*~*~*~*~*~

As much as she would have liked to indulge in make up sex with Mark for hours, Callie simply could not do it. After Jack had eaten his dinner, she scooped him up and carried him to the master bedroom, where they crawled under the covers and she clung to him. To his credit, Jack let her cry on his shoulder while he played with her hair and repeated that he was 'awful sorry real bad' eight hundred times.

When Mark joined them a little later, Callie had stopped crying and looked expectantly at him. He nodded, confirming that he had called the police and told them about Jane's burial in the back yard of the group home. "Tomorrow?" she asked softly.

"Tomorrow. The prosecutor will meet us at ten in the morning." Mark touched her face when her eyes welled with fresh tears. "It's gonna be okay, baby."

"What are we going to do?"

"The best we can." Mark rested his hand on Jack's stomach. "Are you ready for bed, buddy? I already checked your closet for monsters and -"

"No." Callie shook her head. "He's staying here."

Mark watched her pull the little boy closer. "I set the alarm. He can't get out, Cal, and -"

"I won't go nowhere." Jack hugged her. "I promise a whole lot."

"You're sleeping here," she told him, rubbing his hand.

Mark spooned against her back, his arm resting protectively against her belly. Jack dozed off in no time, warm in her arms, and the adults amused themselves by suggesting one hideous name after another for their child. Mark easily won the horrific battle of names by suggesting Agatha Muriel for a girl and Garth Leander for a boy. Callie told him that he was not allowed to get near the baby's paperwork until *she* had made a name official.

Despite the circumstances, they both drifted off with contented smiles on their faces.

*~*~*~*~*~

The following morning, Jack woke with a start, sitting upright so quickly that he jarred his parents out of their slumber. Clearly disoriented, he rubbed his eyes. "Why'm I in your bed?"

"Because you ran away yesterday and scarred me for life," Callie replied with a yawn, tugging him back down and pulling the cover over them.

"What does that mean?"

"Never mind." Callie kissed him on the head. She felt Mark stir behind her and glanced over her shoulder. "Hey, you."

"Morning, beautiful." He pushed himself up on his elbow to kiss her, then tickled Jack, who laughed and kicked out, catching Callie in the stomach. Mark's hand was a few inches away and he caught the little boy's ankle. "Whoa, buddy! That's where the baby is. Be careful."

Jack pushed himself back into a sitting position and moved the cover down, gazing at Mark's hand. "Can I touch it too?"

"Sure." Callie lifted her pajama top, exposing her belly. "Go ahead."

Delicately touching her ribcage, Jack said, "Is the baby here?"

Mark led his son's hand to the correct spot. "Right about there."

Callie grinned when the tiny tips of Jack's fingers rubbed against her flesh. He was being so careful, barely touching her, that she almost laughed out loud. She lost it completely when he put an ear against her stomach and closed his eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Listening." He held his breath, then his eyes popped open. "That ain't no baby! It growled at me!"

"That's because someone skipped dinner." Mark shot Callie a pointed look. "You want French toast?"

"Your one and only specialty? Sure." Callie grinned at him, then at Jack, who was whispering to her belly. "Now what are you doing?"

"Telling it to be a boy."

"You don't want a sister?" Mark asked him.

"I got one of them already," Jack replied, his ear against Callie's stomach again. "I miss her."

"You have a sister?" Callie's eyes widened. "What -"

"Her name's Emily. We got the same mama. Not you, Mom. The one that put us in her belly," he said.

Mark listened to Callie question the little boy. It took him a few moments to make the connection. "You know, now that I think about it, she looks like Jack. Her hair is lighter, but they -"

"You met her?" Callie asked, stunned.

"Yeah, I think so." Mark nodded. "Cute kid. Big heart. Talked to me at the home when McDeaver was taken into custody."

"What's custody?" Jack questioned. "Did Emily want to come see me?"

Mark chose to answer the latter. "I don't think she knew that I was your dad."

"Oh." Jack rested his chin on his fists, still gazing at his mother exposed stomach. "How do babies get into your belly?"

"Oh... god." Callie's eyes were so wide it was comical. "Uhm ... that's something that Dad's explain. When you're older. So ... I need to go take a shower and - yeah."

"Dad, can you tell me now? I really need to know."

"Gee thanks, Cal." Mark smiled at her when she slipped from the bed.

Neither could know it ... but they were both thinking of Jack's sister.

And wondering where she was at that moment.

*~*~*~*~*~

The prosecutor was a jovial, good natured man with a plush white beard that made Jack take an instant liking to him. When the man told him that Santa Claus was his brother, Jack climbed into his lap and asked that he thank Santa for the bike and apologize for his mother's cookies. Some moms just couldn't make cookies, Jack explained, and his mother definitely could *not*. Mr. Sims, the prosecutor, smiled at Callie and promised to relay the message, then spent thirty minutes making small talk with Jack.

When Sims finally brought the topic around to the group home, Jack was happily rambling on and on. Jack gave him a few details about life at the home, then suddenly slipped from the man's lap and climbed into the chair next to Callie's. Sims slid his own chair a little closer and began talking about Christmas again, listening intently as Jack listed every single present he had received. He even told about the kinds of candy in his stocking. Another thirty minutes passed before Sims finally asked a direct question about McDeaver.

Jack shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it no more today. Okay?"

