AN: I know, it has been far too long. I apologize profusely. I could tell you everything that has been happening but I wouldn't even know where to begin. This chapter is a filler chapter and has some time bumps but it's necessary to move the story along and get it going in the direction I want it to. I hope you are all well and still with me.
Happy Reading :)
Chapter Fifty-Nine
A month had passed since Callie and Arizona had returned to work. Both women had been busy with surgeries and their new puppy and neither had revisited the baby talk. When Callie had seen Arizona for the first time two days after her pager had sounded, leaving Callie dumbfounded in their living room, she had expected a fight. Instead the blonde seemed like her normal, perky self. She had even sought Callie out to bring her coffee as the blonde's shift was ending and Callie's was beginning. They had not had the proper amount of time for a discussion of that magnitude so neither woman had wanted to bring it up.
It was the beginning of August and busy times were headed their way once again. Teddy and Henry's wedding was fast approaching and Tim, Sara, and Cooper were moving to Tacoma in three short weeks. With the move and the wedding, Barbara and Daniel had planned a trip. They would be driving out with Tim and Sara, staying with them for their first week in Tacoma before heading to Seattle to help prepare for Teddy's wedding. Teddy's wedding would be small in comparison to Tim and Sara's and tiny in comparison to Arizona and Callie's but it was exactly what Teddy and Henry wanted.
Arizona was spending the day shopping with Teddy. The peds surgeon was standing up with Teddy as her matron of honor and Henry had asked his brother-in-law to be his best man. Tim was going to give Teddy away, a decision Arizona knew the taller blonde had struggled with. She knew Teddy didn't want to hurt her parents but also didn't feel right replacing her own parents at her wedding. Daniel and Barbara had understood and been completely supportive.
"So, you still haven't talked to Callie since dropping the baby bomb?" Teddy asked. She had been hesitant to broach the subject. When Arizona had first talked to her about it, the blonde had been in tears and beside herself, not allowing Teddy to get a word in. When Teddy had finally offered her opinion, Arizona had nearly taken her head off.
"No. I thought about what you said and I did sort of spring it on her after we had already agreed before we even were married that we wanted to enjoy married life for a year before introducing children. And I know I need to talk to Callie about that night still, I just haven't been brave enough to bring it up."
"Don't you think you should burst that baby bubble before it blows up in your face?"
"Probably. But not today. Today we are shopping for your honeymoon."
"I am so excited, Henry and I have both always wanted to go on an Alaskan cruise. It's like he knows what I want before I even know."
"You sound happy."
"I am. I'm over the moon happy." Teddy replied, a giant smile adorning her face. Arizona gave her a side squeeze and smiled with her.
"Me too."
"Arizona?" Callie called as she sat the bags of groceries she had hauled in onto the counter.
"Yea babe." Arizona called. Ruthie came barreling toward Callie from the backdoor. The little dog had grown a lot in the six weeks they had spent with her. Though still very energetic, she was much better behaved and stopped and sat at Callie's feet, her butt wagging heavily on the floor as she waited for Callie's attention.
"Well hey there Ruthie, look at you being a good girl for Mami." Callie said, leaning down to give the puppy some affection for being a good girl.
"She just raced around the backyard about twenty times. I think we need to put in a figure eight race track for her." Arizona said she was already unloading the grocery bags and putting stuff away.
It was their first true weekend off together since they had returned from their honeymoon. Arizona had worked overnight the night before and had still been asleep when Callie left to get some much needed groceries and dog food for them. The brunette planned to make them a nice meal and hopefully finish the talk that had been lingering for more than a month. She had not meant to leave her wife waiting or wondering, she had simply been caught off guard.
"I'm going to run out and grab the last few things from the car."
"Oh do you need help?"
"No, I think I can manage, you finish putting that stuff away. I got the ingredients for chicken piccata tonight if that sounds good."
"I would never say no to your chicken piccata, Calliope." Arizona replied. She pecked Callie on the lips before turning to finish washing the produce she had placed in the sink.
After putting away the groceries, the couple worked together to make dinner. Arizona worked on the salad while Callie worked her magic on the rest of their meal. She was feeling slightly nervous about the conversation she wanted to have with Arizona but she knew they needed to have it. Though Arizona had been her normal, perky, loving self towards Callie, the brunette knew her wife must have had some feelings about the way she had reacted, even if she didn't hold it against her.
"Mmm, Callie your chicken piccata is going to be the death of me, that was delicious." Arizona replied with a satisfied moan.
"Still feeling full?" Callie asked with a smile. They had finished dinner more than an hour ago and had stretched out on the couch together to watch a movie. Arizona had eaten a second helping and though she refused to admit it, Callie knew she had been uncomfortably full.
"Yes, it's a good thing that was my first and only meal today." Arizona said. She snuggled up to Callie and placed a kiss on her bare shoulder.
"I've missed you." Callie said, pulling the blonde closer. She paused the movie, Arizona flashing her a smile that told her the blonde thought it meant she was about to get lucky.
"I missed you more." Arizona whispered.
"Not that I don't love where this is going but can we talk before it goes there?" Callie asked. She tilted her head to give Arizona better access to her neck.
"Everything ok?" Arizona asked, sitting up and studying her wife.
"Yes, everything has been great. I just want to finish the conversation we started right after we got back. It's been over a month and this has been the first time we've really had time to properly discuss it."
"Callie, if you're not ready, it's ok. I know we had an agreement and I'm ok with it."
"We did but things change and if you're having feelings about it, I want to know."
"I guess since we got married I do feel differently. I am so excited to start a family with you and I know it's going to take time but I'm ready."
"I've been thinking about it too. I'm not quite ready to get pregnant yet but I will get pregnant first if that's what you want."
"I understand." Arizona replied. She tried to hide it but the brunette knew she was disappointed.
"It's going to be a process as you said and I'm not ready to get pregnant yet but that doesn't mean I'm not ready to start the process."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, we can start with making an appointment with Addie. Make sure I have a clean bill of health and discuss our options and see how long it will take. We can pick out a sperm donor. Have everything in order so when I am ready, we are ready to go."
"That sounds sensible."
"If you're ok with it, I'd like to wait until after the first of the year to start trying. That gives us four months to pick out a donor, make an appointment with Addie, talk to lawyers, and do whatever else we need to do to be ready for a baby."
"You are amazing. Thank you Callie."
"For what baby?"
"For meeting me in the middle. I want you to be comfortable and ready for this so if at any point you feel like we're going too fast, you tell me ok. I want to start a family with you but I love you and I am happy as long as you are."
"I want to start a family with you too. I just always thought you would get pregnant first and I would have more time to prepare for pregnancy. I'm happy to be pregnant first, I just need some time to get used to the idea."
"You will be the most beautiful pregnant woman ever." Arizona said with a smile, her mind already imagining it.
"You really think so?"
"Mmm, I know so. And I cannot wait to see it."
"Should I carry your baby?"
