It wasn't long after Alice had passed her boards that Maria went back to work off Maternity leave. She was very excited seeing as however much she adored her twins staying home all day every day was incredibly boring for the surgeon who was used to working long hours and being on the go all day. There was however also an element of anxiety about going back to work. About whether the twins would be okay in day-care without her or Arizona all day.

"Are you ready?" Arizona asked, when they needed to leave for work that morning. Arizona was waiting by the door and Maria was upstairs.

"I will be in a minute." Maria called, and quickly finished getting ready before running down the stairs and helping Arizona put the twins in their car seats.

"Are you going to be okay being separated from them?" Arizona asked once they were both in the car and on their way to work. She knew how much she missed the twins when she first went back to work so she knew Maria was likely feeling worried about leaving them and not being with them, after nearly 3 months of spending all day every day with them.

"Honestly, I don't know Arizona. I'm hoping work will distract me from worrying about and missing them too much." Maria answered.

"Yes, hopefully it will, you can always go and give them a visit when your free if you need to." Arizona told her. "I think that's what I'll be doing. I still miss them a little sometimes."

"I know you do Arizona." Maria answered. "They're impossible not to miss."

"That's true." Arizona agreed. "We're so lucky."

"Yes we are." Maria agreed and smiled. "What time are you due to finish tonight?"

"6pm. You?"

"Same."

"Great. If I get no major emergencies, we'll be lucky enough to go hoe together on your first day back."

"That would be very lucky of us." Maria answered and laughed. It was all too common for Arizona to be involved in emergencies now she was both a paediatric and foetal surgeon.

After they arrived at work they both went to drop the twins off at day-care, spending longer than they probably should have saying goodbye before going down to their respective departments.

"Welcome back." Jackson greeted, seeing Maria back on the ENT ward. "How are you doing?" He asked her.

"Good, thankyou Jackson." She answered. "It's so good to be back to work."

"I bet it is. You've been off for so long." Jackson responded. He himself was relieved that Maria was back as however much he loved having the title and responsibility of Chief of ENT whilst she was gone he didn't like the extra paperwork it entailed.

"Yes. I know. I'm not planning to be off for that long ever again." Maria answered. "How have things been?"

"I've kept everything running smoothly for you."

"Thankyou. I knew you would." Maria answered and gave him a quick hug "You're really great."

"Oh I know that Maria." He replied and smiled. "You're pretty great too."

"Thankyou." She answered before they both went off for separate consults and surgery's.

After Maria had done a few consults she found she had some spare time before her first surgery in months. To be totally honest it was this that she was more anxious about than if her kids would be okay in daycare. She was worried she may have forgotten, although the logical rational part of her knew she wouldn't have. "Alice?" She asked, catching her in the corridor on the ENT ward.

"Your back!" She exclaimed happily.

"Yes I am." Maria answered and paused. "Are you free between 11 and 12?"

"Yes. Why?" She asked, as she wasn't aware of any interesting cases in ENT.

"I have a tonsillectomy and I haven't done a surgery in over half a year. I would like like someone to watch over me." Maria explained.

"Oh of course. You'll be fine though. I know it. Tonsillectomy's aren't something you would forget."

"Thankyou Alice. I guess I know that but I want to be sure."

"Of course you do." Alice responded understandably. "It's good to have you back."

"Thankyou. It's really good to be back." She answered, as they both walked to prepare for the surgery together.

The surgery went by smoothly, just as Alice knew it was and Maria was relived to find out. Glad her fears that she might have suddenly forgot how to do surgery were not real. "I told you would be fine." Alice told her once they came out of the OR.

"I know you did. Thankyou for being there."

"That's okay. You're a great teacher, surgeon and person. Your one of the few surgeons I enjoy time in the OR with."

Maria laughed, she certainly knew herself that there weren't many surgeons whom she enjoyed operating with. The bulk of them she didn't mind either way and then there were the surgeons she would rather anything than be in an operating room with. "Thank you Alice." She answered before going to grab lunch and see the twins with Arizona.

"How's your first day been so far?" Arizona asked, happy to have the time to have lunch with her wife.

"It's been great Arizona." Maria responded. "How has your day been so far?"

"Alright, nothing too exciting's happened." Arizona answered.

"Same here." Maria responded.

After lunch they both walked over to the paediatric ward, as they both needed to be there before kissing and hugging each other goodbye.

"Alright their lovebirds?" Alex teased.

"Alex!" Maria exclaimed happily. Having missed the fun that he bought to work.

"Yes it's me Ria." He responded and laughed. "You happy to be back?"

"Yes!" Maria exclaimed.

"Good. It's nice to have you back." Alex answered, before they all went to see separate patients.

After the work day, had finished Maria and Arizona both went to pick up the twins before heading home. Arizona being able to tell how exhausted Maria was after her first day made them both dinner and then allowed for her to snuggle with her for the rest of the evening.