"Calliope," Arizona threw her arm behind her trying to stir the brunette. "Callie," she mumbled half asleep when she noticed Charlee's whimpers getting louder.
"Wha..." she groaned into her pillow when she felt a slap her on her hip.
"The baby,"
"You check on her," she sleepily said pulling the duvet up over her body.
"No," the blonde protested when she peeked an eye open to see that the time was just after four AM. "I have to get up shortly and be on a plane for five hours. You said you'd get her if she woke up."
"But, you are her mother," she shot back. "I'm too tired."
"You are her mother also, smart ass," she rolled over and snuggled into the brunette's back.
"Maybe if we wait her out she'll go back to sleep," Callie hoped.
"Maybe," Arizona quickly relaxed into the warmth of her wife's back after Charlee's cries seemed to quiten down.
However, that didn't last long because shortly after they dozed back to sleep a squeal startled the duo.
"Callie," she whined.
"I'm going, I'm going," she grumbled throwing the cover off of her body and dragging herself down the hallway to the nursery.
"Arizona," Callie entered their room a few minutes later. "Arizona," she kicked the bed trying to jar the woman awake without startling her daughter. "Get up," she stated.
"Whaaaat," she whined peeking an eye open only to see a figure standing before her. "She go back down?"
"No," Callie stated with the child in her arms. "She's sick," she rocked the girl when she whimpered again.
"What's wrong," she quickly say up in the bed and turned the bedside lamp on. "Where are her pajamas?"
"She feels warm," she said as she tried to soothe the baby. "Will you please..."
"I'll get the thermometer." She quickly left the bed and hurried to the bathroom in search for the device.
It killed her when her daughter didn't feel well, and she knew Callie had a tendency to worry a little more than she did which melted her heart.
"She sounds congested. We need to turn the humidifier on," Callie stated a little loud when she heard her wife shuffling through the bathroom drawers.
"Here," Arizona hurried back to her girls who were seated at the foot of the bed. "Let's see if she's running a temp."
"Oh, Char," Callie held her daughter as Arizona took it.
"Just a low grade," Arizona said laying the thermometer down on the duvet and taking her daughter from her wife's arms. "You don't feel well do ya, big girl," she rocked her in her arms. "I think we shoul..." she said looking to her wife. "Wha... Callie," she took in the shocking sight of the woman and nudged the brunette who had drifted back to sleep while sitting up on their bed.
Callie had been tired the past few days. Napping in the evening, going to bed early, and waking up exhausted in the mornings. But yet, it was still kind of a surprise when she dozed off while they were trying to soothe Charlee because as always Callie was a little more sensitive when their daughter was sick.
"Callie," she stated again only louder.
"What," she startled awake when and she heard her name.
"Lay down," she sighed and motioned for her wife to get back underneath the cover.
"I'm up," she quickly stood and looked at her child who had seemed to calm down now that she was in the presence of both her parents. "Tylenol,"
"No," Arizona stated grabbing ahold of her wife's nightshirt. "Lay down with her," she handed the baby over to her. "I'll get her some Tylenol and turn the humidifier on that should help her."
She knew Callie was running on empty all week and was going to be stuck as the single parent for the next six days so she would deal without a full night's rest.
"She can finish the night out with us," Arizona stated after finishing up in the bathroom. "I hate for her to be in her room alone when she isn't feeling well," she said walking up to the bed seeing that both of her girls were cuddled up to each other sound asleep.
"Oh," she sighed at the sight. She knew they both were so tired. "My girls," she whisperer sitting the Tylenol down on the nightstand and climbing under the covers to snuggle with them both.
She knew Charlee needed a dose of medicine to keep her fever down, but she didn't have the heart to wake her up if she was able to sleep any at all.
So, she cuddled up close to the girls and planted a kiss on each their temples before getting comfortable enough to get a little more rest before leaving them for a week.
Something startled Callie awake but she wasn't quite sure what her body flinched at until she rolled over on her back and heard the bang again.
With a lift of her head she saw the bathroom door shut with a glowing light shining underneath along with some hushed whispers.
She knew Arizona had to shower and finish backing this morning, but she could do it a little quieter seeing Charlee was still asleep in their bed and if Callie had it her way that would last another few hours if not more.
Laying her head back down she slowly turned it to the right only to see brown curls all sprawled out next to her on her pillow. Just passed her was the blonde's unused pillow laying off to the side to prevent their daughter from rolling out of bed.
Carefully rolling onto her side she placed a kiss on her daughters hair just as another loud bang rang out again.
And was that another whispering?
Sighing in frustration, she carefully crawled out of bed and immediately stormed to the bathroom door that hid her blonde wife.
Before she even made her presence known she heard her wife's voice ring out again.
"Arizona," she loudly whispered turning the door knob only to find it locked. "Hey," she knocked gently but sternly on the door while trying not to disturb the sleeping child. "What are you doing in there?"
"Hey," Arizona finally cracked opened the door to find her wife unpleasantly glaring at her with her arms crossed. "Hi, sweetie," she smiled.
"Who are you talking to?" She questioned, "and what the hell are you doing?"
"Oh, no one..." she paused, "just Teddy." She corrected herself holding the door open just enough for her wife to see her face and nothing more.
"It's six o'clock in the morning. Why in the world are you talking to her this early?"
"Making sure she has everything she needs for the week is all," she stated. "I need to finish getting ready. Go back to bed, honey," she finished as Callie gave her that Torres glare she always seemed to give when she didn't believe what was being told.
"I do not believe you but I am too tired to care right now."
"You are so cute," she tried to divert her attention. She didn't want Callie to know what she was up to at the moment.
