"Damn it!" Callie cursed as she rushed through the door with her garment bag over her shoulder and a host of additional purchases in her other hand. Glancing at the clock in the kitchen, she noticed she had just over two hours to get ready. She hadn't intended on being so late, but the salon was backed up, then the alterations on the outfit she purchased earlier in the week weren't finished…it was almost like the world was against her. To top it off, at the last minute, she realized it had been a while since she properly had her "surgical field" prepped by a professional and decided it was time. There were several things she'd changed about herself and the way she presented, but when it came to that…well there was no question, especially now that she and Arizona were back together. But it would all be for naught if she were late for this date, Arizona would kill her. For the first time that day, she was relieved Arizona insisted on not seeing each other until their date.

Earlier in the day, Callie was a little disappointed when the blonde was being all secretive and evasive about her plans for the day, but right at this moment, she was relieved her girlfriend wasn't here to see what a mess she was. She wasn't sure why, but she had gotten more and more nervous about their date as the day progressed and feeling rushed wasn't helping. She'd been on plenty of first dates, she'd even been on a first date with Arizona…but that was the old her, the old them. If she were being honest though, she couldn't remember the last time the two of them went out alone on an actual date. If she had to venture a guess, it was probably during their first year of marriage, though Sofia was just a baby and she knew they both struggled to leave her for long, so that was probably just dinner. Before they were married she was recovering from the car accident, and before that she was pregnant and felt fat and ugly and didn't want to do anything, and before that was Africa. After the plane crash, well, there was no dating, no dressing up, no romance. So, it had been a long time for them.

She realized that must be the source of her nerves, this truly felt like a first date. She also understood now why Arizona was putting so much emphasis on it and being so mysterious. It was strange to her how they knew each other inside and out, yet there was so much they didn't know about each other now. There were so many new things she was learning every day, about herself and Arizona. As she hung the garment bag on the back of the pantry door, it also occurred to her she had never been on a date as the person she was now. The two of them had yet to get all dressed up and go out together as New York Callie and Arizona. She knew Arizona loved her new style and accepted her changes and she was so happy about that and had really become comfortable with who she was and how she was received by her friends and coworkers. Being in the general public, however, was just a little scary. People could be mean and ignorant and she didn't want anything to ruin their night.

Finally taking a moment to stop and breathe, Callie saw that she had plenty of time to get ready and decided to allow herself to enjoy the moment, to feel the excitement. She hadn't been on a proper date in years, not since she first met Penny, and she suddenly recalled how much she loved getting ready for a date, watching herself transform from everyday Callie to hot and sexy Callie, feeling the suspense of where they would go, what they would do, how they would end the evening, it all came rushing back to her in that instant. She relished in the anticipation that washed over her, succumbed to the anxiety thrumming through her veins. While she and Arizona had done it all before, this was the new them, this was a new chapter and she found that it was just as exciting, if not more so, than it was the first time. It was different, everything was different. Turning to go to her room, Callie caught a burst of color out of the corner of her eye and her lips bloomed into a huge smile. Almost as if it was placed there to prove her point about this time being different, there on the counter sat the biggest, most beautiful arrangement of flowers she had ever seen. Next to the gorgeous bouquet sat a wine glass and a bottle of her favorite wine which had an envelope propped up in front of it addressed to 'Calliope', written in the curly script of her bubbly blonde.

My dearest Calliope,

I brought you flowers on our first, first date because that's what you do. I didn't know who you were or what you liked; I didn't know anything about you. But tonight, for our second first date, I am not giving you flowers to fit into a societal norm. I don't want to hand them to you at the door as a simple gesture on our way out, only to be stuck in a vase and forgotten. I wanted these flowers to mean something and I wanted you to know each and every blossom was chosen for a reason, which is why you are getting them now. Obviously, I chose the orchid because it is your favorite flower. An orchid in and of itself, no matter the color, symbolizes beauty, elegance, love, sexuality and fertility, luxury and wealth, and uniqueness. In my mind, if you were a flower, you would be an orchid.

Callie wiped the tears from her eyes after just the first paragraph. Her girlfriend could have stopped there and she still would have thought this was the most perfect, amazing, romantic thing she had ever done. Taking a deep breath, she continued to read.

Each color also has its own meaning and this bouquet represents who we are individually and as a couple. Starting in the center of the arrangement, you will notice a mixture of blue and yellow. The blue orchid represents beauty, uniqueness, rarity, and spirituality. There is no one in this world like you Calliope Torres. I have always found you miraculous, breathtakingly stunning; but more than that is your huge loving and accepting heart, it is rare to find someone who loves as unconditionally and as deeply as you; you…you are one of the most unique individuals I have ever met, there are so many facets to you and I am fascinated by each and every one of them; and finally your belief in people, in the human spirit, in the soul of a person is awe-inspiring. Your belief in me, in us, as soulmates takes my breath away. The yellow orchid is seen as optimistic, happy, and cheerful…hello who does that sound like? Aside from that, I need you to know…I am optimistic because I see a future with you; I am happy because you make me happy, happier than I've ever been; and I am cheerful because I get to wake up to you and come home to you and our daughter every day. Most importantly, this flower symbolizes joy – which we bring to each other; friendship – which we have found in each other, you are my best friend, you are my person; and finally, the yellow orchid is a sign of new beginnings – this is our new beginning, this is the renewed foundation for the rest of our lives.

