AN: So sorry for the wait. Holidays, work, life... I know. Anyway, this is just a filler chapter but I didn't want to keep you waiting.
Happy reading :)
Chapter Forty-Six
Callie
Callie wasted no time, as her lips found a pale neck and chest. The pink, low cut cocktail dress offered the brunette ample access to the blonde's cleavage and they both moaned as hungry lips licked and sucked at the tender flesh there. The couple quickly focused their attention on undressing one another and Callie's heart raced as her eyes soaked in the beauty before her. Blonde hair that was tousled from her hands burying in the locks and the kiss swollen lips on the other woman sent shock waves to the Latina's core. Suddenly she had the urge to possess and claim in a way she had never felt before. Crystal blue eyes darkened with lust looked up at her and Callie placed a tender kiss on her lips before pulling away.
"Arizona, I need you on that bed right now." Callie warned, barely containing her need. Arizona stood on her tip toes and placed a kiss on Callie's lips before she climbed on the bed, squealing when she felt Callie squeeze her butt playfully.
The Latina went to the dresser drawer and pulled out the silk scarfs she had purchased during her shopping trip and sauntered over to the bed, blue eyes following her every move. She smiled seductively at Arizona as she made her way to one side of the bed. The ortho goddess held out her hand to Arizona so the blonde could place hers in it. She knew Arizona was more comfortable being in control in the bedroom, they both could be dominant and enjoyed it but Callie usually took the more submissive role for the blonde's comfort. Lately though the blonde had been more willing to relinquish more and more control. Callie was ready to test that limit tonight.
"What do you think you're doing with those, Calliope?" Arizona asked even as she placed her hand in Callie's.
"I want to play a little game."
"Mmm, what kind of game?"
"I want to tie you to this headboard and see how many times I can make you cum and scream my name before you can get your hands free." Callie replied as she secured Arizona's right wrist to the headboard beside her head.
"And if I don't want to play?"
"You're willingly letting me tie you up, I think you very much would like to play." Callie replied, a cocky smirk on her face.
"You agreed to marry me, I would pretty much do anything for you right now." Arizona replied with a teasing smile though her words were genuine.
"Hmm, good to know." Callie replied, straddling the blonde so she could tie her other wrist to the headboard. She plastered a passionate kiss to waiting pink lips the second the last scarf was secured and she smiled even as her tongue entered Arizona's mouth while the blonde tested the strength of her binds.
Callie took her time claiming the blonde's mouth, she knew Arizona wouldn't get out of those binds until she released her from them and she planned to take her time and take full advantage of her need to claim every part of the woman beneath her. Placing one last hard kiss against swollen lips, Callie moved on to a slender neck and jawline, making sure to thoroughly lick, nip, and taste every inch of skin she could before moving to the other side to continue the same process. By the time the Latina made it to painfully hard, pink nipples, Arizona was pulling at the scarves frantically.
"Callie, you're driving me insane and I just want to touch you, baby." Arizona said as nearly black eyes met midnight blue. Callie responded by placing a gentle kiss against her lips and kissing each wrist.
"I'll let you go after I've finished with you. Don't hurt yourself please." Callie said as she made her way down to a slightly concave abdomen. The Latina thought about how someday, with any luck, that flat belly would be swollen with their child. The thought, though sudden and slightly out of place given their current activities, caused a smile to grace her lips and spurred the brunette into action. She placed loving open mouth kisses over the taut skin before moving down to hip bones, thighs, and even bony ankles. She crept back up the lean body, placing kisses behind each knee before leaning in and placing a single kiss over silky and swollen lips.
"Yes, Callie right there." Arizona pleaded then huffed in frustration as Callie moved back up her body. She pressed their pelvises together as Arizona's legs fell open, allowing Callie to lay between them. Callie let her fingers play in silky wetness while she sucked a pale nipple into her mouth.
"What do you want me to do, Arizona?"
"Whatever you want."
"Hmm… maybe I should just go to sleep then." Callie teased and blue eyes shot open.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Maybe you should tell me what I should do then."
"Make me yours Callie. I don't care how, just make me scream your name." Arizona said, her eyes lust filled. She knew that would spark Callie into action and she was desperate for the Latina to make her feel good.
Callie got up and walked across the room again, Arizona protesting for a moment until she saw her walk back with the black double dildo in her hand. Arizona swallowed hard as Callie dropped it on the bed and crawled back up her slender body. This time her mouth landed exactly where Arizona needed it. A skilled tongue swirled around her aching clit and the blonde's hips bucked up to meet a greedy mouth. Callie hummed a little as she inserted a single finger, pumping it in and out slowly as she massaged tight walls. She curled her finger to hit the spongy area a few times causing the blonde to buck her hips wildly.
"Does that feel good, baby?" Callie asked, removing her mouth from Arizona's throbbing bundle of nerves.
"So good." Arizona whispered. Callie removed her finger and mouth altogether, blue eyes flying open even as the blonde whimpered, "No."
"Do you feel how wet you made me?" Callie asked, moving into position so she could rub her core against Arizona's before sliding up to rest on her abdomen for a few seconds. She continued her trek north as Arizona moaned in pleasure, Callie's wet center rubbing against the skin of her abdomen all the way up to her breast. Callie's hips bucked as a hardened nipple connected with her own throbbing bundle of nerves.
"You're so wet."
"You did that Arizona so I think you need to take care of me before I can concentrate on making you feel good." Callie said, bucking her hips against Arizona's nipple again before she leaned in to kiss pink lips. Arizona's eyes darkened as she watched Callie position herself above her, using the headboard to steady herself over Arizona's face. As the Latina lowered herself, Arizona could see just how wet she was.
"You're so beautiful." Arizona whispered before her mouth was filled with Callie's silky wet folds. Arizona's tongue sought out Callie's entrance and she wasted no time thrusting the muscle into Callie, using her nose to apply pressure to Callie's bundle of nerves at the same time.
"Oh God, Arizona." Callie cried as she rocked herself against Arizona's mouth. She was so close but she didn't want to cum quite yet. She thrust her hips a few more times and then forced herself off of the blonde beneath her.
"No, Callie…"Arizona protested again but was cut off as Callie leaned down and kissed her, moaning as she tasted herself mixed with the taste that was uniquely Arizona. She reached for the toy she had tossed aside moments ago. Placing a pillow under Arizona's hips, her eyes met Arizona's as she inserted the shorter end into herself with a moan. She closed her eyes for a moment, already so close to falling over the edge. Arizona tested the scarves again but she was still securely restrained.
