`CHAPTER 9

Callie sipped her wine and ran her hand through her long dark hair, as she glanced over to where Arizona was stood at the bar next to Alex.

Arizona had her hand on Alex's arm and she was laughing at something he was saying. Callie felt her cheeks flush with a slight sense of annoyance, as she turned back to chatting to Addison. Callie knew she was being stupid and that she had nothing to be jealous about. Arizona loved her after all, she had no interest in anything other than friendship with Alex. Plus, Alex was happily married himself, he was crazy about Izzie and their kids. But despite the rational part of Callie's brain telling her all of that, she couldn't help but feel a tad insecure when she saw how much Arizona loved having Alex around now she was pregnant with his child. Even though Callie knew his one and only involvement was the sperm donation and the baby was her and Arizona's child.

"Everything, okay?" Addison said, looking at Callie kindly, snapping her back in to reality.

"Yeah….I guess…" Callie said sighing, she knew Addison wouldn't buy that though. Addison knew only too well how Callie wore her heart on her sleeve. So, taking a large gulp of wine, Callie blurted out, "I'm just having a hard time trying to work out why Arizona wants Alex around so much. I was under the impression, Alex was just going to be our donor, now it seems as though Arizona wants him to be involved every 'freaking' step of this pregnancy."

Addison smiled reassuringly at Callie, as she looked her in the eye and said. "Okay, as your OB/GYN and your friend and someone that deals with newly pregnant women every day. What you're experiencing is completely normal. Arizona loves you, but she's just a little freaked out at the moment. She's just been through a huge scare, her hormones are going crazy and for once in her life she's not in control. You should be glad that she has Alex there to lean on too. I'm sure that once your baby arrives, Alex will be so far in the background that you won't even remember this conversation. It's you Arizona is married to and having this baby with, remember?"

"Thanks, Addie. You're right." Callie said, smiling back at her, although she couldn't help but look back over again to where Arizona was stood with Alex. Alex has his hand on Arizona's arm as he leaned in and said something to her, before kissing her on the cheek quickly, grabbing his coat and walking out of the bar.

Callie took a deep breath, as she walked over to where her wife was now stood alone by the bar.

"Hey," Arizona said, smiling as soon as she saw Callie walking towards her.

"Hey, where did Alex go?" Callie replied.

"Oh, he said to say goodbye. He went back to his hotel. I think he wanted to call his kids to say goodnight, before they went to bed." Arizona replied.

"So, did you get a chance to speak to him about replacing you?" Callie said casually, as she placed her empty wine glass on top of the bar.

"Yeah, I think he'll go for it. It's a great opportunity for him to step up. He's going to meet the chief tomorrow and he needs to run it past Izzie of course too." Arizona replied a little cautiously as she glanced at her wife.

"That's great, but, I'm not so sure Izzie will be that buzzed about moving back here." Callie said, trying to force a smile back at Arizona.

Later that eveening back at home, Arizona kissed Sofia good night. Before turning and quietly closing the door to her bedroom, making her way downstairs to join her wife. She could hear Callie on the phone to what sounded like Mark, talking about Sofia.

...

Callie was lounging on the sofa, glass of wine in hand as she chatted away to Mark on the phone. Arizona sat down next to her, leaning back against the soft cushions, rubbing her temples gently as she eased out of her shoes. Slowly going over the events of the last twenty four hours in her head. She had nearly lost her baby, then she had made a huge decision to step down temporarily as head of ped's and now it looked like Alex might be coming back to Seattle to work with her again, as her new boss! A thought that both excited and terrified Arizona at the same time. Then there was Callie, she had been in a weird mood all evening.

Callie laughed loudly down the phone at something Mark had said to her, causing Arizona to look over at Callie and flash her an amused smile. She hadn't heard Callie laugh like that for a while, she had been so uptight recently and had barely said two words to Arizona since she had been discharged from the hospital earlier and they had gone to meet their friends for a drink.

"Listen, I've got to go Mark. I'll see you tomorrow." Callie said grinning, as she ended the call.

"What did Mark want? Did he forget something?" Arizona said sharply, as she thought how Callie had spent a good hour chatting to Mark at the bar earlier in the evening.

"Oh, no. I think he's a just a bit lonely to be honest." Callie said, as she picked up the remote for the TV switching it on and turning away from Arizona.

