Title: Family of Honor
Summary: Arizona's family comes to the hospital for a visit.
Disclaimer: Would I be writing here if I actually owned them? Not mine, sadly never will be.
Ao, I learned that when you're sitting at the hospital bedside of your sister in law and you're given the option of working on fanfiction or holding your brand new niece, the baby wins out every time. Yes, I have a gorgeous new niece that is absolutely perfect in every way imaginable! So it took me a little longer than anticipated, but here is the next installment. And this one brings about the introduction of Aria Torres, who, in my mind, is played by Naya Rivera. Seriously, who out there doesn't think that she would be perfect for the part?
Oh yeah, and Medals4Mettle? That's a real not for profit. So if there are any running enthusiasts out there with some extra race medals out there sitting around the house that you want to get rid of, maybe you could consider donating them.
"Hey," Callie looks up from her post on the porch swing outside the Grey-Shepherd house, tucking her phone away in her purse as Arizona takes a spot next to her, draping her legs across her lap.
"Hey, everyone settled in?" She wraps her arms around the blonde, gently stroking her hair soothingly.
"Just about; James took my car back to their hotel to pick up the portable crib for Eli, he should be back soon."
"If they have rooms at a hotel, why are they staying here?" The blonde chuckles softly, she had asked them the same thing.
"They were planning on flying out last night; they were all supposed to be on the red eye home. So they kept everything in one hotel room and the plan was to grab their things and check out after the ceremony, but the rooms weren't promised until tomorrow, so once I called the hotel and explained the situation to them last night they let them keep their things in one room until today."
Callie hums in acknowledgement, gently rubbing a hand up and down Arizona's arm. On the second or third pass, her fingers get caught on the gauze covering the cut that Christina had stitched up. Sensing her hesitation, Arizona answers before the younger woman can ask.
"Jacob went in through the front windshield to try and get the driver out – we didn't know that he had been killed on impact – I saw gas leaking and reached in to pull him out, or at least to get his attention. Some of the glass was still in the frame. I figure that had to be when it happened, because Jacob and I looked over everyone once we had all gotten out and I was fine at the time."
"What kind of doctor is he?" Callie knew from one of their conversations that the blonde's brother in law was a doctor, but that talk had been interrupted by their pagers before it could continue.
"Hematology and Infectious diseases are what he practices, but he's certified in Trauma as well. What was your phone call about?" She changes the subject easily. She had come out onto the porch just before Callie had finished her call, but wasn't able to tell who she was talking to or what the call had been about.
"Aria and my parents are in town."
"James mentioned that. Is everything alright?"
"Fine. Mom wanted to meet you, so she dragged my dad out. Aria is in town to run in the race series this weekend."
"What event is she participating in?"
"The triathlon sprint on Friday and the marathon on Sunday."
"I don't know how long a sprint is, but that can't be easy to do a day apart."
"The sprint is a quarter-mile swim, 15 miles riding and 3 miles running; she does twice that daily. And she's no newcomer to marathons. She might only be 25, but she's done so many marathons and half marathons that mom took a ton of the ribbons from her medals and had them sewn together and made into a quilt. And some of the races she's done so many times that she keeps the first one, and donates every one after that."
"Donates them to what?"
"Medals4Mettle; it's an Indianapolis based not for profit that collects and distributes race medals to people battling illnesses. That was why mom decided to quilt together the ribbons. Medals4Mettle have custom ribbons that they attach to all their medals, so Aria kept hers when she donated her first bunch of medals. A year later she had a box of a few hundred ribbons, so Mama and Abuela sewed them all together and presented her with the blanket for her 21st birthday. There are certain series medals she's kept, but most she's given away."
"Which ones has she kept?"
"Well, she kept the three medals from the first time she did the Goofy Series. It's the Disney World races: a half marathon on Saturday where the medal is Mickey Mouse and a full marathon on Sunday where the medal is Donald Duck, and if you do both of them, then you get the Goofy Medal.
"Then she made a bet with a friend that she could do 50 marathons in 50 days – he didn't think that she could do it. Not only did she do it, but she lucked out and found a marathon in every state that was happening every day for 50 straight days. She kept all of those medals; they're hanging in her office behind her desk.
"But she's done the Miami Marathon every year since she was 15 and the Marine Corps Marathon five times, the Maui Marathon four times; she's done twelve different races internationally totaling 50 races, I think. So she keeps the medal from the first one, and then donates the rest. This will be the fourth time she's done the Seattle Marathon."
"And what does she do that allows her the time and provides the expenses to pay for all this?"
"She's an Athletic Trainer for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, and while that does pay enough to pay for all this, realize she's got a trust fund equal to mine."
"Right, so will you be taking this weekend off then?"
"I had it off anyways, remember? I'm working the first aid tent for the series Saturday and Sunday; and I was supposed to be manning a kayak for the swim portion of the triathlon today, but when your family came in, I called in and said that I couldn't make it. But I'm one of only three doctors that will be on hand for the rest of the weekend, so I can't miss tomorrow; fortunately I don't have to be in until 8AM, today I was supposed to be there at 6AM."
"Clearly this accident has gotten to me if I can't even remember that."
"Perhaps you two should get home then." The pair looks up to see the red-head that is Colleen Robbins standing in the doorway. She pulls away from the door as her sister-in-law gets up, extending a hand to Callie and leads the pair back into the kitchen. April greets them as they enter the room.
"Dr. Robbins! Dr. Torres!"