Blue eyes held dark brown as Callie lowered herself between the blonde's legs, rubbing the dildo against wet folds as she leaned down and placed a heated kiss on Arizona. She pulled a bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled gently before she released it with a pop. Angling the appendage at Arizona's entrance, she braced herself with a hand on each side of the blonde's head and thrust her hips forward, entering the blonde slowly but firmly.
"Calliope…" Arizona cried out, the brunette had already worked her up and she was so close and sensitive already. Despite the feeling and desperate need for her own release, Callie moved her hips slowly and steadily, pulling out and then slowly burying the appendage again, sometimes circling her hips and adding more force when her own hips bucked with need.
"What do you need, baby?" Callie asked, she stroked sweaty hair from a pale face as she looked down at the woman she loved.
"Release me."
"Nice try baby but not until you're screaming my name." Callie replied, adding slightly more force with her hips and they both moaned.
"Oh God." Arizona cried, her eyes rolling back in her head. There was something completely sexy about being restrained by the Goddess currently controlling her body. She felt Callie quivering against her and she thought of the brunette feeling the pleasure she was currently experiencing and that thought alone made her inner walls spasm.
Callie leaned down and bit a bony clavicle as she felt the blonde writhing beneath her in pleasure and her own orgasm washed over her. She could feel Arizona fall over the edge beneath her, moaning the brunette's name, as Callie's hips bucked with little aftershocks. Arizona's body relaxed beneath her and Callie slowly removed the toy from both of them and tossed it aside, collapsing on top of the blonde as their breaths evened out.
"Will you let me go now? I want to hold you." Arizona asked, finding her voice again.
"Mmm, not yet. You haven't screamed my name yet and I think the game was how many orgasms I can give you before you get your hands free."
"But you said you would release me." Arizona replied, now struggling against the restraints again.
"I lied." Callie replied with a shrug even as her eyes darkened with lust again. Arizona's protests were covered by a talented mouth. As Callie pulled back she looked at Arizona and smiled, "Are you ok? If you're not tell me, ok?"
The brunette bent down and rubbed their noses together and Arizona's heart fluttered. She trusted Callie completely even if she desperately wanted to touch the gorgeous brunette. "I'm ok."
"Ok then, back to you screaming my name. I must say, I would think you would be better about letting your inhibitions down by now, almost Mrs. Dr. Callie Torres." Callie replied, an eyebrow arched as she straddled the blonde once again and leaned over her. Both women felt butterflies erupt low in their abdomen as they thought about the rings currently in place on both of their hands.
"Maybe that's because you are almost Mrs. Dr. Arizona Robbins so you should be screaming my name." Arizona replied cheekily. The brunette let out a laugh, she loved this woman.
Callie moved down the slender body and lowered herself between the blonde's legs, smirking at Arizona one last time before she set to work. She licked slow circles around a hardened clit and then brought her tongue down to circle her entrance, repeating the process over and over until the blonde begged her for release. Broadening her tongue, Callie focused on the blonde's clit and it took a mere seconds before the blonde came undone around her. She lapped up the juices before setting to work again.
"Calliope…" Arizona gasped as she tried to keep the brunette from her sensitive core but the pleasure quickly took over and she found herself on the brink of another orgasm. She crashed over the edge only for Callie to start the process again. Arizona thought she was going to die as her fourth orgasm began to build.
Callie could tell this was going to be a powerful orgasm as she built Arizona up once again. The blonde's body was wet with perspiration and her lips were chapped from the heavy breathing she had been doing for the past hour. Her skin was flushed Callie's favorite shade of pink and her abdominal muscles were rippling under Callie's strong hands. As Arizona's movements became more frantic, Callie inserted two fingers and immediately curled them, keeping them still but pressing against the spongy area. As her tongue stroked Arizona's clit again, the blonde came undone, "Calliope…" ripped from her mouth in a voice Callie had never heard and then the blonde went completely limp.
Callie withdrew her fingers carefully and made her way up to the head of the bed, kissing Arizona's forehead tenderly as she worked on the knots of the scarf, releasing the woman quickly before she pulled her against her and held her. Arizona regained consciousness a few moments later and looked up at Callie with a lazy smile.
"That was, wow." Arizona said, unable to find the proper words to describe the pleasure that had overtaken her body.
"I know I've passed out on you before and I understand now why you panicked. Are you ok?" Callie asked, reaching for a bottle of water.
"Mmmm, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be walking funny and have silk burns on my wrists but I am more than ok, Calliope."
"Drink that water." Callie demanded, helping them both sit up as she pulled the blonde tighter against her. The thirsty blonde obeyed, draining the whole bottle before snuggling up to Callie.
"I think I need a shower after that but I'm not sure I can walk just yet." Arizona said as she lazily traced her fingertips over Callie's breasts. Her legs felt like jello in the best way.
"Just let me hold you for a minute and then I will go draw us a bath." Callie said. The whirlpool tub in their bathroom had yet to be taken advantage of and it was their last night in Spain after all.
"Can we stay up and make love all night and then watch the sun come up? We can sleep on the plane."
"We can do whatever you want."
"Mmm, I should scream your name more often." Arizona replied with a dimpled smile as she placed a kiss on Callie's lips that quickly became heated. "Let's start our night of lovemaking in the bath."
"You're insatiable." Callie laughed even as her core clenched.
"You created a monster." Arizona replied, pulling Callie toward the bathroom.
XXXX
Barbara
"Where's my son?"
Barbara entered the lobby of the hotel the next morning with Arizona, Callie, and Teddy to find Carlos and Junior in the midst of a heated argument standing nearly nose to nose. The women stood back as their presence was yet to be known and the tension in the air was palpable. All eyes were on the two men standing in the center of the room. Barbara watched intently as Fatima stepped forward and placed a hand on her husband's upper arm only for him to shake it off violently. At that moment, a petite and elderly Maria stepped between the two men.
"Junior, Fatima, I've had my head buried in the sand long enough. My husband kept things from me and so did you but I also did not want to see the worst in my eldest grandchild so I take responsibility for my own actions as well. But no more! This morning I called the authorities and handed over some surveillance footage of J.J. entering several of our guests hotel rooms without their permission. Once they saw the footage, they realized J.J. fit the description of some local assaults that have happened since our arrival in Spain. He has been detained for questioning." Maria explained.
"Mami, you can't be serious, J.J. would never." Fatima shouted in disbelief.
"I assure you, Fatima, I am very serious."
"Our plane leaves in two hours." Junior stated as if that meant anything to the elder woman.
