Summary: Part Two of the Muddy Buddy World. Arizona and Callie go to see the Torres's.
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A/N – Me – You all asked for it, so we delivered: this here is the second installment in our family series! Yay! This story is set the March following Muddy Buddy and it takes our favorite couple to Miami to meet the Torres family. For the most part, only the sheer number of Torres' are mentioned, but there are a few select family members that we are introducing for your entertainment. And we've made Aria something of a bitch, but there is a reason, and she's not always like that.
A/N 2 – Not Me – Well you all have been on my back to get the second story in the set up so without anymore putting it off here is The Whole Fam Damnily.
The first thing Callie Torres felt when she woke up was just how sore her neck was. She and Arizona had both had the day from hell on their last shift, neither lost anyone but that's about the only thing that didn't go wrong. They had come home, danced, polished off a bottle of wine and a half bottle of tequila before going to bed and testing the limits of human flexibility.
"I'm going to die." Callie heard Arizona groan from next to her. Callie's head hurt but she was a little more seasoned at drinking, it happens when you live with Cristina Yang. "Tequila hates me."
Callie would have laughed if she had the energy; she just slid her hand over and took Arizona's. After laying there for a little bit, trying to stop the pounding in her head she slowly got out of bed. She wrapped a robe around herself before going to the kitchen, drinking three glasses of water quickly and taking some pain killers. She put some bacon on before bringing Arizona water and some pain killers.
"Drink and take these. I'm making hangover busters." She bent her head, kissing Arizona's forehead. She didn't feel all that great either but she had had worse hangovers before.
"I'm never drinking again." Arizona muttered, slowly moving the pillow off of her face and taking the pain killers.
After three bacon sandwiches each, two pots of coffee and showers the two doctors were in much better shape. They were back in bed, catching up on their reading, when Callie's phone went off.
"Hello?"
"Calliope, it's your father." Carlos Torres said from the other end of the phone.
"Hi, Daddy." Callie said, moving her head off Arizona's shoulder. "What's up?" Her father and she were back on much better terms then when she screamed you can't pray away the gay in the middle of the hospital.
"Your grandparent's 60th anniversary is in a month." Carlos reminded her. "I'm sending the private plane to pick you up. I already made sure you have that week off." He was not the kind of man who took no for an answer and Callie knew that.
"Hold on." Callie moved the phone away from her head, putting her hand over it. "Dad wants us to go to Miami for my grandparent's 60th, he already got us time off."
Arizona tilted her head, knowing she would have to meet them all sometime. "Promise you won't let them kill me?"
"We will be there, Daddy." Callie laughed, putting the phone back to her ear.
Arizona got off work – her last day before she and Callie were going to go to Miami – and walked to hers and Callie's apartment. She found a note from Callie telling her she went to the market to get some things for dinner, so she called Erin.
"Conway."
"You will always be a Robbins. And what happened to a nice hello?"
"Sorry, I'm on call, it's a habit. What's up?"
"Callie and I are leaving for Miami in the morning, to spend 6 days and 5 nights with her family for her grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary." Arizona said into her cell phone. "What if they hate me Erin? What if they try to break Callie and me apart?"
Erin shifted on her bed – she has been trying to find a dress online for a wedding she had to go to – sitting up against the pillows. "Do you think Callie would let them break you two up?" She asked her sister, noting the slight fear in her voice. "Do you think her father is plotting something?"
"No." Arizona said, changing into a shirt of Callie's and track pants. "I know it's going to be fine, I hope it's going to be fine. I don't want to see Callie cut off her family again. It hurt her to do it the first time with her father."
Erin nodded, trying to think of what she would want to hear if she were Arizona. "Go, be charming and perky and they will fall in love with you. Us Robbins woman have a charm that no one can resist." She giggled a little. "Except Cristina Yang."
Arizona laughed deeply as she remembered how Erin and Cristina got on when Erin was in getting her knee fixed. "She's not so bad, she's going to be head of Cardio one day. I am a little scared for her residents though."
"Oh, have you heard about the Harper Avery yet?"
"No, it doesn't get awarded until May, it's only March."
"Shit, I just got a 911 from the hospital. Got to go."
Arizona hung the phone up and let out a long breath. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of Callie maybe getting the Harper Avery. She was awesome and amazing and stunningly beautiful in more ways than Arizona could count. Her parents were just starting to get how good Callie was, her mind drifted back to when they found out about her research.
