CHAPTER 31 - ALIVE

"Uh," Arizona loudly panted out, out of breath, as she let her sweaty body fall next to a smirking and perfectly normal-breathing Amelia on the bed.

"So, fifth one is the winner I take it?"

"The fifth one definitely is the winner. One more and I fear my clit might just fall off," Arizona joked in between two harsh breaths.

"Good, that's what I was aiming for. Sore clit and stiff muscles, my job is done here," Amelia leaned in and kissed her girlfriend's forehead.

Once she had her breathing back in check, Arizona rested her head onto Amelia's ribcage, quietly listening to the relaxing and steady heartbeats beneath her ear. The brunette ran her fingers through her hair soothingly and she tried to tame it in vain. When Arizona moved to lie more comfortably on her front, her chin replaced her ear onto the other woman's sternum. Her eyes fell onto the brunette's face who was looking at her, seemingly deep in thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?" the blonde asked.

The fingers in her hair stilled, "Only seven wonders in the world and one of them is right here," she said lovingly, sweetness and care overtaking her features.

Arizona blushed and planted a kiss onto Amelia's ribcage, shivers appearing right under her lips. "Thanks."

Amelia gave her a smug grin in reply. "Who said I was talking about you?" she asked playfully, a spark of mischief igniting her navy blue eyes.

Arizona rolled her eyes because of course, she should have known Amelia was going to say something like this. The blonde couldn't help but grin nonetheless at her girlfriend's impossible behavior. Amelia never ceased to make her laugh. And the brunette couldn't help the way her heart swoon with every chuckle her silly joke of the day got.

Arizona looked beautiful when she was laughing. Her eyes would squint ever so slightly and reveal subtle crow's feet, a glint of amazement would make her luminous baby blue eyes stand out even more, her lips would turn into a wide smile that would only enchant Amelia's heart further under Arizona's love spell, and glee would spread all over her face, making her dimples pop out. Arizona's giggles had a special way of filling up a room too, with warmth and conviviality and a unique charm. Amelia would be able to recognize it anywhere because as soon as the sound would get to her ears, her stomach would fill with thousands of butterflies. Carefree and peaceful and enjoying the moment, Arizona was absolutely breath-taking. Every bad pun and every silly joke was worth it for a sight of the pediatric surgeon laughing.

"That was some of my best work right there, if not my very best yet," Amelia made a proud face.

"Oh yeah?" Arizona asked, deciding to play along.

"Totally. At least eleven out of ten. I deserve a freaking Oscar for this performance. My tongue is feeling very weird right now, like it doesn't belong in my mouth anymore and my lower jaw is painful."

Arizona only chuckled more.

"I'm serious! It was worth the shot though. You moaned harder than you did in a long time and the level of thighs quivering happening was like, intense. I know I delivered good work before but that were some five stars orgasms right here."

Arizona laughed harder and Amelia relished in the moment, wishing she would never stop making that woman laugh.

"Okay, Michelangelo of orgasms, I think we get it," the blonde joked and kissed the brunette, which proved difficult since they were both grinning from ear to ear.

"I love you, so much," Amelia said.

"I love you too, dork," she kissed her languidly.

Her hand came to cup the brunette's cheek and she swiped her tongue across Amelia's lips. She was granted access almost immediately, but before the pediatric surgeon could deepen the kiss, the brunette pulled away briskly. Arizona gave her a puzzled look.

"You should be proud of yourself too! I couldn't have done it without you. These were really enthusiastic vocals you pulled off, definitely encouraged me to do my best."

"Oh my God, where is the switch off button?"

"Come on, you know you love it," the neurosurgeon smirked.

"Did someone order a big ol' sack of potatoes?" Arizona asked playfully as she entered her daughter's bedroom.

She was holding Sofia upside down, her hands tightly grasping tiny calves, her daughter's hips resting onto her right shoulder, her little upper body dangling down against her back. Amelia was already sitting on her bed, waiting for her two princesses to finish brushing their teeth so they could tuck Sofia in.

"I'M NOT A POTATO MOMMY!" Sofia squealed.

"Yep, right here. One sack of the sweetest potatoes in the whole state," Amelia played along.

"MOMMY, STOP IT!" Sofia asked, shrieking happily.

"Here's your delivery ma'am," the blonde, with Amelia's help, took the Latina down and slowly threw her onto the mattress, holding dearly onto her to prevent any injuries.

The neurosurgeon looked at her doubtfully and then at Arizona with a frown. "Uh-uh, those aren't the potatoes I ordered," she said seriously with her hands onto her hips.

