A/N Sofia coming into the ER is a great idea made worse because they tried to wrap it around the whole Penny thing.
So I un-wrapped it.
Plus Arizona's parents.
Also warming, mentions of miscarriage this chapter.
I've also rolled the custody thing into the divorce because with no Penny there is no New York and yeah, you'll see.
/ / /
August 31, 2015
"Dr. Torres," Nurse Wilma said as Callie was part way through closing on a hip replacement. "It's a non-emergency, but Sofia was brought into the ER."
Callie's head snapped up at the news. "Dr. Robbins started surgery about an hour ago. Did they say what happened?"
"She fell on the playground," the nurse explained. "Sounds like it might be her wrist."
"Page Karev and tell him he has nothing else to do until Robbins, or I can get down there," Callie ordered as she looked at the near half hour of work she still had to do. With just a third year resident for help, she wasn't willing to step out.
"Done," Nurse Wilma confirmed.
Just over twenty minutes later, Callie walked out of the OR and started the process of scrubbing out. She dried her hands as she walked down to the ER to see her daughter. She couldn't help but smile when she got there. Alex was sitting next to Sofia on the gurney, Bailey standing beside on one side, with Jo Wilson on the other.
"Mommy," Sofia whined when she saw her mother come around the curtain.
"Hey big girl," Callie smiled at her daughter. She bent down to kiss her cheek before carefully inspecting the wrist. She was nearly sure it wasn't broken, but the x-rays would confirm. "How're you feeling?"
"My wrist hurts," Sofia said as she held it to her chest. "They took pictures of my bones."
"Did they?" Callie asked in an excited voice. "Once they are here, Mommy is going to look at them. I'll show you if you're a very good girl, alright?"
Sofia nodded as she reached out to hold Callie's hand. "I'll be good."
"Did someone tell Arizona?" Callie asked.
"I went into the OR on the way down to tell her," Jo said. "She was in the middle of something she said she couldn't leave. But told me to tell Alex his job depended on keeping Sofia happy."
"Totally legal," Alex rolled his eyes.
"Karev." Bailey's eyes narrowed before she shook her head and walked away now that Callie was here.
"Hey, I'm here and glad to watch over Sof," Alex said. He held up his right hand, his left arm wrapped around Sofia.
"Shepherd already did an exam. She said her head is alright other than needing a few stitches," Alex said as Callie lifted the bandage to take a look.
"Did you do those?" Callie asked Alex. They were nearly as good as what Mark might have done if he were here. A thought that sent a bit of sadness through Callie's chest.
"I'm peds," Alex shrugged. "Figured it was my job."
It wasn't long before an intern brought in the scans for Callie to look over. She gladly took them and held them up to the light. "No break," she said thankfully. "Looks like a grade two." She held them up for the others to look at and then showed Sofia.
"Do I get a cast?" Sofia asked.
"Not this time. But I'm going to wrap your wrist up nice and tight, so it doesn't hurt, how's that sound?" Callie asked as she pulled a seat and some supplies over.
"Can I have ice cream?" Sofia asked.
"I'll run down to the cafeteria and get it," Alex offered before stopping when Sofia held on to him.
"Don't go, Uncle Alex," Sofia said.
"Uncle Alex?" Alex questioned her.
Sofia nodded. "My Uncle Tim was big and brave, but he's an angel now," she explained what Arizona told her. "So, now I need you to be my uncle."'
Jo all but melted at the way Alex's face lit up. Callie had a grin on her face too as her daughter decided Alex was now her uncle.
"Uncle Alex it is," Alex said with a tight voice to hold back some emotion.
"I'll go grab the ice cream," Jo offered. "What kind would you like Sofia?"
"Chocolate with rainbow sprinkles," Sofia grinned. "Please and thank you."
"Good job, big girl," Callie said before she put on gloves.
Arizona ran into Jo on her way down to the ER. She had a surgery she couldn't hand over and a kid she knew would have every attending in the ER at her beck and call. Callie included.
"Hey," Jo said when Arizona got on the elevator with her. She held the ice cream for Sofia in one hand and one for Alex in the other. "Sofia has Alex hostage. She called him Uncle Alex, and he melted a little."
