"Reckon it's safe yet?" Arizona whispered from the study where she and Callie had been hiding out for the last hour to let their parents calm down after all the excitement and revelations this morning.
"You go first and let me know" Callie scoffed. "I am so going to remember this day and get your daughter back for this"
"Why is she suddenly my daughter?" Arizona grinned.
"Because I'm a good girl, she doesn't get it from me!" Callie scoffed.
"Yeah right… if I remember rightly a good girl is one thing you are not… in fact I distinctly remember that you are a very, very bad girl" Arizona purred as she pulled Callie into her and kissed her deeply.
"Jesus, what did I just walk into!" Sofia shreiked as she covered her ears and threw some dramatised wretching into the mix.
"Would you stop sneaking around! And you're not forgiven yet for telling your grandparents about us having sex on the sideboard" Callie glared at their daughter playfully.
"And the couch!" Arizona added pointedly.
"In fairness I was only joking about the couch, but thanks for sharing way too much again!" Sofia scoffed.
"What are you doing in here anyway?" Arizona smirked at their daughter.
"Abuela and Gran sent me to find you both and tell you to come out of hiding" Sofia laughed at the blush on her mothers faces.
"Are there any guns laid around now?" Callie asked half seriously which made Sofia and Arizona bark out in laughter as Sofia shook her head in the negative. "What I'm serious… you know your pop was in the marines… and Abuelo, how do you think he got to where he is now if he didn't use the threat of bodily harm every now and then" Callie scoffed at the fact the other two women in her life thought she was joking.
"Stop hiding out in here and come have fun with us. Aunt Aria has diffused the situation and nobody cares anymore. Karev is actually sat with Abuelo talking about hunting turkeys!" Sofia scoffed.
"Fine, you two go… I have something I need to do before I come in" Callie motioned for the other two women to leave, who looked at her suspiciously before walking away and leaving her alone. Once both women were gone, Callie opened the door and checked the coast was clear before dashing out of the front door and across the street to Mrs Neilson's place to retreive one last present she had hidden with her kind neighbor and then returning to the house with the big parcel. She walked into the living area and smiled sheepishly at her mother who offered her a comfort wink to know that she wasn't upset with her.
"Arizona, Sof… I just found this by the front door and it has your names on it" Callie grinned as she saw the identical looks of pure excitement as the two women skipped towards her and asked what it was as she placed it carefully on the floor by the Christmas tree and motioned for Aria to get her phone and take some photos.
"What is it mom?" Sofia beamed as she glanced at her mama to see if she knew what it was.
"You have to open it to find out silly" Callie smiled down at her daughter who was ripping at the ribbon with an aggressive excitement.
"Careful Sof!" Callie chastised as she heard a soft whimper come from inside the box and both women looked at her with wide eyes before ripping into the parcel with vigor and shrieking with excitement before cooing at the contents quietly.
"Calliope Iphigenia Torres-Robbins, you did not!" Arizona beamed at her girlfriend who just shrugged.
"Mom! I cant believe you! Best Christmas EVER!" Sofia beamed quietly as she pulled the small black and white border collie puppy from the warm blankets inside the box and snuggled it into her chest as she gushed over it. Everyone rushed forward to offer the puppy kisses as Callie stood and watched the moment with tears in her eyes.
"You know, you probably should have discussed it with me before you bought our daughter a puppy for Christmas" Arizona beamed at Callie.
"Why do you think your names on the box too… now I cant get in trouble, I did warn you I was getting you a puppy for Christmas and its not Sofia's puppy its a family puppy" Callie smirked.
"Is it a boy or girl?" Sofia grinned as she brought the puppy towards her mothers and kissed her moms cheek lovingly.
"A girl of course, why ruin the trend and bring a boy into the family" Callie laughed.
"Whats her name mom?" Sofia asked as she returned her attention to the puppy. Callie leaned into the box and pulled out a pink sparkly collar and offered it to Sofia who looked at the name tag thoughtfully before big tears fell from her eyes.
"What's it say?" Arizona asked in surprise at Sofia's reaction.
"Clotho" Sofia smiled as she cuddled into her mom.
"Ok… what am I missing?" Arizona asked in confusion as Sofia seemed to instantly take to the unusual name.
"Calliope was the most prominent of the nine muses, known as the chief of the muses and she is the muse of eloquence, music and epic poetry. Aria however was a mortal woman whom Apollo fell in love with, Apollo being the god of music and poetry, whereas little Clotho here, is one of the three graces… one of three sisters responsible for the destiny of all mankind, she was responsible for spinning the thread of fate. I'm glad all of those mythology lessons paid off Mija!" Lucia grinned as she kissed her eldest daughter on the cheek.
