A/N: This is a Callie/Arizona fanfiction but right now Penny is still here since I'm following this season's storyline. Be patient. When have I ever disappointed you? Thank you for all the support.
I think this is the most dramatic, cliffhanging story I have ever written.

Callie walked to the park with Sofia, who dragged Daniel to the swing set so he could push her, and Barbara. She felt a little awful for the way she reacted to Penny but there were no manuals on how to react to things like this. Arizona was her person. That wasn't going to change. But it didn't mean Penny couldn't be her person either, right? Callie sighed in defeated and sat down on one of the benches.

Barbara joined her. They watched Sofia play with her grandpa. "This must be hard for you too," she said quietly. "I know you and Arizona are separated but it can't be easy."

Callie's eyes shut closed tightly, images of Arizona falling flashing in front of her before she opened them again. "I was there with her," she rasped out, her voice shaky.

"Oh? Were you… She didn't say you're getting back together," Barbara said confused.

Callie shook her head. "We're not. I didn't know she was there until I got there. We had a dinner night tonight at Meredith's. And," she paused, unsure how to continue, "we were all there and I figured it would be a good thing to introduce my girlfriend to my friends."

If Barbara was shocked or surprised she didn't let her know. "And I assume my daughter wasn't the most sober person at the party?"

A chuckle escaped Callie's lips. "No. I don't know what they talked about, I was on call and had to go to work but when I came back everyone was so serious and there was so much tension. So they told me that this woman I've been dating was involved in Derek's death. Well, not involved. She was one of his doctors. And he died because he didn't get the proper care. And I talked about them to her, you know, but she never said anything. I guess I just felt betrayed. And the roof was always so peaceful and I needed some time for myself."

"You know I'm not judging you," Barbara said. "Arizona said that you're dating again. There's nothing wrong with that."

Callie shrugged. "I feel like it's wrong. I mean, Arizona hasn't moved on yet. And she could. But I like Penny, things have been easy with her. Until now."

"Honestly, Arizona wasn't expecting you to break up with her. She called me on the day of the final therapy session and she was really excited. She told me things. About you two reconnecting." Callie blushed, her gaze dropping to the floor. "She was so crushed when you said that you wanted them to end. But she understood. And for Arizona to say that she understood a decision so painful, it meant a lot."

"I didn't plan on breaking us up that day," Callie said quietly, playing with her own hands. "But when we got there and she started talking and we were both crying and I realized how much pain we unintentionally caused to each other, it just didn't seem fair to either of us."

"But honey, pain is meant to be felt," Barbara murmured. "You're not hurting when you know you have nothing to lose. I remember almost 20 decades ago when Arizona left home to go studying and Timmy just left to serve the country and for the first time it was just me and Daniel. I was used to him being gone but he was promoted and had to take some time off. It was after a really bad tour too. So he started drinking," Barbara said as he looked over at her husband, but there was no accusation in her voice. "It got so bad that I almost called the police one night. When he had his hand raised above me and realized that what he's been doing was wrong. So he signed up for AA meetings. And Dan is not a person who just does things like that. He sobered up, but to this day he still apologizes about it sometimes. You're the first person I ever told this."

Callie nodded, her vision getting blurry as tears burned in her eyes. She laughed and quickly wiped her tears away. "I don't know why I'm crying," she apologized awkwardly.

"It's okay to still love her. And it's okay to love two people at the same time," Barbara said as if she knew exactly how Callie was feeling. "Even if you're separated from one."

Callie glanced over at Sofia to make sure she was playing nicely. "How can you love two people at the same time?" She wasn't sure if she loved Penny yet.

"You never forget your true love," Barbara said and smiled. "Dan and I were both fairly young when we got married. And he got deployed shortly after our wedding so I was alone for nearly two years. A handsome young man moved into a house next door and as a good neighbor I made him some pie and brought it over to welcome the new neighbor. He was a nice person. And very easy on the eyes," Barbara joked and winked at Callie. "We spent a lot of time together, usually just talking. And we fell in love. Now, we didn't kiss or anything because I was already married and times were different back then. But we had a wonderful connection and back then I could only talk to Dan through letters. So as Daniel's returning date was nearing I was scared that he would come back and I wouldn't feel the same for him anymore. I was so wrong. When he came back, I was so happy. And I realized that while he was away I made almost a copy of him. And that the neighbor simply reminded me of my husband."

Callie remembered what she told Alex. How Penny was Arizona from before the car crash. "I wish you came to visit more often," she said instead. "Sofia's been having a hard time lately. She looks so happy today."

"I can understand that. She has a tough life behind her for such little girl," Barbara cooed.