"Dr. Kepner, has anyone ever told you that it's unnaturally freaky how perky you are when you're about to go in for a 36-hour shift when you're supposed to be going to bed."
"Many times, Dr. Torres." April chuckles softly, quickly schooling her features when Callie glares at her after receiving an elbow to the side from Arizona. She turns to Colleen for her next comment. "Is there anything else that your family may need?"
"I'm certain that we'll be just fine, Dr. Kepner. We'll find anything that we may need as we need it."
"Well, don't be afraid to call if you need something that you can't find."
"Certainly." Arizona knows that Colleen won't call on any of the houseguests if they happen to need something, but allows April to think otherwise, knowing she'll be delayed further otherwise.
Turning the corner to their apartment, Callie bumps into Arizona when the blonde stops short at the sight outside their apartment. Callie looks past her to the person standing outside their apartment chatting with Mark and Lexie. The look in her best friend's eye is familiar to the ortho surgeon – despite his girlfriend standing right beside him – and she steps in to stop whatever thoughts he may be having.
"Stop right there." The trio ends their conversation and turns toward the pair. The young woman with the pair of doctors grins broadly and moves towards Callie, embracing her warmly.
"Stop what, exactly, Torres?" Mark questions.
"Whatever illicit thoughts you may be having towards my baby sister."
"Uh, baby sister? You're Little Torres?"
"Little Torres, exactly what do you mean by Little Torres?"
"Torres," Mark motions towards Callie, "Little Torres," he motions towards Aria. "It's how I tell the siblings apart."
"So what do you call Derek's sisters?" Arizona steps in.
"By their names; you've only met Amy, but trust me, she's the least scary of the four, and you don't want to anger them further by addressing them by nicknames."
"Right, well trust me, you don't want to go about addressing me by a nickname either. The name is Aria, not Little Torres, so how about you never find out how scary I can be when you address me by a nickname."
"Come on, Aria," Callie opens her apartment door, pulling her sister in after her. "Good night, you two. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Night, Torres."
"Good night, Callie."
"So that's Mark, huh? I gotta say, Cal, I don't really see it."
"See what?" Callie's tone lets Arizona know that she's hesitant to really know what her sister means, but can't help but ask.
"See what you saw in him; why you slept with him. I mean, Arizona here is way hotter."
"Thank you!" Arizona grins broadly at Aria's comment, turning towards her girlfriend with a smirk to await her comment.
"That's easy; Mark was Mr. Perfect for the Moment, while Arizona is Ms. Perfect for Always and Forever. At the moment, he was available, but now… now I totally agree with you."
Aria chuckles when Arizona approaches to kiss Callie. "Good answer." She follows up with a lingering kiss that is only interrupted by Aria not so subtly clearing her throat.
"Well, that wasn't at all embarrassing." She accepts the glass of wine Callie offers before taking a seat on the couch.
"Shut it, kid; and tell me how you did today, I'm sorry that I couldn't be there to cheer you on."
"No worries, Mama and Papa told me about what's going on with Arizona's family, that's far more important than cheering me across the finish line for my thousandth triathlon. And I did pretty well: 7:06, 35:12, and 17:40 with 35 total seconds in transition; I took first in my division and third overall."
"Congratulations," she tips her bottle to her sister in toast, taking a sip after Aria returns the salute. Arizona simply looks between the two in confusion.
"I have no idea what you just said, but it sounds impressive, so I'll toast to you as well." The sisters laugh before Aria sits forward to explain.
"I completed the quarter mile swim in seven minutes and six seconds, the 15 mile cycling portion in 35 minutes and 12 seconds, and the 3 mile run in 17 minutes and 40 seconds; transition – the time between each event, where I shuck my swim gear, don my cycling gear and later shuck my cycling gear and don my running gear – time totaled 35 seconds."
"I'm guessing that's impressive? Because 35 seconds sounds impressive."
"Eh, it's alright, my personal best is 27.35."
"Still sounds impressive. So what will you be doing tomorrow to recover?"
"I'll be working the post-race for the half marathon."
"What?" Clearly the blonde expected something along the lines of 'sleeping 'till noon then hydrating' over the younger Torres's given answer.
"I'm a licensed masseuse, so I'll be working that tent after the race."
"Clearly you have no idea what it means to relax."
"Not really, I'll sleep when I'm dead."
"Alright, however, for those of us that don't live by that mentality, I need to get some rest, especially if I'm going to be wrangling six kids tomorrow."
"Uh, you mean three, right?"
"No, I mean six. You should be thankful that you won't be seeing Brandon and the twins once they've gotten a good night's rest… they're worse than Sarah and Kate. And once Emma wakes up? Then I'll be wrangling seven kids." Aria stands when Callie and Arizona do, accepting the hug and kiss from the blonde. "It was good to meet you, Aria, if Calliope doesn't offer, you're welcome to stay here tonight."
"Thank you," Aria takes her seat again, smiling at her sister as her gaze follows the blonde into their bedroom, allowing her a moment before bringing her attention back to the present. "So… Calliope…"
"Not a word, Aria, unless you'd like me to start calling you by your given name."
"I'm merely curious as to why you allow her to refer to you by your given name."
"I like it coming from her; and from her, it's said with sincerity, not the teasing of the cousins or the expected obedience of Papa."
"Fair enough. I like her."
"Me too. And I will follow her lead now, because I have to report to the medical tent at 8AM."
"Yeah, me too. Is it cool if I crash here? I brought my stuff for tomorrow just in case, it's in the car."
"Yeah, there should be towels out in the bathroom."