AN: Had some technical trouble posting this chapter, but it should be fine now. Thanks to those who pointed it out.

Chapter 11

June 2013

Placing the last box in the back of the rental truck, Callie sighed. She turned to face her dorm complex. She watched as groups of friends hugged each other and made promises to keep in touch for the rest of their lives. Her neighbor from down the hall caught her eye and gave her a small wave and smile. Callie waved back. She was going to miss this place; she would even miss the people, like her hallmate, whom she barely knew. It was the overwhelming sense of community, which she feared she'd never have again, that she missed the most.

"Torres!" she heard from behind her. She turned and grinned when she saw Mark jogging across the quad.

"Guess what?" he asked when he reached her. He was waving an envelope in front of his face and his enthusiasm was infectious.

Callie laughed. "What?!"

"I got in to BU for med school. I'm staying here!"

"Ah, congratulations!" Callie exclaims, pulling Mark into a tight hug. "I knew you could do it."

"Thanks, Cal," Mark said with a grin. Pulling back slightly, he dragged his hands up Callie's arms to rest on her shoulders. "I'm gonna miss you so much, though."

"I'll totally come visit all the time. I'm pretty sure the hotel business can wait."

"So, that's what you're definitely doing? Taking over the hotel business?"

Callie nodded. "Yep, looks like it. But it'll be fun. Besides, I'll be in Miami…and you know what's in Miami? Hot men. And hot women."

Laughing loudly, Mark pulled Callie into another hug. "You're going to do just fine, Torres."

"Hey, what's all the hugging about?" Arizona said, coming up behind the pair.

"Oh, um, Mark got into BU for med school!"

"Hey, that's fantastic, Mark!" Arizona said with a grin. "I'm…going to med school myself, too."

"Congrats, Robbins!" Mark said, patting her on the back, while Callie narrowed her eyes. "Look, I gotta run, but I'll catch you guys before I head home later."

Both women waved as Mark walked off. As they turned back to face each other, Arizona raised her eyebrow, waiting for Callie's response.

"When did you even apply to med school? Why didn't you tell me last night?"

"Um, thanks for the support, Callie." Arizona said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"No, I'm sorry. It's…that's really great, Arizona. Seriously. I'm really proud of you. I was just surprised. I guess there was a lot we never learned about each other."

"I guess so," Arizona said slowly, awkwardly. "Um, so, are you heading back to Miami?"

"Yeah, on Friday. And of course Mark decided to go back to New York early so now I don't have a ride to the airport. I mean, I can get a cab, but it's just – "

"I'll take you," Arizona interrupted suddenly. "Yeah, um, I have a rental car and my flight home is on Friday afternoon. So yeah, that's settled. I'll take you. So, um, see you Friday, Callie!" Arizona rocked back on her feet. "Bye!" she said with an overly chipper grin and a small wave.

Callie opened her mouth to respond, but Arizona was already walking briskly away. Shaking her head, Callie smiled to herself. Saying goodbye to Arizona for the last time in the airport before they both got on planes to go home was pretty much the last thing she wanted to do and yet, she couldn't stop herself from smiling at the thought of spending more time with her ex.

o0o0o0o

"Hey, how are my two beautiful ladies?" Arizona asked, as she let herself into Callie's apartment.

"Zooonaaaaa!" Sofia came running as fast as her tiny legs would allow her. She came to a stop directly in front of Arizona and threw her chubby arms around Arizona's leg.

"Well, hello there, little miss! It's good to see you, too!" Arizona cooed, running her hand through Sofia's hair.

"And hi to you, too, pretty lady," Arizona murmured as Callie walked in the room, wearing a delicious cinched red dress with a blazer and pumps. Putting in her second earring, Callie leaned down to give Arizona a quick kiss.

"So, are you sure you want to do this?" When Arizona suggested that she spend the day with Sofia while Callie had Saturday meetings, Callie was skeptical.

