AN: I'm totally open to suggestions for where the story should go, so don't hesitate to leave comments and suggestions!

Here's Chapter 14: Christmas Letters

A week before Arizona's parents arrival, Mark poked his head into the Calzona apartment to find a very peculiar sight. "Mail call!"

Callie stood nearly three feet off the ground on a ladder so large he wasn't entirely sure how they'd managed to maneuver it into the apartment building. Arizona was swaying side to side with a sleepy Sofia on her hip who was currently fighting her afternoon nap in short bursts of high pitched screams. Callie turned to greet him from the ladder as Arizona sauntered over to him.

"Thanks, Mark! Care to join us?" Mark took another look at Sofia just as she started to nod off and woke herself by screaming.

He winced and responded, "Hm. Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll pass. What're you guys doing anyways?"

Arizona bounced up and down in renewed excitement. "We're putting up Christmas decorations!" Sofia looked up and laughed at Arizona, who made a face and kept jumping to keep the baby laughing. She cooed to Sofia, "I'm funny? You think I'm funny?" then joined Sofia's laughs.

Mark sighed in exasperation then looked up at Callie with an eyebrow raised inquisitively. "Torres… Putting up Christmas decorations? You've got to be kidding me."

Callie cocked her hip, but quickly grabbed the ladder as it shifted. "What, you think we're starting a tree farm in our apartment? Why else would there be giant foliage taking up half of our living room?"

Mark shook his head with a chuckle. "Fair enough. I just never pegged you as the decorating type."

Arizona beamed. "That's because she's not! I am!"

Mark's shoulders relaxed as the whole situation started to make sense in his mind. "Oh! Ok, yeah that makes way more sense. Well good for you two. Your first Christmas together is gonna be…" he paused as he scanned the room; there were wreaths leaning against the wall where they'd be hung later, candles in every window, it even smelled like Cinnamon in the entire apartment, not to mention the rather impressive tree in the corner and the sets of ornaments laid out on the couch ready for decorating. "Beautiful." He nodded matter of factly, and with a smile left the ladies to decorating for their first Christmas together.

Arizona flipped through the mail, landing on one letter riddled with postage addressed to Sofia O'Malley-Torres. "Calliope?" Callie looked over from her perch.

"Yeah?"

"I think this is for you… it's addressed to Sofia, but she can't read."

Callie laughed at the obvious statement and how matter of fact Arizona had been while making the observation. Arizona grinned then handed the letter to Callie and set Sofia down in her playpen.

"Oh… it's from George." Callie looked to Arizona.

Arizona paused cautiously taking in Callie's stance. "What's it say?"

Callie squared her shoulders and cleared her throat.

"Dearest Sofia,

I hope your mother reads this letter to you when it finally arrives. Daddy had to go far away to help save some very important people's lives. But I want you to know that I think of you every morning and every night.

I hope you like your first Christmas, Sofia. I wish I could send you something to open Christmas day, but I'm afraid I don't know what to get you.

I hope you're healthy and are good for your mother, she loves you very much.

Merry Christmas,

Papa"

Callie dropped to the couch with a huff as she put the letter down on the coffee table. Arizona sat tentatively next to her, waiting for a response but ready for anything.

They sat in silence. Callie picked up the letter and read it again in her mind a hundred more times. She put it back down and processed it for nearly ten minutes before turning to Arizona and declaring, "That is the biggest load of shit I have ever read."

Arizona spit out the water she had just taken a gulp of and looked at Callie in shock. She thought she was ready for any reaction, but that wasn't one of them.

"Seriously. He called me her 'mother'. Since when am I anything but Mami to Sofia?"

Arizona nodded; it was true. She had been Mami since the day she was born.

"And he never once said he loved her… just that I did. And he even admitted to not knowing her enough to pick out a present. She's 8 months old! She wants what every other 8 month old wants… something to drool on!"

She threw her hands in the air in frustration.

"I can't believe he did this…"

Arizona paused and ran her hand along Callie's leg, calming her down. It was something she had learned to do while Callie was having nightmares. "I know it isn't exactly Shakespeare, but he tried. It's his way of trying to fix everything... I think he still wants to be in her life."

Callie glared at Arizona. "Well then he shouldn't have left us and moved half way across the world."

Arizona paused, frozen by the ferocity in her words. "Calliope…" she said almost at a whisper.

Callie shifted her glare forward and pursed her lips. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

Callie jerked her head to stare at Arizona. "Don't defend him. He knew what he was doing! He knew what leaving meant! He made that decision, and he doesn't get to use it against me now and play me out to be the bad guy. NO!"

Arizona grabbed Callie's hands and squeezed them, then looked into her beautiful brown eyes. They were usually so gentle and loving, but they were on fire right now. Seeing her so upset sent Arizona into full on Robbins-attack mode, but she needed to be level headed. "I am not defending him. What he did was wrong. It was so wrong I can't even fathom how someone could actually do it. I'm on your team, Calliope. Not his." Callie relaxed a fraction of her anger. "But I have to say, I got a pretty amazing girlfriend out of it, so I can't say I'm exactly bitter." She gave Callie a lopsided grin and cocked an eyebrow, making the Latina chuckle and breaking the last of the tension in the air. "Just try to see the good in him as a person… not your ex-husband who left you. Just as Sofia's father and as a soldier. He's a person who decided to make the decision to go save lives in a place where people like my brother, Tim count on people like him. There aren't enough people like George out there, and I have to say, I'm not exactly bitter about that side of his decision either."

Callie paused and watched Arizona in amazement. "I can't believe you can talk about him as if he has any good in him." She dropped her hands and walked over to the counter, sorting through the rest of the mail.

