and what you've all been waiting for. I hope I didn't disappoint you. Nothing is mine and all that bah humbug stuff.
"We need to talk." They both said at the same time.
A startled Callie stood stock still, hand in the air poised to knock on the door as Arizona stood equally stunned, not only by the other woman's presence, but by her words. Both stood frozen, face to face, breathing heavily equally from their own nerves and the shock of the abrupt meeting. Taking in the other woman's facial expression, etched in fear, feeling dread creep up her own spine at the ominous words, each of them was quick to try to put the other at ease and corrected, "I'm not upset." Arizona blurted at the same time she heard Callie say, "It's not bad." Both bodies slumped in relief as they each expelled the breath they had been holding in. This action only reminded them of how close they were standing to the other and neither wanted to make the move to separate. Not able to help herself, Callie reached out and tucked the fly away blonde curl behind Arizona's ear. She was pleasantly surprised when the other woman moved into the touch and softly rested her head on her hand closing her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, blue eyes met brown and both women smiled as Arizona softly whispered, "Hi." Callie leaned in and rested their foreheads together, enjoying the intimacy and returned a soft, "Hey." Arizona raised her hands to caress the firm biceps covered in a soft black t-shirt. "Did you wanna come in here…or…?" she asked as she stepped back slightly, separating their heads but neither moving their hands. Callie shook her head, "I made sangria and thought maybe we could go out to the garden." Thinking of the serene little area toward the back of the massive yard secluded by small trees and bushes, Arizona nodded in agreement and slowly lowering her hands, not breaking contact with strong tan arms, she squeezed both hands tightly, let her right hand fall away and interlaced their fingers with her left hand. "Lead the way." she said softly.
After telling their daughter they were taking a walk and would be in the back yard, Callie met Arizona in the kitchen where she left her to pour the slushie fruity drink. "Oh my god Callie this is so good." the blonde complimented as she turned with a smile and offered the brunette her glass. Callie smiled and returned, "Well, I have it on good authority you like sangria so I figured I couldn't go wrong. Besides, I got the recipe for this one from our favorite show." Arizona laughed at this, "I do love a good sangria. I can't believe you still watch those cooking shows." Callie smirked, "You mean to tell me you don't? I saw that mac and cheese recipe two weeks ago." Blushing slightly, Arizona raised her free hand and admitted, "Guilty, but damn it was good wasn't it?" Callie laughed lightly and agreed, "Oh, it was amazing. I wasn't knocking it at all." She then opened the door and extended her hand toward the outside, bowing slightly, she invited, "After you." Arizona giggled at this, "You're such a goof." Shutting the door and sidling up next to the blonde, she carefully bumped their hips and retorted, "Yeah but I'm a hot goof." Raising her glass to her mouth, Arizona mumbled, "That you are." Before taking a drink. Needing to steel herself for the upcoming conversation and maybe…assure them both everything will work out, Arizona reached down and took ahold of Callie's hand. She was relieved when their fingers were immediately intertwined and she felt the tight grasp as if Callie needed the connection just as much and was reassuring her as well.
The short walk to the tranquil garden was quiet but laced with nervous anticipation. The two women walked hand in hand both thinking about what they wanted to say, worried about what the other would say, and praying this wasn't the beginning of the end. As they approached the secluded area near the back of the yard, Callie guided Arizona to a wooden park bench facing the small waterfall and they both set their drinks on the small glass table. She then walked around to turn on the water as well as the multi-colored lights of the fountain and fairy lights that hung in the nearby trees and bushes. They weren't necessary at the moment, but she needed a minute to settle her nerves and the sun was setting so it would be dark soon enough. Finished with her task, she took a seat on the bench adjacent to where Arizona was sitting. Though she would prefer to sit closer, she could feel the tension rolling off the smaller woman's body as they walked and she realized the blonde needed her space during serious discussions and she didn't want to crowd her or make her feel threatened or intimidated by sitting too closely. Putting her thoughts to words, Callie started to open her mouth when her ex-wife beat her to it.
