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: Final chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter 54

If either Callie or Arizona thought that life would slow down, even for a moment, and let them lick the wounds of their separation, they were gravelly mistaken.

The day after Callie dropped her girlfriend off at the airport and drove away with tears in her eyes, she hit her internship running. Or, at least her resident was running. Callie, and the rest of the interns for that matter, fell flat on their faces.

But as the days passed she found her groove. And so did her girlfriend.

While Callie was busy applying what she learned in class to real live patients, Arizona was still studying. Her last year of med school came on like a freight train and before the blonde knew it she was up to her eyeballs in textbooks and research journals and essays and lab work. Very quickly she reverted to her old life, pre-Callie. One that included late night study sessions at the University library and an unhealthy diet of caffeine and donuts.

And while they missed each other deeply, they didn't have time to think about it. Whenever either of them could spare a minute it seemed like the other was busy. Days would pass and hardly a text would be sent between the two.

It was hard at first. And the absence of the other's touch was what hurt the most. Arizona longed for the nights when she could take that twenty minute study break with her girlfriend, slip in a quick roll in the sheets, and return refreshed. That burst of energy. The lifting of stress. But no longer.

And as those first few weeks turned into months, that physical longing turned into something more. Something deeper. Callie didn't ache for the touch of Arizona's fingers, or her lips. But for her being. Her soul. The pure happiness that came from just being around the blonde. Sure, through shared torture Callie made friends with her fellow interns. But none of them lifted her spirits a tenth of what a single phone call from her girlfriend would do.

And yet they lasted. Through the weeks and the months of hell. Of 48 hour shifts and all night long cram sessions.

Thanksgiving break came and went, and Arizona's planned visit was cancelled. The blonde told Callie time and again that she understood, that she realized that Callie was the bottom of the totem-pole in the hospital and that she wouldn't get any time off. But still… it hurt.

Christmas was a different tune, and for the first time in nearly five months they laid eyes on each other. The brief respite Callie was given was spent curled up in her apartment, a very happy blonde at her side.

And then, just as quick as she came, Arizona left. And it was back to work for both of them.

That was how it was for nine months. Nine months of rectal exams and suturing and rectal exams and scutting and more rectal exams. Nine months of Arizona beaming into the phone as Callie described, during her very limited free time, what it was like to hold a retractor for ten hours straight. Nine months of Callie taking the brunt of equal parts praise and jealousy that comes having her mother's last name. Nine months of being three thousand miles away from the one each woman thought were their rock.

But it passed. Somehow, it passed.

And the morning of Arizona's graduation she awakes in her girlfriend's arms once again. And it seems as if all of Boston is smiling along with her.

Careful not to wake Callie, Arizona turns to her other side and just lays there. They've been sharing a bed again for a few nights already but still Arizona is taken by how their time apart has dulled her memory of her girlfriend's face. The soft, sloping lines of her jaw, the arch of her brow. The delicious plumpness of her lips.

Arizona could look at her for days.

After a few moments, Callie senses eyes on her and her mind pushes her into the day.

"Do you know how creepy that is?" She grumbles.

A smile pulls up one corner of the blonde's thin, pink lips. "How creepy what is?"

"You watching me sleep." Callie says, tightening her hold on the woman and trying to hid from the ever strengthening sunlight seeping in from behind the window curtains. "It's creepy."

And still those eyes remain on her.

"Arizona…" Callie whines, making her girlfriend giggle. "Stop it. I can't sleep with you staring at me."

"I can't help it. You're just too cute." Arizona teases.

"I'm not cute." The sleepy woman groans, finally opening her eyes and feeling that last bit of fog seared away by the light of day. "I'm hot. Smokin hot."

"Can't argue that." Fair fingers rake back a few stray raven locks before pink lips press softly against lips. But just as things are beginning to heat up Arizona's alarm goes off, extinguishing those little embers that were threatening to start a forest fire.

As soon as her feet hit the floor a nervous flutter twists at Arizona's stomach. She's been working towards today her whole life. All those years of hard work; the all-nighters, missed parties, and reading migraines have finally paid off. It's almost surreal. In only a few hours Arizona Robbins will don her white coat, take the oath, and become Dr. Arizona Robbins, M.D.

And it's only because of her nerves that Arizona doesn't realize just how anxious her girlfriend seems as well. And Callie is thankful for that.

Three hours later the apartment fills with even more excitement. Barbara and Daniel Robbins have arrived and are dressed in their best. Mrs. Robbins prattles away as she always does when she is anxious, switching subjects faster than the blink of an eye, and it makes Callie smile because Arizona does the exact same thing.

"You alright?"

