Chapter 55
"Arizona Robbins, you put that box down right now before I call your wife" Bailey ordered. Sheepishly Arizona put down the box, turning around blushing as she was caught red handed.
"You wouldn't" she begged, her baby blue eyes watering as she tried her best puppy dog eyes.
"I would" Bailey said, her eyes glinting. Pouting Arizona sat down arms folded across her chest. "I don't know why I was put on Robbins duty, damn stubborn woman, it's bad enough you are moving house so close to your due date but then you try and help picking the heaviest boxes. There is a reason your wife recruited nearly every member of the hospital to help, damn guilt trip," Bailey ranted.
Arizona sighed, after Callie had found out about the crash, nearly every member had come to her to apologise. Mark especially, bringing her flowers and most importantly a legal document for parental responsibilty meaning legally now she was the third parent. The piece of paper doing more to reassure her than any words. And now they were moving, into a house, away from Mark, although he was going to still be in their lives Callie had put up boundries. The last one had been the offer of being a sperm donor again, Arizona didn't need to say no. Callie did it for her. One child shared with Mark was enough. This sperm donor was blonde with dimples, a lawyer from Boston and best of all he wanted no contact. So, all they had to do now was move into their new place and get it decorated before the baby came and life would be perfect.
If only the baby would hang in there for just a little longer and stop giving her these braxton hicks, that may or may not be contractions, but couldn't be because the baby couldn't come yet, not until they'd moved it. Why had they paired her with Bailey apart from Callie she was the one other person who would notice even the smaller details. Arizona knew she'd struggle to fool her much longer, but she had to, because the baby couldn't come yet, she just had to wait.
"It took so long to find this place, it had to be perfect." She replied still unable to believe it had taken 8 months to find and complete on a house. "I just want the nursery unpacked before he arrives." She stood, grabbing her stomach, and moaning slightly,
"What was that?" Bailey asked suspiciously walking over
"I think you were right, and I've overdone it" Arizona admitted, hoping that by admitting a lessor crime Bailey would stop pushing,
"Is this the first pain you have had like this?" Bailey asked a gentle hand on her friend's stomach. Arizona blushed slightly, not wanting to lie to her friend; Bailey glared getting out her phone, the blonde was a terrible liar. "How often?"
"Every few minutes, but I think they are becoming more regular."
"I'm calling Callie and Addison" Bailey decided, Arizona tried to stop her.
"No, I'm okay. They are painting the nursery, with Mark, they need to finish, and I need to pack" Arizona said her words lost as she groaned again. Why had that one come so much quicker?
"You are in labour, the baby isn't going to wait, the contractions are only a few minutes apart, let's go" Bailey ordered gently taking her friends arm guiding her to the lifts, grabbing the birth bag just in case.
"Oh god, we have to call Callie, and Addison, and Mark and Lexie, they have to take Sofia tonight, and Alex, he needs to cover my service" Arizona rambled, nervously, was this really happening, she wasn't ready, nothing was ready. Ignoring Bailey she tried to continue packing,
"I'll call everyone if you start walking" Bailey grumbled, gently pushing her out of the room, already dialling Callie.
"Callie are you with Addison, you need to meet us at the hospital Arizona is in labour, get Addison to drive" Bailey ordered marching Arizona into the lift.
"Okay, wow, now. Is she okay? Have her waters broken? How far apart are the contractions? Addison, we need to go" Callie babbled, "We are on our way" she promised.
Bailey held Arizona's hand as they crossed the road to the hospital, as they approached, she shouted
"Oi, you get me a chair and page the on-call OB" she ordered the interns standing outside. Quickly a chair came out Arizona sitting in it, Bailey whisking her upstairs. They transferred her onto the bed.
"Arizona while we are waiting for OB, are you okay if I look?" Bailey asked gently. Arizona nodded,
"Yeah, I need Calliope," she cried as a contraction hit.
"Callie is on her way; I need you to focus on you." Bailey ordered helping Arizona pull her yoga trousers down. "Okay, you are 7cm, so we have some time, did you want an epidural?" she asked, she stepped back just in time as the waters broke,
"No, no drugs, I just want Calliope" Arizona moaned panicking slightly, as another contraction hit. "How long was that?" she asked, worriedly, their new house was a 15 minute drive from the hospital which hadn't seemed far away, until now.
"She'll be here, we have time" Bailey reassured. Taking a towel and wiping the sweat off Arizona's brow.
"I want her now" Arizona pleaded.