"We suck at communicating." Arizona blurted without warning. Raising her hand to run through her hair, curls still tangled from swimming, she looked as if she wanted to pull it in frustration. "Like, we are notoriously bad at expressing our feelings…to each other at least. You talked to Mark, I talked to Teddy. Then you had Merideth and I had April and Alex. Or, or we just…we just didn't talk to anyone and hoped the other one would pick up on it or it would go away. But it didn't go away, and even when the other noticed, we never talked to each other. We never said what we felt until it all built up and blew up." Arizona ended her little ramble on a huff. Not sure where this train of thought was coming from, or where it was going for that matter, Callie nodded in agreement. She had come to the same conclusion in therapy. So many of their misunderstandings, arguments, fights, break ups, and even Arizona cheating could have been prevented if they had just talked to each other. Instead, they complained to other people, they glossed things over, ignored the little signs, and ran away from the big things. Or they tried to solve it with sex. They did all they could to avoid having the difficult conversations until everything just exploded. What she had come to realize was that at least for her, she was afraid to express her feelings because she never wanted to hurt Arizona, but in holding back, she hurt them both. She was determined not to do that this time around. If she got the chance that is. But based upon how this conversation was starting, she wasn't sure she would.
But she'd be damned if she went down without a fight. "We were so, so bad at that." She nodded with a sad smile. "Like, we could have won a medal. We were the champions at avoiding conversation." This caused both of them to laugh ruefully. Running her hand through her short hair now curly from the water, Callie started again, "My therapist helped me see…" her words were cut off when Arizona asked, "You…you were in therapy?" She shouldn't be surprised based upon all the healthy and positive changes she'd been witness to. But this was Callie and Callie didn't go to therapy. Callie hated the entire concept of dumping all your secrets out to a stranger. So, the fact that she went, and seemingly listened, was a huge step. It said a lot. Seeing the wonder in those sparkling blues, Callie smiled and responded, "She's on speed dial actually. I don't go regularly anymore, just check in from time to time for a tune up I guess. I went Monday for the first time in a month or so." Arizona nodded and motioned for her ex-wife to continue. "Dr. G, she helped me understand that, at least for me, and I think maybe for you too, we didn't want to rock the boat. When things were good between us, oh my God they were so good, we were so happy. Like, unbelievably so." She stopped and looked at Arizona when she heard the hum of agreement. "But…but when something came up that bothered us, that we were concerned about, we were so scared it would mean the end, or we didn't want to hurt each other, so we just tried to deal with it on our own. We didn't trust what we had enough to think it would stand up to whatever it was. We didn't trust each other enough to see our point of view, and, and, I think, deep down inside, that lack of trust is what really made us stay quiet. The lack of trust is what the real problem was. Recognizing we didn't trust each other, trust US enough to deal with something, scared the shit out of me, at least."
Arizona sat quietly and took in everything Callie was saying. She had come to similar conclusions with Dr. Dawson and was extremely relieved to find that Callie realized the same thing. But they also discussed something her ex-wife hadn't mentioned. Wanting Callie to know she had come to the same understandings, she started, "Dr. Dawson helped me see…" but it was her turn to be cut off. "You, you kept seeing Dr. Dawson?" Callie was shocked to hear this. Though she tried not to think about her ex-wife in those early days, she still saw her, daily, and every time she did, it hurt her to see how badly broken she appeared to be. Shaking her head, Arizona corrected, "Not at first, no. I pulled a typical Arizona and retreated within myself and focused on the fellowship and Sofia. When I got to a point I felt like I was going to implode, I decided to go back." This made more sense. Looking back she remembered when she started seeing glimpses of the old Arizona. That must have been around the same time. Callie was also relieved to hear Arizona had returned to therapy. While she had seen so many positive changes in her ex-wife, she also knew exactly how the other woman functioned. She was good until she wasn't. Then things started going downhill. But now, maybe she had…maybe they both had the coping skills they needed. Nodding in understanding, she waited patiently for the blonde to continue. "Dr. Dawson helped me to see all that too, and that…that it wasn't just you I didn't trust. It was me too. I could talk a good game, but I didn't trust myself with the bigger feelings. I didn't allow myself to feel the bigger emotions. Looking back now, at everything, all our misunderstandings, our fights…the…um…the storm…" she trailed off and shook her head at the thought that so much could have been avoided. Callie thought about that for a moment. She had always been so sure and confident, but when it came to Arizona, she always second guessed herself, always wondered if she was enough. It made sense that she probably didn't trust herself either. In fact, she knew she didn't, that's how her whole journey of going to therapy began. Coming out of her thoughts, the brunette took a moment to look at her ex-wife. To truly take in her facial expression, her body language, the emotions swirling in her eyes. She looked so vulnerable in that moment. Arizona Robbins, hardcore surgeon, daughter of a marine, survivor of a plane crash sat before her looking unsure and almost insecure. It was then that she realized when it came to her, Arizona second guessed herself as well. Finally it all made sense. So many of their actions, their behaviors all stemmed from the fear of hurting and being hurt; of trusting both themselves and the other person.
