AN: Long time no update but here it is. The next installment. Thank you so much for all your kind messages and reviews asking when another chapter will be done, and fear not. I promise to finish this story.

Eliza's POV

Eliza is head-deep in her work and it's only 9 a.m. She got in around 7 a.m. and started working on yet another closure. Seems like it's the time of year where custody cases are being closed and/or finalized. Thank God, even though it may mean that some households are left inconsolable or just broken. Eliza tries her best to let justice triumph, it's just not always it goes the way she plans or wants it to. More times than not her clients celebrate the victory of a long and emotionally hard road because of her but there's also the ones Eliza simply cannot victoriously help. The cases that pretty much are deemed from the beginning, though it doesn't stop Eliza from doing her best and hardest effort. She's known for her thrive, her drive and especially her way of combining truth, emotions and a cool view. And those things surely helps her in court and at work but also in her personal life. She's always been a driven person which could possibly be one of

reasons she chose to attend law school. She's always wanted to help and stand up for people and especially the ones with no voices of their own. She's always fought for what she believed in and what she wanted which then came automatically with her choice of carreer and the last couple of years with her wife's accident. Eliza wanted Arizona's love and affection, she believed in her wife's ability to regain her memory - most days - and she never doubted her own love for Arizona. It was what held her together more days than it tore her apart. Eliza's love and devotion made her pull through and thank God for that. Because now she's about to be a mother. Arizona is making her into a parent in two weeks give or take. It's surreal but Eliza wouldn't want it any other way. Arizona is making another dream of hers come true. That alone is a miracle. Arizona is a miracle. Coming back from such a severe accident and now giving birth to their love child. Eliza can't pin down which enormous kind of powers her wife holds but they are in fact that... enormous. And admirable.

The pregnancy has brought a lot of crazy situations, emotions and disagreements along but it hasn't scared any of them. One thing Eliza hadn't expected to already be a problem is the not sleeping part. The baby isn't even here but Eliza can't seem to get a descent sleep these days which is why she's been here since 7 a.m. Eliza loves her wife, she really does, but she really wishes that Arizona wouldn't kick as much as she does. Eliza knows that the bigger the baby gets inside the womb, the more it kicks. But what she didn't know was that the woman carrying the baby would kick as well. And a lot. The blonde is kicking hard and fast in her sleep like some kind of a mirror-kicking from the child. Arizona cannot control it and is so heartbroken from the fact that she keeps her wife awake all night. And yup, it's really heartbroken. Arizona weeps and weeps and nothing seems to help matters. It doesn't irritate Eliza, it's rather cute actually, but it's the non-sleeping thing that makes her a little edgy. But she's come to think about it as a rehearsal for when the baby comes. And days like today, she just gets a lot - a lot - out of and make it count behind her desk. It's actually okay but she would lie if she said that she didn't want to sleep to at least 8 o'clock some days. Or just one day. Never mind, though. She's here and cases doesn't solve themselves anyway.

As Eliza taps away on the keyboard of her computer, her phone vibrates. Reaching for the device, Eliza clicks open the screen and a large smile erupts her face. Arizona has sent her a video and judging by the still picture it's of her belly. Pressing play on the screen, the video starts.

The soft sound of Christmas music is playing in the background as Arizona pokes one of her fingers into her stomach. It sends a whirlwind of happiness through Eliza. It makes her head spin. The way Arizona's fingers take turns cautiously poking the large bump which causes the shape of a small foot or a tiny fist to show beneath the surface of her wife's skin... it's just miraculous. It's beautiful. It's pure joy. And most importantly... it's her baby. Eliza feels the happiness spread into a humongous grin, one that would make her wife weak in the knees and maybe even make her eyes pool. Nah, not maybe. Definitely. Arizona would definitely cry if she saw the grin adoring Eliza's face right now.

Suddenly Arizona's hand leaves the screen only to return into view with something hidden in the palm. Eliza pictures how her wife is balancing with recording this video while doing what she's doing now - and it makes her chuckle out loud. The hidden object in Arizona's hand is apparently a lipstick - and a red one. Eliza's red lipstick. Carefully and meticulously Arizona draws a red heart upon the area around her bellybutton, the heart being upside down to make it the right shape for her to record and for Eliza to witness. It's beautiful and cute... and it's her life. A tiny fist appears once again, this time where the lipstick heart ends. It makes Arizona giggle and it's one of those giggles that makes Eliza swoon. Sadly the video stops, making the blonde's giggle resonate in the silent office and in Eliza's heart. Reading the message below the video, Eliza finds herself wanting to call it a day and head home. She can't do that, though. It's only a little after 9 a.m.

