A/N: I'm not gonna leave it long on that cliffhanger, especially after Greys made the absurd decision for Arizona not to even mention either Callie or Sofia when she returned last night. Let alone Alex or De Luca. Add to that she didn't share a scene with either Richard or Teddy and you have some lazy, shocking writing. You have to genuinely question if the writers knew Arizona Robbins was a character for nine years. Anyway, they're still in NY, have 10 kids and they love each other, because none of the rest of it matters.

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After Owen's message, Callie returned to the sofa and immediately dialled the trauma surgeon's number, she needed details. Her previously wary eyes now fixed in concern, totally focused on the blonde who had positioned herself closer as if on auto-pilot. Their knees were touching. The detectives hadn't been in contact, neither of them knew where this was coming from, how was Owen Hunt privy to such information?

"Put it on speaker", Arizona half-asked, half…-demanded? Her wish was granted.

Now voicing an audience, Owen started, "he came to the pit, he was pacing up and down, I recognised him and I apprehended him, I- I kinda… tackled him… to the ground… and held him… there."

Brown eyes briefly diverted to her phone, "you tackled him?!"

Nervous chuckle, YUP. "Well, he may have… had… erm… a weapon…", even he didn't believe his own reasoning. Change of tact, turn the narrative from a crazed friend to a justice fighter, "put it this way, everyone was ready to lynch the guy, if I hadn't taken him down, Avery and Yang would have". Excellent diversion Dr Hunt, making it sound like you were protecting colleagues too, smart. "I think Wilson would have maybe contributed a kick or two, but I think she got flustered, her parting threats to him where somewhat disjointed", he couldn't help but laugh.

Callie was quiet but Arizona needed more, "why was he there? Why did he turn up? How do you know he's been arrested? What happened after he left? The detectives haven't called us".

Us? Robbins, you've literally just shouted at her, the last thing there probably is at the moment is an 'us'.

He continued, "well security carted him away and the police were called, so I guess it's an assumption, but it only happened a few moments ago, so maybe he's not in custody", he let out an inaudible frustrated sigh, aimed at himself, he had jumped the gun in his text.

It was sound reasoning, but Callie was still on edge. This information, plus the emotional toll her conversation with Arizona had caused, added to her zombie-like state. Noting the brief lull in conversation, the blonde stole a glance and realised how emotionally and physically shot her ex-wife was. She couldn't take it anymore; she took over the reins.

Leaning into the phone, "thanks Owen, we really appreciate it. We'll wait for the detectives' call, hopefully they'll be in contact first thing." She eyed Callie again, she was definitely broken, this conversation needed to be concluded. Maybe even the whole night at this point. "Anyway, we're both really tired after the past 24 hours so we're gonna call it a night, thanks again for the update, we'll be in touch soon."

"Sure, no worries Robbins, hope you can both get some deserved rest. Tell Torres no heavy lifting or bone crunching surgeries, got that?" Trying to lighten the mood, he chuckled, "tell her that's a direct order."

"Noted, thanks Owen." With that Arizona leant over and disconnected the call.

Awkward Silence. Callie started to slowly stand again, she felt like she could barely crunch a cereal bar, let alone bones. She directed a defeated nod to no one in particular and started to walk away. In an instant, a warm, familiar hand blindly clasped around hers and she immediately froze. Remember when Arizona told Callie about Tim when fighting over George joining the army early in the relationship? Yeah, that grab.

She looked down, the pale, delicate hand holding firm. "Can we, can- I-" Start again Robbins. "Callie, one of the points I wanted to raise was we can't go to bed angry with each other, we did that all the time." She was desperate, the night couldn't end on the same argument they'd had time and time again, "plus we agreed to include one happy memory, can- can we do that, please? Before you go?"

Callie could see the need in Arizona's eyes, she herself had wanted this discussion, it wasn't fair to walk away. She took pause before nodding and sat down, their hands remained in place. "You're right, I'm sorry, we do need to finish this tonight, at least this part."