Sims glanced at Callie, then up at Philip, the attorney. "Jack, can you just tell me what you know about Jane?"

"No."

"Where is she now?"

"Can we go?" Jack asked Callie. "I'm hungry."

"You can go," Sims interjected before Callie could, "just as soon as you tell me where Jane is. Can you be a good boy and do that for me?"

"You promise?" Jack asked.

Sims nodded. "Where is she?"

"She's under the tree in the playground. The big one with the kite stuck in it." Jack untied his shoelace and set about knotting it. "Can we leave now?"

"How do you know she's there, Jack?" Sims pushed.

"I answered your stupid shit question," the little boy cried. "You promised we could go."

"Can you please tell me?" Sims put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "I know it's scary and it's hard to talk about it, but it's important. Jane's mother may be wondering where she is."

"Jane gots a mom?" Jack looked up at Callie, clearly remembering her reaction to him being missing. "Mac put her in the Devil closet for a real long time. She kept asking for water then she didn't ask no more. Me and Emily seen him carryin' her like a baby and she smelled real bad. Then he digged a hole and rolled her in there. We seen him do it from the roof."

"The roof? Why were you on the roof?"

"That's where we went to talk to the moon man and look at stars. Emily likes stars a whole bunch. And the moon. Mac didn't never look for us on the roof." Jack crawled over the arm of his chair and into Callie's lap. "Can we leave now? Please?"

Philip cleared his throat. "I think he's had enough."

Sims got to his feet and extended his hand to Philip. "Thank you for working with us. Do I have all of your contact information, Ms. Torres?"

"Yes," Callie replied, getting to her feet. "You can also talk to Mark. He filed the formal paperwork this morning to adopt Jack."

"Congratulations," Sims replied, shaking Mark's hand. "He's a fine boy."

"Yes, he is," Mark agreed, scooping his son out of Callie's arms. "As you can see, discussing this is very hard on him. If we can keep his involvement as minimal as possible and not push him too much ... that would be great."

"I have a grandson his age," Sims replied, taking Callie's hand briefly. "I understand."

"Thank you." Mark put an arm around Callie's shoulder as they headed for the door. "You'll let us know about Jane?"

"Certainly. Wait one moment please." Sims walked across the room and took something from his desk drawer. He held it behind his back until he reached Jack, then he pinned a toy badge to the front of his sweater. "Jack Torres, you are officially a deputy."

"WOW!" Jack cried, rubbing the plastic star. "Can I put bad guys in jail."

"You already have." Sims winked at him, ruffling his hair. "You be a good boy."

"Yes, sir! Thank you!"

In the elevator, Philip addressed Callie. "He did better than I expected."

She nodded solemnly. "Do you think it's enough?"

"Well, they recorded it with your permission. I can't think of anything else they'd need at this point."

"Will they want him to testify anyway?" she asked.

Philip took a deep breath. "He witnessed a ... m.u.r.d.e.r." He spelled the word for Jack's benefit. "He will probably be required to speak via closed circuit television."

The elevator opened and Callie took Philip aside, telling Mark she would join him in a second. When they were out of earshot, she took a deep breath. "Can you get me in to see McDeaver?"

"You want to visit him at the jail?"

"I do."

"Can I ask why?"

"I need to appeal to any part of him that remains human, which may not be much, but someone needs to remind him that these kids are going through hell because of him." She glanced at Mark, who was watching her curiously. "I mean, he *killed* someone, Phil. I don't want this to drag on for years."

"As your lawyer, I have to advise against it." Philip squeezed her hand. "But as your father's friend, I understand that you come by this honestly. I'll do what I can."

"Thanks."

"Congrats, by the way." He pointed at her belly. "Jack told me."

"Jack's telling *everyone*." She smiled. "Hey, can you find out about a girl at the home named Emily? Jack says that they have the same mother. I asked McDeaver about any siblings when I adopted Jack, but he said Jack was an only child. Jack says that she's his sister, though. Blood sister."

"I'll look into it."

"Thanks."

*~*~*~*~

They took Jack to eat at Chuck E. Cheese, not because they wanted to, but because he squealed like a pig when he saw the sign and begged for four blocks afterwards. Sitting across from one another, Mark and Callie held hands while they watched their son scurry back and forth, playing with the other children.

"What did you need to talk to Phil about?" Mark asked.

"I want to see McDeaver."

"What?!" Mark looked at her like she had grown two heads. "Why?"

"Because I think I can reason with him."

"Absolutely not! Out of the question!" Mark told her. "You are *pregnant* and you don't need to -"

"Oh jeez," she groaned. "Are you *that* guy?"

"What guy?"

"The one who acts like pregnancy is a terminal illness." She smiled at him. "I'm having a baby, Mark. It doesn't render me incapable of -"

"It most certainly does." He tightened his grip on her hand. "You had a miscarriage, darlin', and no one knows why. So, we're going to proceed with caution. You can have Addison's quack put peppermint oil on your head or stick pins in your ass, but you're not going to the jail. If it makes me *that* guy then so be it."

She forced herself not to laugh. "You really don't mind if Pete puts pins in my ass."

His eyes widened. "Wait ... that wasn't literal. Is he - did he - that bastard!"

"You're so cute when you're jealous."

"You're not cute at all." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Promise me you won't go."

