AN: Thank you so much for your reviews, they make me very happy indeed! I hope that you all like this chapter. Thanks so much for reading & reviewing. J x


Arizona was in a gown and laying on a bed trying to breathe through the pain. This wasn't how she had anticipated the birth of her first child. Callie had been such a help throughout the pregnancy that Arizona hadn't needed to worry about anything. She had always thought that Callie would be there with her, holding her hand and soothing her fears and pain away.

"Arizona, we're almost at 10 centimetres, we're going to be doing this soon" Addison said calmly as she examined the PEDS surgeon

"No, not yet. I can't do this alone" Arizona cried

"Arizona, you're not alone. I'm here with you. We're going to do this together, but I need you to stay calm" Addison smiled

"Where the hell is she?" Arizona grumbled through gritted teeth.

30 MINUTES LATER:

"Okay Arizona, you are doing really great" Addison said as she worked between Arizona's legs.

"Oh God! This hurts so bad. I need the drugs!" Arizona screamed

"Arizona, it's too late for that. Just breathe" Addison tried to encourage her colleague who was becoming more distressed.

Before Addison could comment any further the door flung open and an out of breath Callie came bounding in.

"Arizona! I'm here… can I come in?" Callie said as she burst through the door trying to catch her breath

"Get out Callie…." Addison said firmly aware of the current situation between the two ex-lovers and not wanting to cause her patient any further upset.

"Arizona… please" Callie said with her voice breaking

"Arghhhhh" Arizona screamed again and without thinking Callie limped over to Arizona and held her hand.

"Squeeze my hand, it doesn't matter how hard, just squeeze" Callie said as Arizona grabbed on for dear life "Argh" Callie whimpered after a few seconds

Everybody in the room look on in disbelief.

"Seriously?" Arizona said annoyed

"It's fine really" Callie faked smiled, grimacing internally at the pain shooting through her cutting hand

"Okay Arizona, I need you to stop pushing now" Addison said

"I… can't… I need to push" Arizona said drenched in sweat and panting through the pain

"Just remember what we learnt in Lamaze class. You just need to breath through it darling, he's going to be here soon. You're going to be a mother Arizona. You're going to be the best mother ever and oh God, is he going to love you" Callie said looking deeply into her eyes with a small smile.

Incredibly Arizona forgot about her pain as she looked deep into the chocolate brown eyes that she loved so much.

"I'm so proud of you Arizona and so happy for you. This is the moment you have been waiting for. You're going to meet the most precious little boy" Callie said sweetly

Arizona was momentarily stunned, this was their moment. The moment they had both been working towards and now here they were and it wasn't how Arizona had imagined it. She wanted Callie involved, she wanted Callie to know that this baby was every bit as much hers. However, before she could speak, another wave of pain hit her.

"Arghhhh"

"Arizona, he's almost out" Addison said as she worked

"This it Arizona. He's almost here" Callie smiled widely

As soon as the baby was out and his cries were heard throughout the room, Callie felt her world stop. Hearing him cry for the first time sent shivers down her spine.

"You did it baby" Callie told Arizona as she leaned in close to her

Arizona looked up and saw the pure joy and pride in Callie's eyes. She closed the gap between them and softly kissed Callie.

"Here you go mommy" Addison said as she handed Arizona the baby boy wrapped in a blue blanket

"Oh my God!" Callie said, feeling her breath catch in her throat as she saw him for the first time.

"Hey little man" Arizona said beaming down at him.

"Arizona, he is the spitting image of you. He's beautiful" Callie said as tears streamed down her face.

As they both looked on adoringly at the new baby, a nurse took several photos of the moment.

"Here, hold him" Arizona said as she offered the bundle of joy to Callie.

Callie just shook her head

"I can't" She whispered softly

Callie knew that she already loved this little baby far too much already and if she held him then she would never be able to let go.

Arizona was upset that Callie wouldn't hold the baby.

"Please"

"Arizona, don't. Don't ruin this moment. Please" Callie said sadly

"Do you have a name yet?" Addison asked looking up from in between Arizona's legs as she tried to break the tension.

"Not yet. We couldn't decide on anything" Arizona softly smiled

"How did you know that I was in labour?" Arizona asked after a few minutes of silence

"Mark called me" Callie replied dragging her eyes away from the baby

Arizona just sighed, she knew that Callie and Mark had struck up a friendship during her time at Seattle Grace. They had similar goofy sense of humours.

"Well I'm glad he called" Arizona smiled softly


A few hours later and Callie was standing outside of the nursery looking at the 'Baby Robbins" through the glass window. After Arizona was cleaned up and settled in her room, her parents came in so Callie left them alone for family time. She had just gone back into check on Arizona but she was sleeping soundly so she made her way to the nursery.