"When the ambulance left and a police officer started asking questions he asked me if… if she was suicidal. If she wanted to fall off the roof. And it just seems so wrong. She loved life. It doesn't seem like her to give up on things," Callie admitted.

"I like to believe my daughter would fight. Will fight. For Sofia. And you."

Callie nodded. "I hope so," she murmured. Sofia ran towards her and a small smile appeared on her face as Sofia jumped in her arms. "Did you have fun playing with grandpa?"

Sofia grinned, nodding enthusiastically. "And he promised ice cream."

Callie smiled at Daniel who cleared his throat and started looking around so he wouldn't make an eye contact. "We better get that ice cream before it starts to rain," she said taking Sofia's hand and standing up.

A week passed with no changes to Arizona's condition. She was still critical but her physical wounds were slowly healing. After three days her parents left and Callie went back to work as if nothing happened. But it didn't help that Arizona was in the ICU which she walked by on hourly basis. She still hasn't seen her. Sofia also spiked a fever because of a cold she caught and she was very unhappy her mama wasn't there to comfort her. Callie wasn't really happy to leave her with a babysitter either. "I'll be home quickly," she promised her sick daughter and kissed her forehead.

"Mama?" Sofia pouted.

"She's getting better," Callie said. It wasn't a total lie. Arizona wasn't getting worse from what she heard. "I love you little miss princess."

"Love you too," Sofia murmured sleepily.

Callie tucked her daughter further in her bed and smiled at the babysitter before she left for work. It tore her apart and she barely had time for Penny. Before, things were easier before. They saw each other when they could, talked on the phone every night, texted constantly. But now Callie's mind was shifting between Sofia, to Arizona and to her work. However she couldn't avoid Penny at the coffee cart.

"Calliope," Penny said with a hesitant smile.

Callie smiled back, just as nervous. "Hi. Sorry I didn't call last night. Sofia got sick and I had to go through like six animated movies and then there was a puking situation."

"I understand," Penny said.

"How's work?" Callie suddenly asked, sipping on her hot coffee.

Penny shrugged. "Uncomfortable. But it's understandable. How's uhm… Arizona?"

Callie licked her lips. "I don't know, really. I haven't gone to see her yet and I'm just waiting for her to wake up or something." She remembered back when Mark wake up. And then he started getting weaker until he passed away. Callie's pager went off and she sighed. "I'll see you at lunch?" Penny nodded and Callie leaned in for a quick peck on a lip. Callie got gowned quickly and entered trauma room 2. Meredith was already working on an older man that got hit by a car as he tried to cross the street. "What are his injuries?"

Meredith didn't say anything. In fact, she didn't even look up at her.

Callie's jaw tightened. So now Meredith was mad at her? She huffed and took a look at the scans. "Oh, he's definitely going to need surgery. His hip is completely crushed. And his knee looks bad too." She looked at Meredith, waiting for anything. "Seriously?" Callie exhaled loudly. "Book OR 1," she said to the nurse.

"OR 2," Meredith corrected her. "I don't want the gallery."

Callie clenched her teeth together. "Well, I want OR 1."

"He has a ruptured diaphragm and there's a bleed. He needs this more than some carpentry," Meredith hissed.

Callie's eyes turned almost black with the anger. She's been holding back for a week now. Ignoring the glares and whispers. "Well, when you're done with your surgery have fun telling him he's losing his leg because the supply to his right leg is being cut off." Callie snapped her gloves off, a loud groan escaping her throat as soon as she exited the trauma room. She wanted to break things. Kick something.

Maggie saw Callie leaving the trauma room. "Hey, why are you looking so pissed off?"

"It's your goddamn sister," Callie spat angrily.

"Oh," Maggie said, taking a step back.

Callie exhaled loudly. "Sorry, it's not you. It's just… It's not my fault that Penny was there when Derek died. I didn't know that until after all of you did. And I hate being judged for that. Why is it that all the people that I date do things that I get judged over? George cheated. Not my fault. Erica left. Also not my fault. Arizona cheated. Not my fault either. Penny being responsible for Derek's poor health care? The least of my fault. I didn't even know her then." She finished her ramble with slumped shoulders, feeling lighter than she did holding all the anger inside.

"Have you talked to Mer about it?" Maggie suggested.

"Oh, how come I haven't thought of that? Of course I tried, but she ignores me," Callie said, her tone getting louder.

Meredith wheeled their patient out of the trauma room. "OR 1. Be there in ten," she ordered, looking pass her.

Maggie smiled. "See, one step at the time. She said something. Now you scrub in and say something to her back."

