Lady in Red

By AmboDriver

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just playing around with the characters that I adore (even if they are all super sad right now). They are owned by Shondaland, ABC, and probably a lot of other really rich folks.

A/N: Yes, I should be writing one of my other stories, but I've had this thought ever since we heard there might be some good Calzona stuff surrounding Bailey's wedding and then after seeing the preview, well, I had to. I'm assuming Bailey goes through with it in this fic.

I must have a thing for the song in this fic (Lady in Red by Chris De Burgh), because I used it in an Otalia fic about 3 years ago (if you're interested in reading those stories go to my livejournal, username kels7200). But it's such a wonderful song and so perfect for Calzona.

And this is a gift for a special friend on an important anniversary. This is just proof that while things will never be perfect, there can be a lot of light out of the dark…

Callie shot a look over at Arizona as they sat at the banquet table. Her wife wore a little sad smile as she watched some of their friends on the dance floor as they enjoyed the wedding reception and the excuse to cut loose. But Callie didn't really care about any of them. All she cared about was the woman next to her and how their relationship was slowly healing after all the months of pain.

Arizona looked over at her and gave her a small smile. "If you want to dance, you can," she said softly, barely loud enough over the band. "I won't be mad. I'm sure Alex or Owen will dance with you."

Callie rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to dance with Alex for any number of reasons and we're kind of suing Owen right now, so maybe he's not the best choice." She then reached out and put her hand over Arizona's. "You're the only person I'd ever want to dance with anyway."

That brought a frown to Arizona's mouth as her eyes fell to their joined hands. "I can't. You know that."

Callie was sure that Arizona was underestimating what she could do. She had gotten quite adept at walking on her prosthetic, after all. Still, this was definitely not the time or place to test it out, not with so many people around. Well, maybe it's the time. A smile came to her lips as she reached out to tilt Arizona's face back up so she could look into the sad blue eyes. "Come with me."

"What? Where do you want to go?" Arizona asked even as she took Callie's hand in her left hand and started to stand, grabbing her cane with her right.

"You'll see. Don't worry; we'll be back before Ben and Bailey leave." Callie squeezed her wife's hand affectionately and gave her bright smile.

Arizona rolled her eyes at Callie but still followed her out of the banquet hall. They made it down the hall, back toward the chapel where the wedding had taken place, but Callie instead took them down a side hallway before they could reach the chapel. "We're going back to the lounge?" Arizona asked.

"You've found me out," Callie answered with a chuckle as she opened the door to the lounge where they had gathered before the wedding to put the finishing touches on their own dresses before helping Bailey—once Richard had talked her over her fears—get ready for her wedding. Now, it was empty and blissfully quiet after the noise of the banquet hall. Callie closed the door behind them and threw the lock so they wouldn't be disturbed.

Arizona must have heard her because she turned to Callie with a raised eyebrow. "We need that much privacy?" She laughed a little nervously and then seemed awkward, which wasn't surprising. They hadn't done much more than hold each other and share very chaste kisses since beginning the long road back to one another. "Why are we here?"

"You wanted to dance, didn't you?" Callie came over and took Arizona's hand, leading her to an open area of the room. "I saw it in your eyes. But I know you wouldn't want to try in front of everyone. So, I figured we could have a little private dance party."

Arizona bit at her lip but then let the bright smile through, showing off the sparkle in her blue eyes and the matching dimples that Callie adored. A hint of a red hue came to her cheeks. "I guess you found me out."

"I just know you." Callie paused and then whispered, "Still."

"I'm not sure this is going to work," Arizona said, a nervous tinge coming to her voice.

"Why don't we try the junior high shuffle first, okay?" Callie faced Arizona but at arm's length. "Hold onto my shoulders and I'll hold your waist."

Arizona started to reach up and then let out a huff of air. "Can you take off your shoes? I know I told you to wear heels, but this would be more comfortable if you were more my height."

Callie kicked off her heels. "You know there was part of me that wanted to use the excuse to wear flats."

"Flats don't make your—" Arizona stopped as another flush came to her cheeks. "Yeah, well, let's try this."

Callie bit at her lip to keep a huge smile from giving away how it made her feel to know that Arizona, despite all that had happened and had been said in months since the crash, still was attracted to her. She knew it would be awhile, and take a lot of work, before Arizona would believe the feeling was mutual, but she hoped tonight would be a good step along the way toward that. "Okay," she said as she firmly put her hands on Arizona's hips, but still keeping her at arm's length, "Let's just try this."

Arizona nodded as she put her hands on Callie's shoulders and then looked down toward her feet, or what she could see of them poking out from under the floor-length red dress. Callie started to sway from side to side, using her hands to guide Arizona to follow. At first Arizona was a little unsteady at the unfamiliar sideways movement. She had gotten proficient at moving her prosthetic leg forward and back, but keeping it steady as she moved side to side with small steps took a few tries before she seemed to relax. "Okay, that's not so bad."

"Want to get a little closer?"

"I don't want to step on your toes. You're barefoot."

Callie leaned down to catch Arizona's gaze and waited for her to raise her head. "I'm willing to risk it."

Arizona let out a small puff of self-conscious laughter. "It's a shame we don't have any music."

Callie shrugged. "I could sing," she suggested.

Arizona stopped swaying and gave her that look she had when she felt Callie was being ridiculous. Callie knew it well. "You know two songs. Lady Marmalade is too fast and we are not dancing to Row, Row, Row Your Boat."

"Hey," Callie said in mock indignation. "I know more songs than that. I mean just yesterday Sofia and I did Itsy Bitsy Spider together."

"You had to look it up online first," Arizona reminded her before breaking out into bright laughter.

