31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: This is AU. I do not own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy. I just manipulate them to my will. Also, any line or phrase or setting that seems remotely familiar from any other show, movie or book, also not mine. I borrow…

AN: Enjoy!

Chapter 31

The end of competition for Callie and Arizona signaled the beginning of something else. That night, after winning gold and celebrating with their team only to end up back in their room tangled in the sheets and sleeping in each other's arms was just the start. The days following were spent by taking leisurely jogs together in the mornings, while in the afternoons the couple took in some other sporting events. At nights they would either venture out into the city again, or just get dinner and bring it back up to their room where they would spend the waning hours with little to no clothes on.

It was right. It was perfect. Neither Arizona nor Callie could imagine spending that time any differently. It fascinated the catcher how easily their two bodies meshed, and how quickly she had become accustomed to how Arizona moved against her as they slept. The mornings she woke to feel the blonde teasing her flesh, tracing invisible patterns along her arms, her chest, her naked back… those make up most of her favorite memories.

As they walk around the Olympic Village and the rest of the athlete buildings, they are often asked for autographs and photos. Apparently the whole 'scandal' wasn't just USA based, but Olympic wide. Of course there are other gay athletes, some even dating each other. But there hasn't been the breaking news of a relationship yet, which heralds so much more juicy gossip than anything else going on. Arizona takes it all with a smile, having been out for years and years already. But for Callie, it's a bit more difficult. She's barely come to terms with it herself, then her father all but disowned her, and now the rest of the world heralds her as a 'leading lesbian'? It's a bit much to take in.

To add insult to injury, during one of their trips into town, Callie attempts to withdraw some money from her personal account but finds that it has been emptied. A quick call and she learns that her credit cards have been deactivated and her trust fund evaporated. When her father said he would cut her off, he wasn't kidding. It's only the per diem she gets from being on the Team that ensures she has enough to eat and make it through day by day. All the while, Arizona supplies a comforting shoulder. There's nothing else she can think of to do because Arizona doesn't know what it's like to have… thousands? Hundreds of thousands? Millions, possibly?... taken away from her.

The night before closing ceremonies, Callie's phone drops from her ear and she groans, "Not even Aria is picking up. God, I knew my father was powerful but I didn't think he could do this…"

Arizona just sits next to her catcher, wanting to say something but not really knowing what to offer. "What about your other side of the family? Your Mom's side?"

Torres just shakes her head and answers, "No… My mom's side still lives in Cuba. Besides, my father keeps them fed. There's no way they would go against his word." She falls back against the mattress and stares at the ceiling, eyes closing as she tries to push her headache away. "God, what am I going to do?"

The blonde lies out beside her and props up on an elbow. "We'll figure something out, Calliope. I promise. Everything will work out." A finger traces the curve of the Latina's cheek and brown eyes open to find ocean blue staring down at her.

"How do you know?" Callie whispers.

"I just do." Arizona answers, leaning down and kissing the woman's lips softly. A milky white hand slips under the material of the Latina's shirt, caressing warm caramel flesh beneath. Their embrace starts to heat up, and soon any thoughts besides a naked Arizona leaves Callie's mind as the two of them comfort each other the only way they know how.

The day following the amazing closing ceremonies, Team USA find themselves on their way back to the states. There is a collective sense of regret about leaving such an amazing city, and such an amazing part of their lives. In that Village, on that dirt, life long memories were forged as well as lifelong friendships. But as with all things, it must come to an end. So with their gold medals hung proudly around their necks, the USA Women's Softball team boards their flight back to the United States of America.

Their trip is quick, and before they know it they are back on American soil. Just a few hours later, Arizona Robbins, Callie Torres, Theodora Altman and Richard Webber are being prepped for their first real 'live' interview since winning.

From the reflection of the mirror in front of her, Arizona watches as Callie nervously chews at her bottom lip. The Latina's foot taps furiously and she is well on her way to causing some major damage to her nails as she unknowingly picks at her fingernails. She can stare down the best pitchers in the world, throw out some of the fastest runners there are as they try to steal second, and can take a hit like a brick shit house, but knowing that Callie freezes up when the cameras start to roll makes Arizona smile.

So when the makeup artist turns her back to the blonde, Arizona stands and grabs Callie's hand, pulling her along after the pitcher as she slips out of the room.

