YAY! FINALLY! I know, I know. I'm sorry. In addition to school which is keeping me busy enough, my sister's wedding is in a week and a half, so I have been CRAZY busy. I am truly, deeply, insanely sorry.
To sort of make up for it, this chapter is over 2,000 words long! Woo! The ending sucks horribly, and there's a good chance the rest does too, but it's mostly a filler for the action to come muahaha.
Enjoy! and please review!
Callie watched with mild amusement as Elmo and his friends ran across her television screen, yelling and giggling in loud, high pitched voices. When the furry red monster failed after several attempts to scare Julia Roberts, Callie let out a chuckle. When Julia Roberts then crept up behind Elmo and scared the stuffing out of him, causing him to shake adorably for the rest of the scene, Callie burst out laughing. She looked down to see Natalie giving her an odd look.
"What?" she said defensively. "That was funny!"
Before Callie could so much as stick her tongue out at the baby sitting on her lap, she heard the sharp sound of heels on wood, announcing Arizona's arrival. She hurried into the room, both her hands held at her left ear, attempting to attach an earring. She seemed out of breath an exhausted, but after successfully hooking the earring through her ear, she dropped her hands and smiled her trademark smile at Callie.
"How do I look?" she asked, holding out her arms and giving a quick twirl. Callie grinned.
"Does that really need an answer? You look stunning, as always." Arizona laughed, leaning over the side of the couch to kiss both Callie and Natalie.
"Did you call Cristina yet?" she called breathlessly from the front door. Callie rolled her eyes.
"Yes, and we're set to move in whenever. I told you this. Three times," she answered patiently. Arizona's head appeared around the corner of the living room, a surprised, confused look on her face.
"You did?" Callie nodded in response. Arizona's eyes wondered and her mouth popped open slightly as she thought. "Huh…I guess you did. Sorry, it's just been so crazy lately. We're moving, Mom and Dad are moving, and then there's work and Natalie and…" Arizona ended her sentence in a sigh, her shoulders sagging slightly.
"Just go have fun with your parents, okay?" Arizona perked up again, her dimples and teeth showing as she grinned happily at Callie.
"Love you!" she called from the front door again.
"Love you too," Callie replied, her attention already turned back to Sesame Street.
…
It was late when Arizona returned from dinner with her parents. Natalie was already tucked into bed and Callie had dozed off on the couch. Arizona leaned against the wall, watching the bluish light from the television cast shadows on Callie's face as her chest rose and fell with the deep breaths of slumber. Unable to resist any longer, Arizona tiptoed across the room, crouching down in from of her girlfriend.
"Wakey, wakey," she whispered in a childish tone. Callie jerked awake, her head nearly hitting Arizona's face. She kept her eyes closed and rolled onto her back.
"What time is it?" she asked groggily.
"Eleven-ish?" Arizona guessed, not having a clock nearby to check. Callie slowly worked her way out of her sleep-state and into awareness, first sitting up and then opening her eyes to look around the dark room. She smiled when she saw Arizona, who was still crouching on the floor beside the couch.
"How'd it go?" Arizona stood and sat beside Callie on the couch. She intertwined her fingers with Callie's, but she didn't look at her directly.
"Uhm…right. I sorta need to talk to you about that…" Arizona said vaguely. Callie looked at her questioningly, leaning forward to try to see Arizona's face clearer. "My parents are leaving tomorrow to go back to the ranch, and I'm going to fly out with them." Callie remained silent still, sensing that there was more to come, but her stomach had knotted painfully at Arizona's quiet words. "They can't pack up that whole house by themselves and so I thought I'd go and help. Plus it'd give me a chance to go through all my things that I've left there."
"How long?" Callie eventually asked, her voice scarily quiet. Arizona drew in a deep breath before answering.