"Yes, Callie, I'm sure! I'm excited for my Sofia bonding time. Aren't you excited, Sof?"

Sofia nodded her head enthusiastically. "Wanna see my fav'ite toy?"

"Yes, please!" Arizona said, ruffling Sofia's hair once more, before patting her on her back as she ran off to her playroom.

"You're right. This is a great idea, and I really, really appreciate your trying to make this work…with Sofia, you know?" Callie began, once Sofia was out of earshot.

"Callie, we're dating and that means Sofia and I are going to be in each other's lives. Of course I'm going to make an effort."

"Well regardless," Callie said, sidling up to Arizona, "I appreciate it, and I'm going to show you how much I appreciate it later."

"I have no problem with that. You know, I thought you were sexy when we were 20 and all you wore were jeans and converse, but now? You in these business outfits with the heels…and this jacket?" Arizona asked, running her fingers along the lapels of Callie's jacket. "So sexy."

"Oh yeah? Maybe I'll have to keep it on later and…"

"ZONA! Look at my doggie!"

Jumping apart, Arizona smiled at Sofia and her stuffed animal. "She's so cute, Sof! What's her name?"

"Mark."

"Your dog with the pink bow is named Mark?"

Sofia nodded enthusiastically.

"Mark gave it to her," Callie explained. "She's not super creative yet."

Patting the dog on its head and kissing Sofia's forehead, Callie said, "Be good for 'Zona, okay, Sof?"

The toddler nodded and smiled sweetly.

Laughing, Arizona shooed Callie out the door. "Don't worry, mom," she joked. "We're going to be just fine. What's the worst that could happen?" she asked, smiling at Sofia.

Callie snorted. "Oookay," Callie said slowly, drawing out the word. "Well, I'll leave you to it and see you ladies later for dinner!"

"Up!" Sofia demanded, raising her arms to demonstrate what she wanted.

Seeing Callie's expectant look, Arizona glanced down at Sofia to see that the toddler was staring straight at her. "Oh, me!" Arizona grabbed Sofia around her chest and hoisted the young girl up on her hip.

Callie grinned at the sight before shaking her head. "Okay, I'm going to be seriously late soon." She kissed both of her girls and headed out the door, laughing as they both blew her a kiss.

"Okay, Miss Sofia, what should we do first?" Arizona asked as she closed the door behind Callie.

"Legoooos!" Sofia yelled in Arizona's ear.

Arizona cringed but laughed good-naturedly, "Okay, to the legos!"

o0o0o0o

As it turned out, Arizona soon learned just what was the worst that could happen…or at least, she hoped this was the worst. The girl had been a bundle of non-stop energy and after a short and mostly unwilling nap, that energy had turned into unbridled disobedience.

"Sofia, please," Arizona said as sternly as possible (though it mostly just sounded desperate), hands on her hips. "Please put your pants back on so that we can meet your mom."

"NO!" the toddler screamed before taking off in the other direction, pants flapping at her side.

Arizona threw her hands in the air as she groaned. She was about to follow the girl and somehow force her into her pants when she felt a buzzing in her pocket.

Pressing the answer button without looking at the caller ID, Arizona answered with a brusque, "hello?"

Not two seconds later, Sofia released a high pitched screaming giggle from the other room, before running back through the hallway, running a green crayon along the pristine white wall.

"Oh god, Sofia, no!" Arizona gasped, running after the girl.

"Um, Dr. Robbins, is this a good time?" a voice sounded on the other end of the phone.

Glancing quickly at the caller ID, Arizona sighed and let her head fall back in frustration for a moment, before regaining her composure.

"Dr. Taylor! I'm so sorry, I'm just taking care of a friend's daughter and she's a bit…exuberant. Now is just fine."

Dr. Taylor chuckled. Arizona's frustration was evident in her voice. "Well, Dr. Robbins, I just wanted to let you know that the Carter Madison committee has reviewed your application."

