Time After Time
Episode Title: Time After Time
Episode Summary: It always comes back to a leg.
"If you're lost you can look and you will find me
time after time.
If you fall I will catch you, I will be waiting
time after time."
Arizona wasn't used to waking up in someone else's bed. Usually, when she slept with someone, there was never any sleeping going on; instead, she always left after the main event.
But this time she had stayed. This time had felt different. This woman was different. With her blue eyes fluttering open, she rolled over and looked at the beautiful woman lying beside her—the woman she had broken her rules for.
Their night together had been amazing, and as Arizona watched the brunette sleep—the blue paisley sheets twisted around her naked body and the pizza box discarded on the floor below—she felt her heart surge with love and affection.
Arizona liked her. She really, really liked her. And she hoped that the night they had spent together would be the first of many more to come.
She reached out to touch the gorgeous sleeping beauty, aching to trace those pillowy lips…
As her arm moved forward, she was jolted back into reality.
She wasn't in bed with the woman she still loved. Instead, she was alone, and her bed was cold and half-empty.
She rolled onto her back with a sigh, staring at the ceiling. She hadn't thought about her and Callie's first time in years. Truthfully, she hadn't allowed herself to think of Callie in that way for years—not since the divorce.
She had let all of that go. She had let her ex-wife go, but then Callie had stayed, and now her heart wanted more.
But we're friends, she reminded herself. Just friends. And, tonight, I need to be friendly.
Callie laid in her bed, staring at the clock. She'd slept well despite her nerves, but woke up before her alarm sounded. Arizona was on her mind―lately, Arizona was always on her mind. Thoughts of her ex permeated her very being. Once she had opened up herself to the idea that they could become them again, thoughts of Arizona had become constant.
And Callie couldn't get enough of her, real or imagined. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to once again conjure up an image of love. Her heart fluttered as she imagined Arizona next to her. The image was so vibrant that she could almost smell her shampoo.
She sighed. How the hell am I supposed to be friendly tonight?
April Kepner sat in a chair in the corner of Arizona's room with a hungry Harriet squirming in her arms.
"Harriet's hungry. Do you mind if I feed her?"
Arizona poked her head out of the bathroom, where she was trying on dresses, to answer her friend. "Of course not."
April lifted her shirt and the baby quickly latched onto her breast, quieting immediately.
Seconds later, Arizona came out in a long red dress. "What do you think?"
April shrugged. "I think I like the blue one better."
"Callie likes red." Arizona stepped back into her bathroom and slipped off the dress, changing into her robe so she could apply her make-up.
"I thought you said this wasn't a date." April raised her voice so she could be heard in the other room. "What does it matter what Callie likes?"
Arizona ignored April's question as she reentered her room and sat down at her vanity table. Noticing April's eyes on her in the reflection of the mirror, she argued, "It's not a date."
"Okay." April was unconvinced, but she let it go. "Are you sure this doesn't bother you?" She waved her free hand at her chest, referring to the breast feeding.
Arizona smirked. "April, I've seen plenty of boobs. Yours are nothing special."
"Thanks. Way to make a girl feel good about her post-baby body."
"Sorry," Arizona apologized, turning back to face her friend. "I'm just...nervous."
"About what? I thought it wasn't a date." April grinned triumphantly as she switched Harriet to the other breast with practiced ease.
"It's not," Arizona insisted a little too quickly. She sighed. "It isn't. Really. I'm just going because she wanted someone there to keep her calm."
"Not 'someone,'" April corrected smugly. "She asked you."
Blushing a little, Arizona maintained, "That's only because I know her best."
"And she likes you best, just like you like her best."
"April!" Arizona snapped. "You're not helping!" April reminding her of her more-than-friendly feelings for Callie wasn't quite setting her up for a night of friendliness.
"I'm just telling the truth!" April insisted. "I've always been honest with you when it comes to Callie. I'm not going to stop now."
"Fine," Arizona surrendered with a roll of her eyes. "You win. As much as this isn't a date, it feels a little like a date. Happy?"
Grinning, April nodded. She watched her friend for a moment, then asked seriously, "Are you?"
"I think it's weird," Maggie stated matter-of-factly.
"What is?" Meredith wondered.
"Callie and Arizona, going to this thing together. You don't think that's weird?"
