A/N: I'm so sorry for the extended wait for a new chapter. The closer it got to Christmas the less time I seemed to have to do anything. Plus I was suffering a bit of writer's block. Hopefully I've worked through it now and can return to regular updates.

Chapter 10

The rumble of the bus was the only sound that could be heard as Callie and Arizona held each other tightly, neither of them wanted to let the other go. Sooner than either of them would have liked Arizona would board the bus and be gone for two full days and nights. It was the longest stretch of time they'd go without seeing each other since high school.

"I'm going to miss you and the girls so much," Arizona whispered and held Callie even tighter in her arms. It had been hard to say goodbye to her daughters earlier that morning, and now doing the same with Callie was even harder.

"It's only two days," Callie tried to reassure her. "You'll kill those boards and then you'll be home," she stated with confidence. There was no way Arizona wouldn't pass, Callie knew it.

"Yeah, yeah," Arizona nodded her head, trying to make herself believe. "Or I could just fly down tomorrow in time for the test. You did," she pointed out.

"Different circumstances entirely," Callie argued. The days before her own test had not been good ones. In fact they had Callie freaking out, and it had nothing to do with her boards.

Arizona woke up alone and stretched her body and then climbed out of bed. She looked at the clock and realized Callie should have left for the hospital over an hour ago, but her wife hadn't said goodbye, which was weird. As she opened the door into the hallway she could hear the faint sounds of cartoons coming from downstairs, which meant Lex was awake.

She peeked into Amelia's room and found her eldest daughter still sound asleep, which was good, she really needed it. She placed a kiss on Amelia's forehead, checking her temperature. She was still a little hot, but not as high as it had been the night before. She left the room quietly, not wanting to disturb her daughter's slumber.

Just as she predicted, Alexia was sacked out on the couch with the remote in one hand and a cup of milk in the other. "Morning, Lex. You want some breakfast?"

"Mommy's cooking waffles," the girl answered.

"Mommy's still here?" she asked surprised. She didn't give her daughter a chance to respond, instead headed to the kitchen to find her wife. "Calliope, what are you still doing here? You need to leave before you miss your flight."

"I can't leave right now. What if Amelia's fever spikes again? What if she needs to go to the hospital?" Callie asked. She continued to make breakfast for her family, but Arizona could see her mind was somewhere else. Her wife was freaking out. She wasn't sure if it was more about the test or Amelia.

"Amelia's going to be fine. It's just the flu. And I've taken the next few days off. I've got this," Arizona said. She put a reassuring hand on Callie's face, forcing her to look at her. "You need to go take that test."

"What if it's more than the flu though? She's been so healthy, but she was a preemie. What if it's finally catching up to her? It happens you know," Callie rambled.

Arizona did know, she'd seen it several times with some of her patients. They'd been fine for most of their childhood and then all the sudden started having a lot of health problems. But still, there was no evidence that was what was happening with Amelia.

"Callie, look at me. She…will…be…fine," Arizona stressed each word. "She's got the best kid doctor there is as a mom," she smiled.

This got a grin from Callie as well. "Rather full of ourselves aren't we?"

"Maybe just a little. But seriously, we'll be fine. You need to catch your flight."

"Not gonna happen," Callie told her. "I talked to dad this morning. He's already made arrangements for me to take his jet tomorrow and get there in time for the test and then come back right after."

"Callie," Arizona groaned, knowing she'd already lost. "Do you really think that's a good idea? You need to go now and have time to relax and prepare. Get yourself in the right mindset."

"Do you think I'll be relaxed knowing what's going on at home?" Callie questioned back. "I know you can handle this, I know that. But I can't feel good about leaving my baby girl when she's sick. I'd be freaking out the whole time."

"Alright, but you need to take it easy too. I'm here, you don't need to take everything on yourself," Arizona ordered. Callie would hate herself if something happened and she wasn't home, she knew that. But she'd also be pissed with herself if she didn't pass her boards. She'd studied too hard.

"Fine, you win. Now go get Lex, breakfast is ready."

After telling her youngest that it was time to eat, Arizona ran up the stairs to check on Amelia a second time. The girl was still passed out so she left her alone. When she woke up they'd have to try and get her to eat something. Or at the very least drink something. Her poor little girl was miserable.