"A week. Maybe more." Callie groaned inwardly. Her body sunk lower against the back of the couch, her hand dropping from Arizona's. "Callie, I'm sorry, but they need me…"
"It's okay." Callie turned back to Arizona, who was watching her anxiously, with a bright and false smile on her face. "I understand…I'm pretty tired. I'm gonna head into bed. G'night!"
Arizona sat numbly on the couch, watching Callie cheerfully get up and walk down the dark hall into their bedroom. What she didn't see was how Callie's stomach hurt to the point where she doubled over beside the bed. What she didn't see was how Callie moved about slowly and heavily with a glum expression on her face. What she didn't see was how much Callie was upset by the idea of Arizona leaving her for a week.
…
"Are you sure you have everything?" Callie asked for the thousandth time. Arizona looked over at her pile of bags anyway.
"Yeah, I think so," she laughed. Her laughter died when she looked into Callie's eyes and saw what was coming.
"Look, about last night…"
"Don't worry about it," Arizona said quickly, trying to dismiss it.
"I was wrong to act like that," Callie continued as though Arizona hadn't interrupted. "I was just freaked out that you were leaving me, and so suddenly too. If you had asked me before, or…or something, I don't know, but I would've been all for it. I am all for it. I think it's great you're going to help out your parents and I'm glad you're going…Well, I'm not glad you're going, but I'm glad you're doing this…." Arizona placed her hand over Callie's mouth to keep her from talking in circles, like she had been doing. Callie always rambled when she was worked up.
"It's okay Callie. I know. I don't want to leave you either, but someone has to stay with Natalie, plus you just had all that time off of work for maternity leave. There's no way the Chief would give you a week off. I'd love nothing more than for you to come with me." Arizona pouted in the adorable way that Callie found irresistible. She rocked forward and gave Arizona a quick kiss.
"You're right," she sighed. "I know that you're right. But I'm going to miss you so much." Arizona buried her head against Callie's chest, unable to say anything other than that she was going to miss Callie more. The sound of the doorbell made them reluctantly separate.
"Ready Zona?" Arizona's father asked almost as soon as the door was opened. Arizona quickly recovered herself and put on her dimpled smile.
"Yep!" Arizona chirped. She turned a full 180 to the playpen that was set up against the wall and lifted Natalie from it. She held the child against her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Callie couldn't hear exactly what she was saying, but she caught of few things, like "Take care of Callie for me." Callie smiled uncontrollably at the sight.
"Arizona, honey, we have a flight to catch," her mother gently reminded her. Arizona looked disappointed as Callie took a step forward to take Natalie from her arms. Arizona held onto her baby for one more moment, cradling her head against her shoulder and kissing the top of her head.
"I love you," she whispered to Natalie. Even though she spoke quietly, Callie could hear the shaking in Arizona's voice that meant she was on the verge of tears.
"What about me?" Callie joked lightly, hoping to make Arizona laugh and keep her from crying. Her plan worked, if just barely.
"I guess I love you too," Arizona sighed sarcastically, wrapping one arm around Callie the best she could without squishing Natalie between them.
"You guess?" Callie pretended to be offended, turning her head away from Arizona. Arizona laughed.
"What I meant to say was," Arizona began, "that I love you with all of my heart until the end of time and beyond. Better?"
"Much." Callie grinned and leaned forward to kiss Arizona. She was about to pull away when Arizona laced her fingers through Callie's hair, holding her close to deepen the kiss. "Wow. I love you too!" Callie breathed when Arizona finally let her go. For a moment, they stood perfectly still, neither wanting to let the other go. But then Callie took a step back. "You're going to miss your plane. Call me as soon as you land, okay?" Arizona nodded, sadly taking a few steps away from Callie and retrieving her luggage.
"I'll miss you Calliope," she said, halfway out the door.
"And I'll miss you Z," Callie replied, grinning at the use of Arizona's hated new nickname. Callie waved goodbye to Arizona's parents and stood in the door until their car was no longer in view.