Before she could say anything further, Arizona continued. "But I trust myself now. I trust when I decide to do something that I am doing it for the right reasons and not what is expected of me or to prove a point or, or for some sense of obligation or ulterior motive. I trust when I feel something, good or bad, that it's okay to feel it, to act on it. I trust when I fear something, that it's okay to be afraid of it, it's okay to be hesitant and I trust myself enough to know that I can face whatever it is head on and be the one standing tall at the end. I trust myself enough to know that it's okay to fight for what I want because I am worth it. And, and I trust myself to know that if I am unsure of something, it's okay to ask for help or understanding, or…or clarification." Taking a deep breath, Arizona watched as Callie digested everything she just said. She wasn't sure what to expect. Part of her expected to be interrupted a long time ago. But mostly, she felt this huge burden lifted from her heart as she realized just how true her words were. Taking Callie's silence as a cue to continue, she took a deep breath and decided this was the make or break moment. What she was about to say would keep them on this path to wherever they were headed or would steer them right into a brick wall.
Standing up, Arizona began to pace the small garden. Her nerves started to settle in, but she knew what she had to do. Looking back at the Latina, she noticed nervous brown orbs watching her carefully, her face held just the slightest bit of concern, but she sat comfortably, one leg pulled up underneath her, left arm stretched across the bench she was seated on while her right rested calmly in her lap. Seeing this, Arizona relaxed slightly. All appearances indicated her ex-wife was opened to listening to what she had to say. She wasn't coiled with tension prepared to pounce, her arms and legs weren't crossed closing her off to what she was about to hear. "So…so for the sake of honesty, of being true to myself, of opening a line of communication between us, I think I need to say this." Looking up, she noticed the Latina had shifted in her seat and was now sitting with both feet flat on the ground, leaning forward, elbows on her knees and following her every move, hanging on her every word. Seeing the slight nod of recognition and indication she should continue, she took a deep breath and said carefully, "When I made the decision to send Sofia back and move out here with her, I had no intention of…" she paused, trying to figure out how to say this, "I never thought about, starting something. Here. With you." Hearing movement behind her, she turned to see Callie had sat back in her seat, but her arm was once again outstretched. "In fact, if you remember, I was scared to death of what you would think, how you would react, how you would feel about me being here." Seeing Callie nod in agreement, she continued. "What I'm saying is, I didn't have any ulterior motive. Our daughter was hurting and the only way I could see to stop her from hurting was to have us all in the same place, live in the same city again. A-and I was in a better position to make that happen than you are. Quite honestly, the thought of sending her off again destroyed me, so I…I needed to be here, for her and for me." Stopping to gather her thoughts once again, Arizona stared into the mini water-fall and assembled the courage for this next part completely unaware of the turmoil her words had caused.
