AN: Just something fun to play with between parts of Dark Notes. This storyline will never happen, hence why it's fun to write, but if you don't like Arizona and Callie reunifying, then skip this one. :-)

Part 1

"Sofia honey, what do you want to do? It's the weekend and we have two whole days to fill," Arizona said, flopping onto Sofia's bed and shuffling to fall between Sofia and the wall.

Shrugging, Sofia cuddled a small stuffed bear against her chest. "Can I call Mama today?"

Arizona resisted the urge to sigh, she had expected Sofia to adjust a little easier to the move than she had. They hadn't forced Sofia to move and she had been given a lot of control over small things related to the relocation - the colour of her bedroom walls, furniture and new clothing. Small things aimed at giving her an extra sense of security.

"Of course you can, you can call Mama any time, you know that."

"Well, can I call her now?"

Arizona glanced at her watch and nodded. Sofia quickly shifted out of the covers and opened her bedside drawer to access her phone. Callie and Arizona had agreed before she moved, that Callie would buy her a phone and contract just to use for calls between the two of them. Arizona had called in a favour with Alex though, helplessly handing him the phone and requested it to be 'child proofed'. No data, no wifi, and a total of five permitted phone numbers. No fun, Alex had confirmed when he handed the phone back to Arizona after five minutes of adjusting settings.

Sofia sat back on the side of the bed, a smile wide on her face when Callie answered. "Morning Mama," she said, tucking a leg up. "Hmmm, yeah. I don't know, Mom's home for the weekend." She looked to Arizona and asked, "Right Mom?" Arizona nodded. "Yeah," Sofia said back into the phone. "No work."

Arizona listened intently to Sofia's side of the conversation, almost able to picture the phrasing and tone that Callie would be speaking by the answers Sofia gave. "Last week, remember? We painted it together. Sort of." Sofia looked around at her bedroom walls as she spoke. "Mom dropped some paint but not too much. You should have been here to help us." Arizona's stomach churned at the statement, it was hard not to take the small comments as a criticism. It was weird to have Sofia back full time after so much time had passed, she felt many of her old maternal insecurities force their way back into her consciousness. She hadn't been prepared for that. "No way," Sofia said and Arizona realised she had missed a few conversation pieces. "I don't miss New York at all, just you, Mama." Sofia looked down and picked at the duvet cover with her fingertips, knotted unbrushed hair falling over her face. She looked so much like Callie. "I know that," she said, frowning, "I didn't say I wanted to come back."

Sofia's temper escalated, zero to one hundred, much like both Arizona and Callie, really, and she kicked her foot against the ground. "How about I take the phone, hey? You go and get ready for breakfast," Arizona said, sitting up and holding her hand out for the phone.

"Fine, see you Mama, have a great weekend," Sofia added sarcastically and she was suddenly a little girl rushing towards adolescence, full of insolence.

"Morning Callie," Arizona said, watching Sofia walk out of her room and kick a small lego set on her way. It crumbled apart.

"Hi, she's a delight this morning," Callie responded.

"She misses you, that's all. If it helps, I asked her what she wanted to do today and she didn't even answer me. Just wanted to call you."

"And all she wanted to do when she was here was phone you, I guess we can't win."

"It's hard for her I suppose, it's a long way between Seattle and New York. She can't just go between our houses or anything, like a lot of kids."

"It's exhausting, makes me feel like a terrible parent."

"Me too, I didn't think this was meant to come until she was a teenager. Any suggestions?" Arizona asked, almost as an afterthought. She had been trying to do it all on her own, pretend that Sofia was adjusting well and there were no issues. Except there was, every day almost. A tantrum here, a sarcastic comment there; tears and anger.

"Not really," Callie responded, and Arizona thought she sounded a little defeated. "Distraction worked okay here, sometimes."

Arizona hesitated and drew in a deep breath. "She's been…difficult. Sometimes," Arizona's said, voice soft, intent uncertain.

Callie sighed heavily from the other end of the phone. "Tantrums; crying. Kicking has been my favourite of late."

Arizona almost burst into tears with relief and she knew her voice sounded strained with the effort to contain her emotion when she spoke. "She thew a glass at the wall on Thursday."

