Disclaimer: The show Grey's Anatomy is not mine, and neither are the characters, I am not receiving any profit from this work. Everyone in this story belongs to Shondaland. I'm just going to play with the characters for a bit. I'll return them in tact... mostly. T for language and content. Rating may change, eventually.

Sorry guys I'm really looking forward to this story turning fluffy. Eventually it will, but not yet. Our ladies are still at each other's throats. I've also kinda set a challenge for myself. There are so many fics out there which are brilliant. They have put our ladies back together with so many solutions, I don't want to copy. As this is my first fic I want something different. I said to myself. "Ok in this fic: no counselling. These two will come together because they fight it out, and develop as people. No life or death situations." It's proving a big challenge. I will prevail though. Also Callie hasn't really had her crisis yet. She's more stubborn than Arizona, and had more reserves at the start of this fic, so it will take a while.

...

Callie took her time getting ready. She'd had a languid, luxurious shower, instead of her usual utilitarian scrub. She enjoyed the scent of her honey and almond body wash, and revelled in the feel of the foam bubbles. These days Callie rarely had the luxury of looking after just herself. Her shampoo washed away the smell of the previous evening. It couldn't wash her nightmare away though. She kept seeing Murphy wrapped around her wife. How on earth can you get into a shower with a prosthetic still on? She didn't remember her wife's leg being waterproof, and why didn't her nightmare include handrails in the shower? She chose logic to help her.

"...Because it's a stupid nightmare. It would never happen in real life, that would be ludicrous."

Why am I concentrating so much on logic?

"...because it hurts. It hurts that she did this. She's so obsessed with her leg, why doesn't she realise I love her as she is? I see her as my wife who happens to be missing a leg? Not as a one legged blond. I don't care if she's missing a leg, I care that she thinks so little of me as to cheat. It hurts, she slept with two other women and we are still married, yet she's not interested in sleeping with me. I shouldn't be feeling guilty so...why am I?"

Guilt was too uncomfortable. It lead to thoughts that she didn't welcome. Those thoughts, led to more feelings that she didn't want to feel. It was an endlless cycle; a downward spiral: crash and burn. No thanks. Callie buried her feelings of guilt and hurt so far down into herself that she couldn't feel anything but anger. She turned off the tap. Stepping out of the shower, Callie located a freshly washed and fluffy towel and used it to dry herself, concentrating heavily on that feeling. Clean towels are the best! Callie padded across the floor to her wardrobe. She picked out some black pants and a deep green top, then headed back to the bathroom to fix her hair. She made black coffee, two sugars. It was heaven. In the fridge there were some frozen croissants. She heated one up in the microwave. It was a good breakfast. A good way to start a Monday. She looked at her wristwatch. She had better get moving if she wanted to have 30 minutes with Sofia before the board meeting at 9am.

Callie walked briskly across the road from her and entered the Grey-Sloan Memorial hospital. She headed to the daycare centre.

Callie watched from the doorway, Zola and Sofia were already there. Sofia was stacking big, coloured blocks on top of one another and then knocking them over. She giggled when they crashed.

Zola was playing with plasticine. She was molding a pink, blue and purple princess out of three strands of play dough. Callie smiled and sighed and came in. Sofia saw her mum and rushed over to her. She hugged her leg, before being picked up, and hugged properly. Callie would have swung her round but the room had too much stuff in it for a swinging hug not to be dangerous. Sofia relaxed into the hug for a minute. She sighed contentedly and then she squirmed asking to be let down. Callie put her down and Sofia grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her in the direction of the floor. Callie followed. She sat down with her daughter on the floor, Sofia happily sitting in her lap. Sofia giggled and then squirmed away, got up and sat beside her mother facing the blocks.

"Here", Sofia passed her a red block.

"Thanks Sophia, are you passing me the red block" Callie took it and put it on the floor. It was the start of a tower.

"Red block. Here.." Sophia passed her a green block.

"Ooh, that's a green block, thank you for passing me the green block."

And so the game went on. A good ten minutes before Sophia looked up and a wide smile suffused her face. Callie looked in the direction of Sofia's gaze and it felt like the floor dropped from beneath her. Standing at the edge of the doorway was Arizona, she was watching the whole scene. She smelt like strawberries. She looked so beautiful. The morning light lit her hair, from behind making her look like a fairy. She saw Callie and Sofia looking. She started to take a step forward, then she stopped about to leave the room. Sophia ran over to her and held both hands above her head, asking to be picked up. Arizona looked up at Callie for a moment and not reading anything in her face bent down and picked her daughter up, crushing her to her and stroking her hair and face. She examined her feverishly, kissing her forehead and her cheeks repeatedly.