"J.J. will have to find his own way home once the authorities have determined whether he can return to the states or not." Carlos replied.
"What do you mean whether they let him or not? He's an American." Junior shouted, throwing his hands up in the air.
"Who committed crimes in Spain." Maria replied coolly.
"You're planning on leaving my son in a foreign country?" Fatima exclaimed.
"He's an adult, hermana, he made his choices and is now paying some long overdue consequences."
"It's because of her, isn't it?" Junior accused, aiming his finger at Arizona. Barbara noted that Callie moved slightly so she was partially standing in front of Arizona with her jaw set firmly as if she wanted to say something, though she remained silent.
"Leave her out of it. J.J. has made some bad decisions and like Carlos said, it's time he has some consequences. If I had known about earlier events, he would have paid them much sooner I assure you." Maria replied. Though she was little, her words were icy and no one seemed capable of defying the matriarch of the family.
"We aren't leaving without our son." Junior replied.
"Suit yourself but you will have to supply your own way home. The family jet is not at your disposal." Carlos replied.
"You can't be serious." Junior said but Carlos turned to his sister, knowing his brother in law would not be swayed.
"Fatima, if you choose to stay here and defend your son when he has clearly been getting away with things like this for many years now, then you too need to face the consequences of allowing this behavior. I will not condone this behavior and I certainly am not going to reward it."
"Mami." Fatima pleaded, turning to her mother but she could see the woman was backing her son.
"I'm sorry Fatima. These are not the only consequences J.J. will face. If the authorities here do release him, he will have to face me when he gets home. You should think about the things he has done."
"You will be sorry." Junior said, his finger pointing at Maria.
"Do not threaten me."
"Come Fatima, let's go see what we can find out about J.J." Junior said, already walking away. Fatima though seemed to falter, she looked between her husband and her mother. Juan stood quietly in the corner of the room. He seemed to have already chosen a side and was avoiding the wrath of his father because of that decision.
"I'm not going with you to see J.J. Mami is right, he has been different. I didn't want to see it and he always had a good story but we can't keep explaining these things away. This has been going on for years, Junior. I'm going back home with Juan, J.J. needs to face some consequences." Fatima's eyes were sad as she spoke but she stood tall, her determination and defiance evident in her posture.
"Fatima." Junior warned, his voice hard and threatening but he didn't dare do anything in a room full of witnesses.
"I said I'm not coming with you. Juan and I are going back home. J.J. is an adult, he is capable of figuring out transportation for himself."
"You're going to regret this, Fatima. You all will." Junior said angrily before storming out.
"Are you ok?" Maria asked her daughter but Fatima sighed and quickly exited the room.
"I'll take care of her, Abuela," Juan said before following his mother.
"She will be ok." Carlos assured his mother.
"I hope you're right. Come on, let's go home."
XXXXX
"What do you mean you don't want my help planning the wedding?" Barbara asked. Her arms were folded across her chest as she watched Arizona intently. Blue eyes that her daughter inherited shot her a stormy glare as she stepped forward in line.
"Right now I'm just too mad, mom. I need time. Besides, when we get home I am going to be busy catching up at work and so will Callie. We've agreed not to start any wedding planning until after the new year." Arizona replied, her voice sounded less angry and more sad and it broke Barbara's heart.
"Arizona, I know I have hurt you. I know I've disappointed you. I've disappointed myself. I didn't intend for this to happen."
"What is happening?" Arizona asked. The barista took their order and Barbara nodded toward a table. They didn't have much time, their flight to America would be taking off soon but Callie had wisely suggested the mother and daughter get a cup of coffee while they waited for the plane to be serviced and their luggage to be loaded.
"Nothing, nothing is happening. After the wedding, Clause was going to walk me to my room but he seemed to be much tipsier than either of us realized and it quickly became apparent that he needed someone to walk him to his room more than I did. When we got there, the door was ajar and we called security to check the room out. They didn't find anything but while we waited in the hallway, Clause confessed his feelings for me and before I realized what was happening, he leaned in for a kiss. I kissed him back for a moment before I came to my senses and realized what I had just done. It was one mistake. I love your father."
"And when this happened last time?"
"It was while we were in Africa. Clause and I had a close encounter with some poachers. The adrenaline I guess had us both on a high and there was a brief make out session. It was mutual but again, I realized what I was doing and put a stop to it before it got too far. At the time, things between your father and I were tense. We had discussed separating and were doing a trial of sorts. You and Tim were in Missouri for the summer and we decided while I was in Africa and he was away at training we would both take the time to really think about what we wanted. When I came back from Africa, I knew that what I wanted was your father and he felt the same. I told him about what had happened between me and a man in Africa, only I didn't tell him it was Clause. I told myself at the time that it didn't matter who it was and since your father didn't ask me, I convinced myself that it wasn't important. I had made my choice. Clause has never indicated since then that there was anything but friendship between us. And I was selfish because I valued my friendship with Clause and I didn't want your father to question it when there was no reason to. I care about Clause very much but your father is and always has been the love of my life, Arizona."
"I just don't understand how you could do this to him then. Not just once but twice."
"I'm not proud of it, Arizona but I am human and I spent a lot of time alone in this marriage. It hasn't always been easy or happy but we have always loved each other."
"What are you going to do about Clause?"
"I told him I have to tell Daniel about everything and in the meantime, he should keep his distance. He's staying in Barcelona a bit longer and then he will get his own flight back to New York."
"I just need some time, mom." Arizona said, standing to leave.
"Arizona, honey, I love you. I don't want to go back home with things left this way between us."
"I love you too but you can't just fix this with an apology. Not only did J.J. get pictures of it but Callie and Carlos saw the footage. I'm just so disappointed and embarrassed by it." Arizona said. Barbara watched her go, her heart was crushed. Arizona had never been embarrassed by her before, not even as a teenager. The older blonde sat at the table a bit longer, lost in her thoughts and unsure what she should do to pass the time before she needed to board the plane. She didn't feel like being at the gate with the large group that would be flying back to America in the near future so she refilled her coffee and stayed at her table.
"Hey, you ok?"
Barbara looked up and smiled at the set of brown eyes she had come to adore nearly as much as her own daughter's. She nodded her head but continued to stare off into space even as she watched the woman sit from her peripheral. They sat in silence for a moment before Barbara broke it.
"Is Arizona ok?"
"She's with Teddy. I told her I was going to take a little walk and stretch my legs before we board."
"Thank you for everything, Callie. I know she wouldn't have even talked to me if it wasn't for you pushing her to."