Callie looked at the center of the beautiful arrangement and noticed how the blues and yellows were intermingled, tangled up in one another just as she and Arizona were. They were individually beautiful, but together, the mixture was eye-catching and complementary of one another.

Surrounding the blue and yellow orchids is a ring of white orchids. This color represents spirituality as well, but it also means faith, and safety. You are my soulmate, my safe place, my calm in the storm and I will spend the rest of my life ensuring that I am yours, that I protect the most precious gifts I have been given…your heart and our child. These particular flowers also represent the faith we have in each other, the faith we have in our love, the faith we have that we will make it through anything that is put in our path.

She reached out and touched one of the white blossoms and noticed how this symbol of faith and safety was wrapped around them, just as in their relationship, they were now secure in the belief that they would protect each other, love each other, and believe in each other.

The single ring of pink blossoms to me is a rejuvenation of our love as it represents innocence, gentleness, grace, playfulness, and fertility. There is an innocence to our love, a belief that it will conquer all; after everything, we have found a new gentleness with one another, a softness we rarely showed before; we have learned to extend grace to one another, to grant forgiveness, to make room for mistakes; we have found the playfulness again, we can tease and laugh and joke and be happy to just be together; finally there is fertility…new growth, new beginnings, new life…

Callie thought about these words for a minute and how true they were. She couldn't have described these qualities better if she tried. But it was that final characteristic that caught her eye, not just what fertility meant to her, but the fact that her girlfriend seemed to have intentionally left that particular trait open ended, there was no period, no finality to it. She couldn't control the leap both her heart and mind took when she read 'new growth, new beginnings, new life…' She understood there could be multiple meanings for each of those words on their own, but when attached to the word fertility…was Arizona trying to tell her something?

The outer ring of red orchids symbolizes strength, courage, determination, desire, passion, and love. This flower exemplifies our relationship perfectly. Just like the rest, I could give example after example of how this flower signifies who we are as a couple, but the proof lies in the fact that we are still standing together, stronger and more in love than ever.

The bold red orchids encircled all of the others, almost served as a barrier around the rest of the colors to keep anything from penetrating the circle of their love, to keep them encased in their little bubble. She knew that bubble had been popped time and time again, but in her mind, as she thought back, their strength, courage, determination, and love always protected them, even this last time, they found a way to come back together, to focus on and protect everything that made them who they were.

I do love you Calliope, more than any word can express or any flower can represent.

Always yours,

Arizona

PS: Pour yourself a glass of wine, take a hot bath, and just breathe. It's us Calliope, I already love you nothing can change that.

Callie wiped the tears from her eyes as she let out a little giggle. Only Arizona could make her laugh and cry at the same time. She was absolutely charmed by the blonde's thoughtfulness. Arizona Robbins was a lot of things, but a sappy, hopeless, romantic who took the time to look up the symbolism of a flower and compare that with their relationship wasn't one of them. Yet she did it, she did it for her. Arizona did this because she knew how much these things meant to her. She did it out of love. She closed her eyes and allowed the wave of realization to wash over her as she finally understood Arizona didn't just bend for Sofia, she bent for her as well. This was exactly what she needed, just that, those few words she read as she heard the blonde's lilting voice saying them in her head made all the difference in the world. It wasn't just the attentiveness of the action, but the fact that Arizona knew her, she saw her, and it meant everything. If this was how the rest of the evening was going to go, she knew she was in for a real treat. Instantly relaxing, she poured herself a glass of wine, slipped the note in her pocket as she was certain she would read it again and again, grabbed the rest of her bags and went to their bedroom where she would take a nice relaxing bath just as her girlfriend suggested.

