AN: Happy New Year's Eve. I hope you have all enjoyed whatever holidays you celebrate. As you can see, no this story is not over. While I understand everyone's disappointment at the longer time between updates recently, please realize that this is a hobby, not a job. This is something I'm doing that should be enjoyable but the nasty messages and comments recently make it less enjoyable for me. I have a very busy, draining job right now and when I am not working, sometimes I just need some time for me. I anxiously await updates on my favorites as well so I understand. I enjoy reading all of your reviews and seeing that people are still excited to get updates about this story. It has officially now been a year since I posted the first chapter. Thank you all so much for you encouragement, support, and for loving my story. Please continue to let me know what you think. I hope this finds you all safe, healthy, and happy.
Happy reading :) -Meg
Chapter Forty-Seven
Arizona and Callie had a successful morning the next day putting up their tree and decorating their home for Christmas. It seemed magical to have their own house with their own decorations up and Arizona found herself overly giddy. The blonde insisted they leave for work a few minutes early to buy a new ornament and stockings for the fireplace and Callie couldn't help but smile at the blonde's enthusiasm. She had been so rundown and tired from the long hours that Callie had missed seeing this side of the perky woman. Her childlike excitement and curiosity were one of the many things that had made Callie fall in love with her.
"How about this one?" Arizona asked. Callie scrunched up her nose and shook her head at the gingerbread people. It very clearly looked like one male and one female, she wanted something that represented them as a couple.
"What about this one?" Callie asked, picking up an ornament that was two girls though they clearly looked like children and were most likely intended to be siblings. Arizona shook her head at that one but then squealed as she looked past Callie and pulled one from the shelf.
"This one." Arizona said, handing it to Callie and the brunette smiled widely. It was a simple clear bulb with fake snow inside and it said "First Christmas Engayged" with a little rainbow amid the snowflakes.
"You're right, it's perfect." Callie said, kissing the blonde's temple.
"Now for stockings." Arizona said, leading Callie to another part of the store.
"Babe, I don't think we have time today. My surgery is in an hour and the roads are slick. We will have to pick them out another day." Callie said, leading Arizona to the cash register. The blonde only looked slightly disappointed as Callie handed over her credit card and paid for their ornament.
"How many surgeries do you have today?" Arizona asked as the couple settled back in Callie's jeep.
"Just the one. Then I want to spend some time in my lab to prepare for the conference. My research is going to be an entire day of the conference, I want to make sure everything is perfect."
"It will be. You're amazing. I wish I could go with you. I'm so proud of you, Calliope."
"I wish you could come too. You know, Arthur most likely will be there. It's in New York and he is an orthopedic surgeon."
"Arthur?" Arizona asked, unable to place the name immediately.
"Albert Arthur Blake, my ex-fiance."
"Really? You're telling me this now? You leave in a month for that conference, Callie, I think your current finance has a right to know that your ex-fiance with a pompous name and a bazillion dollars in his bank account is going to be there."
"I'm telling you now because I haven't seen you long enough before now to have a conversation about it. I'm not even sure he will be there but he could be, it occurred to me the other day."
"What if he is there?"
"If he's there I plan to be professional and that's all. We aren't friends, I have no interest in becoming friends, and I am very happy in my current relationship. Any conversation with him will be strictly about work. It would be foolish of me to deny that he is a brilliant surgeon but I am too."
"You're a rockstar, Callie and I am so proud of you but the idea of him being there makes me very uncomfortable. I trust you, I do, completely but you are beautiful and brilliant. What if he realizes that he made a mistake in letting you go?"
"I hope he does. He didn't give me enough credit, not only personally but professionally. He always thought he came from a better family, that he was the smartest person in the room, and that he was the superior orthopedic surgeon in our year. He made me feel small."
"Calliope, you are anything but small. You have this giant, beautiful heart and a sassy attitude to go with it. You are a brilliant, smart, badass, rockstar ortho goddess and everyone knows it. And you are so sexy without even trying to be. You're right, I hope he is there to see what I see and to know that he can't have you."
"Ok do we really have to go into work right now because I really want to rip your clothes off."
"We will make it an early night and I will do all the ripping tonight." Arizona said with a wink before she pecked Callie's lips and exited the jeep. She waited for Callie and the two walked in hand in hand.
"Arizona, I'm so glad we ran into you. I wanted to thank you so much for the way you handled Steven's surgery the other night." Joann said, stopping Callie and Arizona as they waited for the elevator together. Callie turned and looked at Arizona with an arched eyebrow.
"I'm not sure you two have formally met. Callie, this is Joann and her wife, Stephanie. Joann, Stephanie, this is my fiance, Callie." Arizona said, awkwardly.
"It's very nice to meet you. I'm so sorry we have been stealing so much of Arizona's time but Joann insists that she trusts no one else with Steven's surgeries. I am so grateful that you were on call the other night."
"Fiance?" Joann mouthed.
"How is Steven doing?" Arizona asked, ignoring Joann.
"He's doing better. Awake and talking now. The psychiatrist you consulted will be here later this afternoon to see him. We were just running out to grab a quick bite to eat while he rests." Stephanie replied.
"That's so good to hear. I will round on him later and if all looks well and both oncology and psychiatry sign off on him, he can potentially be discharged tomorrow afternoon."
"Oh that's great to hear. Well, we should be going. Thanks again Dr. Robbins. Nice to meet you, Callie." Stephanie said, already leading Joann toward the lobby.
"So, Steven Carter was your emergency that kept you at the hospital all night the other night?" Callie asked as the couple stepped into the elevator.
"Callie, I was going to tell you but we were already fighting and it's technically against HIPPA to discuss his case with you."
"Did you not tell me because of HIPPA or because you thought it would upset me?" Callie asked, her arms crossed over her chest.
"I guess a little of both." Arizona replied honestly.
"Unbelievable." Callie replied with a shake of her head. The elevator dinged on the third floor and Callie moved to step off.
"Calliope…"
"I have a surgery to prep for, Arizona."
"Callie…" Arizona called, stepping out of the elevator but the feisty Latina was already halfway down the hallway. Checking her watch, Arizona cursed, she would have to find Callie after her surgery. She knew that the ortho goddess liked ample time to prep for her surgeries and she didn't want a fight to ruin her process. The blonde stepped back into the elevator and rode it up one more floor to the peds department. She sighed heavily before plastering a smile on her face and making her way to the nurses station to grab the charts she needed to review.
"Dr. Robbins, I'm on your service today." The eager red-headed resident exclaimed as Arizona walked by with an armful of charts. She caught a glimpse of Lexie mouthing an "I'm sorry" from her peripheral.
"Ok. Dr. Blake, explain to me how you would get a scared four year old to cooperate for a CT."
"Excuse me?"
"Dr. Blake, if you want to work with children, you need to learn how to speak to them. And you need to be able to earn their trust while maintaining their parent's confidence in your abilities. You will be rounding with Dr. Grey and I on our surgical patients. You will observe, you will not speak and then you may observe our surgery in an hour."
"So I won't be touching any actual patients today? Everyone says you are the best attending teacher in the hospital."
"I am an excellent teacher, Dr. Blake but I don't know you or your skill level. I can't just let you loose on a ward full of tiny humans. In order to teach you, I need to assess your capability. It isn't personal, it's my process. You will observe today and then when you are on my service again, we will see what you learned."
