Arizona sat on the small bench in the back yard, arms wrapped around her bent leg, chin resting on her knee, staring into the waterfall, mesmerized by the underwater lights that faded from one color to the next, giving the illusion that the color of the water was also changing. She took a sip of her wine and savored the rich fruity flavor that lingered on her tongue. Since their intense conversation earlier, she just needed a little time to herself to process everything her girlfriend told her. After their swim where she had to keep herself covered with a t-shirt to hide the bitemarks on her chest and shoulder from their daughter, they decided to cook hamburgers on the grill and walked to the ice cream shop nearby for an evening treat. When they returned, Callie volunteered for bath and bed duty and shooed her away, knowing and understanding she might need some alone time to take everything in. Arizona couldn't help but smile at how incredible Callie had been since their talk. She didn't hover or pester her about it, but whenever she got quiet, she could feel Callie's eyes on her, discreetly gauging her mood. She never asked her to talk or to share what she was feeling, she just raised an eyebrow, silently asking if she was okay and was satisfied with the wink or smile she got in return. She knew Callie was concerned that once she had time to let everything sink in, she may become angry or upset, and if she were being completely honest, she was worried about the same thing. They both knew how her mind worked; she would get through the situation seemingly fine, then she would think about it later and that's when her true feelings would emerge. Often times, that meant retreating into herself or just walking away, rarely did she share those emotions with her wife who would push and prod until everything blew up. This time though, this time was different. Callie let it go, she didn't push, she didn't force the issue, and most importantly, most surprisingly, she didn't tell her she couldn't or shouldn't be upset. Arizona stayed present, enjoyed her family, she didn't stew and let things fester, she didn't run. It was so different than what she was used to, what they were both used to, but so much of what was needed in that moment. Oddly, as she sat here in their backyard in the peaceful rock garden, she couldn't seem to conjure any of the hurt or anger they were both certain would come to her.

Though she didn't let them ruin her family time, the thoughts kept popping up randomly throughout the day; Callie wanted her in her future, Callie never loved Penny. Sitting here now, she finally took a moment to lay it all out. Callie knew she wanted her in her life before she even introduced their daughter to her girlfriend, Callie never loved Penny, still…she went through the motions, she played the part, she ripped both of their hearts out when she decided to follow the other woman to New York…and for what? All this time, she thought her ex-wife was being selfish, impulsive…but now she knew, she heard the reason…it was for her, it was because Callie thought Arizona was happy. Arizona knew she played her own part in this whole mess. She kept her head up and she smiled and she kept moving forward and she said she was fine and she was happy that Callie was happy…and she did it for Callie. Shaking her head, she knew if she were going to be angry, she had to be angry at both of them and if she were allowed to be angry then so was Callie. No, Callie never told her how she felt…and she never told Callie how she felt either. If she had to put a name on what she was feeling at that moment, it would be frustration. She was frustrated to know that they had wasted so much time apart when all they both wanted was to be together. She was frustrated that neither of them just spoke up and said anything. She was more frustrated that the reason they held back their own feelings was for the sake of the other person's happiness. They had both spent so much of their relationship being selfish, thinking of their own wants and needs and finally when they were apart, they chose to be selfless.

Callie left because she wanted her to be happy. She let Callie go because she wanted Callie to be happy. What if Callie hadn't left? What if she would have stopped her? What if Callie had said she did miss her enough? What if she would have told Callie it killed her to watch her kiss steak knives? What if Callie would have told her she saw her in her future that day? What if she would have told Callie she couldn't move to New York because she needed her in her life? What if Callie would have come home after she broke up with Penny? What if…What if…What if she never cheated? What if she never got on that plane? What if she never went to Africa? What if Callie never slept with Mark and got pregnant? What if she never followed the beautiful sad woman into a dirty bar bathroom? She could play the what if game forever. There's a thousand different what if's and a thousand different ways their story could've continued and a thousand different ways it could've ended. It looked like it was going to end time and time again. But it didn't end, not the first time and not the last.

Taking another drink of her wine, she watched as the fountain turned from pink to blue, heard the faint sound of her girlfriend and her daughter giggling together from inside the house, and realized that she just couldn't find the hurt, she didn't feel the anger. It wasn't there. Their story didn't end. The woman she loved, her soulmate, was just feet away with their daughter in the home they'd always dreamed of. This last separation, with the legal documents dissolving their marriage, the custody battle, new relationships, cross-country moves, it all spoke of finality, but only served to lead them to a new beginning, a richer, stronger relationship. So much of their past was spent holding onto old hurts, being angry over things that could never be changed, and all that served to do was put a wedge between them. It never made them better. She could say all the what ifs in the world and it wouldn't change who they were before. It was in that moment that she decided to focus on new what if scenarios. What if they both truly had found forgiveness and let everything go? What if they just loved each other? What if this was their happily ever after? Was something that happened years ago and ultimately led them to this point worth getting angry over? In her heart, in her mind, all she could hear was a resounding 'NO'. Of course it hurt to revisit the past, to think about the time they spent apart. But she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, without that time away, without the space to learn and grow separately, without the opportunity to find their own happiness, without the experience of learning to live without each other, neither of them would be where they are now; personally or professionally, individually or together. Without their past, they wouldn't have a future and that was where she was choosing to focus her attention and energy.