"Well kid," Callie sighed, leaning against the closed door and taking in the sight of their empty apartment. "I guess it's just you and me." Natalie giggled happily, causing Callie to break out into uncontrollable laughter.
…
"Alrighty, so what would Mommy never let you do?" Callie asked Natalie, letting herself fall into a comfortable position on the couch. "Want a tattoo?" Natalie didn't answer. "Yeah, you're right. They're overrated. Piercing? Nahh, hurts like a bitch. Oops. Sorry kiddo. Don't ever get your vocabulary from me."
Natalie still didn't make any noise. She just sat on Callie's stomach, smiling adorably. Callie took in the sight of her light blue eyes and her trademark dimples. She looked so much like Arizona already, it was incredible.
"You don't talk much do you?" Natalie gurgled defensively, baby spit rolling from her mouth in a thick, slimy rope. "Eww, keep it in your mouth, will ya?" Callie reached over to the coffee table and grabbed an extra napkin. Callie and Arizona had learned to keep plenty within easy access at all times because of baby drool. Callie quickly wiped up the spit before it dripped anyway, accidentally tickling Natalie in the process. Maybe this week won't be so bad after all, Callie thought as the sound of Natalie's laughter filled her ears.
…
Callie sat up quickly, the loud ringing of her cell phone bringing her into full alertness. She looked around wildly, not finding it but knowing that it was Arizona calling. She could tell by the soreness of her back and the way there was an imprint of her jeans on her hand that she had fallen asleep sometime during Finding Nemo, and Natalie was also missing. Panicking, Callie jumped up from the couch.
Thankfully she didn't have to search long. As soon as she entered the hallway, she found Natalie sitting on the hardwood floor. She held the still-ringing phone to her ear as she had seen both Callie and Arizona do many times. Callie placed a hand over her fast-beating heart and let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Hey Nat, thanks for finding my phone for me," she said in a happy tone, reaching down for her phone. Natalie wouldn't let it go. "Come on baby, let me have it." When at last Callie got hold of her cell phone and gently pulled it free from Natalie's grip, the baby started crying loudly. Callie quickly answered the phone and scooped up the child.
"Calliope? Jeez, I was starting to get worried!" Arizona's voice greeted Callie's eager ears and made her smile, despite the fact that she was holding a screaming baby.
"Sorry, my phone was stolen," Callie explained in a playful voice. Arizona caught on quickly.
"Is that her I hear now?" she asked worriedly. Natalie didn't cry very often. Callie tried to think of something to say without letting it slip to Arizona that she had fallen asleep while babysitting.
"Uhm, yeah. Yeah, she's been pretty cranky since you left. I think she misses you," Callie covered.
"Awe, well I miss my baby too!" Arizona gushed through the phone.
"Which one?"
"Both of you, of course!" Arizona laughed. Callie could hear the smile in her voice.
"So the flight went well?" Callie asked, walking Natalie into the bedroom to put her down for a nap, which she was in desperate need of.
"Yeah, everything went surprisingly smoothly and we're already at the ranch. Oh, guess what! My sister-in-law Eva's here, and she brought Danny with her!" Arizona sounded excited, so Callie cheered.
"…And Danny is…?"
"Oh, right! Sorry," Arizona laughed, "Danny's my adorable nephew, one of the coolest kids I know!"
"Ahh," Callie said, genuinely cheerful this time. "Well, I'm glad you seem to be having a good time."
"Yeah, I am. It'd be better if you were here though," Arizona added glumly.
"I know, I wish I were with you too," Callie sighed regretfully. "How about a video chat tonight before bed?"
"Okay!" Arizona agreed enthusiastically. "Yay! I get to see you tonight!"
"Yay! I love you Arizona."
"I love you too Calliope." Callie hung up slowly, her hand gently stroking Natalie's soft blonde hair. She had just fallen asleep and she looked more like Arizona than ever.
I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore
Eh. I needed a song and it was the first that came to mind.
So? Was it awful? Was it so not worth the wait? Review and let me know!