"Where are we going?" Callie asks, only one eye made up so it looks like someone sucker punched the captain. But her pitcher doesn't answer, instead leading the woman around a corner to peek behind a door that has a sign on it reading 'Maintenance'. "Arizona, what's going-" She's cut off when she's roughly pulled through the door and into a dark closet. "Arizona!"

"Shhhh." Arizona hisses, her hands roaming the wall on either side looking for a light switch. Something tickles her scalp and she reaches up to find a string. With a sharp tug, a single light bulb illuminates the small three foot by three foot room.

"What are we doing?" Torres asks in a whisper, smiling when she sees how brightly the blonde's dimples are shining on Arizona's face.

"What do you think we're doing?" She answers, closing the small distance between them and taking freshly painted lips with her own. The lack of privacy for the last 24 hours or so has been grueling for the surgeon, and she's surprised at how much her body yearns for the Latina's touch after just that short amount of time without it.

"They're going to come looking for us." Callie moans, her own body betraying her as her hands instinctively seek purchase on the blonde's shapely behind.

"Guess you'll just have to be quick about this then." Arizona replies, pushing the stronger woman back against the closed door. Deft fingers make quick work of the Latina's zipper, her lips searing a path along a caramel neck. Without wasting a second, the blonde's hand dives under the soft material of Callie's underwear and cup her center.

"Oh!" The captain gasps, her head whipping back out of shock and knocking against the door behind her.

Blue eyes watch as the face in front of her contorts into one of pleasure, a warmth flooding Arizona's body as she continues to work up her catcher with her hand. "You know, Calliope… it's common practice for a surgeon to… relax before a stressful surgery." Arizona whispers, her breath washing over the Latina with each passing word. Callie whimpers and grinds against the hand at her core, fingernails digging into the blonde's shoulders when two fingers slide inside her.

"I've done it… many times, I've done it." Arizona continues, a very intense image already forming in Callie's mind. "I find an empty stall. Or an empty room just like this one. And I touch myself. …It feels so good. Doesn't it feel good, Calliope?"

The strong and steady rhythm of fingers pumping in and out of her core make words difficult for her, but Callie is able to answer, "Y-yes…"

"Yeah, baby…" The blonde husks, her eyes dark with arousal. "It feels so good… My fingers driving in an out of me, my body begging for more…" Callie can almost see the picture Arizona is painting for her, the surgeon tucked away in a private corner as she furiously works herself up. The soft moans and gasps that the Latina has become so familiar with over the course of the past week, the scent clinging in the air. …It has her right on the edge.

Arizona can feel the woman start to tighten around her fingers, so she increases her strength and curls her digits as they pull out of Callie, teasing that sweet spot just within reach. "Then my toes start to tingle, and I know I'm so close… the thought of a beautiful woman's tongue on me… in me… taking me in ways only she can…"

"Jesus…" Callie moans.

"…I push deeper… and harder. Until…." With one final thrust, Arizona watches as she sends Callie barreling into her release. Her body tenses and shakes, her core quivering around the blonde's fingers, as Torres rides out her orgasm. If not for the door Arizona has her pushed up against, the captain is sure she would have toppled to the floor from the intensity of her pleasure.

When her muscles unclench, Arizona slowly withdraws from the Latina, eliciting a soft gasp. "Shh shh shh…" Arizona whispers. "It's alright, breathe…" Brown eyes slowly start to focus again as precious oxygen makes its way back into her system, and Callie look up to find her blonde smiling at her. "You still with me, Boss?"

"What… what was that all about?" Callie asks, testing her own legs by pushing off the door. A supporting hand remains on her elbow just in case, and the Latina runs shaky fingers through her hair.

Sucking the woman's juices from her fingers, the surgeon answers, "You were getting nervous. I just wanted to help." A giggle falls from pink lips when Arizona sees a her captain trying to give her a serious look, but that seriousness never quite makes it to brown eyes. So with a quick kiss to warm lips, Arizona says, "Take a minute to straighten yourself up, and I'll see you back in make up," and then the blonde slips back out the door, leaving Callie behind to try and clear the very naughty images from her mind in time to go on air for all of America to see.

Despite the unpleasant tongue lashing she received from her waiting makeup artist about having to redo her hair and lipstick, Callie finds herself more at ease in front of the little red light than any other time before. She won't allow herself to admit Arizona was right though, in fact, the image of a self pleasuring blonde playing through her mind is anything but helpful. Still, those nerves that are always present when it comes to speaking in front of people or cameras have lessened dramatically.