"Destiny huh?" Arizona smiled at Callie with eyes full of love.
"I just thought it was a pretty apt name, you know considering she is our family dog and her name literally means destiny and fate" Callie shrugged shyly as she noticed all the quiet faces watching the moment intently.
"I can't think of a better name because you two are my destiny" Arizona smiled shyly as she moved behind Callie and snuggled into her back, kissing her shoulder and peeking over it to watch her daughter gush over the puppy. "Welcome to the family Clo" Arizona whispered so only her girls could hear her.
-oOo-
"Oh. My. God. Is that a puppy?" April shrieked as she entered the house and dashed towards the little bundle of fur that was in the middle of an intense game of chase the hands patting the floor inside a circle made up of Sofia, Stacy, Zola, Ellis, Jo and surprisingly Christina Yang.
"Mom bought me and mama a puppy for Christmas!" Sofia grinned proudly as she shuffled over to make room for April and Harriet to join in the puppy fest.
"Kepner, you missed all the fun. We caught Torres sneaking out or Robbins bedroom window this morning… I'll send you the photos later" Yang smirked.
"Oh that's interesting" April smiled feigning disinterest.
"Ape's they know" Arizona laughed at her friends attempt to keep the worst secret in history.
"Wait… you told Kepner too! I thought you only told Jo!" Callie scoffed at her girlfriend for lecturing her on keeping things a secret when she had apparently shared it with two people not just one.
"Ape's is my girl, of course she knew. Just unlike all of our other friends she has some subtly" Arizona scoffed that her girlfriend genuinely thought she hadn't told April.
"Wait you told Kepner and Wilson but not me, what the hell dude… I was the one telling you to go for it this whole time" Alex glared at his best friend.
"Oh come on Karev, you're the biggest gossip in the hospital!" April laughed.
"Am not!" Alex glared at her in offense.
"Alex the only reason I didn't tell you is because we both know you would have told Meredith, who would have told Yang, who would have told everyone who would listen!" Arizona tried to placate him.
"Hey I resent that!" Christina scoffed before thinking for a second and shrugging in agreement.
"You know you could have trusted me, I wouldn't have said anything to anyone Riz!" Alex pouted, genuinely offended.
"Man up Karev!" Sofia scoffed at her uncle.
"Oh come on Alex… you know it's true! And you didn't tell me about Mer until I told you that I already knew!" Arizona reminded softy.
"But that's not the same, you told those two idiots but not me"
"I didn't need to actually tell you Alex because you already knew and we both know that don't we?" Arizona threw him a playful stink eye.
"She's very close to him Mija, does that worry you?" Carlos asked quietly after watching the exchange between the two peds surgeons.
"Of course not Papi, I trust Arizona. Please just give her the benefit of the doubt and trust her for me. Her and Alex had something a long, long time ago and it was just some silly experiment for her. They are best friends and have been for decades, way before we split up. They love each other but not in that way… just please trust her and allow her to mess things up if that's what she's going to do instead of waiting and expecting it of her. I love her Papi… I really want this to work this time but I need for you to be supportive because if you're on her back and waiting for her fail then all it's going to do is put the dark cloud over us, please Papi" Callie emplored with deep brown eyes that no father could resist.
"Ok… Ok Mija, if you trust her then I trust you. Honestly, I'm just glad to see you smiling again, I never thought I would get to see my little princess smile again" Carlos smiled warmly at his not so little girl.
"Umm excuse me, the other child is stood right here and can hear you" Aria scoffed as she watched her father and sister interact. It had always been this way, Callie was a daddy's girl where as she was the apple of her mother's eye despite her being more outrageous and being the trouble maker of the two Torres children.
"Oh god don't look now Papi, the 'other' child is here… you remember that clingy annoying one that neither of us likes but has to put up with" Callie smirked as Aria gave her the secret code to 'fuck off' before calling her Mami and telling her that Callie and Papi were picking on her.
"Mami... Callie and Papi are ignoring me again! Come and shower me with love Mami" Callie mimicked in a teasing voice causing her father to laugh despite the glare his youngest daughter and wife were throwing at him.
"What… it was a good impression, it sounded just like Aria" Carlos scoffed as his youngest daughter pouted and glared at him. "I'm joking Mija, you know I love you both the same… Calliope is just less clingy and annoying as you, I really thought you would have grown out of it by now" Carlos smiled playfully, laughing as Aria's glare intensified.