Callie rolled her eyes. She watched Meredith take the elevator while she walked down the stairs. They were behaving like two teenage girls that liked the same boy. Except now Callie had the potential to fall in love with a woman that Meredith thought took her husband's life away. Callie entered the scrub room and didn't say a word. She scrubbed in silence, the tension almost driving her insane. Callie walked in the operating room and got gowned. She didn't even wait for Meredith. She just simply started her part.

"Why didn't you wait for me?" Meredith groaned. "He's already losing blood."

Callie closed her eyes for a second, not a single word leaving her mouth.

"Oh, so now you're giving me the silent treatment?"

Callie's jaw clenched. "Well, it seems to work for you." She released a puff of air before focusing on her patient. Her part of the surgery would last around 3 hours. Callie had no idea how to share this room with Meredith for so long in silence. The 80 year old man's heart started giving out and his blood pressure was bottoming out.

"What did you do?" Meredith asked.

Callie groaned. This was hell. She checked the man's pelvis and then the rest of his right leg. "He's bleeding out in his interior thigh. Hang another unit of blood." And then Callie did her part. She ran the scalpel along his thigh and a gush of blood spilled over her and her shoes. She didn't mind. But Meredith did.

"Couldn't you warn me?"

Callie chuckled, but it wasn't because she thought she situations was funny. It was more like a quick puff of air through her nose. "It's not like anyone warned me."

And suddenly Meredith realized they weren't talking about surgery anymore. "You brought her into my house. My home. Where my fatherless children live. And she's responsible for that!"

"You think she doesn't know that? You think she enjoyed being put into the spotlight like that? And I didn't know. Everyone knew before me. And it's not like I didn't talk to her about my co-workers and friends," Callie started explaining angry as she inserted plates and pins into the man's hip. "The name Derek Shepherd shouldn't have been strange to her. But not once did she say she knew him. Or you. Fuck," she growled, using her strength to snap the metal rod in half.

Meredith's eyes widened. Angry Callie was a dangerous Callie and she didn't want to mess with someone who knew how to use a bone saw this well. "So maybe it wasn't either of our faults. But to bring her into the hospital and now I have to be her mentor? I can't teach the person that killed my husband. And you should know that. Arizona's in a coma."

"That's different. Arizona and I are separated. And she's receiving the best medical care in the country," Callie said. "Are you saying that you've never made a mistake? Because if I recall correctly you dropped a kidney. Luckily the patient lived. It could happen to everyone."

Meredith glared at Callie. "The first thing they teach you in med school is to always check for head and spinal injuries first. Because it doesn't matter if your spleen is bleeding or you broke your leg when you're slowly slipping into coma or paralyzed from the neck down."

Callie shook her head. "I'm too tired to argue about this. It happened. I can't bring Derek back and neither can Penny. He was my friend too. We spent a lot of time together in the last few months. Admittedly, we mostly argued but he was my friend. He was one of us. He is one of us."

"I can't teach her," Meredith said, her voice calmer now. "Because every time I look at her I get so angry. And I think of my kids. And I just can't teach her. I can't be her mentor."

"I understand that," Callie murmured. "I don't know why she transferred her. I didn't know she was coming to work with us." And the more she thought about it, the more it felt like Penny was trying to get closer to Meredith and not her.

"No more arguing over Penny?"

Callie nodded. "No more arguing over Penny," she agreed, her tense shoulders dropping.

There was a long silence. But this time comfortable as they worked on their patient before Meredith spoke again. "What about Arizona? You haven't gone to see her yet," she stated.

Callie looked at her shocked. "You have?"

Meredith nodded. "We all have. Like you said, she's one of us. She looks better if that helps. And she's alive. She just needs to wake up. You do want her to wake up right?"

"Of course I do! We have a child together. And it's not like I stopped caring about her. I'll always care," Callie said. There was a stumble from the gallery and they both looked up. Callie cursed under her breath as she caught a glimpse of Penny before she disappeared from the gallery. Callie looked reluctant. She was nearly finished with her surgery but she really needed to speak with Penny. Her pagers went off.

"Doctor Torres, it's yours," the nurse.

Callie turned her head to look at her pager. "Okay. Is it an emergency?"

"It's Doctor Robbins," the nurse said.

Callie looked down at her bloody gloved hands and then at the patient before looking into Meredith's eyes.

Meredith sensed her hesitation. "Go. I'll get Wilson down here. She's done these things with you. He's going to be fine," she encouraged her.

"Okay," Callie breathed out before she snapped her gloves off and barely had enough patience to tear down her down and throw it in the bin. She rushed to the ICU, skipping every other stair in the process. Her heart started beating faster and she came face to face with Amelia. Amelia's face was serious, her eyes worried. Callie felt her heart drop. "What?"