"Ok." Penny replied and Arizona could see that it was taking every ounce of restraint she had not to roll her eyes.
"Dr. Grey, could you please get Dr. Blake caught up on our surgical patients and the surgery we will be performing after we round? I need ten minutes to review a few things in my office and then we will be doing rounds quickly."
"Yes Dr. Robbins." Lexie said, hopping up and directing Penny to the desk where Lexie had been studying for their surgery.
Arizona had a taxing day. It wasn't that Penny Blake was incompetent, quite the opposite actually, her training and skills were obvious but some things you just can't teach; and those were the things the resident lacked. Like how to speak to a toddler and how to calm the fears of the creators of the tiny humans. Callie was also heavily on the peds surgeon's mind and she was more than grateful when she completed her last set of rounds that evening and was finally able to make her way to the lab where she knew she would find Callie. She wasn't surprised to find the door locked so she knocked gently.
"Callie, can I come in?" Arizona called through the door. She was about to walk away when she heard the latch click and the door popped open. Callie was already walking back to her seat at the table where she had papers scattered and a microscope with several slides beside it that the brunette was looking through.
"Lock the door." Callie said without looking up from the microscope as Arizona entered the room.
"Are you going to be long?" Arizona asked.
"No, I just have one more slide to get through and some notes to make. Maybe half an hour. Do you mind waiting?"
"Not at all." Arizona said, taking a seat on a stool across from Callie. She didn't want to ruin her concentration but she desperately wanted to talk to her. Instead, she pulled out her laptop and went through the never ending emails that seemed to accumulate. She had several that she needed to respond to, one from The Carter Madison Foundation that was urgent but she had been avoiding.
"You ready?" Callie asked suddenly. Arizona looked up in surprise to see Callie's papers all neatly placed in her briefcase and the microscope and slides missing.
"Yea." Arizona said. She shut the lid to her laptop and slipped it into her own briefcase before reaching for Callie's hand and following her to the parking lot.
"Will you order us some Chinese to be delivered while I drive? I'm starving and we still haven't been grocery shopping."
"Sure, Chinese sounds good. You want your usual?" Arizona asked. She watched Callie carefully. It was unlike her to forgive so easily and without some sort of fight or discussion. Arizona placed the order as Callie nodded her head and then waited a full five minutes in silence before she couldn't take it anymore.
"Callie…"
"I overreacted to the Joann situation. I understand why you didn't tell me but having her here just puts me on edge. I don't trust her and I hate that you are attached to her son."
"I'm not attached to her son, Callie. I'm doing my job. It has nothing to do with Joann or my history with her. It has to do with a little boy who needed surgery and I am a pediatric surgeon. I was doing my job. If it was any other child I had been paged in for, I would have had the same responsibility and we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"So if he dies, you won't be completely devastated?"
"Callie, he's fourteen and has cancer, of course I will be devastated. I would be for any of my patients in his situation. They are kids, they should be out playing, making friends, trying to find out who they are, dreaming about what they're going to be when they grow up. Every child I lose devastates me, Callie. But thankfully, I am able to save more than I lose and that's what keeps me going."
"Is this why you don't want kids?"
"What? No, Callie, we talked about this."
"No, we haven't, not this. I just want to understand why because our kids won't be like that. They won't be some sick kid in your NICU."
"I don't know why, Callie. I've just never wanted them. I know it's not "normal" and it's not "womanly" of me to not want kids but I just don't."
"You don't?" Callie asked, her voice sounding small.
"I didn't mean it like that, Callie. I told you, I feel differently now. I'm still not sure of myself and my own ability to be a good mom but you will be a great mom. Our kids will be so lucky to have you. I just need some more time to get used to the idea." Arizona said gently. It was the truth, while she was warming up to the idea, she still couldn't shake her doubts in herself.
"Arizona, if you don't want kids it's ok but I need to know that right now."
"Calliope, you're not hearing me. I'm scared because I don't feel like I have the same motherly instincts as you, I'm not a natural like you and the feeling of wanting a baby is new to me. But when it comes to a life with you, I want it all." Arizona said. She didn't know when they had arrived home or how long they had been parked in their driveway but she was glad to find them parked so she could lean over and kiss Callie.
"I'm sorry I got jealous of Joann."
"I'm sorry I got jealous of Albert Arthur Blake." Arizona replied with a smile. For some reason, saying his full name made her feel a little less intimidated by the fact that Callie was once engaged to him.
"Come here, I think we have time for a good ole fashioned junior high make out session before our food gets here." Callie said with a mischievous smile as she scooted her seat back and motioned for Arizona to climb in her lap.
"I like the way you think, Torres."
Arizona climbed over the center console and straddled the brunette's lap as best she could in the tight space. Her hands immediately found full breasts while Callie's lips attached themselves to a pale neck. Feeling Callie's body against hers after two weeks of no intimate contact was a rush and the blonde found herself quickly losing control of her faculties. She ground down into Callie's lap, the friction from her jeans helping to relieve some of the throbbing in her center. Callie's hands slipped around her bottom, bringing her closer and her lips moved down her neck, as far as the bulky coat would allow.
The Latina was fumbling with the zipper of Arizona's coat, trying to get to the skin beneath when a rapping on the car window and a clearing of a throat stopped them. Arizona looked up, cheeks flushed with arousal and now embarrassed at being caught while Callie huffed loudly as she pulled herself away from Arizona's neck to roll the window down, making the blonde giggle.
"Here's your food." The equally embarrassed teen said, handing Arizona the bags through the open window before quickly disappearing. Arizona burst out laughing and Callie swatted her playfully as the blonde climbed from her lap and into her own seat.
Callie pulled her car in the garage and the smell of food made both of their stomachs rumble. Arizona carried the bags into the kitchen while Callie rummaged in the cabinet for plates. Arizona grabbed her container and started eating directly out of the white box before Callie returned to the table with plates. Callie eyed her for a moment as if deciding if she should scold her or not before she shrugged her shoulders and followed Arizona's lead.
"So, you were awfully lost in thought at the lab, what were you reading?" Callie asked as she stole a baby corn from Arizona's carton.
"Hey!" Arizona shouted, threatening the brunette with her chopsticks. She smiled at Callie to let her know she was teasing before responding, "Just some emails I haven't gotten to yet."
"Emails from who?"
"The Carter Madison Foundation." Arizona replied, now purposely avoiding eye contact.
"Hmmm, did they give you a schedule for when they want you to travel to Malawi?"
"They did."
"When do they need you there?"
"I would leave February twenty first and return March ninth."
"That's more than a week, Arizona."
"Sixteen days. Two for travel and fourteen in Malawi."
"I thought we agreed on one week."
"We did but since I didn't return this year, they are really pushing the issue. I did leave them early and short this year and they were very gracious about it. They also want me to bring two other surgeons with me."
"And have these other surgeons agreed to two weeks away?"
"They have. There will be a group of ten surgeons total. They are hoping for three from Seattle Grace, two from Johns Hopkins, two from Mass General, and one from Stanford."
"So you've already agreed to this?"
"No, I told them I am getting married next year and two weeks is a long time to commit to and I have to discuss it with my future wife and my boss before I make any decisions. I didn't want to bring it up before Christmas but they need an answer before the first of the year. The Chief wants me to do this, they are threatening to pull future funding and they haven't specifically said I am the reason but we can all read between the lines."
