A/N: I would like to take a moment to thank all of you for sticking with me and for leaving all those kind reviews. I really appreciate your support and hope that I can keep entertaining you with these figments of my imagination.

Shout out to Babyjamo for pushing me to be better!

Chapter XXXIV

Arizona nodded and smiled. "Yes, it is." She leaned over the table and picked up the bottle of wine they ordered and divided the last bit over both their glasses. "I'm glad I'm here too." She gazed at Callie for a moment and bit her lip. "Ahh, talking about Penny…..I have to ask…what happened there. You seemed so committed to the relationship?"

Callie raised her eyebrow. She knew it was probably not meant that way, but Arizona's question sort of felt like a dig. Even though Penny's existence had had a huge effect on Arizona, they had never really spoken about her. Not when she was still with Penny and certainly not after the break-up. In a way, she understood Arizona's interest in the subject, but on the other hand, it was awkward to talk about it. A little over two years ago, she had decided to follow her new girlfriend to the other side of the country, determined to make it work. And it had blown up in her face. Yes, mostly because she had pressed the detonator, but still. It was not her proudest moment.

"Right for the jugular," Callie said jokingly, mostly to buy herself some time. Even though it was not really any of Arizona's business anymore, Callie wanted to show her ex-wife she had grown. She had this almost unhealthy need of showing Arizona she was a better version of herself. And even though she did not know why, it was important.

"If you…ahhh…you don't have to tell me, it's ok," Arizona was already backtracking. Probably thinking that Callie's reaction meant that she had crossed a line.

"No, it's fine," Callie replied, putting her hand on Arizona's arm to show her she did not do anything wrong. "I understand why you are interested. It just surprised me, that's all."

Arizona was visibly relieved by Callie's words and gesture. She flashed the raven-haired woman a bright smile and put her hands up in the air, making jazz hands. "Surprise." It was an obvious attempt to lighten the mood a little, which Callie appreciated. It also reminded her of Arizona's goofy nature, something she used to love about the blonde.

Callie almost choked on her wine while trying to suppress the laughter. "You're such a dork," she said before coughing to clear her throat.

It was tempting to have Arizona help her out by asking what exactly the blonde wanted to know, but she quickly reminded herself that she could handle this. Arizona was looking at her expectantly, that mischievous twinkle still in her eyes. But Callie could also see Arizona was genuinely interested in what she was about to say. She took another sip of her wine before she spoke up again.

"We tried, but it just didn't work," she started. "She was….she was great, she did everything right. Things were good. But it just wasn't…..I just wasn't," Callie paused, her eyes landing on Arizona's. "I felt myself falling back into my old role. I was about to make the exact same mistakes as….as before." Before she realized what she was doing, she was spilling the beans to Arizona. Telling her exactly what she felt was wrong and why she had ended things with Penny. Without thinking, she started telling Arizona exactly how she had felt and how it had gone when she had decided to break up with Penny. "In the end, there was just a whole lot of frustration. It wasn't pretty."

Arizona was listening intently, nodding here and there and just letting Callie speak.

"I…I don't regret moving to New York. I needed a change of scenery, to do something for me. The past two years…..New York has been good to me. I'm loving my job and my research is going very well. I work with good people, I get to teach people that truly want to learn from me and the whole Yankees deal is just a bonus. What I do regret is what the move did to Sofia and you. I…I never meant to hurt anyone." Truth was that it was hard to be around Arizona. Even though she had moved on, was dating someone new and things had been okay between them.

"I know you didn't," Arizona said quietly after a pause that felt like forever.

It was obvious from the look in the blonde's eyes that they had touched a subject that was still difficult for the both of them. They had never really discussed the custody battle and the things that were said in court. In hindsight, they had gone about it the wrong way. Callie had gone about it the wrong way. The idea of maybe losing Sofia had seriously impaired her ability to judge. Her instinct had been to fight, whatever the consequences were. She realized now that Arizona had probably felt the exact same way.

Callie hoped that she had given Arizona enough of an answer for now. They were having a good time and she wanted to keep it that way. It was, after all, a celebration.

"Thank you for telling me," Arizona continued. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again, changing her mind at the last second. Callie could not help but wonder what Arizona was going to say, but she did not want to drag it out of her. They still had plenty of time to have serious conversations, they did not have to go through everything in one night.

"You know," Callie said, pursing her lips before she continued, purposely changing the subject. "Sofia spoke to me the other day."

The blonde raised her eyebrow before taking a sip of her wine. "What?"

She chuckled. "Yeah, our daughter gave me the third degree," Callie rephrased to make her point.

"About?"

"You and me. Us. She told me you told her that you and I are special friends and she wondered if that meant things were going to be like before." Callie bit her lip and waited for her words to sink in with Arizona. She knew she was treading thin ice, but in the context of personal growth and all that, she decided to just say it. She wanted open communication with Arizona. Plus, saying that Sofia hoped for reconciliation, did not automatically mean that it was something she herself was pining for.