A: Joy to the world. The lord is almost here ;)

Sending lots of love and fist-bumps to our favorite attorney!

Quickly sending her wife a reply, Eliza's fingers tap the screen of her iPhone like a pro.

E: That might be the cutest fist-bump I've ever seen! Let's go celebrate :)

A few seconds go by and Arizona replies, confusion written all over her text.

A: Celebrate? The fist-bump? You're crazy!

E: Why not? :) It's the little things in life we need to celebrate. Small victories, Arizona. Little wins!

A: And fist-bumps are a victory becaaaause?

E: Our kid is awesome, Arizona. Let's just celebrate that! Fist-bumps are just a bonus ;)

A: Ha, you ARE crazy and I love you! I'll celebrate with you. How?

E: Dinner. 6 p.m.? My treat!

A: Smooth... we've got joint bank accounts, remember?

E: Humor me for a minute here, woman!

A: Ask me again then :)

E: Do you wanna go out with me? Dinner, tonight, 6 p.m.?

A: I'd love to!

E: I'll pick you up :)

A: Great because I can't seem to move without getting exhausted or really hungry! :-*

E: Ha ha. I'll see you tonight, honey.

A: I can't wait!

Deciding it's time to take a closer look at her closure for the Jensen's family feud, Eliza places her iPhone next to the framed picture of Arizona, sending her wife a soft smile in the process. Eliza can't wait to go out with Arizona tonight, to celebrate the bundle of joy who's been growing inside the blonde for the biggest part of the year. It's 9:30 a.m. and Eliza needs to work and help a broken family reach the best solution for all parts. It's a hard journey but she thinks she's finally found a road everyone included can get on terms with. Mentally crossing her fingers, Eliza hopes the early Christmas spirit has settled inside the ex-husband and the ex-wife. Tapping away on her keyboard yet again, Eliza pours all of her energy into writing and presenting her advice and solution for the Jensen's while setting aside her own excitement about spending a night out with her pregnant wife.

Hours has gone by one by one and without even noticing it, the morning has turned into early evening. Casting a look upon her colleague opposite her, Eliza notices the small lip-bite Penny is doing. Finding it a bit funny, she can't stop the soft snort from escaping her nose. It makes Penny look up and lose the biting-lock on her lower lip.

"Sorry," Eliza tries covering up her snort with a forced cough. Penny doesn't respond, though, her eyes quickly glancing out of the window to the Seattle autumn sky. Eliza mirrors the red head and finds the street lights hit her in the face through the window. The moon already in place. It's a welcoming light like some kind of safe awareness because it means that her baby is soon going to be here in flesh and blood, and not just beneath the skin of her wife. The street lights glowing at this time of the day is a clear signal that winter and Christmas is coming which means... the Minnick-Robbins household is upgrading. The mere thought makes Eliza's insides vibrate due to pure love and excitement.

"When is the due date?" Penny asks out of the blue dragging Eliza out of her daydreaming.

"December the 12th," Eliza proudly states, feeling yet another round of excitement skate through her entire body.

"Wow," Penny smiles. "It's pretty soon. How are you doing?"

"To be honest... I can't wait."

"I can only imagine. Have you picked a name yet or are you the type of people who decides when the baby gets here?"

"We... we can't decide on a name because, frankly... we can't decide on a name we both like," Eliza chuckles.

The unbearable tension between Eliza and Penny has finally disappeared and it makes Eliza incredibly happy. Penny finally got over the crush and started acting normal around Eliza, and also Arizona when she's visiting the office. Suspiciously Eliza thinks Penny has found someone because to be honest, the red head is particularly happy and shiny these days. Eliza just haven't wanted to pry or anything like that because she didn't want to push the colleague-relationship they've finally established. But there's something different about Penny Blake and Eliza really likes working with this new version.

"Can I give you an advice?" Penny smiles which makes Eliza nod in return. "My father always explained to me that if your partner is happy it makes you even more happy. He of course meant that if my mom wanted something he didn't always want, he just went along with it because whenever he saw the joy in my mother's eyes he got unmeasurably happy himself," Penny explains with a softness to her voice Eliza haven't heard before. The softness and the words hold such wisdom and it makes Eliza feel warm inside. Because it's the truth. It's what she really wants. To see Arizona's eyes fill with joy and happiness... and if it means her child is going to be named Elisabeth or something from one of Arizona's favorite stories, it doesn't really matter. What matters is the joy in her wife's eyes and the health and life of her baby. "It wasn't really an advice, I guess, but still..." Penny chuckles, her ponytail bouncing.

