Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction using characters from Grey's Anatomy. The characters are created and owned by Shonda Rhimes and ABC. The story is for entertainment only. I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story.

Description: Unexpected mail disrupts the lives of the Robbins-Torres household. This story takes place a few years in the future. It follows canon until 11x5. In this story, Callie and Arizona don't separate.

Author's Note: I had no plans to write, then a thought crossed my mind, which ended up as this story. It's relatively short. I wanted to thank cycworker who graciously agreed to read it in its entirety, generously taking time from her day to share feedback with me.

Thank you in advance to those who give it a go. If it's not for you, no problem.

Title: You Promised

Chapter 1

Callie casually swayed by the stove, her hips shimmying to the beat of the music playing in the background. Her glass of red wine waited patiently on the counter as she added the final ingredients to the skillet. Callie loved cooking; it was therapeutic. It put her in the zone or bubble as Arizona dubbed it. Cooking was her drug. Her paraphernalia were the ingredients, the music and the wine. Together, they created time and space for Callie to unwind, to discard the stress of her job and whatever else ailed her, letting her focus return to her wife, her children and herself. Sofia's current clamoring disrupted her culinary mojo.

"Mommy, can I open mine? It's so pretty. Pleassse...can I open it?" Sofia sweetly begged. The pleading was more grating than endearing. A glossy envelope, with its mesmerizing qualities, was clutched in the eight year old's hand, holding the youngster's gaze. Sofia rarely received mail, usually just a few birthday cards, and never a piece as striking as this. Curiosity was getting the better of the young girl as she hopped up and down on alternating feet around the kitchen, trying to get her mother's attention.

The thunderous prancing made Callie give up, her bubble popped, her Zen dissipated. Unwilling to ruin dinner, she shut off the burner. Looking over at the clock, a smile appeared as Callie thought about the family meal they would be enjoying shortly. Arizona was due home soon with their youngest. Callie finished work early today and Arizona was quick to ask her wife if she would whip up one of her favorite Mexican dishes. Lately, schedules rarely aligned; it was a welcome treat for the four of them to dine together.

Brought back to the present by Sofia's happy ruckus, Callie scanned the room, seeking the source of Sofia's jubilation. She eyed the day's mail plopped on the table, spying two more fancy envelopes protruding from the mound. Realizing it was not just some random piece of correspondence, she took the object of Sofia's attention from her daughter and examined it front to back. "What's this?" Callie asked aloud.

The return address on the envelope made Callie shake her head in frustration. The item in her hand was addressed to Miss Sofia Robbins Sloan Torres. She walked over to the table and looked down. The name on the second envelope sitting atop the stack was addressed to Miss Phoebe Robbins Torres. A third shimmery corner peaked out from the pile. Callie pulled the buried envelope from the heap and read it, Dr. Calliope Torres and Dr. Arizona Robbins.

Callie shook her head, dropping all but Sofia's envelope back on the table top. The extravagance, the teasing, the allure, this was her father's doing. He was that cunning. He knew the way to her was through her children. He shrewdly surmised Sofia would retrieve the day's mail and undoubtedly her inquisitive eyes would notice the shiny lavender envelope. It was hard to miss, never mind three of them. She gave him credit; it was a strategic move choosing Sofia's favorite color. Purple.

Callie acquiesced. There was no hiding the envelope or the information in it at this point. "Fine, you can open it," she defeatedly huffed. The truth was she was just as curious as her daughter to know what tantalization lay within.

Carefully unsealing the envelope in order to not damage the pretty packaging, Sofia extracted the card stock and read the contents, exuberantly exclaiming, "It's a birthday party! Can we go? Can we?"

"What?" Callie grabbed the invitation and scanned it. This was not what she expected. "You've got to be kidding me," she grumbled loudly, oblivious to the chimes on the front door jingling, signaling Arizona was home.

Arizona chattered away to Phoebe as she entered the house. She easily left her frustrations outside, embracing the comfort of her house after an extraordinarily long shift at work. Immediately, Arizona smelled the spicy aroma wafting in the hallway as she crossed the threshold. Knowing tonight a real meal was going to be enjoyed, not canned soup or mushy cereal, she couldn't contain the grin from spreading over her face. She was home.

