Well, it's been a while since I popped on here and uploaded something for you lot. I don't know how frequent the updates will be, I'm a full-time writer with a full schedule at the best of times, but when I can get on to give you guys something, I will.

Enjoy.

One

Arizona leant forward over the passenger seat, taking her bag from the footwell of her car. The rain thundered against the roof of it, now she needed to make it across the road without saturation being the outcome. A long day, a kid with an attitude, and terrible weather only meant her mood was low tonight.

Lower than it had been in some time.

With a newspaper over her head, the strap of her bag gripped tight in her hand, Arizona rushed across the street, hammering on the door as she reached it. She didn't have time to rummage for her keys, Sofia could take her ass off the couch for a change.

When the door flew open, Sofia scowled. "Don't you know you have a key?"

"Do I look like I have time to find my keys?" Arizona watched her daughter expectantly. "I mean, is it so hard for you to get up and open the door?"

"Here we go again…" Sofia rolled her eyes, turning her back on Arizona as she slumped back off into the living room. "Maybe I should call Mom. See if I can go back early."

Arizona sighed, closing the door quietly and slipping her heels off. She didn't want Sofia's time in London to be this way. She only had her during the holidays, even that wasn't enough. One week in, and her daughter didn't appear to care if she was here or not. Arizona knew it would be hard, spending the summer in London wasn't really in her seventeen-year-old daughters plans. Arizona knew that from the moment Sofia landed at Heathrow, less than thrilled as her mother threw her arms around her.

She'd spoken with Callie leading up to their daughter's flight, and as far as Callie was concerned, Sofia couldn't wait to spend the summer in London. But now, that didn't appear to be the case. Now, Arizona felt as though Sofia wanted to be anywhere other than in the same room as her.

That had to change.

She dropped her bag to the floor and tiptoed into the living room. "Sof?"

"What?" Sofia glared from the couch. "I know you asked me to make dinner, but I forgot. I'm sorry."

Arizona waved off her daughters' apology. "Don't worry about dinner. I'm not very hungry since I was greeted with a telling off."

"Should I just go back home?"

"You are home," Arizona said. "I mean, this is your home. One of them."

"But it's not really home, is it? None of my friends are here. Mom is back in New York alone. You know, we're all just dotted around the world."

Arizona cleared her throat, hopping up onto a stool at the breakfast bar. She'd bought this place with Sofia in mind. The typical detached, Victorian property in an affluent area of London. Close to everything either of them could possibly need. Sofia didn't appear all that bothered by the effort Arizona had put in, though. In some ways, that was understandable. In others, not quite. Sofia was seventeen. She was raised to respect people. Since her arrival, Arizona was yet to encounter that respect.

"Look, I know you want to be back in New York, but it's been seven months since I saw you."

"Yeah."

"But you don't really seem to care about that." Arizona frowned. What the hell was wrong with her daughter? "Have I done something wrong that I'm unaware of?"

"Other than leaving? No."

And there it was. Once again. Sofia had expressed her disgust when Arizona told her about a job opportunity in London. Instead of being proud of her mom, excited about the potential, Sofia had thrown one hell of a hissy fit. Of course Arizona wanted to remain close to her, she didn't exactly love the prospect of flying thousands of miles to see her family, but this was her career. Her life.

"I know this isn't ideal, but I'd really like for you to enjoy your time here with me. It's important to me, Sof. Really important."

"I just feel out of place." Sofia got to her feet, taking her phone from the coffee table. "But I'll try, okay?"

Arizona caught Sofia by the wrist. "That's all I ask."

"I have a video call with some friends happening in a few minutes." Sofia threw her thumb over her shoulder. "So, you know."

Arizona turned her watch towards her. She had to shower, dress, and leave within the next hour. She didn't like leaving Sofia alone, but her daughter would shoot down the opportunity to join Arizona for a works event, so what was the point in asking? Still, she would. "You remember I have to go out tonight?"

"Yep."

"You wanna come?"

"Nope."

Arizona pinched the bridge of her nose. This attitude was becoming very tedious. "I wondered if maybe we could spend the day together tomorrow. Maybe do some shopping down Oxford Street. I'll take you to a fancy restaurant. Spoil you."

"Maybe, yeah." Sofia lifted a shoulder. "I'll see how I feel."

"Right, well…" Arizona watched Sofia walk away, her attention now on her phone screen.

This really wasn't going to work if Sofia continued to be difficult. It also wouldn't work if her daughter retreated to her bedroom every time Arizona arrived home from work. They needed to get on the same page…and it needed to happen fast.

Arizona took her phone from the inside pocket of her suit jacket, sighing.

A: Just checking in. Sofia still hates me. Expect her home if this continues.

C: Let me call her. If she thinks she's spending her time in London sulking, she's sorely mistaken.

A: It's fine. Leave it. Hoping to spend the day with her tomorrow…if she'll leave her room.

C: Oh, she will. I'll make sure of it.

