"Robbins what are you doing?! They're round the corner! You just opened yourself up to a hail of bullets!"

"Well sorry, Torres, but the freight container was blocking my view. How the hell was I supposed to know?"

"That's why you crouch and glance before you take your shot."

"Well where does it say do that?"

"I told you. I also told you we'd come under fire when we got to the docks and to make sure you had enough ammo. You're like a sitting duck."

"There were twenty of them and only two of us Calliope, we didn't stand a chance."

"Just listen to me and we'll make it out alive. Okay?"

"Fine, how do I crouch?"

"A1."

"And how do I look round the container?"

"In the crouching position, press either direction button."

"And how do I reload?"

"Like you did when you asked me two minutes ago, shoot the gun off screen."

Arizona was more accustomed to taking instructions regarding surgeries, not covert operations on an arcade game. Still, at least Callie didn't sound as frustrated as Herman did during her fellowship, just. "All of this to stop a shipment of weapons? How come the Government aren't stopping this and its down to two rouge military officers?"

"Because the Government are in on it, seriously, did you not read the prologue?"

"No, I was distracted by your look of concentration Calliope, do you know how hot you are when you're reading something? Am I just supposed to stand here and not jump you? If you need me to have some restraint, then you need to cut me some slack."

There go the butterflies. "I looked hot huh? Well- ARIZONA! YOU SHOT ME!"

"You held up your gun!"

"WE'RE ON THE SAME TEAM!"

"Well maybe you shouldn't look all suspicious and crouchy down there."

Callie took the opportunity of the game re-loading to poke Arizona in the side, resulting in a loud squeal by the peds surgeon. And then? Carnage. Like their second date, and several times at the hospital and at home to be fair, they were caught in their own little world. Tickling, poking, teasing, pinching, squeezing, lifting, spinning… the light-heartedness of their early relationship had returned without effort, with the added security of their history and lessons learned. The toy guns hung limply from their stand and, before Arizona could grab Callie's thigh for a quick pinch, a gruff, yet young, cough came from behind. "Excuse me ladies, is everything all right?"

Both stood to attention, they were getting told off a lot lately. "Erm yeah, we've just erm- OW, Arizona!" Yep, the blonde took the opportunity of Callie's guard being down to give her a discreet pinch to the back of her thigh. "-the game ended so…"

"Maybe you'd like to step away and let others play?" Scolded like school children, although when you're acting like school children, you got to expect it right? They were perusing the arcade for something else to do when a very flashy, very popular game caught Arizona's attention.

"Oh oh oh! Air hockey! Air hockey! I used to play this with Tim all the time, let's play!" With a light-hearted roll of the eyes, Callie took her place whilst Arizona located some change in her pocket, once credited, she stood at the opposite end of the table. She had a slightly… competitive(?) look in her eye. No that's unfair, it was boarding on psychopathic, so much so that Callie felt a slight chill down her back. "All right, first to ten, reckon you can handle it, Torres?"

Gauntlet thrown. "When have I ever backed down from a challenge, Robbins?"

"Let's make this interesting, shall we?"

"I'm listening."

"Loser buys dinner."

Callie scoffed, what a weak bet. "Oh come on Robbins, you can think of something less lame than that right? I thought you were hardcore?"

Pffft, no one questioned that, oh it was on. "Loser has to ask Bailey for a raise."

Absolutely not. "I want to keep my job thank you."

"Loser has to cook dinner for a week."

"I don't want to die, Arizona."

"Calliope!"

"How about… Loser owes the other one a favour, to be called up at any time?"

The blonde pursed her lips. "Any favour?"

"Mmm hmm…"

"All right Torres, you're on." Arizona's mind had obviously gone to sexy favours. With her competitive nature and the want to reconnect with Callie physically, she couldn't refuse the bet.

