SHE'S NEVER ASKED ME FOR ANYTHING

Arizona had been pacing up and down in her office for the past hour. She had paged her over 20 minutes ago and couldn't understand why she wasn't here yet. Was she purposely avoiding her? That better not be the case because the blonde was having a major freak out and there just didn't seem to be anyone else to turn to. This was a complete mess.

She suddenly heard quick, heavy footsteps and instantly knew that this must be her. Arizona sighed with relief as the person she most wanted to see right now entered her tiny office looking just a grumpy as ever.

"This better be good Robbins. I was asleep. Do you know how often I get to sleep in my own bed?" Miranda Bailey was glaring at the PEDS surgeon and suddenly Arizona wasn't sure whether this had been a good idea or not.

"Callie wants to have a baby" Arizona simply blurted out her statement, it was like word vomit. She couldn't have stopped it from coming out even if she wanted to.

"Lord help me! You two are going to be the death of me. You need to talk to Torres about this, not me" Bailey made a move towards the door but Arizona stopped her by putting a trembling hand on the smaller woman's shoulder.

"Please Bailey. I'm freaking out and I don't know what to do. I need you to tell me what to do" Bailey could see the desperation in the perky surgeon's eyes. The general surgeon generally didn't do personal, she had no time for personal and she really couldn't give two shits about the personal lives of the people she worked with. However, she has become quite fond of the woman standing before her and she did owe her for setting her up with Ben so maybe she could help her just this once.

"She wants to have a baby" Bailey said it as if it were a statement, there was no question there and she said it with absolutely no enthusiasm whatsoever but Arizona took this as a sign of participation and her eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning.

"She wants to have a baby" Arizona's face fell as she said the words. She really couldn't believe that this was happening. Things had been great between them, they were amazing together and Arizona hadn't been this happy in… well, ever. She hadn't been this happy ever but now all of that happiness had been shattered by their differing view on the future and Arizona was terrified that this was a deal breaker for Callie but she just wasn't sure if she would be able to bend on this one.

"And by the look on your face you DON'T want a baby" Bailey stated matter-of-factly.

"No. I don't" Arizona peered down at her feet; she was bracing herself for Bailey's shocked reaction. Everyone who ever found out that Arizona didn't want children first stared at her in shock and then stuttered a little before asking her how it was possible that someone like her didn't want kids. How was she supposed to answer that question? She didn't know how someone like her could not want kids; all she knew was that she really had never seen herself as someone who would have kids. When she realised she was gay the decision to not have children seemed like the logical route to take and then when she became a Paediatric surgeon the decision just became an even easier one to make.

All Arizona heard from Bailey was a grunt of acknowledgement but there was no shocked looks and there definitely was no bombarding of questions she didn't know the answers to.

"You're not shocked? You're not going to ask me how someone like me could not want kids?" Arizona was interested to hear Bailey's thoughts on the topic.

"I always knew you were more dark and twisty than you seem Robbins. But I get it, kids aren't for everyone" Bailey simply shrugged. This was the first time in Arizona's whole life that she didn't feel like a freak for not wanting children. She had stopped mentioning it to people years ago because she couldn't take all the weird glances and odd questions but hearing Bailey be so accepting of her stance on this issue was oddly comforting to her.

"In my experiences most women need diamonds; some need three dozen roses because that's the only way to prove you love them. I'm not trying to blow my own horn or anything but I've been with a lot of women, I mean I was never a whorey little run-about or anything but… I've got skill ya know? –" Arizona wasn't sure where she was going with this and was almost grateful when Bailey interrupted her.

"I get it Robbins. A lot of people think that the physical things define what's within and to show a person you love them you need to give them something they can hold, or something that has value or beauty" Arizona couldn't keep the grin off her face. This was an entirely new Bailey, this Bailey was insightful and ROMANTIC!

"Exactly, but Callie's different. Maybe she deserves this?" Arizona smiled dreamily as she thought about her raven haired girlfriend. Callie had the ability to take her breath away even when she wasn't in the room.

"You're right, Torres is a rare breed but this isn't like buying her diamonds or roses. This is about a life" Bailey was scolding her like she was a child now and Arizona could feel the blush start to rise from her chest all the way up her face.

"She has never asked me for a thing. Never has she asked one thing of me but this is something I know she wants more than anything and I want her to have it even if it's not something I would have chosen for myself" Arizona was almost talking to herself at this point, she wasn't even necessarily talking about having a child with Callie anymore. All she knew was that she wanted Callie to have the kids she dreamed of, whether she was able to give them to her or not.

"But is it what you want?" Bailey's questions were getting seriously hard to answer and she was being very persistent.

"Honestly, I've never really thought about it. I always thought that I would never have the opportunity to have kids. I watched my parents fall apart and take sides when my siblings and I fought. My mother resented my father for 'allowing' me to be gay. My father never got over the fact that my mother tried to talk my brother out of joining the army and then when my brother died it was like they didn't know each other anymore, they became like strangers. So I've never really thought about it until Calliope brought it up" she was certainly thinking about it now and although she had spent hours upon hours mulling over this topic she was still no closer to finding the answer to their predicament, which of course was why she had called Bailey.

"Well maybe you should think about it. Having children is not something you should do for Callie just because she's never asked you for anything before and you want to give her what she wants. Regardless of the fact that it's physically impossible, if you two decide to have a child it will be a part of both of you. It's not something you should do if it's not what you want" Arizona was nodding now at Bailey's lecture, she knew the general surgeon was right. Bailey was speaking from experience, she's a mother and she knows what it takes to care for a child. She knows the type of mind set one needs to be in in order to care for another human being. Arizona just wasn't sure if she had it in her to be what Callie so clearly wanted her to be.

"Why wouldn't I want to have children with her?" Arizona really needed Bailey to give the answers to this question. She wanted to know that there were legitimate reasons for not wanting to start a family with Callie.

"I don't know. You tell me"

"We're financially stable, there are plenty of great schools around here, and you have Tuck so the child wouldn't be completely surrounded by neurotic adults and Callie has been dropping hints about getting a house together. This is the logical next step to creating our future and soon we'll be in a place in our lives where it makes sense for us to start a family. I mean not right away but in like a year or two. Maybe I'll feel differently then?" Arizona was again pleading with Bailey to give her the answers. She wanted more than anything to be told how she felt about this and what she should do but as usual Bailey was nothing but practical.

"All of those are wonderful things and I'm glad you're thinking about stuff like that but if it's not something you WANT and I mean something you want with all of your being then you shouldn't do it. Having a child is not like owning a pet. You can't take it back or give it away. You're stuck with it forever. Being a parent is the hardest, most frustrating and infuriating thing you will ever experience in your life, but it's also the most beautiful and rewarding experience you will ever have. Knowing that there's a tiny life that depends on you to make the right decisions, to teach them, to protect them, to nurture and to love them unconditionally, that's a lot of pressure to put on yourself just to appease your guilt. Think about it Robbins. Sleep on it and don't do anything stupid" and with that Bailey was gone and Arizona was left alone with her thoughts.

All she had to do now was decide what she was going to say to Callie.