"What's weird?" Callie walked into the kitchen where the two sisters were chatting, having only caught the tail end of the question. She hung her garment bag on the door and placed her make-up case on the table. "Zola let us in," she explained, noting their surprised expressions. "Sofia has been bugging me all afternoon, so we came a little early. Now, what's weird?"
"Maggie," Meredith supplied, pointing toward her sister. "She's weird."
"No, I'm not," Maggie defended. "I'm the most normal person here."
"Hey!" Meredith and Callie exclaimed in unison.
Maggie just shrugged and took a bite of her apple. "You know I'm right." At Callie's raised eyebrow, she continued. "What? You're going on a date with your ex-wife. Weird. And that one," Maggie pointed to her sister, "is in her sexual prime and living life as a nun. Also weird-"
"Okay, I'm going to have to stop you right there." Callie held up her hand. "No one says 'sexual prime.'"
"Unless they're weird," Meredith joked, referring to Maggie.
"Besides, it's not really a date. We're driving separately and-"
"Oh my god," Maggie blurted, interrupting Callie. "You're right! I…I am weird. Do you think that's why Nathan keeps blowing me off?" She walked around the kitchen island and stood directly in front of the other two women.
Callie quickly glanced at Meredith, who was at a loss, then back at Maggie, who was actually waiting for an answer.
"I'm sure that's not the reason," Callie stammered. "Maybe…he's seeing someone else?"
"Who?" She took a step toward Callie, hoping her friend knew some gossip that she wasn't privy to.
Callie took a cautious step back, trying to distance herself from the question."Who, what?" She played dumb, cursing herself for bringing more attention to the uncomfortable subject.
"Who do you think he's seeing?" Maggie pressed. "The only person I ever really see him talking to is Meredith, and I know it's not her because she's a nun. So, who do you think it is?"
Callie blanched. "Um…I don't know..." She looked at Meredith, who was silently pleading with her to keep the secret.
Needing a diversion, Callie offered the first thing that came to mind. "So, uh…Arizona and I have a date tonight. Isn't that weird?"
"Do you really think it's a date?" Arizona worried. "Like, do you think she thinks it's a date?"
"I don't know, Arizona. I haven't been around much lately. But, strictly speaking as an outside observer, it looks like a date. How did she ask?"
Arizona's heart sped up as she recalled the gentle request Callie had made in the bar bathroom. She smiled her response. "She asked me to be her 'friendly face.'"
"Okay, that…" April narrowed her eyes. "...Is confusing and unhelpful. Did she say anything else?" she pressed.
Arizona shook her head. "No. That was it."
"Well, how did you respond?"
"I said 'okay.'" It had really been that simple. And, sure, she had been thinking oh, yes, oh, yes, oh, yes! but okay had certainly sufficed.
"Ugh, you two!" April groaned in frustration. "Do you want it to be a date?"
Arizona pursed her lips, pretending to consider her friend's question. But she knew. Quietly, she admitted, "Yes."
The corners of April's mouth began quirking up. "Do you think she wants it to be a date?"
"Well, we've been spending a lot of time together," Arizona began. "We're in a really good place, and I know she's feeling something. I can tell from the way she looks at me. And I feel it, too. And it feels good...being with her." Being friendly, she reminded herself. "Better than it has in years. But what if I'm wrong? What if being 'friendly' is all she wants?"
"Don't worry," April advised. "Just be yourself. By the end of the night, you'll know if it's a date or not." And she was fairly certain it would be.
"I never really saw you two as a couple," Maggie began. She and Meredith were side-by-side on Meredith's bed while Callie changed into her dress in the adjoining bathroom. "You were kind of in your death throes when I started working here."
"We…weren't in a good place," Callie agreed. She opened the bathroom door and walked into the room, fully dressed. "But for awhile…we were amazing."
"I'm sorry I didn't get to see that." Maggie genuinely liked them both, and she would've liked to have seen them happy together. "How long were you together?"
"Five years, married for three." Callie couldn't believe they'd been divorced now for as long as they'd been married.
Meredith turned to face Maggie. "Did you know that their wedding anniversary is the same as mine and Derek's?"
Maggie smiled. "I didn't. Who got married first?"
"Oh, it happened at the same time," Callie answered, then pointed an accusing finger at Meredith. "They skipped our wedding so they could go to the courthouse and get married themselves. I'm still a little salty, to be honest," she teased. "You missed a great party."