"Whatever." She sipped her water, then took a deep breath. The events of the past few days had left her with a dark cloud hovering over her. She hated the way she felt inside. "I'm worried, Mark."

"Why?"

"Because I drank on Christmas Eve. Addison said it'll be okay, but-"

"Don't. Don't say it, don't think it." He leaned over and brushed her hair behind her ear. "Addison knows what she's doing. What time are we meeting her?"

"Three." Callie glanced down at her watch. "Which will give us enough time to eat and pry Jack out of the building. He loves this place."

Mark traced the back of her hand with his thumb. "I hope the baby gets your skin tone."

"I hope the baby gets your eyes," she replied. "They're amazing."

"No." He shook his head. "Brown eyes are better. And black hair."

"Yeah, your hair is turning gray, sweetie."

"Hell, I wonder why. A certain woman comes to mind." He nudged her with his foot. "You know what? I'm excited. While you were hiding under the cover with Jack last night, I sent a text message to my entire phone list telling them that I was going to be a dad. Again."

"You announced Jack, too?"

"You best your sweet ass I did."

She reached out and touched his face. "Are you sure you're okay with this? You're happy?"

"I'm beyond happy. When do you think it happened?"

"Considering that we have sex at home, at the hospital, and in the car ... who knows?" She shrugged. "I'm usually so careful with my pills and -"

"It was meant to be."

"It's so weird." Callie glanced at Jack, who was laughing loudly. He waved at her and she waved back, smiling at him. "When I was pregnant before ... I stayed sick. All the time. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep because my boobs ached and I knew. I didn't even need the test. I just *knew*."

"Every pregnancy is different."

"This different?" Callie asked. "Mark, I've been having a period. Nothing is sore on me except my head and I haven't had any morning sickness."

"Then count your blessings."

She chewed her bottom lip. "Can I tell you something?"

"Absolutely."

Looking back out at Jack, who was now feeding tokens into a game that would let him win a stuffed animal, she took a deep breath. "I feel guilty."

"Guilty?"

"It hasn't been *that* long since the miscarriage and -"

"It's been over a year."

"That's not enough time. I feel like I didn't wait long enough ... I didn't mourn long enough."

"You almost mourned to *death*, Cal." He lifted her hand and kissed it. "And the wait is long enough. We didn't do this wrong."

"There's more."

"Okay."

"And this is the really bad part," she said. "There was this one time, right after I married George, that he thought I was toxic. Like, he thought I was literally making him ill ... violently ill."

"WHAT!?"

"It wasn't me. It was that woman with the toxic blood, but he still assumed that it was our marriage or a panic attack or something and -"

"I'm going to kill him for that. Is there no end to how that dipshit hurt you?"

"Just ... listen."

"Okay, sorry."

She tried valiantly to gather her thoughts before she spoke again. "This pregnancy is completely different. I can't deny it. I keep thinking that the baby I carried *knew* that George and I were complete failures. That we were *toxic* because of each other and -"

"O'Malley is toxic. You are not toxic."

"I feel guilty for thinking that *our* baby is somehow more ... right. It doesn't make me sick or sore or ... anything. And it's wrong. I shouldn't feel this way."

"Do you know why you feel that way?"

"No."

He got to his feet and slipped into the booth beside her, hugging her. "You're trying to justify it when you don't need to. You're trying to make sense of something that never makes sense at all. You think if you rationalize that the baby you lost was somehow *wrong* then you won't have to worry about the timing."

Her eyes searched his. "I don't think it was *wrong*. I just think it was ... doomed. Everything I had with George was doomed and ... I wanted that baby anyway."

"I know. I was there. And you don't have to feel anything except happy right now. You can celebrate, you can smile, you can laugh and make plans and it doesn't diminish the other baby's memory. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Mom! Dad!" Jack screeched. "Come play with me!"

"Let's go play." Callie touched her nose to Mark's.

"Uh, no. *I* will go play and you be a spectator. There are tons of kids for you to trip over or -"

"You are begging me to kick your ass."

"I'm *that* guy. Remember." He put his hand on her belly. "Humor me. You've got precious cargo on board."

Callie shook her head.

And enjoyed watching the two men in her life run around like idiots.

That afternoon, Callie reclined on the stretcher as Addison finished up her exam. Mark and Jack were in the hallway, waiting impatiently to see the sonogram and hear the heartbeat. Addison tossed her gloves into the trash can and issued a litany of strict verbal orders that she promised to write down, email, and call daily to verify that they were being followed. As much as she hated to do it, Addison confirmed that she was flying back to Los Angeles early because of a special case that Naomi requested her expertise on. She would be leaving right after the sonogram and had already called a cab. Callie was saddened, but Addy didn't let it last long. She promised to visit again in two weeks to monitor the baby's growth and pointed at the bag of Pete's mojo in the corner. He had left Callie with plenty of treatments for her headaches.

After confirming once again that Callie was roughly ten weeks along and the baby was healthy and thriving, Addison opened the door and let Mark and Jack come in. Callie thought Mark looked as nervous as a virgin at the prom. He was wringing his hands ... something Jack apparently thought would help the situation because he was doing the same thing. Addison picked Jack up and sat him on the foot of the bed so he could see the monitor clearly and waited for Mark to join Callie before she picked up the ultrasound. "There it is," she told Jack, pointing at the screen as she rolled the device over Callie's stomach. "That's the heart right there."