"Mami… did you hear that?" Aria glared at her sister who was laughing into her fathers shoulder uncontrollably.
"What's so funny over here?" Arizona asked noticing her girlfriend laughing and her sister-in-law pouting.
"Calliope is bullying me as usual and Papi is letting her get away with it" Aria pouted.
"Calliope leave your sister alone!" Arizona warned as her girlfriend pouted at her, glaring as she felt Aria's arm slide over her shoulder.
"Yeah Calliope!" Aria scoffed, loving that even though they were both in their forties they could still act like teenagers and get away with it.
"Oh I'm so scared, what are you going to do, tag team with Arizona against me?" Callie laughed at Aria's attempt.
"Yup, she's a way better big sister than you" Aria scoffed as Arizona wrapped her arm around her waist.
"I am, I really am" Arizona winked at her girlfriend playfully.
"Papi, Aria is stealing my friends and won't go away!" Callie mimicked something she had said many, many times when they were younger.
"So pathetic Callie" Aria scoffed.
"Find your own friends butt munch" Callie laughed.
"Why bother when I can just steal yours" Aria grinned, tightening her hold on Arizona and resting her head on the blondes shoulder.
"You're so annoying Aria, don't you have a boy to go and see" Callie raised her eyebrow pointedly.
"Nah I'm good right here, cuddled up to your girl instead" Aria wriggled her eyebrows playfully at her sister as Arizona guffawed at her antics.
"You better watch where you're putting your dirty hands Aria Rhea, smells like Diarrhea!" Callie sang.
"Mami, she's calling me diarrhea again!" Aria whined as she glanced to her mother for help.
"Mija stop laughing at your sisters middle name!" Lucia offered half seriously, hiding behind the smile at seeing her two girls being so playful together.
"Yeah Iphigenia!" Aria sang as she over pronounced each syllable in the way she knew annoyed the crap out of her big sister.
"Ha chief of muses… suck it mortal girl, what's your special power, flirting with boys, that's all you've got" Callie scoffed at her baby sister, the amount of times they had gone through this exact argument in their teens falling easily from her mouth despite her age now.
"Oh my god you two are such losers… what is wrong with you both? Debating and arguing over greek mythology whilst insulting each other… what happened to wedgies and wet willies!" Arizona scoffed at the two women who smirked at each other before launching for her.
"Mom! Mom help me!" Arizona shrieked as the two latina's tackled her to the ground easily as Aria tickled her and Callie sucked her finger before poking it in her ear and spinning it around.
"Oh Dear, you remember what we used to tell you and Timmy, if you start it don't get us involved!" Barbara laughed as she watched her daughter being attacked by two giggling adults.
"Uh oh, mommy isn't coming to help Arizona!" Aria scoffed as she began rubbing her sister in laws head with her finger knuckles in a good old nuggie as Callie grabbed for the back of her underwear and began to hike it up as Arizona shrieked.
"Calliope if you give me a wedgie I will kill you!" Arizona warned between bouts of screams and laughter.
"You wanted it… who am I to not give the woman I love whatever she wants" Callie smirked before shrieking as she felt a nip at her ankle before the most adorable puppy bark erupted.
"Yeah Clo, you tell them!" Arizona laughed as she grabbed the puppy and cuddled her into her arms to sooth her.
"She bit me… little bloody ankle biter!" Callie scoffed as she looked incredulously at the puppy.
"Of course she did, she was protecting her mama from the big bullies weren't you Clo" Arizona cooed as the puppy wagged its tail in excitement at the affection and attention it was being shown. "You scared her Calliope" Arizona glared at her girlfriend. "Say sorry to her for scaring her" She ordered with a pout.
"No way am I apologizing to that mutt, she bit me!" Callie scoffed playfully as she held her hand out to the nervous puppy so she could sniff it and see that she wasn't anything dangerous to the pup.
"Calliope apologize to our second born right now!" Arizona shrieked in playful admonishment.
"Fine! I'm sorry for scaring you Clo! I would never hurt you or your mama I promise" Callie cooed to the puppy who eyed her suspiciously.
"Oh my god you are so whipped Big T" Aria laughed at her sister's antics.
"Suck it Little T" Callie replied with a wink as the puppy finally warmed to her and stepped onto her lap and curled up for a sleep after all the excitement.
"I'm going to start calling you both Big L and Little L!" Arizona scoffed.
"Ok I get the big L is for Big Lezza, but what's the little L for?" Aria smirked when Callie glared at her.
"Loser" Arizona offered as she cuddled into Callie's side and stroked the puppy carefully as Callie giggled.