"I know, but you have me, and I am here for you, I am your person until your person gets here" She promised.
"If I die, you make sure my baby knows I don't blame them, you make sure, promise me Miranda." Arizona begged. "Please, make sure they know it wasn't their fault."
"You aren't going to die" Bailey promised, Arizona let out a sob, this was triggering her and all her insecurities, confused Bailey held her tightly, allowing her to cry on her shoulder, birth was normally an emotional time but this was a trauma reaction.
"Arizona, you need to calm for me" she said after a few minutes, this level of stress wasn't good for the baby, or the mother.
"Promise me" she insisted, "If I die, promise me you'll tell her" she said that thought setting off her tears again.
"I promise" Bailey agreed. As the door opened.
A black-haired blur ran in panting. Instantly Arizona felt more at ease.
"Callie" she cried,
"I'm here" she announced needlessly a huge grin on her face. "Its time," she whispered excitedly. "How are you?" She took Arizona's hand kissing her forehead, wiping away the traces of tears.
"I'm okay, I mean its fine right. The baby is fine. People have done this for hundreds of years, complications are rare" Arizona babbled nervously.
"That's right baby, really rare, especially with Addie, she is the best for a reason," Callie reassured, she could tell Arizona was on the edge of a panic attack.
"I am" Addison said coming into the room, as soon as they had parked Callie had taken off, she been behind but had struggled to keep up in her high heeled and had stopped for a pair of gloves. Arizona and Callie had gone to her and Naomi for fertility treatment, confiding in Addie about Arizona's mom and the fears they had about her conceiving and giving birth. "I'm going to look now" she asked, Arizona nodded focusing on gripping Callie's hand, staring into her wife's eyes for strength.
"I love you Zona" Callie whispered kissing her hairline, "you are the strongest person that I know"
"I love you too Calliope, if I die, don't blame him" she begged.
"I won't, I will love him so much, he will be my son, and I promise he will be loved." Callie said. "And Sofia will be a wonderful sister. She will play with him and teach him to read, and every word to every Disney song. We will be warm, and safe and together, but that's not going to happen." She promised. Bailey frowned, she sensed something deeper was going on, a story between them that was untold, but decided not to join in.
"Okay, Arizona we are over halfway there, now we said no drugs, just breathing, are we still there because we can still change our mind," Addie promised,
"No drugs" Arizona insisted. "I can do this"
"You can do this" Callie agreed, "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. Sofia was so excited when I told her I had to go to the hospital. I think if Mark hadn't been there, she would have insisted on coming too. They are going to finish the nursery, then go to the park and get ice cream"
"She is going to be a great sister" Arizona agreed.
"He is going to be so lucky, he is going to be so loved" Callie promised rubbing Arizona's belly, like she had done so many times. "Hey little man, I can't wait to meet you"
"Callie, I'm scared" Arizona whispered, clutching Callie's hand like a lifeline,
"Me too, but you are so strong, and Addie is the best, we aren't going to let anything bad happen." Callie promised, "things are so much more advanced now than they were"
"And if anything, bad happens to me…."
"Then I will love him, and keep him safe and warm and protect him" Callie promised again patiently. This had been a daily affirmation since Arizona had gotten pregnant.
"I love you" Arizona said again, still struggling with the fact someone as wonderful as Callie wanted to spend time with her. She groaned as a contraction hit, squeezing Callie's hand tightly.
"That's it, baby, breath" Callie reassured, wincing at Arizona's hand strength. Needing to distract her wife, Callie began singing,
"They say we're young and we don't know
We won't find out until we grow
Well I don't know if all that's true
'Cause you got me, and baby, I got you" Callie began watching as her wife relaxed, continuing to sing as she had throughout the whole pregnancy.
"I got you babe" she sang, dancing slightly, getting into the music. Twirling around the hospital room, doing anything to keep the smile on Arizona's face. Giving birth was supposed to be beautiful and stress free, Sofia's hadn't been, and they deserved a break, their wedding had been full of drama, as had their first child and well nearly every event. Even as Arizona screamed and squeezed her hand with the contractions Callie kept singing, noticing it relaxing her wife.
"I don't think I can do this Calliope, it hurts too much" Arizona moaned, "I need drugs, I'm sorry" she apologised, Callie kissed her sweaty forehead,
"It's okay, I'll call Addison," Callie promised pressing the call bell, it was seconds later Addison arrived,
"I was outside, is everything okay?" she asked
"I need pain relief, I need an epidural, I can't do this" Arizona begged.