"She sometimes needs a little push in the right direction but right now, I think a little space will do her some good."
"You should have seen the way she looked at me, Callie. I never thought I'd see her look at me that way. She's never needed space from me before. Not even when everyone told me she would be a bratty teenager someday, she never really went through that phase. We were always close, she always came to me, always."
"Barbara, she might not tell you this often, maybe she never has but I know for a fact that you are her hero. And sometimes it's hard to accept that heroes make mistakes."
"I'm not her hero, Callie. It's nice of you to say that but that has always been and always will be Daniel."
"She loves Daniel and Tim too and maybe they seem like the more likely hero type choices to you but Barbara, she worships you. Trust me, I know."
"Thank you, Callie."
"No need to thank me. Come on, let's go home."
"You go ahead, I'll be right there." Barbara replied, needing another moment to pull herself together. She waited for Callie to leave, somewhat reluctantly before she took a deep breath and wiped the tears that fell. As she turned to leave the phone in her hand rang and she smiled as she saw Daniel's name pop up. She had missed him but the butterflies in her stomach were a mixture of anxiety and happiness.
"Hey Barbie, you haven't boarded the plane yet?"
"Not yet honey, just getting ready to."
"I just talked to Arizona, is she ok? She seems off and you know she's a terrible liar." Daniel asked, concern evident in his voice.
"She had a little run in with J.J. the other day and the two of us had a bit of a disagreement but she's ok. I'll tell you all about it when I get home."
"Do I need to get my army buddies together?"
"No, no, stand down. He just spoke with her, he didn't hurt her. I think it just spooked her. I promise I will keep an eye on her and J.J. has been detained here in Spain, he will not be on the return flight with us."
"Ok, I'm glad to hear that. You guys have a safe flight, can't wait to see you."
"Me too. I have to go now. Love you."
"Love you too." Daniel replied and she could hear the smile in his voice causing her to smile as well. She hung up the phone feeling better than she had in several days and made her way to the gate where Callie and Arizona stood, waiting for her to board the plane.
"Everything ok?" Callie asked.
"Yes, I just spoke with Daniel. I'm eager to get home."
"Mom."
"Yea honey?"
"Were you going to tell dad the whole time or are you only telling him because J.J. caught you?"
"Arizona, I never intended to keep this from your dad. If I did and he found out later it would be the end of our marriage and I don't want my marriage to end. Quite the opposite actually, I've never been happier in my marriage. I admit, I had no intentions of you or Timothy finding out but now that you know, I just hope someday you realize that parents are people too and we make mistakes."
"Why then if you are happy?"
"Arizona, I can't explain it. I didn't intend for it to happen or want it to happen but when it did, I got caught up in the moment. We were laughing and joking and having fun one minute and kissing the next. That's all. Once my brain registered what was happening, I put a stop to it and I immediately regretted the position I put myself in by not telling your dad about Clause all those years ago."
"Do you think dad will forgive you?"
"God I hope so."
"I know you were lonely at times when we were growing up. You were good at hiding it and you never said anything to us but I remember times when I would look at you while we were playing, you wouldn't know I was looking but you seemed so sad. Usually I would call for you and do something silly to put a smile back on your face. I want you to tell me about those times, mom. I know you protected us as kids but now I don't need you to do that. I need you to tell me about it so I can understand what it was like for you."
"Well, some of those things are going to be hard for me to share with you but I will try. We have a very long plane ride ahead of us if you want to hear some stories. I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about how it felt during those times just yet but there are a lot of happy stories I could tell you about." Barbara said with a smile. She was unsure of sharing some of those stories with her daughter but Arizona was right, she was a grown woman now.
"I would really love that, mom."
"Good. Callie, you and Teddy are welcome to sit and listen to them as well."
"Thank you Barbara but I think this is something you should share with Arizona and Teddy. I have plenty of research to do for my conference in January to keep me busy."
The flight back to Miami was uneventful, Barbara told Teddy and Arizona a few stories about her and Daniel's early married days before the loneliness and stress of managing two kids in different places set in. Arizona was asleep, her head resting in Callie's lap before Barbara could tell her anymore. Barbara smiled as she looked across the aisle to where her daughter and future daughter-in-law sat. Callie was reading a journal while her other hand brushed absently through blonde curls. She had hoped that someday Arizona would find a partner that would be able to compliment her strengths and weaknesses without hindering her carefree, childlike spirit. The moment she had seen her and Callie together, she had known Arizona had found that person.
Once their flight landed in Miami, Barbara made her way to the ticket booth to switch her flight to Boston from the next day to that afternoon. She was eager to get home and see Daniel. Arizona had slept the entire flight and though the mother and daughter had talked, Arizona was still distant toward her. She knew the only way to assure both herself and Arizona was to speak with her husband as soon as possible. So, with a hug and kiss to her daughter, Teddy, and Callie, Barbara boarded her flight to Boston while the girls joined the Torres family to go back to their house for the night before they would fly on to Seattle the following day.
It was midafternoon when she arrived in Boston and Daniel was there at the terminal waiting for her as she exited Logan with her luggage. She smiled and took a deep breath before approaching her husband and hugging him tightly. She melted into his embrace for a moment and smelled in the familiar scent of his cologne and the laundry detergent they used.
"I missed you." Daniel said, breaking the embrace first. Barbara followed him to the back of the car so they could load her luggage.
"I missed you too, more than you know."
"I thought maybe we could get some pizza and head to the house. I've been helping Tim with the nursery all week and I am beat. I'm afraid there aren't many groceries at the house."
"That sounds great, I'll go to the store tomorrow. Now, tell me about the nursery."
"I can't tell you much, it's gender neutral, they aren't telling anyone the gender until Christmas. Not even the old man that has helped put the damn crib, rocker, and changing table together."
"What?" Barbara exclaimed.
"I know, I told them you were going to be impatient to know the gender."
"I guess we've waited this long, a few more weeks won't kill us." Barbara replied, though waiting might actually kill Arizona she thought with a smile. The couple stopped for pizza and made it home to eat their greasy dinner in front of the fire before the topic Barbara had been trying to broach popped up.
"How is Zozo? Did you guys make up?"
"Not exactly."
"Want me to talk to her? It's not like her to fight with you about something."
"No, she has a right to be mad, Daniel. I'm upset with myself."
"What happened, Barbie?" Daniel asked, he could see the sadness in his wife's eyes.
"Something happened in Spain, something Arizona found out about and something I need to tell you about."