"I mean we're married so, yea, you will be carrying my baby." Arizona replied, a bit confused as to what Callie was saying.
"I know that. I mean, should I use your egg?"
"Is that what you want?"
"I would love to carry your baby, Arizona."
"But even if it's not my egg, it will be my baby. I don't feel like it has to be my egg to have a bond with our child. I would kind of like our baby to look like you."
"Well, this is why we are starting the process now, right? So we can have these discussions and speak with Addie about our options."
"Right." Arizona replied with a genuine smile.
"Dr. Robbins, can I speak with you for a moment?"
"Sure, what's up Chief?"
"Let's step into my office for a moment." Richard said, looking around casually. Arizona nodded and felt her heart rate increase slightly as she followed the Chief of surgery to his office. Something she equated with being sent to the principal's office and found that the stress it caused her body matched perfectly with that scenario. The door was barely closed when Arizona began to speak.
"Chief, what is this about? Are you not satisfied with my work? I know I've taken off a lot of time since joining as an attending here but I have put in a lot of hours and the projects I'm working on will bring Seattle Grace fantastic publicity."
"Dr. Robbins, come, take a seat." Richard said, stopping the pacing woman. He pulled the chair across from his desk out for Arizona before taking his own seat opposite of her. "Your performance here has been phenomenal, Dr. Robbins and I have no complaints."
"Thank you Dr. Webber. Ummm, what is this about then?"
"I called you in here to let you know there has been an attempted medical malpractice claim against you. An investigation will follow but the board has already reviewed the case and feels that it is simply a grieving family and they have no grounds to actually sue."
"Someone is trying to sue me for malpractice?" Arizona asked. It was definitely not a scenario she had considered when entering the chief's office moments before and it did nothing to soothe her anxious thoughts.
"Unfortunately, yes. As I said, I believe it will blow over, there really is no evidence to show that you caused the patient harm or are anyway responsible for his death but there does have to be an investigation."
"So what does this mean for me?"
"Since the board has reviewed the files and finds nothing concerning, you will continue work as usual. If we have questions for you, we will let you know. Our lawyers will be meeting with the lawyers of the mother. Hopefully you will never have to do more than give a statement about the events that lead up to the child's diagnosis and death."
"May I ask the name of the child so I can review the chart?"
"You may. I have the chart here for you. It was a teenager that died last year, a boy named Steven Carter."
"Steven Carter?" Arizona repeated in disbelief.
"That's right. His biological mother, Joanne filed the claim. The other mother is refuting the claim, stating that she has no grievance against you or Seattle Grace. That is going to help us in the end, that the other parent thinks her son received phenomenal care here."
"Joanne filed the claim?"
"Yes, it says right here, Joanne Carter." Richard said, handing Arizona the file with the official claim requesting an investigation.
"I barely treated him. Only in the beginning and at the end. He was a cancer patient and spent most of his time here in the PICU."
"We're aware of that. It seems Mrs. Carter is holding you personally responsible, she has named no one else in the malpractice suit."
"Uh, Chief Webber, Joanne and I had a relationship. I was barely of legal age, she was a professor. It's not something I'm proud of and I didn't know she was married but we did have an affair. I think this may be personal."
"Thank you for your candor but the board is already aware of the relationship you had with Mrs. Carter. In fact, she is claiming that is the reason you didn't treat her son appropriately."
"Dr. Webber, that is preposterous. I would never…"
"Arizona, I know. If I thought you were capable and that was even a remote possibility this would be a very different conversation that we would be having." Richard said, regret evident in his eyes.
"Thank you."
"Review the files. I've cleared your afternoon, given the circumstances I don't want you to operate for the rest of the day. And before it crosses your mind, it is not a punishment or a reason to think that I find validity in this claim. I simply know you will take this to heart and I don't want you operating when you're upset."
"Ok." Arizona replied.
"I'd like you to stay for your shift but I understand if you would rather go home."
"I'll be in my office. I have paperwork to complete anyway."
"The only other request is that you have no contact with the Carter family unless it is to give a statement or in the presence of a hospital board member or hospital appointed lawyer."
"That won't be a problem."
"Dr. Torres is not to have contact either. Nor anyone on your service."
"I understand."
Arizona left the Chief's office and immediately made her way to the OR board. Feeling disappointed to see that Callie was in the midst of a surgery, Arizona made her way to the pediatric surgical floor instead. The peds surgeon zoomed in on her two favorite residents as soon as she stepped onto the floor and quickly made her way to them.
"Karev, Little Grey, I will be working on paperwork in my office for the remainder of the day, if there are any emergencies, page Dr. Klein, she will be covering my surgeries. Can I trust you two to round on the tiny humans?"
"Oh come on, you can't leave us with Dr. Klein." Karev protested.
"Would you rather Dr. Ferguson?" Arizona asked.
"We're happy to page Dr. Klein." Lexi replied.
"Look, you two are my right hands, I need to know you two can handle this."
"Yea, of course. What's this about?" Karev asked suspiciously.
"Don't worry about it. Can you handle this, Karev?"
"Yea, whatever." Alex replied before grabbing his charts and walking away.
"Is there anyone you are particularly concerned with Dr. Robbins?" Lexi asked.
"The kid in 422 is awaiting labs to determine if her surgery can wait or not. And make sure room 430 doesn't sneak any ice cream tonight. His surgery has already been delayed because of it. Make sure his parents understand the importance of an NPO diet before surgery."
"Of course." Lexi said before she too grabbed her charts and left the nurse's station. Arizona watched her walk down the hall before she turned and headed in the opposite direction to her office.
Once alone in her office, Arizona let the weight of the conversation with the Chief hit her full force. There were too many combating emotions to categorically sort through them all so she settled with her sadness. She had truly grieved the death of Steven and was hurt by Joanne's accusations. She knew Callie would likely be angry enough for both of them and dreaded that conversation. After a good cry and several hours of paperwork, Arizona decided to check the OR board once again. Seeing that Callie was still in surgery, she made her way to the gallery to let her wife know she was headed home.
Arizona stood in front of the glass of the gallery and watched her wife work for a few moments. A sense of calmness washed over her at the sight of the other woman and she smiled to herself. They had just survived working Labor Day weekend and would be having Teddy's bachelorette party in two days which she was very much looking forward to. Her brother was nearby, her parents were considering a move closer to them, and she had the most beautiful wife in the world. Joanne's opinion of her paled in comparison.
"Hey lady." Arizona said into the intercom.
"Oh, hey." Callie said, looking up to see Arizona. The blonde could tell that under her mask, Callie wore a breathtaking smile that was reserved only for her.
"Hey, I'm going to head home but if you're close to being finished I could wait."
"As much as I would love to, I still have a while here and then I have to stop by OR three to check out Mark's patient. I'll probably be an hour or two behind you."
"Ok, I'll see you at home then." Arizona said she started to walk away but stopped. She and Callie tried to be strictly professional at work, but she felt the need to let Callie know what she was thinking, "I love you, Calliope."