"'Zona, stay, Mama stay please." Sophia was about to throw a tantrum, her face were watery and her bottom lip quivered. Arizona hugged her, stroked her hair and kissed her cheek. She seemed to be favouring her right shoulder.

"Mama loves you sweetheart. I'll be back soon, I'll come see you at lunch okay?" She put Sofia down and looked again at Callie. Callie refused to look at her. She hadn't moved or even acknowledged Arizona. Arizona grimaced and Callie looked down. The next time she looked up Arizona was gone. Callie's alarm went off signalling her board meeting. Callie gave Sofia a hug and a kiss and left. It was hard to leave and one of the daycare worker had to come and settle her down.

...

Callie reached the boardroom before anyone else. She chose a spot facing the large window that looked out onto the main floor. Callie always liked her back to face the wall. No surprises that way. She took a sip of her coffee before relaxing into her chair. It was so hard to leave her daughter at daycare, but she had no choice if she wanted to continue with her career, and she really loved her work. She was really good at what she did. There was once a time when the only people who recognised that talent were Weber, Callie, Arizona, Mark and herself. Now everybody did. There had been many times when she had felt like a failure. At those times Arizona had been so supportive, the Ted talk, her speech, encouraging Callie to ask for a job as an attending, cartilage research, the list went on. She couldn't have done it without Arizona at her side, believing in her. So why did she cheat?

Callie felt conflicted. It was so easy to be angry, but how can you keep that anger going when you've just seen someone you loath treat your daughter so lovingly?

The answer appeared to her from the window. She stood up and looked out of the glass pane watching Leah talk to her wife. Arizona appeared to be telling Leah something. Leah didn't seem happy, it looked like a lovers quarrel. Leah glanced over and caught Callie staring and smiled. She touched Arizona's arm and looked back at Callie. Arizona frowned, mumbled something and walked away.

Game on...

...

Arizona entered the boardroom a minute later. She saw Callie and hesitated before making her way over to one of the chairs on the opposite side of the table, almost an L-shape in relation to Callie.

"So you don't even want to sit near me these days, huh?" Callie asked offended.

"No, it's more that I don't really feel the need for a staring contest, which makes everyone else in the boardroom feel uneasy. As entertaining as all that is I don't really want to make everyone feel uncomfortable. I'd rather we talked. Can we do that, I have a new place. I want time with Sofia?"

"Why would I want to talk to you? Why would I let you have Sofia when I don't know the kind of environment that she's walking into. Does Leah even like children?"

"Callie...fine, be like that. Because it's so attractive, and Leah and I are over. I told her this morning. You could come over and see the place?" Arizona asked hopefully.

"Oh, well good for you, but I'm sorry Arizona. I can't trust you with our child. I don't know who you might bring round."

"Callie, are you going to force us to fignt this out in court."

"Do whatever you want. I'll win."

"Do you really want to do this to Sofia? Punish her for my actions?" Arizona asked.

"I want what's best for my child. I don't trust the company you keep." Anyone could be there. Who knew what Sofia might be exposed too ?

There was an awkward silence in the room. Emotions were high and the two of them were both upset. Callie looked at her phone., checking to see if she had any emails. Arizona shifted in her chair. She stretched out her arms and felt her shoulder.

"Ouch, shouldn't stretch just yet...dammit, not a good idea", Arizona was saying to herself. What on earth?

"What's the matter with your shoulder?" Callie asked unable to keep her curiosity at bay.

"Oh, nothing really. April and I may have each got a tattoo, mine isn't finished yet. It still needs another three or four sessions. Just the outline and basic colouring at the moment, but it hurts like hell." Arizona informed her.

"Arizona, what the hell? You're a paediatric surgeon. You can't have a tattoo. Maybe Avery can remove it for you if you ask him nicely." Her wife had clearly lost her mind.

"Callie, maybe I don't want to remove it, ever thought of that? Maybe it means something to me. Did you think to ask me or did you just decide for me?" Arizona looked angry. It was so something Callie wasn't used to seeing. Her eyes were clear, ice blue and her breathing was laboured. She looked directly at Callie and didn't break eye contact.

"...What's happening to you these days?" Arizona asked. "You're mean, vindictive, kinda judgemental and...boring. I don't even recognise the woman I fell in love with. You're turning bitter and revengeful, and it doesn't suit you. I can't believe you said what you said on Friday, that was low. And I can't believe you won't let me have time with my child." Arizona looked ready to cry, but she was refusing to back down.

"I can't believe you did what you did on Friday ...but whatever. What else can I expect from my slut of a wife, how's Leah? I bet she likes your tattoo."

"Fuck you." Arizona gritted out. "...how's it working for you? Blaming me for your actions?"

"You tell me, you're the master of it." Callie shot back. Just then Derrek, Meredith, Bailey, and Owen entered the room.

Let the games begin...

...