Title: Causal Fallacy (1/?)

Author: Maggiemerc

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I don't own them. If I did there'd be a lot more lesbian sex on the show.

Pairings: Callie/Arizona, Owen/Cristina, Meredith/Derek, Amelia/Lexie, etc, etc.

Summary: Sometimes there is no link between cause and effect. Sometimes it is just the natural world bearing down on you and devastating everything in its path. A sequel to the Alternate Universe episode, "If/Then" and Another Statement of Causality. Callie and Arizona are at a loss with how to make a relationship work with three kids and Cristina and Owen are blindly moving forward damned the costs.

Author's Note: The sequel to Another Statement of Causality! Are you excited? I'm excited. Feedback is much appreciated even if it's to tell me I'm a monster.

Chapter One

It wasn't often that Mark had his act together while everyone else floundered. Derek was still with Meredith but they hadn't told her parents yet. Arizona was running from Callie like she'd proposed marriage and Mark had his daughter in his arms, a stable job, a stable fiancee and a home that wasn't known to half the female population of New York.

And unlike Owen Hunt he also had a functioning car.

"Car trouble?" Owen leapt at Mark's voice. His head thumped against the hood of his car and Mark winced in sympathy. "Sorry."

"My truck is—"

Ancient. Owen's truck was older than some of the residents. His three children were standing beside the beast looking two steps away from rebellion. One of the boys was kicking the tires and the other one had found a broomstick handle in the bed of the truck and was swinging it over his head like a little king of the mountain. Eyeing the stick warily and holding his own daughter's head protectively Mark stepped around the kid and poked his head under the hood.

"You know a lot about cars," Owen asked.

"Nothing." He stood back up, "I have a very well paid mechanic though. I can call him for you?"

Owen shook his head. He pointed at something that probably meant something to someone else. "It's probably my fuel pump. It's been sluggish lately. I can fix it but I have to go pick the part up."

"Callie going to drive you?"

"Boise."

Oh right. With Addison and Arizona and Hahn? That must have been fun.

"How about Yang. You two are bumpin' uglies right?"

Owen frowned, "She's got work and—" his eyes darted to his kids, who weren't paying attention.

"Pft. They'll be fine. Kids never hear what you say unless you say their names. Watch—"

He quickly interrupted him, "That's okay. You know, you could always give us a ride."

"I could."

"Is that a yes?"

Mark stepped closer, "Is it?"

He'd never really had one on one time with Owen Hunt. And he had a strong opinion about Owen Hunt—largely related to the choking incident and the yelling at Arizona thing. Fucking with the guy was to easy and way too satisfying. Owen squirmed—which wasn't something an Army trauma surgeon usually did.

"Man, you're kind of easy to mess with," he lazily motioned to his temple with his finger, "in the head. Aren't you Hunt?"

Hunt's jaw tightened. "And you don't like me do you Sloan?"

He shrugged, "I'm Robbins' friend. So I know things about you Hunt. So no. I don't like you."

Hunt stared.

Way too easy.

"But I can give you a ride, because I think you're kids are about to eat each other."

On cue the one with the stick made sharp connection with his brother's head and wail of child agony rung in the air.

####

It was shock that led to her screaming. She knew that intellectually. She understood her response. Some people cried. Some people turned still. Arizona screamed like there was no tomorrow.

Because the plane. The plane had been in the air. They'd been flying. And then. Then the plane was dropping like a ride at Six Flags. Her stomach was in her mouth and around her the low keen of fear was audible. It flooded the cabin.

And all she could see was the back of Callie's head as the plane violently rocked. She'd broken up with her because she didn't want to be a mother. Walked away so Callie could find someone better. Back when time moved forward at a reasonable pace and everyone had their whole lives before them. Back before one engine turned silent and another screamed as it struggled to keep the plane aloft.

Metal tore like flesh from stitches and the air was ripped from her throat. Her hair tangled in a wind fiercer then any a human should sit through. Papers flew. Someone started shouting curse words over and over again. More metal tore and it was like the gods themselves rending the plane apart.