"Okay, did I do something? Because you've been distant with me all night and we've barely talked all day. I thought you'd be happy I'm home." Arizona said, as she grabbed the remote from the coffee table, pressing the mute button firmly to silence the TV, forcing Callie to turn and look at her.

Callie exhaled, as she tried to work out what to say to her wife. She was over the moon that both Arizona and their baby were okay, but she couldn't help but feel a little shut out. "Of course I'm happy that you're home. But, well, perhaps we could have talked more, if we hadn't been so busy playing happy families with Alex all day!" Callie spat out.

Arizona glared back at Callie, as she said coldly. "Oh, like we do with Mark all the time, you mean?"

"That is, so, not the same thing and you know that. Mark, is Sofia's father, Alex, is not our un-born daughter's father." Callie replied, matching Arizona's cold tone.

"Yes, because you had sex with Mark. I didn't have sex with Alex, because I'm married to you, you're my wife."

"We weren't married when I had sex with Mark. Technically we weren't even together, remember?" Callie said, raising her voice, as she paused and said. "Is that was this is about? Getting me back for sleeping with Mark? Is that why you chose Alex? And you're so keen for him to come back and be part of our lives?"

Arizona felt her cheeks burn with rage, as she couldn't help but yell back at Callie. "How could you even think that?"

There was a brief moment of silence then as Arizona sighed, she just didn't understand why Callie had such a problem with Alex coming back to Seattle.

"I have been patient and understanding throughout this Arizona. But you need to start seeing things from my point of view. When I agreed to Alex being our donor, I was under the impression he would be living on the other side of the country, not on our doorstep." Callie yelled back, breaking the silence.

Arizona felt her pulse race as she said. "Please, tell me you're not jealous? Because Alex is just my friend, you know that."

"Yes, friend, Arizona, friend, just a guy that you used to work with. Not, the father of your baby." Callie yelled back again. She couldn't believe Arizona was being so unreasonable about this.

"I know Alex won't be this baby's Dad, I get that. But, Alex, is so much more than just a guy I used to work with. He's like a brother to me." Arizona said, as tears prickled in her eyes and Callie just stared blankly back at her, arguing like this wasn't doing either of them any good.

With his phone to his ear, Alex was stood looking out of his hotel room window at the impressive night view of the Seattle skyline. It didn't matter how long he had been away, it would always feel like home to him here.

"Daddy, Daddy…Daniel, let me have the phone…." Alex grinned, as he heard the familiar sound of his two little boys excitedly yelling down the phone at him, as they picked up his call.

"Okay, let me put Daddy on speaker phone, then you can both talk to him." Alex heard Izzie say in the background.

"So, what you been up to today then? I hope you've both been good for your mother?" Alex said, and he chatted away to his kids for a few minutes, before he could tell their concentration was starting to waver and he said. "Okay, can you put Mommy on now please… Good night and love you both." He then felt his heart melt slightly as he heard them both repeat noisily. "Love you too Daddy." The little words that had been so alien and lacking for the entire course of Alex's own miserable childhood.

"Hey," Alex then heard Izzie say, making him feel warm inside as he sat back on his bed and reached for the open bottle of beer he'd placed beside it.

"Hey, everything okay?" Alex replied.

"Everything is great. So, how did your day go? You said Arizona and the baby are going to be okay in your text?" Izzie said anxiously.

"Yep, they're going to be just fine..It was just a scare." Alex said, as he paused letting her take it in.

"That's such great news." Izze replied and from the other end of the phone she breathed a huge sigh of relief. Izzie had been praying around the clock that everything would be okay with Arizona's baby. Ever since they had first received the phone call from Callie to say that Arizona had collapsed. Izzie had thought about the many nights she had laid awake wishing that the baby Alex had created with Arizona didn't exist. So, when she had heard that there was a possibility that something actually could have gone wrong, Izzie had felt overwhelmingly guilty. Making her realize the only thing that mattered at the end of the day now, was Arizona and Callie's baby being alright.

"Yeah, we're all pretty relieved." Alex said, breaking the short pause on the phone.

"So, how's Seattle otherwise?" Izzie said changing the subject.

"Okay, I guess. Would be better if you were here though. I've really missed you and the boys, Iz." Alex said, slightly soppily, as he rand his hand through his hair.