"Everything ok?" Callie asked, her eyes conveying the concern that Arizona's very public confession caused.
"Yes, just a long day. I'll have dinner ready for you when you get home."
"Ok, honey. I love you too. Drive safe."
"I will." Arizona replied. Although she had known as soon as she saw Callie's name still on the OR board that she would be going home solo, she still found herself slightly disappointed that Callie still had so much work to do.
"Ruthie, Mama is home, were you a good girl?" Arizona asked the excited dog whining in her crate. Since Jen had started back at school, Ruth was spending more time in her kennel but she got a walk in the morning, at lunch, and in the afternoon, still, Arizona felt guilty.
As usual, Arizona spent her first few minutes at home playing with the dog out in the yard. Ruthie had become the perfect addition to their household, it was hard to remember what it was like before her. True, the first few weeks had been difficult to navigate with a new puppy and a heavy workload for both of them but a routine had quickly formed and now they just enjoyed having an energetic and loving fur baby.
"Come on Ruth, mama needs a shower and then we're making dinner for Mami." Arizona said to the dog. Ruthie sat and looked at her, her ears perking up at the word 'Mami' as she cocked her head to the side.
"Yea, I know you little traitor, Mami is your favorite." Arizona said, rubbing the dog's head. "I can't blame you there though."
The blonde smiled to herself and shook her head. She often talked to Ruth like she expected the dog to answer her. She was a very smart puppy, Callie had done a good job training her for never having had a dog. Ruth not only responded to commands in English but she seemed to understand more Spanish than Arizona too. Which reminded her, she still needed to sign up for classes. She had decided she was going to take a night time Spanish class now that she and Callie were actively discussing starting a family. She knew Callie would speak Spanish with their children and it was something she wanted to be part of. She intended to surprise Callie and Maria had offered to help her should she need to practice speaking with someone.
Once showered and having a salad made and salmon cooking in the oven, Arizona flipped open her laptop and began her search. She had tried hard to get Teddy to join her but with a wedding and honeymoon plus her caseload, she simply didn't have the time. Much to her displeasure, Mark had offered to take the class with her stating that he owed her for the cooking class and had been meaning to brush up on his own Spanish. At least it would give her a study buddy and she would know at least one person close to her age at the local community college. Arizona had just finished texting the details to Mark and signing herself up for the class when she heard the garage door open alerting her to Callie's arrival.
She watched with amusement as Ruthie ran to the door, forgetting her manners and skidding to a halt at the last second, sliding the last five feet to the door. The little dog sat, excitedly wagging her tail while she waited for Callie to enter. Arizona understood their dog's excitement, her own heart sped up everytime she heard Callie arrive home.
"Hey girl." Callie said to the little dog, petting her affectionately as she entered the door. Ruthie licked Callie excitedly but knew better than to jump. Callie offered her a cookie for her good behavior and Ruth took off with the puppy treat happily.
Arizona watched as Callie removed her shoes and hung up her purse and coat before making her way to the kitchen. She smiled as Callie kissed her gently. "How was your surgery?"
"It went well. It was long, and tedious but I think the donor graft is going to work. How was your day?"
"Boring, I spent most of it doing paperwork."
"Paperwork? I thought you had some surgeries scheduled this afternoon."
"I did."
"So what happened? Were your patients not well enough for surgery?" Callie asked, she knew Arizona's cases got to her, even if the blonde had a tough exterior.
"No, not exactly. Dr. Klein took my surgeries this afternoon so I could catch up on paperwork."
"But you're the head of the department."
"Which comes with a lot of paperwork. The Chief thought it was for the best."
"The Chief?"
"Yes, we will talk about it after dinner."
"Speaking of dinner, what are you making? It smells delicious."
"That crack salmon your Abuela made for us." Arizona replied with a smile, knowing Callie hated it when she called it that.
"Arizona, you can't call it that." Callie laughed.
"Why? It's so good." Arizona giggled. Callie leaned in and placed a longing kiss on Arizona's lips but before she could deepen it, the timer went off and Arizona turned to remove their dinner from the oven.
"You know, I think you only make this salmon because Abuela pairs it with Mexican street corn." Callie said, as the two sat at the table finishing their meal.
"It is definitely a perk."
"So, I was thinking about donors today. We have an appointment with Addison in three weeks and I would kind of like to decide on donor qualifications before we look through the options. That way it's already narrowed down."
"Ok, what do you have in mind?" Arizona asked as she topped off each of their glasses of wine.
"Well, I think since we are both surgeons, maybe someone in a different field so our child will be more balanced. Like maybe an artist or a writer or an athlete or something."
"Yea, I like that idea. What else?"
"I mean I'm honestly not sure what all we get to know about them to be honest."
"Well, I would like to know their medical history as well as their family history." Arizona replied, she hesitated before continuing but decided to go ahead and voice something that had been on her mind,"And I have another request."
"Yes, agreed, health is important. What's your request babe?" Callie asked, enjoying the fact that they were discussing this.
"I'd like our children, however many we have, to have the same donor. That way they are all at least half related by blood. I know they will all be our children, but I like the idea of them having a bond like that."
"I like that idea as well."
"I would also like to use a hispanic donor. I want our family to represent us, all of us and your heritage is a big part of that."
"But you're not hispanic."
"No but my family is. And my children will be. I don't want half of our children to be hispanic and the other half not. I want them to have a common background and they will share that with you."
"Arizona, I understand what you're saying but I really thought we would use a donor with blonde hair and blue eyes. That way our children will have the potential to look like both of us."
"Callie, we don't look alike so children I carry wouldn't have any chance of looking like you."
"Then how do we decide?" Callie asked. She was truly touched that Arizona wanted to honor her heritage but she also couldn't stop thinking about the blonde hair blue eyed little girl in her dream.
"Well, your dad is Cuban and he has blue eyes. It's possible to use a hispanic or latino donor with lighter eyes and hair, isn't it?"
"Yes, I suppose it is." Callie replied, a grin crossing her face. Maybe they could find a happy medium where they both have the potential to get what they want.
"I will use whatever donor you are comfortable with, Callie but this is important to me. I want all of our children to have this connection with you. I want them to grow up hearing and understanding Spanish and learning about their heritage and about other cultures as well."
"I love you, do you know that?" Callie asked, reaching across the table and caressing her wife's face. Arizona nuzzled her head into Callie's hand and smiled.
"I love you too."
"Let's clean up and take this upstairs." Callie said, already standing to clear the table.
"Calliope, I would absolutely love to do that but we have something else to discuss first."
"The reason you were doing paperwork instead of surgeries?" Callie asked, though she knew that was the case.
"Yes." Arizona replied, she patted the spot next to her and Callie sat beside her.
"What's going on, Arizona?" Callie asked, looking into her wife's eyes. Only then did she see the emotions swirling in the sea of blue.