"So, I want to start off by congratulating you and your team, Coach Webber." Their interview states, the man smiling widely under the hot stage lights. "You gave all of America a little scare after those first two losses against Japan, but that last game the ladies really pulled through."

"They sure did." Richard replies with a proud smile.

"Now, Callie… tell us what was going through your mind as you stepped foot on that field for the gold medal game." The man asks, turning his attention to the Latina seated right next to her coach. And just like before, Arizona is on Callie's other side while Teddy is seated on the other side of Webber.

"The same thing as the other players, I'm sure. Mostly it was 'Yes! We actually made it'. And then 'crap, we actually made it'." A chuckle rolls through the group, brown eyes finding blue before Callie turns back to the man interviewing them. "But really, it was… I don't know. I mean, at that point you don't do a lot of thinking. You know what you have to do. Go out there and play your best. Not back down, and try to keep control of the game."

"And it seems that your team did just that." The man states. "Tell me, what was different about this game as opposed to the two previous games against Japan? Were they struggling, or were you ladies just that much more prepared this time around."

"I don't think they were struggling." Teddy answers first. "In fact, I think they were even more on their game than before. Both teams were. You have to be. But… the previous games? Well, the semi final game was, as we all know, won on a terrible call. But it happens. It will always happen. What's the quote… 'To err is human'? So the way I look at it is that we were tied coming into the final game. Sure, they bested us our first meeting." Callie, Arizona and Webber nod along as the first baseman continues. "Their running game was on point, their pitching was excellent. …They were just better. But then the second game, the semi's, came and we won. We did. I firmly believe we won."

"So this gold medal match was, in essence, the tie breaker. 'Best two out of three' sort of situation." The interview muses.

"Exactly." Altman replies firmly. "And we came prepared. We were ready, just like they were. And, well…" Teddy holds up the gold medal hung around her neck, "…we all know who came out on top."

"Indeed we do." The news anchor says. "So what now? After having this goal for so long, what is in store for you Gold Medal Olympians? Callie, are these your last games? Or will you be joining the 2016 team in their trek to Rio?"

"That's uhh… that's something I have yet to decide. But I'm definitely keeping my options open." Torres answers. And it's an honest answer, she doesn't know what she will be doing in the next four years. In fact, she doesn't know what she's going to do once she is released from the team. She has no money, no real home anymore. …So life is looking pretty unstable for her right now.

Turning to the woman who has been silent up to this point, the interviewer continues. "Arizona, your life prior to these games was… well, difficult. Losing your brother as he fought for the same flag you competed under… What does winning this medal mean for you? You were a surgeon before, will you return to medicine?" As soon as the topic shifts, the blonde's stomach hits the floor. This is definitely not something she wants to be discussing on national TV.

Shifting uncomfortably in her chair, the pitcher brushes back a lock of blonde hair and replies, "You know, it's… Softball became an… escape for me. Winning gold was just a plus. Now? I'm not sure. …I'm just going to enjoy each day as it comes and just try to… breathe again." Callie's gaze has been glued to Arizona throughout her answer, the Latina having been wanting to ask the exact same questions for days.

"So, you're not going back to go back to being a surgeon? Can't you take your boards again?" The Latina asks, forgetting that it's not just the two of them. Blue eyes snap to the woman next to her, Arizona not believing that the woman would bring up something so difficult for her on camera like this. They share a heavy gaze, one that is broken when the man interviewing them graciously moves on to the next question.

Within twenty minutes they are off set and back stage, microphones being pulled off them carefully. The rest of the interview went smoothly, if you ignore the obvious tension between the two 'stars', as the news anchor referred to them as.

Arizona is freed first and storms away from her catcher in anger. But Callie is right on the blonde, calling down the long hallway, "Arizona, stop! Wait up, Arizona!" The pitcher doesn't stop and continues to march straight into a women's restroom.

The woman follows, pushing open the door and stepping into the empty room to find a very pissed off blonde. "Arizona, I'm sorry-"

"I cannot believe you did that." Arizona exclaims, smacking her open palm on the sink countertop.

"I'm sorry." Callie tries again, her voice soft as if she were trying to approach a spooked animal.

