Callie entered the conference room to find Owen waiting with Jackson and three people she didn't know who were quite obviously the lawyers. Owen stood and greeted her at the door.

"Dr Torres, these are the lawyers from the Harper Avery Foundation. They'll be representing you and the hospital."

Callie leaned in close to Owen's ear and whispered. "Owen, we all know they're here to make sure the hospital is safe, they don't give a shit about me."

"I'm on your side okay. I will do everything I can to help." Owen raised his voice to its normal level. "Have a seat while we wait for the other members of the board and we can begin."

Callie sat opposite the three lawyers, one a middle aged serious looking man, the second a slightly younger man ready to take notes and the third an Asian woman who looked a little friendlier but Callie wasn't going to let herself be lulled into any sense of false security. She poured herself a glass of water as Arizona walked in followed by Cristina, Derek and finally Meredith. Arizona sat next to Callie and gave her a tight lipped smile as the others settled around the table. When everyone was finally ready the senior lawyer began.

"So we are here to discuss the negligence claim made by one Travis Reed, a promising baseball player and patient of Dr Callie Torres who alleges her negligence caused him to become paralysed. He and his lawyers are alleging that the patient's history of Deep Vein Thrombosis was the cause of his stroke and that Dr Torres should have performed an articular cartilage repair instead of a full knee replacement. He is alleging the extra time required to perform the full knee replacement surgery caused a clot to form in his brain and that is what caused the stroke that paralysed him. He's suing for damages and lost future earnings."

Callie jumped in before he could say another word. "But if I didn't do the full replacement he would never have walked again let alone played. Once I opened him up it was obvious the Articular would be useless, he needed the full replacement. There was never any indication given to me that his DVT was an ongoing problem or even that it had happened more than the once he mentioned. He wanted to play and he told me to do whatever it took to make that happen."

The older lawyer who introduced himself as Greg interrupted Callie before she went into a meltdown. "I won't beat around the bush, I think we should settle now and settle quietly. There's no use in dragging Dr Torres' good name through the mud and this hospital's along with it."

Arizona spoke up, not liking where this was going. "And what if we don't settle?"

The lawyer gave her a look but answered her question. "Then this will go to trial and if we lose, well it won't be pretty. This hospital could go broke again. He had offers from half the teams in the league and they were big offers. We're talking A-Rod type contracts here. This could be a disaster for Dr Torres and Grey Sloan Memorial."

Murmurs sounded around the room but none came from Callie. She now sat quietly contemplating the rock and the hard place she was in between. They were all shocked when one voice raised itself above the others and gained everyone's attention.

"I say we go to court."

Greg looked at his paperwork and back at Arizona. "Dr Robbins isn't it? Aren't you married to Dr Torres? Don't you think that makes you a little bias on the subject?"

"Yes it is, yes I am and no it doesn't. I say we fight. I know Callie Torres as a person and as a surgeon and all of you know her too. She is the best orthopedic surgeon in this state and one of the best in the country. There is no way she could see this coming and I think we should trust that, trust her and fight this."

Cristina was the first to agree. "I do too. I say we fight."

Derek nodded and looked at the lawyers. "I agree. This is something none of us would've seen coming, especially if the patient didn't give the correct information. We should fight for Callie."

Owen, Jackson and Meredith all quickly agreed but had to head back to work while Callie had to give her deposition to the lawyers. Arizona stood to leave only to sit back down beside Callie.

"Arizona, I'll be fine. Go back to Peads and help the tiny humans."

"I think I'll stay, if that's okay." She turned in her chair and took one of Callie's hands. "Look, I know we're not together but I know you wouldn't have told me about this if you didn't want someone in your corner. I want to be here for you. Please, let me here for you."

Callie nodded and whispered a thank you. She didn't want to give Arizona false hope about them, but her father's words echoed in her head. She needed to know where they stood, even if it meant they were finished. An agonizing hour later Callie was finally able to leave the room, Arizona trailing after her. They stood side by side waiting at the elevator before Callie turned to Arizona having deciding tonight was the night she would know once and for all where they stood as a couple and a family.

"So...would you have dinner with me tonight?"

"What?"

"Well as a thank you for what you did in there and also because I think it's time we really talk. About us."

"Yeah, I'd like that."

Callie entered the elevator and pressed the button. "Okay. I'll see you at eight."

Arizona went about the rest of her day floating on a cloud. Could she really have a chance here, a chance to start again and get her family back? The day seemed to go slower and slower until she could finally go home. She showered and was going to doll herself up but decided against it. She pulled on jeans and a blouse, her make up light and her hair curled slightly as it sat on her shoulders. She knocked on the door of Mark's apartment and waited with baited breath for Callie. The door opened and Arizona's breath hitched, Callie looked so beautiful in a simple shirt and jeans.

"Hey, come in. Sofia's asleep and dinner will be one minute."

Arizona entered to find two plates on the table and Callie pouring her a glass of white wine as she started to serve her famous Chicken Piccata. The two of them sat in relative silence eating their food, only exchanging the occasional comment or remark about the rest of their days. When they finished Callie suggested they sit on the couch and talk. Arizona took a seat and sipped her wine as Callie began.

"So my Dad told me you're going to therapy, I'm happy for you. I'm glad you're getting the help you need."

"Well I've only had one session but I made a lot of progress and it made me see clearly for the first time since the crash." Arizona traced the rim of her glass with her finger before locking eyes with her wife. "Callie, I get it now. I wanted to hurt you because you hurt me when you broke your promise."