Arizona's shoulders sank. She really had hoped to help Callie mend at least that portion of her shattered heart; maybe now just wasn't the time. She really did see a spark of good left in George O'Malley, though. He had shown effort, which was more than could be said for some men. He'd also made a very courageous decision to serve his country, something she'd been taught was nothing but honorable.

Callie found a second letter riddled with postage on the counter and froze, staring at it.

Arizona watched a shadow of anxiety cloud Callie's face. "Calliope, what is it?"

Callie turned slowly. "It's another letter from George. It's addressed to me, though." Callie's eyes met Arizona's, needing support as her mind raced, wondering what he had to say to her. She walked back over to the couch and ripped open the letter then started to read it aloud.

"Callie,

Please read this. I understand if you want to rip this up right now and never see it again. But please. Read it."

Callie rolled her eyes and huffed, but kept reading.

"I know you think I joined the Army to get away from you and Sofia. In a way, I guess you're right. I freaked out and I ran. After I slept with Izzie, I realized that I had never felt that way before. In that moment, I realized I had made this huge mistake and I had dragged you into it. Instead of facing it though, I created another human being and dragged her into it too... I've never felt so guilty of something in my entire life.

You haunted me… You and Sofia both. You are the living, breathing, constant reminder of my biggest mistake. I never should have married you, and I am so, deeply, deeply sorry, Callie."

Callie paused and took a breath, wiping away a rogue tear. Arizona leaned in, laying her head on her shoulder and wrapping her arm around her. Callie looked over to Arizona briefly then took a deep breath to keep reading.

"I know that you came out of this marriage hurting, but that was not my intent. I feel so free… Free of that mistake and the guilt that filled my life. I hope you can feel free someday too.

I sent a letter for Sofia… I feel like she shouldn't have to grow up without both of her parents. It's my responsibility to be there for her. I created her and brought her into this mess, which is something I can't fix but I can try to make better, so please read her letter to her, too. I want to try to do better, so please let me try.

Merry Christmas,

George."

Callie set the letter down and looked at Arizona whose mouth was hanging wide open. She went to say something, but could only get one syllable to form.

Arizona was the first to make a complete sentence. She quoted the letter, "I created her and brought her into this mess?"

Callie flung the paper onto the table. "Something he can't fix?! Is he saying her entire existence is a MISTAKE?" Callie couldn't even process the thought.

Arizona grabbed his letter and tore it in half. She stared at the very surprised Callie and with every ounce of fury that had been building within her spat through her teeth, "Sofia is not a mistake."

Callie sat, stunned at the passion in Arizona's eyes.

"That child is beautiful and to say he was guilty for creating that gorgeous little girl…" Arizona kept tearing the letter into smaller and smaller pieces then threw them into the fire place where a roaring heat engulfed them forever.

"Arizona…" Callie reached out to stop the blonde firecracker.

"NO! Calliope you are not a mistake! Sofia is not a mistake! How DARE he…"

"Arizona!" Callie cut her off and stood, pulling her into a hug. She held her close for a second, letting the blonde breathe. "Thank you."

Arizona stood in place, trying to release the anger in her, but she couldn't let it go. "You're not a mistake."

Callie stroked the back of Arizona's head. "I know. I know, Arizona."

Arizona's anger boiled over into tears pouring down her face. She grabbed onto Callie. "He can't say…"

Callie shushed Arizona and let her cry out her rage. She knew that she wasn't a mistake and that Sofia was definitely not something to feel guilt over creating. She knew it deep within her very core, but to have Arizona so defiantly proclaiming it was the most moving feeling she'd ever felt. Someone she was in love with was defending her and was angry for her to the point where she would worry for the other person's safety if he didn't happen to be halfway across the globe. It filled her heart and put every ounce of the pieces that George had broken back together. Instead of being put back in the same place though, they were added to the piece Arizona had saved. It was a new place in her heart that was just starting to rebuild. Piece by piece, Arizona was saving her and Callie felt it.

Arizona leaned out of Callie's arms to look into her eyes. "I love you, Calliope. And I love Sofia. I need you to know that that will never change."

"I know. Arizona, I love you, too. And Sofia loves you." They both looked at the little girl in her playpen. She had won against taking a nap and was currently chewing on a frozen teething ring. "She smiles every time she sees you. And you're the only one that can calm her down in the middle of the night…"

Arizona leaned in to kiss Callie's full lips, cutting her off. She loved those lips more than she ever thought she would. All of the times she imagined kissing Callie over the last few years never actually measured up to the real thing. Kissing Callie was always new, and yet felt as familiar as breathing. It always made her heart flutter and her stomach spin. She felt like she was flying through the air with her and never wanted to land. She soared when they were together, and it was becoming very clear she would never be able to let that feeling go.

"Ma-mi!" Sofia's voice startled and separated the women. Callie turned to look at Sofia then looked to Arizona, excitement overwhelming her. Arizona had a matching expression of excitement and squeezed Callie before they both turned to Sofia.

Callie ran up to Sofia and picked the babbling baby up. "What's that, baby girl?" Sofia looked up at Callie and grabbed her nose. "Mami!" Callie and Arizona squealed in unison and Arizona was immediately by Callie's side with a hand on Sofia's back.

"Calliope! She said it! She called you Mami!" Callie beamed at Arizona, tears streaming down her face. Arizona kissed her quickly and looked at Sofia. "That's right, baby girl! That's your Mami!" She kissed Sofia's head and wrapped her arm around Callie's waist.

She would never forgive George for causing Callie so much pain, but she couldn't help but appreciate him for one thing; he gave her the family that fulfilled the dream she didn't even know she had.