Deciding Callie was probably worrying herself sick, Arizona started to get up and go back into the house when she heard the shuffle of shoes on the stone path. The blonde stayed seated and awaited her company; she would bet money on the fact that her girlfriend had come out under the pretense of filling her glass or bringing her a sweatshirt, something to show her she loved her, was thinking about her comfort, while allowing herself a chance to assess her mood. That was how this new Callie worked, though her motives were obvious, she tried extremely hard to be subtle. It was sweet and endearing and it made her love her even more…if that were possible. She found it ironic how in their time apart, they had actually become the person the other one needed when they were together. Callie was more patient, more understanding, softer, gentler, and far more forgiving. She herself was more attentive, more open, more willing to admit she was wrong, and softer and more forgiving as well. What they had now, what they were building, she wasn't willing to put that at risk by holding onto the past. Hearing the clink of glass touching glass on the table next to her and feeling the soft warm blanket being draped across her shoulders, Arizona smiled knowingly to herself when she felt the kiss on the top of her head. Though she could nearly feel the anxiety rolling off the other woman in the tremor of her hands as she set the blanket on her shoulders, it was clear Callie didn't intend to stay nor even ask if she could, she just wanted to remind her that she loved her, show her she could be who she needed her to be. Suddenly, there were no more what if's, this was their happy ending, this was their time and she wasn't going to waste another damn minute of their future on their past. Reaching up, she quickly linked their fingers together before the other woman could step away.

After a tickle fight with Sofia and finally getting her settled into bed, Callie walked into the kitchen and noticed the patio door was still open and the wine bottle was on the table, indicating Arizona probably hadn't returned yet. She was certain the blonde was in her favorite spot in the rock garden trying to process her thoughts and feelings from their earlier conversation. Callie knew once she told Arizona everything about her breakup with Penny she might be hurt or angry and there were times during their conversation that she saw evidence of that, she had a bruise on her shoulder to prove it. But in her mind, her girlfriend took everything quite well and was extremely understanding…and that worried her. Arizona was one of those people who took information in and had to let it simmer for a while, she had to think about how it made her feel, decide what she wanted to do with her new knowledge. She didn't react, she responded. So she was trying to give her that space, allow her to feel the anger, and be open to whatever she had to say afterward. But she was going a little stir crazy letting her mind wander to all the possibilities of what Arizona could be thinking or feeling. Aware that she was probably pushing it, but unable to help herself, she grabbed the wine bottle and stepped outside. Though it had been extremely warm and humid all day, the sun had now gone down and she knew how quickly Arizona got a chill, so she grabbed a blanket that was sitting on one of the lounge chairs and slowly made her way down the walking path.

She realized Arizona probably hadn't had enough time to process everything yet, but she just needed to see her, to make sure she wasn't hurting. She could handle the anger; she knew she deserved it, but she couldn't handle knowing she made the other woman cry. They had shed too many tears over the years and she couldn't deal with being the cause of just one more drop of liquid angst. Shuffling her feet so she didn't startle her girlfriend, Callie walked slowly enough to allow Arizona time to gather herself, if, God forbid, she was crying. She didn't intend to stay, just to…to make her presence known, to show her girlfriend she cared, to maybe…just maybe, avail herself for conversation should she feel up to it. As hard as it was for her to have this between them, she knew she couldn't push, she trusted that Arizona wasn't going anywhere and she would open up as soon as she was sure of her own feelings. As she rounded the trellis, she smiled softly seeing Arizona in her usual 'thinking' position of one knee pulled up to rest under her chin while both arms held it in place. As quietly as she could, she sat the wine bottle on the table next to the nearly empty wine glass, leaned forward to drape the blanket around the smaller woman's shoulders, and bent down to place a soft kiss on the crown of her head. As she started to pull away to walk back toward the house, her whole body relaxed as small pale hands reached up to grasp her own before she could make a move.

"Stay." Arizona said, just barely loud enough for either of them to hear over the sound of the small waterfall. To emphasize her request, she let go of one hand and tugged on the other, prompting Callie to walk around and take a seat next to her. Hardly allowing the other woman to get settled, Arizona straddled her lap and sealed their lips together. The amount of love she was feeling in that very moment couldn't be conveyed in words, she needed the intimacy, she needed to allow her actions to say what her words could not. She couldn't find the anger, she no longer held onto the resentment, and the frustration was fast becoming determination to never again let this amazing woman question her love, their love, no matter the circumstance. Snaking one arm around Callie's neck and running the other through her hair, she pulled back long enough to change angles and captured the plump red lips once again. She let out a low moan when Callie's hands instantly slipped under her shirt and soft warm hands caressed her back and sides. She poked her tongue out and slid it along Callie's bottom lip moaning again when it was welcomed without hesitation.

Callie shifted slightly so they were both more comfortable and pulled Arizona closer still. She certainly didn't expect this reaction when she came to check on her girlfriend, but it wasn't unwelcome. She didn't come out here intending to stay or even to start a conversation, she just wanted to see her girlfriend, to show her she was present and she loved her. This was just…this wasn't what she was expecting…this was…not talking about the problem. This wasn't what they needed no matter how much they each wanted it. Reluctantly, she tried to break the kiss only to lean forward once again when Arizona's lips chased hers. Trying again, she pulled back and said, "Mmm Arizona, wait…honey…" She blew out a breath and leaned her forehead against the blonde's and tried again, "Arizona…" Huffing in frustration, Arizona furrowed her brow and scratched at the side of Callie's head and asked, "What's wrong?" Shaking her head, Callie answered, "Nothing…well…this, I…God, I want you, I want this…" She broke off, trying to find the words she wanted to say without upsetting her girlfriend. Running her hands along Arizona's ribcage, she inhaled deeply and said, "I just, not like this, not without talking about this, I don't…we can't…um…we can't use sex to…" Finally understanding, Arizona sat up and ran her hand through her hair and interrupted softly, "Calliope, honey, look at me." Callie looked up, fearful of seeing the determined, haunted eyes she had become so used to whenever they were avoiding difficult conversations, only to find bright blue eyes shining with love, a soft, slightly shy smile and deep adorable dimples adorning the beautiful face she loved so much. She nearly laughed out loud at the relief she felt when she realized she read it wrong.

