I know I haven't updated this story for a while, but I hope this makes up for it :) Thanks for all reviews so far and please keep telling me what you think!

Chapter 13

Arizona's eyes jolted firmly open as she felt another sharp boot under her ribs. 'This baby sure likes to come out and party at night', she thought, closing her eyes, willing herself to drift back to sleep again. Counting her breaths slowly, a technique that she had read was supposed to help sleep come naturally to pregnant women. But it was no good, as hard as she tried she just couldn't stop the flurry of anxious thoughts from flooding through her system, preventing her from the sleep she so badly craved. She was heavily pregnant now and her due date was getting scarily close. She was about to start her maternity leave at the end of the week and the thought of not going in to work every day, along with all the anxieties about the safe delivery of her baby, were literally driving her crazy.

She tried to shift her thoughts to mentally going over the big surgery she was performing with Alex the following day. Sighing and fidgeting, feeling the comfort of Callie's warm body relaxed and pressed up against her back. Her gentle rhythmic breathing signalling she was sound asleep.

Arizona gently prized herself out of her wife's arms, sitting up and switching on her bedside light. Reaching for the folder of case notes she had placed carefully on her bedside table earlier.

"What are you doing, you okay? What time is it?" Callie suddenly said sleepily.

"Oh, it's a little after 2am. I couldn't sleep, sorry I didn't mean to wake you." Arizona said quietly.

"That's ok, you feeling alright?" Callie replied.

"Yeah, I'm okay apart from the braxton hicks and the all night dance party going on in my stomach," Arizona chuckled lightly.

"She likes to dance, that's good." Callie said, propping herself up on one elbow to shoot her wife a confused look, as she said. "What are you reading?"

"Work stuff, it's a case me and Alex have been working on. A girl that looks terminal, but Alex is convinced we can save her. We're operating tomorrow. But I'm not so sure it's a good idea. It's great he's so passionate, but I really don't think we should be giving the family false hope, you know... But, he's the boss now." Arizona said, scanning through the notes, frowning.

"You want to know what I think?" Callie said, leaning over her wife to gently take the notes out of her hand and drop them down on to the floor. "You should forget about this now and leave it to Alex. He's head of department now and you promised no more long stressful surgeries, remember? You can't be super woman, Arizona" Callie said firmly, adding "Besides, you need to get your beauty sleep, it's your baby shower tomorrow and you're not getting out of it this time."

"I'm not going to win this one, am I?" Arizona said, awkwardly shifting her heavily pregnant body around on to her other side to face her wife.

"Nope," Callie replied.

"Just one more surgery though, then I'm done, I promise. I can't let Alex down on this one." Arizona pleaded.

"Hmmm... heard that one before. But one more surgery, then it's feet up and pampering until this little one is born." Callie said rubbing her wife's stomach affectionately.

"Deal," Arizona replied.

Suddenly changing the subject, running her hand through her long hair, Arizona said a little dreamily. "I'm thinking of cutting my hair short, maybe a bob or a pixie cut? Remember how Sofia always used to grab hold of it and pull it all the time? I'm not so sure I'm up for that again with this baby."

"Oh, no. You can't cut off all your hot hair!" Callie exclaimed, stroking Arizona's long blonde hair gently.

"You still think my hair's hot? Even when I'm this size?" Arizona said breaking in to a smile.

"I still think all of you's hot," Callie said suggestively.

Arizona felt a surge of arousal then as the blood rushed furiously around her body. Despite how tired she was all the time, her pregnancy hormones were making her hornier than ever, as she grinned and leaned in to kiss her wife.

Alex carefully closed the front door as he stumbled across the hallway in the dark. Looking at the clock to see it was past 2am. He sighed, he seemed to be coming home later and later these days, well after his kids had gone to bed every night. Working late in to the evening on some kind of emergency or other, there always seeming to be some sort of pressing matter keeping him at the hospital. This night had been a particularly late one too, there had been a child rushed in with serious injuries after a traffic accident and then Alex had been researching and preparing for a big surgery the next day.