Now that was music to Callie's ears and she reveled in the sound of the laughter she had missed for months before joining in. "Okay, busted, but more seriously," she trailed off as they both let the laughter dissipate. "When I saw you in that dress, it reminded me of this song I used to love in middle school."

"Middle school? You can remember that far back? I can barely remember my twenties."

"Well, I used to sing this all the time, thinking that some knight in shining armor would come along and sing it to me." She chuckled. "I was obviously wrong about the knight part."

Arizona gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. "I'm sure I would look good in armor. My leg is kind of like armor, afterall," she said as she lifted up her long skirt so just the hint of metal could be seen.

"I guess. But anyway, I remember one of the verses and the chorus. And," Callie stopped as the emotion came to her voice. She swallowed hard before smiling. "And it's perfect for you tonight."

"Um, okay," Arizona said with a hesitant grin. "So, let's hear it."

Callie took a step in so that their bodies were touching and wrapped her arms around Arizona's waist with her hands overlapped in the small of her wife's back. Arizona did the same with her arms around Callie's neck. Callie started to hear the music in her head, although she slowed it down just a little to make it easier to dance to. She hummed it then, beginning to sway along to the music, her hands and hips helping Arizona to find the rhythm. Then she looked into Arizona's eyes and began to sing. "I've never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonight, I've never seen you shine so bright, you were amazing."

Arizona laughed then and shook her head. "I'm not so sure of that."

"Hush and let me sing," Callie said as she pulled them in closer so that Arizona's chin rested on her shoulder. "Now where was I? I'll just start again." She smiled as she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of Arizona wrapped in her arms, as she returned to the song.

"I've never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonight,
I've never seen you shine so bright, you were amazing,
I've never seen so many people want to be there by your side,
And when you turned to me and smiled, it took my breath away,
I have never had such a feeling,
Such a feeling of complete and utter love, as I do tonight;

The lady in red is dancing with me, cheek to cheek,
There's nobody here, it's just you and me,
It's where I want to be,
But I hardly know this beauty by my side,
I'll never forget the way you look tonight,
I never will forget the way you look tonight."

As she trailed off, they both stopped their steady rhythm and just stood in each other's arms. Callie was afraid to say more, having just used the song to say everything she had wanted to say to Arizona but afraid it would be too much. And so they stood, holding each other tightly in a silence that was now companionable instead of heavy, as it had been for weeks and months.

Finally Arizona took a shuddering breath. "Do you really mean all that?"

Callie pulled her head off Arizona's shoulder so she could look her in the eyes. She noticed a tear hanging off her lower lashes and she reached up to catch it before it could fall. "Of course I mean it. Arizona, you are and will always be the most beautiful woman in the world to me. Even when we're all old and wrinkled," she joked, which let them each laugh and ease the tense emotions between them. But Callie quickly sobered and tried to make sure she imparted everything she felt for Arizona as she asked, "Do you know how amazing you really are? I'm so proud of you and I fall more and more in love with you every day. You've been through so much and yet here you are. And I know we still have a lot to get through, but I want you to know that you are gorgeous and amazing and I love you so very, very much."

A tear quickly escaped Arizona's eye before Callie could catch it this time. "Happy tear," she said, her voice full of emotion. "Callie, you're right. We have a lot to get through, but I'm right here, with you, and I always will be, okay? I love you, too," she whispered and then she smiled and added, "Calliope."

It was the first time Arizona had used her full name in months, since even before the crash, and it took the breath from Callie for a moment even as tears welled in her eyes. "I've missed that," she finally was able to press out around the lump in her throat.

"I know and I've missed wanting to call you that, but I do now. I promise that I'm really trying to get back there, to where we were before the crash, emotionally at least. It's going to take time and work, but I'm trying." She smiled then as she reached up to cup Callie's cheek with her hands. "I think this is where we kiss," she whispered.

"Really?" Callie said even as she lowered her lips to brush against Arizona's, afraid to do more, but still reveling in how soft her wife's lips were.

"Not like that," Arizona said, her eyes flaring with just a hint of the deep love and desire Callie used to see all the time in the blue depths. "Like this," she whispered as she pulled Callie back down into a second kiss.

This one was slow and caring as they reacquainted themselves with this level of intimacy. And while it never moved into one of their breathtakingly passionate kisses, it was still absolutely perfect in Callie's book. The kiss lingered until Arizona pulled back slightly, leaving them both breathing hard from the lack of oxygen. "I've missed that, too," Callie finally had enough air to say.

"Me, too." Arizona took a breath and stood up straighter, pulling herself out of Callie's embrace and reaching down to take one of her hands. "We've been gone a while now. Maybe we should head back?"

Callie recognized that Arizona needed to take a small step back from all the emotions. It was still hard for her—and Callie had to admit for herself too—to sustain this level of emotion between them for any length of time. But it was getting better almost daily, and it was amazing to think it had only been a few weeks since she was still sleeping in Mark's apartment and all they did was argue. She would take this in short spurts as long as she always had Arizona there, smiling, by her side. "Yeah, we're not being very good bridesmaids."

"Maybe we'll get back in time for that dance where all the married couples go out on the dance floor and you leave in order of how long you've been married."

Callie wasn't sure where Arizona was going with that. "Yeah, that's always a good moment at the reception."

"Well, seeing as one year will only get us through the first wave, I might be able to handle that much dancing."

Callie looked over at Arizona and smiled brightly. "You sure?"

"Yes, Calliope, I'm sure. Now, come on, let's go."

She gave Arizona's hand a tight squeeze. "Let's."

THE END

A/N: "The Lady in Red" is by Chris De Burgh and was originally released in 1986. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just borrowing it for this fun little story.