Dark eyes blink and Callie realizes she's been daydreaming.

"Yeah." She says, taking in the sight of her girlfriend. Blonde hair shining and dimpled cheeks twinkling. "I'm great, sweetness."

The whole Robbins family, now including Tim, his girlfriend, and little Aaron Timothy Robbins, pile into their cars and head off in the muggy Boston summer afternoon. Dr. and Dr. Torres arrive just before the ceremony starts, and everyone settles in close.

Speech after speech. Inspiring speaker after inspiring speaker.

Callie doesn't remember her own ceremony taking this long, but then finally the names are read.

It's a long way to the 'R's, but then Arizona steps up to the stage. And her name is called.

When she hears it, 'Dr. Arizona Robbins', being announced for the first time, she knows it was all worth it. Even from the stage she can see the pride in her father's eyes, the tears in her mother's, and the pure love pouring from those deep brown eyes of her girlfriend.

Yes, today will be a day she remembers for the rest of her life.

The rest of the ceremony is a blur, and all she can think about is hugging her parents. And her brother. Her beautiful little nephew. And her girlfriend. And when she finally does her eyes have given up their fight to remain dry.

Arizona loses count of how many pictures she poses for. How many hugs and congratulations and 'I'm proud of you' she gets. The dimples in her cheeks ache from working overtime but Arizona doesn't care. Because she's a doctor. It's not the end of the road, but she's well on the way to being what she's always dreamed of being.

The need for air conditioning draws the party to a little coffee house, and there they pass an hour just chatting and catching up. Lucia and Barbara, well aware of the fact that both their daughters will be at the opposite corner of the country during Christmas, begin making plans about traveling to Seattle come December. Carlos works on getting the party a reservation at a restaurant only befitting that of the occasion, while Daniel tells him time and again that dinner is on him. (His daughter, his treat!) And little Aaron, now nearly a year and a half old with dark hair like his mother and bright blue eyes just like his daddy, happily bounces on his Aunt Arizona's knee while the rest of his family looks on.

It's easy. And peaceful. There are no upcoming exams. No 100 pages of reading to do for the next class, no running from rectal exam to waiting rectal exam. Finally, a break.

But then Callie's phone rings.

"Hello?- Yes, speaking…"

By the time she hangs up all eyes have drifted towards her, but Callie only seeks out Arizona's.

"I need to go take care of something." Callie says. She hopes that Arizona won't question her too hard about what is pulling her away. "It shouldn't take too long. How about I meet you all at the restaurant?"

"Oh, uh… ok." Arizona replies. Her mind races to try and figure out what would pull her girlfriend away, today of all days. Especially since Callie doesn't even live in Boston anymore. But when she asks if everything is alright, Callie just smiles and kisses her. And Arizona lets it go.

As dinner time draws near Tim realizes that he's left something at Arizona's place, so the two of them dash back to the apartment while everyone else heads to the restaurant. The blonde takes the opportunity to ditch her diploma and coat while changing into something a little less professional and a little more flirty. And, as she steps back out into the living room, Arizona catches a flash of her brother's Cheshire smile. The same smile that usually spelled trouble when they were growing up.

"What?" She asks suspiciously.

"Nothing." His smile morphs into one full of pride and brotherly love. "It's just… You've grown so much, sis. And I'm so, so proud of you."

A swell of emotion leaves a lump in the back of Arizona's throat. She's never heard her brother say any of these things, and for just a moment Arizona is that little girl she used to be who was always vying for the attention and approval of her big brother. So she hugs him. And Tim hugs her back.

"Alright. Enough sappy stuff." Tim grumbles. "Come on, there can't be a celebratory dinner without the guest of honor. Let's get going."

They hit the street and, because it's such a beautiful evening, Tim suggests they walk to the subway instead of taking a taxi. Arizona can tell something is going on with him but she can't put her finger on what. He's antsy. And checking his watch every thirty seconds it seems. But he's smiling and there is a bounce in his step, so Arizona just chalks it up to being a man who is finally happy with his life. And shouldn't he be? He's the father of a beautiful baby boy and is in love with the mother of his child.

The streets are unusually quiet for this time of night, and the subway stop even quieter. But with a trained and war hardened Marine on her arm Arizona doesn't give it a second thought. And she doesn't notice the small X marked with blue tape they are standing on. But Tim does.

A rumbling comes from the far side of the station and the subway shoots out of the darkness. Ear splitting screeches bounce off the tiled walls as the cars slow to a halt.

The doors slide open and Arizona steps into the car. But Tim doesn't.

What she finds within the car stops her in her tracks.