Relieved the (absolutely gut-wrenching) conversation was going to continue, but full of dread on what the answer would be to her next question, she asked "d- do you have any good memories with me? At all? Or, should I-I go first?"

The brunette frowned, confused if she heard it right.

Do I have any good memories?! What the hell is she on about? I've got hundreds, sometimes they're so out of this world they feel like thousands. Our wedding, our honeymoon, the proposal (maybe the feeling, not necessarily what happened after bar Sofia), dancing in our apartment, our weekend breaks, our extracurricular activities in the on-call rooms, the surgeries we've done together… Ho- how can she ask if I have ANY good memories? Calm Torres, she's nervous, we know her insecurities, whether you feel they're justified or not. These are true to HER, and if you love her and want to create more memories, answer without judgement.

"Do you remember our trip to Cancun?"

Letting go of the breath she didn't realise she'd been holding, "of course."

Callie paused and sighed into a near dreamy smile; eyes almost full of wonder. Dare she reminisce of a time almost forgotten to History? She was tentative, she was scared it actually had just been a dream, it was too perfect. "One of my favourite memories is us laying under the parasol, on beach towels, unashamedly lost in each other's eyes. Goofy, ridiculously happy smiles, stealing sneaky kisses, stroking each other's skin, teasing pokes to make each other laugh and squirm… j- just the feeling of being… be- being…" she steadied her breath, this was hard, "complete."

It was Arizona's turn to grab a tissue, god did she remember that holiday.

Continuing, "y- you told me I was the mo- most beautiful woman in the world, that you were the luckiest person alive to me able to call me your girlfriend. Y- you said you could lay there forever, taking me in, loving me-" her voice cracked, the "l" word still caused a struggle in her throat.

Arizona caught the change and the reason why, she quickly jumped in. "I remember it, I remember it all, staring into your eyes, being lost in your brown orbs and my breath hitching every time you smiled after we kissed. You laying on your back, me hovering over you, knowing that afternoon we'd have a siesta in each other's arms, dine at a romantic restaurant in the resort and then spend the night making love. Love. Love Calliope, my heart was bursting with it then as it still does now, it never wavered."

They sat in silence, they had really been so deeply, deeply in love at that point. Cancun was pre-Africa, so they were probably at their most innocent. They agreed to have a vacation after Carlos had given them his blessing, it was a celebration of their love, of the acceptance and the promise of the rest of their lives. Arizona knew she loved Callie long before then, but voicing it to Carlos made it more real, made her want to tell everyone and anyone who would listen.

Callie smiled, "yeah, so that's one of my happiest memories."

If their bodies were brushing against each other when Owen called, they were near enough on top of each other now, Arizona had subconsciously moved in closer after continuing on the story. At this new angle, she could really see how tired and weak Callie looked, and whilst this memory was great to go to sleep on, she wanted more, they hadn't finished.

She ducked to meet Callie's downward gaze and wiped the tears from her cheeks, she looked into her beautiful brown eyes, like she did on the beach, like she should have done every day since the kiss in the bar. The anger and frustration had dissipated somewhat, she decided to address everything Callie had said previously, whilst it may have morphed into an argument, this topic could not be left unresolved that night. She pulled back, unsure what to do with her free hand, she instinctively took a gentle hold of Callie's neck to essentially keep her head from dropping down and reducing the chance of her looking away. Here it goes.

Deep breath.

"Calliope, one of the things that frustrated me after the crash was your need to fix me. I- I understand that you thought it would bring me back, bring me back to who I was before, bu- but that was never going to happen, prosthetics or not. I changed after those nights on the mountain, even before the amputation. All I could think about was you, you and Sofia, it kept me alive, it kept me sane, it gave me hope that one day I would see my family again." She could only muster a small, sad smile, "then the reality came that I wouldn't just be able to skip into your arms, that there was a serious chance I'd need to have my insect infested leg amputated. But beca- because you were best, you are the best, I had convinced myself you, my wife wouldn't let that happen. But you did."