"She did?" Arizona asked with a grin. "He's been there since the moment she was born. I'm surprised it's taken this long honestly."
"It was so cute," Jo said. "She told him that her Uncle Tim was an angel, so she needed him to be her uncle."
Arizona gave a sad smile. "I've been trying to talk about my brother more. I didn't know it would lead to this, but I can't fault her choice of uncles."
"You know Alex is going to be all dorky about this, right?" Jo smiled brightly. "Which is oddly super hot."
Arizona just laughed as they headed off the elevator and toward the area that Sofia was in. She smiled as she saw her daughter cuddled against Alex while Callie sat next to them pointing out different things on an x-ray.
"First anatomy 101 class?" Arizona asked as she stepped to the side of the bed.
"Mama, those are my bones!" Sofia said excitedly.
"I know, big girl," Arizona said with a smile. She looked at the scans when Callie held it where she could see it. She trusted Callie more than anyone but seeing them for herself calmed her nerves. "I hear you have a new uncle too?"
"Robbins," Alex said bashfully as he took his and Sofia's ice cream from Joe.
"Uncle Alex," Sofia nodded.
"I did always want a little brother," Arizona teased Alex.
"Dude, you're like my mentor or whatever. Do you really need to be my big sister too?" Alex groaned but the smile on his face didn't fade.
"Yup," Arizona grinned at him. "And my first act as your big sister is to make you do all of my charting tonight, so I can get out of here on time and take my daughter and girlfriend home at a reasonable hour."
"Fine. But you owe me or something," Alex grumbled as he got off of the gurney, so Arizona could sit down next to Sofia. Something Sofia only accepted because she was eating her ice cream. The bowl balanced on her arm and leaning against her chest. He and Jo said goodbye and left the family together.
Arizona sat down next to Sofia and held her ice cream for her to make sure that she didn't make a mess of her shirt. She pulled out her phone when she felt it go off and let out a soft groan.
"What?" Callie asked.
"My parents want to go to Hawaii for vacation," Arizona said. "They are going to connect through Seattle, so they can see Sofia and me," she winced. "And I may not have told them about us yet?"
"May not have?" Callie questioned.
"I haven't told them we're back together," Arizona admitted.
"I haven't told Dad either," Callie said. She reached over and rubbed Arizona's right calf to try and comfort her a little. "So, we'll tell them when they get here."
"Alright," Arizona said. She knew they needed to really talk but they couldn't do that in the hospital with their daughter between them. "Talk tonight?" She requested.
"Yes," Callie promised.
/
Callie and Arizona sat on the back porch that night, each with a glass of wine. They had Sofia's old baby monitor out with them so if she woke up they could hear her.
"He's going to judge me," Arizona said. She had her head resting on Callie's shoulder as they looked out over their back yard. "He might not say anything but he's going to judge me."
"Then he can judge me too," Callie said. "You and I are together because we want to be together. Shouldn't he be happy for that?"
"You'd think," Arizona sighed. "I love my father. I really, really do. But he's going to judge me for how I handled losing my leg. And he's going to judge me for my infidelity. And he's going to judge me for agreeing to a divorce. And then he's going to judge me for agreeing to date you again. He's going to look at me, and it's all going to be written on his face."
Callie tilted her head to rest hers against Arizona's. "Your father is going to act like he has for the last forty years of your life, Arizona. You or me being happy together isn't going to change that," she said. She hated that it wouldn't change it ,but she knew her former father in law too well to hold false hope. "But you can engage him or not. That's your choice."
Arizona lifted her wine glass to her lips and managed to take a drink without holding her head up. "He's going to ask me why I'm not who he raised me to be anymore, and I'm going to feel about six years old again." She tried to keep her voice down and the bitterness out.
"You are," Callie whispered. "You're still the woman I fell in love with, just out the other side of a series of traumatic experiences. You changed because life forced you to, but you're still the same daughter he took skating and taught to shoot a gun. The same daughter he taught to drive on the tarmac of a Marine base at fourteen, because that way she couldn't hit anything, and who he danced with on her wedding day. I know you want him to approve and he should. But if he doesn't, you'll be alright."