"The Chief called me into his office today to let me know that someone has filed a medical malpractice claim against me. The board does not think there's a case and they said I shouldn't be worried but Dr. Webber knew I would be upset so he thought it best that I not operate today."
"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. Do you know who is making the claim?"
"I do."
"Who?"
"Joanne Carter. She is stating that my inappropriate care of her son caused his death." Arizona replied. Though she was still sad, she had already shed her tears and she felt much stronger about the situation now.
"You've got to be kidding me." Callie said, the venom evident in her voice.
"I'm not, unfortunately. Stephanie, her wife, spoke on my behalf and declined being part of the claim. She is giving a statement on my behalf as well as the hospital's."
"Are you okay?" Callie asked. She was fuming but she knew Arizona didn't need her anger at the moment.
"Yes. I tried to find you to tell you right away but you were in surgery. It got to me at first and I admit, I had a little crying session in my office earlier but I've reviewed the chart and I did everything I could do. Plus they signed waivers because of my past with Joanne. I really don't think there's a case. I know Joanne is just looking for someone to blame but it still hurts."
"Of course it does. You went out of your way to help her son. This is a crappy way of thanking you." Callie said, pulling Arizona in for a hug.
"Thank you."
"For what baby?"
"For knowing what I need right now." Arizona replied.
"Don't get me wrong, I want to have some words with Joanne but that won't help you so I won't. Are you ok?" Callie asked, releasing the blonde so she could look at her properly.
"I am now." Arizona replied with a gentle kiss to Callie's cheek.
"Why don't you go start us a bath and I will clean up down here." Callie suggested, knowing that Arizona needed to relax.
"You sure you don't want some help?"
"No, I will be quick. You go and relax, I will join you soon."
Callie waited until she heard Arizona shut their bedroom door then she peaked up the stairs to make sure Arizona was truly in their room before pulling out her phone and sending a quick message. Once the message was sent, she made quick work of cleaning the kitchen and let Ruth out in the backyard to run around before she made her way upstairs to join her wife for a bath.
"Mija, I got your message. What is going on?"
"I want to have someone investigated but no one can know about it. It needs to be discreet."
"Okay. Are you in danger?"
"No, no it's not like that. It's Arizona."
"Callie you don't really think she would cheat on you do you?"
"No dad, Arizona isn't who I want investigated. Someone is claiming medical malpractice against Arizona. The claim is unfounded, the board doesn't think they have a case but they are still coming after her. I want to see what we can dig up on this woman."
"Give me as much information as you have and I will see what my guy can do."
"Ok." Callie rattled off as much information as she could remember with a promise to get back to him if she learned more.
"I assume Arizona doesn't know about this and that is why we are speaking in the middle of the night." Carlos said.
"I don't want her to worry about it."
"Ok mija, we will keep it between us for now."
"Thanks dad." Callie hung up the phone and quietly made her way back upstairs. She stood in the doorway and smiled at Arizona sleeping peacefully. Ruthie slept at the foot of the bed in the dog bed Arizona had bought for her. Callie made a mental note that they were going to have to buy her a bigger bed soon.
"To my dear, dear friend and sister. Theodora, you have been my best friend since we were children. I know we aren't biological sisters, but I couldn't love you more if we were. Now that we are both happily married, I hope that our sisterhood only grows stronger. I am so very happy for you. I wish you all the love and happiness in the world. Henry, I hope you treat Teddy right because my wife breaks bones for a living and I grew up on the playground with the name Arizona." The blonde raised her glass as the crowd giggled and she watched Teddy and Henry kiss.
"In light of not wanting any broken bones, I assure you, I will treat Teddy the way she deserves to be treated." Henry replied, raising his glass as everyone drank their champagne.
"That was a beautiful wedding, don't you think?" Arizona asked Callie as they walked to their car.
"It was. Teddy was a beautiful bride, though not nearly as beautiful as you." Callie replied with a smile as she kissed the tip of Arizona's nose.
"You're a real sweet talker." Arizona replied. She pushed Callie up against the jeep and let her hands roam over the curves beneath her silky dress.
"Not that I'm not enjoying this, but we're in a parking lot honey, anyone could see us."
"Since when has that stopped us?" Arizona challenged, flashing Callie the dimpled smile she knew the other woman couldn't resist.
Before Callie could protest further, Arizona's mouth had found the sensitive area of her neck while her hands continued to roam the curves she craved. She had been drinking but she was nowhere near drunk, she just had the desire to have her wife and it was a desire that couldn't wait for their twenty minute drive home. Arizona fumbled with the door handle behind Callie's back and pulled it open, roughly pushing Callie into the backseat. The windshield cover was still in place, that combined with the tinted back windows gave them a bit of cover. But Arizona smiled as she pulled Callie onto her lap, nothing was going to provide them cover from her wife's screams and she fully intended to make her scream.
Slipping Callie's dress up to her waist, Arizona slid her fingers into the thong barely covering her wife's wetness. She moaned at the feeling as she played with the barely there coarse curls of the landing strip Callie kept meticulously maintained. Callie moaned as Arizona's fingers sunk deeper into her wetness before plunging into her. Frustration briefly overtook Callie as Arizona pulled her fingers out and sucked the sticky wetness from them, moaning at the taste. Her fingers were quickly placed back inside of Callie and she held the woman tightly against her as she watched Callie start riding her fingers.
"You are so fucking hot." Arizona said, rubbing her thumb across Callie's clit. Callie bit down on Arizona's shoulder hard as she began to shake and come undone around Arizona's fingers. Her screams were muffled against Arizona's burning skin as her walls convulsed around the nimble, slender fingers.
"Shit." Callie moaned as she slumped against Arizona, her sweaty forehead pressing against Arizona's.
"That didn't take long." Arizona giggled. She wiggled her fingers slightly to see if she could pull them out yet causing Callie to moan. Arizona smiled at the sound and continued the movements slowly, building her wife back up.
"Arizona…"Callie whispered, her lips parted and dry. Arizona placed a kiss over them as she worked.
"Cum for me again baby." Arizona said as her thrusts became more purposeful.
Callie's breath quickened, her movements becoming frantic as murmurs in Spanish formed incomprehensible on her lips. Arizona kept her pace slow and purposeful, her fingers pressing against the spongy area and sliding down trembling inner walls before sinking back in quickly. Callie clawed at her and screamed as a rush of fluid spilled out into Arizona's hand and lap.
"You ok baby?" Arizona asked, brushing sweaty hair from Callie's face. Her body was limp in Arizona's lap. Callie nodded her head, unable to answer. Arizona giggled at her wife's current state, slightly proud of her accomplishment in turning this confident, sexy woman into mush. She was just about to comment on how loud Callie was when a rapping on the window startled her.
"Your mother heard screaming. Is everything ok?" Daniel asked as Arizona rolled down the window.
"Yea, Callie saw a spider and freaked a little. She's ok." Arizona replied, explaining the compromising position of Callie in her lap.
