A/N:Hey guys, the comments as always were fantastic. But I'm sort of seeing this recurring theme which is odd because it's really, really special to the Calzona fandom(I think). I don't know if it's because the fans of Calzona love the characters separate as well together or if the way they broke up caused the shippers to take sides. But some people already want me to totally break them up. I laugh when I read those comments because they're awesome but at the same time guys, this is a Calzona fanfiction. Also guys, I have a few Penny/Callie scenes in here because it was necessary. Anyways ENJOY.

Love, SugarKane

A cold wind swishes uncomfortably around Callie's face as she clamors up the sidewalk, gaining quickly on Penny's retreating figure.

"Please stop," she pleads, loud enough to make a few lingering pedestrians turn and watch. Arizona is meandering slowly behind her, hands in pockets, blond strands leisurely straggling around her face. She looks a bit resigned with some remnant of worry.

Worry that Callie may really love Penny.

Worry that maybe everything is about to change.

Worry that all three of them will catch pneumonia from being out in the cold so long.

She grunts a little in her throat as she watches her ex-wife finally latch onto the arm of her lover, decisively pulling the redhead to a halt.

"Penny, please talk to me," she requests, guilt and remorse shaking in her vocal cords. The other woman only shakes her head slowly, one tired hand coming to wipe at her eyes. It takes a few moments of silent pleading before the redhead finally turns to her fiancé, a betrayed look adorning her features as she rips her arm out of the brunette's grasp.

"Penny —"

"I knew," Penny shakes her head again before releasing a sad, self-depreciating laugh. "I knew!"

She tilts her head toward the sky , pressing one hand roughly against her own chest. "You were just…always half-there, you know. Always half-mine. A-And I knew…I knew what that meant. But I kept pushing that feeling away like a freaking idiot because I was so sure you'd never do that to me… But you know what, I think I knew, anyway… I think I knew."

Arizona is hovering quietly, listening as both tearful women fall apart on the sidewalk. The blonde isn't particularly close to the altercation, but Penny isn't particularly quiet.

Or forgiving.

Even as Callie eyes the woman brokenly, doe-eyed and lost. She's never been on this side of the argument. She's never been the one who's inexcusably wrong.

And now she is.

Now, she's the enemy. The monster. The cheat.

And all she can do is mutter apologies as her fiancé swats them away.

There's simply no consolation in the word 'sorry'.

"You know the funny thing, though," Penny says, moving one hand to push roughly at the loose strands of her ponytail, "I still love you."

Callie's eyes widen even more at the woman's easy admittance, but the redhead simply shrugs, the nonchalant gesture fitting incongruously with the tears slowly edging from her eyes.

"But my love was never the question, was it?"

One year and three months ago

It's 6 o'clock in the morning. And Callie's meandering leisurely into a coffee shop. Franco's Brew. The sky looks young and vibrant, the leftover oranges of sunrise still spilling lethargically against its canvas. Traffic is heavy but not heavy enough to pollute the air with a cacophony of horns and tire screeches, and Callie silently thanks God for that…for mornings like this.

There's a natural smile pulling at the brunette's lips. It's simple and unconscious, and Callie probably has no idea how beautiful it looks. Or how vibrant she is against the backdrop of the monochromatic coffee shop interior. But a redhead, waiting patiently for her order by the counter, notices immediately. She stands in silent interest as the other woman flips errant curly strands away from her face, her eyes calmly scanning over the menu.

She wants to say 'hi' or something else awkwardly normal, but all she can really do is look on quietly, the tiny fear of embarrassment sitting in her gut. She hasn't dated in years. Since her second year of med school to be exact. And she has no idea how to be smooth with a woman.

So instead of trying, she just waits silently for her coffee and Danish, listening as the other patron orders a cappuccino and a scone. Penny gets her order soon after the brunette has finished, and reluctantly, she turns toward the exit, smiling in happy surprise when the other woman flashes her a grin of acknowledgment and a short, simple wave.

Penny returns the gesture happily before continuing out of the door, a little warmth settling in her chest.

She looks up at the warm, ginger sky, silently thanking God for the morning. And the coffee. And the stranger with the pretty smile.

Present

"Are you in love with me?" the redhead asks simply, and Arizona leans forward unconsciously. Her fingers anxiously ride up to her lips, pressing at the skin. Callie does the exact opposite. She leans back like she's been struck, her eyes widening more than they already were, her fingers grasping at the bottom of her coat. And she wants to say yes.

Because Penny is kind. And beautiful. And selfless.

She's easy to love.

To be in love with.

She would never cheat on Callie.

Or resent her.

Or break her heart.

Or leave.

Because that's just not how she functions.

She's easy in that way.

She's easy to love.

But Callie can't say yes.

The cold slips into her shoes and makes her shuffle uncomfortably. Her fingers itch against her pockets.

The difference between 'love' and 'in love' is so slight. One word. One tiny preposition can turn a heartfelt declaration into a lie. And Callie doesn't want to lie anymore. It's not fitting. It's not in her nature.

Penny deflates at the silence.