Exhausted, he walked up the stairs quietly to make his way to bed with every intention of curling up straight away with Izzie in his arms, falling in to a very deep sleep.

To his surprise though he saw the light was on underneath the door of the spare room. He nudged it gently open to see Izzie stood on a step ladder paint brush in hand, dressed in one of his old shirts with her long blond hair tied loosely back.

"Iz, what are you doing? I thought we agreed to get someone in to do this." He said, walking in to the room.

"Oh, you're home." She said, turning to look at him, breaking in to a wide grin. "You like it?" Gesturing to the light pinky cream colour on the walls with her paint brush.

"I guess, it's a little girly though." Alex replied.

"Ah, well you know." Izzie said, her eyes shining at him.

They hadn't found out the sex of their un-born baby. Addison had asked if they wanted to know at their latest appointment, but Izzie had insisted she wanted a surprise. Alex had kind of hoped she would want to find out, that way she could prepare herself if it wasn't the little girl he knew she longed for and was so convinced that they were having this time around. Alex ideally wanted a girl this time too, but all he really hoped for was that everything would just be okay with both Izzie and the baby.

"What are you doing up there Izzie, come down." Alex then said a little angrily, as he looked at his heavily pregnant wife stood up on the step ladder.

"Oh, relax. I'm fine. Here give me a hand." She said, stepping down and thrusting another paint brush at him.

"Iz, it's like nearly 3am, come to bed. We'll get someone in to finish this off." Alex replied slowly as he reluctantly took the brush from her.

"No, I know we could hire someone to do this, but I think it will be nicer for the baby if 'he or she' knows that their Daddy decorated their room for them...Oh, come on, it will be fun. Like old times. Remember when I was pregnant with Daniel and we'd just bought our first house back in Baltimore and we stayed up all night painting his room and eating cheap Chinese food?"

Alex grinned, remembering how happy and excited they'd been back then. As he stepped towards her and with raised eyebrows, he said. "How could I forget that night?"

Izzie felt her cheeks flush pink and a subtle tingle spead across her as she had a flash back to what else had happened that particular night, and she bit her lip as she looked at her husband through her long eyelashes and said. "You have dirty in your eye."

"You have dirty in your eye." He replied in a low voice as his eyes slid over her whole profile. She was never more beautiful to him then when she was makeup free and slightly sweaty with her hair a little messy. Now she was blooming in pregnancy with his child again too, her breasts full and stomach perfectly rounded. She was perfect.

Izzie quickly moved closer to him and cupped his face as she leaned in and kissed him passionately. Alex closed his eyes as his body became hard against hers and they stumbled back against the wall.

Alex yawned as he fumbled clumsily with his scrub cap outside the OR the next day.

"Here, let me do that," Arizona said bossily as she reached up to tie it properly for him, adding. "Oh, you have a little something in your hair. It looks like the colour of the strawberry yogurt, Sofia was eating this morning."

"Oh, right." Alex replied a little awkwardly reaching his hand back to try and locate it.

"I'll get it," Arizona said, as she touched it. "Oh, it's dry, like paint. Why have you got paint in your hair, Alex?"

"I was up late last night painting the baby's room." Alex mumbled, looking away, his face instantly flushing as he thought back to how the paint had actually got there.

"So, how did your appointment with Addison go? You guys find out, boy or girl?" Arizona said curiously, glancing at the pink coloured paint in Alex's hair.

"Nah, we want a surprise again." He said casually.

"Well, a surprise is good if you can handle the suspense. I just had to find out though, too impatient. You must be kind of rooting for a little princess this time though?" Arizona said with a grin, pressing him further.

"Nah, not really. As long as it's healthy, that's all I care about. Although I guess Iz will feel a little outnumbered if we have another boy...So, last surgery today then?" Alex said to Arizona, raising his eyebrows and changing the subject swiftly.

"Yep, so we'd better make it a good one." She replied, just as a skinny brunette intern walked past them and in to the scrub room, glancing doe eyed at Alex.

