Chapter 24:

A/N: I apologize for taking so long to get this chapter posted. I started it several times several different ways. My muse and I disagreed A LOT before finally deciding, and agreeing, on this angle. It may not be what some people were hoping for, but I'm hoping it will still be enjoyed all the same. Also, don't let the last line of this chapter upset you too much. Callie still has a few things to figure out but she IS coming around. That's all. Enjoy!

-10 months ago-

Callie opened her eyes slowly and inhaled a steady, deep breath. Her body ached and her muscles protested at her desire to move them. Rolling her head over to her left, she was immediately greeted by the golden sight of blonde hair. Arizona was facing away from her with her back taking in the warm glow of the sun through the curtains of their room.

Smiling to herself, Callie used her left hand to push away at the thin sheet covering her partner. The material slid down her back and afforded the Latina an undisturbed view of Arizona's flawlessly smooth skin. Unable to stop herself, she trailed the back of her knuckles over the other woman's shoulder and down to the dip of her spine.

Arizona stretched, slightly, at the contact but remained in a deep sleep. Callie rolled over and propped herself up on her left elbow, resting her head in her hand, and used the fingers of her other hand to continue tracing a slow path down her lover's back. She watched as her tan fingers moved down each ridge of Arizona's spinal cord and couldn't stop the loving smile that adorned her face.

She was married.

Arizona-wonderful, sweet, perfect, Arizona Robbins was hers forever. For eternity.

She could barely believe how lucky she was. From this day forth, she had the honor of waking up to the woman next to her. She got to love her. She got to rejoice in her body and make her laugh and see her super magic smile. They were married and Callie couldn't have been more fulfilled.

Shoving the sheet, which had settled around Arizona's hips, down farther, Callie allowed her finger tips to smooth across the base of her partner's back. She loved touching her. Having slept with men for most of her life, Callie had been humbled and awed at the softness and smoothness of a woman's skin. Being a woman herself, she should have known but the information, though evident, had still amazed her.

Erica had been soft, but nothing close to Arizona. Callie remembered the way her hands had trembled the first time she and the blonde had been together. Arizona's delicate features had intrigued her, yet also made her more cautious in her movements. She was larger than Arizona. Erica and she had been similar in height and build, but Arizona was petite. She was shorter than Callie and more slight of frame.

The first time she and Arizona had made love, Callie had known that she would forever feel protective about the other woman. It had nothing to do with her feeling as if Arizona were weak or unable to handle things herself, but more to do with the simple fact that, as she'd surmised, Arizona was smaller than she. She naturally felt compelled to protect her and be gentle with her. That wasn't to say that she didn't thoroughly enjoy ravishing the blonde headed woman. Thought slim, Callie knew well how Arizona could take control of their love making and assert her own dominance.

At first, Callie had been slightly hesitant to "get wild", as Cristina called it, with Arizona. Doing so with men had always been something she enjoyed and was able to do easily. With Arizona, it had come as something she had to ease herself into. Callie knew how vocal and all in she could become during the throes of passion. Knowing she was bigger than her sexual partner, as well as being aware of how small her lover was, had been issues the two of them had had to overcome during their early sexual encounters.

Arizona had laughed at her, she remembered. Despite being touched at Callie's protectiveness, the blonde had quickly informed her that she was far from fragile. After a time, both women had learned the others bodies and become adept students on their path to mutual sexual discovery and enjoyment.

Laughing to herself at the memories running through her mind, Callie moved her fingers over the swell of her partner's hip and dipped them into the curve of her stomach. A momentary twitch from Arizona caught her eye but she continued. She watched the other woman bring her right leg up against her chest and proceed to remain in her heavy slumber.

Confidence welled up in her chest at the knowledge of why her lover was so tired and worn. The previous night, she and Arizona had made love for the first time as a married couple. What had started off as tender and soft and loving had quickly turned to heated cries, rough, lingering touches, and strangled moans of unadulterated pleasure. Arizona and she had made love several times during the course of the night, both stopping only long enough to reflect and enjoy their afterglow, before satisfying their hunger again and attacking the others body.

Exhaustion and fatigue had finally demanded that the two of them discontinue their lovemaking and sleep had settled over them at some undetermined time later. Callie could still feel her muscles remonstrating at her late night activities but their ache also carried with them a warm glow of immense satisfaction.

Scooting closer to her lover, Callie pressed her chest against her back before placing a soft kiss on her shoulder. Her fingers opened wide and she spread them across the blonde's stomach. The only reaction her movements garnered was Arizona pushing back against her and snuggling into her more fully. Letting her forehead settle on the blonde's shoulder, Callie moved her hand farther down her stomach and smiled.

Slipping her fingers between Arizona's thighs, she was greeted with a lazy heat. Immediately, she moved her fingers down lower and found the blonde's clit. Stroking slowly, but deliberately, she set about the task of 'waking' the organ up. A moan, numbed by sleep, escaped Arizona's lips and she lowered her right leg, while at the time same, pushing back against Callie.