"When did you learn to give speeches?" Arizona asked. She cuddled against Callie a little more firmly as she felt overwhelming love for Callie. "Thank you, Calliope."
"We've been together a long time," Callie said. "I learned from the best."
Arizona and Callie sat there in the quiet of the evening for a few long moments. Each enjoyed their wine and each other's company as they sat together in a home they shared with their daughter. A dream for both of them even if it was a bit of a nightmare to get them there.
"He's going to ask why we're together and not married again," Arizona whispered with her eyes closed.
"Because we're not going to rush back to something just because we miss it," Callie answered.
"You miss it?" Arizona asked. the hopeful tone she took on full display.
"Do I miss being able to say, "My wife, Arizona" to people? Yes. Girlfriend requires explanation, but wife is self explanatory," Callie said. "But I'm not asking you to marry me, because your father is going to ask why we're not."
Arizona reached over to take Callie's left hand in hers. She stroked the place where the ring she put on Callie's finger once used to live. "I don't want you to ask me because of him. But sometimes I find myself slipping when I think about you or when I think about us."
"Slipping?" Callie asked. She stroked up and down Arizona's forearm as she waited for a response.
"I'll walk into the ER or I'll catch a glimpse of you in the hallway with your sleeves pushed up and I'll think to myself, 'God, my wife is a badass', and then I'll have to shake myself out of me. Or I'll see you with Sofia and I'll think how lucky I am to have a wife and daughter who are so awesome, and I'll have to shake myself out of that too," Arizona admitted. "I don't introduce you as my wife, but it's hard to change how my internal monologue sees you."
Callie was quiet for a long moment as she thought about what Arizona said. "So, think of me as your wife in your head," she said as her fingers trailed over the back of Arizona's left hand.
"Calliope, that's a dangerous game," Arizona warned.
"Is it?" Callie asked. "You and I live together in a house we own with our daughter. We sleep in the same bed every night, or at least every night we're both home. We have sex. Half the time we shower together to save time in the morning, and because we like making out in there before coffee. And we were married. I was yours and you were mine. And now I am yours and you are mine again. So, tell me how it's a dangerous game?
Arizona sat up so she could face Callie. "Because I want to be your wife again. I want to have a ring and a piece of paper that says I, Arizona Robbins, and you, Calliope Torres, are married. Wonderfully, legally, forever. I'm scared if I let myself play married in my head that it'll pressure you somehow and you'll ask. Then we'll rush to get married and things will fall apart again," she admitted her fears as clearly as she could the way that had been doing since they got back together.
Callie lifted her right hand to cup Arizona's cheek. She traced over her bottom lip with her thumb before she leaned in to press a light kiss to Arizona's lips. "I know you, and I know me too. I'm the one who jumps in with both feet, and you're the one who waits and runs every possibility in your head. Most of the time anyway," she said with a chuckle in her voice. "So, here's the deal. I won't ask you before April 15 of next year. But I have a date in mind that I want to use. We'll be ready before then, but I won't ask before then even if I really, really want to. I'll wait and we'll have an end point for girlfriends in mind. Plus I'll have time to plan."
"Calliope," Arizona breathed out her name. "You are incredible." She leaned forward to pull Callie into a deep kiss before breaking it. "Take me upstairs?"
"Gladly," Callie laughed. "We have to practice for the wedding night."
/ /
Callie looked up from the couch in the attending's lounge when Meredith walked in. "Hey," She greeted.
"Arizona is freaking out about her parents coming tonight," Meredith said in place of a greeting.
"Yeah, she has since they told her they were," Callie sighed.
"You're not freaking out?" Meredith asked as she sat on the other end of the couch.
"Not really?" Callie sat down the file she had been reading. "Arizona and I are in a really good place right now. We've handled our crap, we've moved in together again, and we have put the past where it should be. After all that, her parents showing up doesn't feel like a big deal."
"As your friend, I feel like I should tell you that there was a bet going on if the two of you would get back together," Meredith admitted.
"Really?" Callie asked as her eyebrow rose. "Who won?"
"Cristina. I mailed her the winnings two days ago. She said gay marriage would pass and the two of you would be so overcome with gay feelings you'd be back together within a month," Meredith explained the winning bet.