"You should do it. We will figure something out for the wedding. We haven't even set a date yet. It doesn't have to be next year."
"I want it to be next year, Callie. I don't want to put our wedding on hold for this."
"Well, I guess if you're committing to having our wedding within the next year then I suppose I could get on board with you going to Malawi for two weeks."
"Are you sure you're ok with this?" Arizona asked. She had expected a huge fight and lots of convincing and groveling on her part.
"No, I hate it and I'm not happy about it at all, but I know what this means to you and you've worked way too hard for them to pull their funding now."
"I love you. I love you so much and I don't deserve you." Arizona said. She abandoned her food and made her way to the other side of the table to sit in Callie's lap.
"Yea well after this trip to Malawi, it's one week, period, plus I'll give you two days for travel."
"Deal." Arizona replied with a dimpled smile. "Now, are you done eating because I kind of want to get to that make out session you promised me."
"Oh, we've moved past the make out session, Robbins, I think after that conversation anything short of a home run would land you in the penalty box."
"I'm pretty sure one of those sports you're referring to is baseball and the other one is hockey babe." Arizona said with a giggle.
"Maybe you should be more focused on how to get out of the penalty box and less on the semantics of proper sports terms."
"Yes ma'am."
Callie
"Thank you for braving the mall with me two days before Christmas."
"Oh I had my own agenda. I still have a few last minute things I need to pick up for Christmas. I've been avoiding shopping but my parents and brother will be here tomorrow. Besides, I think it's about time we caught up. Let me get another look at that ring on your finger." The redhead said as they dropped their bags onto a chair in the food pavilion.
"It was her grandmother's ring." Callie explained while her best friend inspected the ring.
"It's beautiful. And the proposal went well?"
"It was perfect." Callie replied, a giant smile on her face as she thought about their trip to Spain.
"And did you have the baby talk with her like you said you would? I don't want to burst your bubble or anything, I love Arizona, I really do but this is a big topic. It's not one that can be compromised on and the longer you ignore it the worse it will be."
"Relax Addie, we had the talk, twice. And we did it without yelling or fighting or freaking out. It was actually very productive."
"So, she wants kids now?"
"Well no, not exactly. She's open to the idea of having kids in the future. It's not something she's ever considered before so the idea is still new and a bit scary to her but she said she intends for us to have kids."
"What does that even mean?"
"Addie, don't. I told her I wouldn't push her on the issue and I would let her tell me when she's ready."
"But you're ready now. Every time you see a baby you get this weird look on your face like this." Addie made a face that was somewhere between looking like she wanted to devour a pizza and complete bliss. Callie gave her a shove in her shoulder.
"Stop it, I do not look like that."
"I'm telling you, yes you do."
"We aren't even married yet, Addie. We haven't even set a date. I have a conference in New York coming up and I will be gone for eight days. Arizona, Lexie, and Teddy are headed to Malawi for two weeks at the end of February. We have a lot on our plates right now."
"I thought Malawi was only a one week thing."
"Yea well the Carter Madison Foundation made a stink about how she did not return this year and therefore guilted her into agreeing for another week next year. Although, to be honest, I don't think it took much convincing, she really loves that clinic and hated that she wasn't able to return this year."
"Are you ok with that?"
"I mean, she started that clinic, I understand why she is so fond of it and wants to see it through. I just hate that it's in Malawi."
"At least Teddy and Lexie will be with her." Addie said. She was studying her friend intently. She knew that she was more upset about this than she was letting on which was unlike Callie.
"I suppose so."
"Callie, this is me you're talking to."
"Ugh, I'm trying to be mature and understanding about this but I hate it and there's a huge part of me that wants to forbid her from going."
"Forbid her?" Addie asked with an arched eyebrow.
"I know it sounds completely awful and archaic but it's the truth, Addie. I don't want her to go. I want to plan our wedding and be completely and blissfully in our little bubble. I want to daydream about babies and what kind of dog we're going to get and convince her that having chickens in Seattle is completely ridiculous."
"Did you tell her that?"
"No and I'm not going to. This means a lot to her, I know that and I want to support her dreams. I just hate that this is still so important to her."
"It's who she is Callie."
"I know and that's what made me fall in love with her. What if she is always wanting more, Addie? I've always wanted to be a surgeon, get married, have some kids, and settle down. What if that's not enough for her?"
"Well you're engaged now so I think that's a discussion that you absolutely have to have and soon, Callie."
"We have and she swears it's what she wants too but I'm just not sure."
"If she tells you that's what she wants then you need to trust her, Callie."
"I know. It's just that I thought Arthur wanted those things too. And before Arthur I thought Vinny, Jack, and Miguel wanted the same things as me but they all turned out to want different things in the end."
"Arizona isn't Arthur or Vinny or Jack or Miguel. You have to trust Arizona."
"I know."
"Come on. Let's go get some greasy pizza and an ice cream. Then I want to hit the shoe store, they are having a sale and mama needs a new pair of heels under the Christmas tree." Addie said, flashing a devious smile.
Retail therapy turned out to be just what Callie needed. Despite the crowds, carolers, and long lines, she found herself enjoying the atmosphere while Addie "ohhed" and "ahhed" over the latest fashions at her favorite shops. Callie even got in the spirit and splurged a little on a few new skirts and blouses for her upcoming conference and of course she needed shoes and a purse to match. She even found a pair of heels that she knew would look spectacular on her blonde and she purchased them, along with a purse that she knew Arizona had eyed on several occasions but wasn't one to spend money on herself for those types of things. Arizona was a practical shopper and rarely bought anything that she didn't "need".
Later that night, Callie hauled in her loot to an empty house. Arizona hadn't been home more than two hours to shower and change in the past two days and Callie was ready to put her foot down about the hours she was pulling. She knew once Alex returned the day after Christmas that the blonde would get some relief and be able to take the weekend to relax for the first time since they had returned from Spain but Callie was concerned about the way she was running herself on empty. The ten pounds the blonde had put back on since returning from Afghanistan to bring her back to her normal weight had fallen off these past few weeks. Callie noted the tired circles around her eyes and twice Arizona had fallen asleep at the dinner table while Callie was talking to her.
The brunette had just placed the last wrapped present under the tree when she heard the garage door opening. She had been lost in her thoughts as she had wrapped, filled out tags, and stuck colorful bows on packages and had lost all track of time. She glanced at the clock above the fireplace and sighed heavily, it was nearing eleven pm. She didn't want to fight with the blonde or make her feel badly about how dedicated she was to her patients but Callie knew it couldn't continue.
"Hey baby, I thought you would be sleeping by now. Wow, you were busy." Arizona said as she shed her coat, purse, and boots and walked into their living room to see several wrapped packages beneath the tree that hadn't previously been there.
"Mmm, Addie and I went shopping today. I didn't know if I would get a chance tomorrow evening."
"It looks lovely." Arizona replied with a smile. It felt good to be home. She had missed the comfort their home brought and she had really missed Callie.
"How was work?"
"Busy and exhausting. I really should have stayed again tonight. Steven is still touch and go, he might not survive this. Lexie insisted I leave and promised to stay and call me if anything happens that she cannot handle. I admit, I really wanted to come home so I couldn't refuse her offer." Arizona replied as she plopped down on the couch.
