"So he's been arrested and is out on bail?!" Arizona couldn't quite believe it, this, this being, had attacked Callie, unprovoked, and was just allowed to waltz free into the world?

The detective sighed, "He had no priors, wasn't deemed a flight risk and-"

The blonde couldn't help mock the system, "So essentially they say he's not going to do this again so it's cool, go enjoy Seattle? Has he got an ankle monitor? Can we file a restraining order?", she was on a roll. "This man was angry when Dr Torres told him she had a family, what's he going to do now charges have been brought until he gets a court date? And how do we know he hasn't done this before? Did you actually do anything detective?" She was fuming.

Letting that comment slide, it came with the job, the detective gave pause. "We don't know, but there's no outstanding charges, no warrants out, so we can't prove anything."

Callie looked at Arizona, confused and slightly dejected, she didn't know what to say, thankfully the peds surgeon was taking charge, she was being a good man in a storm. "Look detective, this is absurd, no way does this guy not have any priors with a trigger like that. Did you tell the judge he attacked a medical award-winning surgeon?!"

"Dr Robbins, his job as an accounta-"

"I don't care! I don't care what job he has! Who's to say he really is an accountant? What proof do you have? What firm does he even work for anyway?"

"Apex Accountancy, they're a legitimate-"

"Spare me that bullsh-"

"Arizona", a tanned hand placed gently on a pale arm, she gave her a reassuring smile, "It's okay. I can't see him coming round again, and worst comes to worst, we'll set Bailey on him", neither woman held back a smile at the thought. After some closing small talk and goodbyes, Callie ended the call and with an extra-long exhale, there was a lot to digest.

After a brief silence, Arizona summed up the mood, "I don't know about you, but I need a drink."

Despite not necessarily disagreeing, Callie did have to chuckle, "It's only 09:30am."

Before she could get in a reply, the blonde looked at her phone and then back at Callie, "shoot, Karev has just messaged me-"

Confused, "I didn't hear it go off?"

"It's on silent and his message just came through, I guess that's why he's m'boy, we're so in sync." Arizona quickly read off the rest of the message, "he says needs a consult, he's asked if I can spare some time" she looked up with guilty eyes, "I'm so sorry Calliope, I can ask-"

Stopping the blonde in her tracks, "No no it's fine, honestly I'm fine. Go save lives."

Thankful for the permission, "I'm going to message Cristina and ask she come round, I know she's hit her surgery hours for the week. And before you say anything Calliope, with that psychopath out there I am not leaving you alone, no arguments." She fired off a text to Cristina, made herself a brief note and placed it in her jeans pocket. She continued, "so erm, shall we- erm, sh- shall we talk more from our list? Or do you want to leave it? What the detective told us was a lot."

"No, I think it's okay, we made a real breakthrough last night right? I'd like to keep going. Unless you want to wait until after your consult?"

The blonde shook her head, "No, I'd rather we talk now, I thought it was really beneficial."

"Me too, how about we have this conversation on the couch? Like we did last night?"

"Sure." Arizona grabbed their cups and lead the way to the living room.

After making their selves comfortable on the couch, the obvious initial tension had lifted, but apprehension was still in the air. They now knew exactly what these talks would entail, it may have made it easier to address, but processing was a different matter.

Callie spoke first. "Well, I went last night so it's only fair you get to cover something on your list."

It was always going to be. "My leg… or, lack there of."

Deep breath, "I'm listening Arizona."

"I know we've already covered part of this, so I'm not going to rehash over not wanting to be fixed or accepting the new me, I know you get that now. But-, but I do want to talk about you… fussing."

That word stung, Callie knew that's how Arizona felt, but with all her heart, Callie just cared.

"We both need to understand each other's reasoning. I have an artificial limb, it's never going to be perfect, nothing is a substitute for the real thing, which means it will chafe, ache, rub, sting, everything, on occasion. I know how to handle swelling and I've got some great oils for massaging." Here comes the crux of it all, "you cannot ask me every five minutes if I'm all right. I know you care, and I love that about you, but you can't mother me Calliope." Again, Callie never thought she was being anything but caring, but she led with her emotions. Whilst Arizona had never explicitly said 'don't fuss', her behaviour should have made it obvious. "I'm stubborn, we know that, and so are you. We're both stubborn, which is why we make awesome surgeons, but you have to stop asking me, every time you see me wince or hiss in pain, 'is it your leg?' because it might be Calliope, but I've got my ways of handling it.