Leaning in for a soft chaste kiss, Arizona rested their foreheads together once again, brought both hands up to rest on soft tan cheeks, slightly overheated from their recent activities, and explained, "I'm not mad, I'm not trying to avoid my feelings, I'm just…I love you so much and I was just coming to tell you what I was thinking about when I heard you walk up." Callie smiled, continued to caress Arizona's warm skin underneath her shirt, and nodded for the blonde to continue. Arizona ran her thumbs across high strong cheekbones and explained, "I think we both expected me to come out here and think about everything and become angry." Callie nodded and asked, "And you didn't?" Arizona shook her head and continued, "I did think about everything, and I thought about how I could be mad, but so could you. I didn't say anything either Callie, and my silence made you stay silent. I couldn't find the anger, the only thing I felt was frustration…and sadness…we've spent so much time apart when we only wanted to be together and we fought it so hard, hid it so well, we put our own happiness aside thinking the other was better off without us." Callie closed her eyes realizing that is exactly what they had both been doing and it was frustrating. She nodded again allowing Arizona time and space to voice her thoughts and feelings. Seeing her girlfriend wasn't disagreeing, Arizona added, "I went through all the what if's, all the different scenarios, all the possible ways our story could have continued or ended, but…it didn't end Callie. We should have broken up and been over so many times, hell both of us should have died, but we didn't, we always came back for each other, to each other. We are both different now, better, we became the people we each needed and we have another chance and I just…I can't find the anger, I don't have any resentment, I can't hold on to the past because what we have in front of us is our whole lives, the potential for a long happy life and I don't want to look back anymore Calliope." Callie flattened her palms on Arizona's bare back and kissed her softly, chastely, then pulled back and said, "Neither do I, I want to focus on this, on what we have now." Arizona smiled and ran her thumb across Callie's full lips and explained, "When you came up and took care of me, and you said nothing, and you just…you showed me, yet again, how much you loved me, how much you trusted me…and…and us… I knew…I knew without a doubt in my mind that we made it and I just…I just didn't have words to tell you that, so I tried to show you." She then leaned forward to brush their lips together again and was grateful when her kiss was accepted and returned.

Reassured by her girlfriend's words, Callie leaned into the kiss and hummed in satisfaction when their tongues glided against one another and the hands on her cheeks began to slowly slide down her neck to her shoulders and slip under the sleeves of her shirt. She knew Arizona was right, they couldn't hold onto the past, they have such a long and happy life to look forward to. She knew she would say more, but in that moment, she just wanted to feel, she wanted to revel in the fact that they had indeed made it through. She wanted to feel Arizona's love for her, express her love to Arizona. Breaking the kiss briefly, she looked into darkening blue eyes and knew she at least had to confirm her feelings as she whispered, "I do trust you and I trust in this, in us…I love you so much Arizona." As she leaned forward to resume their kiss, Arizona stood and held out her hand for her girlfriend and said, "Take me to bed Calliope. Show me." Callie reached out and took Arizona's hand, allowing the other woman to help her to a standing position, linked their fingers together and led her toward the house where she intended to completely fulfill the smaller woman's request.

XXXX

Callie sat at her desk and rubbed at her temples hoping to keep the impending headache at bay. It wasn't even 8:00 am and she had already been in her office for two hours preparing for her upcoming meeting with Dr. Robert Thomas. She didn't at all regret the fact that she refused to even think about the man and chose to focus on her family over the weekend, but she was highly irritated that she had to untangle herself from a very warm and sexy blonde in order to drag her ass to work two hours earlier than normal to deal with his bullshit. Prior to leaving the office on Friday, Callie had contacted her legal team to apprise them of the situation and sent everything in the resident's file for them to review over the weekend. When she opened her email this morning, she was relieved but not surprised to learn that she was well within her legal rights to terminate his employment and education without fear of retaliation. She was certain her employee knew this as well, which is why he apparently decided to bring 'representation' whatever that meant. She truly hoped he didn't think he was going to intimidate her, though he was just egotistical enough to try.

She had been going over Dr. Thomas' file for the better part of an hour and couldn't for the life of her find one reason the resident was still on her staff other than the fact that she was being nice. During his intern year, which was also the center's inaugural year of operation, the young doctor made many of the usual mistakes expected of any first year student. But as the year progressed, he became overly confident and rather than make fewer mistakes, it appeared he made even more, which led him to being put on probation with more stringent supervision and expectations going into his second year of residency. She honestly thought he would request a transfer rather than continue in her program. He chose instead to continue without making the required improvements which honestly gave her no choice but to terminate his employment and training at this time. While his previous actions were careless, arrogant, and even put patients at risk, none of them blatantly went against protocol nor threatened the life of a patient and unborn child like they did Thursday. Just the thought of what could have happened, what would have happened had Arizona not been there to not only cut him off before he could do real damage, but to catch the fact that Julie was pregnant had her blood boiling. He didn't just put Julie at risk, he put her entire center at risk.

Before she could get herself anymore worked up, Callie decided to take a break, get herself some coffee, and try to relax before her meeting. Just as she rounded her desk, she heard one hard knock followed by three soft knocks and could already feel the tension leaving her body and being replaced by a fluttering in her stomach and a beaming smile on her face. She found herself opening the door before she even realized she had crossed the room and the moment she saw those cerulean blue eyes and that special super-magic smile that was meant just for her, all her worries were pushed aside and her heart sped up for entirely different reasons. It helped even more when she saw that the sexy body she had spent most of the night worshiping was attached to a very large, very hot cup of coffee which was currently being extended to her. Leaning down to press her lips against freshly glossed full pink lips, she hummed and said, "Well good morning beautiful." Taking the proffered cup, she stepped back and allowed her visitor to enter the room. Arizona stepped in, closed the door, stole another kiss and replied, "Good morning gorgeous, I thought you could use a caramel latte to wake you up a little." Callie took a drink of the steamy liquid and closed her eyes as the sweet caffeinated drink coated her tongue and immediately perked up her mood. She smiled as Arizona took her hand and guided her to the sofa then suggested, "You're going to spoil me with all these treats." She was only a little surprised when Arizona chose to sit in her lap rather than take the seat next to her and couldn't help but moan her appreciation when strong pale hands began massaging her head.