The longer it took for Arizona to answer, the more Callie regret her newfound courage and openness. She felt her newfound confidence cave in while the seconds ticked away.

"Oh yeah, that," Arizona said after a short pause.

"What?" Callie could not believe her ears. She had half feared that even the hint of them getting back together would have caused an argument or at least would have ruined the mood. But Arizona's reaction was far from what she had expected. Did she just see a mischievous sparkle in her ex-wife's eyes?

Arizona chuckled. "I've been doing the hard talks for a while now, I figured I'd leave this one for you to handle," She flashed Callie a sweet smile, her body language indicating that she full well knew what she had done and she was not sorry about it.

"Wha…uh….," Callie did not know what to say and ended up just chuckling.

"Hey, it's called co-parenting for a reason, Callie," Arizona said in a teasing tone of voice. "She definitely has your brains though," she added on a more serious note. "She will analyze people and situations and…well, she picks up on a lot more than we give her credit for."

"Thanks for the head's up." Callie had one eyebrow ominously raised, but the rest of her face indicated she was joking. "Glad I got to prepare for a talk like that."

"You know I aim to please," Arizona quipped back, her shit-eating grin still in place.

"So, am I your special friend?" Callie caught Arizona's stare and met it full on. Two could play that game.

Just when Arizona was about to say something, they were interrupted.

"Torres, fancy seeing you here," Anne said with a bright smile. "Congrats on the Patent." The vivacious redhead had walked over to their table without Callie noticing. She was accompanied by a pretty blonde woman who looked a little like Emma.

Arizona flashed Callie an all-knowing look before turning her attention to the redhead.

"Thanks," Callie said with a friendly smile. "Arizona, this is my co-worker Anne Williams, head of General. Anne, this is Arizona Robbins."

Anne flashed Arizona a charming smile. "Ah, so you are Arizona. Lovely to meet you."

Callie wondered why Anne had to make it sound like she knew all about Arizona. It was probably meant as charming, but it annoyed her instead.

"Likewise," Arizona said politely when she shook Anne's extended hand.

"Congratulations on the Center," Anne continued. "I've heard a lot of good things about you and Doctor Herman."

This time, Arizona broke into a genuine smile. "Thank you."

Callie raised her eyebrow as she watched the interaction. Was Anne trying to hit on Arizona? She narrowed her eyes slightly before looking at the blonde that was with Anne, who looked a little lost.

"Oh, right," Anne continued. "This is Tess Brown, my girlfriend. She's a patent lawyer."

Tess gave both Arizona and Callie a slight nod and a smile. The woman looked eager to get away from this situation.

"Tess, this is Callie Torres, she's the head of the Orthopedic Department and she's a rock star," Anne continued. "She received a Patent for her research."

The blonde nodded and seemed to relax when Anne rested her hand on her lower back. "Congratulations, Dr. Torres," she said, her smile genuine.

"Well, we are going to get a drink at the bar. See you around, Torres." With that Anne, guided Tess towards the bar, leaving both Callie and Arizona to stare at them retreating.

"Well, that was awkward," Arizona said after a short silence.

Callie huffed before chuckling. "She is something, alright." She shook her head.

The blonde looked at Callie, waiting for further explanation.

"She's Caplan's ex-wife," Callie explained. "Too cocky for her own good," she added before finishing her glass of wine. "Brilliant surgeon though."

Arizona knew who Emma was, but Callie had not told her that at one point they had been more than friends. That was not something she was going to divulge now though, there was no reason to. Callie felt the mood had shifted because of Anne's interruption and it irked her. It was proof of how delicate the growing bond between Arizona and her was. That it was important to take things slow. Tonight had been fun, they had been able to talk about serious things as well as just hang out as friends. This was a good start.

Their conversation continued for a little while, but Callie's flirty remark was not revisited. Maybe it was for the better. When Callie offered to pay the bill, Arizona put her hand on hers and shook her head.

"Let me," Arizona said.

Callie pursed her lips. "I invited you, though." As much as she appreciated Arizona wanting to pay for the bill, she felt she needed to get this one since it had been her idea.

For a moment, blue eyes started into dark brown and neither woman seemed to relent.

Arizona pursed her lips. "Let's split it," she offered.

It might have been a small gesture, but somehow it made Callie release a soft sigh of relief. She really needed to stop this whole waiting for an argument thing, it was working on her nerves.

With the bill paid, they walked outside to wait for their Uber. Arizona bumped her shoulder into Callie's. "This was fun," she said. "Thank you for inviting me."

Callie smiled brightly and looked at Arizona. "It was. Thank you for celebrating with me."

Maybe it was the alcohol, the crisp New York night air, or maybe it was an old habit, but Arizona linked her arm in Callie's, leaning into the other woman. They stood there together, not speaking, both plunged in their own thoughts.