XXXX

Nearly an hour later, feeling much more relaxed and truly excited, Callie sat at the vanity and began her normal skin care routine. Though she had done away with the majority of her make-up, she still wore eyeliner and mascara to make her eyes pop. Once she was finished, she towel dried her hair making sure to get the majority of the water out before she styled it with pomade. She gave Stevie free reign to do something a little different this time and she was thrilled with the final product. It was edgy and badass and she was certain Arizona would love it. She walked to the bed where she deposited her purchases and found the bag with her new undergarments and smiled to herself as she pulled out the variety of sports bra and boxer sets, it was a far cry from the lacy skimpy bra and panties she used to wear. As she donned the red sports bra which hid her cleavage and flattened her chest just to her liking and the matching boxers which clung tightly to her skin hiding her natural curves, she looked in the mirror, turned from side to side and realized that this made her feel just as sexy as the more revealing, more overtly feminine lingerie did. Of course, it was a different look and maybe not for everyone, but it felt more natural, freeing. It showed off her body in a different way and she liked it. As she went to the closet where she hung her garment bag, her phone chirped with the familiar ring tone that automatically made her lips curve into a smile and her heart start racing. She picked up her cell and laughed at the cheesy text.

A: What are you wearing?

She was almost positive the blonde was asking about her outfit. Arizona had this thing about making sure they didn't clash, but she also didn't want to be that couple that matched and looked more like twins. Deciding if her girlfriend wanted to be mysterious and not let them see each other until their date, she could tease a little as well.

Me: Why, Dr. Robbins, that's a little forward don't you think? Afterall, we haven't even had our first date yet.

She threw back her head in laughter when she got an immediate response.

A: Calliope Iphigenia Torres! I'm serious, what are you wearing tonight?

Me: Not a lot at the moment.

She was shocked and instantly felt moisture pool at her center when she read the next text.

A: Mmmm…Show me.

This was so not like Arizona. Usually Callie herself was the one to ask for or send provocative photos. Arizona always worried the pictures would get out and ruin their careers.

Me: Show me yours and I'll show you mine.

Laying down her phone, she was almost positive she wouldn't get a response. As she walked toward the closet again, her phone started playing the magic tune indicating she did indeed get an answer. Rushing back to her bed, she bit her bottom lip and groaned as she took in the image of a taut creamy abdomen lightly kissed by the sun showing just enough black lace fabric so she could clearly identify the thong the other woman was wearing. Deciding to fight fire with fire, she slipped her thumb into the waistband of her boxers and pulled them down just enough to show the top of her freshly manicured sex, snapped a picture and hit send. She was certain the photo had barely finished sending before her phone started ringing again, she laughed out loud when she saw the fire emoji next to a red heart. Just before tossing her phone on the bed, she tapped out a quick reply to calm her girlfriend's type-A heart.

Me: We won't clash and we won't be that couple, but if you are wearing that red dress I picked out, my outfit does compliment yours.

She smiled when she saw the kissy face emoji pop up on her screen, tossed her phone on the bed, and returned to her task of getting ready.

Walking to her dresser, she reached in to get a pair of trouser socks when her hand hit the corner of a box. Pulling it out, she studied it for a moment, walked to the mirror and took a long look at herself then glanced down at the box and raised her perfectly manicured brow in interest. Taking a deep breath, she opened the package and pulled out its contents. Holding the soft pack penis in her hand, she noticed how closely the color matched her own skin tone and instantly recalled her physical reaction when she saw Arizona handling the display sample in the adult store. She hadn't given it much thought since that day the blonde encouraged her to purchase it, but as she held it, felt the weight of it, she was more than a little curious about it. Unbuttoning her pants, she slipped her hands in her boxers and felt for the little pocket she knew was there but never paid much notice to before and slipped the silicone phallus inside. She watched in the mirror as she reached down to adjust the artificial member and oddly felt more feminine and more secure in her current presentation at the same time. It gave her a body confidence she hadn't felt in quite a while. Still unsure if she was comfortable wearing it, or wearing it out in public, she decided to keep it on while she finished getting ready.

After slipping her shoes on her feet, Callie stood and walked to the full length mirror to check out the finished product. Turning from side to side, putting her hand in her pocket and pulling it out, she smiled brightly at the reflection staring back at her pleased with both how she looked and how she felt. Talking to herself, she declared, "Damn Torres, you look good. Arizona won't know what hit her." Emboldened and self-assured by her appearance, Callie decided to keep the soft pack where it was and strolled out of the bedroom to refill her wine and relax for a moment before her date arrived.

XXXX

Arizona turned down their street and tried to control her breathing. She couldn't believe how nervous she was. It wasn't the traditional first date jitters, she already knew they were compatible, the chemistry was most definitely not a concern, they shared a child already, and as of yesterday, marriage was a foregone conclusion. What she was feeling was more like anxiety, she planned what she hoped was the perfect date that included everything Callie loved. She even spent the better part of the day in a room full of strangers in preparation for this evening. She didn't want this to just be a date, she wanted it to be a statement, the action behind her words. For the majority of their marriage, everything was about her, focused on the leg, planned around the leg. She knew, on the rare occasions she even agreed to go out alone or with friends, there were things Callie loved that she avoided, wouldn't even mention because she didn't want to start a fight. So tonight was all about Callie. Everything was extremely intentional to show the woman she loved just how important her wants and needs were as well, right down to the flowers she had chosen and the words she had written.