For the next 24 hours, Arizona tried to beat Callie to the punch every time something needed to be done, giving her wife plenty of time to relax. On occasion she quizzed her, keeping Callie's brain fresh and ready. Helping Callie study gave her an advantage as well in preparing for when it was her turn.

One of Carlos' limos picked Callie up the next day and took her straight to the airport. Another limo driver was waiting for her as she exited the plane, taking her straight to the hotel where the test was being held.

As the examiners gave her each scenario, she forced herself to concentrate on the question. It was hard, but she managed to make it through feeling like she'd done well. But as soon as they were finished, she was out the door and on her way home. Her mind already back in worried mom mode.

"And I was right all along, Amelia was just fine," Arizona gloated as they both came back from the memory of the year before.

"Oh hush you," Callie told Arizona and placed a kiss on her lips. "Mm, I love you."

"I love you, too," Arizona sighed. They kissed again, this time deep and passionately. The next two nights without the other was going to be hard. They never slept well alone.

"Take the girls and go see Aria and Nicky while I'm gone. It'll distract you," Arizona suggested. While Nicky was still in the hospital, they'd brought the girls in several times to get to know their cousin. Even with a significant age difference, Amelia and Alexia had enjoyed getting to know their younger cousin. They hadn't had time to check in on him since he'd been released however.

"Maybe I will," Callie smiled, already thinking about seeing her nephew again. Although things were still a little awkward between the sisters, Callie had no such feelings with Nicky. Both she and Arizona had quickly fallen in love with the little boy. "You and Lexie can keep each other distracted too," she suggested back. Looking over at their friends, they could see Mark and Lexie were having a hard time saying goodbye as well.

"Definitely," Arizona agreed.

"Go kick that test's ass. Then when you come home we can start planning our little vacation to Tim's and start on the baby plan."

"I like the sound of that," Arizona grinned. They'd decided not to even begin trying until after Arizona got home. Neither woman could wait though, both excited to add to their little family.

"Good. Now get on that bus," Callie ordered, giving Arizona's behind a little swat.

Arizona smiled and saluted. "Yes, ma'am." She loved the playful bossy side of her wife. Callie was always the more serious of the two so she really appreciated the times Callie acted like this. "I love you," she said again, never getting tired of saying those three words.

"Love you, too," Callie responded as she picked up Arizona's bag off the ground and handed it to her. She pointed to the door on the bus, "Now go, before I drag you off somewhere."

A shiver went down Arizona's spine at the implication, but she did as she was told and climbed onto the bus. She found a window seat and sat down, looking back at Callie. The two pressed their hands on the glass in one last silent goodbye. A minute later, Lexie sat down beside Arizona and the bus was pulling out of the parking lot.

~CA~

Keeping the girls entertained while Arizona was gone was harder than Callie thought it would be. Callie was more of the caretaker, while Arizona was more of the entertainer. She was the one always coming up with new activities for them to do as a family. Callie had taken it for granted, but she wouldn't any longer.

"When is Mama coming home?" Alexia had whined over breakfast that morning. They all knew the answer to that, but it didn't make any of them feel any better.

"Tomorrow morning," Callie reminded her. "Quit playing with your food and eat," she told her youngest as she watched Alexia dig her spoon in her Cream of Wheat, and then dump it back into her bowl.

"Mama always gives me brown sugar," Lex pouted.

Callie groaned but got up and went over to the cupboard and pulled the container out that held the brown sugar. She dumped a spoonful in her daughter's cereal before sitting back down to eat her own breakfast.

"Can we call Mama and wish her luck?" Amelia asked. She too missed her blonde mother. Often times one of their mothers would have to spend the night at the hospital, but the other mother would always take them over to the hospital to see them. It didn't feel right having their Mama in another state where they couldn't even visit her.

Callie looked at the clock, trying to remember what time Arizona said her first session started. "She might already be taking her test. Why don't the three of us take a picture together and send it to her instead," she suggested.

"Good idea," Amelia squealed and jumped out of her seat, racing out of the room.