"Spider, right. You two get home safely." Daniel said before walking away shaking his head.
Arizona burst into laughter at the ridiculousness of being caught by her dad but Callie looked more distressed and less than amused. She quickly climbed off Arizona's lap and adjusted her clothing. Arizona stopped her before she could leave the backseat.
"Callie, it's ok."
"No, your parents heard me."
"They thought you were in distress, not in the throes of passion babe."
"But your dad knew."
"We're married, he knows we have sex, Callie."
"Yes, but he doesn't hear us normally. And that really isn't helping."
"All they heard was a scream babe." Arizona replied.
"A scream? Oh that's all just a scream?"
"Ok, I'm sorry. I realize this is embarrassing for you. What can I do to make it up to you?"
"Come on, let's go home." Callie replied. This time Arizona let her get out of the car and take her place behind the driver's seat. Arizona followed her and buckled herself into the passenger seat but the smile never left her face. She was truly sorry Callie was embarrassed but not that she had gotten to take her wife in the backseat of her own jeep.
"Babe, do you think we should trade in our cars?" Arizona asked suddenly.
"What? Why would you think that?"
"I just mean, if we're going to have a baby next year or soon after, we should probably get a bigger SUV or a van or something. Your jeep isn't exactly car seat compatible and my back seat is so small."
"You want to trade in the jeep where you just fucked my brains out?"
"Ok, maybe we can keep the jeep for a while." Arizona replied with a giggle, glad to see Callie smiling once again.
"Happy Birthday beautiful." Arizona said as she walked into her home with brunch from Callie's favorite brunch spot and a big bouquet of roses.
"Hey baby. How is the pogo stick kiddo?"
"He will be ok. But that is going on the list of gifts our children will not be allowed to receive."
"That bad?"
"Trust me, you do not want those details on your birthday." Arizona said, bending over to kiss her wife. "I'm sorry I had to leave in the middle of birthday sex."
"You can make it up to me later. Is that from SeaBiscuit's?"
"It is. I know how much you love their omelets so I got you one with extra hot sauce on the side and those little potatoes you love."
"Have I told you lately that I love you?"
"Nope, not that I can recall."
"Well, I really really do. And the roses are beautiful too."
"Come sit down, I will put this food on real plates and we can sit and eat together. Then I will go shower and the rest of the day is yours. We will do whatever you want to do."
"Honestly, I'd really like to just order in and lay out in front of the fireplace and watch movies with you."
"You don't want to go out?"
"Are you disappointed?"
"No, not at all, it's just that I want you to enjoy your birthday."
"I will. I'm tired and it's cold and rainy. We had a great time yesterday with Tim, Sara, and the baby at the zoo. Today I just want to relax and snuggle."
"Ok, you pick out a movie and I will go shower and be back in ten minutes."
Callie busied herself with getting the fire started and then scrolled through their movie collection to find something she was in the mood to watch. She didn't want to say it to Arizona but her nerves about their appointment with Addie that was scheduled the next day were getting the best of her. She knew Arizona would be supportive but she didn't want to give her wife the wrong impression. Once Arizona had voiced her readiness, Callie was on board, her nerves came from all the things that could go wrong from start to baby. Would she be able to get pregnant? Would she have morning sickness? Would being pregnant affect her ability to do her job? Would Arizona still find her sexy? And that was just the tip of the iceberg. She was thirty one today and even if she got pregnant on their first try, she would be thirty two before the baby was born. She was suddenly feeling ancient.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Arizona asked. She had been standing in the doorway quietly studying her wife as she stared off into space for several minutes without noticing Arizona's presence.
"Nothing is wrong. Just thinking about tomorrow."
"Having second thoughts?"
"No, no not at all. That's not it."
"Then what is it?"
"Just nerves. I'm excited, nervous, scared…aren't you nervous?"
"Of course I am. It's normal and it's ok. Why didn't you tell me?"
"It really just hit me today."
"Well, I am here, we are in this together and I want to know what you're feeling every step of the way. I told you, if at any point you aren't comfortable with going ahead with this, we can put it off until you are. I promise I won't be mad."
"No, I don't want to put it off. Just having some nerves about it. I will probably feel better once we see Addie and get a clean bill of health and all of our questions answered."
"Isn't it crazy to think that we could be moms by the end of next year?"
"Ok, that kind of freaks me out."
"Me too." Arizona admitted with a smile at her wife.
"But it's also kind of amazing to think that."
"Yea it is."
Arizona and Callie sat in the peach colored waiting room on the fourth floor of the hospital where the offices for pediatricians, OBGYNs, and maternal fetal medicine were located. Callie tapped her leg nervously causing Arizona to place a comforting hand on the bouncing limb. Callie looked up at her wife with a sheepish grin and stilled her movements only to switch to chewing the skin on the side of her thumb.
"Arizona and Callie." A tall, slender nurse in pink scrubs called.
The couple looked at each other and smiled before Arizona stood, reaching for Callie's hand and interlaced their fingers before the couple walked toward the woman. The nurse waited for the couple to follow her to the other side of the door before stopping and turning to them. She handed Arizona a slip of paper before speaking.
"Dr. Montgomery is finishing up with an emergent c-section. She said you are special friends of hers and also surgeons here and would understand. She doesn't want to keep you waiting so she asked if I could send you both to the lab to get your blood drawn first and then she will be up to see you."
"Of course. But Callie is the one with the appointment." Arizona said, looking at the lab slip and seeing her name on the top sheet.
"Dr. Montgomery insisted I have you both get labs drawn."
"Ok then." Arizona replied, glancing at Callie.
"Excellent. So, you know where the lab is?"
"We do."
"Ok so once you're done there, come right back up and let Quinn know that you're back so I can get you into a room. Just ask for Libby."
Callie had just finished getting her blood drawn and was waiting for Arizona when she spotted Mark. Aside from Addie and Teddy, they had agreed not to tell any of their friends or family about beginning the process to have a baby quite yet. The latina attempted to hide from Mark but at the last second he looked up and smiled at her.
"Torres, how's it going? I thought it was your day off, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, Arizona and I have an appointment today. Getting our annual blood work and all that done." Callie said, pointing up as Arizona came around the screen from having her blood taken.
"Oh, oh that kind of appointment. Right, well after you get your lady parts checked, how about we go get lunch? I'll be out in an hour or so and we haven't gotten together in a while."
"I don't know, Mark. Arizona and I kind of had the day planned."
"Oh come on, the old ball and chain can let you come have lunch with your best friend every once in a while. Besides, yesterday was your birthday and I kind of wanted to take you out."
"Maybe another day, Mark."
"No, Mark is right. You haven't spent much time together recently. I can run to the store while you guys have lunch and meet you back at home afterward." Arizona replied.
Callie looked at her wife like she had sprouted a third head. The "store" Arizona was referring to was the sperm bank to pick up the donor files they had requested per Addie's recommendation. They had given them only a few qualifications so there were several files and profiles to go through. The couple had planned to drink some wine and at least start going through the donor profiles to weed out the definite "no's".