"Are you sure?" Arizona asked, her brows furrowing too.

Soon, both adults were examining their daughter as if she was from another planet and they had never seen a human before. They lifted her arms and legs inquisitively and softly pulled onto her toes as if they didn't what their purpose were.

"It's yo!" Sofia exclaimed, laughing under their playful ministrations and grabby hands.

"Definitely not what I ordered," Amelia concluded.

"Oh, look at this!" Arizona said as she pointed to their child's navel.

"What is that?" Amelia asked, surprised.

"I dunno," the blonde shrugged.

"It's my novel, sillies!" Sofia explained.

Both parents almost lost their shit at the cute word replacement and had to control their laughter. That was also the moment Sofia's belly chose to cry out loud.

"I think it's trying to communicate. Should we engage?" Amelia asked to the blonde with an eyebrow raised.

The blonde leaned over and placed her mouth an inch or so above the navel. "Hello?" she asked tentatively and then leaned her ear over the tummy. Of course no reply came except for Sofia's giggles.

"T'was my barriga."

"I think we lost contact," Arizona concluded, ever so seriously.

"Maybe, try to tickle it? See if it does anything?" Amelia suggested.

The tiny brunette yanked her pajamas down over her belly rapidly.

"NO! No tickle monster please!" she exclaimed, her little eyes popping out at the menace.

Both women smirked at their daughter's plea. They broke their little play, deciding they had tortured her enough for the evening.

Amelia kissed her clad belly. "'Kay baby. No tickle monster for you tonight. Now let's get you under the sheets."

She climbed inside and her mommy grabbed the bedtime book they had started yesterday and the neurosurgeon lay down next to Sofia.

"All ready for your story?"

"Si."

The brunette soothingly rubbed Sofia's belly, listening as carefully as Sofia her girlfriend peacefully reading aloud. Amelia would gladly listen to her read all day long, she wouldn't even care what it would be as long as Arizona's voice would be filling up the room. There was something relaxing about the way Arizona articulated her speech that was just captivating. With each word, Sofia's eyelids grew heavier and her hold onto her stuffie grew looser, indicating she was getting sleepier and sleepier.

"Sleep tight sweetheart, I love you," Arizona whispered and dropped a kiss onto her forehead lovingly.

"'Noche."

"G'night my sweet little potato," Amelia cued teasingly. "I love you."

"'m not a potato," she mumbled, half asleep. "Night mommies, love you."

Amelia froze on her way out, too stunned to move anymore. Mommies.

Said ever so casually.

Of course, she considered Sofia to be her daughter. She loved that baby girl to pieces and would do anything to protect her. It had honestly taken her by surprise at first. Amelia had had doubt she would ever be able to love a child as much as she had loved her baby boy. It had seemed impossible. To feel so much love into every fiber of her being that her heart had been ready to burst into millions of pieces. There was no way she could ever feel like this again. So fragile yet so strong at the same time.

But here she was, standing frozen in the middle of her daughter's room. She could feel her heart aching in her chest and her eyes watering as a huge and powerful wave of an unidentified emotion ran through her.

Arizona spotted her distress and gently pulled her out of the room. The pediatric surgeon carefully closed the door before giving her partner her undivided attention. She could see the gears turning but she couldn't quite make out if it the outcome was good or bad.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her hand cupping Amelia's cheek tenderly and forced the dark blue eyes up until they met her own.

"She said mommies," Amelia replied shakily and blinked rapidly, trying to make the upcoming tears disappear. A few rolled down her cheeks without her consent anyway and Arizona was quick to push them away.

"She did," she replied simply.

Clearly Amelia needed some time to process. The brunette knew that she represented a somewhat parental figure to Sofia, even calling herself "the cool step mom" sometimes, but never in a million years had she expected Sofia to think of her as her mom. That kid already had two mommies and a daddy for Christ's sake. And she still wanted her to be her mom? It felt surreal and she wasn't sure how to deal with what she was feeling.

It was too much.

Not knowing how to deal with what she was feeling inside, Amelia externalized it how she could. Her arms snaked around her partner's waist and she pulled her into a bone crushing hug, gluing their body as close as she humanly could. She needed to feel Arizona against her. She didn't know why, but she knew she needed to. Her head sought the crook of her neck and she hid under blonde curls, inhaling Arizona's perfume and the sweet scent of her shampoo.