"What happened?" Concern now lacing Daniel's voice as he sat his pizza down and gave his wife his full attention.
"Remember when I went to Africa? We had that huge fight before I left and we nearly broke up?"
"I'll never forget that. It was the worst summer of my life."
"Well, things happened in Africa that I told you about. Things that shouldn't have happened because I wanted my marriage to work."
"I remember." Daniel said. He had been upset to learn Barbara had, for lack of a better term, had a make out session with someone in Africa but he had quickly and easily forgiven her. He had known she was unhappy and he had promised to try better half a dozen times before she had finally recommended a separation. It was only then that he truly recognized how lonely she had been and how serious she was.
"What I didn't tell you was that it was Clause. At the time I hadn't thought it was important and I was being selfish because I didn't want you to worry every time I went on shoot with him."
"Clause? Clause Werner?"
"Yes, Daniel, it was Clause Werner."
"And Arizona found out about this?"
"Well, I told her about it."
"Why?"
"Because after the wedding I walked Clause to his room. He was very drunk and I didn't think he could make it on his own. When we arrived at his room it had been broken into so we called security. While we waited in the hall for security to check the room, Clause confessed that he has feelings beyond friendship for me and then he kissed me."
"He kissed you? Kissed you how, Barbara?"
"In a way that is between romantic partners and not friends."
"Did you kiss him back?"
"Yes, for a moment. I had quite a bit of alcohol myself and I got lost in the moment but as soon as I realized what I was doing, I ended it. And I told Clause that I didn't feel that way about him. I told him that I love my husband very much and that I was going to tell you about all of this."
"Wow." Daniel said. He stood and was now pacing as he rubbed his chin. Barbara watched him in silence for a few moments.
"Say something." She whispered.
"How did our daughter find out?"
"J.J. was the one who broke into the room. He thought it was Arizona's room and he stuck around to see whose room it was after breaking in and realizing Arizona and Callie were in a different room. When he saw Clause and I, he took photographs and then the next day he gave them to Arizona. She confronted me about it."
"Is that the reason you're telling me now? Did Arizona force you into it?"
"No, no, Daniel of course not. I'm telling you because you're my husband and you have a right to know. I never intended for Arizona or Timothy to find out about this. Arizona is so devastated, you should have seen how she looked at me."
"I expect it's similar to how I'm looking at you right now."
"Pretty close, yes."
"I have to go."
"Wait, where are you going?"
"I just need some space. I'm going to go stay at Bill's tonight. Connie is out of town so he's having a poker night. I told him I wanted to be with you tonight so I couldn't make it but under the circumstances I think a poker night is just what I need." Daniel said as he reached for his coat.
"Daniel, wait, please. We should talk about this."
"I don't want to talk right now. Goodnight Barbara." Daniel replied without turning around. Barbara stared at the door for a full thirty seconds before the tears started to fall. She let them fall freely as she stared into the flames of the fireplace where she and Daniel had hung their stockings before she left for Spain and cried herself to sleep as she wondered if she had just destroyed the person she loved and her marriage along with it.
XXXXX
Arizona
"Callie I just don't want to talk to her right now." Arizona said, pressing a little too firmly on the breaks as she pulled into her parking spot at the hospital. She had been called in for an emergency in the middle of an argument with Callie so they had resorted to arguing over the phone.
"Arizona, I'm telling you when she called tonight she sounded so broken. It's been almost two weeks, you can't freeze her out forever. I know why you're upset and I don't blame you but she made a mistake."
"What if it had been us?"
"What? Arizona, don't be ridiculous."
"I'm not. I'm making a point. If it was just a mistake then that means that it could happen to anyone in any relationship so what if it had been me? What if Joann kissed me and I kissed her back?"
"Why would you even say something like that? Do you want to kiss Joann?"
"What? Callie, no, you're missing the point."
"No, I don't think I am."
"Listen, I just got to the hospital, I have to go. We can continue this fight when I get home if you want."
"Maybe you should stay at the hospital tonight."
"Wow, ok, maybe I'll do that then."
"We're supposed to get an ice storm, Arizona. I don't want you driving when you're tired and upset."
"I'm not upset but I do have to go. I'll call you when I find out what's going on here."
"Ok. I love you."
"Love you too." Arizona replied before hitting the red end button and jamming her phone into her pocket. She took a deep, cleansing breath as she made her way to the emergency room.
"What do we have Kepner?" Arizona asked as she entered the ER to see the resident responsible for paging her at eleven at night.
She was pissy. Tonight had not gone as planned. They had been home from Spain for ten days now. Christmas was in nine days and Arizona had worked nine of the last ten days. She was beat and had been missing Callie. The peds surgeon had gotten home just after seven to a romantic dinner made by Callie for her. She had been hopeful when she saw the candles and flowers that it would lead to a hot bath and some very hot and dirty sex, something they hadn't had time for since their return from Spain. Instead, Callie had started in on her about her mother and how she was being too hard on her.
"It's Steven Carter again."
"Wasn't he discharged a few weeks ago?" Arizona asked. This was not what she needed right now, especially after just bringing up Joann to Callie.
"He was discharged on the first with prescriptions to manage his pain and appointments to follow up with oncology as an outpatient."
"Has he seen oncology?"
"Yes, last week. He is supposed to get a port placed on Wednesday for chemotherapy."
"So what's going on with him today?"
"Vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain not relieved with pain medication." Kepner said as she and Arizona walked to the room where Steven was currently being worked up.
"What have you ordered?"
"Blood work is completed, results are in his chart for you. He just returned from CT, looks like a nasty bowel obstruction which is why I called you. We've already started him on some fluids and placed a nasogastric tube. The vomiting resolved with medication through the IV and his pain is doing better with morphine. I know we sometimes do the wait and see but wth his history and the way the scans look, I thought you should make that call."
"Thank you, Kepner, sounds like you did a great job." Arizona replied as she looked at the CT and labs.
"See what I mean?" April asked as they looked at the scans together.
"Shit." Arizona cursed in reply before she and April entered the room to find a frazzled looking Joann and a very sick looking Steven.
"Hey Steven, do you remember me?"
"Yea, you're the doctor that was screwing Joma." Steven replied with surprising malice for such a sick looking child.
"Steven Carter." Joann shouted.
"That's why mom isn't here, isn't it? I heard you arguing with her a few days ago."
"Maybe I should just give you guys a few moments." Arizona said, her face burning red as April pretended not to hear the conversation while she typed on her tablet.
"No! I brought Steven here because you are the best. Stephanie knows that, she just couldn't be here right now."