She saw Derek Shepherd. Saw his eyes. Saw sky.

And so she screamed.

And she didn't stop.

####

"It's my only day off this week!"

"So come spend it with me and the kids. We've got a meatloaf shaped like a rabbit on the menu and possibly an afternoon movie."

"If I wanted to spend my day off watching movies with three year olds I'd—"

Owen leaned in so close she could taste his cologne. "You'd what," he asked—equal parts curious and menacing, "Date a single dad?"

"You have an ex-wife who loves babies."

"I have an ex-wife who's currently separating babies in Boise."

Cristina crossed her arms. She wanted to scowl. Callie had gotten the plum job of assisting Hahn on the surgery in Idaho. Cristina had gotten the plum job of having a day off, which her boyfriend wanted her to spend with three children.

"You'll pick them up at my mom's. Take them out for breakfast. Bring them here."

Somehow Owen had missed the part where she said she and kids didn't mix well.

"We'll spend the day together and then you can stay over."

Like a big happy family.

She wanted to reject him. The urge to turn and walk was potent.

But Owen was looking at her now with…earnestness. That wasn't something she was accustomed to and it he never, ever, looked at her so pleadingly. At least not in this almost playful way he was currently looking at her.

"Are you flirting," she asked incredulously, her voice colored by humor.

He was, because as soon as she asked the question the playfulness disappeared. "I know you don't like kids," he said in all seriousness, "and I'm not asking you to—they have a mom. I just want you to get to know them."

Because that worked so well for Arizona Robbins, who ended her relationship with Owen's ex-wife in a great gout of flames. Callie had forced Cristina onto any case that was even remotely Peds related because of it. Lady with heart pains comes in with her perfectly healthy five year old? Cristina was on it.

"It can't be a regular thing though. Okay? My days off are usually spent eating dry cereal and avoiding calls from my mother."

"What about when you—"

"Were with Burke? The same. Well," she amended, "avoiding his mother too."

"Thank you," he said with a smile.

She was nuts, and she said as much to Mer's voicemail afterwards. She was crazy doing this. For him. "I'm being very adult Mer, and I don't like it."

But periodic lunch dates with small children wasn't that bad was it? It wasn't like Mer and Callie were going to be in Boise doing surgery on twins with a whole team of doctors every day Cristina had off. Just the one day.

####

Black Eyed Peas was playing in her head. On loop. Why was Black Eyed Peas playing in her head? On loop. She didn't even like Black Eyed Peas.

Allegra liked Black Eyed Peas. She also liked to eat black eyed peas.

"They're for luck." That was a tradition enforced by Owen. Something picked up from his own father. Every New Years. Last year was trying though. Allegra had developed a moral stance against black eyed peas. The boys joined in the rebellion and she and Owen were stuck eating black eyed peas for a week. On salads. In a bowl with corn bread on the side. With pork chops. And fish. And hamburgers. Never had she had so many legumes in her life.

And what a life. She'd glanced at Arizona and Arizona hadn't glanced back. She'd stared. Openly. She might have even offered her her seat but she'd chosen the one all on its own in her row. So Callie had sat in front of her.

"You're going to regret this, and I can't promise I'll be waiting when you do." She'd whispered it at the door and Arizona had disappeared into the night and they'd danced around each other at work. An easy dance. A familiar one…to an extent. Before their dance of longing had had the allure of the unknown. Now there was a promise in each glance and accidental touch. A siren's song.

She'd told Arizona she wouldn't wait. But that was a lie. She was too tired to look for anyone else. And too lost to Arizona. There wasn't—couldn't be anyone else. Which was terrifying.

The Black Eyed Peas were rhythmic in their music. Screeching like the engine of a plane. A high pitched whine that was distracting when you were trying to sleep.

Light blinded her as she opened her eyes. Had she drifted off? Taken a nap on a mountain side after going for a hike? When did she go hiking?