Despite her full hands, Arizona deftly dropped her brief case to the floor and removed her coat, all while bouncing her two year old hip to hip in order to complete the tasks. She overheard the clipped tone in Callie's voice reverberate through the hallway, raising her eyebrows once the Spanish mumbling ensued. Callie often vented in rapid-fire Spanish when she didn't want Sofia to hear the details of her griping. Sofia could speak Spanish fairly well, but she was not fluent enough to keep up with her mother. Arizona grinned knowing she would be treated to a rant momentarily. She reveled in that passionate side of Callie, whether it be born from frustration or love. It gave her goosebumps just hearing her wife speak in her native tongue. Arizona wondered what inspired the spewing this time.

Hearing noises in the hallway, Callie called out, "Arizona? Is that you?" She was surprised she hadn't heard her wife enter.

"Who's kidding whom?" Arizona called out.

Though Arizona was not in sight yet, Callie heard the bellowed query, welcoming a reason to share. "You're not going to believe this," Callie fumed, holding up the invitation as if Arizona had X-ray vision and could clearly see the item waving about in Callie's hand. "My father is throwing himself a seventieth birthday party...in Aspen."

The long distance conversation continued. "As in Colorado? Seriously?" Arizona verified, incredulous that a man who thrived in warm weather was choosing a cold weather venue for a party, never mind the fact he was even holding a party.

Callie shook her head in dismay, "Yup, Aspen, Colorado," she said, still brandishing the fancy invite.

Realizing she had been cast aside, Sofia whimpered, "I want mine back." She reached up with her short arms, standing on tippy toes as she tried to snatch her envelope from her much taller mother.

Callie reacted by holding the item up even higher and giving her daughter a chastising look. "Where are your manners young lady?" she reprimanded. Callie's irritation was obvious, but misplaced. Her cross response was instigated by her father and only exasperated by her daughter.

Sofia's big brown eyes immediately pooled with moisture upon earning the rare scolding as she retreated. "I'm sorry, Mommy." The young girl brushed the tears from her eyes, folded her hands together and gazed upward apologetically. "May I please have my invitation back?" she softly requested.

Callie nodded in approval, immediately regretting the harshness of her reaction. Sofia was rude, but in hindsight Callie knew her reprimand was severe for the minor infraction. "Much better," she gently said as she returned the invitation. Observing Sofia's lingering regret, Callie cupped her daughter's cheeks, using her thumbs to wipe away the residual teardrops and then placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead. The youngster offered a small grin in relief. Callie gently patted her daughter's back, letting her know they were good. Sofia took the proffered envelope, and scooted to the kitchen table, away from her mother's reach so she could return to reading the contents on the glimmering paper without risking further interference.

"Calliope, what's going on?" Arizona inquired as she stepped into the kitchen, still bouncing a smiling Phoebe on her hip. She was trying to connect the dots she overhead in the entry way and she was having trouble grasping the fallout. It was uncharacteristic for Callie to react like this with their children. "What prompted all this?"

Callie went back to the stove, remembering she needed to finish cooking. Arizona smirked as she noticed Callie aggressively mixing the ingredients in the skillet, apparently now taking out her frustration on the meal. As she stirred relentlessly, Callie crossly replied, "Our invitation is on the table. It's a party, Arizona. Actually, a few days of parties."

Callie tolerated her family. She dutifully visited Florida once or twice each year. It was a rare treat to spend time with her sister, brother-in-law and their children. The two sisters attempted to connect annually, but it was easier said than done. Though Aria was a stay at home mom, Callie's schedule was erratic. When they could make it work, the trip was spent at Disney World, or some children's paradise, Seattle just didn't have the same youthful appeal. Plus, Callie's body craved sun during those dreary months, Seattle weather was simply unable to fill Callie's vitamin D quota.

Her dad she saw more frequently, he was no stranger to Seattle. However, time with her mother, well that was problematic. Initially, Callie avoided her mother altogether. Lucia made it clear how she felt about Callie's love life right before her wedding, closing the door on their mother/daughter relationship. However, when Carlos suffered a minor heart attack a few years earlier, he appealed to his entire family to visit him. Callie and Arizona, with Sofia in tow, flew to Miami. He implored to his family that they were just that - family. Despite the differences, he requested they gather in his home more frequently. Feeling his mortality, Carlos prayed the walls of dislike would crumble with time, that Lucia would see what he saw - a loving family, his family.

While there were no harsh words outwardly exchanged, the visit was fraught with subtle jabs and digs, unseen or overlooked by family members but painfully felt by Arizona. The following year, a conveniently orchestrated conflict arose for Arizona, forcing her to stay back, missing the hassles of the visit. Carlos settled for spending time with his daughter. With her wife out of sight, for her father's sake, Callie maintained the semblance of a relationship with her mother and for Lucia, out of sight, meant out of mind, she had no qualms with her daughter-in-law's absence. Arizona decided the best long-term solution was never to return to Miami. She could honor Carlos' wishes in part, encouraging Callie to go, and preserve her fragile heart from the conflict.