"Steven, I need you to trust me. I am a doctor and you need surgery but if you don't want me to do your surgery I can have another surgeon do it while I supervise." Arizona said, turning to the child. Though children didn't get to make the final decision in their care, Arizona strongly believed in the importance of getting them on board with the plan and letting them make as many choices as was safe to do so with their own care.
"Did you really sleep with Joma?"
"Is she Joma?" Arizona asked, pointing to Joann to confirm he was referring to the taller blonde while also buying herself a little time to prepare an answer.
"Yes."
"Then yes, I did. It was a long time ago and I am very sorry about it. I didn't know about your mom or Joanie or you at the time but I am so sorry that it hurt you and your mom." Arizona said, never breaking contact with the teenager.
"Ok. You can do my surgery. Thank you for not lying to me."
"You're welcome, Steven. Dr. Kepner here is going to get you prepped for surgery while I speak with your Joma. Mrs. Carter, can we speak in the hall please?" Arizona said, her tone was icy toward her ex as she left the room without waiting for a response.
"I'm sorry about that, Arizona. I didn't know he overheard us."
"Stop. I don't care about your family drama. Steven is very sick and he needs this surgery. I could take a less aggressive approach and wait to see if the obstruction resolves on its own but that has risks too. With his cancer, it complicates things. I need to know that whatever is going on between you and your wife and whatever feelings either of you have toward me, that you both are on board with me treating Steven. This surgery is higher risk because of his already compromised system and the severity of the obstruction."
"Arizona, trust me, Stephanie and I both understand the risks and she knows you are the best. I came clean and told her that you were as shocked to learn I was married as she was to find out I was having an affair and that you didn't know about the kids until we showed up here with them. She's angry with me, not you."
"Ok, then I need Stephanie and you to both sign consents and a waiver before I take him in to surgery. You understand why I need to protect myself here, right?"
"Absolutely. She's in the hotel across the street, I will call her and tell her to come immediately."
"Where's Joanie?"
"She's with her grandparents back in Maryland for the time being. She will be back next week when school is out and stay until after Christmas break. Stephanie wants to take Steven back home for treatment but I think he needs to be here."
"I'm going to go prep for surgery, please let me know if you or Stephanie have any questions. Dr. Kepner will have the forms ready for you when Stephanie gets here." Arizona said, not wanting to discuss or influence any decisions Joann was or wasn't about to make. She stopped and discussed the forms she needed signed with April and made her way to the locker room to change.
Arizona had Lexie paged to the hospital to assist her and Kepner with Steven's surgery. The young resident was familiar with his case and it would be better to have someone who she didn't need to update on the patient's history. Once that was taken care of, she sent Callie a brief message letting her know that she was going into surgery and would be staying at the hospital after all. She contemplated telling her she was going in to perform surgery on Joann's son again but decided against it. They were already arguing and she knew mentioning Joann again right now would only add fuel to the fire. Besides, this was about Steven, not Joann and not Callie. Technically it was against HIPPA for her to tell Callie anyway she thought to herself as the guilt started to form in the pit of her stomach.
"Dr. Robbins, what do we have?" Lexie asked as she rushed into the scrub room ten minutes later.
"Steven Carter is back. He has a bowel obstruction, a nasty one, probably from all of the pain medication he has needed since leaving the hospital."
"Ok, let's do this."
"Lexie."
"Yea?"
"Thank you."
"Of course, come on, we've got this." Lexie replied with a bright smile at her mentor.
Four hours later, the women emerged from the OR. Steven was in recovery and would spend the night in PICU for observation but the surgery had been successful, as Steven had survived and would be fine. But the teenager who was already facing chemotherapy now had a colostomy to deal with. Physically, he would likely heal and have it reversed in six months but she knew that for young people, this was generally a big deal when it came to their self esteem and self image. She was concerned for Steven's mental health. After speaking with Stephanie and Joann and explaining her concerns, she gave them recommendations for therapists. The couple was surprisingly receptive and relieved to have some resources.
"You were great in the OR, Dr. Robbins."
"Thanks, Lexie. You were pretty great as well. You're turning out to be one fantastic pediatric surgeon."
"That means a lot coming from you."
"Are you going home or staying in an oncall room?" Arizona asked.
"I know Mark's place is just across the street but I have to be back in three hours so I might as well find an oncall room."
"I'll share mine with you."
"Only if I get top bunk."
"Deal." Arizona replied with a giggle.
Arizona woke the next morning to the feeling of lips being pressed against hers and she smiled before she realized where she was and blue eyes shot open in panic. She met big brown eyes and a sigh of relief washed over her as Callie brushed some hair from her face and smiled down at her.
"Peace offering." Callie said, handing Arizona a cup of coffee and a donut from their favorite coffee shop.
"I missed you last night."
"Did you get any sleep?"
"What time is it?"
"Almost eight."
"About three hours. Is Lexie up?" Arizona asked, her eyes automatically looking at the bed above her.
"No, Mark said to let her sleep. He took her off his first surgery since it's a routine rhinoplasty. He's going to bring her coffee when he's done with his surgery."
"That's nice of him."
"How full is your schedule today?" Callie asked. She was concerned about the amount of hours Arizona had put in recently. She routinely left the house before Callie and did not return until well after dinner time, several times it was closer to midnight and twice she had been called in and pulled all nighters. She was paying for taking so much time off as she was now covering for Alex so he could go home to see his family.
"I'm just going to round on a few patients. Barring any emergencies, I have no surgeries scheduled until tomorrow afternoon."
"I have a knee replacement in half an hour and then I don't have anything until after lunch. I could drive you home." Callie offered. She didn't want the blonde driving on such icy roads when she had so little sleep.
"What if I get called back in?"
"Good point. Why don't you sleep in an oncall room and we can drive home together?"
"Callie, I know you're worried because I didn't sleep much but I really want a shower and to sleep in our bed."
"Ok. Just promise me you will be careful. Message me before you leave and when you get home."
"Yes mom." Arizona teased with an eye roll.
"Don't be fresh with me." Callie laughed, holding Arizona's chin in her hand as she pulled her in for a kiss.
"I promise I will be careful and I will message you."
"Ok. I have to go prep for my surgery. Love you."
"Love you too. Go be a rockstar." Arizona said, placing a last kiss on Callie's lips and then swatting her butt playfully as she stood to leave.