Callie ran her nose up along her partner's shoulder and peered over it to allow herself to see the reaction she was causing. Arizona's brow was slightly scrunched and her left hand, arm still partially hidden under her pillow, was grasping at the sheets. Her lips were parted and, occasionally, a gasp would leave them.

"Wake up beautiful." Callie whispered into her wife's ear. Licking along the outside of it, she continued moving her fingers between Arizona's legs.

Moisture was staring to meet her movements and it's slippery heat only added to the hazy pleasure she was sure she was evoking. Dipping her fingers lower still, Callie let them gather some of the wetness Arizona had produced. A sharp inhale and a jerk accompanied her decision and she allowed them to spur her on.

Finding the blonde's clit, once again, she rubbed her fingers, wet with Arizona's pleasure, across it roughly and was rewarded when she finally managed to coax the sensitive nub, fully, from under its hood.

"Wake up, baby. You're really hot when you're wet, you know that?"

Callie watched as Arizona fought in a place between the world of waking and the world of slumber. Incoherent words and whispers left her mouth but they were drowned by the sounds of her moans and gasps. Biting down on Arizona's neck, Callie nipped at her skin and moved her fingers with more focus.

The combination of the two caused Arizona's eyes to open suddenly and a strangled gasp fled from her heavily, she attempted to look over her shoulder.

"Callio-"

Her words were cut short as her brain fully processed what was happening between her legs. She could feel her own heat building steadily within her and the wetness Callie was moving through was evidence enough of her enjoyment.

"Morning, baby." Callie said huskily before kissing the side of her face and jaw.

Fingers continued to stroke and rub her overly sensitive flesh and she gave up on the idea of talking, instead choosing to bring her right hand up to tangle, as best as she could, in Callie's hair. Moving her hips in rhythm with her partner's touches, Arizona gave herself over to her passion and closed her eyes.

Deep moans left her the longer she and Callie moved. She was surprised her body could still react to sexual stimulation, given the overload she'd granted it the night before.

Callie was pressed, fully, against her back and she could feel her nipples when they moved. Their hard tightness alerted her to her partner's obvious arousal. Were they not enough, the wetness occasionally meeting her backside, would have informed her of such.

The beginnings of her orgasm snuck up on her and she was unprepared for the shock waves that exploded throughout her frame. Callie stopped rubbing her clit and quickly shoved two fingers inside of her, wanting to feel the orgasm as it accosted her body. Using her thumb, the Latina coaxed every ounce of pleasure from her partner's clit that it had to offer. She could feel the blonde's thighs shaking around her hand and hear the guttural cry of pleasure that was ripped from her throat. Licking the expanse of neck that was exposed to her, Callie held onto Arizona as the other woman came down from her high.

Once the last wave of pleasure had gone from her body, Callie turned her touches from ones meant to induce excitement to those used to comfort and soothe. Arizona went limp in her arms and fell back against her, completely sated.

Arizona moved her right hand from the Latina's hair and trailed it down her body, finally meeting the fingers still trapped between her legs. Callie flicked her thumb over her clit and the motion caused the blonde's internal walls to clinch around her fingers. Sighing in satisfaction, Arizona lifted her leg and allowed her partner to remove herself from inside her.

"Are you going to wake me up like this every morning?" she asked in a slurred tone of speech.

Callie kissed her shoulder again and smiled against her skin. "If I'm lucky." she replied.

Smiling and laughing softly, Arizona ran her fingers over the back of Callie's hand, which had come to settle against her stomach.

"We're married." she whispered.

The Latina pushed herself against the blonde's back and let her cheek rest against her shoulder. Nodding in agreement, she tightened the hold her arm had on her partner and replied, "Mmmhmm, we're married."

-Present Day-

"Callie? Dr. Torres, can you hear me?"

Derek's voice was calm, like it normally was, but it was met with silence from the one he'd directed it towards. Walking around to stand next to Arizona, the dark haired man read Callie's vitals and leaned forward to look into her face.

Callie made no indication that she noticed the movement. Her eyes remained focused on Arizona, as they had since she'd first awakened. Derek pulled one of her eyelids back and shined a pen light in her pupil. Noticing its reaction, he nodded to himself and stepped back.

Around him, Arizona, her parents, and Mr. and Mrs. Torres all waited with bated breath. Arizona, with her arms wrapped around herself, fidgeted behind him but remained quiet.

"Hmm." Derek hummed.

Ignoring the sharp and deeply swallowed breaths from the room's other occupants, Derek walked backwards, away from Callie, and paid close attention as to whether or not she followed him with her eyes. Like he had surmised, Callie appeared to have not noticed his movement. Her attention, her focus, stayed on Arizona.

"Dr. Robbins?" he asked suddenly.

