AN: This is mostly flashbacks, FYI. I hope it's not too confusing.
They were wearing their wedding dresses. Arizona was in a navy blue and white number, that accentuated her eyes, but also paled in comparison to them. Her blonde hair was left wavy, a serious discussion between her and Callie about it looking better this way, Sofia agreeing as she played with the strands. Callie was wearing a shockingly deep red, almost maroon knee length dress, that Arizona could only stare at. The contrast between caramel skin and wine coloured dress was drastic and sexy. Drastically sexy. Sofia was wearing a similar colour to her mommy, but had a navy sash around her waist. The colours kind of clashed, but she wore it well and both of her mothers thought she was the most adorable little flower girl that they had ever seen.
But their guests didn't know that these were wedding dresses. Didn't know that the BBQ they were attending in the early summer was a wedding. A surprise wedding. They'd lied to their friends about the purpose of this BBQ, and though each of the women had already paid for the three dresses and new suit for the four people who would stand with them, and had stashed them upstairs along with the hair stylists for the three woman, they stood together, hands clasped, as they watched their friends, their family, have a good day.
It was all thanks to Miranda Bailey that everyone was able to be here. She was the only one who knew what was going on, because they had needed her to use her chiefly powers to make sure everyone had the day off. Though she had said that if an emergency happened, which they always seemed to happen, everyone had to go in anyway. But before that happened, Chief Miranda Bailey had told the hospital staff not to page any of the wedding guests, and in no uncertain terms except "hand you your behind," bad things would happen if anyone was paged in.
So together they stood, under the trellis covered with flowing ivy and dangling twinkly lights, watching. The sun was about to set, and they had about an hour to get everyone in position so that they could marry at sunset.
It was Callie that cleared her throat to get the attention of their friends. "Excuse me," she called in vain.
But Chief Bailey knew. Chief Bailey used her chief voice, "Y'all better shut up and listen to Torres." And every had. Except the children who were playing on Sofia's playset under the ever watchful eyes of Owen and Teddy.
All eyes turned to the women, smiles on their faces and drinks in their hands.
"So we're gonna get married." Gasps of shock, a look of love on Arizona's face as she only had eyes for Callie. "Right now."
"Alex, your suit is in the office." Arizona began, smiley fondly at her favourite protege, "Addison, Meredith, and April your dresses are in our bedroom." The three women spread across the yard beamed radiantly back at them. "Maggie, Zola's dress is in Sofia's room. Can you help her?" Maggie nodded, a smile on her face.
But no one moved until Chief Miranda Bailey yelled, in her own way, "You people have work to do, let's get moving." And like that, everyone was in motion as if they were dressed in navy or light blue scrubs, and not in "casual dress" as they'd asked their guests to come. Sofia and Zola were hand in hand, running into the house followed closely by Maggie. Alex and Jo weren't far behind, walking hand in hand. And behind them Addison, Meredith, and April followed.
But it was Richard who came towards them, very closely to whisper, "I don't have a suit here, or my speech planned. I'm not prepared for this."
Arizona just pointed towards the house, where Catherine Fox stood, suit bag held aloft and a smile on her face. Richard smile at his wife and then turned back to the woman, a smile on his face. "You guys are devious. How long do I have?"
"45 minutes," Bailey said from behind him. "Get a move on Webber."
1*
"Will you marry me?" Callie's words rang out in the deafening silence, as blue eyes were glued to brown, their friends, their family, all staring between them. Waiting with baited breath, breathing steadily, or holding their breath, eyes darting between the orthopedic surgeon and the pediatric surgeon.
"I was gonna ask you." Arizona whispered, and Callie's heart soared. Because what she heard in the words was "yes" and "yes of course I will" and "I love you."
"I asked first." Callie replied, but what she really said was "if you asked, I would have said yes," and "I love you too."
Then the resident asked a question, and blue eyes flitted from Callie, and she felt her heart soar as Arizona focused on her resident and blinked, hesitating only for a second before answering the question in a soft voice. Callie loved the way that Arizona taught her residents, the way that she never failed to make them feel stupid, even if the question they asked was stupid, loved the way that Arizona loved teaching, put as much effort into raising her residents and interns as she did Sofia. Loved the way that her hands guided the residents, the way her words could make them feel like they were good surgeons, and not just baby surgeons. She loved Arizona.
