Disclaimer: Grey's Anatomy and its characters are owned by ABC and not me.
…
"That's not weird to you?" Mark asked Teddy as he watched the other couple retreat. Alex had his arm wrapped around Arizona's shoulders as they walked toward the elevators to return to their son's room for the night.
Teddy laughed and tugged Mark toward the hospital exit, "I've had over two years to get used to it. They're really good for each other. They really love each other. They're like Barbie and Ken and the perfect Barbie family."
Mark was still curious as the pair made the walk across the street to Mark's apartment. "What does Alex have?" Mark ticked his fingers as he counted, "I mean he got Izzie the super model. The crazy but hot chick from the ferry crash. Lexie kept running back to him. He even slept with Callie's OB that looked like she was one of Charlie's freaking Angels. And now he's got the lesbian?"
"Technically she's bi now."
"Bi?" Mark raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah," Teddy said as she pushed open the door to Mark's apartment. "She still likes girls. That didn't go away just because she developed feelings for a guy." Teddy shook her head as she thought about a memory from a couple of years prior. "We actually all went out to a strip club for their combined bachelor and bachelorette parties in Boston. Arizona definitely enjoyed the strip club just as much as Alex did."
"I still don't get why everyone falls for Alex Karev," Mark muttered as he grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge and joined Teddy on the couch.
"He's got a nice body," Teddy smirked.
"You really just said that to me?" Mark questioned lightly as he pushed Teddy back against the couch and climbed on top of her. He nipped on her ear, "Really? I'll show you a nice body." Mark quickly shed his clothes and ridded Teddy of hers as he was content to forget about Alex Karev and Arizona's new found sexuality and instead focus on his own love life with the woman next to him.
…
The hospital room felt unusually quiet. Abraham was snoozing peacefully in bed. Only occasionally would he announce his presence with a muffled snore. The machines that kept track of his vitals were still going but the occupants of the room were so used to them that it was nothing more than white noise to them.
It was still fairly early – before ten o'clock at night. Too early for Arizona and Alex to go to sleep. Instead, Alex was trying to read the very same journal that Abraham kept his mother from finishing that morning. Arizona was laid out on the couch with her head in Alex's lap and reading a Dr. Seuss book to Della as she dozed.
Alex noticed that he hadn't heard any rhyming about fish come out of Arizona's mouth for several minutes. He took his eyes off of the journal and peeked down at his wife. He assumed that he would find her sleeping because she had been so quiet. Instead he found her staring off into space as she was lightly rubbing Della's back.
Alex rested his journal against his chest and reached down to stroke Arizona's cheek. "Whatcha thinking about?"
Arizona slowly rolled her head so that she was looking into her favorite pair of eyes. "Wha?" she mumbled, still in a haze.
Alex moved his thumb across Arizona's lips, "Where were you? You seemed like you were a million miles away."
"Mmm," Arizona smiled as she snuggled down deeper into Alex's lap. "I was just thinking back about that Boston trip. Talking about it over dinner brought back all of those memories."
"It was a good trip," Alex agreed. "What was your favorite part?"
Arizona pretended to think for a moment. "The honeymoon"
"Really?"
"It wasn't for you?" Arizona questioned shocked that anything else about that trip could be his favorite. The three days they spent holed up in a Vermont ski resort were nothing but perfection.
Alex bent his head down to kiss the perfect lips of his wife. "I'd say marrying you."
"That was good too," Arizona said nonchalantly.
Arizona was pacing in her bedroom. She didn't know why she agreed to this. They were already married. She wondered why she thought it was a great idea to have another ceremony when they already had the first. She began to grumble under her breath about giving her parents a ceremony, white dresses and too many people. Today was her wedding day and she was not happy about it. Arizona hated being front and center. She hated having all the attention on her which was difficult to avoid when she was the bride on her own wedding day.
"Arizona," Teddy placed her hands on her best friend's shoulders. "You're already married. This is just a formality for your parents. No need to be so nervous."
Arizona looked from her hands to Teddy's eyes, "But there will be so many people there watching me. What if I trip? Or if I mess up what I'm supposed to say?"
Teddy tightened her grip and attempted to calm Arizona, "There will only be twenty people there so only forty eyes will be looking at you. You won't trip because you're wearing ballet flats and you won't mess up what you're supposed to say because you're just repeating after the minister."
"Forty eyes?" Arizona's own eyes bugged out. "That's a lot," she said as she resumed her pacing.
Teddy looked over to Arizona's little sister, "I think we need backup."
Emily slipped out of the room and Arizona didn't even notice as she was too busy wringing her hands and pacing the small perimeter of her bedroom. Three minutes later Emily returned with her arms full.
"Mama!" Abe and Eli cried in unison as soon as they were brought into the room by their aunt.
Arizona's eyes quickly found her sons'.
