Hey maybe I'll learn to sew

Maybe I'll just lie low

Maybe I'll hit the bars

Maybe I'll count the stars until the dawn

Me, I will go on

Christmas Eve

Callie walked into the living room with her sewing bag to find April lying on the floor looking up at the Christmas tree. She smiled and said "What are you up to?"

April moved so she was no longer under the tree and sat up. "One of my favorite things about Christmas has always been looking up into the tree. All the lights and the smell of pine, it makes me believe that magic is still possible."

Callie gave her a nod and sat down on the couch with her bag. She pulled out the hat she'd been working on for her sister. She turned to April a little confused and said "I thought you were going home for Christmas."

April moved to sit by Callie. "I was but Bailey was doing a surgery I didn't want to miss today. I called my parents and assured them I would be home for New Year's. What about you? Why aren't you with your family?"

Callie shook her head a little. "I'm not quite sure. I called Aria and couldn't get an answer and my parents have mysteriously taken off on some trip to the Bahamas. I guess they all figured it wouldn't be a big deal before…" Callie's face fell a little and she went back to her hat.

April put her hand on Callie's shoulder. "Well how bout we bake some Christmas cookies and watch Love Actually?" April offered her a sympathetic smile.

Callie considered it for a moment. She wasn't exactly excited about a romantic movie when her heart was still mending but the excited look on April's face was almost too much to resist. "Ok. I'll finish this and you go pull out one of my cookbooks and find something you'd like to make and we'll bake them together."

"Why don't I just bake them for us?" asked April.

"Cause you know my cookies are way more badass than yours" Callie said as she winked at April.

April laughed and playfully punched Callie in the shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, be right back"

Just then, the doorbell rang. Callie set down her hat and said "I'll get it."

"Ok" said April as she left for the kitchen.

Callie went to the front door and called "Who is it?"

"Your favorite person in the whole wide world" said the person on the other side.

Callie stopped for a minute and thought "It can't be". She rushed and opened the door.

Aria Torres smiled and said "Hey big sis! I got all your messages. Damn, you try to surprise someone and they think you've forgotten all about them".

Callie just stood there in shock for a moment and then started to cry. "Aria?" she asked.

Aria looked at her confused. "Yeah aren't you happy to see me?"

Callie lunged for her sister and almost knocked her over. She hugged her tight and started to sob.

"No llores hermana por favor. I'm here, hermana, I'm here. Estoy aqui, it'll be ok" said Aria as she calmed Callie down and hugged her back. *

A few hours later

Aria looked over at a sleeping April as the credits rolled on the screen. "She's kind of a lightweight" She smiled at Callie.

Callie smiled and shook her head. "Too much Christmas cheer and cookies probably wore her out. Hand me that blanket"

Aria handed her a blanket and Callie draped it over April.

Callie got up and said "Let's grab some wine and go sit outside".

"Ok" said Aria as she grabbed a blanket and headed for the porch swing.

Callie came out a few minutes later with two glasses of red wine. She sat down and draped half of the blanket over her lap. She took a sip of her wine and said "So it's not that I'm not happy you're here but why are you here?"

Aria turned to her and said "You forgot to call Daddy a couple weeks in a row. Mama said you wouldn't stay on the phone for more than five minutes. A few months ago you were leaving for Africa and then you stayed. I put the pieces together and figured you might need a familiar face who was completely on your side"

Callie offered her sister a small smile and said "You're right."

"She was it, wasn't she?"

Callie shook her head and said "I thought she was but when we were in that airport and she just left…I don't know Aria. I thought there was no way I was wrong. We'd been through so much and in those last few months we were doing so well. I wasn't pushing and she was compromising and I was so happy. Then she left, she left like it took nothing to just leave. She cried but it felt almost condescending in a way. I was so ready to go with her and try to make the best of it but she couldn't stay." Callie wiped a few tears off of her cheek.

Aria put her hand in Callie's and said "I'm so sorry."

Callie sniffled and said "Me too."

"So what have you been doing?" asked Aria as she took another sip of wine.

"Learning to breathe again. At first I thought I could get over it all those ways I've tried before but she was different so I guess the way I went about things had to be different. I started cooking again and I even learned to sew." Said Callie as she smiled a little.

"That's probably not much of a stretch since you sew people up all the time." Joked Aria.

Callie laughed a little "I guess you're right." She sipped her wine a little then turned to her sister and said "I am really so glad you're here".

"Me too, C, Me too" Aria put her arm around Callie so Callie could lean her head on her sister's shoulder.

Christmas Day

"Callie get your ass downstairs so I can open all the lovely presents you got for me!" shouted Aria from the bottom of the stairs.

"Give me a minute ok?" replied Callie. She was just finished up with her e-mails as a new message popped up in her inbox.

It was entitled "My wish for Christmas and the New Year" and Callie couldn't believe the sender. She almost deleted it; she knew that if she didn't it might ruin this whole moving on thing. She was curious though so she decided to open it.

Dear Calliope,

I would love to start off with 'I'm sorry' but it seems so empty. Instead I wanted to share some thoughts with you and I hope the feeling of 'I'm sorry' resonates in these words. I wanted to stay that day. You probably don't believe that I did. I did though, I wanted to stay with you and keep building our life together but I had to know what would happen if I left. I knew what my life would be if I stayed so I had to know what it would be like if I left. The truth of the matter is I don't think I learned much. I've done some good here and seen so many lives changed but all I keep thinking about is the fact that my life was changing. It was already moving in a positive and wonderful direction and I still don't understand why I had to leave. I was so excited about coming here but now I see that although this work is important, it's not anything compared to the beautiful woman I left in Seattle. I don't expect you to forgive me though I hope that you might. My wish for this Christmas and for the New Year is that when I get back to Seattle (which if you're wondering should be in the next couple of days), I can prove to you that though I know I messed up, I still love you. I still want you and I know that asking for another chance is probably too much to ask of you, I'm still asking for it. Even if in the beginning you say no (which I expect you to), I'll be working hard for that possibility of a yes. That possibility that one day you might be with me again and trust me again. I'm still that woman in the bar wanting to know you and wanting to help heal those spaces in your heart that have been broken. Some of which I know I have been the cause of.

I'm sorry if I've upset your Christmas as that is not my intent. I love you Calliope and I will be better for you. I can not wait to come back and show you this.

All my love,

~Arizona

Callie closed her computer and sighed while she sat for a minute.

Aria walked into the room and said "Damn it C, if you don't get down there I'm going to kick your ass"

Aria stepped toward her sister when she didn't move. "C what's wrong?"

Callie turned to her with tears in her eyes. "She's coming back"

*Don't cry sister please. Sister, I'm here