Callie stood up from the floor and came to sit beside the blonde. She patted her lap and Arizona situated herself so she could place her aching feet in the brunette's lap. She moaned in pleasure as Callie's strong fingers started massaging the tender soft tissue of her feet. The two enjoyed the silence for a few moments, it was comfortable and warm. Callie watched as Arizona's face relaxed for probably the first time in two days and her heart swelled knowing that she was one of the few people the blonde was capable of completely relaxing with.
"I've missed you." Callie stated simply as she moved up to work on tense calf muscles.
"Mmm, I've missed you too. That feels really good, Calliope." Arizona moaned, her eyes closed and a small smile present.
"I'm worried about you. You've been working far too many hours and not eating or sleeping enough. You can't keep going like this babe."
"I know. I promise when Alex gets back I will not step foot into the hospital for three whole days. I am completely yours." Arizona replied. She opened her eyes and shared a knowing smile with the Latina. Despite the exhaustion and knowing that Arizona didn't have the energy for any sort of extracurricular activities, Callie's core clenched at the look on the blonde's face.
"Come on. I'm going to draw you a bath and then I'm going to warm you up some dinner while you get cleaned up. And then I am going to finish your massage and tuck you in. And you are going to sleep for at least six hours before you leave this house." Callie said. Though her words had a playful tone, both women knew she was more than serious.
"You are too good to me." Arizona replied.
Callie gently removed the blonde's feet from her lap and then stood to help her up. They stood facing each other for a moment before Arizona stepped into the brunette's space and brought their lips together. Callie's hands tangled in blonde locks as Arizona's hands gripped her hips tightly, holding her in place. They were lost in the kiss, refamiliarizing themselves with the other woman's taste, it was a kiss that never seemed to end and ended all too soon at the same time. Once the kiss was broken, Arizona leaned in and placed her hands and forehead on Callie's chest. Callie circled her arms around the blonde and kissed the crown of her head as she marveled in the feel of holding her.
"Are you ready for a bath now?"
"Yes but on two conditions."
"Oh?"
"I know I should eat something healthy but I really just want pasta or a bagel or something else equally carb loaded."
"There's pizza in the fridge."
"Have I mentioned lately that I love you?"
"No, actually I don't think you have." Callie replied with a smirk.
"Well, I do, I love you, Calliope."
"I love you too." Callie said, placing a quick peck on pink lips. "Your second condition?"
"Can we just take the cold pizza up to the bathroom and eat it in the bathtub together?"
"You want to eat in the bathroom?"
"I'm exhausted and hungry and I smell like the hospital but more than anything, I missed you. I don't want you to be down here cooking for me while I'm in the bath. Even for just fifteen minutes. I can eat and enjoy a bath at the same time and then we can go to sleep."
"Well how can I reason with that?" Callie asked, her voice softening at the adorableness of her fiance.
"You grab the pizza, I'll go start the bath but be quick ok?" Arizona said. She left Callie to grab the pizza without waiting for an answer. Callie shook her head and went to the kitchen to grab the pizza. Her conversation with Addie was suddenly running through her head but she tried to push those thoughts out. They had bought a house together, Arizona agreed to marry her and not only that, had been planning her own proposal. Surely that meant they wanted the same things, right?
XXXXX
Callie opened her eyes to see a pair of big blue ones staring down at her, excitement evident in them, she smiled before her eyes fully adjusted and then shook her head as the face came into focus.
"Mami, Santa comed." The little blonde straddling her lap squealed.
"Mami?" Callie asked.
"Yes, did you hear me? There are pwesents, Mami!"
"Hey, there you are little miss, I thought I told you to let Mami sleep a little longer."
"Sowwy Mama, I was just too excited." The little girl apologized and Callie found herself grinning widely.
"Go downstairs and see if you can find any presents with your name on it. Your sister is still sleeping, we have to wait for her." Arizona said as she picked up the toddler from Callie's lap and kissed her chubby cheeks while the child squealed and squirmed in her arms. She let the child down and she took off running.
"Slow down, mija." Callie called, concerned the child would fall on the stairs.
"She was so excited, she woke me up at five. We made breakfast, watched some Christmas movies, and prepped some of the food for Christmas dinner before the other kiddos got up. Your daughter is still asleep though, no one was brave enough to wake her."
"She's so cute. Tell her to come back and cuddle with us in bed." Callie said. She didn't know if this was real or a dream but either way, she wanted to snuggle her little girl a little more.
"Calliope if you don't get out of bed and go wake up your daughter, your sweet little girl is going to be anything but cute. I held her off as long as I could, babe. Was work brutal last night?" Arizona said. She sat on the bed and brushed a piece of dark hair from falling into Callie's face.
"She's a little spitfire huh?"
"You know she is. I told you that five was too many but you just had to have a little girl that looked just like me. You got your wish, Calliope, now she's your problem." Arizona said, placing a kiss on Callie's lips. "You have five minutes before I send all four of them up to get you."
Callie smiled as she watched the clock on the bedside table mark five minutes and a moment later she heard the patter of feet on the stairs and then in the hall before the door burst open and kids with a mix of different shades of brown and blonde hair spilled into the room shouting, "Mami, get up!"
The little one climbed back up onto Callie's lap and placed her chubby little hands on Callie's cheeks to look in her eyes. Callie looked up at the door and saw Arizona standing with a beautiful little girl with long dark hair, clearly the oldest of the children but still not old enough to be considered a teenager. Arizona smiled as she watched on with her arms wrapped around the girl.
"Merry Christmas, baby." Arizona said, a dimpled smile on her face.
"Merry Christmas, Mami." The children shouted and Callie's heart melted as she saw the dimples pop on the chubby cheeks of their youngest child.
"Merry Christmas my babies."
"Callie, Callie, wake up. It's Christmas."
Callie opened her eyes to see a pair of big blue ones staring down at her, excitement evident in them. She smiled widely and as her eyes adjusted and Arizona's face came into focus, she looked on in confusion. Arizona noticed the small frown appear on Callie's face, concern suddenly filled her.
"Are you ok, babe?"
"Yea, where are the kids?" Callie asked, her mind still focused on the dream she had just been woken from.
"Kids?" Arizona asked.
"Yea, I...I must have been dreaming." Callie realized sadly. But then she smiled as she remembered their faces and how happy they all seemed.
"And how many kids did you dream up?" Arizona asked curiously. She sat on the bed as she had in Callie's dream and brushed a wayward strand of dark hair from falling into her eyes.
"Five." Callie replied with a smile.
"Five?" Arizona repeated. She swallowed hard at the thought but then her face softened and she smiled at the happiness on Callie's face, "I suppose I did promise you ten. It seems like it was a good dream."
"It was. We were so happy and we had this adorable little girl that looked just like you and a moody preteen with dark hair and they were just beautiful." Callie remembered.
"And the other three?"
"Well I didn't get a good look at them but definitely a mix of boys and girls, blondes and brunettes."
"Hmmm, I think you had too much egg nog last night pretty lady." Arizona teased.
"What time are we skyping with your family?"
"In twenty minutes. I thought you might want time to have coffee and freshen up a bit first."
"Mmm, magic juice."
"I will pour you a cup while you get ready."
"Ok, I'm just going to shower real quick." Callie said. Arizona watched her for a moment as she got up and started her morning routine.
"Callie?"
"Yea babe?"