You have to be ambitious, aggressive and cutthroat when pursuing a career in the medical field. Getting into medical school, internship, residency etc are all just the tail end of all the work and dedication required to make it. Especially as kick ass female surgeons/department heads at one of the best teaching hospitals in America. But this? This made the fight to cut, the fight to be the best, the fight to be the first to have a solo surgery seem… timid.

Arizona took the lead after a straight-as-an-arrow shot rattled the opposing slot. "Ha, suck on that Torres." Callie arched an eyebrow in response. "I err, I mean- HEY! You cheated!"

Arizona's goal had been left completely unguarded. "You snooze you lose Robbins, 1-1."

She pouted, still not focusing on the game and weakly returned the disc. "You distracted me with your sexiness-"

Her goal rattled again. "Ha! 2-1, and Torres is on the march."

The Type-A in her was not happy. "Oh two can play at that game Dr Torres." She expertly stopped the puck as it bounced its way off the sides. Then, whilst not adverting her gaze from Callie, she slowly lifted her top, not by much, but just enough to allow Callie a tantalising peak. It worked, with a quick swipe, it went in. "Ha! 2-2!"

Callie couldn't take her eyes of the pale skin in front of her. She loved the sight of it, wanted to nibble on every inch of it. It was an unfair tactic. Like Arizona, her mallet barely connected with the puck as she re-started the game. "No fair, you can't show me skin and expect me to-"

"3-2 to Robbins and the crowd goes wild." She pulled her top back down, that inch or two of flesh had done its job.

Callie smirked. "Oh so now we're using sexy tactics, Dr Robbins. Understood." After some more blocking, rebounding and ricocheting, the pace slowed, and she feigned a loss of control. As she slowly leant over the table to retrieve the puck, Arizona got an eye full of the cleavage she had been desperate to lick- "And it's 3-3, eyes up here Robbins."

She wasn't quite sure where she was until she heard her goal jolt. "No fair! I was staring at your boobs!" She retrieved the puck as Callie stood up, she had every intention of revenge but her starting swipe was limp before it was returned with a vengeance. She stood no chance; her eyes had remained fixed on-

"And you still are. 4-3 to the Ortho Goddess."

Arizona stomped, she didn't like losing, especially as the tactics being deployed by her opponent were working. "Stop leaning over the table! Stop using sexiness!"

"Pffft, stop pulling up your shirt!"

The game continued in the same vein, each of them one upping the other with the flirting and teasing. Arizona was pretty sure she was this close to taking Callie on the table and accepting the public indecently charge. At 8-8, after a particular aggressive swipe, the mallet flew out of Callie's hand and before she could reach for it, the ninja like reflexes of the blonde stole it from her grasp. "Oh Dr Torres, it appears you've lost your mallet, how ever will you- wh- what are you doing Callie?" She noticed her opponent had started to stalk her round the table. "Callie… Callie!"

The brunette grabbed her round the waist in a flash as she attempted to flee, the giggling and squealing ensued. They had lost it, again. In the midst of the chaos, Arizona was still trying to score against an unguarded goal, only to be thwarted by Callie's lifting & pulling her away from the table. Their behaviour was not becoming of two late thirties/early forties decorated surgeons, in fact if Sofia had behaved in such a manner, she'd probably see herself without dessert. But even Callie wasn't brave enough to withdraw a sweet treat from her wife-

Dammit.

-person.

The laughing and disturbance they were causing caught the Manager's (or Manager's son, I mean he looked 12) attention. Before he could ask them to leave, they admitted defeat. They walked away with their tails between their legs, all the while giving each other knowing nudges. Hopefully they'd be allowed back in with Sofia, otherwise they had a lot of explaining to do. "I've never been thrown out of somewhere before, least an arcade Calliope, you're a bad influence."

"Me? You're the one who looked like you wanted to take me on the table!"

Indeed, some less than PG images did appear at one point. Oh you have no idea Torres…

After their arcade date, they swung by Teddy's to pick up Sofia. Meredith was on call, Alex, April and Yang were on shift, so Teddy was on kid watch. Pleasantries were exchanged at the door and when Callie was securing their daughter in the back of the car, the cardio surgeon approached the blonde from behind. "So, third date huh? Ready to 'seal the deal'?"