"I get it Arizona, but don't you think, as an orthopaedic surgeon I co-"

"When you were with me Calliope, you're shouldn't have been an orthopaedic surgeon, you should have been my wife, now my… erm…" Hmm, that's a good pint, "what are we calling ourselves?" Neither liked labels, but they had to refer to their unique situation as something.

Callie had an idea, but explained her reasoning, not wanting it to seem like she made a rash decision on their behalf. "Well, ex-wife is factual, co-parent makes us sound distant, girlfriends makes us sound 16, partners makes us sound like we've been gay for 60 years and just never thought they'd legalise same-sex marriage. What about, person? We're each other's person?"

Neither wanted to use ex-wife.

"Like Grey & Yang?"

Not quite the comparison, but essentially that was it. "Yeah, we're each other's person."

Super magic smile incoming, "I love that Calliope", then reverting back to serious mode, "okay, so, when we're together you're my person, not my surgeon."

Flustered, "do you at least accept I know more about amputations and remedies? Medically wise at least? All I ever wanted to do Arizona is help you be comfortable, if nothing else. I don't want to see you in pain, whether it's a papercut or a swollen leg. You'd accept a plaster, but you won't accept me recommending rest, ice pack, a massage…?"

Aaaand they were back to how it was before. "It's different Callie and you know it."

"Is it? I don't think I can just stop asking how you are Arizona, not when I see you in pain, not when I can do something to help." Desperation had now replaced frustration in her voice. Whilst Arizona caught it, it didn't lessen her resolve.

"Telling me to sit Callie isn't helping, it's what you tell a dog to do."

They still sat close, but Arizona had noticeably stiffened at that last comment, Callie knew this was something she couldn't change the blonde's mind on, certainly not at the moment. Maybe if she altered her approach, tried to explain herself rather than bulldoze in.

"I'm sorry Arizona, I know this is different because it's permanent, but erm, can I maybe make a suggestion?"

Curious, "go on."

"Erm, how about every night when we come home…"

Arizona's eye flew up. Come home? Did she just say come HOME?

"…I give you a massage? Get all those fancy sensual oils and stuff. And then maybe some icepacks? We can make it, romantic?"

Trying to sound calmer, to deceive the hope she briefly allowed herself to have, "that sounds an awful lot like coddling, Calliope."

Yeah, she wasn't going to win this one, she had to accept it and wait for Arizona to agree a balance at her pace. However, she had to give it one more shot, because if Arizona's career and quality of life were shortened/reduced due to non-treatment, it would break her heart. "Okay, I understand, but do you accept that I'm an orthopaedic surgeon and whilst I don't know how it feels, I know remedies, signs of pain and irritation plus long-term impacts leaving it untreated has?"

"I do, and I know you only want to help, but I've lived with this for two years without you, completed a fellowship, performed multiple surgeries on incubated humans. Please, please Calliope, just let me handle my own body."

That stung again, she wanted to be able to handle that body, to help. "Can I ask you one thing?"

"Of course."

"What if the roles were reversed? And you saw me in pain? Knowing you could do something to alleviate it, if not get rid of it" deflated, "Arizona I want to look after you like a wife looks after a wife, a person after their person, not a nurse to their patient." It was the last roll of her dice.

Arizona took her time on this one, if the roles were reversed she would do everything she could so her person wasn't in pain. All she ever wanted was for Callie to be happy, no longer in pain that her suffocation caused her (that's on the list), but ultimately until you're in that position, you're guessing. "I understand Calliope, I really do, and I'm okay with you asking, I think. I mean I really am, but I don't want the constant fussing, the continued checking up on me like I'm an invalid, always looking at me like I'm a weak old lady, pitying me-"

There it was. The term 'invalid' and being pitied.

Waiting to see if she had finished, when the blonde didn't elaborate, Callie jumped in, "I never once pitied you Arizona or saw you anything less that whole, but I understand that's how it must have felt, still feels. From now on, I'll try my absolute best not to fuss all the time. But please, please can you understand that I do it because I want you to walk our daughter down the aisle, dance with me at her wedding?"

Using my own words against me Torres, nice move.

After hearing Callie's thoughts on the matter and her reasoning, she relented somewhat. They had to find a happy medium, and the brunette had to be okay with Arizona refusing her help with every little thing. She gave a small smile, "I do Calliope, as we go we'll learn each other's limits, talk our reasonings through and just be honest with each other without it turning into a shouting match. But it's still my body Calliope, please accept there will be times I want to handle it my own way."

It was at that point Callie knew she couldn't ask for more than that. It was a good compromise, and it wouldn't hurt for her to see how her person handled living with an artificial limb. With one final word, the topic would be closed, both satisfied with its conclusion. "Deal."

Dimples. "Seal with a kiss?"