"What?" Alex said, as he caught Arizona smirking.

"You still ruin all the interns, Alex. You could still have any one you wanted," she teased.

"Listen, even if I wanted to cheat and I'm not saying for one moment that I do. I couldn't. Izzie wears me out. Pregnancy hormones!" He muttered, looking away.

"Hmm...pregnancy hormones. They sure do crazy things to a women's sex drive. Honestly I'm having the best.." Arizona said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, as Alex cut her off, saying loudly. "Okay, I get the picture," his cheeks burning. 'How the hell was he supposed to focus after that comment?' he thought, as he turned to walk quickly in to the scrub room.

Callie slammed her phone down on the kitchen worktop next to her full glass of champagne, rubbing her forehead in exasperation after getting Arizona's voice mail for the fifth time that afternoon.

Arizona had been due home for her baby shower well over an hour ago and their house was currently over run with all their friends from the hospital, plus their children and Callie was more than little embarrassed that Arizona wasn't there.

"You try her again?...Cupcake?" Izzie said, as she waltzed in to the kitchen to join her. Looking immaculate, perfectly made up and dressed in a white maternity dress, with her blond hair piled on top of her head, holding a plate of perfectly balanced home made chocolate cup cakes out to Callie.

"Yep, still not answering." Callie replied as she bit in to one of Izzie's cupcakes in frustration.

"Well, they're probably still in surgery. Alex said it might over run. She'll get here when she can, it's no big deal we can still have fun while we wait for her." Izzie said kindly, as they both suddenly heard their friends laughing loudly from the next room.

Izzie had been horrified to hear when she had got back to Seattle, that no-one had thrown a baby shower for Arizona. Callie had said they had just been too busy, but Izzie had insisted then that they had a joint one. Callie had offered to hold it at her and Arizona's place, seeing as Izzie was now heavily pregnant too.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just that everyone's made such an effort. It would have been nice if she appreciated it, you know?...mmm, damn your cupcakes rock." Callie said, wiping chocolate crumbs from her mouth.

"Thanks, I know. And we're all doctors here, no-one's batting an eyelid that Arizona's late. You know that?" Izzie said as she suddenly winced and put her hand to her lower back.

"You okay?" Callie said a look of concern crossing her face as she looked at her heavily pregnant friend.

"I think so, think it's just my body's way of telling me to take it easy. I should probably take it as a warning and start taking things a little easier." Izzie replied, as they both walked back in to the front room to join their friends.

"Yeah, wish Arizona would think like that." Callie muttered, walking in to the front room, to sink down in to an empty seat next to Addison.

"Still no sign of Arizona?" Addison said as Callie sat down on the sofa next to her and sipped her champagne.

"Nope, still at the hospital." Callie said, twisting the stem of her glass.

"Well, I'm really sorry but I can't stay much longer. I'm needed back at work, so I think you should open this, it's just a little something." Addison said, passing her a beautifully wrapped silver package.

"Oh, Addie. You shouldn't have." Callie replied, carefully tearing open the paper to reveal a beautiful, soft, white and lemon blanket, with a matching little newborn outfit. "It's gorgeous, wow, designer too." Callie said, glancing at the label as she added "and very neutral", as she looked over at the pile of un-opened presents waiting for her and Arizona, all wrapped up in some shade or other of pink, girly paper.

"Well, you know best to play it safe. It doesn't happen often, but I have been known to get it wrong occasionaly. " Addison said with a friendly wink, as she looked at her watch and said. "Okay, I really have got to go now, will you say goodbye to Izzie for me?" As they both stood up and Addison looked around the room for Izzie briefly, before leaning in and kissing Callie on the cheek as she whispered in her ear. "Don't worry, she'll be here soon."

Alex sank down on to the bed in the dark on call room, his head in his hands. He flinched as he heard a gentle knocking on the door.