"You know it was for a good cause!" Meredith reminded her. Turning back to Maggie, she explained, "We were trying to adopt Zola."
"I'm so glad that worked out. I love my niece."
Callie walked toward the mirror and looked herself over. "Are you sure this looks okay?"
"You look ready to be honored," Meredith assured her. "Very classy."
"But do I look hot? I want to look hot."
"You look hot," Maggie confirmed. "If I weren't already interested in Nathan, I'd totally got out with you."
Wide-eyed, Callie and Meredith turned to Maggie, wanting to gauge her sincerity.
Maggie just flashed them a self-satisfied grin.
As soon as Callie arrived at the ballroom, she was immediately overwhelmed. There were well-dressed donors and decorated soldiers, men and women from every branch of the military, milling around everywhere she looked. She already knew that finding Arizona wouldn't be easy.
She couldn't even imagine giving a speech to so many people.
Gulping, she began to make her way through the crowd, anxious to unite with her...date.
As she squeezed between two separate circles of people chatting, a man in uniform shifted his attention, staring right at her. "You're Dr. Torres."
Callie's eyebrows flew up. "I am," she nodded, her voice revealing her anxiety.
He extended his right hand. "I'm Corporal Parker. You saved my buddy's life."
When she didn't answer right away, he continued, "You remember Nick Sanchez?"
"Oh, Nick!" Callie exclaimed, remembering her patient who'd had his leg blown off by an insurgent's grenade. "How is he?"
Parker grinned. "He's on the front line because of you. Back where he should be."
Callie smiled, her nervousness abating the slightest bit. "Last time I talked to him, he was getting ready for the fitness test again. I'm so glad to hear he's finally back to doing what he loves."
"Well, you really helped him," Parker insisted. "Trust me, you're his biggest hero. And that's saying a lot."
He and Callie talked about their mutual connection for another minute, and then Callie excused herself, continuing to search for her blonde. Where was Arizona?
Standing to the side of the bar, apart from the action, Arizona smoothed her hands over her red floor-length satin gown. Where was Callie?
She watched as a middle-aged man in a well-fitting tuxedo strode toward the bar then stopped and shifted his direction when he saw her, approaching her with a tentative smile.
"Are you here alone?" he wondered, standing by the wall right beside her.
Wide eyed, Arizona began, "Um…"
"Oh, I'm sorry." The man shook his head. "I'm not hitting on you. You're just the only other date-less person I've seen. I'm waiting for my wife to get here."
"Me, too," Arizona smiled. "Well," she backtracked, "My ex-wife."
The man smiled back. "I'm Robert Loebl." He held out his hand.
"Arizona Robbins." She shook it, then realized, "Aren't you being awarded for…?"
"Yeah," he blushed. "I came up with a new procedure for people shot in the intestines in the field. It's pretty specific, so I'm not sure how much it really h-"
Arizona shook her head. "Your procedure has saved lives," she argued. "I read about it in Critical Care."
Robert raised an eyebrow. "You're a doctor?"
Arizona nodded. "At Grey-Sloan."
They made small-talk for a few more minutes until his wife arrived and swept him away to go mingle, leaving Arizona alone again. And, man, she was really regretting leaving her phone in the car.
Grabbing two glasses of wine from the bar—one white and one red—Arizona began walking towards the hoards of people. If Callie was late, that at least gave Arizona time to talk her up to the other guests in the meantime.
Just as she found a group of people that seemed friendly enough to approach, she caught sight of thick black hair that she would know anywhere. She felt her heartbeat speed up, suddenly erratic in her chest.
And then Callie turned around, and Arizona's heart stopped entirely.
She was that beautiful—heart-stoppingly beautiful. Miraculously, breath-takingly stunning. Even before they locked eyes, Arizona couldn't take her eyes off her.
And, maybe, Callie felt the same way because, for a moment, the whole world seemed to still in suspension. Then, both women began making their way to each other, pushing past everyone in their path.
When they were finally mere feet apart, Callie sighed in relief. "You're here."
Arizona offered a soft nod, her eyes running over Callie's body, taking in every inch. "You look…" She paused, momentarily speechless. "Beautiful."
Damn it, she swore. We're just friends. Friends.
Callie's cheeks burned at the sincerity in her ex-wife's tone. "So do you," she promised.