As soon as Callie opened the door, even though she was smiling, Arizona could see by the tightening in her jaw and the worry lines that currently marred the beautiful tan skin that her girlfriend was stressed. Passing over the coffee, she stepped in, shut the door, then took Callie's hand and led her to the sofa guiding her to sit down. Rather than sit next to her, she sat on the taller woman's lap and began massaging her temples. She could see how tightly wound Callie was and didn't want her going into the meeting already upset. Instead of talking about the obvious, she decided to respond to her girlfriend's earlier comment by saying, "Well, lucky for you, we are neighbors now and I can spoil you anytime I feel the need." Resting her head back, Callie closed her eyes, smiled softly and teased, "Oh I think I'm really going to love being your neighbor Dr. Robbins." Arizona slid her hands through the soft stubble, scratching and rubbing Callie's scalp, bent her head and kissed her throbbing pulse point and recalled, "If I remember correctly, there are all kinds of perks that come with us working near each other." Callie could feel the goosebumps arise on her skin as recollections of some of those perks flashed through her mind. Though she held those memories dear, it was these things, this new Arizona who climbed in her lap and was so loving and attentive that warmed her heart and soothed her soul. Apparently her ministrations were working, or maybe it was her words, because the blonde felt the body beneath her begin to relax and the arm that was resting on the side of the couch snaked around her waist and pulled her closer. When Callie picked her head up and opened her eyes, Arizona could see they were clear of the ire that filled them just moments ago and leaned her head down for a proper good morning kiss.

Pulling back before they got carried away, Arizona whispered softly, "I missed you this morning, I wish you would have woken me." Callie smiled up at her and said, "Trust me, the last thing I wanted to do was wake up at the butt crack of dawn and pull myself away from you. You just looked so peaceful and were sleeping so well, I didn't want to bother you, but I did kiss you good-bye and leave you a note." Arizona smiled as she thought about the little sticky note that was placed on the screen of her phone so she would see it as soon as her alarm woke her. It was something they always did early in their relationship and another thing they lost somewhere along the way. The moment she saw it this morning, she took it straight to her box and dropped it in. She lifted her hand and smoothed down the hair she had mussed during their kiss, then lowered it to fiddle with the small white button on Callie's crisp white button down shirt, then swiped it across the green and black checkered vest as she said, "It's probably a good thing you didn't wake me because if I would have seen you dressed like this, there's no way you would have left that room." Callie smiled at her girlfriend's comment and thought back to the other morning when she heard something similar and saw the same look in her darkening blue eyes, and asked, "So the vests do it for you huh?" Arizona continued to caress the soft shimmering fabric and answered, "Oh absolutely, why do you think I picked out so many?" Callie threw back her head and laughed as she realized Arizona had indeed picked out quite the variety of vests and suit jackets in multiple colors and designs. Taking a sip of her coffee then leaning forward to sit it on the table in front of them, she wrapped her hand around Arizona's hip and captured her lips in a brief chaste kiss before saying, "Well, I thought you were helping me out with my wardrobe." Arizona smirked and said, "Doesn't mean I didn't pick things I wanted to help you out OF." Callie raised her brow in that sexy way she had and asked, "Oh is that so?" Arizona nodded and asked, "Can you honestly say that when you picked this blouse, you didn't see yourself taking it off me?" Callie smiled and responded, "Touché!" She then leaned forward and nipped at a full pink lip before soothing it with her tongue and gliding it across the roof of Arizona's mouth eliciting a low moan from both of them.

Callie had just lowered her hand to caress Arizona's bottom when the door to her office opened and both women broke their kiss and looked up to see a surly Maria holding a cup of coffee with the same logo that adorned Callie's cup as she glared at the two women entangled in each other's arms and grumbled, "The only reason I put up with this sappy crap is for the free coffee. Dr. Arrogant is here, so zip up or whatever and look professional. He's in the conference room, I couldn't handle looking at his smug face." She closed the door and disappeared before either of them could comment. Arizona stood up and smoothed her skirt and blouse then shook her head and said, "I swear you have this uncanny talent for choosing the most irritable friends." Callie chuckled and straightened her own clothes, and smiled as she responded, "My girlfriend's perkiness evens out the negativity." Arizona beamed at her then wrapped one arm around her neck while wiping her smeared lipstick off otherwise bare red lips and teased, "That's not all I'm good for." Callie kissed her nose and agreed, "True, you bring great coffee." Feigning hurt, Arizona stepped back, picked up said coffee and took a large drink, smirking when her girlfriend huffed in annoyance.

Becoming more serious when she noticed Callie start to tense up again, she walked over to her and smoothed down her vest then asked, "Are you ready?" Callie leaned down and kissed her softly then smiled and responded, "I am now." Straightening back up, Callie walked to her desk, gathered all the files she had been studying, and added, "It's all pretty straightforward. He was already on probation and had an action plan that clearly stated my expectations. The lawyers looked over everything and I am well within my rights to terminate him at this point. I just…" Arizona nodded and confirmed, "You just hate doing this part of the job. I know, you always have." Before opening the door, Callie agreed, "I really do, but this is necessary and I want him to clearly understand the gravity of his actions which is one of the reasons I want you there. I need you to tell him exactly what could have happened to Julie and her baby." Arizona nodded and could already feel herself getting upset all over again just hearing the reminder of what the other man's arrogance and reckless behavior could have caused. Not only did he put a patient at risk, but he could also have done irreparable damage to Callie's center and reputation.