Pulling into the garage, she checked her phone and saw that she still had 20 minutes before the car she hired would be there to pick them up. She was almost certain Callie would have met her already if she heard the garage door, meaning she must be somewhere in the back of the house. She pulled down the visor and checked herself the best she could in the tiny mirror even though she just left the salon. She called Jordyn earlier in the week to make an appointment to have her hair styled and to ask if she would help her get ready. After finding out about Callie's appointment, this morning she called to enlist Stevie's help in keeping her girlfriend busy and away from the house. Fortunately, they not only agreed, but solicited the help of their friend Jo as well, making sure Callie was delayed in coming home. This gave her plenty of time to do what she needed to do, come home, take a shower then get to the salon. Checking the time again, she decided to go to the front door and pick up her date properly.

XXXX

Callie had just sat down at the kitchen island with a glass of wine when the doorbell rang causing her to pop back up again. As she walked into the living room, she felt her nerves coming back in full force. Her palms were sweaty, her heart was racing, she worried that she was overdressed, or underdressed…maybe Arizona expected her to wear a dress, maybe she read it all wrong. She took a deep breath, opened the front door, and every thought she ever had in her life completely left her mind. She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her as she stared at the vision standing before her. She had nearly forgotten how striking Arizona was when she was all dressed up, but this…this was…bewitching, seductive, tantalizing, and "Wow!" was all she could manage at the moment. Arizona's thick blonde hair had been swept over into an intricate braid that ran along the right side and formed a knot at the nape of her neck and perfectly curled tendrils hung loose on her left side. Her make-up was dark and smoky giving her eyes an almost surreal glow about them. She was most definitely wearing a red dress, but not the one Callie expected. This dress was made of silk and held up by two thin straps, the top dipped dangerously low showing off an abundant amount of cleavage. The bodice of the dress clung tightly to the blonde's amazing curves and the bottom started at about mid-thigh of the creamy alabaster right leg and extended in a diagonal to reach nearly mid-calf on the left side. Glancing further down, she noticed Arizona wasn't wearing the traditional pumps she had become accustomed to but her once favored thin high heeled shoe, which if she had to guess had a two and a half to three inch heel making them nearly the same height. It took everything in her to refrain from reaching out and ripping the thin fabric clean off. Swallowing the lump that had formed in her suddenly dry throat, Callie tried again and croaked out, "Sweet baby Jesus and all things holy Arizona, you…my God, you are just…captivating."

Arizona's nerves returned ten-fold as she waited for Callie to open the door. When she heard the lock on the door click, she smiled and prepared to greet her girlfriend, but as soon as the door opened, she was at a loss and stood frozen in the doorway, mesmerized by the sight that greeted her. She had prepared herself for Callie to be in some sort of pantsuit, maybe a pair of dress pants and a vest or jacket, like she had been wearing to work, but she was not prepared for this. Taking in her girlfriend from head to toe, she noticed the tuft of long hair on top was about two inches shorter and styled into a messy pompadour with three distinct razored stripes on her right side which made her fingers tingle to reach out and run her fingers across it. Her shiny black suit coat and trousers, along with the scarlet colored silk vest and black dress shirt with the wingtip collar were just one step down from a tuxedo. Looking further down, she notice the red and black leather shoes that perfectly tied the entire look together. She had no idea how, but Callie looked both masculine and feminine at the same time, both dapper and elegant, and if she hadn't put so much effort into this date, she would be tempted to push her inside and take her up against the front door. She heard Callie say something but had no idea what it was. Looking around to see that their car hadn't arrived yet, she reached out, grabbed both lapels, and pulled the taller woman in for a searing kiss that instantly had her stomach clenching with need as their tongues tangled for dominance.

Thrown off for only a moment, Callie wrapped her arms around Arizona's lower back only to feel bare skin, provoking a low moan from deep within and sending a jolt of electricity straight to her core. Forcing herself to pull back, Arizona took a deep breath to calm her overheated body, flattened her hands on Callie's chest to straighten the lapels, looked deep into twinkling nearly onyx colored eyes and whispered, "Hi." Callie slid her hands to rest on curvaceous hips and husked out, "Hey." Arizona took another look at her date from head to toe, lifted her hand to caress a warm flushed cheek and said, "You look…astonishing, stunning, exquisite…sexy." Callie smiled her mega-watt smile, stepped back, took Arizona's hand to spin her around so she could get a complete picture and nearly fell to her knees when she saw that the dress was backless, save the two thin straps that crisscrossed twice and tied into a bow just above the curve of Arizona's tight, round ass. Pulling the smaller woman back into her arms she murmured, "Arizona you have to be the most ravishing, magnificent woman I have ever seen and this dress…" She bent her legs forward as if to mimic going weak in the knees and continued, "This dress is hot as fuck." Leaning forward, Arizona placed a soft kiss on Callie's lips and replied, "Thank you. I know you were expecting the one you picked out, but I saw this and couldn't resist." Callie shook her head and breathed out, "No, this…this is…you are…gorgeous doesn't even begin to describe you Arizona." The blonde chuckled at Callie's loss for words, this was exactly what she was going for.