Callie sat on the bench watching Arizona pace back and forth and listened carefully to what she was saying. As each word came out of that beautiful mouth, the weight in her chest seemed to get heavier until it felt like it was going to crush her heart. Her eyes were burning with the tears she refused to allow, a lump had formed in her throat, and every nerve in her body was telling her to run or to curl up in a little ball to protect herself from what was yet to come. But she remained still, uncharacteristically so. She could only count on the skills she learned in therapy at this moment, she knew that now more than ever she had to be patient, listen, remain calm and trust that she would be able to say her piece. So, no matter how it hurt, no matter that she felt her future slipping through her fingertips, no matter how much she wanted to yell and argue and fight for what she wanted, she was determined to let Arizona talk, and to not just listen, but hear what she was saying. It would only make sense that she had waited too long, she was too late. But to hear Arizona say she had no intention of ever reconciling with her…God, it was devastating in a way she never expected. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and listened to that tiny part of her that held out hope that everything would be okay. You love her, she loves you, even if she won't admit it yet. A love like ours doesn't just go away.
Without turning, Arizona continued, "But then, even from that first conversation, it just felt, I don't know, different. At least for me and the more we talked and flirted and laughed…you make me smile again Callie, just seeing your name on my phone, hearing your ring tone, and now that I'm here, just when you walk into the room, my stomach flips, and my pulse races, and I smile, like a huge, face splitting smile, and…and…well, I need you to know Callie, I didn't plan for it, never even gave it a second thought because…because I thought it would never be an option. I couldn't let myself think it was even a possibility. A big part of me thought I didn't deserve it. I mean, you left, then you left again, and, and I let you go. Both times, I let you go." She turned then, put her hands in her pockets and stood in front of her ex-wife looking her in the eye. She studied the brunette's face for a moment. She could tell she wanted to talk, maybe dispute what she was saying, or at least ask questions. But she remained quiet and just waited for her to continue. "I heard what you said to Sof earlier." Arizona said quietly. "Actions do speak louder than words and your actions…God Callie, inviting me to stay here, sending your dad's plane, kissing me the moment you saw me, giving me my dream room, literally, your whole house…the small comments and touches and looks, the way you held me and cared for me this morning, and you've always been attentive and loving, but it just feels like…more, and everything…everything, all your actions together, they aren't just speaking, they are all screaming at me." Looking up to the sky as if that action will hold back the tears she felt coming, Arizona took a shaky breath and continued. "And…and I can't…" pausing to gather courage, she chanced a look at the brunette across from her. She watched as the other woman seemed to deflate before her eyes. Those deep brown wells swirling with emotion and defeat, filled with unshed tears. Arizona quickly moved to sit next to her facing in her direction. She then reached out and took both strong caramel colored hands into her own. Bending down to make eye contact, she continued, "I trust myself to know what I want, to act on it, no matter how scary it is, but I can't be wrong about this, I can't stay here at the house if I am the slightest bit wrong about what I think you are saying to me. I've misread your actions before with devastating results…so I need…I need you to tell me Calliope. I need you to tell me what all this means. What exactly are your actions saying that you are not?"
Callie took a deep breath and relaxed slightly. Was Arizona saying she had a chance? Was she saying she wanted this too? She had worked so hard on herself, to become the person she wanted to be, the person her family deserved and it all came down to this. This moment that she had been putting off for months for fear of getting it wrong. This woman sitting before her was the most gorgeous, most resilient, most compassionate, most passionate, most loving woman she had ever met. She was also the love of her life, her soulmate, the woman who saw her at her best and her worst and loved her anyway. What she said now could determine whether she got to spend the rest of her life showing her how much she loved, wanted, and needed her in her life. The words that come out of her mouth next could determine her future with her family. So, no pressure. Looking into the eyes that always captivated her, she saw fear, concern, and confusion, but she also saw hope, determination, and love. It was the latter that showed her what she needed to see and spurred her on to lay herself bare.
