Title: Stronger
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A/U After the plane crash, Cristina tells Callie Arizona's story.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I do not intend to profit in any way, shape or form by posting this story. It's for fun, nothing more, and nothing less. Please don't sue me.

A/N: Hi everyone! MERRY CHRISTMAS (or whatever other holiday you choose to celebrate). This story is a Secret Santa gift for the awesome captstarbuck. I kinda of mushed two of the prompts she asked for together: A/U Calzona, can be angsty but would need a happy ending or Cristina/Arizona friendship leading to Calzona forgiveness. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it. :D

"Hey!" Callie said happily as she walked into Arizona's hospital room. "I got you a couple of doughnuts," she said with a singsong voice as she dropped a small bag on the tray next to the bed in the center of the room. "I got those sprinkled ones you like so much."

"I talked to your mom again last night and she and your dad will be here in three days. I know you'd rather wait until you're feeling better, but they missed you and they want to see you." She glanced toward the bed for a moment and then rubbed one hand against her cheek. "And you know they want to see Sofia. I swear… your mom takes spoiling our daughter to a new level," she said with a smile. "Who knows what they're going to show up with for her!"

She glanced around and made sure the room was still decorated the way she last left it, since nurses have a bad habit of moving things around. Satisfied that everything was where it should be, she sat down next to the bed and reached for Arizona's hand. She caressed the pale skin softly and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss on the back of her wife's hand.

"And speaking of Sofia, she was a real terror this morning," she said with a soft chuckle. "It took me ten minutes, but I got her on board with the tights. She said she wants to look pretty when she comes to see you later tonight. I totally went good cop, you'd be really proud of me." The smile on Callie's face was bright, but it was also sad. It was hard to hold back the tears, but she could cry later tonight, after she put Sofia to bed. Here, while sitting with Arizona, she wanted to be bright and shiny, like her wife was; the bright spot in her gloomy world. She reached out and gently smoothed a piece of blonde hair behind Arizona's open, but dead eyes.

It's been two weeks since the survivors of the plane crash have been found. Cristina, Meredith, and Derek somehow made it out with only minor injuries, but being stuck in the woods with no food, water, or fire for four days certainly takes a toll. Of course, others weren't as lucky. Arizona's leg was more than just broken and mangled; it was also riddled with infection. When she was brought into the hospital, she was hysterical and had to be restrained. They doped her up on various medications and the doctor in Boise made the call to amputate. When she woke up, she wasn't herself. She didn't talk, didn't move, she just stared into space. Three days later she was moved to the psych ward, where Callie was now. Mark was still in a coma. And Lexie… well, she was dead. Everyone was in shock, but managed to pull out of it and pull together to work at surviving, as far as Callie knew.

Well, everyone that wasn't crushed under the back of the plane, missing a leg, or in a coma.

Callie gently caressed Arizona's cheek and got no reaction. "I miss you…" Her voice cracked with the words, but she swallowed the pain and hurt in her throat. "…So much, Arizona; the way you would smile at me the most, with your blue eyes shining with so much warmth, love, and adoration." She sighed while looking at Arizona's face, so lost and blank. "You're figuring something out. That's what all the psych docs have been telling me, anyway. That this trauma that happened to you was just too much to bear… And it definitely was, but you're so strong," she licked her lips and shook her head with a slight laugh. "You've always been right and awesome, so you take the time you need, okay? Sofia and I will be here waiting for you. And apparently, your parents will be too, because your mother flat out said she's not leaving until you're back to being you," she chuckled when she recalled Barbara's words from the previous night.

"Have I mentioned that I really like your parents? Because if not, I just want you to know that they're lovely. And they're so happy you're alive. And so am I. We're all beyond happy that you're still here… to be their daughter, to be my wife, to be Sofia's Mama." Callie smiled and ran her fingers through Arizona's hair. "I think Sofia misses you even more than I do, but she's so excited that she gets to come and see you tonight with Grandma and Grandpa."

Callie quickly wiped away the tears that managed to pool in her eyes. She really didn't want to cry again, but she had nothing to do but sit and talk with Arizona and try to help her remember all that she has to live for and finally wake up. She couldn't imagine how scared it must be for her beautiful wife. The terror of being in a plane as it crashes. Hopelessly sitting in a seat as it happens all around you, with no place to go except sit in a seat and accept that it is happening.

None of the other survivors have talked about it; the crash. The pain and horror it caused lingers in the air still, especially whenever close to Arizona's or Mark's hospital room. Callie assumed that was why most of the other survivors stayed away. She saw Derek and Meredith once in Arizona's room. And she saw Derek a couple times in Mark's room, but they didn't talk about it. Mark was dying. It was going to happen soon, so they avoided talking about it.