She quietly opened the door and scooped the baby in her arms before settling in the rocking chair next to the crib.

"Hey, you've had a pretty big day little man" Callie whispered softly to him "It's incredible that I already love you so much and you've only been here for 4hours, 15 minutes and 42 seconds"

Callie stared at his sleeping form adoringly

"I don't know what's going to happen with your mom and me, and I don't know if I'll even get to see you grow up but I just wanted to tell you that I will always love you. If you ever need anything then I'll always be here for you mija. In my heart you'll always be my first born…no matter what happens. It's going to be so hard not to be with you everyday and see you grow. I had so many plans for our life together; I wanted to do so many things with you." Callie said as she felt hot tears burning the corners of her eyes.

"You're going to be incredibly loved and you have the best mom in the whole wide world! She's going to love you so much darling, but you have to be good for her and give her kisses everyday… and if she brings any other women into the house always be mean to them" Callie smiled lightly "She's going to teach you how to ride your first bike, take you to your first day at Kindergarten, tell you how to get the hot chicks, buy you your first car, see you graduate and become an amazing man. Honour runs in your family and you're going to do amazing things Baby Robbins….and I just hope that somehow I'll get to see it all"

"You're his mama. Of course you'll see it all"

Callie's head snapped up to see Arizona standing in the dimly lit doorway in her dressing gown.

"Arizona, how long have you been standing there?" Callie asked as Arizona began walking towards the rocking chair

"Oh I don't know… about 7 minutes and 38 seconds" Arizona smiled, letting Callie know she had heard the entire conversation.

"Here, sit down. You must be exhausted" Callie said about to stand up

"Stay there. I'm fine" Arizona insisted as she sat on the arm of the chair

"You should be so proud Arizona, he is adorable" Callie beamed

"We should be so proud Calliope. We did this together" Arizona told her as she put her arm around her "I'm so sorry that I was so awful to you… the things I said were despicable and I'm ashamed of myself quite frankly" Arizona continued

"You don't have to apologise Arizona. I should have stayed with Danny" Callie said, her voice barely above a whisper

"No Calliope, you weren't meant to die that day. What would I do now if you weren't here? This little man wouldn't have both of his mommies to grow up with. Danny always believed in fate and he knew that somehow we were meant to be together… I fell in love with you the second I laid eyes on you Calliope Torres and I can't live without you" Arizona said looking deeply into Callie's watery eyes.

"I want you in my life; I want you in our son's life. I want you to be their on the first day of kindergarten, see him ride his first bike, graduate college. He won't have to be mean to other women because there is only one woman that I want and I'm looking at her" Arizona said as tears rolled down her face

"I love you so much Arizona" Callie said as their lips met.

When they pulled apart, Arizona rested her forehead against Callie's.

"So, are you in?" Arizona whispered

"I can't" Callie whispered softly, unable to comprehend that the words even just came out of her mouth

Arizona pulled back with confusion etched into her face.

"I'm leaving Arizona. I can't stay here. I have a flight first thing tomorrow morning"

"Calliope, I'm saying that this is our second chance. Starting again with our son. You just sat and told him how much you already loved him and how you wanted to see him grow up. Here I am giving you that chance and you're throwing it away!" Arizona said with her voiced raised slightly

"Ladies, I'm sorry but you need to take this outside" A nurse said coming over to them.

Callie carefully stood and placed the baby back in his crib. She lightly wrapped the small light blue blanket around him and kissed his head.

"I love you" she whispered before following Arizona to the door

"You love him. Just not enough to stay and raise him!" Arizona spat in the hallway as soon as the nursery door was closed.

"Look at me Arizona, I'm not fit to be a parent! If I stay I'll mess it all up. And yeah, I'm being selfish and running away but I can't stand anymore heartbreak. Do you know how much it's killing me not to have you in my life? Do you know how the pain in my chest is making me physically sick? How the thoughts in my head had Mark commit me to Psych? I don't want to be this person Arizona" Callie cried

"Why did Mark commit you to Psych?" Arizona asked shocked

"I wanted to kill myself. I… I tried in my hotel room but couldn't go through with it and then he found me sitting on the ledge of the hospital roof… I wasn't going to. I can't even do that right" Callie scoffed

"Calliope" Arizona whispered

"Don't pity me please"

"Danny's death wasn't your fault. When are you going to realise that?" Arizona said looking into her broken, tired eyes

"I shouldn't have left him" Callie whispered as tears threatened to escape again.

"Yes Callie you should have. What would anybody have gained by you staying in that building and dying by his side?"

