Title: These Are the Moments
Authors: clanket
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Cute little moments in the fictional lives of Callie and Arizona. Pure fluff and will likely be a series of stand-alone stories. The Test.
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libellous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
A/N: I know I haven't updated A Conspicuous Conspiracy in a little while and I apologize for that. I'm just having a bit of a mental block with it. Please enjoy this peace offering in the meantime :D
Callie paced in the small space between her en suite bathroom door and large bed while she chewed on her thumbnail. She looked at the clock. Three minutes left. She couldn't stop the heavy fluttering in her stomach at the prospect of what this could mean; either she was going to have a baby in the next year and be responsible for another life or she would be devastated. This was their third time going through the procedure; flying out to California, waiting impatiently to see Addison and Naomi, being put into awkward stirrups and watching as Arizona pulled on a pair of gloves and did the honour of inseminating her.
Three times that they'd waited with baited breath, three times that they'd hoped beyond hope to make a little Calliope; three times that they would be heartbroken. Ninety seconds. Callie knew from trying with George that she wasn't one of those women that a guy could practically just look at and she'd end up pregnant, though right about now she wished that Arizona could do that to her. She couldn't stand the thought of disappointing her girlfriend again. Somewhere inside she knew that was an irrational thought but how often was she known to be the level-headed one in the room?
She kept pacing, picking up speed as the time drew nearer. Fifty seconds. She was doing this alone for the first time. The previous two times Arizona had been by her side, soothing her and holding her hand and assuring her that they would keep trying until it worked but this time Callie wouldn't be able to take the sadness in those baby blue eyes that she so loved knowing that she had put it there. Ten seconds.
She couldn't stop thinking about the little boy or girl that would be just theirs. They would have dark eyes just like hers – hey, it's hard to overpower those distinctly Hispanic features – but a creamy skin tone somewhere in between hers and Arizona's; they would have curly hair and hopefully a dimple or two. She smiled briefly at that thought. Three seconds. Her heart would break if this didn't work. She wanted that child – she needed that child, needed it to be a physical manifestation of their love. Two. One.
Callie took a final breath and made her way to the bathroom sink where two stolen pregnancy tests sat. She closed her eyes and bounced on her toes a few times in an effort to gain the courage she would need to make it through the night knowing that she still wasn't pregnant. She exhaled as she picked up one of the tests.
Negative.
Callie tried to hold back the tears even though she knew they would fall at some point and ++grabbed the other stick, just to be sure. Another negative. She snatched up both tests, threw them back into their box and walked them out to the garbage chute. Arizona didn't need to know that she'd failed once again. She would figure it out sooner or later, anyway.
xxx
Arizona entered the on-call room in a whirlwind of white lab coat and golden hair which caused Callie to stop her pacing. She turned toward the door just as the blonde closed it and came up to her, quickly putting two soft hands on her hot cheeks which Callie was grateful for.
"Hey, you called me here ASAP," Arizona said in a worry. "Are you alright? Is something wrong?"
"I'm late," the brunette told her. Arizona scrunched up her face as she tried to figure out just what her girlfriend meant.
"I'm late? I just got your page, how cou-"
Callie vehemently shook her head. "No, I'm late," she repeated. Arizona shook her head mutely.
"So, we're both late? Where are we supposed to be?" she asked dumbly.
Callie exhaled and shook her head once more as she gripped the blonde's wrists and pulled them from her face. She took a step back and started pacing again but more slowly this time.
"I don't mean temporally, Arizona," she said and stopped to look into those quizzical blue eyes with raised brows, hoping to convey just what she meant. When Arizona till didn't get it, the Latina rolled her eyes and continued.
"I'm late, Arizona, as in it's that time and I'm late."
She chanced a look at her girlfriend. Her eyes were shining and she had a huge smile across her face.
"Really?" she whispered. Callie nodded slowly, unsure of how to continue.
"But I don't think it's what you think it is," she explained. Arizona's brow furrowed again.
"What do you mean? How could it be anything else?" she asked with a laugh. "Calliope, we're gonna have a baby. Aren't you happy?" she asked as she stepped up to her girlfriend and snaked her arms around those curves.
"Of course I want that, Arizona, more than anything but," she trailed off, placing her forehead against the blonde's.
"But what?" Arizona coaxed gently as she swayed them soothingly back and forth.
"But it's not that. I think something's wrong. I-I may have taken the test and it may have been negative," Callie whispered guiltily. Arizona pulled back suddenly.
"You did what? You knew I wanted to be there when you did it! I wanted to hold your hand and be nervous with you and hug you so you don't get dizzy wearing the floor thin. What if it was positive? You knew I wanted to be there, Calliope."
"I do, I do know that," Callie said as she pulled the warm body into her own for comfort, "but I didn't want to disappoint you again."
"Oh, Calliope. You could never disappoint me," she said quietly. "I think I'm more upset about you having taken the test without me than the outcome, to be honest," she finished lightly.
Callie smiled and kissed the woman softly in an attempt to convey just how perfect those words were.
"Wait," Arizona interrupted the quiet suddenly, "it's only been 18 days now since we got back. When did you pee on the stick?"
"Last week," the brunette answered, "while you were on the night shift. And then the next day, just to be sure. All four were negative."
"Calliope! You know as well as I do that those tests aren't sensitive enough this early on. You should get a blood test, especially if you're late," Arizona said with a little extra pep.
Callie pulled back from their embrace to look her in the eye.
"That's kinda why I called you here. I feel funny and I'm not pregnant and I got scared. What if the reason I feel funny is the reason I can't get pregnant, you know?"
At Arizona's nod Callie continued. "So I had Mark take some blood and I sent it to the lab as a Jane Doe under your name," she said quickly.
Arizona looked at her in disbelief; one that said everything and made words unnecessary.
"I know, I know. But I really don't want the entire hospital knowing our business. That was yesterday and they just paged me. I guess it was the same tech or something."
"So you want me to go grab it?"
Callie nodded at her girlfriend.
xxx
"Well?" Callie asked anxiously, bolting up off the bunk she had been sitting on when Arizona got back.
"I don't know; I haven't looked yet. I thought you might want to be here for it," she said pointedly. Callie at least had the grace to look sheepish.
"So, I'm here. Open it. What's wrong with me?"
Arizona shook her head at the brunette. Was she turning into a hypochondriac? She opened the brown folder and slid the two pages of test results out, closing the dossier and scanning the sheets.
She glanced up at Callie then back down at the page then back up at Callie who wore a distinctly worried expression. Until Arizona smiled, that is. She held up the paper for Callie.
"We're having a baby," she said with tears in her eyes.
Callie couldn't believe it. She had lost the ability to read and was trying to process the words.
"What? We're what?"
"We're having a baby Calliope! I tiny little human just like you running around, making trouble. You're having my baby," she whispered. Callie was too stunned to move so Arizona ran to her instead, pulling her in for a searing kiss and a tight hug.
The Latina held on to her as if for dear life, feeling happier than she could ever remember feeling.
"Oh, this is gonna be so awesome! I'm gonna teach it how to roller blade and draw and talk to it every night! This is – this is just awesome, Calliope, in the truest sense of the word," Arizona said before kissing the mother of her future child.
-XXX-
A sincere 'thank you' goes out to all of you guys who read my stories (or just stumbled upon them now!) and those who leave comments. They always make me feel awesome :)