"Okay Arizona, lets have a look" Addison said walking over lifting the sheet.
"Contractions are every 1 minute" Callie reported, Arizona looked at her in surprise, not realising Callie had been timing them still.
"Okay and we are 9cm dilated, so nearly there" Addison noted,
"You can do this Zona, we can do this together Callie promised, "we are nearly there" Arizona's blue eyes met Callie's brown, the love and support evident. Biting her lip any reply Arizona had was cut off by another contraction. She screamed squeezing Callie's hand who winced, glad she had a week's leave starting before she had to operate.
"Alright Arizona we are there, time to stop screaming and on your next contraction to push." Addison ordered.
"together" Callie reassured, as another contraction hit, Arizona pushed,
"We have a head" Addison informed them joyfully, "One more push" she said, still focused on Callie's eyes Arizona pushed again,
"Congratulations, it's a boy" Addison said, passing the baby to a midwife, a new-born cry sounded out,
"Agar score at one minute is 2, congratulations, Dr Robbins, Dr Torres, you have a healthy baby boy" the midwife said handing over a wrapped up bundle. Instantly both women fell in love, his blonde hair sat up in tufts, and both were sure if he opened his eyes they'd be blue. Arizona held him heart swelling.
"Calliope, we have a boy" Arizona said exhausted, but proud.
"We have a perfect boy, Sof is going to go nuts" she said imagining their daughters reaction, Sofia had been so excited to be a big sister, and in some ways Callie thought Mark had the harder job, keeping their daughter away.
"Timmy Jacob Torres Robbins" Callie named, smiling at Arizona, they had decided on Timmy pretty early on, Arizona wanting to make sure her brothers memory lived on.
"TJ" Arizona agreed as little TJ opened his eyes, bright blue eyes greeting the word for the first time.
"How did both of our children get your dimples, I'm doomed, I'm never going to say no again" Callie moaned jokingly, Arizona smiled as TJ latched on, Callie snapping some photos, once he was finished Arizona passed him across so Callie could burp and have her first cuddle, snapping some photos, then passing the camera to Addison so she could take photos of both of them, before reluctantly letting Addison take her to be weighed, and have tests done.
"I'm going to text Mark, ask him to bring Sofia" Callie suggested. Arizona nodded,
"Family should be together." She said firmly taking TJ back into her arms, gently stroking his hair, her eyes filling with tears. Addison, Bailey, and the midwife excused themselves, happy the family was healthy.
"Hey, Zona what's up?" Callie asked sitting back on the bed worriedly.
"Nothing….." she sniffed, wiping her tears, Callie raised an eyebrow, "It's just, he is perfect and I know Sofia is going to love him and I love him so much, and all I can think is why daddy didn't love me, how could he hate something so small? How could he hurt me?" she cried. Callie hugged her tightly, sensing that the birth and all the hormones had triggered all the memories of her childhood.
"Why didn't he love me" she sobbed, "Why couldn't daddy love me?" she cried into Callie's arms,
"I don't know, but I do know that is not our children's future." Callie promised, rocking her slightly, "our children are so loved, they have so many aunts and uncles, your daddy was a bad man, but this life will be better."
Arizona nodded, she knew Callie was telling the truth, her past wasn't her children's future, but still looking at the innocent form of her son was making her question everything. With Sofia there hadn't been time to think, not for weeks after birth. With TJ it was the opposite, everything was controlled, there had been time, to recognise the emotions to name them.
"I love you" Arizona said, hugging her wife, careful not to squish the baby. Carefully Callie climbed onto the bed, her arm wrapped around Arizona the other helping her hold her son. This was safe, this felt as safe as the wardrobe, there was just one thing missing, the door opened in ran a browned haired blurred who jumped onto the bed.
"mamma, mommy" she said, "baby" she pointed at TJ,
"Uh huh, this is your brother, Timmy Jacob Torres Robbins" Callie said for both Sofia and Mark's benefit, "Can you say TJ?" she asked Sofia,
"TJ" Sofia repeated,
"Do you want to hold him?" Arizona asked, Sofia nodded, carefully Callie wiggled her into position between herself and Arizona, Arizona then carefully passing her the baby helping her to support TJ's head, while Callie helped with his feet.
A click startled them all, Mark stood with Addison both taking pictures,
"I'm sorry, but you are just the perfect family" Mark complimented.
Arizona and Callie smiled at each other, despite their pasts, their family was complete, as if hearing their thoughts Sofia kissed TJ's head
"Luv you" she said.
The end