Both Amelia and Arizona were outright shocked, but Arizona woke to reality after she saw Meredith shooting her a strange look. Sort of a 'what are you doing coming out of an on-call room with Amelia'. Releasing a breath she forgot she was holding, Arizona stepped forward to greet Cristina. It was a long time since she last saw her. Besides, they've certainly been through a lot together.
"Cristina Yang," she said approaching her.
"Hi, Arizona," Cristina said, hugging her. Her voice sounded way happier than a couple of years ago. Also, hugging? That was not the Cristina Yang Arizona knew.
"How are you? What's going on?" asked Arizona keeping her smile on.
"I'm good. I'm coming back to Seattle. I'm taking my old job back," she said, smiling. "Switzerland was beautiful and good, but I'm not cut out to be a chief. Not so many surgeries, you know? And in the end, all my friends are here," she said, looking at Meredith who smiled in return.
"Yeah, I know," Arizona answered, her mind on that Malawi experience she had a few years ago. "So this is great! We're happy to have you back!"
"I'm happy to be back," she replied.
Amelia finally rebuilt herself and came to greet Cristina. "Hello, Cristina," she said with a smile.
"Amelia, hi. It's nice to see you again," Cristina greeted her.
"Cristina came back. She's a doctor in this hospital again," Owen said to Amelia.
"Oh, that's great. Nice to see you in these halls again."
"Thank you. All of you," she said, turning to all of them. "Well, I'll go change in my old scrubs and go see the others too," she said turning to leave, but then she remembered something. "Hey, where's Callie? I really want to see her."
Everyone looked at each other as if they were in trouble. The looks differentiated from 'she doesn't know?' to 'who should tell her?' Meredith took the lead.
"Callie left to New York," she started. Cristina widened her eyes in surprise. "She moved there with Penny, her new girlfriend."
"Girlfriend? What… Last time I saw her she was married! To you!" she said, pointing to Arizona.
"Yes, well we got a divorce after you left. We figured it wasn't working," she clarified Cristina's doubts.
"Oh, my God." Cristina was now shocked. "When did she leave?"
"After Amelia and Owen's wedding," Meredith told her.
"You guys got married?!" The shock was even bigger now. "Whoa, it's like I was on another planet, not the other side of it."
Arizona couldn't help but grin a little at how uninformed Cristina was. And what a shock it was for her to find all these things out. Amelia noticed Arizona's amusement and also formed a little smile on her face.
"Alright, then… Kepner. Where's April?"
Arizona started actually laughing a little before answering. "She's at home. With her new baby."
"Kepner had a baby?! Okay, I'll leave now before I find out who died. I don't even want to know about Evil Spawn," she said. After she left all four of them couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"You didn't tell her anything?" asked Owen, still laughing.
"We talked, but I guess I forgot to mention some things," Meredith answered. Before everyone separated and went their ways, Meredith asked, "Hey, would you guys want to come tonight to dinner? I'm doing something since she's back."
"I'd love to come," Arizona said. Both Owen and Amelia also agreed.
"Oh, and bring Sofia, will you? These kids really like playing together."
"Sure thing."
Arizona had a few more cases to check on and then she could head home and get ready for Meredith's dinner. She picked up Sofia and told her about the dinner party. Sofia of course couldn't be more excited about it and Arizona was too looking forward to it. She was looking forward to socializing with her friends, but truthfully, after today's on-call room episode with Amelia, she felt like she was walking on shaky ground.
"Hi," Meredith greeted them with an excited voice. "Come in. Sofia, Zola and Bailey are upstairs," she said to the little girl who ran up to find her friends. "Arizona, if you don't mind me asking, what were you doing in that on-call room with Amelia earlier today?" Meredith asked.
"I lost a patient we were working on together. I was in the on-call room, crying and she came in. There was nothing else, trust me," admitted Arizona. Just a long breathtaking stare into her beautiful eyes and I was allured. But nothing else, Arizona thought.
"Alright. It's just… they just got married, you know?" she said looking towards the couple who was sitting on the couch.
"Yes, I know."
Arizona made her way into the living room and sat down on a chair as Cristina was telling a story. She laughed and had fun, but couldn't help but steal glances at Amelia. She was smiling so gorgeously that Arizona couldn't stop looking at her. She did have to look away when Amelia glanced at her and they locked eyes. She looked down, frowning when Bailey asked her, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's nothing," she replied, forming a smile again.
"I heard about your patient. I'm sorry," she said.
"Yeah, it happens," she replied. "Still, out of all of today's patients you've heard about mine?" she asked, laughing.
"I am the Chief," Miranda said in her Chief tone. It wasn't even the Chief tone, it was really the Bailey tone. "Besides, I am Dr. Bailey."
"Right, makes sense," she said and they both started laughing.
Few minutes later, April, Jackson and their baby made their appearance. A little surprising they'd come, given the baby's couple of weeks of life, but at least they saw their friends. After the baby stole the guest's hearts, April had to go do her mother duties. Meanwhile, the rest would help set up the table.
"Arizona," said April. She nodded toward a room and Arizona joined her. "How are you? I heard about him."
"I'm fine, really. Apparently the whole hospital heard."
"How about Amelia?" her friend asked as she took care of her child. "I saw you looking at her, several times." Arizona looked down. "But," she continued, "I also noticed her looking at you."
"What?" Arizona asked, her eyes lighting up.
"She looked at you. Whenever you were laughing or talking to someone else, her eyes were on you," April said. Arizona flashed a small smile. "Did you do or say anything?"
"What? No. I mean after my patient died I went in an on-call room and cried. She found me and she sat with me. She… held me."
"Oh… OH!" April's stern eyes were fixed on her. "Arizona!"
"What? It's not my fault!" After a few seconds' silence, she added, "I told her she didn't have to, but she said it was her pleasure."
"Oh, God… this is messed up, Arizona."
"I know," she said, crashing into a chair.
As April finished changing her baby, they stood in silence and then they went to the dinner table. They ate and the atmosphere was happy, something none of them had recently experienced. The last dinner they all shared together was overturned by perfect Penny and it wasn't the best get-together they had. The kids were at a smaller table and all of the adults were making small talks, everybody with everybody. Arizona was sitting next to April and Alex and in front of her was, naturally, Amelia. She didn't look at her only once or twice, trying to not look suspicious but from the corner of her eye she could figure Amelia glanced at her occasionally. The dinner was good and the people great of course, but Arizona decided to leave once April and Jackson were, which was early.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay? I can take care of the kids. Put them to sleep," Meredith offered.
"Yes, I'm sure. It was a long day," said Arizona.
"Alright, well thanks for coming."
"Thank you for having us," replied Arizona smiling. "Sofia did you say your goodbyes?"
"Yes, Mommy."
"Good girl. Say a good night for us to Cristina please?"
"I will," Meredith answered as she glanced back to her person. She was laughing and having the most fun probably.
It was an exhausting day for Arizona. From Tim to Cristina and from her time with Amelia in daycare to the on-call room. That night she woke up several times after having continuous and constant dreams of the crystal eyes and chestnut hair. Her charismatic smile and seducing eyes. Her comforting embrace and calming heartbeat. Her tempting lips. Except the only difference was that in her dreams she would get to know how those lips feel like. And those dreams drove her crazy.