Callie attempted to dip her eyes a few times but on each occasion Arizona repositioned her own head to bring them back into focus. She knew saying this made Callie feel a failure as both a surgeon and a wife, but everything needed to be on the table.

"Then it happened, to save my life you gave the order to amputate," her voice glitched. "I was so angry, so, so angry at the world, at myself, at you, at everything. I only got on that plane because I was bitter Alex was leaving, my pride had essentially put me in that situation."

"You can't blame yourself for that Arizona-"

"I can, and I do in a way, but I've also forgiven myself, like I've forgiven everyone, even those who didn't deserve blaming in the first place-"

"Arizona-"

Sigh, the interruptions had started. "-I was a complete mess Calliope, you know that you've just spent the night telling me how I had become a monster overnig-"

"Arizona, I-"

Breathe Robbins, use your words and breathe.

She closed her eyes and inhaled in an attempt to focus, her memories of Callie not allowing her to speak came flooding back, but she had to remain calm, and talk to Callie, tell her how it made her feel. "Please, please Callie, let me get this out, without interruptions, you need to listen to me. I need you to let me get this out. You have to stop cutting me off".

With a face full of acceptance, she nodded, she too remembered their conversation in the therapist's office. Her kneejerk reactions to Arizona's comments and perceived tones had been present throughout their relationship. When one party wears their heart on their sleeve and the other has the fantastic ability to retreat and wear a fake exterior, clashes will happen.

Then, seemingly without a breath, without a stutter, without fear, Arizona let it out.

"I was angry, I couldn't see the light through the trees, I had no idea what my life would be like from then. I had a career; would I be able to do surgery on one leg? I had a wife; would I be remotely desirable? Because if there's one thing my wife is, is compassionate and dedicated, she'd stay even if I repulsed her. Then what about our daughter? She'd be frightened of me, I wouldn't be able to play in the sand box with her, play softball, cheer her on at her graduation, walk her down the aisle, dance with her at her wedding", she caught herself, "dance with you at her wedding, take leisurely strolls with you and take in the beauty of the world with you, my wife."

Callie's already wounded mind and body sunk even further, this was hard for her to hear. Why had Arizona never explained any of this to her?

Arizona wasn't done, "not only that, it was the life I had robbed YOU of. All of that was gone Calliope, the thoughts of rehabilitation, prosthetics, therapy, support groups, everything was nowhere in my mind. I felt like I belonged on a trash heap, I was useful to no one, could never be loved or desired or needed by anyone. I would always be the black sheep, the one kids laughed and stared at, the weird one at family parties, the one who held everyone up and the airport during holidays because I needed to go to another room to get my leg checked. I felt like nothing, so I made everyone else feel like that, to suffer the pain I was, sometimes I don't even know if I was doing it on purpose or subconsciously. I'm not perfect Callie, I'm not saying I handled it right, but I handled it how I could, how I could manage."

Another deep breath, for the first time since it happened, she had spoken about her feelings, what her thoughts were at the time. It almost felt liberating.

"I am so, so sorry that I pushed you away and hurt you, I can't go back and change that, but you have to know, you have to accept, for this to work, that I no longer feel any of that anger, no longer seek to blame, no longer wallow in self-pity. In turn, I'm asking, begging, you have to forgive me, even if you can't forget, you have to understand that I was in a dark place and I saw no future, a future that before I got on the plane, was something dreams were made of."

Callie looked at her ex-wife throughout that impassioned speech, it was Arizona instead who occasionally adverted her gaze trying to find the right words. Arizona had never apologised or offered any sort of explanation as to why she behaved as she did. Callie knew she had PTSD, anyone who went through what she did would, and maybe her state of mind meant seeking help just wasn't a possibility. Not at that time, a time where it could have really helped.

Callie gave a small smile, "you like a speech, huh?"