"Cristina always did have a sense about these things," Callie mused. "I like to think even without Arizona paging me the day the ruling came out that we'd figure out a way back together. But I don't know and at this point I don't care."
"If I had another chance with Derek, I wouldn't care either," Meredith said sadly. "Sometimes if you love someone else I think sheer force of wills on both parts will bring you back together."
"Well, few people have the force of will of Arizona and me," Callie laughed. She checked her pager when she felt it go off. "The pit calls."
"Enjoy the broken bones," Meredith said.
"Hey, Grey, what was your bet?" Callie asked after turning around in the doorway.
"I thought you'd go over there with a boombox one night and go full 80's romcom on her," Meredith laughed at the look on Callie's face. "It seemed like the kind of gesture Arizona would like."
"No comment," Callie smiled before heading to the ER.
/
Arizona was pacing in the kitchen that night. Her parents had insisted on taking a rental car from the airport, so she and Callie wouldn't need to take time off of work to come get them.
"I can go back to the hospital and get some drugs to sedate you, if you need." Callie sat from the kitchen table where Sofia was coloring as they waited.
Arizona turned and looked at Callie for a minute as she leaned against the island. "I'm sorry," she sighed before walking over and sitting at the table. "I feel like I'm sixteen and waiting for them to get home, so I can tell them I accidentally broke a lamp," she admitted.
Callie reached out and rested her hand on Arizona's thigh. "I'll be right here with you, and Sofia will be right here with you," She said as her hand rubbed soothingly over Arizona's thigh.
Arizona leaned over to press a kiss to Callie's jaw. "Te amo," she whispered against Callie's skin.
"Te amo," Callie whispered. "En tus días malos te voy a querer el triple," she added to tell Arizona on her bad days she would love her triple.
"You'll love me triple on crap days?" Arizona asked if she got it right.
"Close enough," Callie said before pressing a soft kiss right below her ear.
Before they could say anything more there was a knock on the door that Sofia jumped up to answer. Arizona turned her head to kiss Callie deeply before standing and holding her hand out to Callie to help her up. The pair walked to the front door together to let Arizona's parents in.
"Arizona!" Barbara Robbins grinned brightly as she stepped forward to hug her daughter tightly.
"Hi Mom," Arizona said as she hugged her mother tightly. "How was the flight?"
"It was fine, dear," Barbara said as she pulled back to look at her daughter. "I read a book and your father watched ESPN."
Daniel was down on his knees with an uncharacteristic smile on his face as he greeted his granddaughter. His wife and granddaughter were the only two people who got that kind of easy smile on his face.
"Colonel Grampa," Sofia said as she stood at a child's version of attention. She did a salute that was off but she had a proud grin on her face.
"At ease, Gunny," Daniel said after returning the salute in perfect form. He had taken to use the term for a gunnery sergeant with his granddaughter as a term of endearment she ate up.
Sofia stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck before he stood up and gave her a tight hug. He closed his eyes as the pair hugged tight to each other. "I misseded you," She said.
"Missed," Daniel corrected gently.
Callie wrapped her arm around Arizona's waist as she, Arizona, and Barbara watched Daniel and Sofia interact. Each had different feelings about how soft the old Marine was with his granddaughter and how little softness he showed with just about anyone else.
"Hi Grandma," Sofia said as Daniel passed her over.
"How's my favorite granddaughter?" Barbara asked as she hugged tightly to the little girl before tickling her.
"I'm your only granddaughter, silly!" Sofia laughed as she squirmed to try and get away.
Daniel straightened himself up as he looked at his daughter and former daughter-in-law. He offered them a tight smile. "Arizona, you look well."
"I'm very well, Dad," Arizona said before she pulled away from Callie to give her father a brief hug.
"Callie," Daniel said. He offered her a handshake instead of a hug.
"Colonel," Callie said. She shook his hand before her arm returned protectively around Arizona's waist as if the action could protect her from her father's disapproval.
"Dinner is keeping warm in the oven," Arizona said to try and move them out of the doorway. "Let me have your bags and I'll take them up to the guest room?"
"I've got them," Daniel said. He lifted the two bags they brought in from the car for their stay. Their larger suitcases for their trip were in the rental car. "Just point the way."