Arizona shook her head, laughing. Callie always was the one Sofia listened to. That's just how it worked between them. As Sofia grew up—predominantly in Callie's care—Arizona became less a part of her life. She didn't want to hang out as often. She didn't return her calls. Weekend stay overs were few and far between. But Arizona had always put that down to the fact that Sofia was a teenager who didn't want to be best friends with her mom. Teenagers wanted one thing. Friends. Not their parents cramping their style.

Figuring that another attempt at conversation could wait until she returned home later this evening, Arizona admitted defeat and slid off her stool. She had cocktails to prepare for. Cocktails that she seriously needed to devour.

Martini was packed out tonight. To be expected since it was Friday, but it only made Arizona more agitated. She needed to shake the feeling she had lately, it wasn't good for her stress levels. Showering was supposed to be relaxing, calming, but Arizona instead found herself contemplating her decision to meet with fellow surgeons this evening.

She'd chosen to come along. The last three invitations had been turned down; she really couldn't keep giving her colleagues the cold shoulder. After all, Sofia wouldn't always be here, and Arizona really didn't wish to alienate herself.

"So, Arizona." Bethany, Arizona's understudy, broke her from her thoughts. "Tell me what it was like working with Nicole Herman."

Arizona smiled. Those were the days when she was stealing furniture and living at the hospital. "Working with Nicole was…unique."

"Is it true that she's a bitch?"

"Once you know her, once she's given you all of her knowledge, she turns down her bitch level." Arizona sipped her Pornstar Martini, smacking her lips as the tartness of it reached her taste buds. "Wow. That's impressive." Her eyebrows rose in surprise before she took another sip. "How are you finding the hospital?"

Bethany scratched the back of her neck, clearing her throat. "It's…good. Yeah."

"Okay, I sense that's not entirely true."

"What's not to love about working with teeny-tiny babies?"

"You make a good point." Arizona nodded, her attention firmly on the drink in front of her. Would it be wrong if she ordered another before her first one was gone? "But you know, if you need to speak to me…or something isn't right, I don't bite."

Bethany blushed; her eyes cast on the worn, rustic table.

"But if it helps, I think you're doing a fantastic job."

"Thank you."

Arizona pushed her chair out, standing. "Now, I'm going to the bar. Can I get you another?"

"Oh," Bethany's eyes widened. "That would be really nice, thank you. Just a red wine."

"Just a red wine, coming up."

Arizona offered drinks around the table before disappearing towards the bar. Bethany had a typical British accent; one Arizona was still trying to get used to. Cockney rhyming slang really was an issue for her.

She placed an order with the bartender, slipping her credit card out from the back of her phone. The less she carried in her bag, the less chance of her entire existence being stolen by some chancer as they walked past. She'd been warned about pickpockets, prevalent in all the major cities, so she would do what she could to minimise her chance of becoming a victim.

"Arizona?"

Arizona's forehead creased. She wasn't expecting to hear an American accent around here this evening. It was welcome—she sometimes had bouts of homesickness—but the fact they knew her name that meant it was someone she already knew. Someone she may not want to see.

Arizona turned her head, almost flawed when her brain caught up with her eyes. Eliza Minnick. In the flesh. Standing before her. "Eliza?"

"Hi." Eliza smiled shyly.

Wow. This was unexpected. "H-how are you?"

"Good, yeah." Eliza's eye flittered around the room. "Just…waiting for my wife. Well, ex…soon."

"Oh, well…" Arizona paused, she had no idea what to say. "It was nice to see you. I should get back to the table with these drinks." Her eyes landed on the bar in front of her. Thankfully, her order was present. "Take care."

"What are you doing here?" Eliza interrupted Arizona's getaway. "Are you visiting, or?"

"No. I live here now."

"Small world, huh. I've been here six years." Eliza set her bag down on the bar, she clearly wasn't done. "So, what brought you here?"

"Work."

"I didn't ever imagine you'd leave Grey Sloan."

"I haven't been there for a long time. I moved to New York to be closer to Sofia. Took a job with Nicole Herman, but I felt as though I needed a change. When a position came up in London, I took it. Seven months ago."

"It's really great to see you," Eliza said, that beautiful bright smile present and correct. A smile Arizona still thought about from time to time. Not too often, though. She didn't need to put herself through that torment. "Maybe if you're free one day, or evening…" Eliza reached into the side-pocket of her bag, taking out a business card and handing it to Arizona. "We could have coffee. Catch up, if you like?"

Arizona frowned. The world was upside down today. "Maybe, yeah." There was a time when she couldn't think about Eliza. A time when just a split-second thought caused anger to bubble away inside her. But ten years was a long time to get over someone. Ten years was a long time, period. "I'd invite you to join our table, but you have plans, so."

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Eliza offered a weak smile. "Well, I'll let you get on. Have a nice night."

Arizona nodded slowly, she had nothing else to offer. In an ideal world, she would yell at Eliza. But this wasn't an ideal world. It was a world in which she no longer had the patience or the inclination to fight with people. Arizona wanted a stress-free, calm life. She wanted to settle down at night and not have the burden of life on her shoulders. "Bye, Eliza."