Finally, those blue eyes turned back to her, and though her face was covered with a mask, Callie could see her smile, that super magical smile, all dimples and happiness and love, reached her eyes.
And all she said was "Yes."
2*
"Why are you so nervous?" Jo asked him, from her perch on the desk.
Alex was struggling to tie his tie. It was a deep, emerald green. It was a nice tie, nicer than any tie he'd ever bought for himself. And he was nervous. He was so nervous. Because he loved Robbins. And he loved Torres. And Sofia. He loved them all.
But he was nervous because he loved Robbins. Because despite his shitty childhood and his shitty life before he came to Seattle, and how shitty he was before he met Robbins, and even how shitty he was after he'd met her. She had chosen him. Not just to be her resident, or her fellow, or her replacement, but she had chosen him to be her friend. And in all the things they had been to each other, she had continued to choose him.
She hadn't given him a choice whether or not to love her, because she kept choosing him. And he'd broken her heart… broken it so many times that he didn't know why she kept choosing him.
"I just," he started, finally looking at his own wife. The way she smiled at him, the way she could look at him and he knew that people did choose him. Jo had chosen him, Meredith had chosen him, Sofia and Zola and Bailey and Ellis and Harriet had chosen him. "I just…"
"I know, Alex." Jo whispered to him, finally coming over and tie his tie for him. Her fingers lingering on his neck softly when she had finished. He bent to give her a soft kiss.
3*
"Addison," Callie said, interrupting the flow of their weekly facetime conversation.
And to her credit, the red haired woman stopped uncharacteristically talking and just looked at her. Green eyes alight with concern.
"Callie," she'd said. The sound of her son playing in the background breaking the tension slightly, and all Callie could do was stare at her friend.
"I asked her to marry me. Again. Well I mean, she asked the first time. But it's not crazy right… it's not crazy." But even to herself, Callie knew that even simply asking the question and answering it meant that she thought it was crazy. She wanted to marry Arizona Robbins. She wanted to spend her life with Arizona, wanted to be her wife.
But she had wanted that the last time she had married her. And look what that had gotten them. Divorced. Broken. Destroyed. And suddenly it didn't matter that they were good now. Better, they were excellent now. They talked, really talked, about the things that mattered. And they listened, and they didn't talk over each other. They were amazing.
But Callie had thought that last time, too. So this was crazy right, taking that chance again. Wishing and hoping wasn't enough anymore. Wanting it to work and trying to make it work weren't always enough.
"Callie." Was all Addison had said, and Callie's eyes snapped back to the screen. "How long have we known each other?"
"Uhh… 13 years?"
"Right. We're old women now. Well… older. And we're smarter than we were before, right? Do you remember when you first told me about Arizona? All you said was that you kissed a peds surgeon. And you were hung up on her butterfly scrub cap. That's it. You weren't worried about anything but the butterflies."
"She still wears that scrub cap."
"And you're still with her. There have been bumps and breaks and crashes and legs and cheating… but you're still with her. And she's still with you."
The last ten years flashed in Callie's mind. The bad was there, but it wasn't painful, it was in the past. Somewhere along the way all the past good was made better, was made brighter. The present good was. And she was so in love with Arizona, crazily and insanely in love with Arizona.
"But it's crazy right, Addie?"
"Love is crazy."
It wasn't an answer, but Callie held up her finger for a moment of silence. She picked up her phone and dialled Dr. Dawson. "Can we have an appointment? It's an emergency?" The therapist agreed, and she text Arizona about the date and time. Not telling her what it was about.
Turning back to Addison, "You'll come be one of my maid's of honor, or my best man, or whatever?"
"When?"
4*
Miranda Bailey took her job as yard organizer seriously. She was gonna get this yard exactly the way she wanted, Robbins and Torres be damned. Well not really, she was following their scant and vague description. But she was the Chief, and Avery and DeLuca and Ben were following her orders. She told them where to place the chairs, she instructed Hunt and Altman to gather the children and settle them. Shepard and Catherine and Mrs. Robbins were helping the caterers. Mr. Torres and Mr. The Colonel were laying out the soft linen cloth.
Everyone was doing what she told them to do, and they would get this surprise wedding off without a hitch.
