Chapter 7

Callie hung up the phone pacing up and down the hall, what did Bailey mean stay put she is coming to you? Arizona had just had brain surgery, how was she going to travel the whole country by herself? Was she well enough? Amelia's words echoed through her head, she could lose consciousness on the way, her body never be found, she could lose all her memory and get lost, end up spending her life in a dead-end town, or even worse someone could find her in this vulnerable state and take advantage of her. Pacing up and down wasn't helping, she eyed the packed suitcases in the hall, wondering whether to fly to Seattle anyway or unpack. Sighing she moved them from the door, until Arizona was found she'd wait here, it was more normality for Sofia anyway.

The phone rang again, Callie answered it within one ring,

"They found her car" Bailey announced, Callie held her breath, hoping she was going to say Arizona as well but knowing she would have opened with that, "It had ran out of gas, and she left her handbag with her money and her broken phone inside. She did take the postcard though" Bailey told her. Callie let out the breath she was holding, the fact Arizona had left her car, let it run out of gas, and not taken her purse meant she wasn't thinking clearly. What did that mean for her brain injury?

"Are they searching the area?" Callie asked,

"The police have set up a search area but think its most likely she has hitchhiked her way up the I90"

"Which means we were right, she is trying to find me" Callie stated, her heart breaking for her ex-wife. What was she thinking and more importantly, where was she?

Checking the clock, it was time to pick up Sofia, she took her phone as she drove, she was checking anyone with blond hair that she saw, she knew it was unlikely that Arizona had made it this far so quickly, but it was all she could do.

Sofia collected Callie began ringing all the public transport hubs she could think of, trying to find out if anyone had seen Arizona.

"Is mommy okay?" Sofia stood by the doorframe, she had sensed the tension in her mamma and could tell she was worried about something. She'd finished her homework to find her mamma on the phone asking if they had seen mommy.

Callie sighed; she had hoped to hide this from Sofia, but her daughter was too inquisitive for her own good sometimes. She signalled for Sofia to enter the room, lifting her up placing her on her knee, sitting on the sofa.

"Mommy hurt her head, and Aunt Amelia had to make it better." Callie began, "But mommy woke up and her brain was poorly, and she couldn't remember much but what she could remember was that she loved us a lot, and so mommy is looking for us".

"But we are here, and she knows that" Sofia replied confused, after all Mommy had visited them in New York she knew where they were.

"Mommy does but mommy's brain isn't thinking good, so she is trying to put the pieces together".

"Like a jigsaw" Sofia interjected,

"Yes, so we have to stay here so when she gets enough pieces she knows where we are" Callie explained,

"But I want to help mommy" Sofia pouted, her bottom lip wobbling,

"Why don't you draw some pictures for mommy?" Callie suggested, "She loves your drawings, and it might help with her memories" It wasn't a lot and probably wouldn't help but Sofia's face lit up, she loved drawing, and if it would help mommy, even better.

Callie watched her daughter run to the study where she had a mini desk, and get her coloring crayons out, it wasn't a bad idea. If Arizona was struggling with her memory while she could get some photos out that might help her place her memories if nothing else, it would distract her for a few minutes. She entered the study along with her daughter, pulling out the photo albums, the last time she had sat and looked at them like this was 2 weeks ago when she had broken up with Penny. Since then, had been a lot of self-reflection, coming to one conclusion, she missed Arizona and Seattle, she missed her old life and Penny was right she was still in love with Arizona, she was always going to be in love with Arizona how could she not be. Arizona was perfect, flawed but perfectly flawed. Arizona was her soul mate, there could be nobody else.

She had spent the last 2 weeks getting things in place, Sofia was right, New York wasn't home, Seattle was, but it wasn't that easy to move and had only made the decision yesterday, ironically the day Arizona went missing, handing in her resignation, starting to pack their belongings. She had been trying to call Arizona to let her know but hadn't had a reply. Now she knew why Arizona hadn't replied.

Sitting on the floor flicking through the photo albums each picture was strengthening her decision to return to Seattle. Sofia came over curling into her lap on the floor.

"What's this one mommy?" Sofia pointed,

"This was at your baby shower, I had a bump, and Mommy didn't so we gave her a balloon to make her look pregnant" Callie explained,

"What about this one?" Sofia asked, "Is that me".

"That's when we first got you home, we took a family picture, you, daddy and 2 mommies" Callie explained, "Your daddy loved taking photos" she flicked over, "This is mommy she was always the best at getting you to sleep," the photo was Arizona on the sofa fast asleep Sofia carefully rested next to her.

"I like that one" Sofia pointed to one of her dressed in a onesie designed to look like scrubs.

"Uncle Alex drew that, we put you in it so he could hold you" Callie explained.

"Can you tell me the story when Mommy saved my heart?" Sofia requested, Callie nodded, it was one of her daughters' favorite stories. Whenever she missed Arizona, she would ask for this one. After a break from storytelling to eat, they returned to the photo album, Callie continuing this time the story of their first camping trip, admittedly it was Derick's trailer, but it made a romantic and funny story for their daughter.