"For God's sakes, Callie! You just told all of America that I failed my residency boards! You humiliated me!" The pitcher shouts, her face red with anger. "How would you feel if I said your family disowned you? Huh?! That your father dropped you like a damned sack of bricks?" As soon as the words slip past her lips Arizona wishes she could take them back. The blonde watches Callie's face fall in an instant.

"Calliope…" Arizona whispers, the tables having turned in a half second.

"Don't." Callie says, her voice empty of emotion.

"Callie, don't-" The blonde tries again, but the Latina isn't going to hear it. Torres turns on her heels and yanks the bathroom door open. But before she can step through, two arms reach around her and slam it back shut.

"Let me go, Arizona." The captain hisses, trying to muscle the door open but Arizona stays strong. "Arizona! Let me go."

"No." The pitcher answers, shoving the door closed as soon as Callie is able to pry it open a couple inches. The two battle for a few more seconds, but finally the Latina gives up and turns around, coming face to face with her blonde.

Arizona keeps her arms in place, just in case Callie is trying to trick her, and she says, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. …I was upset and angry and it just… I'm sorry, Calliope." A tear leaks from the corner of deep brown eyes and it makes the pitcher's heart ache. One of her hands leave its hold on the door and comes up to wipe the trail of wetness from the Latina's cheek, and Arizona takes a have step forward.

"I'm sorry, Calliope." She whispers again, blue eyes watching as the woman's anger starts to morph into sadness. …Not because Arizona said what she said, but because what Arizona said was true. "I'm sorry, Calliope. I'm so sorry." All the walls Callie had built to keep herself from crumbling and falling apart during the Games start to disintegrate, and she finds herself wrapped up in the blonde's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. And all Arizona can do is hold her tight and ride out the storm.

The tour bus in which the team spent nearly a month touring the states in pulls up out front of the apartment complex in Oklahoma City. Tonight is the last night they are officially tied to the USA Olympic Team name, and tomorrow most players will start to go their separate ways. Only a few are local, the rest being from all over America, ranging from Washington all the way down to Miami, Florida.

Once the bus is unloaded, the women start to carry their bags back towards their assigned quads so they can start packing up and clearing out. But as Arizona passes through the parking lot, she spots a figure off in a shaded corner. Smoke trickles from the end of a lit cigarette, and a sense of unease starts to pull at the blonde's stomach.

"You alright, Battleship?" Callie asks, coming up behind the frozen women. Arizona gestures towards the figure, sending brown eyes in that direction. Just then, that person steps out of the shadow and both women instantly recognize them.

Only after the rest of the team goes behind closed doors does the person approach the couple, stopping a couple feet in front of them.

"What are you doing here, Amelia?" Callie asks, shifting her heavy bag on her shoulder. "You shouldn't be here. This is still Team USA property for another 12 hours."

"Relax, Cal, I didn't come here to make a scene." Amelia replies, flicking her half smoked cigarette from her fingers. "I actually wanted to talk to you. Both of you. …If you'll let me."

A half hour later, Arizona and Callie find themselves seated at a small table in the same café where the two shared coffee months and months ago. Amelia wanted to go somewhere away from the rest of the team, and her brother. Neither of the players know why she wants to talk to them, but they figure that if the woman was willing to wait as long as she did for them to come back, it must be important.

"So, Shep, what is it?" Callie asks.

"I…" The brunette's anxiety makes her fidget and the woman starts to wring her fingers. "I came here to say I'm sorry."

"You're sorry." Arizona states blankly.

"Yes. I am sorry." Amelia says again. "To both of you. For… for stealing from you, Arizona. And risking your license and… and everything. And Callie, I'm sorry that I put you in the spot that I did. Asking you to do what I asked you to do… it was wrong. And I'm sorry." Callie and the blonde catch each other's gaze for a second before looking back at the addict across from them.

"This is part of one of those '12 step' things, isn't it?" Arizona asks after a minute of silence.

A long sigh falls from Shepard's lips, and she answers, "It's called making amends."

"Right…" The blonde breathes out, crossing her arms across her chest in defiance. "So… this isn't really about me and Callie, is it? It's about you, and checking off the boxes."

"No, it's not about 'checking the boxes'." Amelia groans, a shaky hand rubbing her face roughly. It's been about a month since she's been clean, but those cravings are still there. And right now, her urge to shoot up or pop a pill has increased two fold.