Sure, she was a little miffed that they hadn't asked her to officiate again, but that would pass. She was just glad that Torres and Robbins had finally pulled they heads out they butts and were doing this again.
How many times those two stubborn and brilliant women had come to her, together and separately, for advice about the other and didn't listen. Then Torres, fool that she was, left. And then she came back and while she didn't get into the personal stuff, because usually when she did people started having sex in her hospital and that was just wrong, she was hesitant about them getting back together.
They had ruined each other. Their love, when it was on, filled the whole hospital and everyone in it with light and happiness. But when they were off… woo baby. It was bad.
But she was the chief, she saw everything. Saw the way that the light had filled the hospital again, even on the dark day that Robbins had last month, it was still light. She saw the way that Torres hovered, but she saw the way that she'd hung back and just watched.
These two… man these two. They needed to stop having sex in her hospital.
She doubted they will.
"Avery, I said straight lines, what you doing?"
5*
Arizona was in the changing room in the dress store, trying on what felt like the hundreth dress. She didn't know what she was doing. Was she really going to marry Calliope again? Was that a good idea?
She loved her, with everything she had. But… marriage? Did they need that again? They were so good right now, good how they were. They had that house with that mantle, and they had Sofia, and they were together and supportive and good. Marriage had ruined them. Well… sort of. The marriage part was good, it was after that was bad.
"Is this crazy?" She asked to the room.
Alex, who was sitting uncomfortably outside the two dressing rooms, said back "What's crazy is that you've each tried on like a bajillion different dresses, and I've looked at each of them, and you're both beautiful, so can we go please."
"It's a little crazy," April's response from the room next to hers was muffled and quiet.
She knew this was crazy. It was insane.
But it was also Calliope. Calliope, who's smile could make anything better. Calliope, who when she looked at, could still take her breath away.
But it was ALSO Calliope. The woman who broke her in ways that Arizona didn't even know were possible. Who had taken her daughter, twice. The first was kind of her own fault, after you know, the cheating. But to have not told her where she was? The second was definitely her fault, had sent her with her blessing.
But it was also Calliope. Who no matter how many times she left her, or Arizona left Callie, they came back together. She wasn't lying when she told Callie that she had made Arizona believe in soulmates. From the first look across the crowded OR, to the kiss in that dirty bar bathroom, to the ridiculous way that Callie had asked her to marry her… it was always Callie.
Yes, she'd broken Callie as much as Callie had broken her, but Calliope had fixed her and loved her in ways that Arizona didn't know were possible either.
Stepping out of the room in the latest dress she was trying on, she looked at Alex who was just looking back at her. His mouth gaped once, and then twice before he found his voice. "That one. That's the dress."
"Yeah," April agreed softly.
"Look, Robbins, I ain't gonna lie to you. I was, you know, hesitant about all this." He waved his hand in a distracted way, but she was mesmerized by him. "I took you in when she kicked you out, and I'll do it again. But I like both of you. I know what happened to each of you after… everything. So yes, it's crazy. It's insane, but dude. You guys are crazy good together."
To her side, April nodded at Alex's words. Offering them both a smile.
Alex turned to look at April. "No, not that one. The green one, like four dresses ago." He turned back to Arizona and frowned at her. "Now let's go, you promised me pizza and beer and I'm starving."
She paid for their choices, and when they were wrapped and heading out of the store, they ran into Callie who was doing similar shopping with Addison, Meredith, Sofia, and Zola.
"No," Arizona screeched, stuffing the dresses hidden in bags between herself and Alex's back and peeking over Alex and April's shoulders to look at Callie, whose eyes were covered by Addison's hand.
"Hi momma!" Sofia squeaked, pushing her way past Alex and April to give her a hug. April's hand came up to grab the package, and she took Arizona's place behind Alex so that she could bend to hug her daughter.
"Hi little bug! Have you found a pretty dress yet?"
"Not yet, momma. Mommy said nothing has been right. But she looked really pretty in everything." Sofia tugged her hand down, and whispered conspiratorially in her ear, "I did what you said, and told her she looked pretty in everything, but she just didn't listen."
"That's all right, little bug." She said standing, but not releasing Sofia from her arms.
"Did you guys pick something?" Callie asked, her eyes still covered by Addison's hand, face turned in the opposite direction of where she was standing with Alex and April.