"I hope your dream comes true." Arizona said before she left Callie alone with that thought.
Twenty five minutes later, Callie and Arizona sat at the table together drinking their coffee with Callie's laptop balanced between them. Tim and Sara were already on the skype call and the four were giggling as Sara told a story about Nick finding all of their Christmas presents one year and spoiling Santa for Sara. Nora, Nick, and Kacie joined in a few moments later and Nora smiled as Nick told his version of the same story. Arizona looked at her watch worriedly, it was unlike her father in particular to be late. Callie slid her hand down a slender forearm and clasped their hands together as she felt Arizona's anxiety begin to build.
"Finally." Tim sighed as Barbara's name popped up on skype. Callie could tell that he had been concerned about their parent's tardiness as well.
"Hey mom." Arizona said with a relieved smile as Barbara filled the screen.
"Where's dad?" Tim asked. The four of them were getting together later for dinner but he and Sara had wanted to spend their first Christmas morning together alone. Teddy's screen name popped up and the blonde appeared onscreen in an oncall room.
"Teds, you made it." Tim exclaimed.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world. Just got out of surgery and Henry brought me my package so I can open it here."
"Where's dad?" Arizona asked again.
"We had some technical difficulties, he should be joining us soon." Barbara replied and as if he could hear them, Daniel popped up on the skype call.
Callie took in the appearance of the room with the familiar wallpapers and bedspreads and realized Daniel was not at home but was in a hotel. She eyed the blonde nervously as she came to the same conclusion and squeezed her hand gently. Callie watched as Arizona, Tim, and Teddy seemed to communicate to each other without actually speaking but Callie noted the subtle nods from all three of them before Tim turned his attention back to the whole group.
"You guys ready to find out what this little Christmas miracle is?"
"I'm pretty sure it's a baby, dude." Nick retorted with a chuckle.
"Does everyone have their packages?" Sara asked. She and Tim watched and smiled as they all held up a similar package.
"Ok, open on...three...two...one..." Tim said and suddenly the only noise that could be heard was wrapping paper being ripped open. Callie heard the first gasp from Barbara as she pulled her shirt from the box. Callie looked to her right at Arizona as they pulled their shirts out together, a big smile lighting up both of their faces. Their shirts were identical except that Callie's was red and Arizona's was blue but they both read "Proud Auntie of the most awesome nephew ever". Callie smiled at the use of the word awesome and she noted the tears welling in Arizona's eyes.
"Oh a grandson." Nora squealed as she was the last to free her shirt from the box.
Suddenly Nora and Barbara were in tears and excited chatter was heard over the skype call. The excited chatter lasted for several minutes before the conversation turned to Barbara and Nora giving advice on all things boys. Daniel said he was rushing out to buy a red sox onesie as soon as possible and Nick argued that the baby would be a cubs fan. Teddy reminded them all that her name was definitely meant for a baby boy. And through it all, Arizona remained silent. Callie reached a hand under the table and squeezed the blonde's leg causing her to look up and smile gently at Callie but they both knew it was a forced smile.
"Tim, we are so excited for you. Whatever name you give him or whatever sports team he roots for, my little nephew is going to be awesome." Callie said with a smile.
"Thanks Cal." Tim replied with a smile.
"We should probably get off of here. We are likely to get paged in at any time and we still have to open presents and skype with my family." Callie said.
"Oh so soon?" Barbara asked.
"Yeah, I have to go too. I need to round on my patients." Teddy said regretfully.
"Oh Christmas just isn't the same this year without all of us together." Barbara said softly, the sadness evident on her face and in her voice.
"You and dad will both be over for dinner later though, right?" Tim asked worriedly.
"Of course we will." Daniel replied.
"Ok well Merry Christmas. Love you all. Talk to you soon." Arizona said before she and Callie signed off.
"Arizona…"
"I'm going to go shower. Go ahead and start skype with your parents if they call, I'll only be a few minutes." Arizona promised, cutting Callie off with a kiss before leaving the room quickly. Callie considered following her but decided she would give her some space and broach the subject of her parents with her later.
After skyping with Callie's family, the couple spent the rest of their Christmas lounging lazily by the fire. They had opened their presents and stockings then laid on the sofa together watching movies until it was time to get ready to go to Meredith and Derek's for Christmas dinner. They were both on call but had so far managed to avoid the hospital and Callie sincerely hoped to keep it that way. She hadn't brought up Arizona's parents yet, not wanting to spoil the day completely but she fully intended to once they were back home and would have time to discuss it fully without the threat of being called in. They both had the next three days off together and the brunette was very much looking forward to spending it with her fiance.
It was just after six when they arrived at Derek and Meredith's for dinner. Everyone in attendance either worked at the hospital or was married to or dating someone working at the hospital. Callie helped Arizona out of her coat and the blonde smiled softly at her. She had been unusually quiet but allowed Callie to do these small things for her, something Callie knew was her way of letting the brunette know she wasn't shutting her out, she just needed some time to process.
They made it through dinner and mocktails before the first pager sounded. Bailey cursed and looked at her pager before the second one sounded. Derek snatched his pager off the bar and looked up to meet Bailey's gaze. It was like a domino effect after that. Meredith, Mark, Cristina, Riggs, Owen, Callie, George, Izzy, and Henry's pagers went off next in quick succession.
"Mass casualty, looks like a fire at a Christmas party." Mark said.
"Fire fighters have been injured." The Chief confirmed as he helped Bailey into her coat. "Looks like all hands on deck." Owen said, helping Cristina into her coat as Maggie, April,
Jackson, Leah, Amelia, Stephanie, Jo, Charles, Megan, Matthew, and Reed's pagers went off.
"I didn't get a page." Arizona said, looking almost disappointedly at her pager. She looked around the room, only herself, Alex, Teddy, and Lexie's pagers remained silent.
"I'm not on call." Teddy said with a shrug. Three very capable cardiothoracic surgeons were en route to the hospital, they didn't need her and she had indulged in an actual cocktail.
"There must not be any pediatric cases which is a good thing, babe." Callie said as she made her way to the door. Arizona helped her into her coat.
"I know but I still could help. I am also certified as a general surgeon."
"We have Bailey, the Chief, and Meredith but I am sure they will page you if they need you."
"I wish you didn't have to go." Arizona said, placing a kiss on Callie's cheek even as she held firmly to her lapels. Though she hadn't felt like talking about her parents or her dad staying in a hotel, she had found comfort in Callie's presence and she felt slightly clingy at the moment.
"Me neither. Teddy, can you give Arizona a ride home?"
"Sure thing, Cal." Teddy said, raising her drink up in the air.
"Maybe you should drive Teddy and her car home." Callie suggested.
"Don't worry, I won't let her drive. Be careful, ok, I love you, Calliope."
"Love you too, baby. Go home and get some sleep, I'll be home as soon as I can." Callie promised with a last kiss before she headed to her jeep and followed the train of cars filled with surgeons headed to the hospital.
Callie entered the hospital to find the ER filled with dozens of injured people that were celebrating Christmas at a party at a local business whose fire codes were not up to date. The upstairs party took a turn when the downstairs restaurant had a gas leak causing a mild explosion that resulted in a big fire, trapping most of the patrons in the upstairs bar. Two firefighters and a medic were injured attempting to rescue the remaining trapped victims when a second explosion occurred.
