Title: Bend and Not Break (14/?)
Author: VietAngel
Rating: K

Summary: George has a huge secret, Callie has huge news, and when the two collide everything explodes…pulling Callie and George apart but opening the door for new lives, new loves, and allowing Callie to reconnect with the father she never really knew.

Author's Note: So sorry about the long wait between chapters, but this one took a while to come to me. Anyway, I'm quite pleased with the end result and I hope you are too.

Soundtrack:

The Veronicas – "Mother Mother"
Mazzy Star – "She's My Baby"
Inara George – "Fools In Love"
No Doubt – "Don't Let Me Down"
The Cardigans – "You're The Storm"
Phantom Planet – "Big Brat"

"Hey baby girl, it's daddy," George said as he settled between Callie's legs underneath the covers. Callie had fallen into a rather fitful sleep because the baby was so active, and he decided to have a conversation with his little girl in the hope of calming her. "I want to tell you a story. Would you like that?"

He smiled as he felt the baby somersault beneath his hand. As many times as he'd felt her move, it still amazed him. She, like her mother, had the ability to take his breath away with the simplest of actions.

"Once upon a time there was a silly little man, and one day he met a tall, gorgeous princess. This princess was unlike any other he'd ever seen or heard about. This princess always knew what she wanted, and she didn't have any problem saying it. Soon after they met, the princess told the man that she loved him. He was so silly that he didn't realize that he loved her too, so he didn't say it back. He broke her heart and he almost lost her. His father made him realize that she was the best thing to ever happen to him, so he asked her to marry him after his father died. Lucky for him, she said yes. The man was still too silly to really appreciate her, and he hurt her a lot with the things he said and did. One day she told him they were going to have a baby and he finally realized how wonderful she was. Now he spends everyday trying to make up for all the times he'd made her cry, and treating her like the princess she always was. Now he knows that every single minute he has with her is a gift he isn't worthy of receiving. Everyday he's thankful that she chose him, even though she deserves so much more. You're smart like your mommy, so I'm sure you've figured out that I'm the silly man already. I love you and your mommy more than life itself and I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost either of you. Can you do this silly man one favor, baby girl? I know it's pretty crowded in there, but please try not to move so much. I know, I know…it's not even night yet, but she works hard to make it warm and safe and cozy in there for you. Mommy is really tired and she needs her sleep."

He kissed Callie's belly button before moving back up the bed. He rested his hand on her belly and felt light kicks, but for the most part the baby was still. His story must have worked. With the baby settled, Callie was finally able to roll onto her side and get comfortable. George spooned around her, inhaled the scent of her hair. It was strange, but he found himself thinking of his father. If it wasn't for him, he wouldn't be here right now. Harold O'Malley had given him the push he needed to take the next step with Callie. He had meant every word he said when he proposed to her. Just being able to look at her made him feel better—the nearness of her warmed his heart. He followed her into sleep with a smile on his face…he knew now, without a doubt, that he'd follow her anywhere.

Rosario Torres was almost reduced to tears as she entered her daughter's hotel room as quietly as possible…but she was also relieved. She had been worried sick when Callie didn't answer either of her phones. In her heart she knew she was fine, but it was a mother thing. Mothers worry when they can't get in touch with their children. Callie never made it easy for her. Her baby girl was always running off—most of the time without any notice. Maybe motherhood would settle her roaming soul.

The sight before her was breathtaking. Callie was curled up in bed with her husband…his arm draped protectively over her very pregnant belly. She had never even met the man, but there was no doubt in her mind that he loved her daughter with everything in him. She wished her relationship with her daughter was better. If she could turn back time and change things, she would…but what's done is done. They had a lot of fences to mend, but she silently vowed to make an effort. She had to try. It may have been too late to fix what she'd broken with Callie, but she would be the best grandmother ever—after she had a little fun of course. She opened the door once more and slammed it, effectively waking her daughter and son-in-law.

"Fuck. What do you want mother?" Callie said as she rolled onto her back and threw her arm over her eyes.

"Calliope Torres! You watch your mouth young lady; there are young ears in the room!" Rosario replied.

"Sorry, um…I mean, shit! Better?" Callie said as she sat up slowly, hugging the sheet to her chest. Rosario just rolled her eyes and sighed.