XXXX

Passing through the lobby to get to the conference room, the two surgeons stopped at the front desk when Maria waved them over and handed Callie a business card. Maria couldn't hold back her smirk as she explained, "Dr. Thomas' attorney left this card with me when they checked in." Noticing the slight sarcasm and emphasis her head nurse placed on the word 'attorney', Callie looked down at the card and shook her head as she asked, "Did you check it out?" Maria nodded and said, "Of course, I put all the information on the back." Callie flipped it over and sighed as she passed the small paper over to Arizona who just snorted and stuck the card in her pocket. Shaking her head, Lorraine added, "That explains why he said 'representative' when he called last week. Also, he asked for Dr. Robbins' credentials which I informed him you kept in your office, but it makes me think they might be up to something." Callie nodded and replied, "I think you might be right." She then turned to Arizona and asked, "You ready Dr. Robbins?" Arizona nodded, extended her arm and chirped, "Lead the way Dr. Torres." They both laughed when they heard gagging noises behind them and turned to see Maria pretending to stick her finger down her throat. Once they reached the large wooden door, before Callie could turn the knob, Arizona reached out and squeezed her hand in silent support and smiled when the brunette turned and winked at her.

Upon opening the door to the conference room, Callie first noticed Dr. Thomas' relaxed posture as he sat slouched in the chair, ankle resting on his opposite knee, and swiveling the comfortable chair from side to side without a care in the world. Her gaze drifted to the chair next to him where a slightly older man bearing a striking resemblance to the resident was seated. Based upon the smug smiles adorning both faces, Callie was now certain her young employee was indeed going to try to intimidate her and thought he had something to hold over her head and she had an idea of what that was. She knew she was correct when Arizona entered the room behind her and she noticed the brief stiffening of his body and the slight surprise that flashed in his eyes before he leaned over and whispered something to his companion and watched as his smile slipped as well. As both women approached the table and remained standing, the two men finally realized they should be standing as well and quickly shuffled to their feet. Standing at the head of the table, Callie laid the thick file on the table in front of her and addressed the young resident, "Dr. Thomas, thank you for coming in today. I'm sure you remember Dr. Robbins." The tall dark haired man nodded and greeted, "Good morning Dr. Torres, Dr. Robbins. This is…" Before he could finish, the man next to him extended his hand to Callie and declared, "James Thomas, I work at Santos and Associates." Callie shook the man's hand, shared a look with Arizona, then offered, "Please, take your seats."

Callie opened the file and began, "Dr. Thomas, we are here today to evaluate your…" She was interrupted by the elder Thomas who interjected, "Dr. Torres, before you continue, I'd like to save us all some time and state that Dr. Thomas is fully prepared to apologize for the minor mishap that took place Thursday and put this whole suspension behind him and in exchange, he will keep quiet about the fact that you had a physician treating patients who is neither qualified to provide this type of care nor employed by this facility, not to mention the fact that she assumed a supervisory role over those who are qualified during an emergency situation." Blue eyes snapped to brown and both women could see the shock written all over the face of the other. Callie was prepared for the arrogant man to try to pull something, but she didn't see this coming at all and wasn't sure if she wanted to lash out or laugh in the man's face. She knew she might not get the chance to do either as she studied Arizona's face and saw the twitch in her left eye and the pursing of her lips indicating she was about to set both men straight. One thing you don't do is question Arizona's credentials or professionalism.

Before either surgeon could comment, the man continued, "Otherwise, if you press the issue, we have no option but to file suit against you, this facility, and Dr. Robbins herself." Arizona nodded her head, stood from her seat, reached into the pocket of her skirt, pulled out the small business card she slipped into her pocket moments ago, slapped it on the table and slid it to the younger man who was clearly proud of himself and declared, "This is my attorney's card, you may contact him from this point forward." Callie stood also and stated, "It looks like we are done here." She then pointed to the card and added, "That is my attorney as well, I will call Mr. Santos and inform him to expect to hear from you." As Callie collected the file and took a step toward the door, she noticed the panic in the resident's eyes and could swear the blood drained from the other man's face as he read the name on the small white card. Before either woman could reach the door, both men called out, "Wait." Arizona turned to look at Callie who had her back to the men still seated at the table and was clearly trying to hold in her temper. They both knew the young men were in over their heads and they had no case, but the fact that they tried to pull something like this was infuriating. Callie closed her eyes and took a deep breath doing her best not to throw either man out on his ass. While she wanted nothing more than to walk away and let them stew over the mess they just got themselves into, she knew it would be best to resolve this now and to never see the man again. She nodded her head once to indicate to Arizona that she was going to finish this, then turned around and walked to her seat and waited for Arizona to sit down.

Dropping the folder on the desk, she got a small amount of satisfaction when both men flinched and looked up at her with fear in their eyes. She stood with her arms crossed and stared at the two men who stopped her from leaving the room and waited for one of them to say something. When it was clear neither of them was going to say anything, Callie took a deep breath, looked at Arizona to ground herself and said, "I am assuming you do not want us to walk out of this room because you both know you just got yourselves into something you have no idea how to get out of. I find it ironic that a mailroom clerk in an attorney's office threatened to file suit against a world renowned surgeon for practicing without proper credentials." She looked directly at the older of the two men and stated, "Mr. Thomas, I am going to allow you to stay to offer moral support for Robert, who I am assuming is your brother, however, you will not speak and I suggest you listen very carefully to what I have to say to him so you are aware that you put your own job on the line, not for minor mishaps but for life-threatening decision making and breaking emergency protocol. Miguel is well aware that you are here falsely representing his firm and I am sure you will face your own consequences for this little stunt." James glared at his brother then looked Callie in the eye and said, "Yes, Dr. Torres." Callie looked at Arizona who was still seething then down at the resident who only appeared to be more remorseful that he got caught in his lie rather than for his actions themselves.