"That goddam promise." Callie pinched the bridge of her nose before looking back at Arizona. "You know what? I can't keep feeling guilty about it anymore Arizona. I made a decision to save your life, the right decision. You are a surgeon for God's sake, you knew the minute you looked at your leg and your scans that the chances of saving your leg were next to zero."

"Then why didn't you tell me that then? Why did you sit on the side of my bed and promise me you would save my leg?"

"Because I needed to hope too. Everything was so messed up. You, sitting in a bed clinging to life and me trying to recover."

"Recover from what Callie? Don't make this about yourself again. You were not out there, you didn't go through this."

"But I did Arizona. I sat with our daughter for four days wondering if you were ever coming back to me, the hope fading for every minute they didn't find you and then the baby... I promised to save your leg because I needed my wife back. I needed you to get better so I could get better. It's selfish I know and I didn't go through what you did but I needed you too."

"Wait, what baby? What are you talking about?"

Callie turned away, afraid to look Arizona in the eye. She's kept this inside for so long, she needed to let it out. Just like Arizona needed to let go of her anger about her leg and own her mistakes, Callie needed to get this secret out because the pain of keeping it to herself was tearing her apart.

"I had a miscarriage Arizona, on the third day you were in the woods. It worked Arizona, on the first try and then I lost our baby."

"What? Why didn't you tell me? How could you keep this from me? I had a right to know."

"Right, so when should I have told you? Hmm. When you laid in that hospital bed after the amputation and wouldn't even look at me? Or how about when you finally came home and laid in our bed for months and felt sorry for yourself. The night you cheated on me with that woman you told me I lost nothing. You did and only you. You've obviously felt that way for a long time so when was I supposed to tell you." Callie's voiced raised with every scenario.

Arizona's voice was almost a shout when she answered Callie. "You still should have told me about the baby."

Callie's own voice raised to match Arizona's. "I know alright, I fucking know. I was selfish Arizona, I admit it. I wanted to tell you every minute of every day about our child but I never got the chance. You needed me and I put my feelings aside to do that and I did it because I loved you, but at some point I needed you to be there for me. And I really thought we were getting to that point in our lives where we could maybe try again but then you went and you fucked that woman." Callie wiped at a tear as she finished speaking.

Arizona's face softened and she tried to touch her wife but Callie pulled away. "Callie...I don't know what to say. I'm...I'm sorry. Sorry that our baby is gone and for what I did to you and our family. I didn't know how angry I was about my leg until I did what I did. I never wanted to hurt you but something deep inside me did. She, Dr Boswell, didn't ask me for anything. She didn't push me like you did or ask me to hurry up and get better."

Callie scoffed. "I think we all know Boswell only wanted one thing and she got it when you gave it to her in that on call room. I needed to push you Arizona, for you, for Sofia and for me. You were floundering and you were lost. When I was in the car accident I pushed myself to get better for you and Sofia. I never gave up. You did. You ran when it got hard like you always do. You lied and you hid yourself behind a fake smile. I mean, did you even want to have sex with me? Or did you fake that too. 'Cause you certainly didn't seem to have a problem with that woman touching you."

"Callie, no. I love you and I love Sofia and I love our life. I never wanted to hurt you but it all got on top of me. The pressure to be who everyone wanted or expected me to be was too much and I exploded. I had sex with you because I needed to feel you and I needed you to feel me. I have NEVER faked sex with you."

"How can I believe you Arizona? How can I trust you ever again? How do I know you won't run again when it gets hard?"

Arizona wiped at her own stray tear. "I don't know. I can't change the past, what I did, but I'm going to therapy to get the help I need. It's going to take me time to be the person I should be and not the shell of a person that hurt you. But I'm begging you Callie, don't give up on me and don't give up on us."

Callie sighed as she slumped back into the cushions as Arizona took a chance and stoked Callie's cheek with her thumb as she held her face gently in her hand and made her look her in the eye.

"I made myself a promise after my first therapy session. I am going to earn your trust again Calliope, I am going to prove that I will never run again, that you can love me and that I won't hurt you for the rest of our lives. You have the biggest heart of any person I've ever met in my life. And I know that you've been hurt by far too many people in your life and what I did just added another name to the list but I just need one chance to show you that the woman you married in still in here."

Arizona took Callie's hand and placed it on her heart. "You feel that? This heart beats so fast when you walk in the room. When you kiss me it goes on a rollercoaster and when we make love it nearly bursts out of my chest. I never felt that way for anyone before I met you and I know I won't for anyone else ever again. I love you Callie Torres, I just hope somewhere in your heart there's a piece that still loves me too."

"I..." Callie was about to respond when a sleepy Sofia stumbled into the room, her teddy bear dragging behind her.

"Mama, bad dream."

"Come here big girl."

Sofia climbed onto Arizona's lap while Callie sat stunned. She had a court case to fight, a career in the balance and a person she knew she did still love begging to give her another chance. It was enough to do her head in but then her father's words came flooding back to her.

"Coffee."

Arizona looked up from comforting Sofia. "What?"

"How about we start with coffee."

Hello. Wow, finally an episode where we all didn't want to throw something at the screen. Beautifully acted. As you can see I have slightly changed the court case (and I had a feeling it was Carlos who cheated but I wanted to make Lucia the bad guy 'cause I love the Carlos character too much) but my focus is more on the relationship. I know some of you don't want Callie to take her back but please remember I have not included Leah in any way in this story so Arizona is not sleeping around but trying to get better. And I am NOT doing the whole Cristina as a bad guy thing is this story, she is actually one of favourite characters and I hate seeing her being shit upon. Thank you for reading, till next time. Tigersforever.