"I wouldn't be tortured like this"

"The only person torturing you is you! Nobody blames you Callie. Danny was a soldier, he couldn't wait to sign up, he couldn't wait to go and play the hero. He knew he would die there, whether he was 18, 28 or 68. Danny wanted to fight for his country and he died doing what he loved" Arizona said proudly

Callie leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes before sliding down and sinking to the floor. She didn't know what to think, she didn't know what to say to Arizona.

"I'm so tired" She whispered as she rubbed her hands over her face to the back of her hair

"You need to sleep. You need some peace" Arizona said standing over her unable to sit next to her due to her stitches.

Callie just nodded more to herself than anything. Arizona stayed standing over her unsure of what Callie was thinking.

"Do you want me to get the nurses to get you a room? We could have a cot set up in my room" Arizona offered trying to rouse some response

Callie didn't respond she just stayed on the floor. She didn't know what she wanted, Arizona was offering her a second chance and she wanted it more than anything else in the world but she was petrified of the outcome. How were they supposed to go back after everything that had been said?

"Callie?"

"Huh?" Callie said breaking from her trance and looking up at the blond

"Come on, let me get you a room" Arizona said holding her hand out

"No, I'm not staying here. I need to leave, I need fresh air" Callie muttered as she pushed herself to her feet.

"Calliope, please don't leave. I don't trust you right now. I need to know that you're safe" Arizona said fiercely

"I'm going home to Miami in the morning"

"Why?"

"I don't belong here Arizona. I never belonged here. We got too caught up with the fairytale to see that it could never work"

"I love you!" Arizona exclaimed as tears rolled down her cheeks

"And I love you. I'll always love you. I just wished that I could be the person that you deserve" Callie sighed "Look after that little boy in there Arizona, he deserves the best" Callie smiled before kissing Arizona softly on the lips and then on the forehead.

"Calliope don't leave me!" Arizona cried as Callie turned and left.


"She left!" Arizona sobbed as she walked back into her hospital room and saw her parents "She really left" Arizona wailed as her mother came and embraced her.

As Kathy comforted her daughter, Colonel Robbins quietly slipped out of the room. He quickly walked down the halls of the hospital and out through the front entrance. He looked both ways down the street and saw a lonely figure taking a slow, defeated walk in the darkened night.

"Torres!" He bellowed

As soon as Callie heard her name, she stopped. She was too tired to deal with this now.

"Torres!" The colonel ordered again as he got closer to her.

Callie turned to face the angry father of the woman she loved.

"Mr Robbins…" Callie sighed

"Don't!" He ordered as he held his hand up to silence her

"What the hell do you think you're doing Torres? My daughter is an emotional, distraught wreck on what should be the happiest day of her life"

"I'm sorry Sir, but Arizona and the baby are better off without me"

"Don't you think that should be her decision?"

Callie just remained silent. How could she justify her actions to Mr Robbins when she couldn't justify them to herself?

"We know what happened Callie, we know that you didn't stay with Danny" The colonel began

"I'm so sorry" Callie whispered

"Don't be sorry Torres! You did what you had to do! Do you think that you're the first person to leave a man behind? It happens, it's war Torres and we're all there trying to survive! And I know it hurts, believe me, I know…. I was 19 when I left my first comrade behind and it ate at me for years. But life goes on otherwise you might as well have stayed and died at the hands of the enemy! It let's them win Callie. Do you think Danny would want to see you like this?"

Callie just looked at the ground

"You have a second chance; you're with Danny's sister and nephew. He would want you with them, protecting them and loving them in his absence but instead you're letting what happened destroy all of you"

"I'm just so confused. I love Arizona, I love her so much, but I'm scared" Callie admitted. The tears streamed down her cheeks but she barely even felt them. She had been so used to crying, it wasn't even affecting her now. Silent tears would escape and she wouldn't even realise until they hit her hands.

"Nobody blames you Callie. Arizona told us how she reacted and it was disgraceful but Kathy and I never held any malice towards you. You're part of the family Callie…. Don't let us down" The colonel said putting his hand on her right shoulder before turning to leave.

Callie just stood.


"Where did you go?" Arizona asked as Daniel Robbins came back into his daughter's room.

"I just went to use the bathroom"

"You didn't hurt her did you Daddy? Please tell me that you didn't hurt her" Arizona asked afraid of the answer

"No sugar, I didn't hurt her" Daniel smiled as he came and sat on the edge of the bed and enveloped his daughter into a hug

"Is she coming back?" Arizona softly whispered

"I don't know…. I don't know" Daniel whispered


Callie stood in the middle of Seattle's Tacoma International Airport and let the hundreds of people rush past her. She had no idea how she ended up here. She had wandered aimlessly for hours after speaking to the Colonel and then found herself back at her hotel room where she collected her bag and got in a cab for the airport. She had done everything like a robot, there was no feeling or emotion in any of her actions.