Looking down at their joined hands, then back to those mesmerizing blue eyes, Callie started, "Do you…do you remember that night, that night you skated again?" Arizona furrowed her brow in confusion at the odd change in subject, but she nodded. Seeing the confusion, Callie explained, "That night, before I put on your skates, you said something. You said you were only focused on your own pain and you had to tear your life down and start over, but at the end, you learned you only needed me. You needed me and Sofia to make you happy." Seeing understanding cross those lovely features, Callie continued, "I thought I understood what you were saying at the time. I mean, it made sense to me in the moment. But I, I didn't understand it really until about a year and a half ago." Callie stopped to think about how she wanted to say the rest. How much she should say at this point. Thinking back to that fateful night and the realizations she had come to later, she said, "I did that…twice actually. I didn't…the first time, I didn't even know I was doing it. Not until everything slammed into me causing me to do it deliberately the second time." Seeing confusion again, Callie let go of the hands in hers and stood up to look into the water. "When I, when I left…the first time, I was so hurt and I was only focused on the pain, the anger…I was suffocating…" she was cut off by the flat, "I suffocated you." from behind her. Hearing those words again, Arizona felt a flash of pain cut through her heart. She hated that she did that to her wife. Furrowing her brows at her ex-wife's words, Callie turned to see Arizona had curled in on herself, she was sitting on the bench with both knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs. Realizing for the first time how her ex-wife had interpreted her words all those years ago, she rushed to her side and dropped to her knees on the ground in front of the bench. Placing one hand on her forearm and making soothing circles on her back with the other, Callie soothed, "NO! No Arizona. Oh god. No, it was the fighting, the pain we were causing each other, the never ending arguments, my inability to let things go. It was that…all of that is what was suffocating me. Not you. God, that's why I was fighting so hard because I knew underneath all that, at the end of the tunnel, you were in there somewhere. I just…I couldn't reach you…I couldn't see you anymore. God, it wasn't you who suffocated me and made me feel stuck. It was me and the pain and anger. I lost sight of both of us. I didn't know who I was anymore." Looking up into tear filled brown eyes, Arizona saw the truth in her words and just that simply, the broken little piece of her heart that agonized over the idea that she was the one who suffocated her wife fell back into place. She reached out and wiped at the lone tear that had fallen down a soft caramel cheek. "It wasn't me?" she asked in a shaky voice. Callie shook her head. "No Arizona, YOU didn't suffocate me, our circumstances did." Running her hand along the dark stubble at the side of Callie's head, she guided her so they could look at each other, "I'm sorry I interrupted you. Go on, please."
Callie nodded, but instead of standing, she turned so she was leaning on the bench, sitting on her butt, legs bent in front of her, arms extended, resting on her knees. She thought this might be easier if she wasn't looking directly at her ex-wife. Arizona's constant light touch on her scalp gave her the courage to continue. "I didn't realize that's what I was doing, but…walking away from our marriage, seeing other people, coming here…I was trying to figure out who I was again." She lifted her hands and rubbed them across her face. She didn't even know if she was making sense. "It wasn't until after I moved here and I didn't have the constant reminders, the judging looks from people at work, the meddling friends questioning my every move, that I started to feel like I could breathe again, but I…I still wasn't happy. Then I…after your visit…something inside me changed. Everything shifted. Then this one day…about five months after I had moved…it hit me, like it slammed into my heart…this huge revelation. That same…realization you had. After everything we put each other through, everything I put you through, I realized it was you. You told me to move here and be happy, but you were what I needed to be happy." Feeling the hand on her head still in its ministrations, she turned then and looked into startled blue eyes. She scrambled to her feet and sat on the bench next to Arizona causing her to shift and put her leg down. They sat facing one another in mirrored positions, one leg bent laying across the bench and the other hanging off the edge. Callie looked down at her hands and twisted her fingers together as she continued, "So, I broke up with Penny…that same day…and I heard your words, those words that finally made sense to me, so I started to tear my life down and rebuild it. I went to therapy and started my journey of self-discovery. That's when I realized I had already torn my life down once. But, after nearly a year of putting myself under a microscope, analyzing my actions and feelings, changing my career, repairing…just everything, I found myself again and the one thing I knew for sure at the end of all that was…" she stopped and took a deep shaky breath. Then she held both hands out palms up, silently asking for Arizona's hands. She was relieved when pale hands rested in hers without the slightest bit of hesitation. Gaining strength from that act, she finished, "I know who I am now and what I learned was, I need you. I need Sofia and I need you…and I'm afraid, I'm afraid that now that I've learned all that…that I made you give up on me."