The blonde could feel a few tears wetting her top but she didn't care, as long as Amelia was alright. She rubbed her back affectionately, hoping to bring the comfort the other woman was seeking. She dropped a kiss onto her forehead and simply held her, whispering sweet nothings until Amelia was ready to talk. Eventually after a few minutes, the brunette's soft cries died down and her slightly puffy eyes weren't tearing up anymore.

"She said mommies," Amelia affirmed this time confidently, still resting her head into Arizona's neck. "We're her moms."

Arizona grabbed one of her hands and linked their fingers together, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We are."

Amelia pulled back and looked at her lover adoringly. "I'm so in love with you."

The pediatric surgeon grinned, "I'm in love with you too," she said back and leaned in for a tender kiss. "Are you alright?"

Amelia realized then that Arizona was probably a little concerned with the behavior she had just exhibited. She let out a nervous chuckle. "I-uh, yes, sorry for that. It's just, I, I'm a mom," she said with a wide smile.

Arizona was pretty sure the neurosurgeon's cheeks were hurting from smiling so big. "It's okay, I get it. I was a mess the first time Sofia called me mommy. I cried for so long Calliope thought something was wrong with me."

Amelia giggled. "What did she say first? Mama, mommy or daddy?"

"Nah, her first word was again. Mark and I were playing with that dolphin plastic toy during her bath time. It had this little hole on top that squirted some water and of course Mark though it would be funny to spray me in the face. He laughed and I was about to scold him when Sofia giggled and said "again". I was so shocked I didn't even react when Mark sprayed me again."

"Little traitor from the beginning," Amelia said playfully and gently brushed a fallen blonde curl back behind her ear. "I got a little overwhelmed because the only person I have ever been a mom to died. I don't think I had quite grieved the fact that I would never hear my baby boy call out for me. Therefore, I didn't think I was ready for another child to say it out loud, you know? But… it feels good. It feels magical," she then frowned. "Am I making any sense?"

Arizona nodded and the shine into her eyes told Amelia she sincerely did understand her. Amelia pecked her cheek and squeezed the other woman's butt.

"Come on, it's getting weird standing into the corridor when the couch is only a few feet away and we could be making out."

Arizona giggled back and happily followed her into the living room.

"Sweet dreams, honey," Amelia kissed her niece's forehead and cleaned up the bedtime book they had been reading.

"G'night Auntie Amelia," Zola replied sleepily from under the warm sheets she had been tucked only a few minutes ago, already half asleep.

The brunette turned the light off and tip-toed her way out the bedroom, closing the door ever so meticulously slow in order to not make too much noise. Derek and Meredith were out on a date tonight so Amelia had gladly volunteered to keep her nieces and nephew for the night. Any opportunity was to pass a few hours with her brother's three little monsters.

When the neurosurgeon arrived downstairs, she could see two wine glasses waiting on the coffee table, red wine and probably apple juice judging by the color, along a big bowl of ice cream with two spoons sticking upward in it. Arizona, who was already sat down onto the couch, bent her head backwards on the back of the couch when she heard feet shuffling down the stairs, honey blonde hair cascading down the dark taupe couch.

"Zola's finally out?" she asked, a little concerned that Amelia had taken so much time to put her down to sleep when the little girl was usually out as soon as her head would hit the pillow.

"She insisted on finishing the chapter and of course, it was an extra-duper long one. But I didn't have the heart to take over. She is so cute when she stumbles over difficult words," she replied as she took a seat next to the blonde and tucked herself under the other woman's chin.

Arizona softly squeezed her closer and dropped a kiss on top of her head.

"What are we watching tonight?"

"I thought we could use a break from Disney and Pixar. Game of thrones?" the pediatric surgeon asked.

"God yes, it's been forever since we last watched an episode together."

Amelia grabbed the ice cream bowl and cuddled back next to her girlfriend as she wrapped the blanket around them to form a warm and secure cocoon. Two episodes in, belly full of vanilla and chocolate ice cream and a glass of wine/apple juice later, their attentions had drifted away from the screen. The blanket had been carelessly thrown on the floor and they were now both making out like horny teenagers on their parents' couch.

Arizona happily let Amelia take the lead, however there was no doubt she was the one in charge. The neurosurgeon made quick work of her sleeping tee-shirt as she straddled the blonde's thighs, keen to discover the silky skin she knew resided under the fabric. Her yearning lips finally left Arizona's and strolled burning kisses down her jaw, down her neck and down her chest 'til they reached their final destination and wrapped themselves around a hardened nipple. The blonde let out a guttural moan at the touch and her back arched against her will to seek more contact.