"Up the stairs and to the left, second door," Arizona said before watching her father walk away.
"Give him some time, Sweetheart," Barbara said after her husband headed upstairs. "You know how your father can be."
"Yeah," Arizona said flatly.
"Let's go into the kitchen," Callie suggested to try and keep Arizona from rushing out of the house to grab the pack of cigarettes she didn't know Callie knew were stashed in her glove box. Arizona's stress smoking still bothered her, but she long ago gave up actively tossing the packs.
"Do you need any help with dinner, dear?" Barbara asked as she carried Sofia with her.
"We just need to set the table," Callie explained. "I made chicken Cordon Bleu."
"Calliope is amazing in the kitchen," Arizona said with a bright smile.
"Thank you," Callie said before bending down for a kiss.
"Grab the plates and silverware and I'll set the table while this one picks up her coloring supplies," Barbara said before setting Sofia down so she could clean up after herself.
"Mom, you don't have to," Arizona protested even if she knew it wouldn't do any good. "You're a guest."
"I'm your mother," Barbara said. "One day you're going to go to Sofia's home and you'll set the table even if she protests it, then you'll understand."
Arizona got a shy smile on her face at the idea of her and Callie showing up for a visit wherever Sofia settled in the future. "Yes, ma'am," she said softly before grabbing the silverware while Callie got the good plates from one of the upper cabinets.
By the time Daniel walked into the kitchen, the table was set and the food was in the middle of the table for everyone to take chicken and mashed potatoes.
"What do you want to drink, Dad?" Arizona asked by the refrigerator.
"A beer is fine," Daniel said as he took a seat next to Sofia and across from his wife. "As long as it's not some weak IPA."
"Arizona hates IPA's nearly as much as you do, Dan," Barbara reminded him.
Arizona grabbed her father a dark beer before bringing the wine to the table for the rest of the adults. Sofia already had her glass of milk. She sat at the head of the table with Callie on one side and Sofia on the other.
"Arizona didn't mention how the two of you found your way back to each other," Barbara said to Callie as they started to pass the food around.
"Arizona paged me the day that marriage equality passed," Callie said with a smile to Arizona. "She's the one that gave me the news it passed. We ended up talking about the fact we missed each other and agreed to go for a drink that night. And from there we found that after taking some time to work on ourselves that what we both really wanted was each other."
Daniel said nothing as he helped his granddaughter cut up her chicken before Arizona could. Sofia was telling him a story about her day at daycare and all the toys she got to play with.
"Oh that's wonderful," Barbara said as she looked at the pair. "Finding each other again and being able to start over."
"It's been pretty awesome," Arizona smiled at Callie. "We talk a lot more than we ever did before. Work has been crazy for both of us lately, but we've been much better at finding time for each other and for Sofia."
"I wish we had more surgery time together, but with Alex as an attending and the two others you hired, it's been fewer cases to work together," Callie said.
"You aren't in peds anymore?" Barbara asked.
"I'm still the head of the peds department," Arizona explained. "Maternal–fetal surgery is under my department but I'm the only attending for the time being until we find the money to hire another. We have a spot for a fellowship, but right now we don't have a fellow."
"That sounds like a lot on your plate, honey," Barbara said with concern in her voice.
"Yes and no," Arizona answered. "It's more paperwork, but now that my fellowship is over things have leveled out. Having more attendings means I don't have to take peds cases unless there is a really good reason or there is a major event."
"The work Arizona is doing is pretty advanced stuff. Our friend Addison is the only person on the west coast getting as many high level referrals," Callie complemented. "She's one of the most prominent doctors we have at Grey-Sloan."
"You do pretty well for yourself, Calliope," Arizona said with a blush forming on her cheeks. "Every sports team from San Diego to Vancouver is trying to get you to consult for them."
"I like my research and heading our ortho department," Callie said with a shrug. "The hours are more consistent unless we get a major event."
"Are there a lot of major events?" Barbara asked.
"More than we'd like," Callie chuckled.