"Oh, so you always apologize to the people you rip off, who you take advantage of?" Arizona asks, her anger towards this woman and what she did coming back with a vengeance. It's one thing to let things go once the source of the problem has been removed, but now that Amelia Shepard is right in front of her, asking for forgiveness… it's a bit harder.

The brunette opens her mouth to answer but Robbins is on a roll and talks over her. "No, seriously, tell me why the hell I should forgive you. And this is not about my prescription pad, or my license. But my brother's photo? Really?! …You took one of the few things I had left of him and you ruined it."

"I can get you a new picture." Amelia tries weakly.

"That's not the point!" Arizona shouts, causing every person in the café to stop what they are doing and look over the three woman.

Startled by her outburst just as much as everyone else, Callie places a gentle hand on the blonde's back in attempts to soothe her. She can feel the muscles in Arizona's back tense for a second but then slowly relax, deep breaths being brought in to her lungs and then pushed back out.

"I know… I know that me saying these things won't take back what I did…" Amelia mumbles after a few silent moments. "…But it's an important step for me. To take responsibility for what I have done and try to make it right."

"And what if I say no?" Arizona asks through gritted teeth. "What if I say I don't accept your apology?"

A tear itches at the corner of Amelia's eye but she brushes it away and says, "Well, if we can't make amends we… we practice living amends. You live the best life that you can. Do good where you can, help people when you can. Be of service, try to save lives. I… I can't change what I've done but I can change who I am. And improve my life. And… and that's what I want to do."

Blue eyes stare into teary brown ones seated across from her and Arizona lets Amelia's words really sink in. Then, after a few tension filled minutes, Arizona grips the shoulder of her shirt and pulls down the right side. Swirls of purples and pinks and blues are revealed as the butterfly inked to the woman's flesh makes an appearance.

Pointing out the very faint surgical line that her tattoo covers, Arizona says, "This happened my freshman year of college. Took me out of the game for good, or so I thought. I was lost… Everything that I had ever loved was taken from me. If I wasn't a softball player, I didn't know what I was. …And then the doctor handed me a bottle of pills." The blonde pauses, her gaze never leaving Amelia's while the two brunettes sit in silence. "And they took the pain away. They made me numb, not just my shoulder, but my soul. …It would have been so easy to just keep taking them."

"But you didn't." Amelia whispers.

Arizona shakes her head gently. "No, I didn't. Because that was the coward's way out, and I was no coward." She straightens her shirt and rolls her head, eliciting a serious of cracks and pops down the length of her neck which makes Callie cringe. With one last deep breath, Arizona steels her blue eyes on her target in front of her, and says, "I want to forgive you, Amelia, I do. And… maybe in time, I will. But you have to prove that you are truly sorry. Not just to me, but prove to yourself as well. I won't pretend to know why you started taking pills in the first place, but… I can honestly say that I am happy that you're getting help."

It's not exactly the outcome Amelia was hoping for, but it's not the worse outcome either, so the woman decides to quit while she's ahead. Standing, she gives her two ex-team mates a forced smile and says, "I'll show you, I will. And I'll prove that… that that Amelia Shepard is not who I am anymore."

"I hope so, Little Shep." Callie replies, "I hope so."

The next day brings a round of tearful goodbyes as the first few teammates depart for their respective homes. Not everyone is on their way immediately, and Callie and Arizona find themselves as being those few dragging their feet.

On the second day after being released, with only seven or eight other teammates still around, the couple meander around the small apartment complex that was their home during spring training, and they stumble upon a basketball court. Arizona picks up a basketball and starts to dribble while Callie sits on the side line and soaks up the hot Oklahoma sunshine.

Brown eyes watch as the blonde bounces and spins and shoots the ball, a smile creeping on her face. But along with that smile comes a feeling of heaviness, one that she hasn't been able to shake in days. The pitcher feels the heat of the Latina's gaze and turns to meet it, dimples shining as bright as the sun above them.

"As I recall, we have a bit of unfinished business…" Arizona muses, dribbling the ball beside her.

Callie's mind immediately goes back to the night outside one of their hotels, where she and Arizona ended up rather close with very little clothes on. It was during the time when both wanted something but everything was standing in between them.

Standing, the Latina wipes at her backside and replies, "I recall you fouling me, if that's what you mean."