Arizona was astounded. Looking into dark chocolate eyes swimming in tears, she saw so much love emitting from them, it nearly took her breath away. She could feel her own hot tears streaming down her face and knew her eyes reflected that same love. She didn't know what response she expected when she asked Callie that question, but to hear her own words said back to her in such a passionate and heartfelt manner…it was profound. In that moment, with those words, she understood what her ex-wife had been going through for the past four years. It hurt, it all hurt like a bitch to know that they went through all this to end up right back here. But it didn't surprise her, not in the least because those words, that she herself had given life to five years ago, still rang true today. Calliope Torres was it for her. She tried to convince herself otherwise, just like Callie had, but no matter how much time had passed, no matter who came and went during that time, here they sat, once again, face to face, hand in hand, like a phoenix rising from the ashes. She just told her ex-wife she trusted herself now, she trusted herself to know what she wants, to act on it, and to face her fears. But she was no longer afraid of loving Callie. She knew loving and being loved by Calliope Torres were the two most incredible feelings in the world. She trusted herself. But did she trust Callie? Thinking about her ex-wife's actions and now her words that support those actions, she realized she did trust her, and she trusted herself to believe she could. They had a long way to go, but something told her this time they would get there. But first, she had to say something.
"You…you need me?" Arizona asked quietly, still looking into those deep pools swirling with emotion. Nodding, Callie offered, "I do, I need you in my life, but more than that, I want you in my life." Arizona furrowed her brow in confusion and released the other woman's hand to run her hands through her unruly blonde curls, "But you never, you haven't said anything Callie. You've renovated your whole house to make it accessible for me, your decorations…they aren't just you; they are both of us, you…you have pictures, of me, of us…our wedding picture is on your wall, it looks like I live here and this, all this was done before I even thought about moving here. YOU NEVER SAID ANYTHING CALLIE!" Arizona didn't mean to raise her voice, but she was baffled and she believed what Callie said, she trusted that she wanted her here, she just didn't understand why she never said anything. Callie's known for months, no, over a year, she wanted to try again, while she was in Seattle none the wiser still trying to figure out how to move on without the love of her life.
Callie released a shaky breath and covered her face with her hands moving them up to grasp her own head, she knew this was coming and struggled to understand it herself. Looking up now, she dropped her hands, stood up and started pacing and said, "I bailed. I left you. I left you twice. I mean, I flaunted my girlfriend around the hospital and in an attempt to convince myself I could move on, I told you and anybody who would listen that I was happier than I had ever been. I forced your hand and made you take me to court. My lawyer drug you through the mud and…and after all that…you still brought me my daughter, our daughter, your daughter, and told me to go be happy. But I wasn't happy…not without you. You make me happier than I've ever been Arizona. It's always been you; it was you ten years ago; it will be you in ten years and ten years after that. So, when I bought this house, I bought it with my family in mind, I bought it knowing I wanted you here. It was presumptuous and arrogant, but I don't care because if it shows you how much I want this, how much I want you…but…but every time I picked up the phone, or wrote a letter, typed an email…every time, I chickened out because…because I bailed and I don't deserve another chance." Callie finished in barely a whisper feeling defeated and deflated knowing that everything she said and did backfired in a monumental way.
She stood in front of the fountain staring at her feet, the lights from the water emitting a menacing shadow next to her. Four years ago, she would have stormed off a while ago, or Arizona would have, or one of them would have exploded in a fit of anger. She would have thrown the cheating in her ex-wife's face, or Arizona would have brought up the leg. But this wasn't four years ago and they have both changed and grown and the fact that they were both still here, neither of them was yelling or hurling accusations at the other was proof of that. The fact that they have evolved didn't help her though because she still didn't know where to go from here, she didn't know what was left to be said. Was Arizona going to pack up and go to a hotel? Would they just go back to being co-parents from a distance?