Callie sat with her parents, who had come 3,000 miles after seeing the American Medical Journal with an article on Callie's cartilage research. Callie and Arizona on one couch and the Torres on the other.
"I really didn't mean to keep it from you both." Callie said, holding Arizona's hand to keep herself from shrinking back in the couch.
The Torres's looked at their daughter a moment. "So this cartilage research is important?" Andromeda Torres asked. She and Callie shared most of their physical characteristics, from their brown eyes and cheek bones to their height and body shape.
"It's a huge breakthrough in the field." Arizona answered for Callie. "Calliope's research could lead to being about to repair the bone in ways thought impossible a few months ago." She couldn't help but gush over what Callie was doing.
"Do you need more funding?" Carlos asked his daughter.
"Daddy." Callie said, trying not to roll her eyes. "No, we have a government grant that is taking care of it right now. It's in the testing phase right now." She tried to explain things as best as she could, most of it very boring.
Arizona was brought out of her thoughts when Callie came through the door with a bag in her hand. "I went out and got some stuff so I could make dinner." She said, giving Arizona a kiss before going to the kitchen to get to work.
Arizona walked over and took a seat, loving to watch Callie cook for her. "Can all of your family cook?" She asked, resting her chin on her hand.
"I can, Mom can, Abuela can but Aria is worse than you in the kitchen."
Arizona tried to frown but ended up laughing. "You have great knife skills." She watched Callie chop some mushrooms up.
"I have other skills you like more." Callie said in a slightly lower voice, smirking a little more.
"You have your own plane?" Arizona asked as they boarded the Gulfstream V. It was the first time she had been on a private plane, she was a little amazed at how nice it was.
"Dad bought me it for my 21st birthday." Callie blushed, watching the two pilots shut the door and go to the front of the plane. "I haven't used it much but it's nice to have. Saves on vacation costs."
After takeoff Callie pulled Arizona toward the back of the plane and into a small bedroom. "Are you a member of the mile high club?" She asked as innocently as someone could ask that question.
Arizona laughed deeply as she shook her head. "I am not, can I assume that you are?" She watched Callie strip out of her top.
"I'm not a member with you." A moment later Arizona found herself being pinned by the breathtakingly stunning Dr. Torres.
Callie had a smug smirk on her face as she lay next to a panting Arizona. She knew how to make good time of their five and a half hour flight. She had made sure that Arizona knew just how much she appreciated her coming with her to Miami.
"If you are like this every time we fly we are doing this more often." Arizona panted, her chest heaving a little as she turned to tangle her body with Callie's. Both women were a little sweaty, their time this morning on hair and makeup out the window.
Callie stroked Arizona's neck with just the tips of her fingers, tracing down her neck and to the gift she gave her for their first Valentine's Day together. "What did I do to deserve you?" She thought out loud.
Arizona smiled, moving her hand to take Callie's and rests their hands between them. "Well you make limbs out of nothing, like God." She teased her a little, loving the blush that always came to her cheeks. "And you fought for us when I called you a newborn. You wonder how you could deserve me? I wonder the same thing when I wake up next to you every morning." Callie leaned forward and kissed Arizona, taking their breath away.
Arizona's stomach was in knots as they pulled up to Torres Manor. The large house was right on the water, having a view to die for. The gardens around the house were lush with colorful flowers, workers making sure it was picture perfect at all times.
"Relax." Callie whispered, both women had spent at least an hour getting ready before they landed. Callie was in her trademark jeans and leather jacket, Arizona in jeans as well and a light purple top. "They don't bite anymore than I do." Arizona blushed as they walked up to the door, scared of what was on the other side of it.
Callie opened the door as the driver got their bags for them. "Mamá, Papá? Abuela? Abuelo? Aria? Arizona y yo estamos aquí." Callie called as they walked inside.
A tall young woman who looked more like Carlos than Callie or Andromeda walked out. She was in a tank top and shorts, her brown hair was tied back, her skin tan from hours in the sun. "Hey, Calliope." She said, her voice tipped with something Arizona couldn't put her finger on.
"Hello, Ariadne." Callie hated when her sister used her full name so she did it back. Aria had the ability to make her feel like she was 17 again in a way not even her father had. "Aria this is Arizona, my girlfriend."
Aria walked over, looking the doctor up and down. "I guess Callie has a thing for blue eyes and blonde hair." She laughed, smirking at her sister a moment. "It's nice to meet you Arizona. I have heard a lot about you."