"I fouled you?!" Arizona exclaims, "No no, Torres, you fouled me."

"My feet were planted, Battleship. That's a charge." Callie states, snatching the ball from the blonde's stunned hands. "And since it was game point and you were losing, I would have sunk my free throw and won."

"You think so, huh?" An amused pitcher hums.

"I know so." Torres answers with a confident shrug, shooting the ball from the three point arc and having it sail through the net with a swish.

"Alright then, Boss. Why don't you prove it." The blonde says, pulling off her outer shirt and revealing a black tank top underneath. "And how about we make this interesting?"

"What did you have in mind?" Callie asks, tugging at her own light sweatshirt and tossing it on the ground next to Arizona's top.

"I win… we go to Miami. Together." Arizona answers, halting the Latina mid stride. They hadn't discussed this at all, both preferring to continue along in their pretty pink bubble where it was only them and everything else from the outside world didn't exist. But now they've reached the end, and that bubble is stretching to a dangerous level. They need to figure out what they are going to do.

"Miami?" Callie asks, trying to make her brain catch up.

"Yeah. I liked it there." The blonde states. "It was fun. I think it'd be a great place to… start over."

"For you." The Latina adds. "And what if I win?"

"That's not going to happen." Arizona says playfully, hip checking the woman as she passes her and strides to free throw line of the court. "But if you do manage to win, probably by cheating or distracting me by flashing me or something like that…" Callie has to chuckle at how serious the blonde is being as she says this, "…then you get to pick where we go."

Callie chews on her lip for a second, but finally says, "Fine." She steps up to the blonde and tosses her the ball. "Age before beauty, sweetheart."

"I would have won either way, then, sweetheart." Arizona growls, checking the ball and the two immediately go into game mode. "First to three?"

"Bring it, baby." Callie taunts. The next second the blonde breaks to the left but the ball quickly gets stripped by a tanned hand, Callie bringing it out to the three then driving it back home for the first point. "Hmm… one, zip. I believe."

"Shut it." Arizona sneers, her competitive side coming out in full force. She checks the ball back to the Latina and sets up. Torres starts towards the basket again, and Arizona covers her. Longer arms keep the ball just out of reach but the blonde is able to block off her passing lanes well enough to keep her contained. She tries to shoot but the shot goes wide and bounces off the backboard, and Arizona capitalizes by rebounding and scoring.

Next two points go back and forth as well, ending with a tied 2-2 score.

"I can almost smell that Miami air." Arizona taunts the woman, tossing the ball to Callie to check back.

"Getting a bit too big for your britches there, Battleship." Callie growls. "You haven't won yet." The blonde surges forward and the catcher is with her every step. The strong woman nearly blankets Arizona as she tries to fight to the basket, but muscled thighs and a tight core are able to sustain the assault. Yet somehow Arizona is able to slip past her range and sprint to the basket, shooting an easy layup. Both sets of eyes watch as the ball circles the hoop, then finally, almost lazily, it falls through.

"Oh yeah! Who's your Daddy!" Arizona shouts, turning to face the Latina. "Oooo so sweet. Miami, here we come."

Dark eyes roll as the blonde takes her victory lap around the court, and then maybe a few more. But finally Arizona ends up back in her arms and their lips pressed together. Pulling back enough to gaze into sparkling blue eyes, Callie whispers, "You really want to go to Miami?"

Tangling a hand into soft, raven hair, Arizona replies, "I don't care where we go, I just need you there with me."

The night before the two are set to leave, they find themselves all alone in the Latina's apartment. Besides Erica Hahn and Miranda Bailey, who actually live in Oklahoma City, all the other women have already left. Three apartments now stand empty besides the captain's, where she and Arizona have camped out for the last few nights. Instead of trying to fit in one small twin bed, the two have brought out a couple of mattresses and set them on the floor of the living room. There, they have shared nights of passion unequal to anything they've had before. No roommates, no schedules, no fear of risking gold. Just them.

All of their things are packed and the apartment is bare. Sheets are pulled over furniture and the only light on in the place is the two small table lamps they have set on the floor next to their thrown together bed. Callie is lying on her stomach, the blonde's laptop open and on in front of her when the apartment door opens.

"Hey sexy." Arizona says, winking at the Latina as she strides in, closing and locking the door behind her.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." Callie mumbles, her attention glued to the screen in front of her.