Arizona made her way to her office and cleaned up before grabbing her coat and stethoscope and heading out to check on her patients for morning rounds. She started with Steven and was pleased to see he was doing as well as could be expected post surgery. Three hours later, she had rounded on her patients and was just finishing up her paperwork when she decided to call it a day. Her eyes were tired and her body ached from the long hours she had put in recently. Seeing that Callie should be out of surgery any time, she made her way to the cafeteria and got them each a coffee and a snack. She was about to make her way to the ortho floor when the object of her thoughts came barreling into the cafeteria.
"Hey babe, I'm getting ready to leave but I thought we could have some coffee and a quick snack before I go. They have those parfaits you like so I grabbed you one." Arizona said as she followed the ortho goddess to an empty and somewhat secluded table.
"That was really sweet of you. Oh babe, you look so tired."
"I am." Arizona replied. She didn't realize just how exhausted she was until that very moment when she sat down.
"Go home, babe. Get some sleep. Are you on call tonight?"
"No. Last night was my last night on call for now. Dr. Becket is on tonight. I will only need to come in if there's an emergency with one of my patients or a mass casualty."
"I will stop and get us some take out for dinner. Just go home, take a bath, sleep, relax."
"That sounds amazing. You're too good to me."
"That's because I love you. Now go, before you fall asleep here and I make you sleep in an oncall room instead."
"Ok I'm going. Call me when you're on your way home. I love you, Calliope."
"Love you too. Drive safe, text me…"
"When I get home, I know."
Arizona awoke, disoriented and confused. She looked around at her surroundings and realized she was home and in her own bed as the room started to come into focus. Worry suddenly flooded her as she noted darkness had fallen and her bed was empty of her fiance. Fiance, no matter how many times she said or thought it, she had to remind herself she wasn't dreaming. She reached for her cell phone and saw that it was nearly five pm but there were no missed calls or texts from Callie. Her concern grew as she remembered the road conditions and she had to stop herself from panicking as she dialed Callie's number and received no answer. Telling herself that Callie was probably in surgery or with a patient, Arizona made her way downstairs to find something to eat. She texted Jo as she walked to see if she knew where Callie was.
"Hey sleepy head." A very sexy and familiar voice startled her as she entered the kitchen.
"You're home. I was worried, you didn't answer my call." Arizona said, wasting no time wrapping her arms around the Latina's waist and resting her head on her strong back.
"Sorry babe, I must have left my phone in my purse. I figured you probably hadn't eaten anything since that parfait and neither have I so I checked on you and then started dinner right away."
"It smells amazing but I thought you were going to pick something up."
"Well I was going to but the waits were just so long and for some reason I have just been craving spaghetti all day. I knew we had the ingredients for it and I figured it would be quicker than waiting for take out."
"Mmm, spaghetti does sound good. Want me to put a salad together?"
"That would be great. Did you sleep well?"
"I really did. It's been a while since I've slept more than two or three hours at once."
"You needed it. You know, I really love that you make salad with every dinner."
"It's something my mom always did. No matter what we ate, we had salad with it."
"Is that something you want to do with our kids?"
"Oh wow, we're talking about this huh?"
"We don't have to right now but since we're engaged now we should probably have some sort of discussion about it in the near future."
"No we can talk about it." Arizona said. She poured herself a glass of wine and then handed Callie the glass of red she had already been drinking from while she made dinner. Arizona sat at the bar across from where Callie stood so she could face her while putting together a salad to go with their meal.
"I don't know where to start with it. I guess we should start with, do you want kids?" Callie said, she slowly brought her eyes up to meet Arizona's.
"I'm still unsure about it."
"It's not something we can compromise on."
"Callie, it's not something I plan on trying to compromise on. We will have kids. When I agreed to marry you and become a Torres, I knew that kids were part of the deal and I will love you and our ten kids."
"Ten huh?"
"Your dad told me that you wanted ten when you were little." Arizona replied with a teasing smile. "Ok so maybe not ten but a couple of kids wouldn't be so bad as long as we can get a dog and some chickens."
"Chickens?"
"Yea I've always had a thing for them."
"But you don't want kids?"
"I don't not want them. I'm just unsure about wanting them. I've never wanted kids before, I'm still getting used to the idea. I'd be lying if I said I haven't imagined you pregnant or a baby with big brown eyes."
"I don't want you to just agree to having kids because I want them and you think it's expected of you. Your happiness also matters to me."
"And your happiness matters to me. Would you be happy without kids?"
"I'm happy with you. I love you and maybe that could be enough."
"You would resent me later on. You are a natural, Callie. I don't want to take that away from you."
"If we have kids will you resent me later on? Would you resent them?"
"Callie, if we have kids, I would love them. Do I think kids are messy? Absolutely. Do I like my life as it is right now? Absolutely. But I love having you in it. More than that, I need you in it. So maybe being on a beach in Fiji with you in a skimpy bikini and a fruity alcoholic beverage in my hand will be interrupted by crying babies. They will grow up someday, right? And you will be just as beautiful in a bikini in twenty five years as you are right now." Arizona replied, a giant dimpled smile on her face as she imagined Callie in her favorite gold bikini.
"I love you, do you know that?"
"I love you too babe."
"And since I love you, we will wait to have kids. I won't bring it up, we will wait until you are ready. Maybe we can honeymoon in Fiji and live out your fantasy without crying babies to interrupt it."
"Mmmm, that sounds nice."
"Before we table the baby talk again, have you thought about what you want to do with our last names? I mean we have some options. We could hyphenate or both just keep our last names but if we do that, how will we decide what to do if we have kids for their last names."
"Well, I actually wanted to talk to you about that. Remember when you found your mom and I crying at the wedding?"
"Of course I do."
"Well, she pointed out that the Robbins lineage is in no danger. Tim and Sara are about to have a baby and Sara is a Robbins now, not to mention all the cousins you met. Your mom asked me to take your last name and give any children we have your last name. I told her that if it was what you wanted then I would be happy to do that. I couldn't tell you at the time because we weren't engaged yet, I didn't want to spoil my plans."
"You would want to be a Torres?"
"Callie, I would be honored to be a Torres if that is what you want. I mean with licensing and already being established in pediatric surgery as Arizona Robbins, I would have to keep that at least professionally in some capacity. I could hyphenate but when it comes to having a family, I want us to all have the same last name."
"Arizona...I…" Callie started but the tears had started flowing and she couldn't finish her sentence. Arizona smiled softly and rounded the island, pulling an emotional Callie into her arms.
"I love you, Calliope." Arizona said, kissing the other woman's head as she buried herself deeper into Arizona's chest. They stood that way for a while before she heard Callie laugh and the blonde smiled at the sound.