The thought had crossed Arizona's mind, but she certainly didn't automatically expect it. "We don't need to 'seal the deal' Altman. And anyway, it's too much of a cliché, three dates doesn't have to be the sex date." She was being respectful; they had made out like teenagers on several occasions but was cautious about taking it further. She didn't want to rush things, cover up anything left unsaid, she was not going to blow it, not again. "Besides, she's only just got free movement back where have ribs have healed." She leant into her friend, "And if we want to explore each other again, she's gonna need full flexibility because I tell you Teddy, when I get her naked and-"

"No, nope, noooo thank you, don't need to hear about yours & Callie's sex life."

At Teddy's visible recoil and an exchange of knowing looks, the brunette approached. "Ready?"

Was Arizona ready to go home with her family? Always. "I am, let's get our baby girl home."

xxxxxxxxxx

After some play time, a family dinner and a bath they put their girl to bed. Both hovered in the doorway as they went to leave, they had put their daughter through so much in her short life, intentionally and unintentionally. No one could foresee the crash, but the behaviour afterwards was very much avoidable. Arizona leant her head on Callie's shoulder and spoke, just above a whisper. "You know, she won't be happy that we went without her, she loves that place."

"Well Yang takes her every time she looks after her, I think she's won every prize there." She turned her head to place a soft kiss against blonde hair. "Besides, our day trip to the Dinosaur Exhibit on Saturday will more than make up for it." Her comment was acknowledged by a tired, yet contented, sigh.

They made their way downstairs, intent on cosying up to a film or one of Callie's god-awful true crime series when Arizona felt it.

Her leg was sore.

The first test of their discussion had arrived. She didn't want to be Callie's patient, she didn't want to be pitied, coddled… but as those thoughts ran through Arizona's mind, she paused. Was that really Calliope Torres' style? In hindsight, no, no it wasn't, Callie just cared. She'd soothe Sofia if she was sick, she'd massaged Owen's shoulders when their Veterans Project stalled a few days ago (built up tension apparently), she'd supported and comforted Bailey, Cristina, Meredith, Mark and Addison throughout their tenure and of course, she had brought down the previous impenetrable walls that surrounded Erica Hahn. None of that was done out of pity.

She lowered herself onto the couch, life was too short to be stubborn. She had laid it all on the line, kinda agreeing to allow Callie to help, even though it would be on her terms. Arizona took a breath. "Hey, erm, do you think, my legs playing up a bit, could you, do you think… could you maybe-"

"-of course, I'll go grab an ice pack, it'll bring down the swelling and then a massage will loosen the muscles. I've been told by Dr Hunt I give very good massages." Callie winked and made her way to the kitchen in response. She didn't need to give the request a second thought, but the manner of her response, did require brief reflection. She had attempted to sound less like a doctor & carer and more light-hearted & sensual and flirty, a balance she believed she'd met.

Whilst waiting for the brunette to return, Arizona removed her trousers & prosthetic and manoeuvred so she was laying the length of the couch. Returning to the living room, ice pack in hand, Callie took her place in the empty spot left for her. She gazed up, almost sheepishly, seeking permission to touch the remaining limb. When she received a nod in return, she gently placed the pack onto the swollen area, a noticeable hiss breaking the tender silence. The blonde leant back and focused on the ceiling, not because she was embarrassed or frustrated, but because the sweet, sweet relief was palpable. "Don't think we're not going to talk about this tomorrow by the way, I'm not happy Calliope."

Oh no, had Callie completely miss-read the situation? Was her tone and words belittling or full of pity? She didn't mean it that way, she never did. Instead of getting offended, she wanted to understand how she should have handled the request, a request she knew it was hard for Arizona to make. "What do you mean?"

She raised her head, looking very unimpressed. "You giving Owen Hunt a massage, your hands are for me only. Now less talky, more rubby."