"My application from…a year ago?"

"Yes, I know it's been a long time without hearing from us. We didn't have the funding for such an ambitious project as yours last year, but we've had some generous donations this year. If you are still up for it, the award and funding is yours to set up a pediatrics clinic in Malawi for three years. You could start as early as next month."

"N-next month? I mean…Dr. Taylor, wow, I'm honored, but…"

"No need to have an answer for me right now, Dr. Robbins. Take until Friday. But Dr. Robbins, just know that we are very impressed with you and your proposal."

"I, uh, thank you, Dr. Taylor. I will call you on Friday."

"I look forward to hearing from you."

As she pressed the button to end the call, Arizona caught sight of the green lines all over the wall and sighed. She glanced at her watch and realized that they had about 10 minutes to get out the door. She pushed the conversation to the back of her mind, vowing to speak to Callie about it later that night and trying not to think too hard about it.

Hearing giggling coming from down the hall in Callie's room, Arizona took off to find Sofia. She pushed the door open with a soft "Sofia?" knowing the girl would respond better if she wasn't yelling. She groaned when she saw that the wall paintings continued in Callie's room.

"Okay, Sof, we have exactly 5 minutes to get ready, so I really need you to put your pants on now," Arizona pleaded as she entered the en suite bathroom connected to Callie's bedroom.

"Oh, Sofia, no," Arizona said with a gasp. Sofia had somehow managed to get into all of Callie's makeup and had decorated herself head to toe in lipstick, eye shadow, and whatever else she found in Callie's makeup drawer.

Sofia giggled as she uncapped another tube of lipstick.

"Okay, that is it, young lady," Arizona warned, stepping around Sofia to twist the faucets on and start running a bath. "You are going to clean up all of…this," Arizona said, gesturing around her, "while I get this bath running."

Sofia was shocked by Arizona's anger, having never heard her mom's friend speak so sternly. She started silently putting the make up back in the drawers, haphazardly throwing them in and trying not to cry. Not knowing what else to say and knowing that her mom couldn't resist her when she pulled out the cute, Sofia turned to Arizona, who was still fuming by the bathtub.

"With bubbles?" Sofia asked, jutting her lower lip out in a pout.

Arizona softened, especially after noticing the tears in Sofia's eyes. "Well, you can't have a bath without bubbles, can you?"

o0o0o0o

"Hey, guys! I'm home!"

"Up here," came Arizona's weary voice.

"So, I got your text that you weren't going to make it to dinner. What's going on in here?" Callie asked as she climbed the stairs.

"Mommy!" Sofia exclaimed, running towards her mom.

"Hey, munchkin! You smell nice," Callie remarked as she hugged her daughter. She furrowed her brow when she noticed a red line behind Sofia's ear and decided to ask Arizona about it later. "You took a bath?"

"Yeah. 'Zona made me. She was mean."

"That's not nice, Sofia, and I'm sure she wasn't mean. Where is 'Zona?"

Sofia pointed behind her and Callie turned to see a very tired-looking Arizona sitting on the ground, a bucket of soapy water next to her. Arizona picked up a sponge and rubbed it against the green spots on the wall.

"Hey – I got your text. What's going on here? What are you doing?"

"Well," Arizona began with a mirthless laugh. "I'm cleaning up the mess your daughter made earlier."

"Um, Arizona…" When Arizona didn't stop arduously scrubbing the walls, Callie grabbed her hand and made her turn to look at her. "Sweetheart, it happens. She's a kid. It's why I own stock in Valspar paint."

When Arizona didn't laugh, Callie squatted to be on Arizona's level. She tucked a loose strand of Arizona's hair behind her ear. "What's going on?" Callie asked softly.

"I can't…Callie, I can't do this," Arizona said, voice trembling.

"Sofia, honey, why don't you go pick out a couple of books to read before bedtime, okay?" Callie asked over her shoulder.