Finally shaking herself from her lust-induced haze Callie asked, "Do we have time for a drink before we go?" Arizona shook her head and replied, "No, the car will be here any minute." Callie's perfectly manicured brow arched in question as she asked, "You hired a car?" Arizona smiled, ran her hands down the front of Callie's suit coat, released the buttons and pulled the sides apart to take in the entire view, and growled out, "I knew I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off you, this way I don't have to." She then slid her hands from the bottom of the silk vest upward, stopped briefly to caress the restrained breasts, then brought them up and clasped them behind Callie's neck as she added, "I want us to both enjoy ourselves, not have to worry about directions or parking or having a little too much to drink. This is our night Calliope." Callie smiled and bent forward to steal another kiss. Just as their tongues brushed against one another, they both groaned as they heard a car pull into the driveway. Pulling back, Arizona smiled and asked, "Are you ready for our second first date?" Callie returned the smile and responded, "I'm always ready to spend an evening alone with you. Are you going to tell me where we are going?" Arizona shook her head and responded, "Nope." Pulling the door closed, Callie laughed, kissed Arizona's cheek and responded, "Fair enough, I guess I deserve that."

Both women waited while the driver got out, introduced himself, then opened the door for them. Callie extended her arm for Arizona to enter first then climbed in behind her. She was surprised to see a bottle of champagne and two flutes awaiting them in the back seat. It appeared her girlfriend had thought of everything. As they pulled out of the driveway, Arizona popped the cork, poured the chilled bubbly into the glasses, passed one over to Callie, held hers up and asked, "Would you like to make a toast?" Callie held her glass up, thought for a moment, then remembered something she had read by Maya Angelou that reminded her of Arizona. It was one of those things you saw and thought, 'If I ever have the chance, I'm going to share this', to her, this was the perfect opportunity. Looking directly into the mesmerizing azure blue eyes, she quoted, "In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine. To our love, our friendship, to us." Arizona was expecting something cheesy about new beginnings or second chances. She hadn't counted on Callie saying something so beautiful and romantic. Smiling softly, she clinked their glasses together, took a drink of the sparkling liquid then leaned in for a soft kiss as she murmured, "That was perfect Calliope." Callie took both glasses, set them back in the holder, snaked one hand around Arizona's waist and the other behind her neck and whispered, "You're perfect." She then captured the glossy painted lips of her girlfriend in a long sensual kiss.

XXXX

When the car slowed to a stop, Callie halted her ministrations on Arizona's neck and reluctantly slid her hand from underneath the soft silk where it was getting dangerously close to the warm wet heat between Arizona's legs causing them both to moan in protest. She looked out the window, surprised not only to see where they were, but how they had gotten there so quickly. She could barely remember getting into the car. Between the champagne, Arizona's dress, wandering hands, and languorous kisses, she was wrapped in a haze of lust and was struggling to focus on anything but her date. Finally coming out of her fog, she reached up to wipe the smeared lipstick from the top of Arizona's lip, tilted her head and asked, "The pier?" She had no idea what she was expecting, but the pier hadn't even crossed her mind. The excitement and anticipation quickly surfaced again as she wondered just what her girlfriend had planned. Arizona knew she loved being near or on the water and just this, the fact that their first date included something so important to her meant the world. Arizona could see the question in Callie's eyes and smiled inwardly knowing she had her girlfriend completely stumped. She had been planning this since their family trip to see the Statue of Liberty. Though she hated the reason their first attempt was postponed, it gave her more time to make this evening perfect. She reached into her purse, took out her lipstick and expertly applied it, then smiled and nodded as she only offered, "You'll see." Without another word, she exited the car when the door was opened for them.

Stepping out of the vehicle, Callie could see they were in the more upscale portion of the pier, far away from the commercial vessels and tourist activities. Looking toward the end of the dock, she gasped at the huge yacht which could easily be mistaken for a small cruise-liner. At a loss for words, she turned to see blue eyes watching her intently and could only manage, "Arizona." She expected a fancy restaurant, maybe a night club, but never in her wildest dreams did she think of anything like this. She watched as Arizona spoke to the driver then walked over to her, slipped her hand between her arm and her body to rest it on the crook of her elbow and asked, "Shall we?" Nodding her head, Callie led them down the pier toward the vessel which she now saw was decorated with the flags of various Latin American Countries. As they got closer, she could smell the rich aromatic spices used in Latin dishes and could hear the deep sensual rhythm of the music emanating from the speakers situated on the tall beams of the dock. She could already feel her body being taken over by the heavy beat of the drum, her spirit immediately lifted by the familiar scents and sounds of her roots and she was instantly flooded with memories of home and family. Looking over at Arizona, she noticed her eyes had taken on the color of the water and were nearly turquoise and swimming with excitement and maybe just a hint of anxiety. She was so lost in her surroundings, she had yet to say anything and could see the blonde was worried about her reaction.