"Torres, I need you to check the films on beds one, four, and seven. Let me know if any of them are surgical." Owen ordered.
"Here's the films for one and seven, we're still waiting on the films for room four." April said, handing Callie the scans.
"Both arms are broken in room one but I think they can just be set and splinted, they look clean." Callie said, handing the first film back to April and then looking at the films for room seven. "Several rib fractures on the right side, broken ulna, two broken metacarpals, and a broken fibula. None of it looks surgical. Did this guy fall on his right side?"
"She did. From a ladder, she's a firefighter."
"Ouch, she's lucky. Hunt, one and seven both have breaks but nothing surgical, they look clean. Seven needs to be admitted though, she has a lot of fractures and aside from the pain, I'm worried about compartment syndrome or a fat embolism."
"We will work on getting her admitted to the ortho floor, I will take the lead on her care. What about four?"
"Still waiting on the films."
"Ok, let me know when they're back. If none of the breaks are surgical then I could use your help splinting and helping Sloan with treating burns."
"Got them right here, Dr. Hunt." April said, handing Callie the last set of films.
"Hip is broken and this arm is shattered, they're both going to need surgery, Hunt, look at this." Callie said, showing him the shattered left arm.
"CT also showed a liver lac." Bailey said as she entered the pit.
"Ok, Callie, take Wilson with you to assist. Bailey, who do you need?"
"I'll take O'Malley, he's been on my service this week."
"Ok, April call for an OR for them and then go see what Sloan needs help with." Owen said.
Callie and Bailey ran to the elevators and held the door for Jo and George along with the slew of hospital personnel currently working on the patient as they moved her for surgery. Once the patient was safely in the elevator, Bailey and Callie ran for the stairs and made their way to the scrub room. Callie was completely scrubbed when she looked up and noticed the patient wasn't in the operating room.
"Did we come to the wrong OR?" Callie asked, turning to face Bailey.
"Torres, you think I don't know where OR three is? It's my favorite OR." Bailey said with her famous Bailey tone.
"Of course I know you know where OR three is. I'm saying did they take the patient to a different OR and we misunderstood?"
"Were you drinking tonight Torres?"
"Bailey, do you see a patient?" Callie asked, stepping forward to open the automatic doors. Bailey looked at Callie with a death glare before turning her attention to the OR.
"What in the world? O'Malley and Wilson should know better by now. You think you raised your babies and can finally trust them to not screw up and then you get to the OR and your patient is missing. Come on, let's go find them. I think they should watch from the gallery after this." Bailey said, leading Callie from the room as she continued to rant under her breath. The two women searched every OR but found each as empty as the last.
"They couldn't have just disappeared." Callie said as they walked back to the elevator.
"It's stuck." Bailey said, pushing the button over and over.
"What do you mean it's stuck?"
"Do I stutter?" Bailey asked as Callie jabbed the button a few more times. Just then a loud bang was heard and the floor beneath them shook slightly. They shared a look before springing into action.
"Let's take the stairs."
The women took the stairs back up to the first floor and halted as they saw a group of people crowded around the elevator. As they approached they could hear Derek and the Chief yelling into the elevator shaft. The two exchanged a look and ran to the elevator to see what the commotion was about.
"What's going on Chief?"
"The elevator dropped, they're all trapped inside. It only dropped two floors but we can't get anyone inside to answer."
"We're going to try to get a walkie talkie to them through the vent." Derek said. Callie peeked over his shoulder to see a cloud of dust in the elevator shaft and the elevator cart two floors below them. Her heart sank, not only was an unstable patient trapped in that elevator but Jo and George were too, along with two nurses and a respiratory therapist.
"How the hell did this happen?" Callie asked.
"Callie, oh thank God, I thought you were in the elevator. Come here." Mark said, running up to his best friend and pulling her in for a hug. He placed a sloppy kiss on her head.
"Bailey and I held the elevator doors for them but then we took the stairs. There wasn't enough room for all of us in the elevator and we thought we could get started on scrubbing."
"I need to text Lexie. I told her you were trapped in an elevator that fell."
"No but Jo and George are in there. Along with two nurses and an RT." Callie replied, removing herself from Mark's embrace as he pulled his phone out.
XXXXX
"Oh my God." Lexie said as she helped Arizona load a drunken Alex and Teddy into the backseat of Teddy's car.
"What?" The blonde asked, as she slapped away Teddy's hand from her hair.
"Your hair is so so silky, Riz." Teddy said, reaching for it again.
"Um, maybe I should drive." Lexie said, suddenly, placing her phone in her pocket.
"What's going on, Lexie?" Arizona asked, finally getting Teddy in the car enough to shut the back door.
"That was Mark."
"And?"
"There was an accident at the hospital."
"What kind of accident?"
"An elevator fell two floors and a patient and some staff are trapped inside."
"Oh, that's terrible. Do they need us to come in?" Arizona asked.
"No."
"Then why is Mark texting you?" Arizona asked but as she looked at Lexie, realization hit, "No."
"Arizona, it's going to be ok."
"Is Calliope trapped in that elevator Lexie?"
"It appears so."
"Get in the car."
"Maybe I should drive." Lexie said, attempting to grab the keys from Arizona.
"Lexie, I survived school with the name Arizona. The playground was not my friend but I learned to hit fast and hard. You do not want to mess with me right now. Get in the damn car." Arizona demanded firmly.
She watched the young brunette admit defeat and slide into the passenger seat before racing around to the driver's seat and climbing in. She quickly checked on Alex and Teddy, both fast asleep in the backseat but still buckled in safely before she turned to Lexie and nodded slightly to herself. Seeing everyone safely buckled in, she headed toward the hospital at a speed that was probably too fast for road conditions.
"Arizona, I think you should slow down a bit." Lexie said quietly from the passenger seat as they nearly slid through an intersection. Although her heart was hammering in her chest with the need to get to Callie, Arizona slowed her speed. She hadn't even been doing the speed limit but the icy mixture of snow and rain that had begun to fall was making the roads slick and her ability to see less than ideal.
Arizona heard Lexie audibly sigh in relief as the hospital came into view. Arizona chanced a glance in her direction before focusing her attention back to the entrance of the hospital. Blue eyes widened as she saw the ambulance flip on it's side as it rounded the corner on the street just in front of them. It was sliding toward them quickly, there was no time for her to react as she closed her eyes and braced for impact. Metal on metal was heard in a sickening sound and the feeling of her head slamming into the steering wheel was felt before everything went black.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed as she lifted her head again. It was eerily quiet and she lifted her head off the steering wheel to look around. Lexie was next to her, her eyes wide open in shock but seemingly uninjured. Arizona turned her head to check the backseat and saw Teddy struggling to remove her seatbelt and Alex already out of the car. Her hearing returned as she heard sirens but she felt disoriented like the world had tipped on its axis.
"Come on Teds, we have to get out of the car. Lexie, can you move?" Arizona heard Alex saying.
"My leg is trapped." Arizona heard Lexie respond. She looked toward the floor of the passenger seat and saw Lexie's legs trapped in the twisted metal. The ambulance had rammed into the front of their vehicle and was now resting partially on the hood.
For the first time, Arizona noted the EMS drivers and the lights flickering in her face. She held up her hand to shield her eyes as the flashing lights made her head want to explode. Arizona looked up as her door flew open and she saw Alex looking at her in concern. She noted him quickly assessing them before he leaned over her and removed both her and Lexie's seat belts. Lexie's door was pulled open next and Arizona looked up to see a familiar face that she couldn't immediately place.