"You have five minutes with them before you have to get dressed and we get this shindig on the road," Emily explained as she put the boys down on the floor and she watched Arizona join them.
"Don't you two look handsome in your little tuxes," Arizona gushed at her boys while she adjusted their little bowties. She placed kisses on each of their heads, "You two might even be cuter than Daddy, but don't tell him I said that."
Teddy and Emily leaned against the wall and smiled. For the first time all morning, Arizona had stopped pacing and was acting normal. After her brief visit by the boys she was able to put on her dress and do her makeup before her father came to her bedroom to get her for their walk downstairs and into the family living room where their guests and her husband waited for her.
"Why are you so nervous, baby girl?" Daniel asked his daughter as they waited in the hallway. As he held her hand in his he could feel it trembling. "You two are already married. This is just a formality. So that your mother can stop complaining that she wasn't at your wedding."
Arizona took a deep breath, "I really do love him and I don't regret it at all."
Daniel nodded. Over the last few days he realized that even a blind man could tell that Arizona truly loved Alex. "I know you love him."
"I just feel like I've turned my back on who I am… or who I was," Arizona explained without looking at her father. She never could make eye contact very well when talking about her feelings.
Daniel forced Arizona to look at him by using his free hand to lift her chin up to meet his gaze. "You are still the person you've always been, Arizona. The same stubborn, spitfire little girl that I first held in my arms over thirty-four years ago."
"But I'm not. I'm married to a man, Dad and I'm marrying him again today."
"You can't help who you fall in love with. You're just a late bloomer, that's all. Just last year I discovered that I love jazz music. All my life I've been a rock guy. Then one day, my favorite radio station that I could count on to always play my favorite Rolling Stones songs all of a sudden was playing jazz." Daniel looked at his daughter who was wondering just where he was going with his impromptu speech and continued, "You know my old truck… the radio doesn't pick up stations very well so I didn't even bother to change it knowing that I wouldn't find anything else. By the time I got home from the gym I was in love with the sounds of Dizzy Gillespie. I never knew that I liked it because I never really gave it a chance before. But once I did, I fell in love and haven't looked back. Heck, your mom and I even go out to the jazz clubs dancing now. I've even got most of my old Marine buddies going now even though they made fun of me at first. It took me sixty years to discover that about myself."
Arizona snorted, "Not sure you can compare human sexuality to music – but thanks for trying."
"You know what you feel Arizona. You love him. He makes you happy. You want to spend your life with him. Just stop worrying about everything else."
"Alex said the same thing when we first got together," Arizona smiled as she leaned into her father's body.
"He's a smart boy," Daniel huffed. He had come to like Alex Karev even though he really didn't want to. The boy was sleeping with his daughter after all – under his own roof even! "If it makes you feel any better, your mother and I really like him. We're happy to have him in the family."
"Thanks Daddy," Arizona fought back the tears that were forming and looped her arm through her father's. "Let's go give Mom her wedding."
The ceremony went flawlessly. Just as Alex predicted, the moment he saw Arizona turn into the living room and make her way down to him in her stunning lace dress, tears were prickling in his eyes. The Colonel passed Arizona's hand into his and told him to take care of her before he went to stand by his wife. Vows were exchanged. Platinum wedding bands were placed on their fingers. Promises to love and take care of each other for the rest of time were made. And in the end, with glassy eyes, a kiss was shared. A kiss that sealed all of the vows and promises they had just made to each other.
After the ceremony there was a celebration. The Robbins' transformed their backyard into a winter wonderland. A heated tent covered a dance floor and seating area for the guests to enjoy. After sharing their first dance together, Arizona's father cut in and showed his daughter his new dance moves that he had found thanks to his newfound love of jazz music. However, even The Colonel with his slick dancing skills was upstaged by his own grandchildren. Abe and Eli had only been walking for a couple of weeks but that didn't hinder their abilities to boogie on the dance floor with their aunt and godmother.
The reception had been going on for over two hours and was starting to wind down when Alex found his wife animatedly describing the beauty of Malawi to several of the guests. One of the duties of the happy couple was to chat up the guests which didn't lead to much alone time for the newlyweds during the reception. Alex had just escaped one of Arizona's aunts who was telling him all about his new cousins. After dodging through the crowd to avoid being stopped to talk with someone else, he had finally made it to his bride and was determined to get some time alone with her. Alex snuck up behind his wife and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and shot him a dazzling smile.
"May I have this dance?" Alex asked his new bride as he held out his hand.
Arizona excused herself from the guests and took Alex's hand and walked toward the dance floor.
Alex wrapped his hands around Arizona's waist and pulled her closer. In return, she wrapped her hands around his neck and nuzzled into his neck as they swayed to the music.