"Mark, I appreciate the offer and I want to catch up with you but today is about Arizona and me. You're off on Thursday, right? I don't have any surgeries scheduled before two, we can go to that Chinese place we both like."
"Fine, Thursday but I'm holding you to it, Torres."
"I'll be there." Callie promised before she grabbed Arizona's hand and leading them back to the OBGYN office before they could be spotted by anyone else.
Half an hour later, a very harassed looking Addie entered the small examination room where the couple sat. Callie was in a paper gown feeling more than nervous at this point. Both women stood as Addie entered and an awkwardness settled over them. Callie began to feel like having her best friend help her and her wife have a baby suddenly felt completely ridiculous.
"Hey there, Cal, before dive right off the deep end on me, take a deep breath. Remember when I had poison ivy on my lady bits and you examined me?" Addie asked, a perfectly manicured eyebrow arching up as all three women began to laugh.
"Right, this is significantly less embarrassing than that." Callie agreed. And suddenly she remembered why they had chosen the redhead to help them on this journey.
Addie patted the exam table and Callie reluctantly laid down on it. Arizona stood beside her holding her hand while Addie completed her examination. Once completed, Addie stepped out to give Callie some privacy to change and take her specimens to her assistant to send them off to the lab.
"Ok, so now that we are done with Callie's examination, let's have you get changed and I'll bring in some clean equipment and specimen containers so we can get you examined, Arizona. And then we will move on to the question portion of all of this."
"Oh, I don't need an exam, we've already decided that Callie will carry the baby."
"Yes, Callie mentioned that but as you haven't decided yet if you will be using your egg and doing in vitro or if Callie will be doing IUI or a home insemination yet, I would like to just get you both examined and all the tests run so we know what obstacles we might face and what options are best for you."
"Ok, that makes sense I suppose." Arizona agreed reluctantly.
"Ok then." Addie replied, she called Libby in who cleaned the exam table and brought a fresh gown and specimen containers. "I'll just give you a moment to change and I'll be back."
Once Arizona had completed her turn on the examination table and Addie had collected all the samples she required, the three sat down to talk. Arizona felt slightly more nervous now that they were in the exam room and actually having this conversation while Callie appeared much more relaxed.
"So, pending your blood test results and barring anything concerning coming from any of the specimens I sent, we could start this process within a month if you wanted to." Addie said, sensing the heightened emotions from her two friends.
"Well, we would like to wait until after the new year before we start." Arizona replied.
"I would still recommend choosing a donor in the meantime. I know you two mentioned that you would like your children to all have the same donor. You can have the option to reserve future specimens from your donor so that can happen for you. Doing that sooner rather than later will give you time to find a donor with several specimens available. It takes an average of six months to a year for a heterosexual couple to get pregnant. If you choose home inseminations, you can expect the same timeframe. If we choose IUI or in vitro there is of course a higher chance of pregnancy. It's quicker but has some risks as well as more chances of a multiple birth."
"Twins, oh, yikes." Arizona whispered. Why hadn't she considered that possibility before?
"We're going to the sperm bank after this to get the profiles we requested so we can start narrowing down our choice." Callie said.
"Perfect. Now, Callie, during your exam, I felt some cysts on your ovaries. Has that ever been an issue for you before?"
"Not that I'm aware of. Should I be concerned?"
"Not necessarily. Cysts happen, they can be painful and they can get infected but some women have them and never know."
"Will I still be able to get pregnant?"
"Yes, it shouldn't affect that but I want to wait and see what your blood work shows."
"Aside from picking out the donor, what do we do next?" Arizona asked, holding Callie's hand tightly.
"Well, I will see you back in two weeks to go over all of the results. And at that time, we will discuss what process you are most comfortable with. I will recommend you start tracking your ovulation if you don't already do that, Callie. Depending on what you choose as a method of insemination, we will go from there."
"Thank you so much for all of this, Addie." Callie said, hugging her friend as she walked them to the door.
"You're welcome. See you in two weeks."
"This one is a definite no." Arizona said as she placed another profile in the growing no pile. They had split up the fifty four profiles provided to them of potential donors in half and were sitting on the floor in front of their coffee table, a glass of wine for each of them and Ruth sleeping between them.
"Let me see. You can't say no to all of these, Arizona." Callie said. Her no pile was much smaller than her wife's.
"I just, I have this image of what I want and I can't find it." Arizona said in frustration.
"What about this one?" Callie asked. She selected a profile she had been looking at for several minutes. It checked many of their boxes and they could pay more to get more information on some of the donors once their maybe pile was significantly lower.
Arizona opened the beige folder and saw an image of a handsome man smiling at her. His hair was light brown and he had blue eyes that were slightly darker than her own. His jawline oddly resembled Callie's and his skin tone was almost exactly the same as Callie's. Arizona's heart beat increased as she read his file. Thirty four years old, an architect and sculptor, mother is Brazilian, father is Puerto Rican.
"He's the first one I've been excited about." Arizona said as she smiled up at Callie.
"He is handsome and I think he kind of looks like my dad when he was younger." Callie replied.
"Really?"
"Yes but also I kind of think he looks a bit like Tim." Callie replied.
"You're right, I can see a bit of a resemblance too."
"Does he have enough vials for us to buy?" Callie asked. Though they would take their time to look through the rest of the files, she knew they had found their donor. She could feel it.
"Plenty." Arizona replied, seeing the number.
"Should we go ahead and put him in a yes pile? I would kind of like to see his family history, health, siblings, and if he has fathered any other children."
"Yes, I definitely want to see those things too. I'm kind of excited, I feel like this could be our donor."
"Me too." Callie replied, kissing Arizona before they shuffled through the rest of the files.
They had their list narrowed down to ten by the time they finished two bottles of wine. Arizona was excited about their prospects though the first one was still at the top of her list. Eight of the ten potential donors fit their criteria. Each woman got to choose a file without the other, Callie's being a firefighter with blonde hair and blue eyes. Arizona's choice was a young man of Cuban descent who was a lawyer and had features that were closer to Callie's. Neither woman was worried though, they knew they would choose the one that was best suited for their wants and needs.
"So, it has been two weeks since I last saw you." Addie said as she glided through the door to the exam room.
"It has."
"Have you found a donor?"
"We've narrowed it down significantly. We should have the more detailed profiles of the ten we picked this week so we can make a more educated decision." Arizona explained.
"Great. So, Arizona, let's start with you. Your labs look great. You're a little anemic and I would recommend that you start taking prenatal vitamins along with Callie."
"I can do that."
"Callie, your labs are also pretty good. There's nothing in there to make me think you can't have a healthy pregnancy or have difficulty getting pregnant."
"That's great. So what now?"
"I know you aren't quite ready to start the process so not much. Continue to track your ovulation, I have some kits to send home with you. I'm also going to give you a prescription for prenatal vitamins and folic acid. You can start taking those now."