"Yes, and now we're finally getting food."
She scoffed at Alex's words, and it was Meredith who said "You picked him."
So they went their separate ways, Callie and her group into the dress shop, and Alex leading the way to a pizza place, but not before drawing another smile from Arizona by whispering "Robbins blue, Kepner green," in Meredith's ear.
And she was glad that picked him.
6*
Andrew had a new task from Chief Bailey, and he was going to be successful. He was to train Sofia and Zola to walk down the aisle throwing the rose petals. But they were both incredibly smart little girls, so he wasn't sure why he was doing this, just that she had looked strange when she asked him, so he would do it.
He was incredibly happy to be here. He was the only resident that was exempt from "resident's day" as Chief Bailey had called it, because he was going to the wedding. He didn't even care that he was missing out on surgeries, well he did, but if it meant seeing his principessa and his former roommate happy, then he didn't care. Not really.
When he'd moved in with Dr. Robbins three years ago, he knew that sometimes Sofia would be there, and while he had been hesitant to share his living space with the five year old, he had needed Dr. Robbins then, and so he took her in with open arms. It had been as good a decision as moving in with Dr. Robbins.
He had also only started calling her Arizona when Sofia, in all five year old indignation had said "Her name is momma." And both he and she had laughed at the little girl. He watched and listened as Arizona explained that she was only 'momma' to Sofia, that Andrew was a friend. And while they hadn't explained about bosses and subordinates, the older woman had insisted that he call her Arizona, so he had.
Except for that brief moment when she had been having sex, in their living room, naked, with his sister, it was Dr. Robbins again. He'd known that wouldn't last because his sister was a free spirit and didn't want to be weighed down by commitment or kids. And he was okay with never seeing either of them naked in his living room again.
But over the two and a half years he had lived with Arizona, and off and on with Sofia, he loved them. Even when he'd thought she'd chose Karev over him, he loved her. And when she hugged him, all the times that Arizona had hugged him, she chose him too. Even when she'd moved in with Dr. Torres and taken Sofia with her, she still chose to take care of him.
So he would practise walking down the aisle with Sofia and Zola, and he was happy to do it.
"Uncle Andrew," he also loved that Sofia called him Uncle, it was a nice feeling. "Look what my mommies gave me!"
He knelt in front of the girls, so freaking adorable in their matching flower girl dresses, all gap toothed smiles, and holding hands. He took the proffered basket from Sofia, the little girl not letting go of her best friends hand as she fished for a necklace from under her dress.
"Ciao piccole principesse, entrambi sembrano molto belli," He said, as the small pendant was held softly by the excited little girl.
It was four entwined hearts, two of soft yellow gold, one of white gold, and another of a dark material that he didn't know what it was.
"What's this, principessa?" He asked, looking between the two little girls.
"It's my wedding present. Mommies gave it to me last night at our bach-bach…"
"Bachelorette?" He offered.
"Yes! Party last night. They said it represented our family." Then, as she pointed to the little hearts as he held the small pendant, his heart melted just a little bit more in love with Arizona and Sofia, and now Dr. Torres. "This one is for momma, and this one is for mommy, and this one's for me, and this one is for my daddy. He's in heaven."
The last word was said on a whisper, and he watched as sadness passed over both of the little girls faces. They nodded at each other, and as Sofia took the little pendant back from his hand, they smiled again and Zola said, "With my daddy. Mommy said that they are best friends in heaven and that they are happy we are best friends." Sofia nodded, and he couldn't help but open his arms to both little girls who returned his hug.
He had known that Dr. Sloan and Dr. Shepard were friends, Arizona had said more like brothers, and he couldn't help but think that wherever they were, that if they were together, they would be happy that their daughters were friends.
Pulling away, Andrew handed the basket back to Sofia who took it with another huge smile, "Okay, let's practice this, eh?"
7*
Dr. Kim Dawson hadn't anticipated seeing Dr. Robbins and Dr. Torres again. When they had last left her office, she had thought that they had finally reached a place where they might not need her anymore. Which, in hindsight, was a silly thing to think.
They were so much better grounded, in themselves, and in each other. They had built their relationship on a much stronger foundation, and had seemed to be doing well.