"Sorry Arizona, I thought she would be okay when she moved back. It was the only thing she ever said that was wrong; I would have given you more of a heads up if I thought it would continue."

"It's so random, I can't figure out why or when she loses it. It seems like she's fine and then nothing kind of happens but she completely changes all of a sudden."

"Yup, sounds familiar. I honestly thought she would be okay, she yelled most days that she wanted us to go home," Callie murmured, and Arizona could hear a coffee machine buzz to life through the phone. "I'm pre-coffee," she added, as if in tune to Arizona's thoughts.

"I'm not sure what we should do. Should I organise for her to see someone? A child therapist?" Arizona asked and the almost immediately she was flooded with self doubts. She worried all the time that something would happen to Sofia whether it be medical or she screwed something up for her. All her old fears from well before Sofia was even a reality.

"Let's just give her a bit longer and see how she goes. Try and talk to her and maybe you can get more out of her than I could."

"Yeah, I can do that," Arizona said softly. "I don't really want her in the system…unless she has to be. It would be good if we could figure it out. Help her."

"It's our job, right."

"Yeah," Arizona concurred with heavy exhalation, "it's our job. Thanks, I should let you, you know, drink your coffee. And go see if Sofia has destroyed the kitchen or something."

"That's alright, it's fine, I'm not working this weekend. Ummm, you can call any time, if she's being…or if you need some help with her."

"You never called; you managed everything."

Callie's laugh reverberated through the phone. "Don't mistake my stubbornness for management, Arizona. You know better than that. Just because I didn't ask you for help doesn't mean that I shouldn't have. I am sorry that I didn't prepare you properly, I really can't believe it's continued. But I should have told you."

Arizona smiled. "It's all good, we'll see how it goes. I'll be in touch and, Sofia will, of course."

"Talk to you then."

Arizona terminated the call and placed Sofia's phone on the charger before heading into the living area. She found Sofia sitting at the high bench in the kitchen, a bowl of cereal in front of her. "You didn't want pancakes or something, Sof?"

"Nah, this is good. I don't mind."

"Mama makes the best pancakes, right?" Arizona said, placing a mug under the automated coffee machine and pressing the espresso button. "When you were little you wouldn't even eat mine."

"They're still better."

Arizona laughed. "I actually appreciate your honesty. Wonder where you got that from?"

"I don't know," Sofia said, shrugging. She was oblivious to Arizona's sarcasm and humour. "You talked to Mama?"

"Yup, just chatted about the weather and what's exciting in New York and oh, that's right, our favourite daughter," Arizona teased, taking her coffee cup from under the machine when the shot was finished.

"Is she even working today?"

"Not this weekend, maybe she's making her own pancakes," Arizona said, trying to lift Sofia's mood rather than chastise her, yet again, for her rude tone.

"Well then she could have at least come and visited us," Sofia mumbled, eyes fixed on her cereal bowl, pushing the last remaining soggy wheat strips around with her spoon.

"Sofa," Arizona said, sliding onto a stool next to her. "You know how far New York is, Mama can't just hop on a plane every weekend she has off just like I couldn't and you couldn't."

"You don't like flying but Mama does, she doesn't care."

"I know that Sof, but it's still a long way. Do you want me to organise for you to go and spend some time back with Mama, maybe you could have a Friday off school and go for two nights?"

"No!" Sofia answered, and pushed her plate away. Her face crumbled and she folded her head into her arms.

Arizona had no idea, she watched her cry and hiccup, her little legs swinging under the stool. "Come on Sofia, come here and sit with me for a minute." She tugged at her arms until Sofia willingly slid off the chair and stood in front of Arizona, tears still trailing down her cheeks. "You're not too big for a cuddle," she said softly, pulling Sofia up to sit on her lap.

"I am too," Sofia protested lightly, sniffling as she curled into Arizona's chest. "I don't want to go back to New York, I want to stay here."

"Okay, okay, of course you are staying here. I just thought since you keep saying you want to see Mama that you might like to visit."

"Well I don't."

"Mmmm, so why don't you tell me what all this is about then huh; you got pretty angry at Mama this morning. And, you get pretty angry and sad at me sometimes too."

"No I don't."

"Sofia."

"I don't know why."