"Amelia Robbins, where are you going? Get back here and eat," Callie yelled at her retreating daughter.

Amelia ignored her, returning a minute later with a piece of paper and a marker. She bent over the table, blocking Alexia and Callie from seeing what she was doing and she ignored their questions, concentrating on her task.

"There, done," she said a few minutes later. She held up the paper so that her mother and sister could read what she had written. It read, "Good Luck Mama. We Love You. Love, Alexia, Amelia, and Mommy."

"Good idea sweetie, but let me see it for a second." Callie took the paper from her daughter and the marker as well. Flipping the paper over, she traced the words her daughter had written so the message could be seen backwards on the other side.

"Why'd you do that?" Lex asked curiously.

"Because if we want a picture with all three of us holding this sign, we're going to have to do it in the mirror. This way it won't be backwards in the picture," Callie explained.

"Oh I get it," Lex smiled. She thought she had the smartest mothers on the planet. They seemed to know everything.

"Okay, let's go up to my room so we can use the big closet mirror," Callie suggested, breakfast now forgotten for all three of them. She'd just have to make sure and feed them a big lunch later.

She had Amelia stand in the middle, holding her sign with Lex and herself on either side, both with a hand also on the paper. With one hand, she pointed her phone at the mirror, lining it up as best as she could. The first photo turned out blurry, but the second one turned out pretty well, so she sent that one off. She could already see the smile on Arizona's face when she got their message.

~CA~

Two states over, Arizona took a deep breath as she stepped out of the hotel room she'd just spent the last several hours in. She wasn't sure how she did in that first session, but she felt it had gone fairly well.

She knew she wasn't at her best right now. She'd tossed and turned most of the night before, craving for the warm body she was used to sleeping next to. She'd briefly let it pass her mind to crawl in bed with Lexie who was sharing a room with her. Not for anything sexual, just so that she wouldn't feel so alone. But even as innocent as it would have been, she didn't want to have to explain herself to Lexie, or either of their partners later. Instead she'd pulled one of the pillows along her side and tried to pretend it was her wife. It worked just enough to get her to sleep finally.

She headed down the stairs hoping she could find something to eat. She'd skipped breakfast, too nervous to eat. It was a decision she was now starting to regret. They weren't scheduled for a lunch break until after the second session. Her stomach wouldn't make it that long. One of the hotels ballrooms had been reserved as a place for all the surgeons to socialize, so she headed there hoping there would be some appetizers like there had been the night before.

Apparently she wasn't the only one who'd had the same idea. Upon entering the room, she found several of her peers surrounding the tables. Spotting Lexie, she headed towards her. The other woman was currently trying to decide between grabbing a banana or an apple. "I'd go for the banana," Arizona told her as she grabbed one for herself. "I always seem to have better focus after I eat one of these."

Lexie smiled and grabbed one of the yellow fruits as well. The two found a table and sat down for a few minutes to enjoy their snack. "How'd your session go?" Lexie asked.

"Not as well as I'd hoped," Arizona admitted. "I think I passed, but I definitely didn't do my best."

"Me either," Lexie agreed. "Did your examiners make you question even the things you knew you had right?"

"Oh yeah. Every time they asked 'Are you sure' it made me go back over my answer, even those things I've known the answer to since med school."

"Glad it wasn't just me," Lexie sighed. Putting her head back, she closed her eyes, trying to prepare herself for the next round.

Arizona wished she could relax, but after that first session, she was even more nervous to go back in that room. Callie had told her it wasn't going to be easy, but she had no idea it was going to be this hard. She missed her wife, and her daughters.

She pulled out her phone just so she could look at their pictures. She was surprised she had a message from Callie. Her phone was on silent and she hadn't felt it vibrate. She opened the conversation and smiled at the picture of her three girls wishing her luck. Suddenly she had all the confidence she needed. She headed straight for the elevators, reading to get the next session out of the way. She was going to pass this test, and then she was going home to her family to celebrate.

A/N 2: Here's the deal, I'm in need of a new beta reader. I'm looking for someone willing to not only beta read for this story, but hopefully any future Calzona story I write. But I would also like someone who I can bounce some ideas off of at times. Anyone interested PM me.