"Are you in love with her?" the redhead flicks her hand toward Arizona who's peering at the two with curious, waiting eyes. And Callie clenches her jaw at the question, her gaze flitting away from Penny for a moment before tumbling back.

She wants to say no.

She really, really wants to say no.

Because every neuron in her brain is telling her 'no' is the only plausible answer.

Arizona's a know-it-all. And she squeezes tooth paste tubes from the top. And she steals random t-shirts from Callie's dresser and wears them as pajamas.

And she cheated.

And she lied.

And she broke Callie's heart a million different ways.

And Callie wants to say 'no…I'm not in love with her'.

But instead her head bows, and her lips tremble. And the only thing she can say is yes.

Yes

Penny releases one more humorless laugh as tears start to freely spill from her eyes.

"And I still love you," she spits out through her teeth before finally blowing out a harsh breath and pushing her hands into her pockets. "I still love you."

The two stand there for a moment or two more before the redhead finally turns around and continues walking down the sidewalk. This time Callie doesn't follow.

Two months and twenty-seven days ago

Law and Order mumbles indiscernibly in the background, the TV spilling fluorescent light onto the bed sheets and wall. Arizona's already asleep, her arm thrown lazily around Callie's waist as her nose nuzzles into the brunette's shoulder.

She likes to be the big spoon.

It was funny. Months ago the fact would have been a distant memory. A hazy trivial detail that Callie no longer needed to know. Arizona wasn't hers.

But now, tonight, cuddled in the other woman's arms, Callie can't seem to focus on much of anything else.

Arizona likes to be the big spoon.

Penny didn't like to spoon at all. She'd maybe tug the brunette close for a moment or mumble sweet nothings into the crook of her neck. But eventually, when the need for intimacy was fulfilled, the redhead would untangle herself from Callie and move back to her designated spot on the other side of the bed. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It was just so strikingly different from Arizona who never stayed on her side of the bed.

Who wound her legs up with Callie's and pressed her chest flush against the woman's back. Cheek to hair. Lips to neck.

It was weird and close and Callie had almost forgotten it.

But this past month was full of remembering.

Of hand holding. And movie nights. And family dinners.

And spooning.

And Callie remembers exactly why she fell in love with Arizona. She remembers why cuddling this closely with anyone else would feel stifling.

She remembers why her heart used to be so full of affection for the other woman that there was no room for herself.

And she also remembers what it was like without those arms wrapped around her.

She remembers coming home to a zombie who wouldn't get out of bed. Or take a shower. Or eat.

She remembers being alone in her dead best-friend's bed. And Derek's trusting smile as he placed the future of his "million-dollar" hand in her palms.

She remembers feeling so scared. And so alone. And unable to tell anyone because everyone around her had been in a plane crash.

They had literally been on the brink of death in the middle of nowhere for four days.

So Callie didn't get to be scared. She didn't get to be hurt.

Arizona readjusts her hold on the other woman, slipping her hand innocently up Callie's shirt and resting it gently against the brunette's stomach. Callie shivers involuntarily at the contact, closing her eyes briefly before opening them again. Just then, on the night stand, she sees her cell phone screen light up. She stretches for it the best she can without disturbing the sleeping blonde wrapped around her. By the time she finally retrieves the phone, the screen has dimmed back to black, and she has to quietly click the power button.

There on the screen is a message from Penny. Her ex?

Well, the woman who said they needed a break and then vanished from the face of the Earth.

And the message reads plainly.

We need to talk.

Present

Callie stands stock still, watching exhaustedly as Penny finally rounds the corner out of sight. She can practically hear Arizona thinking behind her, feet shuffling, fingers nervously tapping.

But Callie has no desire to talk tonight.

About them. Or their future. Or anything.

Because she just broke a woman's heart. And that warrants some silence.

"Uh…wow," Arizona breaths out a bit dumbly, looking on empathetically as Callie turns around, a blank look on her face. She watches concernedly as the woman blinks away any remnants of tears from her eyes, wanting desperately to say something consoling. But the right words never really come. And Callie begins walking silently toward the car she parked a couple of streets away. Arizona follows her naturally, quietly assessing the woman's state. The brunette hears the other woman's steady footsteps and sighs in irritated affection. Of course, Arizona is following.

"You know, you don't have to walk me to my car," Callie says plainly without breaking her stride. The blonde simply purses her lips, shrugging a tiny bit even though the other woman can't very well see the gesture.

"I like walking…it's uh good for the calves," she responds easily, light humor in her voice. "Plus, I can't let you walk alone…" Arizona teeters off a bit before continuing quietly, "Who'd protect you from muggers…and what not…"

Callie smiles at this, affection sitting in her stomach. "I'd probably end up protecting you from muggers."

Arizona blows out a breath in faux-offense, silently happy that she's gotten the other woman to keep talking. "I'll have you know I took karate classes as a child."

Callie shakes her head, pursing her lips in humored skepticism. "Yeah, that doesn't really count," she unconsciously slackens her pace just a bit, lessening the distance between blonde and herself. Arizona narrows her eyes.

"Why not?"