Arizona stifled a sigh, dipping her face to kiss Sofia's head and hugged her tighter. "Well, tell me what you were angry at Mama about."

"Nothin'."

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

"I just wanted her to come visit but you and her only want me to go there. Just like you could hardly ever come to New York."

"Not fair, huh? That you have to do all the flying?"

"I don't care about flying."

"Well honey, Mama can't just jump on a plane all the time. She has work and friends and needs time to have fun and meet people." Sofia looked up at her, completely confused. "Like how Mama and Penny used to live together; Mama might like someone else very much." Arizona stumbled over her words, she knew what she was saying in her head but translating it to an age appropriate understanding was harder than she thought.

Sofia shook her head. "That's dumb," she said and Arizona almost laughed. "No, it's dumb because she says she doesn't want a new girlfriend, and I heard her say that she can't anyway because of you. So she should just come here and see us."

Arizona was briefly grateful that she wasn't sipping her coffee or it would have sprayed all over Sofia. "I think you might have misunderstood or misheard, Sof."

"Mama is sad," Sofia said, "whenever she talks about you. Not all the time, but when we talk about you. And you said that you missed her too, so why can't you just see each other so we don't all miss each other."

"Oh it's not that simple, Sofia. Your Mama and I are divorced, do you remember what we explained to you about that."

Sofia wriggled herself out of Arizona's grasp and stood in front of Arizona with her hands on her hips. Her face deadpanned, serious. "Everyone knows what divorce is, how old do you think I am? I also know what Mama said and I know that she cries when she talks about you. I think adults are stupid and do stupid things. You are stupid!"

"Alright, that's enough. That is not a word we use in this house."

"Stupid!"

"Sofia."

"I'm going to my room, you're just going to send me there anyway. You are stupid."

Arizona watched her daughter stomp across the kitchen and towards her bedroom, a few seconds later and the door loudly slammed. She winced at the bang.

Swallowing the last of her coffee as she swiped through her phone to find Callie's name, Arizona pressed at the screen. Holding her phone to her ear with her shoulder, Arizona waited for the familiar click of the line being picked up. "So," she said without pleasantries, "our daughter is trying to get us back together."

XXX

"She's what?" Callie said and Arizona could hear the screech in her voice.

"Yup. Well, I think so."

"Crap."

"Yup."

"Ummmm."

"I was going to suggest that we should talk to her," Arizona said.

"Great idea. I just don't quite…I mean, how did she, or rather, what did she say?" Callie's words were disjointed and half sentences murmured, she sounded nervous to Arizona or panicked almost.

"Oh, it came up because she was telling me about being angry at you for not visiting this weekend and that I didn't visit often when she was in New York. And I offered to talk to you to organise a trip for her back home but she didn't want that. And I just mentioned that you would maybe sometimes be out with friends or that you might want to meet someone new."

"You were talking to our daughter about me dating?" Callie said, though she laughed at the same time.

"No, no no. Not like that," Arizona muttered, rushing to explain. "It sounds weird but it wasn't, it was in context. I swear. But anyway, our little smart one, thinks she has overheard stuff and has it in her head that she has the solution. At least I think that's where she's at. And she is all you with the stubborness, I couldn't convince her otherwise and then she called us all stupid and stomped off to her room."

"We are stupid."

"Hey, speak for yourself," Arizona said, laughing. "We're only stupid because our elementary aged daughter is doing our head in."

"What exactly did she say, Arizona?"

"Oh, she said that adults are stupid and do stupid things and that you and I are,"

"No," Callie said, interrupting. "Not what she said about being stupid. Have you had coffee yet?"

"Yes," Arizona confirmed sheepishly, "Sorry. Ummm, what did she say about what?"

"About getting us back together."

"Ohhhh, yes that. Ummm, she thinks that she heard you say that you couldn't date anyone new because of me. Or something to that effect. And that you cry sometimes." Arizona left out the part where Sofia said that it was when Callie was talking about her. Something made her hold that back, though she wasn't sure why. There was silence on the other end of the phone and Arizona rushed to fill it. "And when she first came home to my place, she said that she missed you and I said that I did too. So she's added that in," Arizona wasn't sure why she added that, but she did and her head was suddenly reeling and her pulse was racing.

"She's too smart sometimes."