"How did you know it was me anyway?" Rosie asked. With her hands on her hips and her eyebrows quirked like that, she was the spitting image of her daughter.

"Oh, I don't know…the amount of evil in the room increased enough to make my Spidey Sense tingle?" Callie replied with bleary eyes and a smirk.

"By the looks of things you had more than your Spidey Sense tingled," Rosie replied with a smirk of her own. She walked over to the bed and planted a kiss on her sleepy child's forehead. She poked Callie in the ribs lightly, eliciting a giggle. "Turn the high beams off sweetheart, it's still light outside."

Rosie winked, and George couldn't help but laugh. He quickly stifled his amusement at the exchange when he was rewarded with a death glare from Callie. She self-consciously covered her traitorous nipples with her arm and waited for her mother to tell her why she was really there. George was suddenly mortified as he realized he was meeting his wife's mother for the first time while they were in bed…naked. Granted they were married adults and she was pregnant, so the fact that they were sexually active wasn't some kind of secret…but it just wasn't the first impression you really wanted to make on your mother-in-law.

"So you're the man who stole my daughter's heart…among other things," Rosie said with a wink and her patented smirk as she extended her hand. A blush crept up his cheeks and she smiled when he squirmed uncomfortably.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Ms. Torres," he replied, shaking her hand awkwardly.

George tried his hardest not to stare, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her. There was only one word to describe Rosario…gorgeous, and not in a "she looks good for her age" kind of way either. The woman was in her early sixties and she was every bit as stunning as her daughter—the only difference was the streaks of silver hair and a few smile lines around the eyes. Looking at her was like looking into his future and he felt like he had just won the lottery. She was decked out in a black, fifties style shirt dress and shoes that looked like they were swiped from Addison's closet. Her long, dark curls were pulled back into a neat ponytail.

"Nice to meet you too, George. I've heard a lot about you. Fortunately for you it has been all good," she said. George gulped. Callie was the only other person in the world who could put that kind of fear in his heart in an instant—now he knew where she got it from. She was smiling, but he knew that she would rip his heart out and shove it down his throat if he made one false move. "If you can manage to keep your hands off of mini-me here, it would be a good idea for you two to get dressed. We have dinner reservations at 8:00."

With that she turned on her heels and sauntered out of the room.

"George O'Malley! That better be the remote poking me in the leg!" Callie screamed incredulously as she stared at him with wild eyes.

"Um..Uh…well…" he stammered, grabbing a pillow and holding it over his crotch.

"I can't believe you! That's my mother!" she yelled as she socked him with her pillow, hard. He hit the floor with a thud and she got up and stormed off to the shower.

"I'm sorry! Your mom's hot! I can't control it, it's like looking at you in the future!" he said. He sighed and picked himself up. Dinner with two Torres women—he knew he was in for a bumpy ride.

The ride to the restaurant was tense to say the least. Callie was still pissed at him, so she didn't say a word for the entire ride—just stared blankly out the window. That wasn't a good sign. If she was just angry she talked—ad nauseum, but silence meant she was a little hurt too. It was the longest twenty minutes of his life. He had tried to capture her hand across the center console a couple of times to no avail. She just pulled away and folded her hands neatly across her belly. All he could do was sigh and try to focus on the road.

By the time they pulled into the parking lot he just couldn't take it anymore. He pulled to the side instead of going straight to the valet. Callie looked at him as if he had grown a second head as he quickly got out of the car and ran around to the passenger side. He opened her door and effectively trapped her in her seat, which only served to annoy her. Before she could protest, he began to speak.

"Callie, I'm sorry. That's all I can say," he said, cupping her cheeks and forcing her to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry that I love you so much that any little hint of you can cause my body to react in really embarrassing ways."

"You got a woody for my mother! Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?" she asked.

"It wasn't like that, Cal. You do realize that you and your mother are practically twins right? And you sound just alike too, but none of that is really important. It was the way you two interacted. I just couldn't help thinking that maybe that would be you and our daughter one day…well, minus the naked in bed with her husband part because she can never date, ever. It's just—you're really sexy when you're being a smart ass, and you kind of lit up when she was in the room. I was excited for her to leave so I could have my way with you."