Arizona sat on the bench watching her ex-wife as she stood at the fountain staring at her feet. She needed a minute to process everything she just heard. She could be angry about all this, she could be indignant that Callie never included her in her healing process, never told her about her hopes for the future. She could hold onto all the past hurts. She could cut her losses, move into a hotel until she found something more permanent. She could do all those things. But did she want to? Did she want to continue this never-ending cycle? The bottom line was, Callie did all these amazing, beautiful, thoughtful things for her and she was too afraid to tell her because she didn't think she deserved it. Her ex-wife may have made great strides in forgiving her, but she had yet to forgive herself. This was a feeling Arizona knew all too well. This was something they would both have to work on. Having made her decision, she nodded her head once and stood up from the bench.
Callie jumped when she felt the soft hand on her shoulder. She turned at the gentle prodding, but still didn't look up. She was so afraid of what she would see in those stunning eyes or what expression would be written across that beautiful face. So she continued to look at the ground until she heard, "You want another chance Calliope?" in the softest, sweetest voice she has ever heard. She lifted her head then and what she saw when she looked into those piercing blue eyes was…everything. Breathing a sigh of relief, she smiled and started, "Yes, more than anyth…" but she was abruptly cut off. "Oh no you don't! Using more than one Arizona Robbins speech in one conversation borders on copyright infringement." Arizona quipped cheerfully tilting her head to the left, lifting her eyebrows, and biting her bottom lip. Caught off guard by the playfulness, Callie shook her head and said, "What?" Arizona bounced on her toes and smiled, "If you want another chance, you have to use your own words. Those were mine. Now, do you want a second chance or not?" Laughing now, Callie shook her head again and let her million dollar smile spread across her face. She raised her hand and cupped Arizona's cheek, looking her directly in the eye she said, "I think you'll know." Then she lowered her head and brought their lips together in a sweet and sensual kiss that was reminiscent of their very first kiss in a dirty bar bathroom 10 years ago.
Pulling back, Callie turned serious and said, "Arizona Robbins, you are the love of my life. We have been through hell and back together, we had the baby fight, you left the continent, I slept with my best friend and got pregnant, I went through a windshield, you fell out of the sky, I let our friend cut off your leg, you cheated, I walked away from our marriage, we tore each other apart in a custody battle, I moved across the country with another woman. Through all that, maybe BECAUSE of all that, my heart still belongs to you. It won't be easy, we have a lot of history and possibly some wounds that haven't quite healed to work through, but I am willing to do that, I want to do that because I know now, you are my soulmate, you are it for me, and if you give us a chance, one more chance, I can promise you, I will NEVER bail on you again."
Arizona could see the sincerity, she could feel the love radiating off this woman, so without hesitation she said, "Yes. Yes Calliope, of course I will give you another chance." Before she could do or say anything else, she was lifted off her feet and twirled around in a circle. Coming to a stop, she wrapped her arms around Callie's neck resting one hand on the back of her head and pulled her closer. This time, when their lips touched, there was no hesitancy, no fear, and no holding back the love they felt for one another. Callie felt a soft warm tongue slide across her bottom lip and instantly sucked it into her mouth allowing the blonde to take control, at least for now. As their tongues reacquainted themselves with one another in the all too familiar dance, she delighted in the feel of Arizona's body pressed up against her. Oh how she had missed the way they fit together just perfectly, their breasts and curves aligning in exactly the right places to bring them both maximum pleasure. Hearing the soft whimper from Arizona indicating she wanted more, she raised her left arm and splayed her hand across her toned back while lowering her right hand and spreading it across the upper swell of that delectable ass, both movements forcing them closer together causing her to let out a moan of her own. Breaking the kiss for some much needed oxygen, she slowly trailed wet open mouth kisses along her strong cheek bone to her soft earlobe where she sucked and nibbled her way down Arizona's exposed neck and back up until she reached that sweet spot just behind her ear. Swirling her tongue once, she bit down eliciting a lewd moan. Smiling into the action, she began to suck lightly, just enough to leave a light mark before she continued her journey down the pale neckline to those prominent collarbones, licking one then the other and following the same path on the other side.