"Of course."

It was another brief kiss, anything longer and they both knew they'd struggle to hold back, so they had to limit their passion for now. It was now Arizona's turn for the good stuff. "I have a pretty great happy memory."

Intrigued. "Go for it".

"It was that time I saw you on the gurney with your eyes covered after you took on extra shifts in the ER. It's when I first knew I loved you."

"After I spent the whole day trying to avoid you? God you would not let up."

Arizona leaned forward, gently stroking Callie's cheek and neck. "It was the honesty in your voice & eyes, the vulnerability, the heart, the care, all I wanted to do was grab you and tell you I didn't care if you had $5m or 50c in the bank, I had fallen head over heels in love with you."

"So you loved me when I was a lowly resident?"

"I'm sure if I had seen you a few years prior, I'd have loved you as an even lowlier intern".

"Wow, you must have had it bad."

"I still do Calliope". They touched foreheads again, their you don't even like sandwiches conversation was a tender and intimate moment from their early days. They had needed to talk, but Callie ran, when finally cornered by Arizona, they talked. TALKED! And then had 'their night' after Alex & Izzie's wedding. Imagine talking about your problems eh? The blonde continued, "are you going to tell me when you first knew you loved me?"

That was an easy one. "Do you remember that successful surgery on the Turner twins? It was your first surgery on twins since you started working at the hospital. You were so excited". Oh yes, Arizona remembered all right, she blushed slightly knowing what was coming. "You rolled over to me in those ridiculous shoes, full of elation, jumped up and wrapped your legs around my waist. You have me the longest, tightest hug I've ever experienced. You said you had looked everywhere for me because I was the only person you wanted to share your all joy with from there on out."

Yes, she had certainly relived that moment over the years, she purposefully searched the hospital high & low for the ortho surgeon because she was right, she wanted to share that awesome moment with her, only her, no one else. They had just become public, just had their first night together, the same night previously mentioned.

With nothing but blissful sentiment, "my whole life was public knowledge at that hospital. Cheated on by George, fired as Chief Resident, ditched by Erica… I was scared and scarred, I wanted to crawl into a hiding space and never leave. I was broken". Unsure how it was possible (but it was), Arizona angled their heads so they were even closer, she could feel Callie's words on her lips. "But when you came to find me, when I was all you wanted, I- I didn't care if the whole hospital knew, damn I didn't care if the whole state of Washington knew. We were together, we were an item, I wanted everyone to know that my heart had been mended by a perky peds surgeon who healed me in my darkest times." Joint tears rolled, and a final whisper by the brunette, "I was lost in everything that was you".

Damned the rules, Arizona was in love. She launched her entire body into Callie's and gave her the deepest kiss she could, full of passion and love. When it was reciprocated, she could have died and gone to heaven. This. This is what she wanted. What they wanted. Before anything could go further though, the bell tolled.

Oh come on! This better not be a frickin' girl scout.

Ruefully pulling away, but not before tenderly biting Callie's bottom lip, Arizona got up and answered the door. Most visitors would say hello, wait to be invited in, give a hug… but we already established this person didn't usually even knock. "Your Queen of Cardio has arrived".

Long after she'd entered, Arizona gestured to an empty doorway, "why don't you come in Cristina."

"Whatever, I'm here now, go see Karev."

Both Callie & Arizona reeeeeally wanted to say goodbye with a parting kiss, but with Cristina there, it wasn't an option. Oh well, more making out was definitely in their immediate future. Accepting their fate, "I guess I'll see you later then? I don't know exactly what Alex wants, but I shouldn't be more than a couple of hours. Is that okay?"

Before Callie could answer, Cristina chimed in, waving a dismissive hand, "Yeah yeah sure thing Roller Girl, I've hit my surgery hours, I can keep Torres safe in case that creep comes by."

Blue eyes met brown from opposite ends of the living room, after all these years they still said so much to each other without sharing a word. It had sometimes been hurtful, especially recently, but today? Today there was nothing else in the world, only them.

"Okay, well no heavy lifting Calliope and Yang", stern warning, "keep your hands out our snack drawer, they're your goddaughter's". With that, not waiting for a response from either (although she did give a shy wave to her person), the blonde grabbed her keys, her bag and made her way out the door.

Alex Karev may have needed a consult, but he certainly hadn't text Arizona for one. In fact, no one had texted Arizona. She got out her phone, scrolled to the contact and brought it to her ear whilst unlocking her car.

"Hey Owen, it's Arizona, are you free?" She looked at the piece of paper she'd just withdrawn from her pocket, "fancy a trip to Apex Accountancy?"