Callie was brought back to the present when she heard a jubilant "Mommy!" from a cheery toddler.

"A party. Seriously?" Arizona said as she approached Callie.

Callie shut off the stove again and turned around, leaning against the counter. Her hands were as animated as she was. "Extremely serious, over New Year's no less. He wants to finish one year and start the new one surrounded by family. I need to call him tonight. Exactly how I don't want to start my year, spending time with my narrow min-"

"Calliope,..." Arizona sternly interjected with raised eyebrows. She tilted her head toward Sofia, who was still distracted, scrutinizing the details spelled out on the lavender paper. Their daughter had the uncanny ability to especially hear words not meant for her ears. Arizona was certain this selective hearing was some super power granted to children. Arizona didn't need to finish the sentence. Callie bit her lip and planted her hands on her hips, showing she got the message.

Kids manage to say the darndest things, Arizona pondered. There was no need to fuel the fire. Callie's unfiltered comments quite possibly would lead to an awkward and embarrassing future family moment. Despite the tenuous relationship between Callie and her parents, both women were determined not to taint their children's opinion of Callie's parents, more specifically of their Abuela, with their own. It was a noble and challenging aspiration by the mothers.

"Mama!" Sofia's greeting broke the tension.

Arizona turned to her daughter and smiled. "Hi, Sofia."

Having sensed one mother's reluctance to attend the extravaganza, Sofia longingly looked at Arizona, rather than return the greeting, she spouted, "Mama, it's says skiing, but I want to try snowboarding. There's a pool, too. Pleassse?" She definitely got that trait from Calliope, thought Arizona as she listened to Sofia impatiently blurt.

"Sofia, Mommy and I need to talk. We don't even know if we can get the time off from work," Arizona replied, trying her best to keep a serious face. Sofia's angelic expression, which was almost a carbon copy of Callie's, was hard to refuse. Arizona was putty in both her wife's and daughter's hand when either turned on the charm.

"It's for Abuelo. We have to go," Sofia contended.

"Sofia, I said Mom and I need to discuss it. It's two months away; we don't need to talk about it at this very moment." Arizona was going to hold firm, but she knew it was a moot point, right from when Carlos decided he was going to hold his event. There was no denying Carlos Torres.

"Hmmpph," Sofia responded adding an eye roll for good measure. Arizona merely chastised her daughter with a firm parental glare. Sofia defeatedly shrugged, hearing the visual loud and clear.

Arizona stepped closer to Callie, placing a less than chaste kiss on her lips, then another even more seductive one. Just as she was getting lost in the moment, Phoebe reached out for her mom, grabbing Callie's shirt, interrupting the wives' intimate greeting. Callie turned her attention to the toddler, asking "Did you miss me today?" The youngster leapt into Callie's arms, answering the question.

"She was a very good girl, as always," Arizona beamed.

Sofia pouted even more loudly at Arizona's words. Arizona smirked at her elder daughter, knowing Sofia needed a little reassurance every now and then. Now empty handed, Arizona turned her full attention to Sofia, pulling her older daughter into a warm embrace. "How's my big girl?" she asked. "I want to hear all about school today,"

A grin covered the cherubic face, and small fingers intertwined with larger ones, leading Arizona to the family room, "Let's go in here, so Phoebe doesn't get jealous of us talking," Sofia whispered, "I don't want to hurt her feelings."

"Good idea," Arizona confirmed, knowing the jealous one was not Phoebe.

Callie let her body return in sync to the background music. Her gyrations made Phoebe giggle, encouraging Callie to dance faster. As the two moved in time to the beat, she smiled as she considered Sofia's antics. Her daughter was young enough to crave her mothers' undivided attention and old enough to know she needed to share.

Callie pondered how these last years had been good to them, the car accident, plane crash, the amputation, the miscarriage, the devastating affair, and subsequent separation. Those were now distant memories, rarely thought about. It wasn't that they avoided them. Those dreadful recollections were unimportant in the present and didn't need rehashing. Phoebe's arrival signaled the tide had turned in their luck.

The days were now rampant with smiles and giggles, with indecipherable artwork, unusual clay sculptures, homemade bead necklaces and cooking creations. Their victories were first words, first steps, reading books, soccer goals, make-believe piano recitals and A+ spelling tests.