The door squeaked as it opened and Alex Karev stuck his head into the room. "Any change?" he asked while glancing around the room.

Callie shook her head, hiding her face as she finished wiping away her tears. After taking a moment to collect herself she motioned for Alex to come into the room. He stepped inside carefully, like he was walking into a forbidden room. He felt heavy with guilt, despite the fact Arizona made the choice for him. He walked into Arizona's line of sight, but she didn't react.

"Hey boss," he paused, hoping for a reaction. When he received none, he kept going, "Chunky Stew is looking good. I'm keeping the department working just as you like, so don't you go worrying about anything. You're gonna be back soon, so I'm holding Hunt off on getting a replacement… even a temporary one." He glanced at Callie and offered her a grin.

Callie felt her chest seize. Karev was a good man and loyal to a fault and she was never more happy that he was his wife's student than she felt at that very moment. She knew what he said to Arizona was simply truth. He would do his best to push Hunt to not hire anyone else because his faith in Arizona was unrelenting. As was her own faith in Arizona.

"Anyway, you feel better, Robbins. And get back here soon, the kids keep asking about you." He awkwardly stood for a moment, before deciding to gently pat Arizona's shoulder. There was no response. He turned to Callie and frowned before heading out the door as quietly and quickly as he came in.

Callie smiled and ran her fingers through Arizona's hair again, "You have a lot of people in your corner. We're all waiting for you to come back."

"You're still talking to Roller Skate Girl as if she's going to respond, huh?" Cristina stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her. "Oh wait, I guess just Roller Girl will work better now."

"Of course I am. She's awake and she can hear me. When she's ready, she'll talk back. And seriously, you have the tact of a gnat," Callie just shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"She'll be rollin' up in in Peds, in a wheel chair, popping wheelies and showin' those kids how it's done." Cristina actually grinned at Callie and Callie returned it, wholeheartedly, because she believed it to be true.

There were a few moments of silence before Callie turned to Cristina. "Where have you been? I thought you and Arizona were friends now, but it's been two weeks and this is the first we've seen you."

"First of all, you're the only one seeing me." Cristina waved her hand in front of Arizona's eyes, as if to prove her point. She flopped into the chair next to Callie. "And it's been two weeks because I was hoping she'd come back on her own, but I guess I have to help. Or I have to at least tell you what happened out there. For her." She nodded toward Arizona.

Callie raised a brow, "But you guys don't talk about it."

"We don't need too. Mer and Derek talk to each other about it. I've been telling Owen… No one else needs to know what the hell happened out there. And we don't need to rehash it because we lived it. But Arizona has a story of survival too and she's not talking and you deserve to know." Cristina cleared her throat, "That is, if you want to know it."

Callie's eyes moved from Cristina to Arizona, "Of course I want to know. I want her to open up and talk to me; to tell me what happened and why she's resorted to this state…"

"I get it. I think I was almost there with her." Cristina said softly. This was the most serious Callie could remember Cristina being in a long time. "Four days is a long time to be lost. We had little to no equipment, but we did our best to keep everyone alive and well. Arizona was in shock immediately. She was screaming and wouldn't stop. I'm not even sure she realized that it was her voice until I yelled at her to stop."

Callie felt her eyes well with water, but kept quiet, listening closely to Cristina.

"The break in her leg was bad, but she was laughing in shock with the pilot. It was kind of funny when he told us later that she said she was staring at her bone and married to an orthopedic surgeon." Cristina and Callie both chuckled softly. "She splinted her leg herself while we searched for Derek and Lexie. When we found Lexie, I knew she was going to die. Mark stayed with her and Meredith and I kept looking for Derek."

Cristina licked her lips before rubbing a hand over her face. "It was shortly after Lexie died that we realized Mark had a cardiac tamponade. We did everything we could to save him. I would hear Arizona talking to him throughout the day and night, telling him that you and Sofia were waiting for him. She never complained, not even when I was picking bugs out of the wound in her leg. She was strong, even when forced to drink her own urine."

"It was worse than anything you could imagine. And we all lived through it. And it's a shame that people died, but she's alive. And she's coping. And if this is how she has to do it, then so be it, because if it was up to me, I'd like to sleep for a couple of weeks and forget about it too." Cristina sighed and leaned back in the chair.

When Callie realized that Cristina was lost in thought, she turned to Arizona and was shocked to see tears streaming from her eyes. She leaned in and wiped the tears from her cheeks and that's when she realized that Arizona was staring at her; her blue eyes wide and pooling more tears. "Arizona?"

Cristina looked up hearing Callie and noticed that Arizona was finally coming back. She gripped Callie's shoulder for a moment, then turned and left the room.

Arizona opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She licked her lips and just stared at Callie while continuing to cry.