"It's ugly," Jack said, squinting at the monitor. "It looks like E.T."

"That's very rude," Mark told him, leaning down to kiss Callie as their baby's heart beat filled the room. One of his tears dropped onto her cheek and he stood up in time to see Addison roll her eyes. He simply grinned at her and demanded photographs from every angle. "The entire hospital knows, Cal."

"What? How?"

"Jack decided to tell everyone who would listen that his mother was getting her baby photographed." Mark held out his hand to accept the first of many, many pictures that Addy was capturing. "And his voice is like a megaphone so -"

"Great."

"I want pictures, too!" Jack wailed.

Thirty minutes later, the happy family emerged. Jack was riding on Mark's shoulders and waving two photos back and forth while he sang a song about the baby that he made up on the spot. Callie was laughing at him when she saw Cristina, who glared at her from the far end of the hallway. Her elation over the baby diminished slightly when her friend flipped her a bird and waltzed into the on call room. Callie excused herself and quickly followed. She opened the door and stalked inside, ignoring the two sleeping doctors who were inside.

"What the hell is your problem?" Callie hissed, sitting beside Yang on the bottom bunk.

"What the hell is *your* problem?" Cristina shot back. "Oh, wait. I know the answer to this. Addison. Addison is your problem. She comes to town and you only have time for her."

"What!?"

"It's funny that you accused Hahn of something very similar."

"Now you're pissing me off."

"Feels like shit, huh?"

"What did I do, 'stina?"

Cristina half laughed. It was a bitter, cruel sound. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe I'd like to be there for the sonogram?"

"You were there! Yesterday! You were there for all of it!"

"Yeah, but Jack wasn't. It would have been nice to see his reaction. He is my godson, right? Or is Addison doing that now, too?"

"I thought you were off today."

"I am off today. I came here to see what time you were scheduled since you didn't call me ... and lo and behold, you were already done."

"Why are you in your scrubs, then?"

"Because far be it for me to deny someone my medical expertise, Iphigenia Vagina! I thought if I looked bored and available someone would oblige me and need surgery."

"Don't call me that! I'm sorry. I am a bad, bad friend. It's just - we had to see the prosecutor today and Jack ran away last night and -"

"RAN AWAY!?"

"Shut up! God!" The person in the furthest bunk called.

"Piss off, jackass!" Cristina called. She raised herself a little higher to glare at the bleary eyed young doctor. "You're an intern! I'm pulling rank! Go find a better place to shirk your duties or I'll tell your Resident you fucked up charts."

"Damn, Cristina," Callie said as the man rushed from the room. "You're a bitch."

"Explain, Torres."

"Jack was upset about the baby," Callie whispered, mindful of the person sleeping over them. "He was gone for a couple of hours. We had to get the police involved and Mark finally found him."

"God dammit, Callie! Is a phone call too much to ask!?"

"Would you calm down? Pete gave me a treatment and I zoned out."

"Of course he did! Now you're becoming an *alternative* medicine person and-"

"Not living an *alternative* lifestyle, right?" Callie watched her friend closely. "That's what this is really about, isn't it? Because we -"

"No! It's because we're supposed to be family!"

"We are!"

"Then you have to call me! You have to tell me -- you called me when Jack scraped his knee because you wanted a second opinion. He was fine, but you still made me drive over in the rain to make sure." Cristina finally lowered her voice. "You said it wouldn't be weird between us, but it is. You're leaving me out. No pun intended."

"No, I'm not!" Callie said, her eyes welling with tears. "Can you put yourself in my shoes for a second? The perfect guy asks you to marry him and you say no. Then you find out you're pregnant because God clearly gets bored and has to liven things up. And then your kid tells you that he witnessed a murder and -"

"Jack witnessed a murder?"

"McDeaver killed someone," Callie replied, rubbing her face. "Jane. I think he had an affair with her and she was pregnant. At least that's what we're gathering from Jack."

"I'm sorry." Cristina took her hand. "I just - I miss you. You know?"

"I'm right here." Callie assured her. "You're my best friend and from now on I'll call you no matter what."

Yang looked down at Callie's finger. "You still didn't say yes?"

"Not yet."

"But you are."

"You told me I should, 'stina."

"I'm not being in the wedding."

"I did it for you."

Cristina wrinkled her nose. "Would you be willing to let me take Jack tonight? I didn't get to see him for the holiday and ... well, he ran away so I need to spend some time with him."

"Yeah, sure. He's still got your Christmas present and he's dying to give it to you. Plus ... I need to have sex. Lots and lots of sex."

Cristina shuddered, making a face. "I - uh - I'm not with that *person* anymore, by the way."

"Are you coming on to me?"

"No, whore." With a grin, Yang punched her. "I'm telling you that I took up for you and I shouldn't have because you totally left me hanging for your flip flop wearing floozie."

"California *is* changing Addy."

"Why do you think I moved out of Beverly Hills?"

Callie put on her best upset face. "Are you still mad at me?"

"Just a little."

"Want a picture of your new goddaughter?"

"Goddaughter? It's too early to tell and -"

"It's a feeling."

Cristina took the photo and held it up to the light streaming through the window. "She's the cutest mass of cells and tissue I've ever seen."

"Jack called her E.T. and said she was ugly."

"He's just like me. Don't name her something stupid, okay? Calliope almost put me off talking to you."