Clearing her throat, Callie finally addressed the young resident saying, "Dr. Thomas, I am unaware of where you got your information concerning Dr. Robbins, but a simple google search would have saved you all this trouble. Dr. Robbins is a world-renowned, award winning surgeon in not one, but two specialties. She has spent the last ten years as the Chief of Pediatrics and the last four as the Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, simultaneously, at one of the country's leading teaching hospitals that just so happens to specialize in trauma. She is also part owner and a board member of that hospital. All of that combined makes her more than qualified to 'provide this type of care' as your brother put it or to supervise those who do. Aside from having her picture on the wall out front and this facility being dedicated in her honor, Dr. Robbins is indeed a member of this staff and has full privileges along with the fact that she is a trustee named to act on either my behalf or in the best interest of Fresh START." She then glanced in Arizona's direction to see if she caught the fact that she was a trustee, but if she did, her surprise didn't show, though oddly her eyes were much darker than normal and if she wasn't mistaken, her girlfriend was highly aroused. Shaking that thought from her mind, Callie returned her attention back to the young resident, and explained, "While I could go on about Dr. Robbins' qualifications, her performance was never in question and the fact that you tried to derail how much trouble you are actually in by erroneously questioning her credentials and my judgement is insulting to both of us." Seeing the young man nod, Callie pulled out her chair and finally took her seat.

Arizona sat quietly while Callie took control of the room and struggled to focus on anything other than how sexy she looked in her hunter green dress pants and green and black checkered vest, as she asserted her authority over both men and defended her in the process. It was in that moment that Callie's more masculine qualities shone through and she could see the obvious distinction between Callie and Cal and couldn't help but think of how much of a turn on it was. Arizona was always more attracted to the other woman when she exuded confidence and power, but this was a whole new level for her and she felt it straight to her core which was currently throbbing with need. Trying to tune back into her girlfriend's words, Arizona refocused just in time to catch the fact that she was a trustee of Fresh START and did her best to keep her face impassive so as not to alert the others in the room that this was also news to her. She took a deep breath and made a mental note to bring this up to her girlfriend, though at this point, nothing came as a surprise to her anymore. It actually made sense given they were both listed on multiple documents and holdings as the beneficiary on Sofia's behalf. Fortunately, that little piece of information was just enough to cool her libido and she could once again focus on the matter at hand.

After sitting down, Callie looked to Arizona silently telling her she needed a minute to calm down and was relieved when the blonde looked at the other doctor and asked, "Dr. Thomas, do you know Fresh START's policy in regard to treating women of childbearing age?" The dark haired man looked up then, pulled up his chair, and for once looked as if he was understanding the severity of the situation. He nodded and replied, "Yes, ma'am, we are to run the usual labs which includes testing HCG levels on all women of childbearing age unless there is proof provided by the patient that it is not necessary to do so." Arizona nodded and asked, "And what is the medical definition of women of childbearing age?" The young man frowned then responded, "The medical definition is between 14 or upon hitting puberty, and approximately 45 to 50 years of age, but…" Arizona cut him off and asked, "What are some examples of cases in which we would not run those labs?" Letting out a frustrated breath, the man answered, "If the patient has had a tubal ligation, hysterectomy, or has otherwise been diagnosed as unable to conceive." Sitting back in her seat, Arizona then asked, "What does the policy state we should do in the event that a patient is unconscious or otherwise incapable of expressing themselves?" Dr. Thomas looked to his brother then down at his hands and stated, "If a patient of childbearing age is unconscious, we are to run the labs without consent."

Arizona was doing her best to control her anger at the young surgeon. He clearly knew what he was supposed to do and just ignored the policy due to his own beliefs. In a visibly annoyed tone, she finally requested, "Dr. Thomas, it is clear you are aware of hospital policy, so please explain to me why you chose not to order these tests for several of the patients of childbearing age that you treated, including Julie Crowe who was unconscious at the time she was admitted." Dr. Thomas looked at his brother, then to Callie, and then to Arizona and stated emphatically, "Those girls are children, they shouldn't be having sex! I didn't run the tests because I didn't consider pregnancy an option at their age and it would have been a waste of time." Arizona took a deep breath and calmed herself before stating, "I'm going to cut all the crap of giving you the benefit of the doubt here because it's clear you knew what you were doing. One of those girls was, in fact, pregnant and is at a stage in her pregnancy where putting her under anesthesia could have led to serious complications including termination of the fetus or her own death. Fortunately for you, I was here, discovered she was pregnant, and was able to monitor both mother and baby throughout the lengthy procedure to save her legs." When the resident seemed to slump in relief, apparently thinking he was off the hook, Callie cleared her throat and took over.