"Well for one, you were ten. And secondly, you quit after like three months because you pulled a hamstring doing a roundhouse kick–"

"That hamstring thing was serious!" Arizona says exasperatedly, nudging Callie lightly with her shoulder, "I walked around with a limp for like 3 weeks."

"Well, you know what else is serious? Muggers…with guns," Callie says bluntly, smiling as the blonde huffs beside her. They walk like that for a couple more minutes, the mood much lighter, the quiet much more comfortable. Callie's car is in sight by the time Arizona breaks the silence again.

"I would take a bullet for you."

Callie looks over at the other woman, eyes glinting involuntarily.

"Very smooth," she mutters lowly, and Arizona throws her a smirk before tilting her head toward the vehicle parked on the curb. They've arrived, but the blonde isn't quite ready to say goodbye.

"My condo isn't far away…if you don't want to be alone tonight," Arizona offers lightly, "No strings. You could just come and sleep."

Callie bites her bottom lip for a bit, considering the offer before finally shaking her head no. "I think I need to be alone tonight."

Arizona nods in understanding though she can't quite hide her disappointment as Callie gets into her car, waves goodbye, and leaves.

Two weeks of silence passes.

Not to say they didn't continue sharing Sofia.

Or consulting during work when necessary.

But the discussion of a relationship never really came up.

Or they never really let it.

But today at work, while Callie was casually eyeing Arizona over a stack of patient charts, a tiny nagging thought pulled at her mind.

I miss her.

It started out soft and negligible, probably fighting to be heard over all the much louder feelings of guilt. How can she honestly think about getting in another relationship only two weeks after breaking up her engagement? It was just wrong.

But she couldn't help it.

I miss her.

She's broken out of her reverie by Bailey's hurried voice.

"Torres!" she projects loudly, and Callie watches as Arizona's eyes flick over to her, catching the brunette staring, "We need to talk."

The taller woman is too distracted by Arizona's slow, teasing smile and fluttering eyelashes to completely take notice of Bailey.

"Torres?" the woman calls again this time softer as her eyes flit concernedly between Callie and the blonde who's captured her attention, "You can make goo goo eyes at each other after work. Right now we need to talk."

Callie finally turns toward Bailey, an embarrassed blush reddening her cheeks. She knew everyone at the hospital kind of knew that her engagement had broken off, but Bailey was the only one who had an inkling of why. "Um…we weren't making 'goo goo' eyes–"

The older woman simply shoots Callie a knowing look before continuing. "You're working with Avery on the Simpson case right?"

The brunette nods, her gaze moving back briefly to the blonde doctor who's now blatantly smirking at her.

"And you know how you said you needed a good craniofacial surgeon to consult on the case?"

"Mhm," Callie hums, shaking her head slightly as Arizona waves her over.

"Well…as you know it's a very specialized surgical sub-specialty, and I know Avery as well as you want the best consult available, b-but the best…may not be um," Bailey pauses for a second, for the first time fidgeting nervously with her hands, "may not be the best fitting…you understand what I mean?"

Callie squints her eyes in confusion at the chief. "Um…I want the best, Bailey. I can deal with surgeon egos if that's what you're worried about."

Bailey shakes her head and tries to explain further, but Callie holds up her hand, her attention still half on her ex-wife.

"Can we–can we talk about this later?" the brunette requests apologetically, and Bailey releases a frustrated sigh before reluctantly dismissing the other woman with a flick of her hand. She wasn't listening anyway.

Callie walks slowly over to her ex-wife, watching as the other woman tilts her head warmly, dimples popping as she smiles.

"Hi," Callie breathes when she finally makes it to the pediatric surgeon.

"Hi," Arizona responds perkily. Her morning must have been good because all around her is this weird, happy glow. "What did Bailey want?"

"I think she wanted my input about a consult."

"You think?" Arizona responds humored, and Callie licks her lips unconsciously.

"Well it's kind of hard to listen with you staring at me."

Arizona rolls her eyes, laughing lightly. "You stared at me first."

"It was a glance."

"An elongated glance."

Callie laughs raspily, looking away from her ex-wife for a moment before looking back, eyes sparkling slightly. "I miss you."

The words just slip out, and Arizona's eyebrows rise quickly, surprised by the honesty. Callie's surprised by her honesty as well, but she doesn't really regret her words.

"Is it…is it possible for me to ask you out on a date right now?" Arizona proposes tentatively, watching as Callie furrows her eyebrows, "I know it's only been two weeks, and you'd prefer to beat yourself up for longer, but…can we–can we just skip that part?"

Callie sighs before laughing at herself quietly. "It's kind of creepy how well you know me."

Arizona smiles cutely, shrugging at orthopedic surgeon.

"I have a patient I have to meet with so…" Callie jerks her thumb behind her and Arizona nods disappointedly. "But… I'm uh free at lunch, and we can eat at the same table…or something…platonically."

The blonde flashes a radiant smile before nodding in agreement.

"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."

A/N: Okay, so tell me why you think Bailey was so worked up about the consult. And I'd really love to hear what you think is going to happen.