"What's your middle name?"

"Grace, but don't do that to a kid either."

"Grace. Hmmm, I like that."

Clearly touched, Cristina beamed at her, then whispered, "Okay, fine. I'm not mad. We're friends with *no* benefits and *no* weirdness."

"Partners in crime." Callie leaned a little closer, her voice barely audible now. "Mark is being *that* guy and acting like I'm a delicate flower. I need you to cover for me next week. Philip can get me in to see McDeaver so I need you to give me an alibi."

"You can't kill McDeaver!"

"I know, dumbass!" Callie growled. "I'm going to *talk* to McDeaver. I think I can get him to confess or at the very least get him to cop a plea."

"This is why you need to be banned from Law & Order repeats." Cristina shook her head. "Granted, you are persuasive, but this is a bad idea."

"Can you come along?" Callie asked. "We'll tell Mark that we have to shop or *something* because he will kill *me* if he finds out that I did this after he told me not to."

"I dunno. You didn't tell him about that ... about my thing ... for you, right?"

"Hell no! Mark is a jealous bastard." Callie chuckled. "Are you still jonesing, Yang? You lurrrrve me."

"I thought we weren't talking about that anymore."

On the top bunk, directly over Cristina and Callie, Izzie Stevens smiled.

Callie was such an easy target.

And was dumb enough to continually load the gun herself.

*~*~*~*~*

"And then there was silence." Callie stretched, arching her back. Her body tingled in ways she never imagined in a million lifetimes. "There is something to be said for sex so good it makes you feel like you'll never walk again."

"I did outdo myself, didn't I?" Mark pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "You're sweaty."

"That was quite a workout."

"Pregnant sex? Best thing ever," he replied.

"Let's see if you still think that when your arms won't fit around me." She laughed.

"It's not my arms that need to fit, baby."

"Pervert."

"You know it." He took a deep, contented breath, absently running his palm over her breast. "In case I didn't mention it ... I'm sorry for getting so drunk on Christmas night."

The smile on her face faded. "You earned it."

"I was also unnecessarily rude to you and I apologize for that, too."

"I deserved it."

"No, you didn't." He shifted so that he could prop his head on his palm and look down at her "I should have talked to you about the whole marriage thing before I asked."

"Mark-"

"It doesn't have to be a big conversation, baby. I just want you to know that I'm okay with it."

"I'm not," she replied. "I'm stupid to fear you."

"You fear me?" Pulling her a little closer, he rested his hand on her hip, gently rubbing her soft skin. "I wasn't expecting you to say *that*."

She looked away from the intensity of his gaze. "Maybe fear isn't the right word. I - I know I love you. I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but I also know that people change. What you feel today may not be what you feel tomorrow and I really don't have another divorce in me."

Mark forced her to meet his eyes. "I'd never do that to you. Or to our kids."

She shook her head. "Staying and being miserable would be worse."

"Then I'd stay and be happy."

"You can't know that. You can't."

"Do we really know anything?" he asked. "People die every day in car wrecks, but we still drive. Planes crash, but we still pay too damn much to be strapped in and fly. Life is about risk, Callie. It's a gamble. Sometimes it all works out."

"And other times?"

"If you're lucky you live and learn."

"I'd like to think that I learned with George."

"We've already been together longer than you were with George." He kissed her forehead. "I'm not going to pressure you or push this. I told you that the offer still stands and if you decide that you want to get married you just tell me where to meet you. Say the words and I'll be there."

She wanted to say the words.

She even opened her mouth to let them fly, but all that escaped was a yawn.

"You are as rude as JACK!" Mark cried, poking her in the rib. "Don't let my boring conversation keep you awake."

"I can think of something better than conversation to keep me awake."

Callie pushed herself to her knees and swung one leg over him, straddling his waist. Grinning, she leaned down and kissed him, grinding against him as she did so. Within moments, he was rock hard and she reached between them, guiding him into her. "Oh, God," she groaned.

"Oh, God," he agreed. "You could pretty much make a believer out of me."

*~*~*~*~*~

A week later, Callie tried her best to be calm, cool, and collected as she nodded at Cristina, who was standing in front of the fireplace. Mark came down the stairs behind her, talking to Jack, who was heading to the nursery for the day instead of school. His suspension for violence against Sister Mary Hazel was still in place, but he didn't seem to mind.

"I still don't get why you have to go to *Oregon* to pick up a present for Cristina's mother." Mark shook his head. "You can probably get it delivered and -"

"Nah," Callie smiled at him. "We're looking forward to the road trip. I'll call you, I promise. I'll be back in time for dinner."

"Can you make 'sgetti!?" Jack bellowed. "I want it!"

"Absolutely." She winked at him. "You be good today."

"I will. Bye, 'stina!"

"Bye, Jackalope," she replied, bending down to accept his hug.

Mark and Callie kissed and then he smiled at Cristina. "You drive safe."

"I know, I know. Precious cargo or whatever."

"Damn straight."

An hour later, the women arrived at the jail right on time. Philip had arranged for Callie to visit McDeaver early in the morning, before the prisoners would be rambling in the yard or the office staff would be milling about. He thought it would be less stressful for her. Callie was nervous nonetheless when she was escorted into a small room just off the front lobby. There, she met a female officer who went over several rules and regulations while she *prepared* Callie for the meeting. Cristina, who would be waiting in the hallway, kept attempting to give her friend a pep talk, but finally gave up.

