A/N: The first half of this chapter is basically a comedic relief. Only…not very comedic. I'm not sure what to call it. A happy relief? Anyways, review if you enjoy it :) and just a warning- this chapter is half Arizona-centric. If you are one of those people who hate Arizona with a passion and don't think her and Callie should get back together, please don't bother reading this. As I said previously, I would never condone what Arizona did, but I do want them to at least attempt to work things out, and that is the general basis of my story. I understand this is a touchy subject and I respect everyone's views on the situation, but please do not leave a review telling me only how much you hate Arizona or Lauren or Callie. This story will still be written however I believe it should play out.

(P.S. Those who had issues with chapter 4: I have edited it to your preferences (somewhat). I understand where you all were coming from.)


"Addison?"

"How many other good looking redheads do you know?" The world class neonatal surgeon winked at her best friend as if this was an everyday occurrence.

"None...but, it's funny because the only one I know lives in California and had no way of getting here considering..." Callie didn't even bother to finish her sentence, instead pointing out the window. "It barely stopped raining a few hours ago."

"Never underestimate the power of money, Dr. Torres." Addison sat down on the side of Callie's bed and crossed her legs, purposely ignoring the glowering look the Latina gave her when she wouldn't hand her the steaming, aromatic coffee right away. "...Actually, I don't need to tell you that."

"Give me the coffee." It had only been a few minutes and she was already getting annoyed by the buttons Addison seemed adamant on pushing. She couldn't deny she was happy the busy woman had showed up, though. She hadn't even thought of calling, only dwelling on the fact that her best friend was dead. She'd assumed her fate was to lose everyone who'd gotten close enough for her to care about.

Addison just shook her head, sticking to her guns. "You get your coffee when you talk." She wasn't actually that cruel, she just figured she'd hold out for a few minutes. She'd thought about pushing, because that's what Mark would have done...but she wasn't Mark. She already felt slightly guilty for pushing her into Hahn's arms. That had turned out...fucking terrible, for a lack of other words. So instead, she sat back and waited for Callie to speak.

"Arizona cheated on me."

Addison just nodded, already knowing the news, which caused a light bulb to go off in Callie's muddled mind. "Why are you here?" she asked, attempting to sound inquisitive instead of accusing.
Addison's expression clued her in that the attempted cover-up had failed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I don't want you here, it's just..." Callie took a deep breath, letting it go slowly through a clenched jaw. "It's been a rough day," she finally spoke, obviously simplifying the situation.

Addison reached out for her friend's hand, taking it in her own. "I came as soon as the private runway was cleared up." Seeing Callie's confused expression, she rushed, "I heard about Meredith and Derek's baby and the complications... I just wanted to check it out." That was a lie, but Addison kept a straight face and continued to make eye contact anyways. The truth was, Arizona had contacted her. The text was obviously rushed and ridden with guilt, but it got the point across well enough. Addison had been so pissed that she didn't bother responding. Arizona would hear about it sometime anyways. Gossip spread faster than a wildfire at Sloan Grey Memorial Hospital, and a story of a surgeon who had had an affair with her ex-husband's recently deceased best friend showing up just as said ex produces a child...yeah, it was probably going to spiral out of control, but hopefully Arizona would get the gist of it.

Callie was more than happy to accept that answer for now, although she would have honestly accepted anything as a response since her body currently lacked the caffeine needed to clear her muddled head. 'My sleep schedule is fucked,' she thought to herself. 'Who willingly goes through years of grueling school just to work straight through some days and into the next?' Callie was starting to lose focus in the current conversation, wondering for what was definitely not the first time whether or not she was slightly crazy.

"Anyways... Calliope..." Addison's voice snapped her out of it.

"Don't call me Calliope."

Addison rolled her eyes, grinning in a way that made Callie suspicious. She narrowed her eyes at the woman, unsure yet what was actually going on.

Addison pointed at her with the hand holding her own coffee. "Don't squint at me. If I give you your coffee will you stop acting like you need glasses, I'm a little worried for your patients right now. You look like someone who would mistake a tibia for a fibula."

Callie gave up, throwing her hands in the air. "You can call me Calliope once more without danger of being hit if you give me the coffee." Despite the situation, she was actually on the verge of being playful now; she'd missed having someone to talk to and pretend things were okay with for a few minutes.

Addison seemed unfazed by the subtle change in Callie's demeanor, responding, "I'll call you Calliope when I want to. You can't beat me in a throw down anyways."

Callie just stared for a few seconds, until a real laugh escaped from her lips. "Addison, no offense but I could crush you if I wanted to." Her friend had always been skinny, and although now she looked much healthier than when they'd first met, obviously soaking up the west coast sun, Callie didn't have a doubt in her mind that Addison would be no more of a match than some of the Peds patients who walked through the hospital doors. Besides... "You're bluffing, there's no way you'd fight with that watch on your wrist. How many paychecks did that cost you? Or did it come with your new Mercedes?" Callie raised her eyebrows, a smirk across her face.

Addison was the only person she felt comfortable talking about money with. Even when it came to Arizona, they'd simply silently decided to keep Callie's renewed trust fund aside until their daughter needed it. The idea of money had always made Callie uncomfortable, but she enjoyed the playful banter with Addison. Especially since she hadn't exactly picked the cheapest or most practical car in the world... Her T-bird was still her first child, no matter what people said.

Addison just blushed, and Callie realized that it must have come from a man. Which one, she wasn't exactly sure. She'd given up trying to follow the stories of Addison's many boyfriends years ago, but she wasn't about to let on that that was the case.