"Okay to come in?" He heard a familiar female voice say as the door nudged open flooding the room with light, and he sensed her presence join him on the bed beside him, as he glanced over to see her long blonde hair and heavily pregnant form out of the corner of his eye.

"There was nothing you could have done, Alex." Arizona said cautiously. She knew to tread carefully when Alex was in one of these moods, as he just ignored her and lifting his head up slightly, stared robotically at the wall ahead.

"She was never going to make it, you know that. What you did today was heroic and brave, you took a shot at saving her, you didn't give up on her." She paused as he still didn't say anything.

"It never gets any easier, you know. When a child dies on your watch as head of department. You feel responsible, as though maybe if you'd done things differently, made another call, you could have prevented it. I remember this one time when... "

Alex held his hand up then and turned to look at her, his eyes full of pain and anger as he said moodily "No offence, but I'm not really in the mood to hear one of your motivational speeches right now, so if you don't mind I just want to be left alone. I screwed up, it was my decision to do the surgery. If we'd left it she would still be here, her family would still have a few more months."

"Yes, a few more months. You could have given them a lifetime. There's nothing worse than taking a gamble on a child and it not paying off when your in charge, but when it does and it will sooner or later, Alex. It's honestly the best feeling in the world." Arizona said, un-fazed by Alex's stinging words to her.

Alex looked back at his hands, as he said. "What are you doing here anyway? Aren't you meant to be at your baby shower or whatever?"

"Oh, it can wait." Arizona said, looking down at her phone to see 5 missed calls from her wife.

"You sure? Izzie's been going on about it for weeks, she's got half the hospital turning up," Alex replied.

"Well, I guess I should be heading back there soon." Arizona said as she carefully stood up, placing her hand on her lower back, letting out a small sigh.

"Everything okay?" Alex said, quickly standing up to steady her.

"Yeah, probably just overdid it a bit today. It's just braxton hicks though, I've been getting them all week. I should call a cab, don't know if I should drive home." Arizona said as she made her way to the door.

Alex nodded, he knew all about that. Izzie had been complaining of braxton hicks for the last couple of days too. It made him a little uneasy, as in her last two pregnancies that had been a sign that she was soon to go in to labour. But Izzie was only seven months, it was far too soon to be worrying about that, Alex thought, as he turned back to Arizona.

"Well, if you can wait ten minutes. I'll drive you back to your place. I said I'd collect the boys for Izzie" Alex said, still a little gruffly. He really just wanted to go to the bar and drown his sorrows. It was at times like this that he missed his old single life.

"Thanks, Alex, that would be great" Arizona replied smiling at his moody face, as she was hit with another sharp tightening, causing her to frown dramatically, as Alex said, sounding panicked this time. "You sure you're okay? You want me to page Addison?"

"No, Addie will be at the baby shower." Arizona said, opening the door.

"I guess we should get you back there then." Alex said quickly, as Arizona walked out the room closing the door behind her and pulling out her cell phone to call Callie.

...

"Where have you been? I've tried to call you like five times." Callie snapped, picking up immediately.

"Sorry, we had a complication in surgery. We lost the patient," Arizona replied.

"Oh, sorry. You okay?" Callie said a little more softly.

"I will be, when I see you." Arizona replied sappily as she leaned back against the wall and sighed.

"Well, just hurry up and get back here, okay. Everyone's here waiting for you. Izzie, Bailey, April, Teddy, Meredith, even Cristina made the effort and we have the hugest pile of presents waiting to be opened."

"Oh, well go ahead and open them without me." Arizona replied, as she rubbed her lower back.

"I can't do that, just hurry up okay." Callie said gently.

"Okay, Alex is going to give me a lift, so we'll be there as soon as possible, could you let Izzie know too... Oh and I love you." Arizona added.

"I love you too," Callie replied as she hung up.

"Good news, Arizona is finally on her way back?" Callie said as she walked back in to her packed front room full of her friends. Nearly tripping over the Karev and Avery boys in the process who were charging around the house noisily after each other.