After what felt like an eternity, Callie took a seat in an even smaller, windowless room, and breathed deep. This was it. She could either make or break the case and the stress was making it hard to breath. The pressure of it all had settled somewhere in the vicinity of her lower back and as she mentally prepared herself, she hoped that she had made the right decision. The door opened and she felt her heart lurch in her chest, but it was only Philip. He smiled at her and took the spot beside her. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Making sure you don't do anything stupid."

"I wasn't -"

The door opened again and this time it was McDeaver. The old, round man was led inside by two armed guards. His wrists and ankles were shackled and he scowled at Callie as the bigger of the guards forced him into the seat. "You're the reason these bastards woke me up? It better be good!"

Callie wrinkled her nose. Mac smelled like raw sewage and looked as if he hadn't washed his greasy face and hair in months. She didn't speak until Philip nudged her, then she said, "Do you remember me?"

"You're that big shot doctor that took Jack. The one who was waving around her money."

"I asked you if Jack had any siblings and you told me no."

"I know what I said."

"Why didn't you tell me about Emily?"

"I don't like rich bitches." He cocked his head to one side. "What do you want?"

"We can't find her. Emily, I mean."

"That ain't my problem."

"You do realize that they know all about Jane, don't you?" Callie watched the man's face fill with color. "Despite everything I know about you ... I don't think you're an evil man. I think you're a sick man and you have the ability to stop this mess and stop making these kids -"

"Don't you dare tell me what I can do!"

Callie tried to recall all the points she had written herself on index cards. They were in her purse, which had been left with Cristina. "Child abuse is bad enough on its own, but forcing these kids to relive it and talk about it ... that's a new degree of Hell. You were all they knew, Mac. You and your wife ... you were their parents and -"

"I ain't done nothing wrong!"

"Jane died because of you."

"Jane was an accident! She went crazy and was beating on Emily when -" He trailed off suddenly as if realizing where he was for the first time. "Nevermind."

"Please ... go on."

McDeaver shifted uncomfortably, his beady eyes going back and forth between Callie and Philip. "She hated Emily. Jane did. Because my Emily looks like her mama. Jack didn't get her eyes or her-"

"I thought you said Jack's parents were dead."

"Their mama *is* dead."

"Who is their-"

"It don't matter."

"It matters to me!" Callie snapped. "Jack's happy! I don't want his father reappearing one day and -"

"He's in jail," Mac said softly. He raised a brow at Callie, nodding slightly.

She gasped. "You're - you're their -"

"No comment, lady."

"But ... who was their mother!?"

"She died in childbirth. She was real young to be birthin' twins."

Callie's jaw hit the floor. "They're twins?"

Mac nodded. "Their mama was a good girl."

So much made sense at once that Callie almost choked on the bile of realization. "You - she was one of the - you nasty old pervert! She was one of the girls at the group home! Wasn't she?"

"She was in love with me!" Mac snarled. "I was gonna marry her! She was fifteen when she had them babies and I was trying like hell to divorce Stella!"

"She was a child!" Callie shouted. "And you kept Emily because she looked like her mother, but you gave Jack away!"

"Jack wanted you! He made it real damn plain."

"What about Emily?"

"I wanted her."

Callie looked disgusted. "I'd hate to think how you wanted her."

McDeaver shot to his feet, spittle and sweat flying as he tried to launch himself at Callie. The guards reacted quickly and Philip moved in front of Callie. A second later, the old man was being held back in his seat by the guards and was looking at Callie like he wanted to choke her. "I love that girl."

"Yeah, it's so obvious." Callie pulled Philip back into his seat.

"What the fuck do you want from me?" Mac yelled.

"I want you to confess! I want you to stop making these kids suffer! Do something right for once! You have the ability to stop this!"

"What's in it for me?"

"Maybe you can actually sleep at night."

"I don't have no trouble sleeping."

"Hmm." She looked thoughtful, even innocent, as she went straight for the jugular. "You don't see Jane? You carried her in your arms to the back yard where you put her in a rough, horrible grave that you had already dug. You tossed her in there and put a blanket over her and then you covered her with your bare hands. You didn't use a shovel."

Mac's rheumy eyes widened. "How did you know -"

"There were witnesses." Callie crossed her legs. Her demeanor was so relaxed she could have been having tea with friends in the English countryside. "Several witnesses. I'm pretty certain that when the autopsy results come back, they'll find out that she was pregnant. And it wasn't yours. I don't think you knew that when you kicked your wife out for her. Jane carried what you considered a bastard and that's why you beat her in the stomach when it got bigger."

"It was a bastard! She deserved to die!"

"What about Jane's family? The baby's father? Do you ever think about them?"

"She wasn't nothing but a hooker. A damn hooker! A gutter slut! She ain't got no family."

"Everyone has family, Mr. McDeaver. You've proven that much," she sighed. "You had a wife. Then you had two beautiful children and you destroyed them. You continue to destroy them."

"Jack ain't nothing but trouble."

"I beg to differ." She looked him up and down. "I can't see a single part of you in him."

"Well, that's what you know!"

"Do you know what happens to child abusers in jail?"

"I ain't worried."