He rested his forehead against hers and snaked his hand beneath her hair until it rested on the back of her neck. She smiled and puckered her lips for a kiss.

"Rosie is fun sometimes, but don't let the snake charm you too much. She made my life a living hell when she wanted to. You're about to see an entirely different side of her," Callie said.

He kissed her cheek and then hopped back in the driver's seat. Rosie was waiting when they pulled up in front of the restaurant. Mnemosyne's Daughter was an elegant place, complete with Greek style architecture reminiscent of the Ionic order and busts of all nine muses. Rosie greeted her daughter with a kiss on both cheeks and high praise for her choice of outfit. Callie was wearing a cute brown wrap dress with lace trim. It had a plunging v-neck and puff sleeves, and she topped off the look with her favorite chocolate brown, leather, knee-high boots. Her mass of curls cascaded down her back, and her skin glowed with pending motherhood. George thought she had never looked more beautiful.

"He's very short," Rosie said, frowning and looking her son-in-law up and down, then cocked her head to the side, "but cute and scruffy like a puppy."

"Mami! Can you at least try to be nice to the father of your grandchild, please?" Callie huffed.

"What? I said he was cute," Rosie replied as if she had no idea what Callie was getting her panties in a twist about. "I'm sorry, George. I hope I didn't offend you."

"No offense taken," George replied. It was amazing how well she insulted him and complimented him all in the same sentence—at least he thought there was a compliment in there somewhere. They were lead to a table in a rather secluded spot, and he filed that information away for the next time he took Callie out for a romantic evening. Rosario settled on the Maine lobster, while George chose the New York Strip steak with a side of garlic potatoes and asparagus. Callie was craving something sweet and proceeded to order a dark chocolate cake layered with fudge, but both George and Rosie protested.

"Callie, you need to eat something with some actual nutritional value. You've been eating junk all week," George said. Rosie glared at her, so Callie glared at George. He straightened his back defiantly and tried to appear as if it wasn't getting to him.

"Pizza is not junk! It contains all of the food groups!" Callie argued.

"He's right, mi vida. You're pregnant. You need to take better care of yourself. It's okay for you to indulge sometimes, but you don't just have yourself to think about anymore," Rosie interjected. Callie turned her glare to her mother, but it didn't get her anywhere…so she resorted to pouting. She was so intent on getting her way that she didn't notice the handsome older gentleman approaching their table.

"Freckles!" he exclaimed, and Callie immediately started beaming, and somehow managed to get out of her chair and fling herself into his open and waiting arms in the blink of an eye.

"Uncle Eddie! What are you doing here? I thought you were still in Italy," Callie said.

"I was, but your mother told me she was throwing you a party, so I had to come home and see my favorite niece," he replied. "But obviously I'm not your favorite uncle, because you didn't invite me to the wedding…and my brother had to tell me I was going to become a great-uncle."

"I'm sorry uncle Eddie, the marriage was a spur of the moment thing. Mami and papi weren't even there," Callie replied, batting her eyelashes in that way that always made her uncle melt. "I'd like you to meet my husband, George O'Malley. George, this is my uncle, Eduardo Torres."

"Nice to meet you, son," Eddie said while extending his hand to George. "I'm sure my brother already gave you the speech about what's going to happen if you hurt our girl, so I'm just going to say welcome to the family…and I hope I won't have to break your kneecaps anytime soon."

"No worries there, sir. I love Callie more than breathing," George replied. He was shaken, but he tried to appear calm. Eddie was pretty much the exact opposite of Callie's father. He towered over Callie, had a head full of salt and pepper hair, and always kept a warm smile on his face.

"Good answer," Eddie said as Callie returned to her seat. He went over to give Callie's mother a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "It's good to see you, Rosie…and I still maintain that my brother is a complete idiot for letting you get away."

"It's good to see you too, Eddie. Still pouring it on thick, I see," she replied. "Where's Giada? I haven't seen her in ages."

"Giada is my wife, Callie's aunt, and just as much a spitfire as these two are. We Torres men like to appear tough, but our women run the show," he said to George before answering Rosie's question. "She's stuck in Italy…some kind of crisis at the store. She sends her love, Freckles…and a boatload of clothes and shoes for you of course. She designed a maternity line just for you and she was downright giddy about it. She's working on baby clothes now."

