Last night's episode was perfect. But what if it hadn't been?
Prompt: 9x18 - What if the x-ray scene hadn't happened?
Arizona could hear her heart pounding in her ears as her wife slammed the door. Did Callie honestly think she was that manipulative? Did she think this was all just a game to the blonde? How excited can Arizona get Callie before turning on the breaks? The ache emanating from her residual limb suddenly crept to her chest, restricting her breathing and forming a lump in her throat.
How much longer could she expect Callie to be patient for?
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Callie mentally slapped herself as she marched down to the ER. How could she have accused her wife of setting up their night for failure? In truth, Callie thought that maybe her wife was doing it subconsciously, but her outburst was completely uncalled for. The orthopedic surgeon was desperate to help her wife fully come to terms with her amputation, but the blonde was still keeping her at arms length; a safe distance that Callie was beginning to think would never close.
Arizona rarely displayed her residual limb in front of her wife. Her morning's first activity was to don her prosthetic, and as night fell she would slip under the covers of their bed whilst Callie brushed her teeth. The phantom pains her wife experienced from time to time were kept hidden, or so Arizona thought. Callie knew, but the last thing she wanted was to push her wife before she was ready.
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Callie spent the rest of the day looking for Arizona; the board members had been called into a meeting to discuss Dr. Bailey's genome lab, but the pediatric surgeon had been paged into a surgery with Karev. When the meeting was over, Callie made her way to daycare to collect Sofia, only to find that her wife had already done so. Sighing, she decided she would grab some take-out for them before heading home.
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Arizona's previous decision to make dinner was one she was now wishing she had not agreed to. They had limited supplies in the refrigerator, and Sofia was constantly begging for her undivided attention. Coupled with the pain in her leg, Arizona decided to indulge her daughter in some cartoon time. Slipping her prosthetic off and her sweatpants on, the blonde moved to her wheelchair, settling the toddler in her lap as they grabbed a snack before turning on the TV.
"Maybe we'll order some pizza when Mami get's home. How does that sound, little miss?"
Sofia nodded at the word pizza, snuggling into her mom's embrace as she munched on her cheerios.
Shortly afterwards, Arizona heard her wife's keys unlocking the door.
"Hey, I got some pizza. I didn't know if you'd have started dinner. I remembered we didn't have a lot in the fridge."
Callie smiled softly, setting the pizza on the counter and moving towards her girls. She noted Arizona's use of her wheelchair and immediately felt guilty all over again. Opting usually to still use her prosthetic around the apartment, her leg must really have been hurting.
"Pizza!" Sofia squealed, wriggling from Arizona's lap.
"Stay there, squirt, it's coming."
Callie placed a quick kiss to her daughter's head, and a lingering one against her wife's lips.
Arizona watched as Callie pulled two beers from the fridge, balancing them in one hand and the pizza in the other as she brought everything to the couch. She broke off a small piece of margarita and handed it to their daughter.
"I'm sorry about before." Arizona spoke as she took her beer from Callie.
"No, no Arizona, I'm sorry. I should never have accused you of doing that. It wasn't fair."
"I feel like that's what I'm doing though and I know it's not fair to you. I want to…" She looked down at Sofia before choosing her words carefully.
"…Be with you again. To be your wife again. Completely."
Callie's heart soared. An idea was slowly forming in her head, but she would have to wait until Sofia was asleep to see it through.
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Despite the pain in her leg and the fatigue in the rest of her muscles, Arizona insisted on putting Sofia to bed. It was a routine she had missed for so long and now relished every opportunity she got. The toddler was growing quickly and her mothers knew it wouldn't be long before she resisted bedtime snuggles.
After putting her daughter down, Arizona wheeled herself back into the living room, where all evidence of their dinner had been cleaned away.
"Callie?" She called softly.
"Bedroom. Come here."
Arizona entered the bedroom, momentarily unable to speak. The lights were off and candles were dotted around, giving a soft, calming glow. Callie smiled as she lit the last one before kneeling in front of Arizona.
"This isn't what you think, ok? I can wait, and I mean that. Right now I want you to feel good, so take your clothes off and get onto the bed."
The brunette could see the apprehension in her wife's features.
"Trust me?"
Arizona nodded before removing her shirt. Lifting herself onto the bed, she worked her sweatpants off as Callie reached unhook her bra.
"Lay on your stomach for me. I want to make you feel good." Her voice was gentle and soothing, leaving Arizona no other option but to comply. As she did so, Callie's hands began to work their magic on her tired neck and shoulders. As each minute passed, Arizona could feel more and more of the tension slipping from her body. Until Callie stopped.
"I'm going to massage your leg." She told her. It wasn't a question or a request.
"No, Callie."
Suddenly, Callie's face appeared beside her own, those deep, brown pleading orbs reaching through her gaze and melting away her last defenses. Arizona felt herself nodding.
Moments later she felt her wife's strong yet gentle hands on what was left of her leg. When Alex or Dr. Moore touched it, they were clinical. Detached. Callie's hands were different. Professionally trained, yes, but each caress spoke of her love and devotion. Tears pooled in blue eyes as Callie spoke softly.
"How's that?"
Arizona sniffed, causing Callie to stop and move towards her.
"Did I hurt you? Oh God, I pushed you too far, I'm sorry." Guilt marred her perfect features until Arizona cupped a tanned cheek in her hand.
"No. No you didn't. I'm sorry, Calliope."
"What for?"
Arizona drew a breath, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.
"I should have let you in. I thought that if I really did then you'd run. I thought you wouldn't want to deal with this after dealing with it all day at work. I thought we could keep my leg at a distance but that just meant me keeping you at a distance and I'm sorry."
Callie was shocked by her wife's admission. Before speaking, she pressed a deep, lingering kiss onto Arizona's lips.
"Of course I want to deal with this. I wish we didn't have to because I wish you'd never been hurt, but there is nothing I want more than to help you through this, as a doctor and as your wife. I promise you, Arizona. I won't ever run."