Why was the sky so bright? Why were the trees so green?

She tried to sit up. It didn't work. It hurt. There was metal, shiny in the morning light, in front of her. Railing for the plane stairwell. She reached for it and a low keening noise of pain came from somewhere.

No. From her.

####

"Hey Meredith? Could you uh…could you give me a call? Something came up and I—I need to talk to someone who isn't Amelia Shepherd or her brother or Cristina or my boss or…just call me okay?"

She'd said she was doing a surgery in Boise, Idaho. She'd listed the names of all the doctors she was going with. Lexie hadn't paid attention. Now she wish she had.

Because she'd just slept with Amelia Shepherd and she really hadn't planned that.

Amelia watched her with the languid smoothness of the insufferable. "You're cute when you're freaking out."

She chunked her Doc Martin at Amelia who deftly ducked and caught it. The sheet fell down around her waist and all of her naked torso stood out in the early morning sunlight. A mark. A reminder of what they'd done.

"We slept together."

Amelia just kept grinning, "Yeah, we did."

"I'm not—you're not—we're straight."

Amelia rocked her hips subtly. "My memories of last night say differently."

"I don't—we just—would you please freak out!"

"Why? It's just sex. Arizona and I used to do it all the time."

Right. The lesbian roommate who she was banging for a month.

"I'm straight. I don't know what you are and more power to you and your very fluid approach to life but what we just did could get us arrested in Texas!" That last part came out a harsh whisper.

She waved her hand, "Ten years ago and even then I don't think it counts if its just fingers."

She chunked her other shoe at her. "Be serious."

Amelia scooted close to the edge of the bed, the sheets still around her waist. "I liked what we did. And I thought it was natural and awesome and unexpected. So I'm not gonna freak out."

Lexie came closer and peered into Amelia's eyes. "Are you high? Are you on—"

Amelia snaked her hand around Lexie's waist and pulled her down into a kiss. It was…different. "I'm sober Lexie. I wouldn't have done this otherwise."

She was sober. There was no taste of alcohol on her lips. No fuzzy look in her eyes. It was Amelia. Her sweet and sardonic friend. Her AA buddy. And even though she was a cool customer Lexie just couldn't be.

"I should go."

"I'll be here."

It was a loaded promise.

####

Addison stumbled out of the smoke and fog. She tripped and caught herself against the fuselage. Callie called out and her eyes, glazed with shock, found her.

Someone else moaned and Callie laid herself as flat as possibly to see past bits of the plane. It was Meredith. She sat up with a grunt.

"What happened?"

Addison looked up at the sky. Her mouth fell open in awe.

"We crashed," Callie called out. She was terrified of sitting up. Terrified to look at her leg. She could feel it. Every nerve. Every tendon. Every muscle. She could feel the air move across it like acid on her skin. In there in her bone she could feel the crash again and again. Could hear the crunch of shattering bone.

"Where's Derek?"

Addison lazily blinked.

Meredith screamed Derek's name. But only the drone of the dying engine responded.

Callie needed to get up. The pain was causing adrenaline to rush into her system and making her almost hyper aware of her surroundings. It was like that very first big surgery. Everything coming into focus. She could see the leaves on the trees and hear the birds above the noise of the engine and off in the distance she could hear the rhythmic beat of metal against metal.

"What is that," Meredith asked, still dazed. She called for Derek again.

Callie closed her eyes and tried to see what had happened. Tried to remember the events of the night. Of the crash. But there was only darkness in her mind. Sensations. Fear. Arizona's cry.

Arizona. She was on the plane. They'd shared a look and Callie had found herself confused by hatred and love and need. Before the world fell apart.

Addison collapsed onto her rear and rubbed at tears that leaked from her eyes. "I don't…" she then rubbed absently at her chest.

Meredith called for Derek again. In the silence that followed they heard more noise. Someone stirred in the fuselage, and somewhere, far away, metal continued to beat against metal.