At the end of the day, once the children were tucked in bed, it was just the two of them, content with a movie, dinner, conversation, reading in bed or just nestling in the comfort of each other. Their bodies easily communicated, fluent in a language which didn't always require words. 'I love you' unquestionably radiated time and time again as they savored their physicality. If Callie and Arizona learned anything through therapy, it was they not just loved each other, but complimented one another, thriving in each's presence.

As Arizona disappeared to the other room with Sofia, Callie continued to rhythmically move with her youngest. She considered her father's request. She wished he had talked to her first. He probably presumed she would try to talk him out of it. Callie suspected that was why he never broached the topic with her. Callie would always be indebted to her father for saving her marriage. His insistence four years ago that she try to fix what was broken, led them to where they were today. Callie was happier than she had ever remembered. Phoebe was a welcome addition. It was Arizona who pushed for another child. It surprised Callie because Callie reached a point where another child wasn't needed to fill the voids. Callie had decided she was happy and content just the way they were.

Arizona yearned for a sibling for Sofia. Initially, she was fearful of another loss, another death, another hole in her heart, fearful of Sofia needing to bury a sibling or even the other way around. Therapy squashed those demons. It took time, but she learned one can't live in fear. Fear was an anvil that progressively grew heavier. Therapy and time removed the weight.

When they finally decided to have another child, it was for all the right reasons. A surrogate carried the baby, born from one of Arizona's eggs. Callie's eggs were not as healthy as Arizona's. While Arizona considered carrying, there was always this deep seeded fear of 'what if.' It left her too emotionally fragile to carry, but that was okay. She slayed a thousand demons in therapy, if she needed to live with one or two rogues, so be it. A surrogate was used.

Phoebe added another bright spot in their life, a beacon of hope and dreams. Sofia, though she had her jealous moments, was the proud big sister. Another baby was the right decision. Callie and Arizona found their happiness grew exponentially with their new daughter. It was true, double the kids was often double the work, but the ongoing joys of parenting their daughters continued to provide a healing touch, outweighing the extra effort.

XXX

Shortly after ten p.m. Callie crawled into bed, joining her wife. She handed Arizona the phone. "It's my dad. He wants to talk to you." Callie spent the last hour on the phone with her father. The conversation was apparently not quite finished.

A weary Arizona rolled her eyes as she put her book down and took the phone from Callie. "Carlos, hi! How are you?...Well, I'm not sure about my schedule...Yes, I am the department head...Thank you Carlos for saying that, it's nice to know you feel that way...Well, Calliope and I haven't had a chance discuss it...I'll see what I can do...I will...Good night, Carlos."

Arizona placed the portable handset on the nightstand. "I can barely keep my eyes open and I'm forced to listen to your father lobby for me to attend his birthday party. I'm quite certain my presence is not all that crucial." Arizona was piqued.

"What did you tell him?" Callie inquired. Based on what she overheard, she suspected she knew the answer.

"I gave him a definite maybe," Arizona proudly stated, as if she had won this round. "It's hard to outright refuse the man. So, what did your dad say to you?" Arizona asked as she laid her head on Callie's shoulder, with her arm draped over Callie's stomach, snuggling closer. Arizona decided to get comfortable, anticipating a bit more ranting and raving from her wife. Callie was agitated all evening.

"A grown man throwing himself an elaborate birthday party. Couldn't he just go on a fancy trip with my mother?" Callie groaned.

Arizona tried to interject, "Well-"

It was to no avail; Callie was on a roll, "Really, he's lined up skiing, skating and gondola rides, sleigh rides and babysitters and drivers. It's not one party, it's multiple. Over New Years! There's a kid centric event followed by a black tie, adult only evening. I tuned out the rest of it. He's like an excitable child, rambling with all the details."

"That soun-" Arizona tried to comment.

"He's rented chalets, one for each family. I didn't say we were going, but he already arranged for the chalet. He's so...so"

"Pushy!" burst from Arizona's lips as she sat straight up.

Arizona's vociferation caught Callie's attention, "What did you say?"

Finally having Callie's attention, Arizona replied, "I said your dad was pushy. Though, he does grow on you," she conceded.

Callie huffed in frustration, "He's thought of everything." Callie added this next tidbit as if it would sway her wife, "He promised we'll have a queen size bed this time."