Callie watched as Arizona effectively put the man in his place. She was far more tactful than Callie herself and she always enjoyed watching how the other surgeon would get people to back themselves into a corner. This man however, he just wasn't getting it. Even now he seemed to think he was in the clear. Deciding to just cut to the chase, Callie cleared her throat and cut in with, "The positive outcome of this case does not exempt you from responsibility. There is still the fact that despite having an emergency protocol and clear chain of command in place, you took it upon yourself to take charge in an emergency situation, lied to a senior surgeon about your status on that chain of command, and thereby undermining my authority as chief; you rushed tests and scans on patients who were stable causing a back-up in the lab and pushing patients of high priority to the end of the line, thus causing the O.R.'s to back up as surgeons were waiting on tests so they could properly treat those patients; you also clearly, consciously refused to run required tests based solely on your personal beliefs hindering my ability to properly care for a patient." She then looked to Arizona and asked, "Am I forgetting anything?" Arizona shook her head and responded, "I believe you covered everything." Callie nodded then looked to the man who was finally grasping that his actions were unacceptable and finished with, "That within itself is grounds to terminate your contract. However, on top of all of this, you were already on probation and placed on an action plan that clearly stated the expectations of your performance which even prior to this you were not following. After speaking to my attorney, Mr. Santos, he is in agreement that I am well within my rights to not only terminate your employment at Fresh START, but to report your behaviors to the Board of Medicine which I will do after I add to my report the fact that you tried to blackmail and intimidate me, with false representation no less, into allowing you to keep your job and continue to practice medicine. If all of this is not clear to you, then let me put it simply, you…are…fired!" When the former resident started to argue, his brother put up his hand and stated, "Shut up Bobby, you've caused enough damage."

Callie stood and closed the folder, effectively ending the meeting. Arizona stood as well and looked at the now unemployed would-be surgeon and said, "Dr. Thomas, your arrogance in not only this situation, but in your previous actions as well, have seriously affected your decision making, put patients at risk, and could have caused serious damage to the reputations of the other attendings, Dr. Torres, and Fresh START as a whole. Your antics today brought my own credentials and reputation into question as well, something neither of us take too kindly to. In this field, you need to have a certain amount of confidence and arrogance, we couldn't go into an O.R. every day and play God without it. The thing is, you need to be able to back that up, you need to have the skill and the talent to support your claims that you are the best. You need to work, sacrifice, and grind to get to where we are. Graduating from med school and owning a white coat doesn't make you a doctor or a surgeon. Wearing that coat isn't a right, it is a privilege. What you do, how you treat people, the decisions you make while wearing that white coat is what separates just any surgeon from the best surgeons. M.D. is not just a title, it is a way of life, it is an honor. If you became a doctor for the perks and accolades, just so people will respect you and think you are smart, then congratulations, you made it, quit while you are ahead. If you became a doctor because you want to help people, cure diseases, change the quality of life for your patients, make a difference in this world, and leave your mark on the medical community, then I suggest you check your ego at the door and think long and hard about your performance here and how you plan to correct that in the future. You didn't just anger Dr. Torres, you essentially blacklisted yourself from ever getting a job in a respectable hospital. Not only is Dr. Torres the founder and owner of Fresh START, but she is also part owner and board member of Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, a leading teaching and Trauma 1 facility in the country, which if it weren't for her insight, would no longer exist today. Dr. Torres is THE best orthopedic surgeon in the United States and her name, research findings, and innovations are known all over the world. Dr. Torres is one of the best teachers I have ever had the privilege to work with and I have worked with the likes of Derek Shephard, Meredith Grey, and Nicole Herman and none of them hold a candle to Dr. Torres' method of teaching and performing surgery. Being terminated from one of her facilities will be a difficult thing to overcome and I wish you all the best with that." She then walked to the door and opened it for the two men who were now properly chastised and left the room without saying a word.

As soon as Arizona closed the door, she turned around and found her back pressed against it, one of Callie's hands clicking the lock, then joining the other in sliding up her thighs pushing her skirt up along the way, and her lips mere centimeters from her own as she growled, "That was incredibly hot." then sealed their lips together in a searing kiss complete with gnashing teeth and dueling tongues. Feeling Callie's strong hands on her bare skin only heightened Arizona's arousal and she quickly snaked her hands between them and frantically unbuttoned and unzipped the dark green trousers and groaned into Callie's mouth as she realized she was wearing boxer briefs and snaked her hand inside the small flap gasping at the moisture she felt when her fingers caressed bare swollen lips. Callie bucked into Arizona's hand and growled at the touch, then slipped her fingers underneath the waistband of Arizona's panties on both sides and tugged at the skimpy lacy fabric until she felt it give and heard the rip of material then allowed it to silently drop to the floor. Not wasting any time, she moved her hand to where she wanted it most and without warning thrust two fingers deep into Arizona's slick, tight channel swallowing the gasp that came from the smaller woman. Not to be outdone, Arizona removed her hand from the small opening in the fabric, slipped it under the waistband of the cotton boxers to give herself more room to move and pinched Callie's clit causing her to break their sloppy kiss and husk out, "Fuck!" before thrusting three fingers into her throbbing opening, not waiting for her to adjust before she began pushing in and out at a hard and steady pace.

Still pumping vigorously into Arizona, using her hips to power her thrusts, Callie reached down and lifted Arizona's right leg up to rest on her hip giving them both more leverage and more space to move. She leaned in and nipped at Arizona's earlobe and whispered, "Fuck baby, you're so wet for me." Feeling Callie's thumb on her clit, Arizona bit down on her shoulder and groaned before growling out, "More, harder, fuck me Cal!" Not missing the use of the more masculine name and being more than a little turned on by it, Callie realized Arizona wanted to be taken, she wanted to be dominated. Scissoring her fingers to make room for more, she felt the tight channel relax slightly, pulled out, curved her hand inward and inserted all four fingers on the next thrust and locked their lips together to muffle the deep animalistic moan that emanated from Arizona. Finally getting what they both wanted, the two set a less frenzied, steadier pace as they thrust into one another, the scent of their heady arousal, the sounds of their heavy breathing and primal moans, fabric swishing against fabric and skin slapping against skin filling the room as they both chased their impending climax.

Callie's entire body was on fire, she couldn't remember the last time she was this turned on, this worked up simply by Arizona's words. But as she stood and listened to her speak so passionately about their profession, about her, she could feel her nerves start to tingle, her clit pulse with need, the moisture pool at her core and knew she had to have her. From the moment she saw Arizona walk toward the door, the only thing she could think about was taking her up against it, thrusting into her, releasing all the stress and tension she felt coiling inside with the only woman who grounded her, calmed her. But at this very moment, as she felt the tightening in her abdomen, the burning in her thighs, she knew she was about to fly the fuck apart at any second and redoubled her efforts, determined to take Arizona with her.