As they reached the ramp to board the boat, she stopped and asked, "This is…what is all this?" Biting her bottom lip nervously, Arizona tried to put her thoughts and feelings into words, took both of Callie's hands into hers and replied, "For so long, everything was about me, about the leg, the things I could or would do, never taking your own wants or needs into account. So this, tonight, our first date, it's about you, who you are at your core, the things you love. This is me saying to you that there are two people in this relationship and I see you and I want you to share everything with me, every single part of Calliope, Callie, Cal Torres. This may be a poor substitute and extremely cliché, but I want to see and experience where you come from, what made you who you are, and I want you to know that if it's important to you then it's important to me too. No matter what it is." Eyes brimming with unshed tears, Callie pulled Arizona into her, wrapped her arms around her waist, and whispered, "You are…everything…you're everything to me Arizona and this…" She looked up at their surroundings, then continued, "…this has to be the most romantic amazing thing anyone has ever done for me." Bending forward, she brushed their lips together once, twice, then leaned in to deepen the kiss only to jump backward when the loud horn sounded indicating the boat was ready to leave shore.

Once on board, the two women were seated in a secluded area on the upper deck which was surrounded by glass walls and allowed them the freedom to see everything without feeling the cool evening air. Once they were seated and alone, Callie reached out, took a pale hand in hers and commented, "This is amazing, how did you come up with this?" Arizona blushed slightly then responded, "That day we went to Ellis Island, I saw how excited you were to be on the water, how free you felt and as we were leaving, I saw this advertisement for luxury dinner cruises. That day I asked you on a date, I already knew where I wanted to take you. They have different themes and the one I had originally planned that evening my dad and Sof got hurt was a type of dinner theater which I knew you would love, but when I called to cancel and they told me they had seating available on their Latin Dance Cruise, I knew this would be even better." Callie was overwhelmed by emotion, Arizona had put so much thought into this date, all for her, she was convinced the evening couldn't get any better. Bringing Arizona's hand to her lips, she kissed it softly and replied, "I can't…I don't even have words for how special this is to me. Thank you Arizona. I love you so much." Arizona smiled, brought their hands to her own lips, kissed the back of Callie's hand, winked and teased, "You ain't seen nothin' yet Torres." Seeing this side of Arizona made Callie's heart flip, she didn't know it was possible to fall deeper in love than she already was.

As the boat started moving, Arizona stood up, reached out her hand and suggested, "Let's go outside, catch some of the sights in the fresh air while it's still warm." Callie nodded, took her girlfriend's hand and followed her out on deck. As hard as she tried to focus on where they were walking, her gaze kept wandering to Arizona's bare back, the curve of her ass, the way the dress clung to her curvaceous frame, the sway of her hips. As they approached the railing, she stepped up behind the blonde, molding their bodies together, wrapped her arms around her waist to rest her hands on the tight abdomen, kissed her neck and whispered in her ear, "How am I supposed to keep my hands off you with you looking like this?" Arizona closed her eyes, leaned her head back to rest on Callie's shoulder, brought her hand up to wrap around the back of her neck and asked, "Who said you had to?" She let out a low moan as Callie nipped her earlobe, arched her back, wiggled her behind to tease her girlfriend just a little and froze when she felt something brush up against her, something that isn't normally there, something that oddly had her very turned on and curious. This was all so new to her, but she figured it wasn't much different than Callie wearing a strap on and that…just the thought of what she could do with that had her nerves on end and her clit throbbing with need. Just the idea that her girlfriend may be packing had her experiencing a whole new level of arousal. Whipping around so they were face to face, she looked down at the front of Callie's pants and asked, "Is that…are you wearing…"