Arizona smiled. Her body was buzzing—there was no other way to describe the feeling of pleasure. "How are you?" she worried.
"I'm…" Callie began to fidget, reminded again of her impending speech.
"Here." Arizona handed her the glass of red wine. "This will help."
Grateful, Callie accepted the glass, immediately taking a sip. "Thanks."
Not sure what to talk about, Arizona offered the first question she could think of. "What did you do today?"
"Panicked," Callie admitted honestly. "You?"
Arizona shrugged. "Saw April and Harriet. Got ready." She didn't want to disclose how long it had taken her just to choose a dress.
"Well…" Callie began, heart thumping. "You look good. Really good," she added, almost inaudibly.
But really good didn't even begin to describe Arizona. She was mystically gorgeous, and desirable, and brilliant, and kind, and…
"Should we sit down?" Arizona offered, gesturing towards an empty round table. "It might help with the nerves."
"Right." Callie affirmed. "Good idea."
"So," Callie prompted, a while later. "What ever happened with that woman you went on a date with?"
"Who?" Arizona furrowed her eyebrows. "Gail?"
Callie nodded.
"Well…" Arizona cleared her throat, a little sheepish. "I…"
"You're not still seeing her, are you?" Callie worried. Her intuition told her that was unlikely, but still, it was possible. Wasn't it?
"No."
"Okay…" Sensing the blonde's hesitation only served to pique Callie's interest.
Arizona rolled her eyes at own silliness, deciding once and for all to be honest. This is Callie, she reminded herself. Callie knew her better than anyone.
"Remember when I left you that drunken voicemail?" She was so mortified by the memory that she almost brought her hands up to hide her face, but she decided she had too much pride for that.
Callie's mouth fell open as the implication sunk in. "Oh no."
"Oh, yes," Arizona confirmed, half-cringing at the memory. "Gail was there for that."
"Oooh," Callie sympathized. "I'm sorry it didn't work out."
"I'm not," Arizona admitted, without an ounce of regret in her voice.
Callie laughed. "Yeah. I guess I'm not either."
"And, now," the host began, "We'd like to welcome our final honoree to the stage to tell us about her groundbreaking prosthetic leg project. Please give a warm welcome to Dr. Callie Torres!"
Everyone began to politely applaud and, when Callie made no move to stand, Arizona placed a soothing hand on her thigh. "You can do this," she insisted. "If you get nervous up there, just look at me."
Callie nodded, struggling to stand up in all her anxiety. Still, she managed to make her way to the stage, smile at the host, and approach the microphone.
"Hi," she began, sporting an adorably nervous smile.
The crowd chuckled, and a few guys even whistled, which helped to break the ice.
"Come on, Callie," Arizona whispered to herself, knees bouncing. "You've got this."
Callie cleared her throat then dove in, forcing herself to be brave. "When I first started this project, I only had one goal in mind—and it wasn't recognition or accolades. It was actually a lot more selfish than that." She paused, her eyes scanning over the faces in the crowd. "I started this project to help one person in particular."
Finally, her eyes landed on just that person.
Arizona would've choked right then had she been eating or drinking anything. Callie's stare was so intense that she couldn't move, couldn't look away for even a moment.
"Initially, I started this to help someone who ultimately I realized didn't need my help. And as much as this project continues to help so many people recover from such a loss, I never expected that it would have such a profound effect on me."
Arizona attempted to offer Callie an encouraging smile, knowing that period of time had been a struggle for them both—separately and together. It wasn't for lack of trying, but because neither woman had been able to give the other what she'd needed at the time. And that might've been the biggest tragedy of all.
"I was at a place in my life where nothing made sense; my faith in myself and the world was wavering, and I was…" She paused, swallowing hard. "Overcome with guilt and failure—and I thought this project could fix everything. But it was me who needed fixing."
A few members of the audience nodded, understanding on some level how it felt to feel so lost.
Arizona watched Callie in silence, feeling some regret for the past, but mostly just joy and pride for Callie in that moment. And always.
"This project was full of successes and failures—and, trust me, there were plenty of failures-"
Again, the audience chuckled, endeared by her humility.
Smiling, she then continued, "And, ultimately, I'm not the same person I was when I first started this project, but someone remade."