"So I got some supplies for tonight and tomorrow." The blonde announces cheerfully, plopping down on the mattress and pulling out some items from the white plastic bag she brought back. "Look! I got gummy worms, and Skittles. Some chocolate. And, for the trip…"

Brown eyes are drawn to Arizona's hands and a weak smile crosses plump lips. "Walkie talkies? Really?"

"What? They're fun." Arizona whines. "This way we can talk to each other on the drive without having to use all our minutes." A dimpled smile appears on the pitchers face and she brings the plastic wrapped item up to her mouth, imitating a sound of static, "Boss, this is Battleship. Do you read me? Over."

"You are such a dork." Callie groans, pulling the blonde down into her arms and kissing smiling lips. Within moments, Arizona is on her back, pinned down by the Latina, and their bodies are molded together. Lips caress lips and hips grind against hips.

But oxygen becomes a necessity and the two part, dark brown eyes staring down into aroused blue ones. A tanned finger traces the curve of Arizona's nose and Callie whispers, "Why don't you want to go back to Boston? Back to medicine?" She can sense the blonde's mood shift immediately, those walls that long protected Arizona's heart starting to form around her soul again. "Arizona…" The Latina purrs, trying to keep her pitcher from retreating within herself entirely. "Why do you keep studying even though you say you're done? You're not done, Battleship. You need to-"

"Don't tell me what I need, alright Calliope?" Arizona snaps. "I'm tired of everyone telling me what I need to do. I'm a grown ass woman, and I'll do what I want. …And what I want is for you to shut up about all of this, and just take me." Callie hovers above the woman, their clothed centers pressed firmly together, and stares down at her blonde. "Please, Calliope… Just… Just shut up and kiss me."

Morning comes and the time to leave is upon them. Arizona is giddy and excited, rambling on so much that she doesn't even notice the sullenness of the Latina. They pack up what little remains and load up their cars, Arizona tossing her stuff in the back of her Jeep while Callie slams down the trunk of her vintage T-Bird. The days since their little rematch, they had been preparing for the long trek across the country, planning their route and where to stop.

Just as they are about to load up and head out, Arizona hands her traveling companion one of the radios and asks, "You ok, Calliope?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She answers, averting her gaze from the piercing stare of blue eyes. "Just uhh… slight headache is all. So, we ready to roll?"

"Yep, lets hit it." The blonde says with a giggle.

With a quick kiss, they climb into their respective cars and pull out of the parking lot. It's a long trek to Miami from Oklahoma City, nearly 26 hrs straight through. But that didn't deter Arizona from it, instead it prompted her to increase their journey, planning on spending nights in cities neither of them have ever been to before. And while the pitcher planned their trip, Callie couldn't stop another train of thought from implanting itself in her mind. One that she battles with for the first eight long hours of their drive.

When brown eyes catch the sign reading twenty miles until they hit Memphis, Callie brings the walkie talkie to her lips and says, "I'm going to need to fill up again here soon, Arizona. Why don't we pull over at the next stop."

"Roger that, Boss." Arizona replies, her voice bubbly even through the static of their radios. "Oh, and you have to say over. Over." All Callie can do is just sigh and roll her eyes, but the next second the radio in her hand chirps to life again, and the blonde says, "And don't roll your eyes at me. Over."

They pull into one of the many gas stations on the outskirts of Memphis and fill up. While Arizona steps inside to grab them some more supplies, Callie climbs into the Jeep and finds the blonde's phone, finding what she needs and hitting the delete button just as the crunch of shoes appear right outside the driver's side door.

"Got you some Arizona." The pitcher says, holding out a tall can of the beverage. "Knew you liked it."

"Thanks." Callie mumbles, her stomach knotting as she tries to muster up her courage.

"We good to go? I'm all filled up." Arizona asks as she dumps her loot into her passenger's seat.

"Um, no." The Latina answers, making blue eyes meet hers. "Arizona… I uhh… I have something. For you." She stammers, pulling a folded piece of paper out of her back pocket.

With a furrowed brow, Robbins takes it and unfolds the paper, reading the print and asking, "Boston? Why do you have directions to Boston?"

"They aren't for me." Callie states softly. "They're for you."

"I… I don't understand." The woman whispers, looking between the paper in her hands and Callie standing in front of her.

"You need to go home, Arizona." Torres says.