Arizona returned to her comfy spot, with her head on Callie's shoulder and her arm slung over her wife's stomach. Not even bothering to open her eyes, Arizona groggily commented, "I won't believe it until I sleep in it." The blonde's doubtfulness was sprouted from a trip years ago to Miami. Actually, it was the first and last time Arizona joined Callie on one of her visits to her family's plush estate. The room they had been assigned only had twin beds. Carlos feigned ignorance, but he knew deep down his wife was behind this. Arizona saw it as another insult to her marriage to Callie, more proof she was persona non grata. The end result was she vowed never to return to Miami. To this day, she kept her pledge.

All Callie's on-going animated responses finally forced Arizona to sit-up before she suffered whiplash. Arizona asked, "Why Colorado of all places? What is his interest there?"

Callie discouragingly answered, knowing the answer would irk her wife, "Aria's kids haven't experienced snow."

Arizona couldn't hold her tongue, "So it's about Aria's kids. Let's work the party around what's best for the real grandchildren." Arizona hated that she was reacting this way. But there was only so long she could be diplomatic when it came to her in-laws.

Expectedly, Arizona's frustration caused Callie to reverse positions and defend her father. Callie forever was trying to make everyone happy. Callie likened herself Lady Justice, balancing the needs of both sides. In actuality, she turned a blind eye to the fact there was no middle ground, and her endless efforts in search of a compromise were futile, only causing more arguments.

To Arizona, Callie was in denial, her wife just refused to see her family was entirely in the wrong and her efforts only masked her family's shortcomings. Despite the frustration it brought, Arizona loved this quality of unconditional love that Callie believed in. Callie unsurprisingly flip-flopped, now seemingly in favor of attending. "Arizona, I thought you loved Colorado," Callie quizzed.

The conversation spurred Arizona to alertness, "I loved Colorado when I had two legs. What am I going to do? You and Sofia can at least ski. The only ones who probably won't be skiing or snowboarding are your mother and Phoebe. I'm not about to take up adaptive skiing over an extended weekend with your family present and I'm certainly not going to spend my free time having tea with your mother."

"Well, my mother is more of a scotch person, would that help?" Callie joked. Arizona crossed her arms. Callie tilted her head, sympathetically asking, "Would you rather he picked a beach spot? Last time I remember, you weren't too keen on wearing a bathing suit in public, or at least around my family."

The whole subject now had Arizona riled, "You're right, I'm not keen at being myself in front of your family because they always make me feel inadequate. I'm the blemish on your family's reputation. I'm not just a lesbian. I'm a one-legged lesbian at that - the one who poisoned their precious daughter!"

The conversation took another twist as Callie wavered yet again. Callie could not believe the words coming from Arizona's mouth. Lady Justice angrily interjected, "Stop! Right now! First of all, no one poisoned me. I chose you. Every day I choose you. I know what life was like without you, and I hated it. I missed you every day when you weren't here. Secondly, yes, my mother is a bigot. She's awful. She treats you terribly. Those single beds were crappy, and you have to admit, a very clever move on her part. It wasn't like she prevented anything, we were just more...clever." Callie arched her eyebrows. Callie's bewitching facial expression made Arizona smile, allowing them both to diffuse their pent up tension regarding the invite. Callie refused to go to bed angry, she needed to find some agreeable solution or at least common ground.

Arizona nodded, apologetically adding, "I'm sorry I took this out on you. Your parents make me crazy."

Callie turned to Arizona, placing both hands on her shoulders, "Hey, I'm not finished my spiel yet! Hold that thought." Arizona returned a dumbfounded look.

Callie stared intently into Arizona's eyes, expounding, "Furthermore, you are not a blemish. You are the strongest, most remarkable woman I know. And the bonus is you're my wife. I'm lucky to say that. I'm proud of it. I'm sorry everyday my mother is how she is. She is the one who's been poisoned. Don't you ever put yourself down like that again, especially in front of me. Never in front of me. Please. Remember, you...are...awesome," Callie smugly reminded her wife.

"I am awesome...and tired. Can we talk about it more tomorrow? I'm not spending New Year's Eve alone. We can go, we should go. Like Sofia said, 'It's for Abuelo. We have to go.' I'll suck it up for your sake."

Callie warmly smiled, relieved the dilemma was somewhat resolved, "Well, there is an upside. At least now I know what I can get you for Christmas. You may not be skiing, but you are going to be the hottest looking one at the après-ski parties."

"Calliope, I'm forty years old, I'm not going to be the hottest one there. The last thing I plan on doing is dressing like a cougar."

"Hmm, well to me you're hot, even in sweats and t-shirt," Callie confirmed as she took note of Arizona's sleepwear.

Placing a rather seductive kiss on her wife's lips, Arizona inquired, "How hot?" Suddenly, a second-wind breezed in.