Arizona nodded. So was she. And she was relieved that Callie understood and embraced that—since the crash and the divorce—they had transformed into different, stronger, betterpeople. And that was a good thing.
"It has allowed me to heal myself and help people along the way. I've been lucky enough to personally meet and work with Private Sanchez, Sergeant Wells, Private Johnson, Private First Class Marcus, and Corporal Willingham, and I'm forever humbled by the courage they exhibit every day."
Unconsciously, the palm of Arizona's right hand laid over her heart, as if to keep the tenderness that filled her from overflowing.
"First steps are hard," Callie continued. "I've learned that through my career, through the soldiers I've worked with, through having a daughter—who fell a lot before she learned to walk-"
The audience laughed, and Arizona smiled at the memory of a ten-month-old Sofia taking her first steps.
"And through the person who first inspired this project," Callie finished. Once again, brown eyes located clear blues.
Arizona stared back, transfixed.
"First steps are hard," she repeated. "Second first steps are even harder. Our fear of pain and failure hold us back. But once you take that step, the ones that follow become easier. And then, one day, you're on the front line: ready for anything."
Looking around, Arizona noticed that the audience was captivated—a few were even dabbing their eyes with their cocktail napkins.
"With the new advancements that I've made, it's time to move this project beyond where it's been the past couple of years. Today, I feel that I am closer to the front line than ever, and it's time to keep moving forward."
Arizona turned her attention back to the stage as Callie concluded her speech, their eyes locking.
"I'm ready to take my next first step."
When her speech and the subsequent applause ended, music began to play, and Callie hightailed it toward her table, weaving her way through the crowd as people began to trickle onto the dancefloor.
She approached the table nervously, not sure what to expect. But as soon as she saw Arizona twinkling at her, her lips broke into a tentative smile.
Coming to stand in front of the blonde, Callie took a deep breath and worried, "What'd you think?" She couldn't remember the speech she had just given. It had been erased from her memory in her anxiety and, for all she knew, it had been terrible.
Arizona smiled impossibly wider, marvelling at the taller woman. "You're amazing."
Callie pursed her lips, attempting to control her suddenly face-splitting smile. Confident as she usually was, she felt her cheeks redden at the compliment.
"And," Arizona grinned, "You've gotten a whole lot better at public speaking."
Callie laughed, finally able to relax. "Well, you being here...anchored me."
Forcing herself to maintain eye contact, she shyly added, "It helped."
Arizona's eyes widened, and she momentarily was caught off guard by Callie's sincerity. "I, um." Unsure of how to respond, she decided to change the subject, "What do you want to do now? Can I get you a drink?"
Callie shook her head. "I think I'd like to just sit for a few minutes and lower my blood pressure."
"Okay," Arizona gently agreed. "Let's do that."
After a some time spent people-watching, Arizona turned her attention away from the dancefloor to face Callie directly. She watched her silently—taking in her soft lips, her light freckles, and the golden specks reflected in her dark eyes.
Empowered by her ex-wife's speech, she braved, "Do you want to dance?"
Surprised, Callie turned to the blonde, her breath quickening. "What?"
A little self-conscious, Arizona backtracked, "Well, it's your night, and I was thinking we could dance. If you want to, I mean" she quickly amended.
Callie's eyebrows shot up. "Do you want to?"
"Well...yeah," Arizona confessed. "As long as you do."
Callie just offered a soft nod, her eyes shining.
That was all the affirmation Arizona needed. She stood up, held out her shaking hand, and whispered, "Come on."
And Callie didn't hesitate. She reached for Arizona's hand as she rose from her chair, and they walked side-by-side to the middle of the dancefloor.
They stood two feet from each other, and Arizona regretfully dropped Callie's hand, unsure of how to take the next step.
Feeling stifled by the silence, Callie offered, "I'm really glad you came to this thing tonight."
Arizona's lips quirked up. "I wanted to. To be here for you."
Callie met the blonde's gaze, taking note of the way those blue eyes were searing into her. She knew Arizona was saying so much more. And as a slow, familiar song began to play, those eyes never strayed from hers.
Arizona stepped forward. She lifted her hands to hover above Callie's shoulders, feeling her stomach dip in panic—or maybe anticipation—for what was about to happen.
Without hesitation, Callie's hands came up to her waist, and Arizona allowed her own hands to fall onto smooth caramel skin, her breath shuddering out at the contact.