"Arizona, look at me. Are you ok?" Alex asked. Arizona focused her eyes on his features and though it took a moment for his face to come into focus, she found that she could see him and make out both his features and his words.
"Yes." She mumbled. That one word took so much effort.
"Oh thank God. We have to get you guys out of here. The ambulance is leaking gas." Alex said.
"Were you in the accident, sir?" A fireman asked Alex as he approached.
"Yes, sir, my friends here are trapped inside. We were in the backseat." Alex said, his hand waving back and forth between Teddy and himself.
"We've got it from here. I need you to go sit on that stretcher and get checked out."
"The ambulance is leaking gas, we need to get them out." Alex argued.
"We know, we've got this. Now please, let us do our work. Perking, get them on a stretcher and inside."
"I'm not leaving them." Alex said.
"Me neither." Teddy agreed.
"Fine, but you wait behind the tape. We need room to work." The man said. Alex and Teddy walked away and stepped behind the tape where they watched on anxiously as the firemen worked on extracting their friends. The noise of the power tools was killing Arizona's head and she closed her eyes again. The next time she opened them, she was laying on a stretcher and an explosion was heard.
"Lexie, Arizona, thank God you're alright." Arizona heard Alex say and she looked over to see Lexie moaning in pain on a stretcher beside her. She reached out her hand for Lexie's and felt the brunette squeeze her fingers.
"Teddy?" Arizona asked.
"Right here." Teddy said. Arizona turned to see Teddy laying on a stretcher on her other side. The right side of her head was bloody and she was favoring her right arm but she was alive.
"Your friends are ok kid, now get on this stretcher so we can get you inside and taken care of." The old firefighter said, forcing Alex onto a stretcher beside Lexie.
Arizona felt her stretcher begin to move and she fought off the wave of nausea that overcame her as the bright lights of the ER attacked her senses. She heard Alex arguing with whomever was pushing his stretcher and she heard Lexie moan out in pain again. She wanted to sit up so she could see what kind of injuries Lexie had but her body wouldn't cooperate. Her head felt too heavy for her body.
"What do we have?" She heard a familiar voice ask.
"Car was pulling into the hospital entrance and an ambulance lost control and hit the car head on. All four passengers in the car were restrained. The ambulance driver was DOA. The passenger and patient in the ambulance were brought in for their injuries. Rear passengers in the car have seemingly mild injuries, both extracted themselves from the vehicle and were walking onscene when we arrived. Front seat passenger was extracted with jaws of life and has a severe injury to her right leg. Driver was extracted and was positive for loss of consciousness on scene." Arizona heard the man explain to Owen.
"Ok driver goes to trauma one, passenger trauma two, backseat passengers to beds nine and ten." Owen instructed.
"Hunt, it's Robbins and Grey." Arizona heard Alex say.
"Alex?" Owen asked.
"Yea, Teddy and I are ok. We were in the backseat. Go check out Arizona and Lexie. Get Shephard to check out Arizona and Torres to check out Lexie's leg." Alex said. He finally laid back and felt his own injuries, "And after she checks out Lexie's leg, I need my shoulder put back in place."
"I'll be right with you, Alex. Torres is in surgery, an elevator collapsed."
"Calliope." Arizona gasped, remembering the reason she had been on her way to the hospital in the first place. She attempted to sit up and the room spun but she fought the wave of dizziness and managed to prop herself up against the railing of the bed.
"Lay back Robbins, you have a nasty gash on your forehead and I need Shephard to take a look at you."
"Not until I see Calliope. Owen I mean it." Arizona said. She was gritting her teeth, surprised at her own strength but determined as ever to see Callie.
"Torres will raise holy hell if I let you out of this bed before you're cleared. Lay back Robbins, we've got you. Callie will be out of surgery soon enough and then you can see her." Owen said, pressing his hand gently but firmly on the blonde's shoulder. It took all of her power to remain upright but she somehow managed it and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.
"If you won't take me, I'll go myself but I am going to check on Calliope." Arizona said. She slid off the bed and stood on shaky legs. They felt like jello and she knew they wouldn't hold her for long but she was upright for the moment.
"Kepner, stay with Robbins. I'm going to go get Torres." Owen said. He would have to swap places with her in the OR but he knew there would be hell to pay if he didn't tell her that her fiance was in his ER and refusing treatment until she saw Callie.
"Owen, is she ok?" Arizona asked. Her strength was quickly fading but she had to know.
"She's fine, Arizona, though I think you and I are both going to be in trouble when she hears about this so it may be best to keep it between us, yea?" Owen said with a smile before he patted the blonde on the shoulder and headed to the OR.
"I want to come with you." Arizona called out, taking a shaky step toward where Owen had already disappeared before her legs gave out and the room went dark.
XXXXX
"Torres, you're needed in the ER. I'm tagging you out." Owen said as he came through the surgical doors having just finished scrubbing.
"Owen, the ER is your domain, I've got this. How are Jo and George holding up?"
"They're shaken up but good. Both admitted for observation but they're alright. I need you to step away from the patient though Callie." Owen said. The seriousness in his voice caught the attention of Callie, Bailey, and Mark who were all currently working on the patient. "Mark, you too. Bailey and I have it from here."
"What's going on Owen?"
"There was an accident."
"I need more words, Owen." Callie said, her patience quickly waning.
"She's ok, they both are but Arizona won't let anyone touch her until she sees you, Callie." Owen said.
"Both are?" Mark asked. Callie was already ungloving as she watched Owen intently.
"There was a car accident. An ambulance lost control and flipped on its side. It hit the car they were in head on."
"Oh God, where is she?"
"ER, trauma room one. Lexie is in trauma two." Owen said before Callie and Mark both took off at a full run toward the ER.
"Dr. Torres, thank God you're here. Alex needs his shoulder put back in place and Lexie has a broken femur." April said as Mark and Callie entered the ER. Mark made a beeline for trauma room two but trauma one was empty.
"Where's Arizona?"
"Amelia took her to CT. She passed out trying to walk to the OR to see you." April explained but Callie was gone before she finished her sentence.
"Amelia!" Callie exclaimed as she entered the CT control room to see Amelia sitting there studying the scans. She looked through the window and saw Arizona laying still on the bed as she emerged from the scan. Staff members moved in and transferred her from the CT bed to a stretcher and Callie raced into the room.
"She's ok, Callie." Amelia said, following her into the room. Arizona was on the bed, eyes closed, a bloody gauze present on the cut on her forehead and a deep bruise forming over her left eye. Callie picked up her limp hand carefully and brought it to her lips.
"What the hell happened?" Callie demanded. At the sound of her voice bright blue eyes blinked open and a moan escaped her lips.
"Calliope?" Arizona whispered, relief flooding her aching body.
"I'm right here, baby." Callie replied, emotion evident in her voice.
"You're ok?" Arizona asked.
"Of course I am. How are you, honey?"
"My head hurts." Arizona moaned, trying to sit up.
"Oh no you don't, you lay down and let Amelia take care of you. I mean it, Arizona." Callie said, placing her lips on the skin of her forehead above her uninjured right eye.