"We need to talk to her though don't we? I mean, go over it all again like we did when we separated."

Callie's voice was soft and low through the phone. "Yeah sure. It that's what you want."

"Well, I don't think it'll work on my own."

There was no response from Callie and Arizona actually checked the phone to make sure their call hadn't been disconnected.

"Is that good? Or do you have another idea?" Arizona prompted.

There was another awkward silence until Callie spoke again, and her voice sounded far away almost, hollow. "The thing is," Callie said and hesitated briefly. "That Sofia heard right. The last six months, I've just…I don't know…"

"I don't understand really. Sofia heard right?"

"I cry sometimes, because I miss our life together. That's all. She's right, I'm not moving on or dating anyone new. I don't want to right now. I should have hid it more from her, I didn't know that she saw me or understood why."

"Callie."

"I know that you don't feel the same way, so we should just figure out what to do and."

"How do you know I don't?" Arizona asked, interrupting.

"What?"

"How do you know if I don't even know that? I had no idea you even felt this way or anything, and now you're jumping to say that I don't feel the same.'

Again, silence settled between them.

"Callie," Arizona said finally, "you should come here for a few days. So we can talk to Sofia and…talk. We need to talk."

"I don't know if I want to."

"Ummmm…."

"Did I sound ten?"

Arizona smiled. "Yes, yes you did."

"Okay. Okay. I'll come."

"I won't have the answers when you get here, I just want you to know that."

"Sure."

"But I want you to come," Arizona said softly and it was the best she could do. So many months and years spent minimising any regret and hope; they just surfaced too often and she had to lock them away. Suddenly, they were back and full of emotion and she had no idea what to do with that. Callie was meant to be her one great love that got away; that she screwed up, that they screwed up. A second chance, after so long?

She needed wine and April. And quickly, before Callie arrived.

XXX

"So let me get this straight," April murmured, wiping a wine drop on the table with her thumb. "Callie, said that she misses you. And now she's coming here to talk and…well, that's what I got from the last hour."

"Thank you," Arizona responded, rolling her eyes. "You're meant to let me rant, so I can figure out what's happening - that's your job. But yes, that is an accurate summary."

"Oh rant away, I'm enjoying the drama. It's like Act 23 with you two. I particularly like Sofia's role in this one, how did that kid become a teenager? Impressive."

"i know, it's enough to send me nuts. She's way too knowledgable now but we're going to have to talk to her. I mean, Callie coming here for a few days is not what she wants, she wants us back together."

"Do you?"

"Oh, that's harsh. That's not something I even know how to answer."

April raised her eyebrows. "Mmmm."

"I can't. You lived the final separation alongside me, it was awful. Who in their right mind would open themselves up to that kind of possibility again?"

"People who have history; people who have unfinished business. Any relationship or possibility of a relationship is opening yourself up to possible endings. I mean, isn't that what love is all about? You do it, even though you know it could end?"

"Could…would…that's the issue though. If we knew it would end in revoltingness, would we ever start?"

April shrugged. "Maybe, I mean, you got Sofia out of that mess. Imagine having avoided that just because you knew it would end."

"Oh, you're wise."

"I am," April said, laughing.

"What if I can't love her again?" Arizona half asked, half pondered to herself. And April gave her the response she deserved, in that moment, no one knew the answer. "Guess that's the question, huh?"

"Maybe," April said softly, "but Arizona, ask the other way around. What if you could?"

Arizona physically shuddered and she closed her eyes, only reopening them when she felt April's hand wrap around her forearm. "I think it's too hard," she whispered.

"Then that's okay too."

Arizona nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Thanks."

"Can I give you some advice?" April asked.

"Please."

"I like answers…quickly. It's a major character flaw. I'm told that there's people out there that take their time to make decisions; they do pros and cons lists, test out hypotheses and even wait for months, years to make final calls. Not us, obviously; but people. I want to try and learn from those people, maybe you could to."

"There you go, wise again."

"I'm making a habit of it."

Arizona laughed, pushing herself up from her chair. "Time for another bottle," she said but hesitated after a few steps. She turned and stepped back, wrapping her arms around April; she pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Thanks for keeping me sane." As quickly as she had hesitated, she was at the bar, ordering another bottle of wine. She was breathing a little easier.

TBC.