"Keep it down," she said becoming frustrated with her response. "You are banging and a clanging and you're going to wake Charlee up. You know how she is when she doesn't feel well and I'd like to have her sleep a little more before she wakes up all cranky. Knock it off." She may have been a little harsh with her last words, but she was irritated at being woke up so early.
"She isn't the only one who is going to be cranky today," Arizona whispered what she thought was under her breath.
"What was that?"
"Yes, dear."
"That's what I thought," Callie turned and started for the bed.
"Babe," Arizona quietly said causing the brunette to turn around with her sleepy face shinning back at her. She couldn't get over how radiant she was looking as of late.
"Yea," she rubbed her eye trying to clear her vision.
"I'm going to miss you, so much."
"Me too," she yawned.
"Go back to sleep, sweetie." Arizona watched a sleepy Callie lay back down and cuddle up to their daughter before shutting and locking the door back.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed Arizona couldn't help but mesmerize over the quaint view that laid still before her.
She watched as a slight snore fell from the brunette's mouth who was lying on her back. Her long hair cascading over the pillow while her left leg peeked out from under the blanket as if seeking cool air.
Charlee laid sound asleep with her head lying just above her mother's chest as the woman kept a safe arm wrapped around her back as if trying to protecting her from something.
With that view Arizona's heart melted for the second time today.
Lately she found herself staring at Callie a little longer than usual. At the time she wasn't sure why, but she just couldn't seem to advert her eyes away from her as of late which made a grumpy Callie even grumpier when she was caught.
Arizona couldn't help herself though. There was just something about her wife that her eyes were fixated on as of late, and now she finally knew why.
"You're staring again," Callie mumbled in her sleepy haze when she felt blue eyes on her.
"I am," Arizona brushed the stray hair away from the women's face. "I'm not sorry either," she ran her hand down past the brunette's torso to rest on her hip as she tried to calm her insides.
"Never are," she groaned and rubbed her stomach with a sigh.
"You okay?"
"I don't feel so well either," she mumbled then laid her arm across her forehead.
"What's wrong, honey?" She asked slowly moving her hand from the women's hip to her stomach slightly caressing her.
"Kinda nauseous."
"I'm sorry."
"I'll be fine."
"I think..." she debated with this the whole time she was getting ready today. "I should stay home," Arizona admitted.
"No,"
"Yes, Char isn't feeling well and now you. I can't leave when both of my girls are sick. I'd be a terrible mother and wife," she continued with her soft touches across the brunette's torso.
"You can't," Callie insisted while keeping her voice down. "This is huge. They are paying you to speak at this conference. You have to go," Callie said keeping a safe hold of her daughter in her right arm.
"But," she sighed. "You both need me. I can't expect you to take care of her when you're sick too, and who is going to take care of you?"
"I don't need taken care of, I'm fine. We're fine."
"That's supposed to be my job,"
"I promise, we'll be fine," she persisted, "plus with you skipping town there's a big chance you will avoid it."
"I hate you."
"Cause I am right."
"I really feel I should stay home," she defended.
"Like sensing something will go wrong?"
"No," she shook her head. "Like my family needs me type of thing. I feel so guilty that I'm leaving you."
"It's part of the job, babe."
"I know, and it sucks," she slumped her shoulders and peered at the time on her wife's nightstand as Callie's eyes followed suit. "I really wanted you to agree with me," she grumbled. "I guess I need to get going then.
"Give me a second to get dressed," she moved to get up.
"Umm... no. Teddy is going to take me to the airport."
"What? No!" She protested. "I am supposed to take you. We don't fly alone unless one sees the other off."
"I know,"
"You hate flying," she continued. "You always say that me taking you helps settle your nerves."
"And it still does," she defended that statement. "But the baby is sick, and you aren't feeling great. I don't wanna drag her outta bed. It's best if I just let Teddy take me while you both stay and get some more rest."
"No, have Teddy stay with her and I'll take you," Callie said. "I want to see you off."
"Honey," Arizona sighed knowing Callie would fight her on this, but she was going to stand her ground. "You both need as much rest as you can get. You said you will be fine and I'll be fine as well, okay."
Sighing, Callie gave in because honestly she didn't feel like she had the energy to take her this time of morning.
"Okay, but you have to be safe and promise to call us every chance you get."
"Of course, love," she agreed with a nod.
"Okay," she said with a yawn.
"I'll text you when I'm boarding," Arizona said bringing her hand up to caress the brunette's hair. "And I'll call you as soon as I land."
"Kay," she replied noticing the dazed glare Arizona was giving off. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She questioned. "It's worrying me."
Chuckling, the woman then lightly grazed the caramel cheek with the back of her hand. "Just... mesmerizing you enough to last me for the next six days."
"Well stop. It's like you know you aren't coming back or something. I don't like it."
"Believe me, babe, nothing could stop me from coming back to you. Not even your grumpy ass as of late," she smiled genuinely taking in her wife's sweet face one last time before she left.
"I've not been grumpy at all."
"Not at all baby," she agreed even though it wasn't quite the truth. "You know..." she leaned down closer to her lover and pecked her soft red lips. "I love you all," she reached over and ran her hand over the soft brown hair of her daughter before bringing her hand to rest on her wife's stomach. "So much, right? I couldn't love you more."
"I know," she nodded. "We love you, too."
"Okay," she kissed her one last time. "I need to go, Teddy should be outside waiting."
"Okay," Callie cupped her smooth face with her left hand. "Have a safe flight," she whispered running her thumb tenderly along her cheek.
"I will," she grabbed the women's hand and kissed her palm. "Give Charlee my love," She kissed Callie on the temple and ran her hand over the little girls soft forehead one more time before standing to grab her bag.
"Always,"
"I'll miss you,"
"Me too," Callie replied.