Eliza relaxed into her seat, her soon-to-be ex-wife sitting across from her. Pippa had come from Leicester to bring divorce papers; things were clearly moving along seriously. Eliza was okay with that, though. There was a time when she would have fought harder for her marriage, but Pippa had made it painfully clear what she wanted. It wasn't Eliza. It was the woman from the law firm she'd been working at since she was twenty-four. Her boss.

"How was the drive?" Eliza enquired, willing to remain on her ex-wife's good side. Over the years, Eliza had learnt to let things go. Anything that required more strength and concentration than necessary wasn't worth the hassle. "You're brave driving here on a Friday night."

"It's important that we get this done," Pippa explained. "And I know it's shitty, but why carry on pretending?"

Eliza crossed her legs, taking her glass of wine from the table. "Oh, I'm prepared for this. I'm ready when you are."

"Well, good." Pippa cleared her throat. "So, I'll leave these with you." She slid the envelope across the table, finishing the glass of lemonade she'd ordered a while ago. "I should get back. You know what Talia is like when I leave her with Mum."

"Give her a kiss goodnight for me?"

Pippa smiled. "Always do."

Pippa attempted to stand, stopped when Eliza placed her hand on top of hers. "Hey, I don't hate you."

"Sometimes I wonder."

Eliza lifted a shoulder. "What's the point? It doesn't change anything. We have a daughter to take care of and she is the only thing that matters to me now. I don't want to fight with you, and I don't want to end this on bad terms." Eliza had every right to be angry, her wife had been sleeping with her boss for the best part of a year, but it really was no use. Eliza had her health and her career; she could get over heartache. "Just…don't push me out of Talia's life, okay?"

"I wouldn't do that to you," Pippa said, shaking her head. "She worships you, Eliza. Absolutely worships you."

"Yeah." Eliza felt emotion ball in her throat. It would be easy to sit here with tears in her eyes, but she didn't want that. Pippa had hurt her; she wouldn't also have the satisfaction of seeing Eliza cry. That was reserved for the moments when she was alone at home. "Well, don't let me keep you any longer."

"Goodnight, Eliza."

Eliza watched her ex-wife walk away. As beautiful as Pippa was, Eliza knew when she was no longer needed. The day it ended would remain vivid in her mind for some time to come, but they had tried. Whatever Eliza did, it wasn't good enough. Therapy was a waste of time and a lot of money.

Knocking back the remainder of her wine, Eliza grabbed her coat from the back of her seat and headed for the exit. As she glanced around, her heart fluttered at the sight of Arizona laughing—her head thrown back. She's even more beautiful than she was ten years ago. Eliza stopped for a moment, watching her ex talk animatedly to her friends. It was refreshing to see…something heart-warming.

And then Arizona's eyes caught Eliza's.

Eliza lifted her hand, offering a slight wave in Arizona's direction. Mouthing 'bye', she pulled the glass door and stepped out onto the pavement. The cool air penetrated her skin, the fact that her coat was gripped in her hand didn't seem to matter. She enjoyed the breeze coming from the Thames.

"Eliza!" Arizona's voice carried itself on the breeze, stopping Eliza's heart. "Eliza, wait!"

She turned around. Arizona was walking towards her in all her beautiful glory.

"Did you want to join us?" Arizona asked, keeping a slight distance.

"No, thank you." Eliza cast her eyes on the floor. She shouldn't join Arizona. Not when she was looking at her and wishing she'd never let her go. She'd never divulge that information, but Eliza had spent many years regretting her decision to leave Seattle. Ten years on, it didn't matter. Their lives had been lived a million miles apart. "I think it's time for me to call it a night."

"Well," Arizona paused, chewing her lip. "Maybe we could have a drink alone?"

Alone? What did that mean?

"I-I don't—"

"Or we could go somewhere else…"

Eliza blew out a long, deep breath. "Somewhere else?"

"I only live around the corner. Two streets away. Sofia will be home, but she doesn't really acknowledge that I exist lately, so I don't imagine she'd interrupt us."

"Sofia lives with you?" Eliza's eyes brightened. She always had wondered what happened between Arizona, Callie and Sofia. At least they'd worked it all out.

"No. She's just here for the summer. She doesn't want to be here, but I need time with her, too."

Eliza chewed the inside of her cheek. Arizona sounded as though she had things on her mind. As much as she would love to step in and be a friend, an ear, Eliza wasn't sure it was appropriate. "Arizona…"

"It's okay." Arizona held up her hand. "I just thought with you offering to meet earlier that you wouldn't be totally against the idea."

"No, I'm not against it. But this is kinda weird."

"Mm." Arizona smiled faintly. "But we're both adults so I'm sure we can have coffee without hostility."

Eliza thought about it for a moment. What exactly did she have to lose by giving over her time and attention to Arizona Robbins? Nothing. Nothing at all. "You're right." Eliza ran her fingers through her hair. "It would be nice to catch up with you."

"Let me get my coat. I'll be a few minutes."

The blood running through Eliza's veins pumped a little harder knowing she would soon be alone with Arizona. Ten years had passed, but that attraction would always be there. "Yeah. No rush."