Feeling the shift in Arizona's breathing, Callie tightened her grip, pulling her closer.
Arizona was practically breathing in the brunette, and, still, she wasn't close enough. Attempting to subtly fill the space that was left between their bodies, she slowly ran her hands over Callie's shoulders until she could wrap her arms around her neck.
And the way Callie pulled her in was automatic, their bodies suddenly flush against each other—softness against softness and curves hugging curves.
We're just friends, Arizona attempted to remind herself again. But it was hard. The way they were, right then, didn't feel friendly. It felt like a date.
With her thumbs ever-so-slightly rubbing circles against the smaller woman's waist, Callie murmured, "I can't even remember the last time we danced."
And Arizona knew that Callie was excluding their awkward foot-shuffling at Bailey's wedding. That night hadn't counted. She'd been too self-conscious to really trust her wife, or even her own feet.
No. Arizona vividly recalled that the last time they'd danced together had been yearsago. Softly, she rested her head on Callie's shoulder."I remember."
Callie pulled away, just enough to look into sparkling blue eyes.
"It was our anniversary," Arizona elaborated, smiling wistfully. "Mark had Sofia, and we went to that fancy restaurant and then came home and just stayed in each other's arms, swaying to Ella Fitzgerald."
Callie released a shaky sigh, then worried that Arizona might feel it vibrating against her. "That was a good night," she smiled. "Still..." She paused, regretful. "I can't believe that was the last time."
Arizona pursed her lips. "I know," she agreed, her eyes not wavering from the deep brown staring back at her. "I could've danced with you forever."
Callie leaned in, closing her eyes as she rested her cheek against the blonde's. "Me, too."
They fell into a comfortable silence, both women treasuring the moment in each other's arms.
As another slow song began to play, Arizona prompted, "Callie?"
"Hmm?" Callie replied, distracted and consumed by the sweet scent of blonde hair.
With her fingertips running over the nape of Callie's neck, light as gossamer, Arizona admitted, "I knew—before the speech, I mean—I knew that you started this project for me."
"Yeah," Callie hummed in thoughtful confirmation. "I just wanted you to be happy." Quietly, she added, "I still do."
Arizona smiled, pulling back to look into Callie's shimmering eyes. "Right now, with you…" She paused. "I'm really happy."
Half an hour later, Callie and Arizona exited the ballroom, walking toward the parking lot in stifling silence as they thought back to the events of the evening.
Callie had said that she was ready to take her next first step. With me, Arizona presumed, because that much had been clear. With their intimate dance, it had only become clearer.
She just wasn't sure what she was supposed to do with that knowledge—whether Callie was waiting for her to confess a similar desire, or if she wanted to follow up with a confession of her own.
So she had opted to stay silent, and, to her dismay, so had Callie.
Finally, out in the cool, fresh air, the women swallowed their worries and turned to face each other.
"Well, um..." "I, uh..."
Looking at each other, they each released a nervous laugh.
"You first," Arizona suggested.
"I was just going to say thank you. Again," Callie began. "For coming. For...well, for everything." Thank you alone didn't even begin to cover how thankful she was.
Trembling with desire to reach out and touch the brunette, Arizona clasped her hands behind her back, too scared to act on her impulses. "You really don't have to thank me, Callie. I wouldn't have missed it."
They stood before each other, silent and expectant, each woman hoping the other would make some sort of move.
An embrace, a nod, even a few parting words. Anything.
Callie physically ached to feel Arizona's protective arms around her again, and Arizona's heart raced at the thought of running her palms over her ex-wife's body. Suddenly, blue eyes landed on Callie's full lips, wanting nothing more than to kiss her.
But Callie was right. The first step was the hardest, and acknowledging that didn't inherently make it any easier.
"I, um." Arizona hitched her thumb behind her. "I should go." If she looked at Callie a second longer, she knew she wouldn't be able to control herself.
"Right," Callie sighed, cursing their lackluster parting. It was her own fault.
Arizona offered a tentative smile. "I'll see you Monday?"
Recovering, Callie nodded. "Yeah," she whispered. "Monday."
"Great," Arizona breathed.
They stood there for another minute, both waiting for something that wasn't going to happen.
Then, regretfully turning to walk to their cars, they quickly realized that they were parked near each other. Sharing one last glance, they each took a step forward, heading in the same direction.