"'Kay, Mommy," Sofia said, before running in the direction of her room.

"Arizona, what happened?"

Arizona sighed and slouched against the wall next to where she had been scrubbing. "I'm not a mom, Callie. I mean…you…you're such a mom. You make it all look so easy. And I don't think I'll ever get there. I mean today was a disaster. And I just think maybe…maybe it would be better…"

"Hey, hey," Callie said, pulling Arizona closer to her. "I've had a lot of practice and a lot of disaster days. It just takes time."

Arizona shook her head. "Sofia hates me. I mean, I've had some experience with angry kids at the hospital, but it never felt like this."

Callie rubbed Arizona's shoulder soothingly. "That's because she means more to you, Arizona. And besides, Arizona, she's a kid. She might say she hates you and then the next day you'll be her best friend. I know you know that."

Arizona nodded. "Of course. It's just…what if I can't handle this? What if this isn't what I want? I…I…I'm just not cut out to be a mom!"

Callie's hand stilled as she realized the gravity of Arizona's words.

"Arizona," Callie said, her voice low. "I can't…I can't tell you what you want. I tried to tell you what you wanted when we were in college and now that we're older and hopefully wiser, I know that I can't tell you what you want. But I can tell you that you can handle this. It will take time and it won't be all rainbows and butterflies all the time, but you wouldn't be alone."

"I know," Arizona said thickly. She sighed and leaned away from Callie, resting her head on the wall. "I got a phone call today. From the, um, Carter Madison committee. I won," Arizona said flatly.

"I've heard about that award! Mark says only insanely smart people from Sweden win those things. Arizona, that's amazing!" Callie said with a grin, momentarily forgetting their conversation.

"Thanks," Arizona said softly.

"But wait, I mean this is amazing, but why are you telling me right now, during this conversation?"

Arizona sighed. "The award is for a grant to open up a pediatrics clinic in an underprivileged area," she explained. "I'd, um, be going to Malawi. For three years."

Arizona chanced a glance at Callie and watched sadly as Callie's grin fell. "And you're considering it," Callie guessed.

Arizona nodded numbly. "Yeah," she whispered. "I am."

For several moments, the two sat, heads leaning against the wall, in total silence. Callie opened her mouth a few times, wanting to beg Arizona not to take the award, but the words never came.

The two women were pulled from their musings when Sofia came out to the hallway. "Mommy? Read to me?"

"Oh, um, yeah," Arizona started, jumping to her feet. "I should really get going. I'll, uh, I'll see myself out," she said, indicating with her thumb over her shoulder at the front door.

"Wait one sec," Callie implored. "Sof, can you please apologize to Arizona? She tried really hard to play with you today and you just would not listen to her and you didn't play nicely."

Sofia nodded and padded softly over to Arizona. She wrapped both of her arms around one of Arizona's legs and squeezed tightly, peering up at Arizona. "I'm really sorry, 'Zona."

"Oh Sof," Arizona whispered, tears pricking at the surface of her eyes. "It's okay." She ran her hand through the girl's soft curls. "I know you didn't mean it."

"That was great, Sof. Go get under the covers and I'll be there in a minute, okay?" Callie said with a bright grin.

The girl smiled and ran back to her room.

"Really, it's fine, Callie. I'll let myself out and I'll be by later this week. We need to talk."

"No kidding," Callie said with a snort.

Arizona nodded, smiling awkwardly, and she began to walk down the stairs.

"Hey, Arizona?" Callie called when Arizona reached the bottom of the stairs. "You told me not to let you run this time, and while I want to beg you to stay, I can't always be the one fighting for us."

Arizona nodded sadly and didn't' respond, knowing Callie was right. Turning, and without looking back, she slowly retreated out the front door.

Though Arizona had yet to speak her decision yet, the evening had a sense of finality to it and both women realized that their miraculous second chance at a relationship would be short-lived. Arizona was going to Malawi.