"Why does it feel like you're saying goodbye to me?" The surgeon asks, all the little hints and pieces from the last few days falling into place. The way Callie held her and kissed her, made love to her last night. …It was different. Almost like Callie was trying relish every last second they had together.

"We can't do this." Callie tells her, a sheen of tears crossing in front of her eyes.

"Do what? What are we doing?" Arizona asks, her voice becoming shaky.

But Callie can't answer her, instead she takes a step forward and wraps her arms around the blonde, hugging her tight. She kisses Arizona's forehead and whispers, "Take care now." Without another word, she turns on her heel and retreats, tears streaming down her face.

But Arizona won't accept this and storms after the woman, "Take care now? Take care now?!" She exclaims, her voice breaking with emotion. "What the hell is that? What am I supposed to do with 'take care now'?" But the Latina doesn't look back. "Calliope, please! What did I do? Please, don't do this!"

The emotion in the blonde's voice makes Callie break, and she turns to face her. "I have to, Arizona. You know that. If we go running off to Miami together… that's it. That will be the end of us. Because some time down the line, whether it's a month, six months, a year… I will realize that I hate you. Or that you hate me. Because we cost each other everything we love. And I can't- I can't hate you, Arizona."

"I don't care about anything else!" Arizona cries.

"Yes, you do. And you need to fix it. Go to Boston, talk to your family again. Retake your boards, be the amazing surgeon I know you dream to be." The Latina says, tears streaming down her face. "And I can't be there with you, Arizona. I know you know that."

But hurt quickly morphs into anger and Robbins snaps back, "All this time you were afraid that I would bail again, but it's you that's bailing on us, Callie. Not me. You!"

"No, Arizona. You may not be bailing on me, but you're running from everything else in your life." Callie replies. "And I know, deep down in my soul I know, that if you come to Miami with me… you'll regret it. And I can't… I won't have you hating me because of it. You need to sort out your life, and I need to sort out mine. We've been using each other to ignore and forget everything else. …We can't be each other's crutch anymore."

"No. NO! You're lying. I won't let you do this, Callie. I won't. Because this is what a relationship is. You lean on each other!"

"Lean! Not carry. God damn it, Arizona. Don't you see? We are carrying each other since the beginning, burying ourselves in the sand when anything scary or hard comes our way." By now both women have tracks of tears running down their eyes, but neither seem to notice. "That's not living, Arizona. We've both been shot through the gut, and we're using band-aids to get by. We need to heal… We need to learn to walk again. And if we're with each other… it can't happen."

"I'll be your crutch then." Arizona tries, pleading for whatever is happening right now to just stop and be forgotten.

But Callie just shakes her head and replies, "I don't want to be yours."

Silence falls between the two women, though the rest of the world continues on around them. The sight of the blonde's lips quivering tears Callie's heart to pieces, but she stays strong. She knew it would come to this, there was no other way. Maybe this thing they had… maybe it was just a fling. A summer love. Something destined to happen to help each other through the difficulties they had faced in the past few months. But for either of them to grow, to mature, Callie knew it had to happen separately.

"I can't say the three words you know I feel, because it wouldn't be fair." Callie says, wiping a late falling tear from her cheek. "So… you go to Boston and be happy. And I'll go to Miami and be happy." Callie takes a step forward, a hand coming up to cup a cheek she will never forget, and kisses tear stained lips softly.

She starts to pull away, but Arizona grips the front of her jacket. "Please… please, Calliope. Don't. I love you, don't do this."

Hearing those words for the first time sends a bolt of heart ache through Callie's body. "I'm sorry." She whispers, stealing one last kiss before adding, "Don't follow me." Hands pry the vice grip on her jacket off and the Latina turns on her heels. She uses every ounce of strength she has to keep a straight face as she climbs into her car and fires up the engine.

"Calliope!" Arizona calls, earning one last look from brown eyes before the Latina puts her T-Bird in drive and barrels out of the gas station. The blonde watches as her love fades away into the horizon, then clutches her chest and collapses to the ground. Tears fall unabashed from her eyes and she calls out to a woman who can no longer hear her.

And as the tires beneath her carry her further and further away from the blonde who stole her heart, Callie finally lets the dam break. She doesn't even make it a mile before she has to pull over to the side, and hold herself as every drop of pain and sadness falls from her eyes, telling the empty air around her, "I love you too."