Again, thank you for your reviews and support. I really hope you all read the prologue to my sequel to this story. I thought I'd give you something to work up some anticipation for it. (:

This one is written from Callie's point of view and takes place about a month after episode 6.12, "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked". It's a tad bit shorter than my usual but I hope you enjoy it anyhow!

Eight. Ungodly Hour

"And I am short on words, knowing what's occurred,
She begins to leave because of me."
- Ungodly Hour, The Fray

"How could you? Callie, how could you do that to me?" Arizona's painful questions are ringing through my ears. "You promised that it'd never happen again!" Her voice is now raised to a yell.

I mentally cringe at her using my nickname before I open my mouth to answer, and then close it again. I don't even know what to say. Now is not the time for excuses. Think Callie, think. My mind is drawing blanks.

"You know what, don't even say anything." She bends over and pulls her suitcase from underneath our bed, throwing it on top of it. She quickly turns around and pulls open the top drawer of her dresser.

"What are you doing?" are the only words that come out of my mouth. I instantly regret even speaking because she starts yelling again.

"You know what I'm doing! I'm leaving! And don't expect a goodbye, Callie." She's now taking clothes from drawers faster than what seems possible. Her last words hit a nerve. The tears I didn't even know that had formed are now rolling down my face. I can feel my chest tighten, and my ability to breathe seems to have been taken away.

"Don't do this." Why aren't the right words coming out? Why are only the last thoughts in my mind only coming out? Why can't I tell her that I love her and that I'm sorry? Why can't I tell her the things I need to?

"No, Callie. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this because of sick of this. I'm sick and tired of trying you not being there. If you're not spending time with Mark, you're still trying to prove to everyone you deserve to be an attending, you're taking surgeries that could be by done by someone else. You're putting everyone else ahead of me." Angry tears are now flooding her eyes. "I'm tired of it." She slams the dresser drawers and begins taking her things out the nightstand on her side of the bed.

I understand why she's so angry. It's because she's right.

I picked up an extra two surgeries I could have let a resident do tonight, if that wasn't bad enough, instead of coming home to her I went out for drinks with Mark for the third night in a row. But that wasn't the root of the problem. I missed a page from her today; I didn't answer her when I should have.

"I'm sorry." They are the only sensible words I'm able to form right now. I try to say more but I'm cut off by her harsh words again.

"But sorry isn't enough. Not this time, Callie." She picks up a framed photo of us; she stares at it for a moment before putting it back. "What happened to us? What happened to that girl who through me a surprise party for my birthday and stayed up waiting for me to come home from work? What happened to you?" She looks up at me, signalling her questions weren't rhetorical.

"I'm not letting you get away. I'm not letting you walk away from me like she did. You're not leaving because of me. I love you too much to let you." I grab her hand as she reaches out to do up her suitcase. I loosen my grip on her hand and cradle it with both of my hands.

"I'm going to be that girl again because that's the girl you fell in love with. And you deserve that, you deserve better from me." I pause to breathe, to make sure my words don't all come out as one big word. "I'm tearing down all the walls, Arizona. I'm done trying to be the bad ass everyone sees, the one they thought who would try and beat Izzie Stevens to a bloody pulp because she had an affair with George. I want them to see who you see. I want them to see me." I let out a deep breath, praying she understands.

With her other hand she begins to take her clothes out of the suitcase. "Okay." Her voice is barely audible but to me it's the only thing I hear. The ambulance sirens from outside are gone, the loud music from the nosy neighbour is gone, all I hear is her.

I stare at her with a look of complete shock and confusion on my face, complete agape. When her eyes meet mine I know she's not lying. Even though they're filled with tears, the hurt and anger is gone. Arizona wraps her other hand around my own, "That was all I need to hear."

She pulls me closer; her lips brush over my own for a moment before completely capturing them. I can feel her tears merging with my own. I run my tongue over bottom lip trying to savour the taste of her, as if it would be the last time the last time. I let go of her hands and wrap one arm around her waist while placing my other hand on her cheek. I want to remember this moment for the rest of my life. A moment of complete clarity; knowing she was exactly what I wanted for the rest of my life.

As we finally pull apart due to the need for oxygen I hear a content sigh coming from Arizona. I smile at her hoping that tonight would be the last night like this, the first and last night she planned on leaving. "Promise me. Promise me that you meant you said and you didn't say it just because you were scared I was leaving, promise me that you would have said it eventually." She's now looking into my eyes hopefully.

"I can promise you that I meant everything that I said, but I won't lie to you and say that I wasn't scared, because I was. I was terrified of losing the only thing that matters to me. You." I don't pause for a breath because I'm afraid she'll misunderstand. I kiss her forehead and wrap my arms around her protectively, because I don't want to let her go.

My blank drawing mind is now filled with visions of our future and everything it can and will be. It's flooded with images of us buying a house together, having children, and grandchildren; everything I could ever dream of. All because she's not leaving tonight, she's staying; because of me.