Callie knew the instant Arizona felt the faux member in her pants. She had almost forgotten it was there and really didn't know the etiquette that surrounded the whole thing, was she supposed to warn Arizona about this? Was she supposed to take it out if she didn't like it? Did she want to? She was comfortable with it, loved the extra boost of confidence it gave her. But if her girlfriend didn't like it, if she was repulsed by it, what choice did she have? Following the blonde's gaze downward, she blushed slightly then looked up and her breath hitched as she peered into blue eyes darkened to a near navy with desire. She wasn't sure what she expected from her gold star lesbian, but this reaction wasn't it, the look of absolute lust and arousal written across the blonde's face was all the reassurance she needed. But still, she needed to ask, "Um…I am…is that…are you okay with it?" Arizona could feel the tension and anxiety rolling off Callie in waves, she knew her reaction, her acceptance was important, but Callie's feelings were more important in this moment. Tilting her head she asked, "How does it feel?" The brunette furrowed her brow, she didn't understand the question. Arizona knew how it felt, she held one in her hand. Seeing the confusion, Arizona clarified, "To you Cal, how do you feel when you are wearing it?" That question, with that name, with no hesitation whatsoever made Callie's heart soar, she was seen, she was accepted, she was understood by the person she loved more than anyone else in this world other than her daughter. Smiling brightly, she responded, "I feel…stronger, more confident, sexy." Arizona flashed her super-magic smile complete with dimples and answered, "Then I am perfectly okay with it." To prove her point, she lowered both hands to Callie's hips, stuck her fingers in the beltloops and pulled her forward so their bodies were completely aligned with one another then leaned forward to connect their lips together.

Callie wrapped her arms around Arizona's neck and lower back, slipped her tongue into Arizona's mouth to deepen the kiss, and both women moaned when the blonde rolled her hips effectively capturing the soft pack between their heated mounds. That single action made Arizona wet with need and desire to reach out and cup it in her hands and filled Callie with a sense of power unlike any she had felt before. She felt assured, sexy, desired. She lowered her hand to the curve of Arizona's ass and felt the blonde's hand slip down her hip, slowly making its way to the front of her pants. She knew if Arizona were to put her hands on her, she would lose what control she was clinging to. Capturing the smaller hand in hers, she pulled back, looked into questioning blue eyes, and breathlessly explained, "If you touch me, if you take it in your hands, I swear I will forget where we are and take you right here on this deck." Arizona narrowed her eyes, right at this moment, she didn't see the downside of that, but she knew Callie was right, they weren't quite alone nor in a place where two respectable surgeons should be groping each other like teenagers. Taking a deep breath, she nodded her head and agreed, "You're right, it's just…you…God, you look incredible and I already wanted to rip your clothes off but now…" She was cut off by Callie's order of, "Stop talking," before she crushed their lips together in a hard bruising kiss. Finally breaking the kiss, Arizona pulled back, turned around and rested her back to Callie's front once again. Taking a deep breath of the cool evening air she suggested, "Let's just enjoy the view." Callie smiled, nodded her agreement and the two settled into a comfortable silence as they took in the sights and sounds of the New York City skyline.

After watching the sunset on the water, the two women returned to their seats and ordered their drinks. As they sat at the table holding hands, Callie looked around, noticed the authentic decorations, absorbed the scents she had grown up with and offered, "All this makes me think of all those times when I was younger and we would visit family in Mexico. My abuela and tias would spend two days cooking and preparing for our arrival. When you first walked in the door, you were hit with this mixture of spices and your mouth would water in anticipation of what was to come. I think that's where I got my love of cooking and food, abuela taught me you could find just as much joy in preparing the meal as you did in eating it. She would sit and watch us all around the table, listen to the compliments, and just smile knowing she did that, she made her family happy simply by doing something she loved. I'd spend most of my time with her in the kitchen learning what flavors go together, soaking in all her secrets and recipes, things she wouldn't even share with mami." Arizona smiled softly both at the story she'd never heard and the far off look in Callie's eyes. A look that spoke of love and family and reminded her girlfriend that things weren't always bad, she was loved and cared for. She tightened her grip on the strong tan hand briefly and said, "Thank you for sharing that with me, you've never told me that before. I knew your abuela taught you to cook, but now I know why you love it so much." Callie shook her head as if she were coming back to the present. She hadn't thought of those things in years and it surprised her that the memories no longer made her sad. Looking up at her girlfriend's face, she realized that was her intention, to remind her that not all of her memories of her family were bad. Leaning forward, she brushed their lips together and whispered, "Thank you." Arizona smiled, knowing exactly what her girlfriend meant, brushed their lips together and responded, "I love you."

As the two sat, sharing memories and stories of their childhood, a waiter came and delivered a huge tapas platter to their table. Arizona looked at the variety of finger foods and could only identify a couple of them, looking up to see Callie's eyes dancing with excitement, she admitted, "This all looks amazing, but I have no idea what half of this is." Callie laughed and admitted, "I know what most of it is, but some of it is new to me too." She then pointed to the variety of Latin influenced foods and explained, "That is a Saltena, a type of empanada filled with meat, and this spicy sweet sauce of olives, raisins and potatoes, this here is croquetas de jamon, a Spanish ham croquette, over here you have banderillas, pickled vegetable skewers, that there is patadas bravas or spicy potatoes, you recognize the garlic shrimp and mushrooms, and this here is tiger's milk ceviche." Arizona eyed the small glass container holding a cloudy liquid surrounded by shrimp and small cubes of other fish and asked, "Tiger's milk?" Callie nodded, picked up a piece of shrimp, dipped it in the liquid, lifted it to Arizona's mouth for her to try and explained, "It's Peruvian, the 'tiger's milk' is the marinade used to cure the fish, it's a mixture of citrus, various spices, and coconut milk and it's said to be an aphrodisiac." Arizona saw the little smirk on Callie's face, swallowed the delicious morsel and asked, "Do you really think I need more of an aphrodisiac than the one sitting in front of me?" Callie threw back her head and laughed enjoying this fun flirty side of her girlfriend.