"Look at me, I'm a mess." Callie laughed at her emotional outburst feeling slightly embarrassed by it.
"It's ok, it will be my turn to be a mess tomorrow. Dinner looks like it's done, why don't you go wash up and I'll make our plates." Arizona offered. Callie nodded her head and pecked Arizona's lips before disappearing from the kitchen.
The blonde thought about the conversation they had just had as she made two plates of spaghetti and set the table for the two of them. She tried to imagine what it would be like to add a high chair or booster seat to the table and though it caused her some anxiety, she also didn't hate the idea of it. That was progress at least, right? When she thought of what it would be like to see Callie's belly round with their baby, a full smile graced her lips. She couldn't deny the thought of Callie being pregnant with her baby, their baby, did something to her that she didn't fully understand. She decided to embrace the feelings it brought instead of fighting them and she found herself far less anxious.
The couple enjoyed a quiet dinner and then spent the rest of the evening lounging lazily on the couch. Arizona laid on her back while Callie was sprawled out between her legs with her head resting on Arizona's chest. The blonde tangled her fingers through dark locks while Callie snored softly and a Christmas movie played on the tv. The couple had yet to have time to decorate for Christmas and Arizona decided that since they both had the morning off the next day, they would have to make it a priority. She was lost in her thoughts about Christmas when her phone rang, she reached up quickly to retrieve it from the end table before it woke the woman sleeping on her chest. She sighed as she noted it was her mother and carefully eyed the still sleeping Callie as she pressed the green talk button.
"Hi mom, just a minute Callie is sleeping." Arizona whispered. She sat up carefully, removing herself from beneath the sleeping woman, and covered Callie with a blanket before quietly taking her phone call upstairs. "Ok, I'm back, sorry about that."
"It's ok, is Callie alright? Is she sick?"
"She's fine mom, just tired. We've been working a lot lately and we sort of had an emotional conversation earlier."
"An emotional conversation? Are you guys fighting?"
"No, mom we're not fighting. Everything is fine. Is there a reason you called? Is everything ok on your end?" Arizona asked.
"I just called to talk. We haven't spoken since we returned from Spain. I've been worried about you."
"I've been working almost around the clock."
"That's what Callie said. I know you're still mad, Arizona and I don't blame you but please don't shut me out."
"I'm not mom, I've just been busy."
"Make sure you're getting enough rest honey. I know Callie takes good care of you and that makes me worry a little less but I do still worry."
"You don't need to worry, I'm fine, Callie's fine. Are you ok, mom?" Arizona asked. She had the distinct feeling that something was off with her mother.
"No need to worry about me, Arizona."
"Are you and dad ok?"
"We're working things out but everything will be ok. I don't want you or Tim to worry about that."
"Speaking of that rotten brother of mine, has he told you the sex of the baby yet?" Arizona changed the subject, sensing that her mom was uncomfortable.
"Nope, the little jerk is being very tight lipped. And to think, I spent twenty eight hours in labor with him and he's still going to make me wait until Christmas to find out." Barbara said with a smile. She really didn't mind waiting but it felt good to find common ground with Arizona again. The two rarely went more than a few days without speaking and it was now approaching two weeks since they had last said a word to each other.
"We could tag team him. You hold, I'll pull his leg hairs, it works every time." Arizona replied with her own little giggle at the thought. Growing up there had been many occasions where she and Barbara had tag teamed her brother. Usually he would come home, moping about something that happened at school that day and the two of them would come up with some sort of scheme to get him to talk. Usually it involved some sort of treat and a tickle fight. Arizona realized that she had missed this, she had missed her mom.
"Hmmm, I like the way you think, Zozo." Barbara laughed. She could still see two little toe heads wrestling around. Arizona being smaller and a girl did not mean anything, she would all out brawl with her brother, even when it usually ended up with her on the losing end. Even so, Tim never came out completely unscathed.
"I missed talking to you." Arizona confessed with a smirk. Callie had been right but she would never tell her that.
"I missed you too, Zozo. I know you're working Christmas Eve and on call Christmas Day but we should try to coordinate a call so we can open our gifts from Timothy and Sara together."
"I would like that. I will talk to Callie and see what works for her schedule. Our packages from Tim arrived yesterday. Callie won't let me peek but I really need to know if I'm having a niece or nephew so I can buy him or her a present. We haven't had time to shop for Christmas or to even decorate yet but we are both off in the morning so I'm going to try to at least get the tree up so we can put the presents underneath."
"Your packages from your dad and I should be arriving in the next day or two so watch for them."
"I will."
"Well, I have to run to the store but I am so glad we got to talk."
"Me too, mom. Drive safe. I love you."
"Love you too, Zozo. Give Callie my love as well. Talk to you soon."
"Ok, bye mom."
Arizona hung up and smiled. She hadn't realized how much she had been carrying the weight of being on the outs with her mom until just now. It felt good to talk with her and some of that weight had lifted. The blonde re-entered the living room to find Callie still fast asleep. She pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek and then decided since she was hours away from being able to sleep herself thanks to her very long nap, she could at least start hauling up the Christmas decorations from the basement. Although their basement was finished, there was still a section where the water heater sat that was dark and damp, she generally avoided the basement for that reason but she knew Callie would tease her endlessly if she ever voiced her...discomfort, she wasn't about to admit to fear, no that would be childish. But the water heater and pipes made odd hissing and clinking noises and the whole thing just made the hair on her arms and neck stand up. She reminded herself over and over again that it was just normal house and basement noises. Still, every time she returned to the basement for another tote of decorations, she ran back up the stairs quickly as if something were chasing her.
"Jesus we have a lot of Christmas decorations." Arizona whispered to herself as she sat down the last tote and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Once she caught her breath though, the blonde smiled at the thought of them combining their Christmas decorations this year. She made a mental note to make sure they bought a new ornament. She remembered it was something Callie's family did and it was a tradition she wanted to keep alive for her just as they would hang their stockings on the mantle and another every time their family grew. Arizona peeked in on Callie, she was still sleeping soundly on the couch. She would have to wake her eventually, she knew the brunette tended to have back pain the next day if she slept on the couch the whole night. Once assuring herself that Callie was sleeping, she made her way upstairs for a much needed shower after her unexpected workout. Christmas was just around the corner, she was on her way to forgiving her mom, she was going to be an Auntie, and she and Callie were engaged, the dimpled smile on her face felt permanently fixed. The blonde was happy, beyond happy, happier than she had ever imagined she could be. Nothing could pop her pretty pink bubble.