Arizona's smile faltered, the look in Aria's eyes tossing her off a little. "Really? I have heard a lot about you too."
Callie took Arizona's hand, squeezing it softly. "Are Mama and Papa home?"
"Kitchen." Aria grabbed her keys on her way out. "I have a date, don't wait up."
"What did she mean by the 'blue eyes and blonde hair' thing?" Arizona halts their progress towards the kitchen to ask the question.
"I've dated my fair share of blue-eyed, blondes, well before you and Erica. Listen… Aria, she likes to manipulate people. I guarantee you she will try everything under the sun to you. She'll take bits of stories, half-truths and spin them around to mess with your head. I swear she's border-line sociopath. Anything she says to you this week and I'm not there, just take it in stride. Make her think that you know the full story, even if you don't. And I promise, no holds barred, I will answer any question you have to ask when we're alone. Okay?"
"Calliope, I grew up with the Marines. Your 25-year-old sister doesn't scare me." Arizona matches Callie's broad grin before leaning in to kiss her reassuringly. "Now," Arizona wipes a smudge of lip gloss away before leaning back. "Let's get going before I really start to freak out."
Callie takes her hand, remembering how that little contact helped her nerves when she met the Robbins family last summer, and leads her through the house toward the kitchen. Arizona stares in amazement at her surroundings. She'd been to her share of afternoon teas and garden parties at fairly lavish homes when she was living with her parents, but the Torres Manor was in a whole different league, and she was more than a little intimidated. She's pulled out of her musings by the question posed by a child's voice.
"Wanna have a listen?" She looks up in time to see Callie's eyes light up absolute wonder and joy at the young, dark-haired child sitting on the counter, holding the ear buds of a stethoscope out to her girlfriend.
"Why, yes, I would, Ms Sophia." Callie takes the buds, putting them in while the child slips the opposite end under the collar of her shirt over her heart. Arizona catches a glimpse of a surgical scar in the center of her chest, just over her sternum, and begins to wonder what kind of surgery the child had. Her musings are halted by the look on the older brunette's face. There is a look of absolute wonderment, as if she had just been told the secret of happiness by God himself.
For the first time, the child notices her standing just behind Callie and she takes the stethoscope away from her chest.
"Do you wanna hear, too?" Callie offers the buds over to the blonde, who readily accepts them and puts them in as Sophia returns her end to her chest. Arizona closes her eyes at the sound of a strong, steady heartbeat emanating from the child's chest. Opening her eyes, she meets a brown-eyed gaze so similar to her girlfriend's, both in color and emotion. Clearly, the sound of a strong beating heart is a new one to this child and her family. Taking in what she can of the young girl's healing scar, Arizona is able to deduce that the surgery only happened recently, probably no more than 8 weeks ago.
"I just had a coronary reanastomosis."
"Really? Wow! Big words for such a child. You know," Arizona leans in as if delivering a secret, "I could barely pronounce those words when I was a resident? So you must be way smarter than me." Sophia giggles with that tone of innocence that only a child has.
"Can I listen to yours?" Sophia puts in the ear buds while Arizona slips the other end under her tank top while Callie looks on in amusement, the love for the blonde clear in her eyes. Unexpectedly, Arizona sneezes, which surprises both Callie and Sophia, the younger girl more so than the older, though she quickly recovers, demanding that Arizona sneeze again, so she can hear it again.
"Sorry, sweetie, but it really doesn't work like that." Arizona apologizes, pushing a lock of hair back behind the young girl's ear before cupping her cheek in affection.
"Awwww, nuts." The two women laugh at the disappointment on the child's face.
"Alright, Sophia – oh, hello, girls." Andromeda Torres enters the kitchen with a bottle of pills in her hands. She quickly greets her daughter with a kiss, turning to do the same to Arizona; she stops at the sight before her. Sophia has curled herself into Arizona in fear.
"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Arizona is unaware of Sophia's fear of taking her medication.
"No medicine." Her mumbles are barely discernable due to her face being buried in Arizona's chest. Arizona turns to Andromeda, silently requesting her to hand over the bottle. She takes a quick moment to read over the label to see what it is before turning her attention back to the young child in her arms.
"Why don't you want to take this?" Arizona's tone is soft, gentle, and soothing. So soothing that Sophia takes her face out of her shirt to explain. Her tone is so soft that Arizona has to lean in close to hear what she has to say.
"I had to take a whole bunch before my surgery, and it didn't help, and because of that, the doctors had to cut me open, and that hurt."