"I think that is manageable."
"Have either of you given more thought or come to a decision about whose egg we will be using?" Addie asked.
"I would really like to use Arizona's."
"And I would really like for Callie to use her own."
"Ok, we have more time to decide that. You two work it out. I will schedule you for the beginning of January and we will need to make the decision then. If Arizona's egg is going to be used, the process is a bit longer and I will need to extract eggs from her."
"We will talk about it." Arizona replied, squeezing Callie's hand.
"Ok then, I'll see you in surgery later, Arizona. And Callie, we are still on for lunch this week?"
"Absolutely, thanks for everything Addie."
"My pleasure."
"Oh my God, my nephew is such a little stud." Arizona squealed as she watched her brother walk down the hall with her nephew in tow.
The chubby baby smiled a drooly smile and bounced in his father's arms in excitement as he saw his auntie. His little arms reached for her and Arizona scooped him out of her brother's arms happily. She took a moment to look over the baby. Since moving to Tacoma, Arizona and Tim got together at least once every other week and Arizona and Callie had babysat over a weekend so Sara and Tim could have a weekend away.
"We thought Auntie Callie would like his costume." Tim replied.
"Did you come to see all the kids for the Halloween parade, Coop?" Arizona asked her nephew. His eyes were now fixed on her stethoscope and she quickly removed it just as he was about to pull it into his mouth.
"Where is Callie?"
"She had a late surgery but she should be here in time."
"I can't wait for her to see Cooper."
"She's going to love this costume. Where's Sara?"
"She went down to drop off some food to Kacie in the lab. She's working tonight and will miss out on the festivities so we made her a goodie basket."
"How's the business going?"
"Good. Mom and dad are coming out over Thanksgiving to help Nick and I with some of the restorations. I have a plumber and an electrician coming in next week to get everything in place before we finish the walls and flooring. It's coming along nicely. I'm glad Nick and I decided to do the work ourselves. We get to spend a lot of time together and Nick needs to know how capable he is. Especially if he's going to be out in the field."
"Have you gotten licensed yet?"
"I will finish my class in December and be licensed at the beginning of January. Nick too. Mom helped set up the business bank accounts and we will have a tax ID by the first of the year. Everything is on track for us to open by our January 15th plans."
"That is so awesome, Tim. I am really happy for you." Arizona said, smiling at her big brother. He was still her hero and she was so proud of him.
"Thanks sis."
"Dr. Robbins, the kids are ready." Lexi interrupted. This year was a Disney theme and Lexi was dressed as Lady from Lady and the Tramp but what Arizona found even more amusing was she had convinced Mark to dress as Tramp.
"Ok, thank you Lexi, we will start the parade in ten minutes." Arizona called. She knew it was going to be difficult for Callie to make it on time, if at all, but she really wanted to wait for her anyway.
"Who are you?" Tim asked, looking at Arizona's costume.
"Sleeping Beauty." Arizona replied, pointing to the sleep mask she was using as a headband currently.
"Ahhh and Callie is prince charming?"
"Prince Phillip, Prince Charming is from Cinderella and no, of course not. She's too 'badass' to be a prince or princess. She's Maleficent."
"Your poor wife."
"Hey, Callie actually picked our costumes this year." Arizona defended herself. True, she had picked the Disney theme for the pediatric surgical ward but Callie had seemed excited about the idea.
Ten minutes later, the parade started. It was always Arizona's favorite part of Halloween at the hospital. The children were always so excited and it lifted their spirits for one day at least. Half way through the parade, Callie showed up in her costume much to Arizona's delight. She stood with Tim and Sara and watched the parade as Arizona held onto a smaller sleeping beauty.
"Hey, I'm so sorry I was late."
"It's ok. How was your surgery?"
"We had a few complications but I think he will make a full recovery."
"Did you notice Cooper's costume?" Arizona asked, pointing to their six month old nephew dressed in a white lab coat with a glow in the dark skeleton jammie set underneath.
"Is he an ortho surgeon?" Callie squealed, getting a good look at her nephew for the first time.
"He sure is. He's going to be a smart little bone breaker like his Auntie Callie." Tim replied in a baby voice that still amused Arizona.
"Hey, peds surgery is hardcore too."
"We know." Tim and Callie replied together, both breaking out into laughter as they did. Arizona pouted but couldn't help joining in. She loved her family and the fact that Tim wanted Cooper to view Callie as a role model.
"I love you." Arizona whispered. Callie turned to her and smiled, "I love you too."
"So, we're clear with your statement? There's nothing more you would like to add?" The red headed woman asked Arizona.
Arizona skimmed through the paper in her hands one more time. She felt like her statement was eloquent, short, but to the point. She had been advised to keep it that way by the red head before her. Liz Frazier was one of the board's trusted lawyers and she was known to win cases. It had been a long day. Alex, Lexie, several nurses, and several pediatric doctors had been called in throughout the day to give statements, all on Arizona's behalf. Joanne had tried her best to discredit Arizona, so much so that yesterday the hospital legal team had sent a notice to Joanne's lawyer threatening to sue her for slander if she did not stop publicly attacking Arizona.
In the weeks since Halloween, Joanne had seemed to grow angrier and more fierce, prompting the hospital to try to get a hearing scheduled sooner rather than later. Arizona looked up as the door opened, revealing the Chief. Liz walked over to him as the two exchanged a few whispered words. Arizona tried to remain concentrated on the disposition she was reading but she was curious as to the interruption.
"Dr. Robbins, Stephanie Carter is here to give her official statement. Would you prefer I take her to a different conference room?"
"No, it's ok. My statement is complete, I don't wish to change anything."
"Ok, I just want to look it over one more time and then we will call it a day. I know it's been a rough day but since we are trying to keep this our of court and settled between a mediator, the board, my legal team, and Mrs. Carter's legal team, I think it is important to accurately represent you on paper. Regardless of the fact that you have a stellar reputation and have done nothing wrong, Joanne Carter still lost a child, the board and mediator will be sympathetic for that alone."
"I understand." Arizona said. She looked up to see Stephanie Carter enter the room, followed by the Chief.
"Dr. Robbins, Arizona, I am so sorry." Stephanie said, her eyes filling with tears.
"Stephanie, you lost a son. I am the one who is sorry."
"Dr. Robbins, I know you feel badly but remember, we talked about apologizing. It can sometimes be taken as an admission of guilt." Liz warned.
"I know but I am apologizing as a person, not a doctor. Stephanie, I am truly sorry that Steven died. He was a sweet boy and he deserved to live. I promise you, I did everything I could for him." Arizona replied, tears filling her own eyes. She needed this, as much as Stephanie did.
"I have no doubts about that. I am happy our son died surrounded by staff that cared for him and with a team of doctors who fought for what was best for him. I tried to talk Joanne out of this but she has changed. I don't even recognize her anymore. Joan and I moved out, I'm scared of her."