But that was six months ago. And it was fine then, but she couldn't help but think that they were fine now too. Watching them, sit more closely together on the couch than they ever had before, hands clasped tightly together, she could see the worry on their faces. But she wasn't worried. The hand holding, and their posture, said fear and trepidation. But it also said that there was so much more love in the room than ever before.
And so she sat, watching them watch each other, care and compassion on their faces, and watching them watch her. Usually she would let these moments continue, letting her patients come to her when they were ready.
But she was invested them, as a couple. Not just professionally… but personally. She really should report herself to the board.
Then she couldn't take it anymore. "So what's going on?"
It was Dr. Robbins that blurted, "We're getting married again."
And it was only with a tremendous amount of resolve that she was able to keep her face in it's professional mask. But the smile that threatened to escape was matched on their faces.
"It's crazy, right?" Dr. Torres asked, looking at Dr. Robbins.
And the blonde surgeon nodded. "Insane."
"Why?" Dr. Dawson asked.
"Because the last time, we destroyed each other." Dr. Robbins asked, once again, just staring at Dr. Torres. Did she even need to be here for this.
"We did," Dr. Torres started. "And we're good now, right?" Dr. Robbins nodded. "But we were good last time… we were so good… and then life…"
"Life happened." Dr. Robbins finished.
They lapsed into silence again, and then Dr. Dawson threw professional caution to the wind.
"Arizona, Callie… look at me." They both did. "Life happened before you met. Life happened while you were together. Life continued to happen when you were apart. That's what living is. I said it the last time you were here, lots of bad shit happened to you guys when you were together. A lot of it you did to each other. But that's life. That's what happens when you are alive, and living, and whether you are together or apart, life happens." She probably shouldn't have said 'shit.'
"But Sofia…" Dr. Robbins trailed off, Dr. Torres nodded fervently beside her, gripping the pale hand in hers more tightly.
"Life can hurt us. No matter if our parents are married or divorced. From what you've told me, she is a happy and healthy child, and that happened while you were together and apart. Why are you worried about her now?"
"Because she's older," Dr. Torres said, "She's old enough now that if this doesn't work… if this falls apart again… she'll have her own heartbreak."
"Were you worried about this before you decided to get married again?"
It looked as if a lightbulb had gone off in both of their heads. That they had figured something out. She knew they would.
"So why does it worry you in marriage, but not a commitment to be together?"
Silence again. For as much as these two could talk and talk and talk, they sure were sitting in silence now. Which is good, it means they were processing and thinking and not reacting. They had grown a lot.
Finally, Dr. Robbins turned to Dr. Torres and said. "In the ten years we have known each other, I have known that I was made for you Calliope. Even when we were apart, even when we were divorced, even when I fell out of love with you, there was a small part of me that knew that I was made for you."
"Me too." Dr. Torres whispered.
"And through it all… through the heartbreak, through the good times, through everything… through it all, it always comes back to you. I can't help myself Callie. The only place I want to be is at your side with our daughter. Even when I didn't love you, even when I was falling for another woman, even when I hated you… I wanted you to be there. Even as my friend. As Sofia's mother, as someone who can smile and make everything better."
"Me too." Dr. Torres whispered again. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me Arizona. Right after Sofia."
"I feel the same way, Calliope."
Dr. Dawson watched as they leaned in for a kiss, finally allowing her smiled to escape.
"There's always a chance for life to lead to heartbreak. There's also a chance for life to lead to happiness." She said to the two women who were now smiling on her couch, Dr. Robbins' head on Dr. Torres' shoulder, and their hands were still held tight. "For you and for Sofia. There are no guarantees in life, except that it happens. I'm not going to lie to you, and say that if you work hard together that you can make sure it will always be happy, because that would be egregious of me. But I will say this; you will hurt each other again, and you will probably hurt Sofia, and you will inevitably be so mad at each other that you just want to throw things. But again, that is life. If you want this to work, if you are the second kind of people that I think you to be, you will continue to work with each other to make this work. You will fight like hell to make this work, because as you said, you keep coming back to each other."
"Remember that through it all, you both said that you loved the other. Remember how you lost yourselves in life. Remember that you can carry the load for the other, remember to let the other help you carry the load. Remember that life happens, and I think that you will remember that love is not an inevitability, love alone is not enough, those were your words Dr. Torres. But also remember that it was love that brought you back here, that it is love that allows you to make the choice to allow the other to love you when you are mad, and frustrated, and scared, and hurting, that you can make the choice to love, to stay and to not run."