"Arizona!" Callie's smile was wide and breathtaking as she wrapped her arms around her wife tightly. "Oh thank goodness."

"Too tight…" Arizona whispered.

"Oh, sorry!" Callie laughed as she leaned back to look into Arizona's face. Her hands immediately slid over Arizona's cheeks as she stared into her eyes. The dead eyes were gone, back were the brilliant blue of the woman she loved. They had pain and hurt held within them, but also love. Callie could feel the love all over while looking into those eyes. "How are you feeling?"

Arizona's eyes pooled with fresh tears, "Like I just survived a plane crash."

Callie didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she offered a soft chuckle and was rewarded with a small smile on Arizona's face. "You did survive, honey." Callie took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving Arizona's while her hands moved up and down her cheeks to shoulders and back. "You are the strongest person I know and you just… you amaze me."

Arizona felt her cheeks heat up at Callie's words, but then slowly looked away. "I almost gave up." She heaved a broken sigh and licked her lips, unable to look at Callie. "I was in so much pain. And I could feel… I could feel them moving under my skin." She swallowed the large lump in her throat and took a moment to collect her thoughts. "It would… it could have been so easy… you know, to just slip away. But I couldn't bear the thought of never seeing you again; of n-never seeing Sofia again."

Callie felt her heart breaking into pieces. She just wanted to wrap her arms around Arizona and never let go, but she just remained quiet and watched as Arizona sorted through her thoughts. She was torn though and staying quiet was proving difficult, because all she wanted to do was run out of the room and scream with happiness that her wife was awake; awake and alive after being lost for so long.

Arizona finally turned her eyes back to Callie and smiled softly, "So I talked to Mark. I t-told him what was waiting for us, but it was as much for him as it was for me. I n-needed to hear it just as much as he d-did… maybe even m-more." There was silence for several moments. "It's gone, isn't it?"

"What?" Callie asked breathlessly.

"My leg… it's gone, isn't it?" Arizona stared at Callie, waiting for the answer which she already knew.

Callie nodded slowly and swallowed the huge lump that formed in her throat. "In Boise. They didn't want to take any chances with the infection. It was…" she released a long breath before continuing, "…it was so bad. There was no choice, they had to amputate or risk the infection getting worse and moving through your body." She sighed softly, tears falling unbidden down her cheeks.

"It's okay, Calliope, I knew the moment I ripped my pants open and saw the b-bone." She smiled at Callie and reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers together. "And I know I was in shock. I laughed, because the first thought in my head was you over my shoulder telling me how beautiful my tibia was."

"Well, I do have to admit, you have some pretty hot bones." Callie's free hand traced along Arizona's jaw gently. The two smiled at each other, love radiating from their eyes and hearts.

A clearing of the throat by the door broke them both from the look. "Well, seems miracles do happen in the psych ward and not just in the operating room," Miranda Bailey said as she walked further into the room, her arms full with a squirmy toddler.

"I'm in psych?" Arizona asked with a look of horror on her face.

"Hey now, don't be like that. Had I just crashed in a plane, I'd be right there next to you," Bailey said as she walked closer to the bed and deposited Sofia next to Arizona. A baby would be the perfect buffer against any sort of crazy that might come up.

"Mama." Sofia said as he little arms wrapped around Arizona's neck.

Tears were streaming from Arizona's eyes. She let go of Callie's hand and wrapped both of her arms around her daughter, one hand gently cradling Sofia's head against her neck. "Hi baby girl. Mama missed you so much."

"Hmph, I see how it is," Bailey said while leaning against the hospital bed.

"Hi Bailey, I missed you so much too," Arizona said in a deadpan tone.

Callie and Bailey both grinned.

"I just wanted to bring you that adorable baby girl when I heard the good news," Bailey said with a smile.

"We haven't told anyone that she woke up… not even the psych nurses have been in here yet," Callie said with a laugh.

"Have you forgotten who I am?" Bailey said with a straight face. There was silence for a few moments before she cracked a smile, "Cristina was telling Meredith down stairs and I just happened to hear."

They all laughed softly before Bailey gently patted Arizona's shoulder, "Glad you're awake. I'm going to let you have some time with your family." She started to move toward the door, "Oh and don't worry about your department, Karev has been keeping things in order." She waved her hand as she walked out of the door, closing it behind herself.

Bailey stopped by the window which looked in on the little family and smiled as the three all hugged one another. For the past two weeks, she'd been scared of who Arizona would be when she finally snapped out of the state she was in. She had every reason to close down, close off, just disappear and for two weeks she did, but now, it looks like she's back. And amazingly enough it appeared as though the entire family was at peace with the situation. It just proves that even though bad things can happen to good people, the best people can roll with the punches and come out stronger than they ever thought they could be.