"Eddie, can you talk some sense into your niece please? She is refusing to eat real food. She wants chocolate cake instead," Rosie said.

"But Uncle Eddie, I'm pregnant…it's a craving. I should be able to eat whatever I want. Besides, there's nothing that I want on the menu tonight," Callie interrupted.

"Please, nena? Will you at least try to eat something nutritious?" he asked. For the first time ever, George witnessed Callie's defenses melt. The man was good. "I'll tell you what…think of something you want and I'll go back there and cook it myself," he said. He leaned down to whisper not so quietly in Callie's ear, "and if you eat at least half of it, I'll make sure you get the biggest piece of chocolate cake you've ever seen."

"Eddie! You and Hector are the reason she's spoiled rotten now!" Rosie admonished. Callie poked her tongue out at her mother, and then smiled sweetly at her uncle. "Callie, you are such a brat!"

"And you love me for it," Callie replied, undeterred. "Can I have chicken agrodolce and artichoke and fennel salad?"

"Anything you want, sweetheart," Eddie replied as he kissed the top of Callie's head. Rosie glared at him, and the duo broke into a fit of laughter.

"So this is your restaurant?" George asked Eddie.

"Technically, Freckles owns it, but she never mentions it since she's intent on not embracing the family money and all," he started. "I named it Mnemosyne's Daughter after her. Giada and I never had any kids, so we spend a lot of time spoiling this one and her brothers. I'd better go get started on the food. George, it's been a pleasure. I leave you all to enjoy your meal and I'll see you at the party."

"Bye, Uncle Eddie. I love you," Callie said, blowing a kiss to her uncle.

"Te quiero mas, nena," he replied as he pretended to catch it and press it to his heart. He then headed to the back to start on Callie's request.

"You're terrible, you know that?" Rosie said to her daughter.

"I learned it by watching you," Callie shot back.

"Quoting a bad 80s commercial doesn't help your case," Rosie replied. "Like I said, you're a brat. Speaking of brats, are you prepared to deal with her for the rest of your life, George? My child is very spoiled, and while she may be in denial right now, it's not going to always be that way. Callie is used to having the finest things in life. I'm an only child, and Hector just has the one brother, so she's the only girl in the family...to say she gets everything she wants would be an understatement. Hector and I have seen to it that all of our children have the very best, and that has caused as many problems for them as it has solved. The boys have always had to deal with gold diggers coming after them, and Callie…she's had her heart broken over and over again because men have said they could handle the size of her bank account, but when it came down to it they were threatened by it. I've looked into your background, George. You're not a man of means; you're still paying off student loans. You've taken vows; you're about to have a child, and Callie's going to want the best for her. Are you going to be able to handle it when her trust fund rears its ugly head?"

George couldn't speak for a moment. He was shocked by the rate at which the conversation shifted. Now he knew what Callie meant when she said not to let the snake charm him too much. Rosie the harmless garter snake had suddenly turned into a venomous viper. Callie started to say something, but he stopped her.

"You're right; I'm not a man of means. The only thing I stand to inherit from my parents is a modest house I'll have to share with my brothers, and a life insurance policy that would seem like pocket change to your family," George started. "I was taught that a man is supposed to be able to provide for his family, but if Callie wants to embrace her money and buy the waterfront mansion, I'll have to be okay with that. I'll be okay with it because it makes her happy, and I love her…and seeing her happy makes life worth living."

Rosario didn't say anything at first. She sipped her wine slowly as if giving herself time to collect her thoughts…all the while, George held his breath and Callie looked ready to pounce. She nodded, and broke out into a brilliant smile before saying, "Good answer."

George released the breath he'd been holding and it was like someone had taken the ton of bricks off of his shoulders. Callie smiled and grabbed George's hand before planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek. The remainder of their dinner was filled with conversation, laughter, and great food. Callie talked his head off on the ride home, gushing about how amazing he was and telling him about how he was the only guy she'd ever had a relationship with who managed to impress both of her parents. When they finally made it home, Callie went to bed happier than any person with a chocolate cake induced stomachache should be…but George was right there on cloud nine with her.

TBC…