Arizona could barely hold herself up from the pure pleasure Callie was inflicting on her body. Deciding it was her turn, she raised her hand from the back of Callie's head and tangled it in the short tuft of hair. Giving it a light tug, she guided their lips back together for a brief kiss before she started her own explorations. With the tip of her tongue, she licked a path from the strong prominent chin, up her chiseled jawline and traced the entire curve of her soft ear before nipping and sucking on her earlobe. Feeling the shiver run through the taller woman's body, she continued nipping and sucking at her neck until the need to kiss her tantalizing lips once more became too much. As their lips met again, she playfully nibbled on the plump bottom lip before swiping her tongue along the inside of the kiss swollen top lip and finally reached her destination as their two tongues met once again. She slowly lowered both arms, caressing strong shoulders and sliding down to the curve of those magnificent breasts. At the same time she felt both of Callie's hands grab her ass. Moaning at the contact, Arizona drew her hands even lower and turned her hands so both thumbs could caress the hardened nipples that were now protruding through the fabric. Making a couple wide circles before she finally reached her target and flicked both sensitive buds with the tip of her nails. This caused Callie to break the kiss with "Shit! Yes, Arizona." Before she once again focused on kissing and licking her way back up her neck.
Walking backward toward the bench, they stopped as the backs of Callie's calves hit the seat. Without missing a beat, she sat down pulling Arizona to straddle her lap and lowered her hand to help bend her prosthesis. She then slid her hand back up her leg until she once again reached that glorious ass but continued her caresses until she found the hem of the blonde's shirt and slid both hands underneath so she could finally feel all that warm soft skin causing them both to moan out in pleasure. Just as she was about to move her hands to the front to feel those incredible breasts for the first time in 4 years, they heard, "Mommies, are you out here?" being called from somewhere closer to the house. Both women let out a groan and rested their heads on the other woman's shoulder, trying to get their breathing and their libidos under control. Arizona lifted her head and called out, "We'll be right in baby girl." She then leaned in for one last lingering kiss before she slid off the Latina's lap and offered her a hand in getting up. As she started toward the fountain to turn off the lights and water, Callie stopped her, "They're on a timer and if we turn off the lights now, we will be trying to make our way back in complete darkness." Arizona nodded and after picking up their long forgotten drinks, she took her side once again. Callie reached down and connected their hands enjoying the way they fit together. As they walked, she asked, "So, um, how does this work now?" Arizona thought about that for a moment then replied, "Why don't we think about it tonight, figure out what we both want or need, sleep on it and talk about it tomorrow? We know what we want in the end and that is to be together, right? It's just a matter of how we get there." Knowing this was the best route, Callie agreed, "Right, sounds like a plan. But do you think, maybe, after we get the little one to bed, we could cuddle and watch tv for a bit?" Arizona smiled at this knowing after emotional talks and steamy make-out sessions the brunette loved to cuddle to prolong the intimacy. "Of course we can, and if you're good, maybe I'll kiss you good-night." She then leaned in and kissed the taller woman on the underside of her jaw.
Both women entered the house greeting their daughter with huge smiles on their faces and equally large weights lifted off their shoulders. As they stepped into the light of the house, Sofia looked up from the dining room table where she was having a snack and gasped, "Mommy, did you get bit by a bug?" This caused Callie to turn and look at the blonde. Glancing at her arms, she didn't see any bites or welts. Looking up further she choked back a laugh. She knew she was going to be in trouble but seeing her mark on this woman again felt so good she couldn't feel bad about it. Arizona also looked at her arms for bites, but she had a good idea what her daughter may have seen as soon as she heard Callie's strangled laugh. Her eyes went wide and she tilted her head in question. "Did I get bit by something mama?" She gritted out between clenched teeth. Callie did her best not to smile, but couldn't hold it back as she responded, "Uh, yeah, it looks like um maybe one of those uh…deer flies or something." She reached up to touch the bright red mark and her hand was quickly swatted away. She broke into giggles as she heard Arizona mutter, "More like a Spanish fly." as she stormed down the hall toward her room. Callie knew she was going to pay for that, but she didn't care because that woman who just stormed down the hall grumbling and complaining was hers once again.