"We've missed you too, but you'll be home tomorrow. The boys are so excited," Izzie said.

"Actually, Iz." Alex said a little tentatively, as he cleared his throat. "There's something we need to talk about. How do you fancy taking a trip back to Seattle?"

"Wh..what?" Izzie stammered down the phone.

"Arizona has decided to step down as head of ped's and they're going to offer it to me on a temporary basis. It's too good an opportunity to turn down, Iz. You could come back and work at the clinic again, we could rent our house out, get a place here… What do you think?"

"Jeez, Alex. That's great. But moving back to Seattle, do you really think that's a good idea? We're so settled here in Baltimore."

Alex sipped his beer, feeling the buzz of the alcohol spreading through him, he knew Izzie would be a little apprehensive. She viewed Seattle as almost being cursed. He could hardly blame her, it did seem to have been the place where everything had gone wrong for them. But Alex didn't see it like that. It had simply been a different era. Seattle was just a place and he had no doubt that he and Izzie would be just as happy living there again, as they were back in Baltimore.

"Iz, I know how you feel okay. But whatever happens, we're a family and wherever we are that's never going to change. I'll go and speak to the chief tomorrow and then we'll decide together." Alex said gently.

"Okay…." Izzie said, as she suddenly stopped and winced.

"You okay?" Alex said, sounding worried.

"Yeah, I've just had a few cramps the past couple of days. I'm sure it's nothing though. Probably just period pains." Izzie said.

"Oh, right... Well, I'll speak to you in the morning then. I love you." Alex said.

"Love you too." Izzie said, as she hung up.

...

Spreading out on his bed, Alex was hit with a sharp pang of homesickness. Hearing his wife and children's voices, had made him realize how much he missed them. He hated being apart from them, even for a couple of nights. Not being able to kiss his children good night and then fall asleep snuggled up in to Izzie's warm body. They'd been married so long now, he'd almost forgotten the countless lonely, miserable nights he'd spent on his own in his last few years in Seattle. But it all came flooding back to him now. How he'd felt so empty and lost after all the meaningless one night stands he'd had to try and pretend he wasn't still pining away for Izzie. He shivered when he thought about how he'd treated women back then and how differently things could have turned out for him if he'd stayed on that path in Seattle and not gone to Hopkins. Then he smiled as he thought about how lucky he was now, married to the love of his life, with two beautiful children. He had meant it when he'd said to Izzie, that it didn't matter where they lived or worked, all that mattered was that they had each other and he couldn't wait to get back to her and their kids.

Arizona sank back in to the luxurious and rich perfumed bubbles of her bath. Allowing the warm soapy water to sooth her aching muscles and stressed out mind after her long day back at work.

Things still weren't right with Callie, and Arizona hated it when they weren't getting on. After their argument the night before, they had barely said a civil word to each other. Callie hadn't even met her for lunch.

Arizona also hadn't managed to catch up with Alex either to ask him how his meeting with the chief had gone, or what Izzie thought about them moving back to Seattle.

...

She then smiled as she felt a tiny flutter and she glanced down at her rounded stomach, feeling warm inside as she thought of the little life growing in there, as it kicked again.

"Callie, Callie…" Arizona called out excitedly.

Callie rushed in to the bathroom, a look of panic on her face, as she said. "Are you okay?"

"I think I felt her move. Here give me your hand," Arizona said, as she beamed back at her wife, taking her hand and placing it on her wet, soapy stomach.

"There, did you feel that?" Arizona said again, as she experienced a tiny jolt inside her.

Callie's mouth fell open in joy, as she felt the tiny little kicks of her second baby. It put it all in to perspective.

Eventually Callie took her hand away and shaking the bubbles off, she leant in to kiss Arizona lightly on the lips, before Arizona said. "I'm sorry we argued. I know I've not been fair on you. I can see that now. But this is our baby, Callie. Yours and mine. You have nothing to worry about where Alex is concerned. If he accepts the chief's offer, it will be great to have him around again, but only as a friend, he has his own family and we have ours."

Reaching for Callie's hand again, she then added, her eyes sparkling."And I couldn't be happier, because I just can't wait to meet our second little girl."

"Neither can I." Callie replied softly.

...