"She's grieving, we all grieve differently. She needs someone to blame because losing a child makes no sense."
"I will do everything I can to help you." Stephanie replied. Arizona was surprised when the woman hugged her tightly before moving to take the seat the Chief had pulled out for her.
"Dr. Robbins, you're free to go for today. I will see you back here tomorrow morning at eight am."
"Thank you." Arizona replied, leaving the room awkwardly.
"So where is Robbins? How did she get out of working on Thanksgiving?" Mark asked as he sat down heavily beside Callie.
"She didn't get out of it. She's been in conference rooms with the board and lawyers all week. She's beside herself about this whole malpractice suit. The Chief thought she could use a break and didn't want her operating over the weekend. The board is meeting with the mediator and both lawyer teams on Monday to discuss the outcome of the malpractice investigation."
"But Robbins didn't do anything wrong. It will be fine."
"I know that and you know that but this whole thing has brought up some feelings for Arizona. I will be relieved when it's over."
"So where is she if you're here?"
"I made her go to Tacoma to spend Thanksgiving with her parents and Tim and the baby. Teddy, Henry, and I are going to drive down after work tomorrow and spend the weekend with them."
"Lexie and I are having Thanksgiving at Meredith's tonight. You're welcome to join."
"I might just take you up on that." Callie replied. Her pager sounded at that moment and she gave Mark an apologetic smile before she ran from the cafeteria to the pit.
Over six hours later, Callie rang the buzzer to Meredith's house and she waited only a few moments before Maggie answered. An abundance of noise and smells hit Callie as she stepped into the house. Callie smiled as she saw the mismatch of her coworkers gathered around Meredith's living room. A few late stragglers, like Callie, sat at the table eating the cooling food that had been made by various guests while others had moved on to the tequila and danced around the living room.
"Callie, come, make a plate." Mark hollered from the kitchen as Callie hung her coat on the overflowing rack.
"When's Robbins coming back? She's been sticking me with Klein all week." Alex asked with a mouth full of stuffing as Callie sat down across from him.
"You know this case has been hard on her, Karev. She would much rather be doing surgeries than dealing with this malpractice suit."
"The whole thing is completely bogus, we all know Arizona is the best surgeon on the floor. The claims are crap." Alex said in frustration.
"Is she ok?" Lexie asked with more tact than Alex.
"She's with her family, I'm sure they're doing their best to keep her mind off of it."
"If she needs anything, let me know. Tell her I can't wait to kick her ass in surgery again." Alex said as he stood and took his plate to the kitchen. Callie smiled, Arizona was right, Alex had a tough exterior but she could see he had a soft spot where her wife was concerned.
Callie spent the rest of the evening trying to enjoy herself and she did for the most part but she couldn't deny that she missed her wife. With Ruthie in Tacoma with Arizona, Callie dreaded going home to an empty house. If it wasn't for the fact that she still needed to pack her clothes for the weekend, she probably would have crashed on Meredith's couch but she called it a night early enough to make it home and call Arizona before going to sleep. But sleep didn't come, her thoughts kept drifting to her wife and how empty the bed felt without her. She was more than ready for this malpractice claim to be laid to rest so they could move on with their family planning.
Callie clasped Arizona's hand tightly beneath the mahogany table as the members of the board, Webber, Liz, Stephanie, Joanne, and Joanne's lawyer sat around the table. The impartial mediator that had been agreed upon by Liz, the board, and Joanne's lawyer sat at the head of the table. Once everyone was seated, she stood and cleared her voice.
"As requested by all parties, I have spent a lot of time reviewing the statements, case files, and Dr. Robbin's professional history. I want everyone here to know that I have taken this malpractice claim very seriously. The loss of any life is sad but such a young one is tragic. No parent should have to experience that level of grief. For that reason, Mrs. Carter I am going to give you the benefit of doubt and assume that your grief has played a role in making this claim. I can not begin to understand what you have endured since your son's diagnosis. However, that does not mean that negligence caused his death. I have meticulously reviewed this case and I can not find any reason to believe that Dr. Arizona Robbins acted out of malice or negligence. In fact, I was surprised to find how involved she was in directing you to the appropriate specialties for your son's care and treatment." The woman said. She looked at Joanne long and hard before moving on to Stephanie and finally Arizona.
"Dr. Robbins, your reputation and success rate is at the top of your field. You are a highly sought after and praised surgeon. I have reviewed your history extensively and I do not believe you are responsible for this boy's death nor do I believe anything you did or did not do was negligent. Do you agree?"
"I did everything I could for Steven Carter, as I do for all of my patients." Arizona replied in the way Liz had prepped her to.
"Then my findings stand as this. The malpractice claim against Dr. Arizona Monroe Robbins Torres has been reviewed and no fault has been found. It is my opinion that there is no need for this to go to court or for any concerns guarding Dr. Robbins license to be investigated further regarding this case. The board has agreed with these findings upon their own review."
"You have got to be kidding, this woman killed my son!" Joanne yelled, standing so suddenly and with such force that her chair hit the ground behind her.
"Mrs. Carter, I understand how upset you are and that you are grieving but this is unacceptable. We have reviewed this case extensively."
"This isn't over." Joanne said, pointing her finger at Arizona.
"Do not threaten my wife." Callie warned, holding Arizona's trembling hand more firmly in her lap.
"Joanne, come on." Stephanie pleaded. With the help of Joanne's lawyer, Stephanie was able to escort the seething woman from the room.
"Chief, could you have security please make sure she is escorted from the building?" Callie asked.
"Yes, of course." Webber stood and left the room.
"Are we free to go?" Arizona asked Liz.
"Yes, of course. Congratulations, Arizona."
"Thank you."
Callie pulled her wife down the hall and into the first open room she could find. It turned out to be a supply closet but she didn't care. She needed a few minutes of privacy with Arizona. She locked the door behind herself and turned to see Arizona sitting on a box with her head in her hands. Her body shook with her sobs.
"Oh baby, it's ok." Callie soothed, kneeling down beside her wife.
"I know." Arizona sobbed, wrapping her arms around Callie. The couple stayed that way for a few moments while Arizona gained her composure.
"It's over."
"I knew I did everything I could and it wasn't my fault but I am still so relieved. And also sad because none of that changes the fact that Steven is dead."
"I know honey."
"Can we go home?"
"Yes but only if we can make a stop along the way."
"Where?"
"I think this day is a celebration but it is also bitter for you. Days like today call for donuts, don't you think?"
"I like the way you think." Arizona replied with a genuine smile.
"Come on, a big chocolatey donut is calling my name and I'm pretty sure one with sprinkles is calling yours." Callie replied, holding her hand out to her wife.
"I think I want a sprinkle donut and a chocolate one today."
"Whatever you want."
"Thank you for being here with me and knowing exactly what I need."
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be." Callie said, kissing Arizona's forehead before pulling her to her feet, "Now let's go get those donuts!"