"Thank you!" Eliza smiles to the woman behind the desk opposite herself. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, I guess," Penny shrugs offhandedly, waving with one hand. "It was just a thought."

"I appreciate it," Eliza nods friendly. "Can I ask you something... something personally?"

"Shoot," Penny grins.

"Are you... are you happy?"

The red head is a little thrown by the question but quickly shaking it off, she smiles. "I am."

"I'm really glad to hear that," Eliza adds because she really is. She really wants for Penny to be profoundly happy, to have found someone to make her as indescribably happy as Arizona makes her and judging by the look of the red head and the change in demeanor, Eliza thinks Penny has found that said happiness.

"Me too," Penny agrees with a soft nod, the ghost of a blush spreading across her face. Eliza doesn't need to know what makes Penny happy or even blush, it's just nice to know that Penny has something or someone that makes her react like that. Eliza knows what it means... those reactions are something she herself still experiences. And it's marvelous to be alive and happy like that.

"Speaking of happiness," Eliza presses save on her document, turning off her screen. "I'm out."

"Dinner with the wife?" Penny asks interested as she herself does the same, her screen going black.

"Exactly. You got any plans for the last night of November?" Eliza chuckles as she grabs her coat from the coat-hanger.

"Nah, not besides watching reruns of medical shows and eating ice-cream from a jar."

"Alone?" Eliza tries, smirking.

"Not exactly," Penny smiles, the blush finally setting on her cheeks as she grabs her bag.

"That's ni-" Eliza's sentence is cut short by the piercing of her phone. "Oh. Sorry. I need to get that," she smiles apologetically which makes Penny nod in return as she zips her coat. Grabbing the device, the face of Arizona meets Eliza's eyes. Feeling a bubbly love-storm build inside, Eliza slides her finger across the screen and placing the phone to her ear. "Hey honey, how's-"

"No time. Eliza, you need to come to the hospital!"

Eliza's heart stops. The voice reaching her ears wasn't the voice she excepted to hear when accepting the call. And the information surely wasn't one she wanted to hear at this point and in such frantic delivering.

"W-what?" Eliza stammers. All the memories and heartache from when Arizona was hospitalized and the time with the accident, the time apart and the intolerable amount of pain comes back and makes Eliza freeze in spot. What has happened? Why is April calling? And where is Arizona? Is she okay... is the baby? Oh God! Eliza feels the all too familiar pricking deep inside of her. It tears at her lungs and unfortunate at her heart as well.

"What's wrong, Eliza?" Penny interrupts, rushing to her aid and placing a hand on her arm. "Are you okay?"

Eliza feels how her lungs collapse, the pricking tearing at her every organ and the tears running hot down her cheeks. It can't be. Not again. No more hospitals. Not again. She cannot do it. She needs her family. Both of them. She needs for her wife and her child to be okay, and now April calls and demands for her to be at the hospital. What's going on? Eliza can't get a single word over her lips as she finds herself tearing apart, holding her free hand to her chest. She never thought she would be in need of one but where is a brown paper bag when she needs one? She can't do this. Not again. She can't get her heart broken again. She's not strong enough. But she needs to get to Arizona. She needs to see her. She needs to know what's happening. But at the same time, she's afraid of the circumstances and the answers she'll get if she asks. She can't take any more pain. She just can't.

Penny takes the phone from Eliza's hand and holds it to her own ear. Eliza can't make out what the red heads are talking about, she just needs something to balance herself against. Placing both hands at the edge of her desk, she pushes herself up as her arms straightens. Time stand still but at the same time it rushes through her. Eliza can't control anything... anymore. Feeling an arm around her shoulders, Eliza finally looks up. Penny stares at her with a soft stare, some kind of emotion lingering in the corner of the mouth.

"You need to get to the hospital, Eliza. Arizona needs you. I'll drive."

Then that's what Eliza needs to do. Setting aside her own misery, Eliza steps up and puts a brave face on. Her wife needs her, so be it. The pricking feeling needs to disappear now, so that's what Eliza needs to make sure of. Casting aside the speculations of bad outcomes and sad scenarios, Eliza shakes her shoulders and straightens her back. Arizona needs her and that's the only thing that matters right now. The other things can be dealt with later on. The shadow from the moon reaches the darkened room, sending a thrill down Eliza's spine. She needs to get to the hospital!

AN2: Thank you for tuning in on this story. Hit review if you're still reading :)