"Have I mentioned how beautiful you are today?" Alex whispered quietly, wanting to keep this moment to themselves. His hands traveled across her body feeling the lace of her dress beneath his fingers. He wondered just what she had on underneath it and couldn't wait to find out.
"Only once or twice," she mumbled into his neck, placing wet kisses as she spoke. "You look mighty handsome yourself."
Alex's hands were wandering up and down Arizona's bare back. "Are you happy?"
Arizona pulled out to look Alex in the eyes, "Exceedingly."
Alex wrapped his hand behind Arizona's neck and pulled her in for a slow and tortuous kiss. "I have one more surprise for you."
Arizona gazed adoringly at her husband, "And what would that be, Dr. Karev?"
"Well, you, Dr. Mrs. Dr. Karev, and I and going on a honeymoon."
"Honey what?" Arizona asked with wide eyes. They hadn't discussed any sort of honeymoon. Their trip had been planned with excruciating detail. It had to be with two young children. Each day of their fourteen day vacation was planned out down to what they were going to eat at each meal time. There was no room in the schedule for a honeymoon.
"Honeymoon," Alex said as he stole a kiss. "You, me and three days in a cabin a couple of hours away in Vermont."
Arizona's mind immediately went to her kids, "What about the boys?"
"They will be spoiled rotten by Grandma and Grandpa. And Aunt Emily will be here because I know you're worried about any health problems that won't happen but she'll be here just in case."
"What about Christmas?" Arizona asked nervously. She really wanted to go spend time with her husband alone but the thought of leaving her children gave her heart palpitations.
Alex ran his hand through Arizona's hair and rested on her cheek, "We'll be back on the twenty-third. Plenty of time to start our own holiday traditions." Alex stopped their swaying bodies, "Arizona, I know you're worried about them but we need this. We've never had this much time to ourselves before. We've never even had just a night together. The boys need some time without us as well. Do you really want them to grow up and be the type of boys that never move out and live with us in our basement forever? This will be good. For all of us. I promise."
"Okay," Arizona acquiesced.
"Okay?" Alex asked for confirmation.
Arizona nodded and leaned up to kiss him. "Okay."
Alex grabbed Arizona's hand and smiled. He knew he need to have a good grip on her or else she might flee and refuse to go with him. "Good, because it's time to go."
"Wait – what?" Arizona looked shocked again. "I haven't even packed!"
Teddy and Emily joined the couple on the dance floor each with a child in their arms. They knew that Alex was informing the bride about their honeymoon plans. They had been waiting for the screeching to step up and help out.
"We packed for you," Teddy answered Arizona's question as she pushed Eli into her arms. "Now say goodbye so you can make it up to Vermont before it gets dark."
In the end it only took Arizona a half hour to let her parents take the boys out of her arms. Alex had planned for it to take an hour so they were already ahead of schedule. After several "just one more" hugs and kisses and tears from all four members of the family, they were finally ready to leave the party. The wedding guests sent them off by showering them with silly string as they made the way to the rented SUV that they would drive up to their cabin in the mountains.
"I still say the honeymoon was better," Arizona said resolutely after reminiscing about the wedding.
Alex had maneuvered himself so that he was also lying on the couch on his side perched up with his arm resting atop Arizona's hand on Della's back. "I had to force you to go. How can that be better than the wedding?"
Arizona used to her free hand to pull Alex's lips closer to her own. "You," she whispered as her lips neared his. "Me," she whispered with her lips barely touching his. "In a cabin," she licked his upper lip. "In the snow," she bit down on his lower lip. "For three days," she whispered as she finally brought her lips to mesh with his and snaked her tongue inside his mouth.
When Arizona pulled away Alex was out of breath. "You are so hot," Alex said before pulling her lips back onto his but stopped them before they teased themselves too much. "That is so wrong to tease me while you are holding our baby and another one is in the bed next to us."
Arizona laid her head back down on the couch after Alex stopped their kissing. She closed her eyes while continuing her rhythmic circular patterns on Della's onesie clad back. She could tell that Alex was still staring at her. She felt his eyes on her body. After a few moments she couldn't stop the smirk from forming on her face.
"Stop thinking about our honeymoon," Alex admonished as he was trying to calm down his raging libido but her smirk and flushed face didn't help things.
Arizona's blue eyes peeked open, "I can't help it. It was my favorite part of the Christmas trip."
"Stop thinking about dirty things while holding my daughter," Alex leaned in to nibble on her ear. "She doesn't need to know about these things for another twenty years."
Arizona pushed Alex off of her ear; if he wanted her to stop thinking about dirty things then he would have to keep his lips to himself. "It wasn't all dirty," Arizona mused.
Alex bumped the driver's side door shut with his rear before he raced around to the passenger side where Arizona was trying to exit the vehicle. He wanted to do the honeymoon the right way and that way was by being a gentleman.