"Then God help you." She pushed herself to her feet and thanked the guards. When she was halfway across the room, she looked back at the old man. "I'll never tell Jack that you're his father. He'd be ashamed. I will say this, though ... he's one hell of a kid and if your DNA had anything to do with that then I thank you. You gave me the greatest gift of my life. You sit in here and think about that ... what you're missing out on, what you gave up. And when you can't stand it any more ... it's really easy to knot your sheet and hang yourself. I encourage you to do just that."

"Fuck you."

"Oh ... it would the last thing you ever did."

*~*~*~*~*~

Callie met Mr. Sims in the hallway. He shocked her by hugging her tightly and she cried out when the wire she wore bit into her flesh. The set up had been well executed. It had been her idea to involve the prosecutor and Sims had readily agreed. McDeaver hated officials in any capacity and dried up like the desert whenever he was questioned, exercising his right to remain silent from the moment the first word was spoken to him.

"How was it?" Callie asked, rubbing her chest.

"We can use it. Parts were like a confession and that's good." Sims squeezed her hand. "Are you sure you're not a cop?"

"I'm sure. I just come from a long line of bullshitters." She smiled at him. "What happens now?"

"Well, I'll go to his attorney and try to get him to push for a full confession or at the very least take the plea bargain. At this point it's more important to keep the kids out of it. I could still make sure he dies behind bars."

"Thank you, Mr. Sims."

"No, thank you." He opened the door that led to the dingy room where she had gotten the wire attached earlier. The same female police officer removed it and escorted Callie to a conference room.

Callie bade her goodbye and stepped inside, grinning at Cristina. "I did it! Granted, he tried to kill me, but -" She stopped talking when she saw the look on her friend's face. It was comical and freakishly scary at the same time. "What the hell is wrong with -"

"What's wrong with her?" Mark asked, pushing away from the wall where he was leaning. The look on *his* face was unmistakable. He looked at her with enough fire to melt steel. Without another word, he snatched out a chair and nodded at it. The moment Callie sat down, he stalked back across the room like he couldn't bear to be near her. "You have some nerve, lady!"

"Mark-"

"Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"The two of you!" He pointed at the women. "You had an affair? And now you're doing it again?"

"What!? NO!" Callie cried, shaking her head. "Who told you that? Did Hahn say that-"

"Stevens," Mark snapped.

"And you believed it?!"

"She also told me you were here and I didn't believe that either, but check it out." He put his hands on his hips. "Hahn confirmed it, though. She said she saw you two kissing the other day and -"

"Wrong," Yang supplied.

Mark spun and looked at Cristina. "When did you decide to be gay!?"

"Bi, actually."

"And you have feelings for Callie?"

Cristina glanced at her friend. "We worked it out and -"

"Worked it out!?" Mark's voice was an octave higher than usual. "How?"

"That's private," Callie replied.

"Well not anymore!!" shouted Mark. "Stevens told everyone and now they think that *this* is why you told me no! They think you're leaving me for a woman! And what are you doing here, Callie!? You promised me that you wouldn't do this!"

"No ... I actually didn't."

"You know what? Fuck it! And fuck you, too!" Mark shouted, storming out of the room.

Callie laid her head on the desk. "This is a brand new low for me."

"He called me an Ellen Degeneres wannabe," Yang sighed. "Why couldn't he call me Margaret Cho?"

"He's not big on lesbian pop culture?"

"Can you bail me out of jail again?"

"You're going to attack him for calling you Ellen?"

"No, I'm going to attack Izzie. And this time ... I'm breaking her bones."

"I can show you how."

*~*~*~*~

Callie headed into the hospital to pick Jack up at the nursery. She didn't want to leave him there all day and, truthfully, she needed him. She had called Mark from the car, only to get his voice mail ... and what a voice mail greeting he had recorded. Since she could only bear to listen to it once she had thankfully not memorized it, but the colorful vocabulary mixed with her name had been enough to prevent him from dialing him again. He was beyond pissed. It was a horrible feeling.

What felt worse, however, was being told that Mark had picked their son up earlier. Callie checked her watch and frowned. Mark was supposed to be in surgery for the remainder of the afternoon. Heading back through the hospital, she paused in front of the surgical board and her legs went weak. Sure enough, Mark was currently operating. Who then, had picked up Jack.

Running, she launched herself into the observation deck. Her entire body was shaking when she saw that Mark was standing next to Meredith, instructing her as she held the reigns to the surgery. Callie flipped on the microphone and said, "Mark!"

He didn't look up at her, didn't reply. Instead, he pretended that he couldn't hear her, pointing something out to Meredith.

"Mark, where is Jack!?"

Something in her voice prompted him to speak. "He asked to spend the night with Bailey and I agreed."

"You didn't ask me!"

He finally met her eyes. "You didn't ask me about going to the jail."

Throwing her hands up, Callie stalked out of the deck and down the stairs. When she emerged in the hallway, Mark breezed out of the operating room, yanking off his gloves and protective glasses. He crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Don't you *ever* make it seem like I have to *ask* you for anything when it comes to my kids!"

"Don't you *ever* make it seem like I have to *ask* you to go somewhere!"

He narrowed his eyes at her, squaring his shoulders. "That baby you're carrying is half mine! I have some say in where it goes!"

"Oh, that's just wonderful, Mark! Now you're territorial! You want to drop trou and piss on my leg?"

"Didn't Yang do that already?"

Her jaw dropped. "Go to hell!"

