Title: Fixing What's About to Be Broken

Author: wbelisabeth

Summary: *Spoilers for "Push"* This is a pre-emptive strike on what I foresee as trouble coming for Calzona.

Pairing: Callie / Arizona, however there will be a little Mark / Teddy.

Disclaimer: Grey's Anatomy is not mine, I do not own any of the characters, I am not making any money.

AN: This chapter starts the Tuesday after the drama of the last chapters took place. Arizona had the Monday off and Callie knew. This information is not really relevant but I just want you to know that there is continuity in the timeline... in my head

AN2: I don't know about the Cartilage thing... I just know that in this story it is BIG. Like killing a brain tumor with a virus big.

AN3: Mark is a grown up in this fic. I believe that he's finally being honest with himself and so, there is going to be an openness that comes with that. Results are as follows.

Oh! Almost forgot. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review, your comments are very much appreciated.

Chapter 3

"This is amazing Torres, really good work. I think that this will be the making of you." Sheppard was smiling at the pages in front of him, flicking through the document. This wouldn't just be a breakthrough for Dr Torres. This was going to be a breakthrough for Seattle Grace. He had read it twice and was amazed.

"Thanks Derek. I appreciate it. I was hoping that this would mean I could secure some time off." She smiled lightly, but her eyes were begging him. She had sat in her office all day yesterday typing this document up. While she knew this could mean bigger things for her, she couldn't look to the future just yet. If she couldn't leave her office yesterday, for fear of seeing someone that wasn't even there, then...she couldn't do anything.

"Sure. Will Dr Robbins be needing any time off?" He smiled again at her, raising his eyebrow in question. He remembered what happened after his own medical break-through. After months of fighting with Meredith, they were able to move forward. The life-saving advance had allowed his vision to clear. It had put some perspective on what Meredith was offering and it also enabled her to see the bigger picture too. He thought that maybe Callie would also see her life in perspective too. Having seen the look in her eye when he dropped Arizona's professional title and he knew that he had made a mistake.

"No. I don't believe she will." Callie wore a neutral face. She spoke with a neutral tone. Neutral. It had been what she had decided on days before. Once she was done crying on Mark's couch, she got up and decided to be neutral. To not feel sad. To not feel happy. A better word would have been numb, but Callie had decided that word had sounded too dysfunctional.

"I don't think it will be a problem, Callie. How long do you want?"

"The rest of the week?" He nodded. He noticed that she was now speaking in the one tone. She was about to walk out of the office, before turning back. Wheels turning in her head. "Can I ask another favour?"

"Sure."

"Do you still have your trailer in the woods?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Can I borrow it?"

"For how long?"

"The rest of the week?" He nodded his reply and reached out to pull his keys out of his pocket. He handed the key she required.

"Thanks Derek. Please don't mention it to-" She stopped herself. "To anyone."

"I'll make sure no one bothers you."

With that she walked out of the office, walked out of the hospital, got into her car and drove. She didn't like bugs, she didn't like the woods, and she didn't like bears or deer, or wildlife whatsoever, but she knew it was a place that no one would find her. With no reception, no technology, no distractions. Just beer.

Arizona had been avoiding Callie. She was not aware that the brunette had taken time off, so she would walk around every corner slowly, ensuring that there would be no awkward meeting. She stayed in the Paediatric ward for most of the day, avoiding all Ortho cases like the plague. Actually the plague would have been more luring. She was tired and had gone back to her office for lunch, avoiding the cafeteria. Callie would be down there. She gulped. She looked at the salad she had packed for lunch and her stomach churned. She heard a quick knock on the door and then, before she could respond Mark Sloan walked into her office. She was about to speak, when he beat her to it.

"Are you ok?"

She blinked at him once. Then again. Out of all the reactions she thought he would have, this was not what she was expecting. She went to open her mouth and her emotions had got the better of her, stealing whatever voice she had. She shrugged her shoulders.

He sat down in the chair on the other side of her desk. He looked at her and could see her eyes glistening with unshed tears. He saw her blink them back and swallow. He had spent hours trying to calm Callie down. She always had the inclination to express her emotions passionately. If she was angry, she was wildly angry. If she was sad, she was heartbreakingly sad. From what he knew of Arizona, it was the opposite. Emotions were not shown on the outside. Her smile was something worn to hide her feelings from the outside. She only broke the facade under intense pressure or feeling.

"Is she ok?"

He looked in the blue eyes. She was as in love with Callie as Callie was with her and the tragedy of the situation finally struck him. He decided that truth was the best way to go.

"I haven't heard from her since Saturday night... after the... discussion you guys had. She was at on my couch when I went to bed and then... She hasn't been answering my calls. I haven't been able to get anything but voicemail. I was hoping maybe... you'd seen her."

"I've been avoiding the sight of her all day."

"I figured as much, I thought I would ask anyway." He exhaled in disappointment. He really needed to speak to her. He'd spoken to Teddy and now he was freaking out. Callie was the only one that knew him well enough to sort his mind out.

"So you and Teddy?"

"Me and Teddy what?"