"Hmm, well, do you know what this is?" Arizona pulls the bottle out from behind the child. "If you don't take these pills, then you'll just need another surgery. I'm not trying to scare you, sweetie, but these pills? These are the good ones. They keep you from needing more surgery, and you won't have to take them forever, just a few more weeks. So, will you take them for me? Please?" Arizona gives the young girl her best pleading puppy dog face, prompting a soft giggle from Sophia, who nods in acceptance, taking the pills from Arizona.
Meanwhile, off to the side, Callie and her mother are watching in amusement.
"So when are you two going to have one of your own?"
"Really, mama?" Callie looks over in surprise. "I expected that from dad, but not from you – not so soon."
"Well, look at her." She motions toward the sight of Arizona leaning in, comforting the child. "She's a natural. She'll be a wonderful mother."
"I know." Andromeda is quick to pick up the wistful tone to her daughter's voice.
"But…?" The older woman prompts.
"She's never wanted kids. She's agreed to discuss it again one day, so the prospect of kids is firmly in the 'maybe' column at the moment."
"Okay." She drops the subject.
"Okay? That's it?"
"If the two of you decide that there won't be any children, that's fine by me. It's what's right for you. Look at your Uncle Roberto, or Uncle Juan, or your Aunt Julia. None of them had children, and they're perfectly happy. I know that you do want kids, so I hope that Arizona reconsiders and decides to have one, but it's not the end of the world if you don't.
"And if you decide not to have any… well, you just leave your father to me." Andromeda ends the conversation by moving to switch places with Arizona, hugging the young child.
"Oh, you two are in your old room, Calliope. The driver should have brought your things up already if you two would like to clean up before dinner."
"Thank you, Mama."
"Thank you, Mrs. – Mama." Arizona corrects herself at the look she's receiving from the elder Torres. That was something the older woman was quick to remedy the first time Arizona called her Mrs. Torres. After a quick line about her mother-in-law not being present, she corrected the blonde and said she could either call her Andromeda or Mama, like everyone else.
Callie laughs at her stumble before dragging the blonde out the kitchen and up toward their room, their room that was fortunately nowhere near Aria's or Callie's parent's room.
"So, what were you and your mother discussing so intently?" Arizona unzips her bags, pulling out the dresses she brought with her and hanging them up in the closet before retrieving her toiletries.
"She was asking when we'd be having kids of our own."
"Oh, hmm, right. Okay." She's gotten better, though she's still nervous whenever someone brings up kids. Callie is quick to reassure her.
"Hey, I told you once, I'll tell you again. You, Arizona Elizabeth Robbins, are all I need or want in my life. Now if you decide that you do want kids that is just icing. Okay?"
"I know, and I love you for it." Callie follows Arizona into the bathroom with her own items and claims one of the two sinks as her own.
"Who was that child?" Arizona asks after they've washed up and retouched their make-up and are choosing fresh clothes for dinner – not that they were really wearing their clothes on the plane, but the family doesn't need to know that.
"One of my cousin's kids."
"You never told me how many cousins you have. Why is that?" Callie stops undressing to answer the question.
"Do you remember, when you were telling me about your family? It took you about 20 minutes to run through your parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins."
"Yes."
"My dad is one of nine kids. Three of them didn't have kids, and between the remaining five, I have 19 cousins, 10 of them have a total of 27 kids of their own, and one more is pregnant with twins. And that's just my dad's side. Sophia's dad is a cousin on my mom's side. That side: My mom is one of seven kids, the other six kids, have anywhere from 4 to 7 kids each. I've got 27 cousins on my mother's side, the youngest is 29, and she's got three kids of her own, and doesn't appear to be stopping. The oldest is 42, and he's got 7 kids. I've lost track of the number of second cousins I have on my mother's side, they add to the total so often.
"But that's what we do, we're Greek, we do big families."
"And they're likely to disown you all over again if you don't have any."
"Are you planning on leaving me if they do? Because I don't care. I know I can live without the money; I don't want to live without you. I can live without kids, as long as I have you."
"Well, now that I know I'd be giving up the private plane, I just might have to keep you." Arizona teases the younger woman, who is quick to retaliate, grabbing the blonde and pinning her to the bed.
"The plane? That's what you love?"
"Well, there's also the woman that owns the plane. I love her, too."
"Hmmm, good to know." Their kiss is interrupted by a knock at the door, followed by Sophia's voice telling them to come down for dinner. Callie breaks away with a quick kiss. "To be continued tonight."