She walked over to the chairs with her boarding pass in hand and sat down. She reached into the bag and pulled out her blackberry before scrolling into the phonebook for the all too familiar number.

Ring, Ring, Ring

"Hey, where are you?" The voice answered

"I'm at the airport" Callie said with her voice at one level and showing no feeling

"Okay good, I'll meet you at the other end and take you back to my place. You can get settled and then face Mom and Dad when you're ready" Aria told her sister

"I can't get on the plane"

"Calliope! We've discussed this! You need to come home" Aria said determinedly

"I can't leave my family Aria"

"Your family is here. Callie staying there is going to kill you! You need help and you need to be away from there"

"I need Arizona… I need my son" Callie said with a little more fire in her voice

"Cal for Christ Sakes! This is for your own good, we've discussed this. Being there isn't doing you any good"

"I'm sorry Aria, I'm not getting on the plane. Staying like this is killing me. Being in Miami and away from them, constantly wondering what they're doing or what he looks like is going to send me insane"

"Haven't you already been committed once?" Aria snapped

"For once in my life Aria I'm going to fight! I'm going to get my future wife and my son back!" Callie said before hanging up finally thinking straight and clearly.

She quickly ran back through the airport and made her way to the taxi stand.

"Seattle Grace Hospital. As fast as you can please" Callie said breathlessly


When Callie pulled up at the hospital she ran as fast as she could through the halls.

"Hey no running in maternity" A nurse screamed out at her as she ran past her knocking supplies out of her hands.

Callie reached the room and burst through the door

"I'm not too late am I?" Callie asked trying to catch her breath

"Calliope!" Arizona said shocked as she looked up from the bed "Too late for what?"

"To tell you that I can't live without you and that I can't live without our son! To tell you that I'll never let you down again and I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to realise what an idiot I've been! To tell you that I'd lay down and protect you with my life. I love you Arizona, it's as simple as that. Callie smiled as she stood next to Arizona's bed

Arizona looked up at the younger surgeon who was finally standing up for what she wanted and willing to fight for it.

"No more guilt, no more tormented state of mind?" Arizona asked

"None"

"Just you, me and our son?" Arizona questioned further

"For the rest of my life" Callie smiled

"What took you so long?" Arizona smiled

"What can I say? I'm a little slow" Callie said breaking into a huge grin before kneeling on the bed and bringing Arizona into the most passionate kiss she could muster.

"I love you" Arizona smiled through kisses as Callie climbed over and straddled her before pressing the button on the side of the bed and lowering the back of the bed causing Arizona to scream in laughter.

"I've missed that" Callie smiled as Arizona's laughter echoed around the room.

"Sweetheart, as much as I want to be with you. I'm pretty sore and not up to much" Arizona said apologetically

"This is working just fine for me" Callie said as she kissed her deeply again

The door to the room opened and quickly closed again

"What are you doing?" Kathy asked her husband who closed the door and stood over it protectively

"We can't go in there"

"What do you mean?" Kathy asked bewildered

"Honey, trust me when I tell you that we need to go to the cafeteria" Daniel smiled as he pulled his wife away


Two hours later and Callie and Arizona were snuggled on Arizona's hospital bed.

"Calliope" Arizona said breaking the silence "Can I ask what happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Where have you been? You said that Mark had you committed to Psych…."

"It was for the best. I wasn't in the best state of mind. I was on a 48 hour hold, they just let me sleep and gave me some anxiety meds"

"I'm sorry about everything Callie. I wished that I had handled it better"

"No more 'I'm sorry'" Callie said firmly "We've had enough of that to last us a lifetime. What has happened has happened. This is a fresh start" Callie said standing from the bed and walking over to the crib where she picked her son up.

Callie came back to the bed and sat next to Arizona.

"Can I just say sorry one last time for something?" Arizona questioned nervously

"Arizona!" Callie exhaled

"I just want to say that I am so sorry for crushing your leg in the door. It was pure evil and I regretted it as soon as I did it. So I really am sorry"

"Actually yeah you should be sorry for that! It hurt like hell" Callie smiled as Arizona kissed her

"So do we have a name for this little guy yet?" Callie questioned as she stared lovingly at her son.

"I don't know. It's so difficult, he's going to be stuck with it for the rest of his life" Arizona whined

"It just needs to be simple"

"How about James? It's the only name that we both liked" Arizona said

"James Daniel Robbins" Callie said out loud "I love it" She smiled broadly

"No, his name is James Daniel Robbins-Torres" Arizona said firmly

"Arizona… you don't have to…"

"You're his mother Calliope. He's a Torres! He already has your fiery temper when he's hungry" Arizona smiled

"Thank you" Callie said softly as she leaned in and kissed the love of her life.