Dinner carried on with Arizona, Callie, and Barbara catching up and Daniel and Sofia chatting away with each other. Daniel looked over Sofia a few times to Arizona but he kept his mouth shut on anything she was saying. Arizona reached for Callie's hand each time he did it to keep herself from starting another world war.
"Dinner was wonderful, Callie," Barbara said after everyone took their last bite.
"Thank you," Callie smiled. "It's one of Arizona and Sofia's favorites."
"Ice cream now?" Sofia asked as she pointed to her cleaned plate.
"After we clean up from dinner," Arizona said. She reached over to run her hand through her daughter's hair. "Why don't you go show Grandpa your room while we clean up?" She suggested as her father avoided looking at her.
"Come on, Colonel Grandpa," Sofia climbed down from her chair and held her hand out to him.
"He loves that little girl," Barbara smiled as she watched her husband and granddaughter walk out of the room together.
"He does," Arizona agreed as she got up from the table to start clearing it. She winced a bit as she shifted just wrong and her thigh protested.
"Sit," Callie said. "You had back to back to back multi-hour surgeries today, and you didn't take your leg off after we got home."
"Calliope," Arizona sighed but did as she was told.
"Is your leg still bothering you?" Barbara asked.
"It just gets sore at this point," Arizona said. She grabbed the wine bottle to pour herself a bit more. "More on days when I spend most of the day in the OR or running around after Sofia. Callie will rub it before we go to bed and it'll loosen it up again."
"One of the perks of being with an orthopedic surgeon," Callie said without any of the bitterness both felt at her profession after the plane crash.
"There are a lot of perks to being with you." Arizona twisted in her chair so she could look at her ex-wife turned girlfriend. "The food and massages are pretty high on the list though."
Callie walked back to the table to grab the last of the plates and to kiss Arizona. "Are you using some of that famous Robbins charm on me?"
"Every chance I get," Arizona said as she reached her hand up to rest on the back of Callie's neck.
/
Daniel sat on the back porch with a cigar after he read three different stories to his granddaughter for bedtime. He had a glass of whiskey next to him as he took in all of the things he saw tonight.
Callie walked outside while Arizona and Barbara caught up in the living room. She had a few things she wanted to say to the Marine and it was better to do them when she knew Barbara would keep Arizona from coming out here.
"Dinner was good, thank you," Daniel said politely.
"Of course," Callie said before sitting down in the chair across from the porch swing he was sitting on.
Daniel studied her for a moment as he brought his cigar up to his lips to take a puff. He blew the smoke out in the yard to keep it away from them both. He turned his head back to her and waited.
Callie, never one to back down, just raised her eyebrow at him. "You've wanted to say something since you got here, don't hold back on my account."
Daniel lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip of the amber liquid. "You tried to take my granddaughter away from me. In the divorce, Arizona said you floated the idea of you having full custody before you backed down."
Callie breathed out as she nodded. "It was a tactic that I signed off on using, yeah. But I couldn't do that to Arizona when I saw her face when it was brought up, as mad as I was at her I couldn't fight a battle I knew would only hurt her and Sofia in the long run. So, we agreed to joint custody."
"How kind of you to take into account Sofia's adopted mother in your plans," Daniel said gruffly. "My daughter didn't want kids. Her whole life she vowed to never have them. Then you and your sperm donor made one and she stepped up," she defended Arizona.
"Mark wasn't a sperm donor," Callie defended Mark. "He was Sofia's father and a friend to both of us. Do not bring Mark into this." The anger in her voice was clear even if she didn't raise her voice at him.
"When are you and my daughter going to stop playing house?" Daniel asked.
"We're not playing house," Callie said with a shake of her head. "Arizona and I are together. We have a child together and a home and we love each other. Yes, we got divorced, and we took time away from each other but that had nothing to do with not loving each other."
Daniel took another puff of his cigar. "What happens the next time things get tough? You going to cut and run and this time take my granddaughter with you?"
Callie took a breath to try and calm the anger simmering in her veins. "My marriage to Arizona is between Arizona and me. It ended and without us ending it, we wouldn't be happily together now. We needed to figure out who we were again, before we could come back to each other."