"Uh oh. What's his name?"

As much as Addison wanted to tell Callie everything about her new and wonderful boyfriend, she held back, knowing what Callie had gone through. Instead, she shrugged and responded, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Okay..." Callie decided to drop it, hoping her friend would spill sooner or later. "So. Coffee?" she asked hopefully, and muttered a 'thank you' to the universe when Addison handed it over without a word. Callie also reached for one of the doughnuts, and chewed thoughtfully for a few seconds. Making sure she swallowed before speaking, she continued, "So, you know."

Addison seemed startled by the topic that had been willingly thrown out there; she'd thought she would have to coax it out of the brunette. Still, she barely skipped a beat. "Yes."

"And you're here to help me binge eat my feelings away?" Callie attempted to crack another joke, but it fell flat.

"I told you! I'm here for Meredith and Derek… and to whisk you away," she added, the corner of her lips twitching as she forced herself to wait for Callie's question.

Callie paused mid-chew. "...To where?"

"Callie's going to Cali, baby!"

Xx

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I'm taking Callie back to Cali." Addison couldn't hold back her smirk.

Arizona stared, still confused. "But...I asked you to come here to talk to her. Not to drag her away."

"Well, I wouldn't think you would have a say in this considering-" Addison took a deep breath, trying to keep a hold on her temper. "Look. Callie is a fighter. Which means she'll just keep arguing with herself, and you, over everything, but this isn't something that's easily solved." She crossed her arms. "I would know." She thought back to the time many years ago when she had cheated on her own spouse.

"We have a child…" Arizona sat down, not exactly sure where she was going with that.

Addison didn't pity her. "I'm not kidnapping the woman. I'm giving her a way to get away before she spontaneously combusts or…something. She'll be back in a few days. I only got the Chief to give her four days off." Since Owen didn't know her from the past like Webber had, she hadn't been expecting much, but four days was pretty generous considering the current situation. She got the idea that he knew a little bit of what had happened, but didn't push her luck by asking any questions.

"And she's leaving Sofia with me?" The blonde seemed surprised.

Addison pondered that question. "Well… I think you should talk to Callie about that. But if I had to guess… Callie isn't a bitch. She wouldn't keep Sofia from her mother."

Arizona relaxed slightly, but was still worried. She figured she'd bring it up with Callie before she left for the trip. "When exactly are you leaving?"

"In the morning."

Arizona groaned. "I know you hate me right now, I know I'm the woman who broke your friend's heart, but I need to know if I should go home tonight." They'd gotten word from Owen that most of the main roads had been cleared, and the few trees that had fallen around the hospital had been removed. They were now free to go as long as they made sure that there was someone to cover them that hadn't made it in for the previous shift.

Addison gave her a look. "What would she think if you didn't?"

Just then, both women heard the current subject's voice traveling down the hallway.

"Shit. I'll go. Um… I'll be home a little past midnight, I'm almost finished here. …Get her home before she leaves okay? I need to see her."

Addison softened, but only slightly. "She'll be there, but we're leaving as soon as the sun rises."

Arizona nodded, ready to rush off before Callie found them.

Before she could leave, Addison stopped her. "I can't promise anything, Arizona. You guys were good together. Just don't give up until you know for sure that there's no chance. She's been hurt more times than you can count, but… Callie is forgiving, as long as you earn it."

Arizona barely had time to walk away before Callie turned the corner. Although she managed to avoid her wife this time, she knew she'd have to come up with the right things to say in a little under a few hours, or she might lose Callie for good.

Xx

Arizona had hoped Callie would still be at work when she was finally able to pick up her daughter from the daycare a little past midnight, and she was in luck. Unfortunately, this meant that she had too much time to think. After an hour of rocking Sofia back and forth while pacing around the house, Arizona forced herself to put her daughter to bed.

This left Arizona in the eerie quiet of the loft, alone and still trying desperately to figure out what to say. She knew she was running out of time; Callie would stay away for as long as she could but eventually she'd have to show up at least to say goodbye to Sofia, and Arizona was determined to stay in her exact position for however long it would be, if only so that Callie's first thought wouldn't be that she had gone back to Lauren.

Arizona loved Callie with all of her heart. She really did. Every inch of her was filled with love for her wife…but somehow it hadn't been enough. Before she met Callie, she was known for sleeping with many of the doctors and nurses at the hospital. She never stayed with anyone for longer than a few days, and spent nights with mysterious women trying to fill the emptiness that came after Joanne had left her, and then again when Tim had died.

Arizona never forced herself to think about what that meant until she cheated on her wife. She chalked it up to a preference for emotional detachment. Keeping everyone at arm's length made her less likely to fail someone. Less likely to be hurt again. But, she realized, Callie had almost been through worse. Her brother hadn't died, but her mother had basically disowned her, her ex-husband had cheated on her and then died, her first girlfriend had disappeared before she could blink, and her best friend died in the same plane crash that caused Arizona's leg to be amputated. And now…

Oh my god. Arizona froze. She finally understood what Addison had meant. Everyone had left Callie... That's why Callie was so worried that Arizona had been fishing for a divorce since the accident. But that wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that Callie should feel relieved that Arizona hadn't disappeared right after. It wasn't fair that Callie had managed to find a positive side to this mess.

By the time Arizona knew what she had to do, she heard a click, the warning sign that Callie was home. So she prepared herself, ready to finally be the person her father had raised her to be. Selfless, and a good man in a storm.

Xx