"You want the same things and you're going rock-climbing."

"Yeah, who'd have thought?" He said unsure and unconfident. He'd bowed his head. He couldn't believe that he was nervous. He'd usually go to Callie, but once he realised that she wasn't in contact, he'd felt compelled to come here. To this office and this woman.

"You wanted to speak to Callie about Teddy?"

He looked into her eyes. She smiled a small smile and he gave her a slight nod.

"Ok, so what do you want to talk about?" He was surprised at her instant question. He took a deep breath.

"I'm picking her up and dropping her off at her apartment."

"Ok." She didn't see the problem.

"No it means that I am dropping her off at her apartment."

"You've said that Mark."

"I walk her to the door... do I... I am an emotional cripple." He'd lost confidence. It wasn't that he couldn't walk tall in this hospital, it was outside of it's walls he'd not built anything. He had no family, no friends. It was Derek and Callie.

"Mark. Look at me. What is the real problem."

"I never learnt etiquette."

"I could have told you that." She regretted it the minute it came out of her mouth. He'd been too surprised at her rude comment to feel anything but surprised. The look on her face said it all, but she said it anyway. "Sorry Mark, that was out of line. Keep going."

"I don't know when I should do what."

She looked at him confused.

"I was never up on the etiquette of dating."

"Really?"

"Well, judging by your previous comment, you are probably aware that most of my relationships have started with sex."

She smiled "Even Calliope. I know." She took a deep breath. "Look Mark, there are no magic cues for when you need to do things. Make sure you are comfortable, and make sure she's comfortable... That's all. I kissed Calliope in a dirty..." her voice faded. "Maybe it's best not to use us as an example anymore." There was a long and awkward silence. He battled internally whether to ask the question or not, eventually curiosity got the better of him.

"You don't want kids?"

She didn't say anything but shake her head. Did she really have to go through this again?

"It's a shame. The babies Callie described were beautiful."

She didn't want to know. She REALLY didn't want to know. She tried to repeat it over and over in her head, but she bit anyway.

"She what?"

"She had been day-dreaming about your kids. She just told me about one of her day dreams... I'm not going to break her confidence, but... you guys had some cute kids."

"When did you get into babies." She was upset, both of them could hear it in her tone. Her words had sounded more like an accusation than anything else and he winced. He knew the information he had supplied was probably not fair to either Arizona OR Callie.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned it." She inhaled and exhaled. And decided that perhaps a more friendly tone was going to get her what she wanted.

"No seriously, Mark when did you get into babies?" She looked at him begging him to explain. He stopped. Maybe he could help Callie. Maybe this was his best way of helping them both.

"I never wanted kids. I never did. I." He hesitated and stood. He looked at his shoes and exhaled. "I knew about Sloan. I knew that she existed, but I had given her mother some money and expected it to all go away. And for me it did." He looked at a spot on the wall. "When Sloan came to Seattle, I was shocked. All the excuses, all the reasons in the world why I would be the worst father in the world flowed through my head, but the minute she was on my couch crying... I don't know...something clicked. And the baby... did Callie tell you about the ultrasound?" He paused. She shook her head. He wondered what else Callie had kept to herself about that day. The pride in his voice swelled.

"It was a boy and I could see his features. He had my nose. I didn't ask for it, I didn't want it, but right there and then I had this daughter and a grandson. I wanted to teach him to throw a ball, how to drive and I thought I could teach him how to be a good person, to be a better person than me. " He looked down again. "I was scared when Samantha told me about the baby. My parents... they were awful. It was either a blame game, or a bidding war. I was scared that I would become the very same thing. So I gave her some money and acted as though it didn't happen.

"I didn't love her. At that point I cared little about anyone but myself, so it could have easily have turned into my parents life. But when Sloan came back, after I got to know her a little, I couldn't help but wish that she could have been my kid, with someone I truly cared for. Then we could have worked through it, we could have put it all aside, all the crap that comes with kids, because we shared something that was worth fighting for." He stood looking at his shoes for a while longer, preparing himself for the possible jibes. He looked up and into her eyes and tears again shone, but this time her cheeks were tearstained as well. He saw an emotion that he'd never seen in her eyes before. He tried to lighten the mood a little adding "Plus Sloan might have had a chance of at least college if she were Addie or Callie's kid" He watched her as she gave a strangled chuckle.

"Thanks for your honesty. Now about your date..."

She's been here only once before. She'd drunk a couple of beers and bonded with Derek over the crappiness of their job sometimes. That was before Arizona and 'the joy'.

She had sat outside the trailer for hours. She'd come up here with some magazines, some food and lots of beer. Drinking apparently was not as distracting as she remembered it to be. She sat at the table inside, staring at the piece of paper. It had two columns. They were entitled 'Arizona' and 'Babies' respectively. Babies had a long list of things in the column. Mentions of future events, of family members, of traditions. The Arizona side had nothing in the list. Not one thing. She sighed. It was now dark outside and she was too drunk to drive back to her apartment. She didn't know if this was an answer, or just more questions. She didn't know which way was up anymore.