He gripped her arm and spun her to face him when she tried to walk away. "Did you sleep with her?"

"No."

"Never."

"No! Never!"

He looked skeptical. "Did you kiss her?"

"No, Mark. I did not kiss her. We're friends and -"

"She's a friend who wants you. Stay away from her, Callie. I mean it."

Unbidden, another conversation flashed through her mind.

//She has feelings for you. She wants you. That's what this is about. That's why she hates me.//

Shaking her head to clear it, Callie said, "You can't be serious. This is Cristina, Mark. *Cristina*. Jack's godmother. My best friend."

"Yeah, you're just like George and Izzie," Mark growled. "Only now ... I'm *you*."

"It's not the same thing!"

"I can't deal with this, Callie! You fucking handle it or I will."

She gasped. "I did handle it! She knows that I love you! She knows that I'm happy with you and -"

"Then marry me."

"What!?"

"If this has nothing to do with Cristina ... if you are not involved with her or trying to spare her feelings by keeping me at arm's length ... then marry me."

"Are you -"

"I'm not kidding, Callie!"

"Fine!"

"Say *yes*."

"Yes, ass. Yes. God, you are so infuriating and -"

And there, in front of several coworkers who had stopped to watch the argument, Mark kissed her like there was no tomorrow.

*~*~*~*~*~

The New Year came and went and Jack headed back to school after his three day suspension for fighting. Callie escorted him inside to give Sister Mary Hazel a piece of her mind and left the nun in tears, earning cheers from a group of teenage students who had heard the entire exchange. She looked back briefly, in time to see one of the taller boys lifting Jack in the air. Her son was beaming with pride as he blew her a kiss. She caught it and pressed it against her heart.

She walked into the Denny Duquette Memorial Clinic with a smile on her face as she sidled up to the nurse's station and nudged Bailey, flashing the ring on her finger. Her friend gasped and grabbed her hand. "Damn, girl, you're gonna get tennis elbow lifting this big rock every day."

Callie gazed down at the diamond. "It is excessively large."

"Are we talking about Sloan's ego again?" Cristina asked, putting a chart behind the counter. "He's posturing all over the building. He's decided to stop calling me Ellen and now he's calling me 'Butch', which is only slightly better than 'bull dyke' which is how Hahn addresses me in surgery."

Meredith hopped up on the counter, putting her own chart on the pile. "You are kinda butch. You had better taste in men, Cristina. Atilla the *Hahn*. Seriously? Eww."

"Y'all need to leave your sex lives out of it." Bailey glared at the two women, then at Callie. "So, when's the date?"

"YOU SAID YES!" Meredith crowed, grabbing Callie's hand. "Oh my god! This ring is obscene!"

"I'd rather hear about sex." Cristina said, picking up a new chart. "I'm going to mend sickness. Bye."

"Is it true?" Meredith asked Callie when Cristina vanished behind a curtain. "Did she actually have a crush on you?"

"She had a crush on my title of Chief Resident."

Bailey choked on the water she was drinking. "She better not come sniffing around here. I ain't got time to play with crushes or ... at all."

"So, when am I getting an invitation?" Meredith asked, effectively changing the subject. "Ooooh, do you need a bridesmaid? I'm retired as maid of honor. For life."

"We're going to the courthouse," Callie replied, leaning against the wall.

"You can't wear a ring like that and then get married at the courthouse! God would strike you down!" Bailey shook her head. "It's tacky."

"I prefer trashy." Callie pointed down at her belly. "I'm already knocked up."

"You need a real wedding," Meredith said. "One with friends."

"Where am I supposed to have it, Einstein? I want to walk down the aisle... not waddle. Time matters. I'm not getting any less pregnant."

"Did you get your marriage license already?" Bailey queried.

"Yep."

"And have you told your family?"

"Nope."

"Torres!"

"Miranda! I can only handle so much. My parents? Not at all. They don't even know I'm sperminated."

"You suck as a daughter," Meredith told her. "Since we have that in common ... I can say it."

All at once, the doors of the clinic burst open and George came rushing in, breathless and out of sorts. He took one look at Callie and put on a burst of speed, grabbing her arms. "News."

"What?"

"O'Malley, don't dangle off pregnant people!" Miranda scolded, prying his hands off her. "What the hell is wrong with you."

Steal trying to breath, George gestured at the television in the waiting room. "News. McDeaver."

Callie spun and saw McDeaver's mug shot filling the screen. She hurried into the waiting room and turned up the volume, watching in shock as the image faded and the news anchor began to speak.

"If you're just now joining us, Quinton McDeaver, known as Mac to the children who resided at the group home he founded in nineteen seventy one, was found dead this morning in his jail cell. McDeaver hung himself in his cell and attempts at resuscitation failed. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He was being held without bail for possession of child pornography and child abuse, but we were just informed before the break that he was charged late last night with murder. The body of Jane Simmons-Schultz was exhumed a few feet from the group home and while their names are being withheld, we do know that several of the children there were witnesses to the crime and -"

The remote fell from Callie's hand as realization began to sink in.

She had told McDeaver to kill himself.

She had even told him how to do it.

And he had listened.

Dimly aware that the remote control had fallen from her hand and clanked to the floor, Callie's vision tunneled and then there was silence.

The world around her faded to black.

She never felt herself hit the floor.

*~*~*~*~*~