Not the response Arizona was expecting, in fact she was expecting for it to all be thrown back in her face, to be rubbished, scoffed at as an excuse. Feeling lighter than she had in years, she responded with a bigger smile. She was hoping for some acceptance, she didn't expect forgiveness, but maybe for now, she'd settle for-

"I do forgive you Arizona…"

-okay nope never mind, this was much better, she took her previous thought back, forgiveness is awesome.

"I mean, I- I don't even know if forgiveness is the correct term. There isn't exactly a handbook on how to manage a relationship after 'one has been in a plane crash, had their leg amputated and the other gave the order for the cut to be made after promising they wouldn't let it happen'. If there was… well, there would have only been two buyers."

Callie didn't have the way with words that Arizona did. How do you get across that you want to understand someone's behaviour but then not necessarily seek an apology for it? Certainly not five years on, certainly not after hearing how much Arizona had kept inside for so long.

She continued, "as- as I said, I- I have no idea what you went through on that mountain, I don't know how I would have reacted, despite what I think. I can only think at the end of the day, and who's to say I would? I'm not perfect either, I- I just needed to understand how you felt back then, to get why you acted how you did. And for the first time Arizona, the FIRST time, you've spoken to me about it. I am so, so sorry you went through everything, essentially, alone. To hear you say how worthless you felt breaks my heart, it physically hurts, and that's just not the broken ribs", they both afforded a small smile, "maybe I shouldn't have held onto it so long, especially knowing what I know now. What I will tell you is I never stopped finding you desirable", Arizona was sure that would be revisited, "the thought of you having one leg never made me feel like my life wouldn't be fulfilled, you- you're everything. If you hadn't come back, I'm not sure I'd have coped, you were my hopes and dreams before, during, and… after. I love you Arizona, I want this to work, and I think tonight has been a really important step to make."

Arizona couldn't take it anymore, their eyes were riddled with tears. Faces that were previously full of anger, frustration and sorrow, were now showing complete acceptance, understanding and love. They had hashed it out, together. It may not have been in the most coherent way (when did these two do conventional?), but it was the most they had expressed to each other about how they felt during that awful time. No lies, no dismissals, no embarrassment, no fear. Just honesty and complete trust, the type you can only truly share with your person. The relief in the air was palpable, the dark weight on the shoulders had lifted, wounds were starting to heal.

Arizona Robbins took risks, and here came a big one. She whispered "can- can I- I- kiss you?" At least she thought she did, she couldn't hear her voice over her own heartbeat.

This was it. Their first problems had been addressed - Arizona's treatment of Callie and Callie's impatience and assumptions towards Arizona. It appeared they'd… talked it out, explained their feelings, expressed their emotions with the intention of healing, not causing pain or through spite. Was this Callie & Arizona version 2.0? It certainly felt that way.

Instead of responding, Callie simply smiled and leaned in, she knew she had to be the one who committed first. Their lips met with a kiss that only conveyed love. It wasn't frantic, hot & heavy, chaste, a peck… it was, just perfect. After a few seconds, both mutually pulled away and rested their foreheads onto each other's, both sporting a soppy grin, even if they were both physically and mentally exhausted. They sat there, taking each other in, with a softness that probably hadn't been felt since… you know. Neither wanted to break their embrace, but Arizona knew they couldn't sit forehead to forehead all night.

Reluctantly, she pulled back, "do you want me to help you get to bed?"

"Can we just stay down here for a bit longer?"

I'd stay here forever Calliope Torres.

She smiled, yep, that's where Sofia inherited it from, the ability to wrap her mother round her little finger. She leant back on the couch, pulled the ortho surgeon with her and was met with zero resistance. Callie sprawled herself out with her head resting on Arizona's lap. She was out before she exhaled her first breath.

Arizona noted the change in her breathing and started to stroke the silky raven hair. She managed to turn and retrieve the blanket which hung over the back of the sofa and gently laid it across Callie. She'd worry about being cold and achy herself in the morning, for now, she was the happiest she had been in five years, and was not moving from that spot.