Arizona tore her gaze from her partner's and looked over her shoulder at Derek.

"Come stand by me." the neuro surgeon instructed.

Frowning. but willing to do whatever was required, Arizona slowly walked towards her fellow attending and came to stand next to him. When she turned around and lifted her head to look back at Callie, she was startled to find that her lover had followed her and was still staring at her.

"Fascinating." Dr. Shepard intoned to himself.

Carlos stepped into the room and walked towards his daughter's bedside. Hoping to garner a reaction from her, he said, "Mija?"

Arizona watched him, arms still wrapped across her body, as he came to stop just shy of her bed. Callie ignored his call and continued staring at her. Triumph warred with pity inside her body at the display. Looking past Carlos, she noticed her own father standing tall in the doorway of Callie's room. The man caught her eyes and nodded once.

"Okay, I'm going to need everyone to clear out." Derek ordered after a moment.

"I'm her father. I have a right to be here." Carlos said quickly.

Derek sighed and looked around the room. Every face he found was the same.

Sad. Fearful. Worried. Hopeful. Torn. Confused.

He knew his latest patient was greatly loved, admired, and adored. Not just by those present, but by most of the hospital staff. Callie had completed her residency at Seattle Grace. She'd married, gotten divorced, slept with inappropriate people, spoken the vagina monologues, become an attending, found true love, and gotten married a second time. She wasn't just Carlos' daughter. She was Arizona's partner. She was Daniella's mother. She was a friend and colleague to him and everyone else in the hospital.

Derek knew everyone was worried, but he also knew that too many people being around when a comatose patient was regaining awareness, did more harm than good.

Meeting Carlos' heated glare, he said "I'm aware of who you are, sir. I can appreciate your concerns. Right now, Callie is awake but she is only responding, visually, to Arizona. I'm going to have to run some more tests, but right now, the best thing you can do for her is grant her some space and some time. She needs to process everything."

Carlos opened his mouth to speak but Amalia interrupted him.

"Is she going to be okay?"

Deidre placed an arm around the older Latina's shoulder and looked Derek in the face. She, too, wanted to know the answer to Amalia's question.

Placing his pen light into the top pocket of his lab coat, Derek sighed and replied, "I'm not sure yet. I thought, at first, that she may have been suffering from Apallic syndrome, but she is responsive to Dr. Robbins. I'll know more after I run some tests. She may slip in and out of consciousness for the next few days, but I'm hoping she'll slowly regain all functionality."

With that, Derek smiled at Arizona, patted her arm in a comforting gesture, and walked around her. Passing his chart to a nurse standing outside the room, he corralled both sets of worried parents and left Arizona alone with her partner.

The blonde stared at the door for a moment before looking back at Callie. Dark, brown, eyes were still focused on her. Arizona swallowed past the lump that had been forming in her throat and walked to the head of Callie's bed.

"Calliope? Can you hear me, baby? You know I'm here, right?"

Callie's eyes widened upon hearing her name fall from Arizona's lips. Blinking rapidly, she continued to stare at her. The sounds of her breathing were accentuated due, in part, to the tube down her throat. Arizona smiled and placed a hand on top of hers.

"I'm right here, baby. I'm right here."

Callie kept her eyes locked with the blue ones before her. Arizona's features were slightly blurred and her speech was muffled, but her eyes were strikingly clear and vivid. She was unsure of where she was or what was happening. Commands she tried to give her body seemed to become lost along their travels. She was stuck, without the ability to shake herself free. A force seemed to pull at the corners of her mind and its heavy presence appeared inviting to her.

A prevarication she knew for sure.

The only thing that kept her from following the warm, comforting, vociferated tug begging for her heed was Arizona. Who she was looking at had to be Arizona. Her face was hard to make out and her voice sounded different in her ears but, Callie knew, she'd recognize those blue eyes anywhere.

The shape, Arizona she presumed, was speaking to her again. The blue eyes she was so mesmerized with came closer to her and she widened her own to take in the definitions of the face above her.

"I'm right here, baby. I'm right here."

Callie tired to respond. The words were clear to her and easily understood. The melodic quality of the voice which had spoken them was weight to her assumptions as to whom she was looking.

Arizona. It was Arizona.

A hand on her own sent a shocking reverberation through her body. It left a warm, tingling, impression on her skin and caused her breathing to become more apparent. Unable to command a reaction from her body to the touch, Callie glanced down at the hand on top of hers before quickly looking back up at her partner.

She hoped the gesture would be enough to inform the other woman of her acknowledgment. She was here. Where had she been prior? Why could she not do more to let Arizona know of her plight? Questions, accompanied by torn and blurred images, sped through her mind at a dizzying rate. The effects of everything she was enduring were too much for her and she felt her eyes closing against her will.

Blue eyes appeared sorrowed and a sound came from somewhere far away, but Callie was too overcome to put up any resistance.

Darkness overtook her view of blue and she knew no more.