Arizona's hand wandered over Amelia's belly, gently tracing the subtle stretch marks adorning it with her fingertips but completely dismissing her partner from the waist up and instead choosing to head straight to where she wanted, which was coincidently where Amelia was craving her the most. Her fingers invaded her sweatpants with ease in one swift motion. Already, she could feel shivers running all over the other woman's thighs in anticipation, a groan escaped her mouth and her hips rocked impatiently on their own accord to meet Arizona in the middle.

Amelia's warm lips left the other woman's chest only to lose themselves on her neck and her experienced hands took over, putting the exact right amount of pressure Arizona needed and effortlessly teasing her stiff nipples to perfection, hitting all the right spots like it was all part of a well rehearsed game they had played many times before.

The inquisitive and feather-like touch on the brunette's clit was enough for a small throaty moan to make its way out, the sound sending shivers all over the blonde's body, and Amelia's thighs tensed up as she started to match up every single one of Arizona's moves. Amelia nipped not so softly the already reddened skin of her lover's collarbone when Arizona's circles around her bundle of nerves steadily grew firmer.

In their ardor, they hadn't heard the front door opening. Nor the steps coming in closer and closer.

Meredith and Derek sure hadn't quite known what they were going to come back home to: would the house be the usual mess it was when Auntie Amelia was around? Would all three of their kids be asleep? Would Amelia be asleep too? Would she be asleep and their kids still up? But coming home only to find Auntie Amelia and her partner going at it on their couch sure hadn't been one of their hypotheses. So to say they were shocked would be quite an understatement.

As soon as Derek spotted them, he immediately one eighted, almost falling down in the process thanks to his unusual speed, and Meredith yelped loudly before imitating her husband and turning around. The sound brought the two women out of their trance and their eyes fell onto the intruders.

"Oh shit!" Amelia cried out and covered Arizona's naked waist with her own clad body, hugging the blonde close.

The pediatric surgeon's hand was out of her girlfriend's pants even quicker than it had taken it to get in, her whole face turned bright red and she hid her head into Amelia's neck, silently begging it was a nightmare and that she would soon wake up.

"Mer, please tell me I just didn't see my baby sister having sex with Robbins," he said rhetorically, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"I thought you guys weren't supposed to be back for another hour!" Amelia exclaimed as Arizona put her clothes back on.

"And I thought you were supposed to watch the kids!" the general surgeon replied, still turned and her arms wildly flew around in annoyance.

"Trust me, I deeply regret not savoring that one more hour with my wife. Now, that sight is forever engraved in my brain."

"We're decent, you guys can turn around," Arizona said shyly and then cleared her throat.

"Come on, Der. I'm allowed to have a sex life."

"Oh, a fact I'm painfully aware of. But it doesn't have to involve my couch! We use that couch!" Derek said as he turned around to face the two women, still shocked and irritated.

"Like you and Mer had a problem going at it on the kitchen counter a few months ago. You're still using that counter as far as I'm concerned," Amelia scoffed back.

Derek looked appalled while Meredith just looked plain uncomfortable, as much as Arizona did.

"You know what? I'm going to check on the kids real quick," the dirty blonde pointed to the stairs before escaping the room and the conversation.

"I better uh… go with you," Arizona said, seizing the golden opportunity to flee away from the embarrassing situation.

The brunette looked back at Derek. "Oh yeah, I totally saw that. You're lucky it was only me by the way and not my innocent niece or nephew. At least, Zona and I had the decency to wait until the kids were asleep."

"How generous of you," he said sarcastically.

"Stop being such a hypocrite."

Derek pointed at her with his index accusingly. "Just don't have sex on my couch, will you?"

Amelia threw her arms in the air. "Fine, whatever. S'not like it would have been the first time anyway," she muttered the last part under her breath so he wouldn't hear. Unfortunately for her, Meredith was getting down the stairs and caught it.

The general surgeon's eyes almost popped out of their sockets and she opened her mouth only to be cut short by Arizona, not wanting Derek to know they had already christened his couch.

"How about we call it a night, 'kay? Let's go home babe," Arizona proposed and extended her arm towards her girlfriend.

"Good idea Robbins," Derek easily agreed, obviously tired from what had transpired. He ran a hand into his perfect hair distractedly, "Thank you again for watching the kids," this time, his tone was calmer.

As Arizona and Amelia finally got out, Meredith turned to Derek, looping her arms around his neck.

"We're totally buying a new couch first thing tomorrow morning, right?"