8*
Richard stood before Callie and Arizona, Karev and Kepner behind Arizona, radiant smiles breaking both of their faces, Addison and Meredith looking the same behind Callie, the rest of their friends and family behind them, smiling or crying or both, he couldn't remember feeling more proud in his entire life.
"Hello, and welcome," He began, smiling at the women who had asked him to marry them. "We are gathered here today to witness the union between two of our dearest friends, two of our family. It's been a long road to this point, we all know the story. But here's my story." Catherine winked at him, her words of speak from your heart echoing in his head.
He looked at Callie, "I've had the distinct pleasure of watching Callie grow from nervous resident transfer to an award winning, board member who is double board certified and chief of her department. The first time I met Callie, really met the woman before me, was when I found her squatting in the basement of the hospital and dancing in her underwear." He offered her an affectionate glance as the people gathered around them laughed and her cheeks flushed. "I knew then that I had someone special on my hands. A resident dedicated to medicine, if a little misguided in her living choices. But I wouldn't have it any other way, she has always been a strong woman, a woman who follows her heart but uses her head, a woman who loves a little too much, a woman who cares so deeply, who feels for her patients and her friends so hard, things that make her not just an excellent doctor, but a wonderful human being."
He smiled and watched as she carefully wipe a tear from her eye, and squeezed the fingers that she offered him. He held on for a moment, then released her fingers and turned to Arizona.
"I didn't hire Arizona, she came to Seattle as a fellow, but I'd heard only good things about her. Miranda Bailey told me that Arizona was perky."
"She's a pixie stick." Bailey called from the audience, to laughter from all.
"Hush, Bailey," he said, sending a glare her way.
Turning back to Arizona, he continued, "Bailey was right. She brought her excessive happiness to Seattle, she brought the very best of herself, and she made all of us better. Arizona cries when she confronts authority figures. When Derek Shepard was doing a surgery that I had expressly forbidden him from doing, it was Arizona who stopped me. She stood up to me, not a single tear in her eyes, fighting for Isaac and for Derek. If she could face me without tears in her eyes, with anger at my presence, with fire and determination for what she believed was right, well I knew that she would continue to fight. But don't think for a second that I didn't know you cried on Torres' shoulder as soon as I left Robbins. I was chief, I knew everything."
His eyes moved from the two woman, to their beautiful daughter. She was sitting on her grandma's lap, holding the hands of both of her grandfathers on either side of her, and not a single one of them had a dry eye.
Looking at the rest of the people gathered, he knew this was his family. These people, gathered in this yard, the setting sun behind him casting a warm glow over them all.
"I look at you people, all of you, and I think of how lucky we are to be together. How lucky we are that fate brought us all to this place. How lucky that fate and love and friendship brought these two women together in front of us. How lucky that they've chosen to let us into their lives to share this special moment with us."
He paused for a moment, just to let himself smile some more.
"Callie and Arizona have written their own vows, and they will share them with us and each other now. Callie?"
Richard watched as Callie's smile widened, the way her smile reached her whole body.
"Arizona, I promised you I would never make you a promise again. I'm gonna break that promise now. I promise to love you. I promise to love Sofia. I promise that when love isn't enough, that I will work with you. I promise that even when love isn't enough, that I will continue to love you. I promise that when I am old and wrinkly and cranky, I will still love you. I promise to dance with you at our daughter's wedding, at our grandchildren's weddings. I promise to dance with you until I can't dance anymore, and I will still dance with you. Okay, no more promises. I chose you, Arizona Robbins, to love. To work on love with you for the rest of my life, the rest of our lives. I love you."
Now it was Richard who had to wipe a tear from his eye. "Arizona?"
"Calliope. Loving you is the second greatest privilege of my life. Loving Sofia is, and always will be the first. But I only have one promise to offer you. I promise that when life is hard, when life happens, that I will run towards you. I will run as hard as I can, run as fast as I can, and I will trust you to catch me. I love you."
Now Richard watched as everyone was crying, even Alex Karev.
"Calliope Torres," he had to call her that, because Arizona had said she would hit him if he didnt, and he believed her, "Do you take Arizona Robbins to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do. I do I do I do."