"Hey, Aria Rhea don't you have to run?!" Callie smirked at her sister as she motioned with her head for her to give them a minute.
"God, forty years and you still can't come up with anything better that pooh jokes" Aria scoffed as she ruffled her sisters hair before moving towards the group of people she had just met but was fitting in with perfectly.
"Your such a nerd Calliope. Insulting your sister with greek mythology… seriously" Arizona giggled.
"Hey, rule two!" Callie pouted.
"Let me guess, instead of throwing insults at each other you threw test exam questions" Arizona smirked.
"Again… rule two. I was going to give you another Christmas present but now you can piss off" Callie glared at her girlfriend and tried not to smile at how her eyes instantly lit up at the words 'another Christmas present'.
"More presents… it's not more lingerie is it… cause I'm pretty sure that was more for you than me" Arizona winked playfully.
"No it's not more lingerie… and I can take it back if you don't like it" Callie offered half seriously.
"Nah, we can keep it… just in case" Arizona grinned teasingly as she pecked Callie's lips. "Did you mention another present?" Arizona asked sweetly causing Callie to guffaw before she reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a small box that had clearly been professionally wrapped. Callie may be an ortho goddess but when it came to wrapping gifts she was simply terrible. She handed it to Arizona who smiled sweetly at her before unwrapping the small gift and gasping as she fingered the white gold heart on a necklace that looked so similar to the one she had received for their first valentine's day, but that was a Tiffany's limited edition, so there was no way this could be the same one, it had to be a replica or something. She glanced at her very nervous girlfriend questioningly.
Callie took the necklace out of the box and turned it over so that Arizona could see a number that had been inscribed on the back. 18.7.2008. Arizona glanced back at Callie in confusion.
"It… it's the date our story began… the date you walked up to me in Joe's toilet and kissed me and turned my world upside down in every way" Callie confessed shyly. "We have so many significant dates in our life, and when I had this idea I really couldn't decide which date to pick, then I was reading over some old work journals and I saw the hearts in the corner of the page with C.T. and A.R. written in the big heart, and I remembered that I wrote that the day after you kissed me for the first time ever, so I would always have a reminder of that day… we have so many dates that are so important to our story, but 18th July 2008 is the date where it all began, it's the date I gave you my heart without even knowing it at the time and you have held it ever since" Callie offered a sheepish smile as she studied Arizona's face for any sign of how she was feeling.
"I love it" Arizona whispered "And I love that you managed to find a replica of the necklace you gave me for our very first valentine's day, it makes it even more special" Arizona smiled sweetly before frowning when Callie scoffed shyly.
"I umm… I may have broken into your place when I knew you were at work and rifled through your stuff until I found your necklace. I had it professionally cleaned, and in my study is the updated certificate of authenticity that includes the engraving now. They said because its limited edition I had to go through all this stupid paperwork… I'm sorry for invading your privacy, but I gave you this for a reason and I was really hoping that you would do me the honor of wearing it again" Callie waited nervously to see if Arizona would be upset with her.
"You know, you're a pretty damn perfect girlfriend right, there is no way I could ever compete with your gifts… they are always so thoughtful and perfect" Arizona grinned as she turned around and motioned for Callie to fasten it behind her neck, once it was done Arizona glanced down and saw the silvery sparkle highlighting her chest before Callie's finger smoothed against the cool metal.
"There, back where my heart belongs, safely next to yours" Callie smiled as she fought back the tears building in her eyes.
"Hey, why are you crying?" Arizona whispered as she cradled Callie's face in her hands and wiped at the tears with her thumbs.
"I never ever thought I would feel like this again, I never thought I would feel this happiness and this love. I never thought in a million years I would ever be able to call myself yours again… I'm just so happy, you make me so happy" Callie whimpered.
"Hey, it's ok baby. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere ever again, and neither are you. I know it sucks that we missed out on a lot of years together and we will never be able to reclaim that time, but what matters is that we have right now, and we have the rest of our lives. I promise I will do everything I can to make the rest of our lives the happiest you have ever felt, happier than you could ever imagine possible… please don't cry, I hate seeing you cry" Arizona soothed as she cuddled into her girlfriend.
"They are happy tears babe, I promise… just, promise me you won't let me make stupid decisions again. If I'm being an idiot I give you full permission to hit me around the head until I see sense… don't let me walk away from you again" Callie begged with a bittersweet smile.
"Never… neither of us are going to go anywhere. I lived almost two decades without my wife by my side, I'm not doing it again, and neither are you… so get used to having me around baby because I'm sticking to you like glue" Arizona whispered lovingly.