"She has a concussion but her scans are clear. I'm admitting her for observation. She's got a nasty laceration that needs to be stitched up and some bruising from her seatbelt but she's fine otherwise, Callie." Amelia assured her.
"Lexie?" Arizona asked, remembering the brunette trapped in the car beside her.
"I think she just has the broken leg. She will be ok."
"Teddy? Alex?"
"Both minor injuries as well. Everyone is going to be just fine, Riz." Amelia assured her friend. "Now, I'm going to get you back to the ER and put a rush on your room in the neuro ICU. I need to go check on the others but I'll be back to see you when you get upstairs."
"Thank you, Amelia." Callie said.
"No problem. I'll be back soon." Amelia said, placing a hand on Callie's shoulder.
"I will come and assess Karev and Grey as soon as Arizona is settled." Callie promised.
"Callie, I want to go home."
"Not a chance, love." Callie said, placing a kiss on her lips before she followed the stretcher with Arizona on it back to the ER.
"Will you check on Teddy for me?" Arizona asked, trying to sit up.
"Arizona Monroe Robbins if you try to sit up one more time, I swear you are going to regret it." Callie said in exasperation as the blonde tried to sit up again. Arizona huffed in annoyance but laid back down, mostly because the room was spinning too much to argue.
"Callie, please." Arizona pleaded, her worried blue eyes staring intently at Callie. Callie peaked out into the ER and saw Meredith passing by.
"Grey, can you sit with Arizona for a minute?"
"Sure thing, she's due for a neuro check and some pain meds anyway." Meredith replied as she looked down at Arizona's chart currently in her arms.
Callie made her way to the curtains separating beds nine and ten from the rest of the ER and threw the curtains back to find Alex and Teddy side by side in the beds. Teddy had an IV hanging from her left arm with fluids running and was favoring her right arm. Alex was laying in the bed next to her with his eyes closed but his fingers of his right hand drumming nervously against his leg, alerting her that he wasn't sleeping.
"What the hell happened?" Callie asked. Alex's eyes flew open and Teddy looked up from her phone.
"We were sleeping in the back seat one moment and the next I heard sirens and tires screeching before we collided with the ambulance." Alex said.
"Let me look at your shoulder." Callie said, walking over to the young resident.
"They just gave me some morphine." Alex replied.
"Good then this shouldn't hurt too bad." Callie said, popping his shoulder back into place.
"Ahh...mother…"Alex yelped.
"Sorry, hurts less if you don't expect it."
"Teds, you ok? Arizona is beside herself worried about you."
"Just a sore arm." Teddy replied, the fluids she was receiving, helping to sober her up. Callie picked up the films and inspected them.
"No break." Callie said. She palpated Teddy's arm carefully and manipulated her wrist gently. "I think it's just a bad sprain, Teds. You will need to rest it for a few weeks but it will heal just fine. Do you need anything?"
"No. I just texted Barbara and Daniel. They're flying out here. I told them it wasn't necessary but they insisted."
"Arizona is going to love that." Callie said with an eye roll but secretly happy that the Robbins would be coming to see their daughter and Teddy together.
"I'm going to go check on Lexie and then I need to get back to Arizona. I am admitting you both to the ortho floor for the night. Kepner will take you up as soon as they have rooms for you. No arguing." Callie said, holding up a finger as they both looked like they were about to give her a hard time.
"Torres, thank God you're here." Mark said as Callie entered the second trauma room to find Lexie laying in the bed. "They just gave her a shot for pain."
"She's going to need surgery." Callie said, looking at the young resident's films.
"You will do it, right?" Mark asked worriedly.
"Of course. It will have to be in the morning though, Mark. Arizona is hurt too. We will put Lexie in a traction splint for the night and give her a PCA pump for pain. How did this happen, Mark?"
"Remember I sent Lexie a message about you being trapped in an elevator? She told Arizona and blondie freaked out and headed straight here. An ambulance hit them a block from the hospital. Lexie has been in and out of it but she said it wasn't Arizona's fault, there was no time to get out of the way."
"Oh God, that's why she was insistent on seeing me. She thought I was hurt in the elevator." Callie said, realization hitting her.
"Go, go be with Arizona." Mark said.
"I'll take Lexie to surgery first thing in the morning, Mark." Callie promised, hugging her best friend before she made her way back to Arizona's room.
"Arizona, Callie will be right back, get back in bed." Callie heard Meredith pleading with her fiance through the curtain as she neared Arizona's room. She threw the curtain back to see Arizona standing at the side of the bed.
"What are you doing?" Callie asked.
"I just needed to make sure everyone is ok. I wanted to make sure you were ok and I wasn't just dreaming that you are." The blonde said, looking partly relieved, partly confused, and very guilty.
"I'm ok, honey. Teddy has a sore arm and needs some stitches. Alex had a dislocated shoulder but I fixed it. They are both spending the night as a precaution but they are fine. Lexie has a broken leg, I will take her in for surgery in the morning. Mark is with her. Right now, I am worried about you. And if you don't get back in that bed right now, we are going to have problems." Callie said. Instead of climbing in bed, Arizona closed the distance between them and threw her arms around Callie.
"I thought you were trapped in the elevator, all these thoughts were running through my head. I just had to get to you and I was distracted. I didn't see the ambulance until it was too late." Arizona sobbed.
"Shh, honey, it's not your fault." Callie soothed. She walked them to the stretcher and laid down with Arizona nuzzled into her chest. She stroked her hair and held her until they both fell asleep. Mark woke them some time later to tell them Lexie was getting settled in her room and Teddy and Alex had also been taken up.
Mark stitched up Arizona's forehead for her to try to limit the scarring and finally a room was ready for the blonde. Despite hospital policy, Callie and Mark both insisted on staying in the ICU with their partners. Amelia knew arguing with Callie was useless, she didn't even try. She smiled as she stood in the doorway and saw Callie asleep with Arizona laying against her chest. The blonde's heart rate and blood pressure had evened out with the ortho surgeon's presence and it was no surprise to Amelia.
"Callie." Amelia whispered, gently shaking the ortho goddess.
"I'm not leaving, Amelia." Callie answered grumpily without opening her eyes.
"I wasn't asking you to. I was letting you know that Lexie's surgery is scheduled for seven. I set your alarm for six."
"Thank you, Amelia."
"Get some sleep, Callie. I'll send Mr. and Mrs. Robbins up first thing in the morning to sit with her while you're in surgery."
"How are Teddy and Alex?" Callie asked quietly, not wanting to wake the sleeping blonde.
"Both resting comfortably. Henry is with Teddy and Meredith is staying with Alex for the night. Owen rounded on everyone, they are all comfortable in their rooms. We are both staying the night in on call rooms. If you need anything, have me paged."
"How is the elevator patient?"
"She's doing well. Not out of the woods yet but Owen said she did well in surgery. He's hopeful the hip will heal nicely." Amelia replied.
"Thanks again, Amelia, for everything."
"No problem. Let me know if you need anything."
"I will." Callie promised. Once Amelia was gone she looked down at the sleeping blonde on her chest. She hadn't prayed in a while but she sent up a silent prayer, thankful that Arizona was safe in her arms. It was a far cry from the Christmas she had dreamed of but as long as Arizona was alive and safe she had faith that their future would be just as happy and full as the one she had dreamed about. She fell asleep with that thought in her head and once again dreamed of a little blonde spit fire.