Instead of the harshly lit cabin, which is usually tainted with the faint smell of urine, Arizona finds soft, flickering candlelight. The air is perfumed with Arizona's favorite flowers and a slow, romantic song is being played from somewhere out of sight.

But it's not all this that has Arizona's attention.

It's the woman waiting for her. With her beautiful smile and warm chocolate eyes as deep as the ocean.

The doors slide shut behind Arizona and the subway begins moving over its tracks once again.

Callie closes the few feet between them. In her caramel hand she holds a single long-stemmed red rose. Her heart has been racing and her stomach has been in a knot since the second she walked out of the coffee house. For months she has fretted about this moment. She'd gone through a whole list of ideas, but none of them seemed right. They didn't fit them. That, and the fact that Arizona would have been nothing but a green mess of vomit if Callie had gone with the hot-air balloon at sunset idea.

But the second she saw Arizona step into this car, their car at their stop, Callie knew she picked right.

"Right on time." Callie says quietly.

A small grin pulls at the blonde's lips. "So that's why Tim was walking so slowly."

"I may have roped him into helping me out a bit." She gives Arizona the rose and kisses her smiling lips gently. "Come, sweetness. Let's sit."

With her fingers threaded with Arizona's, Callie leads them to the same bench the blonde was sitting in the night Callie barely made the subway.

"I remember this seat." Arizona sighs.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I was sitting right here-" She bounces in her seat, "-when I saw you slip through the closing subway doors that night. You in those baggy green cargo like pants, humming along to your iPod while working those hips… Mmm. That was a good night."

"It was." Callie couldn't agree more. "Followed by a great morning, too." They share a smile at the memory of their first meeting. It was hours and hours of very hot, very athletic sex before they had that cup of coffee Arizona offered in hopes of bringing her subway-car lover back home with her.

Redness fades from their cheeks and then brown eyes find blue.

"Arizona… I…" She laughs at herself. "I thought I knew what I was going to say in this exact moment. I've spent months trying to come up with a way to tell you how much you mean to me. But… now that I'm here, looking at you, it doesn't come close. Because what I feel for you- what we have… no combination of words could ever describe."

Blue eyes glisten in the candlelight and Arizona swallows to try and stem the tears threatening to fall.

"So I'll just say what I know how to." Callie reaches over to the blonde's lap and takes Arizona's hand in hers. "You complete me. I never knew I was walking around as half a person. Half a soul and half a heart. But then I met you, and that was it. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't fight it. ….And I don't want to. Because loving you, being with you… has been the most amazing thing I could ever hope to do with my life. And I want to do it for the rest of my life. I want to go to bed at night knowing that you'll always be there next to me when the sun rises again."

A tear escapes Arizona's grasp and falls from the corner of her eye.

"I want it all, Arizona." Callie swallows her own emotions and pushes through. "And I want it with you. …Marriage. A cute little house somewhere. Kids. Maybe a dog or two. …A life. I want a life, with you. If you'll have me." A shaky hand pulls out the same felt box it held nearly a year ago, and this time it's Callie who opens it.

And, just like a year ago on that Seattle park bench, two sapphires bookend a sparkling diamond, all nested atop a beautiful white gold band.

"So, Arizona Michelle Robbins… Sweetness… will you marry me?"

And, just like a year ago on that Seattle park bench, Arizona answers with a kiss.

"Is that a yes?" Callie asks between two locked, yet smiling, sets of lips.

"Yes!" Arizona giggles. "Yes. Yes, Calliope. Yes. Like you even have to ask."

Finally, what seems like an eternity of waiting, trembling (in the good way) caramel fingers slide the gorgeous engagement ring on to Arizona's finger. It's back home, where it should be, which is on the finger of a Robbins woman who is deeply, madly in love with the person who put it there.

The next few moments seem to blur together for Arizona. The subway rolls to a stop and she forces herself away from her girlfr- fiancé long enough to be swept up in big bear hug by her brother. His smile goes from ear to ear and Tim gladly welcomes Callie into the family with a hug of her own. Tears of happiness run from both blue and brown eyes, and more than once their lips meet in a celebratory kiss.

And then, before they even sit down at dinner, they share the news with their parents.

Champagne is ordered and hugs and kisses are given by all.

But through it all, Arizona and Callie only have eyes for each other. They don't know what the future holds for them. They don't know how hard it's going to get, or how bumpy. But it doesn't scare them, because they have each other. What else could they possibly need?

Yes… this day will be a day neither Arizona Robbins nor Callie Torres will ever forget.

The day two halves became whole.

THE END

AN2: I just wanted to say thank you to all you readers. When I wrote this first chapter, meant only as a one shot, I'd never dreamed it'd turn into this story. But I'm glad it did. And I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.