"Wait," Alex shouted as he came around the back of the car and grabbed the handle to the passenger door. Alex opened the door and held his hand out for his wife. "After you, m'lady."
Arizona rolled her eyes. While Alex always treated her right she wasn't used to him wanting to open car doors for her. He didn't have much of an opportunity in Mzuzu to do that anyway as they didn't even have a car; they walked everywhere. The two walked hand in hand up to the cabin door. Alex reached into his pockets to fish out the key that he had received when they checked in. He swiftly put it into the keyhole and unlocked the door. Arizona immediately tried to walk into the cabin but was stopped by a fast hand that reached out and pulled on her jacket to pull her out of the doorway.
"We're doing this right," Alex mumbled as he leaned down and picked Arizona up in his arms.
Arizona was caught off guard by Alex. She wasn't expecting to be swept up into his arms. She let off a squeal when she felt her feet being lifted off the ground. Alex walked them into the cabin, through the entry way and straight to the bedroom where he ceremoniously dropped her on the bed.
"This place is amazing," Arizona said as she got comfortable in the pillows on the bed. "Thank you."
Alex took the bow tie that was already loosened off of his neck. He gazed down at the beauty on the bed. She truly was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Alex put his hands on the bed and crawled his way up to his wife. "Anything for you," he whispered in-between placing wet kisses on her neck.
Arizona's head rolled to the side as Alex worked his magic on her neck. She was starting to let herself go when she remembered her children. Arizona pushed on Alex's shoulder. "Wait," Arizona said as she pulled away. Alex wasn't having any of it and moved right back on top of Arizona. "Wait," Arizona repeated herself.
Alex sighed. He knew exactly what she wanted. He pulled his cell phone out of his pants and handed it over. Before placing it in her eager hand he leaned down and nipped on her ear, "You have five minutes. Then I'm going to make love to my wife."
Arizona only needed three minutes to call home and check-in. She was quickly reassured that the boys were passed out in their crib after the excitement of their parents getting re-married. Alex was ready and waiting as soon as Arizona ended the phone call. He had been waiting for almost nine months, since they started to date, to have a night all alone with Arizona. He wanted to savor every inch of her body until their bodies gave out on them.
…
"The second day wasn't dirty at all," Arizona remarked after moving past the sexy thoughts of their first night in the cabin. "We spent the day skiing. How is that dirty?"
"What about what we did after skiing?" Alex questioned as he played with strands of her blonde hair.
Arizona beamed, "I do believe that involved a hot tub. Hot water and bubbles equals clean. Not dirty, Dr. Karev. I thought you were smarter than that?"
"Maybe I need some private lessons," Alex whispered against her lips. As his lips hovered above Arizona's, Arizona subconsciously licked and parted her own lips, waiting for the contact. Alex pulled out at the last moment, "You are older than me after all. You can teach me some of the wisdom of your old age."
"Ouch," Arizona pouted. "No need to play the age card. You make me sound like some cougar. I'm only four years older than you."
"I couldn't even vote when you could buy alcohol," Alex remarked knowing that teasing Arizona about her age was an easy way to get her riled up.
"Ugh," Arizona moaned. "Don't remind me."
Alex rolled off the couch and lifted a sleeping Della from Arizona's chest. He quickly and gently placed her down in the bassinette in the corner of the room. He returned to the couch where Arizona was still pouting about being old and gently lifted her up and placed her so that she was straddling him. Alex rubbed his hands up and down Arizona's jean clad thighs. "You will always be the sexiest old lady that I know."
"Even when I go grey before you? And am all wrinkly while you're still ageless?" Arizona gave him puppy dog eyes.
Alex nodded, "You already have the reading glasses so I guess I can handle the rest of that stuff."
"Gee, thanks babe."
Alex used his hands to wrap around Arizona's bottom and pull her impossibly closer. "You will always be gorgeous to me. Look at your mom. She still looks great so I'd say you have good genes for that stuff."
Arizona let a yawn slip from her mouth. "I think it's past this old lady's bed time."
Alex didn't need to be told twice. He stood as he kept Arizona locked around his waist. He gently let her down on the parent cot next to the couch. They both longed for their king sized bed at home where they could curl up and sleep together.
"Only a few more days and we'll be home in our own bed," Alex whispered as he pulled the blanket up over his almost dozing wife.
Arizona's eyes flittered open for a brief second. "Can't wait. I miss you holding me."
Alex placed a gentle kiss on her lips, "Me too."
After ensuring that Arizona was as comfortable as she could be on the cot he returned to the couch and spread out under his own blanket. He wasn't as tired as his wife but he knew he needed his rest. He was still very turned on from Arizona having brought up their honeymoon activities and also simply from having her sit on his lap. He closed his eyes and smiled as he was sure to have good dreams with those thoughts on his mind as he slipped into a slumber.
…