Daniel didn't say anything for a long few moments as he sat puffing on his cigar. "My daughter has called me crying five times in her life. When she totaled her car her first year of college, when her grandmother passed away, when she got the news about Timothy, when you were in a car accident, and then you walked out on your marriage. You'll have to forgive me, if I don't believe either of you have any idea of what you're doing."
Callie ran a hand through her hair as she tried to figure out how to respond. "Maybe we don't," she finally said. "Maybe we don't have any idea what we're doing. But there is no one in the world I would rather figure it out with than Arizona," she said before looking down at her own left hand where a wedding ring once lived. "I'm going to marry her again, Daniel. I am going to put a ring back on her finger and say vows to her knowing the weight of them in a way neither of us really did the first time we got married. She knows it and I know it."
Daniel took another drink of his whiskey. "You don't get married without knowing the weight of your vows. You shouldn't do anything if you aren't prepared to fight to the death of it," He said as he looked away from Callie. "I raised her better than to cheat on her wife. I raised her better than to break her vows."
"You did," Callie agreed. "And without losing her leg and losing the b…" She trailed off, unsure if he knew about the miscarriage.
"She told her mother about the miscarriage," Daniel said softly.
"It was a loss that neither of us saw coming. I wasn't with her when she found out. I was in surgery and she was alone," Callie admitted. "Neither of us handled it well. I pushed and she pulled away."
Daniel shifted uncomfortably on the swing. "There was going to be a third child," he said before clearing his throat. "After Arizona. Barb was pregnant again before Arizona was even five months old. We lost it when she was about four months along. They couldn't tell us why, just one of those things. We never told the kids."
Callie saw the same kind of pain in his eyes that Arizona had when she talked about Tim. Something that would never totally go away no matter how many years passed. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"It would have been a little girl," Daniel said as he reached for his whiskey again. "I was away when Barb …" He trailed off as his eyes slammed shut at the memory. "It's not easy. But we survived it."
"If it had only been the miscarriage that was going on between us, I think we would have too," Callie said as she wrapped her arms around her own middle. "But there was so much hurt and anger between us that we couldn't be who the other needed anymore."
Daniel stubbed out his cigar in the bowl that he had been given for his ash. "If you hurt her again, if she hurts you again, promise me you won't take Sofia away from Arizona or from Barb and me," he said in as close to a pleading voice as he could muster.
"I promise you that I will never take Sofia, or any other children Arizona and I have, away from you," Callie promised easily.
Daniel finished his drink off before standing. "When you two remarry, Barb and I will be there."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Callie said with a small smile.
"Goodnight," Daniel said in a kinder tone than he had since he got here.
"Goodnight," Callie said back.
After Daniel went into the house it wasn't more than a minute before Callie heard the door open again.
"How much did you hear?"
"Would you be mad if I said all of it?"
Callie turned to look at Arizona and shook her head. "No," she said as she moved to the swing, so Arizona could sit down with her.
Arizona sat down and curled up against Callie's side with her arm around her shoulders and her head on Callie's. "I didn't know," she whispered as she thought of her poor mother and father going through that kind of loss.
"Sounds like they wanted it that way," Callie said before turning her head to press a kiss to the top of Arizona's head.
Arizona rubbed over Callie's thigh as she sat there thinking things over. "Not many people can stand up to the Colonel like that."
"Love makes you do crazy things," Callie replied.
"He shouldn't have spoken to you like that," Arizona whispered. "You don't deserve to be spoken to like that."
"If he does it again, you can kick his ass for me, alright?" Callie said. "I get the anger at me for the full custody thing though. That is me trying to punish you, and it wasn't fair to you or Sofia. It might be the cruelest thing I've ever done to you."
Arizona's hand stilled on Callie's thigh as she thought back to how her heart felt like it stopped when she heard the lawyer bring that up. "She's ours, Calliope. We have to make sure to never use her as a chip between us even if things break again."
"Never, ever, again," Callie vowed. "She is your daughter as much as she's mine as much as she's Marks. She is, Arizona."
Arizona sat up straight and turned to face Callie. "We've come a long way this summer, haven't we?"
"Best summer of my life," Callie agreed.
Arizona stood up and held her hand out to Callie so they could go up to bed together. They walked in the house hand in hand with shared smiles at how much could change in just one summer.