"Arizona Robbins, do you take Calliope Torres to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I absolutely do."
"Exchange your rings," Alex and Meredith handed the rings to their respective bride, and he watched as steady hands placed rings on fingers, and hands clasped tightly.
"By the power vested in my by the State of Washington, it is my pleasure to announce you as wives. You may now kiss your wife!"
And as they kissed, the whole audience erupted into cheers and little Sofia jumped off her grandmother's lap and ran towards her mothers, Richard couldn't remember a more perfect day. Top three after his own weddings.
9*
It was late. Later than it should be, but the party, the part for her and Callie was still going on. But she didn't care, because her wife's arm was around her shoulders, and her head was on her wife's shoulder, and she was happy.
Arizona's gaze flitted down to their daughter, blissfully asleep in her grandfather's arms, her father leaning comfortably back in his chair while her mother had her own head on her husbands shoulder. Carlos, who still kind of frightened her, was nearby, chatting softly with her parents and she was glad that they were getting along, and it wasn't solely for Sofia's benefit.
She'd had her first dance with Callie. And her father. And Carlos. And they had both danced with Sofia. But now everyone was sitting, enjoying the last remnants of dinner and drinks and cake, soft and slow music filling the backyard, quiet conversation reaching her ears, but she didn't hear what anyone was saying.
Turning her head back to Callie, she looked up into the brown eyes she adored. Eyes that contained fire and coffee and chocolate and love, and she melted a little. Leaning up she placed a soft kiss on Callie's lips, the familiar pangs of desire shooting through her.
"Hey wife," Callie whispered, a completely unfamiliar feeling of love shooting through her. Which was strange, because Callie had said the exact same thing at their last wedding, and had said it thousands of times after. Truthfully she had never thought she'd hear those words directed at her again, especially not by the woman whose arms she rested in.
"Mmm, wife." She whispered back, that same unfamiliar feeling shooting through her as Callie smiled down at her, and leaned in for a kiss.
They kissed like that for a minute, wrapped in each others arms, lips moving to a delicate rhythm of love and desire, the hotter emotions staying beneath the surface. That kind of kissing would come later, when they were alone. But not tonight, and not right now. Their plan was to go to their bed tonight, bringing Sofia with them and to sleep as a family. Then tomorrow, The Colonel and her mother would take Sofia for the day and night, spending the night in a hotel away from the house so that she and Callie could be alone. The next day Carlos would do the same with Sofia, giving them two days and nights to be wives.
Though she had secretly been planning, as she knew Callie had, to meet up with their parents and Sofia for dinner so they could spend some time with their baby girl.
She was already kissing Callie when the tinkling of champagne glasses started, but was only roused away from those delicious lips when Alex coughed and cleared his throat. He was standing alone on the dance floor, his tie loosened and a grimace on his face.
Coughing again, he looked at her, and then away before he started speaking, "Uh, hey, I'm Karev. Uh, Alex Karev. I have a promise to keep." Then he looked at Arizona again, a small smile gracing his face. She loved this man. She was so proud of him. "I promised to dance with Kepner at your wedding, so Kepner come here." She watched as April disentangled herself from under Matthew's arm and handed a sleeping Harriet to Jackson. His cheeks reddened as she reached him. "Montgomery, Mer, get out here." She watched as Callie's people joined them.
And then "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran started playing, and Alex took April into his arms and started awkwardly slow dancing with her, and then she started crying. Meredith and Addie shrugged at each other and began dancing with each and then she was propelled out of her seat by a light pressure to her back from Callie.
She tapped April's shoulder and asked "Can I cut in?"
April turned and hugged her, and stepped away from Alex, offering her his hand. She took it, and pulled him roughly into her arms. The dance floor was filling again, and all she could do was cry, her arms around Alex's neck and his arms just as tightly around her waist.
"I love you Alex," she whispered into his chest, pleased when his arms tightened around her waist.
But the moment was cut shorter than she would have liked when the music was cut out and Bailey shouted to yard, "Big bus crash coming in, we gotta go. This is why I kept you fools to two glasses of champagne. Let's go, pile into those cars."
Callie's hand found hers in the sudden chaos, and she gripped it tightly, laughing when the latter women whispered in her ear, "I mean, really, this day was already perfect. Now we can go save lives."