Callie finished the story checking the clock it was time for bed for Sofia. After bath time and another story this time a PG version on how they met, mommy kissing momma to make her feel better was a magical story, in a dirty bathroom in Joe's was a lot less romantic and a secret they'd agreed to keep from their daughter.

Sofia's eyes were closed as the story finished. Callie returned to the study tiding up the art supplies and picking out a few more photos to take to Seattle if Arizona was found.

Next, she called Bailey back, there was no update, wherever Arizona was Callie prayed she was okay, she was safe and still unhurt. With nothing more to do Callie had a bath and an early night while always keeping an ear out for the door, just in case Arizona did make it to New York.

As normal she woke up to Sofia curled up with her, since Penny had left Sofia had been sneaking in when she woke up cuddling into her momma until it was time to wake up.

Callie made breakfast while Sofia packed her bag for school and got dressed. After breakfast she drove Sofia to school before heading home. She'd quit her job at the hospital the day before Arizona disappeared, planning to transition back to Seattle. She wasn't worried about a job; she was consistently rated in the top 10 Ortho surgeons in the USA and owned part of the hospital and Meredith had told her they still hadn't filled the Ortho attending position she had left.

The day Arizona had gone missing was going to be D-day, she had been planning to talk to Arizona, talk to Bailey and book her flights, there was no rush, Sofia's school term ended in a month and Callie had planned to move then. After all she had caused enough disruption to her daughter's life.

Hanging around the apartment waiting in case Arizona turned up wasn't what she had in mind, still she could continue the packing, so when Arizona was found they could go. This had taught her life was too short to wait for the school term to end. As soon as she was found they'd be there. She'd need her family to recover.

While normally this was done to music today it was done with no music, Callie wanted to make sure that if the doorbell went. she would hear it.

There was no doorbell, but the packing was halfway done, picking up Sofia they returned home again there was no sign of Arizona. Exhausted Sofia continued her drawings while Callie ordered take out and called Bailey. Sighing when there was still no news. She rang her father after updating Carlos. He'd kindly sent the private jet up so the moment Arizona was found she could fly to be at her side, wherever in the country that was.

For the second night in a row Callie went to sleep not knowing where her ex-wife and true love was. Once again, she prayed Arizona would be found safely. She dreamt of Arizona, injured, lying alone in the woods, of her seizing on the roadside with nobody taking any notice, of her lying in an ER, with no ID, the hospital neglecting her care.

Day 3 came, still no news, Callie could tell the morale at Grey Sloan was low, rumors' were flying according to Meredith, Arizona dead, lost forever. While the attendings were holding out hope, trying to squash the rumor's, Meredith reported they were out of control.

Still Callie reminded herself, it had been 4 days in the woods, 4 days of mourning her wife before she was found. Had she ever told Arizona about that time, how the recovery crew had been sent out, not a rescue crew as nobody held out hope anyone was alive.

This time was different Callie believed in herself, she could feel Arizona was alive, and if possible, it felt like she was getting closer to her. Like last time she had Sofia to distract herself, and Sofia was brilliant at doing that.

Day 3 passed with no signs of Arizona. Callie lay in bed unable to sleep, where was she and why hadn't anyone found her yet? She didn't dare to close her eyes, haunted by her dreams from the previous day,

She woke again to Sofia cuddled into her side. She checked her phone, no new messages.

"Don't worry momma, mommy is really good at hide n seek" Sofia reassured patting Callie cheek. "We'll find her soon" Callie nodded wishing she had her daughters hope. They dressed and dropped Sofia to school. Callie then rang her therapist her coping mechanisms were failing, and she needed to talk to someone.

Hanging up she felt slightly better, nothing was in her control, so all she could do was focus on what was in her control.

She cleaned the house again and checked the suitcases making sure everything was ready before collecting Sofia from school, they did the homework and drew more pictures for mommy, Callie telling her another story this one was about Arizona saving the conjoined twins, leaving out how controlling she was, how bossy and making her to be the hero of the story.

Sofia went to bed on time, Callie sat in the living room sorting out the hand drawn pictures, making sure they were packed neatly ready to take to wherever Arizona turned up.

A knock at the door just as she was turning out the light sent her heart fluttering, it couldn't be she thought as hope grew inside, she practically jogged to the door.

"Arizona!" she exclaimed joyfully seeing her ex-wife at the door, finally being able to put those images of her lying dead in the woods at rest. Her happiness at her wife arriving quickly turning to alarm as she saw her condition, she was pale and swaying, half her hair shaven a blood stain evident under the baseball cap.

"Ccaall llleee" Arizona slurred, her speech awful, her color dropped from ghastly white to grey, Callie just managed to catch her as Arizona collapsed into her arms.

Thought i'd do a chapter on Callie's thought process. Let me know what you think,

thanks to those that review,