At some point during the first course, Callie and Arizona both scooted their chairs closer to one another and were lost in their own little world feeding each other small bites of food, sharing sweet kisses, and flirting relentlessly. When the meal was served, the lights were dimmed and a spotlight focused on the middle of the floor where a troupe of dancers appeared and served as the entertainment throughout the meal. Each time the music changed, Callie whispered the name of the dance and a brief history to Arizona who smiled internally knowing Callie's biggest surprise was yet to come. As they finished their meal focused upon the performance, very little conversation was shared between them, but they were both extremely comfortable with the silence, content enough to just share in each other's company.

When the dinner dishes were cleared away, a band set up and an announcement was made inviting everyone to the dance floor. Callie could barely control the movements of her body as the upbeat music seeped into her soul. She missed dancing, more so, she missed dancing with Arizona, the way their bodies melded perfectly together, getting lost in the music, being carried to a place where only the two of them existed. Though she never said anything, she knew Arizona missed it too. There were very few times the blonde would just cut loose, but on the dance floor, she was more carefree, more spirited than she ever was anywhere else. Callie would give anything to be able to give that back to her. Biting her bottom lip, she debated about asking her to dance, she didn't care if they didn't dance like they used to, she just wanted Arizona to feel that freedom, that joy. She knew at one time, her wife would lash out, argue that she couldn't do it, but this Arizona, she'd danced in their kitchen, she'd been swimming, she'd started running again, this Arizona might balk at the idea, but she wouldn't become angry. Finally making her decision, Callie stood up, took off her jacket, laid it across the back of the chair and extended her hand to her girlfriend, not asking but demanding, "Dance with me."

As soon as the music started, Arizona felt the familiar sadness and insecurity over the loss of her leg begin to edge its way to the forefront of her mind. It always reared its ugly head at the most inopportune times. At one point, she would allow it, revel in the self-pity, but that was the old Arizona, the angry, depressed Arizona. Looking over at Callie, she could see the indecision written all over her face, the internal debate, the want, the need to dance and to dance with her. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself of everything she could do, how far she'd come, how hard she worked today alone to make this evening special and chased away the self-doubt. She knew she could do this; she had done this…though not with an audience, but she knew she needed to do it as much for Callie as for herself. At the exact moment she made her decision, Callie appeared before her, extending her hand and not giving her the option. That simple act, the look of confidence, the lack of fear, that alone told her Callie didn't care how well or how poorly she danced, all she cared about was being together and making the most of what they had. Unleashing her best super-magic smile, she took the proffered hand, stood up, and followed her girlfriend to the dance floor just in time for the second song to start.

As the music started, Callie took the lead, expecting them to just sway or move their hips to the music, she was shocked when Arizona executed the first few steps of a traditional salsa, not perfectly, but well enough to see she was no stranger to the dance and she had clearly practiced. Falling into step with her girlfriend, Callie took the lead and as usual, allowed the music to speak through her. She couldn't help but be amazed by the delighted expression on Arizona's face, the pride she felt as she watched the other woman twist and turn effortlessly without thought or worry and most importantly, without pain. As the song came to an end and she dipped Arizona backward, her heart flipped yet again as she saw the pure unadulterated happiness that emanated from the other woman. As the music morphed into a more traditional slow dance, Callie pulled Arizona up and into her arms, narrowed her eyes and accused, "You've been holding out on me Robbins. Where the hell did you learn that?" Arizona's eyes danced with excitement and amusement as she responded, "Where do you think I was all day?" Callie furrowed her brow, not understanding for a minute then realized this was why Arizona was being so secretive and asked, "Today? You learned that today?" Arizona blushed slightly and responded, "I took a dance class today, three hours, to make sure I could do it, but I ah…I've been watching you tube videos in my free time, between meetings, waiting for Sof at camp." Callie was astounded, Arizona did this for her, all of it, the flowers, the wine, the car, the cruise, the dancing, it was all things she loved, things she'd missed out on for so long, things she'd lost when she lost Arizona, but tonight, she gave it all back, and most importantly, looking into cerulean blue eyes sparkling with love, joy, and devotion, she'd gotten Arizona back, all of her. Her Arizona.

A/N: Did you seriously think I could fit their second first date into one chapter? Part 2 coming soon. Thank you all for being so loyal and sticking with me.