"That's great, seeing as it's her party and all." Cristina said, raising her eyebrows and pouring herself another glass of champagne.

"Hey, has anyone seen Izzie?" Callie said, suddenly realizing she hadn't seen Izzie for ages and Arizona had asked her to let Izzie know that Alex was on his way back to pick up their children.

"No, she was here about twenty minutes ago. I think she said something about going to the bathroom." Meredith said.

"I'll just go and check on her." Callie said as she walked out the room and up the stairs.

"Izzie, you in there? You okay?" Callie said banging on the door of the bathroom as she heard a faint moan coming from inside. Causing Callie to ram the door. It was unlocked and it flew straight open to reveal Izzie lying on the bathroom floor, a slow trickle of blood gushing between her legs and spreading across her pretty white dress.

"Oh my god, Izzie." Callie said as her hand flew up to her mouth. "Stay there I'll get help."

"You ready?" Alex said as he walked up to where Arizona was stood waiting for him by the elevator.

"Yes, thanks for this, Alex. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I really don't feel quite up to driving back myself." Arizona said clutching her back as the elevator doors slowly creaked open and they walked in.

"No problem," Alex said bluntly as he checked his phone. Izzie hadn't called him all day, that was very unusual. But then again she knew he had a big surgery and she was probably pre-occupied with the baby shower, he thought, as he tried to call her, only to get her answer phone. He was just about to leave her a message when the lights went out in the elevator and it jerked to a violent halt.

"Oh great!" Alex said, as he turned to Arizona, saying "You alright?"

"Yeah." She replied, a little shaken, as the lights flickered back on again and the elevator whirred briefly before stopping again.

Alex jammed the emergency button violently, as he said. "Hello, anyone there? It's Dr Karev. We're stuck in the lift. I'm with a pregnant woman." Just as Arizona let out a sharp cry and he turned to see she had sunk down on to the floor.

"Hey, you okay?" Alex said as he knelt down next to her and said "I'll page Addison."

Arizona just nodded, she'd had her suspicions earlier but seeing as she wasn't due for a couple more weeks, she had just put it down to a long stressful day. But now there was no mistaking it, she was having contractions and they were coming fast.

"Alex, I think...I think the baby is coming." She said breathlessly as she let out another loud cry.

Alex's face turned ghostly white, as he hit the emergency button again and started to yell. "Hello, this is Dr Karev, this is an emergency now, you need to get Dr Montgomery here right now, you hear me." Before he turned back to where Arizona was crouched on the floor panting and he said softly. "It's okay, everything will be okay. Addison will be here any minute."

"But, Alex, we're stuck in the lift," Arizona cried out breathlessly.

"Dr Karev, can you hear me?" A male voice suddenly said through the speaker. "We are working as fast as we can to get you out, try not to panic."

"I'm not panicking, man. I just need you to get me Addison Montgomery, and get us out of this freaking elevator now." Alex replied as he reached for Arizona's hand and she squeezed it tightly. "Just carry on breathing, you're doing great. We'll be moving any second." Alex said to her gently.

"Alex, it's Addison" They both then heard a voice say through the speaker, causing Alex to stand up and move quickly over to it, saying. "Oh, thank god. Listen, I think Arizona's in labour, you need to get in here."

"Okay, can I speak to her?" Addison said calmly.

"Sure," Arizona said meekly from where she was sat on the floor.

"Right, Arizona can you tell me how long and how far apart your contractions are?" Addison said keeping her voice clam and clear.

"Umm... well I've been getting niggling pains all day, but I'd say now they're definitely over a minute long and under two minutes apart." Arizona said, just as she let out another small cry.

"Have your waters broken?" Addison said.

"Errr..." Arizona said as both her and Alex looked down to see small pool of water gathering on the floor.

"Yes." Alex replied for her, rubbing his forehead.

"Okay, Alex you need to listen to me" Addison said firmly as Arizona cried out again. "There is no time to get her out now, she's well advanced in to the final stage... Alex, you're going to have to deliver this baby!"