Arizona was lost in sensation, in desire, in euphoria. She had been hanging on by a thread since Callie slammed that folder on the table and expressed her authority over everyone in the room including her. She wanted Callie, this Callie…Cal, to take her, to dominate her. She wanted to feel the strength in her arms and legs, the power behind her thrusts, she needed her to pour out every bit of tension and stress into the act of fucking her. She wasn't disappointed as she felt strong fingers slam against her most sensitive spot deep inside her over and over again. She could feel her legs start to tingle, her vision start to blur, and her stomach contract, but was determined to hold on, to wait for Callie. She knew she was close, she could feel her inner walls clench around her fingers, could see the tightening of her jaw. Reaching up, she grasped a handful of perfectly coiffed black hair, pulled Callie's head down, sucked her tongue into her mouth, curled her fingers into the soft spongy area and pressed her thumb down on the swollen bundle of nerves and gasped then bucked her hips when she could feel the same acts being performed on her as sparks lit behind her eyes and their combined moans caught in her throat.

As their thrusts slowed to a gentle rolling of hips onto each other's hands, Arizona dropped her head back against the door and Callie rested her forehead on the blonde's shoulder, both of them breathing heavily, periodically trembling from the aftershocks of their intense orgasms. Once their bodies had settled and they both started coming back to earth, they slowly pulled their fingers from the core of the other on a quiet moan. Callie rolled her eyes as she felt Arizona's damp fingers swipe across her sensitive clit one last time and caught the wet digits with the hand she just removed from Arizona's pulsating opening. Pressing them together, she took the forefinger of both of their hands into her mouth and hummed in satisfaction as the taste of their combined arousals coated her tongue. Arizona watched in fascination, felt Callie's tongue stroke her finger and couldn't help but lean in and take their ring fingers into her mouth and do the same, rolling her eyes at the rich, salty sweet taste of their juices. As they both finished, they took the middle finger of the other woman into their mouth and licked their own juices off the lone digit. Finally finished with their ministrations, they leaned in and connected their lips in a long, slow, sensual kiss.

As the kiss came to an end, they rested their foreheads together and just smiled at one another. Finally breaking the silence, Arizona lifted her hand to smooth down Callie's hair and whispered, "Hi." Callie smiled and caressed Arizona's hips as she returned "Hey. Did I hurt you?" Arizona smiled at her girlfriend's thoughtfulness, shook her head and responded, "No, it was perfect, you were perfect. I needed that." Callie chuckled, "Hmmm apparently I did too." Arizona lowered her hand and began fixing Callie's shirt, tucking it back into her pants then fastened and zipped them, and lifted her hands to straighten the now wrinkled vest. Looking into clear brown eyes she asked, "How are you feeling?" They both knew she meant after their meeting, but Callie wanted to remain in the moment for a while longer and answered, "I just got my brains fucked out against a door, so…umm pretty damn good." Realizing Callie needed time to process, Arizona leaned in and kissed her hard, then pulled back and said, "Me too. But we should probably get out of here before everyone realizes what we were up to." Callie let her hands slide down Arizona's hips smoothing her skirt back down and bent to pick up her ripped panties and held tattered fabric between them as she asked, "Guess it's time we started hiding spares in each other's office again huh?" She then slipped the lace into her front pocket and added, "Though I kinda like the idea of knowing you are walking around commando." Arizona gasped as it finally occurred to her, "Oh my God! You do that on purpose so I can walk around without panties all day." Callie smirked and walked over to the table to gather her files and shrugged as she responded, "Maybe." Arizona shook her head, opened the door and growled out, "Pervert!"

Callie sped up to catch up with her girlfriend and noticing she was still rumpled, whispered, "Arizona stop. Your shirt." Stepping up behind the blonde, she tucked her silk blouse into her skirt making sure to caress her bare backside with her palm before removing her hand. She then straightened out her hair in the back and tapped her bottom then said, "There, all better." Arizona smiled softly, took her hand and linked their fingers then said, "Thank you." Callie just winked at her and the two continued into the main lobby. As they approached the desk, they were met with two knowing looks and Maria chided, "You two look a little too happy for just ending a man's career, though he did deserve it." Noticing the look that passed between the two surgeons, Maria gasped and whispered, "Did you just do it in the conference room?" Seeing the slight blush rise on her boss' cheeks, Lorraine interrupted with, "Dr. Robbins, Julie was asking if you could come see her, she's not eating well and she's cramping." Arizona looked up to Callie to make sure it was okay and receiving the nod, she said, "I'll go see her now. I have some errands to run and want to get some measurements for my office. I'll come down and see you before I leave." Callie squeezed her hand and said, "If I'm not in my office, have Lorraine page me." Arizona nodded, waved at everyone and headed toward the elevators. As she walked away, Maria picked up the phone, waited for the person on the other end to pick up and asked, "Hi, can you have someone come up to the conference room and clean up in there after the meeting today, wipe down the table?" Callie shook her head and said, "That wasn't necessary." Maria snapped, "I eat off that table." Callie started to walk away and called over her shoulder, "Have them get the door too." She smirked as she heard both women gasp and Maria call out, "Way to go Torres."

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews and suggestions. I did feel that Arizona needed time to think about their conversation, but in my mind, in this universe, both of them have realized part of what tore them apart was holding onto anger from past hurts. I am trying to make them learn from the past and move forward. I hope that is coming through as they progress.

This chapter was necessary to tie up a few loose ends so Arizona can get her center up and running in the next few chapters.

The world belongs to Shonda.