Chapter 8

Heavy lids began to close and Arizona found herself drooling as she tried to complete her patient charts. The night before had been a bust but she wasn't surprise because the whole dating thing was just not her thing or maybe now she was Callie and dating the wrong person.

"Hey how was the date," Teddy was having a fabulous day and she had to tell the PEDs surgeon.

Groaning the blonde put her head in her hands as she answered, "It was bad and I blame myself for it," she looked at the other blonde to continue, but was stopped as Teddy gasped and grabbed her face.

"This bad that she punched you in the face," the bruise wasn't that bad but against Arizona's pale complexion the purple bruising under her eye looked painful.

Arizona reached for the bruise and winced a little at the pain, "She went to give me a kiss when I dropped her off and I wasn't expecting it and bam I get head butted. Oh well I don't think we were going anywhere after that date, but I either my misfortunes are really amusing or something great has happened to you?" she looked at the cardio surgeon who was sporting the biggest grin.

"Obviously you haven't heard or there'd be a lot more smiling. I'll just cut to the chase Erica is gone," the shock on Arizona's face was the exact one Teddy had on her face when she first heard the news. "Yeah well she turned in her letter of resignation. And you my friend are looking at the new Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery."

"Oh wow that's amazing Teddy," she went to hug her friend, "wait how come none of this was mentioned in the meeting this morning?"

"Well I didn't really get it, but the Chief did say I was in charge for the moment so why won't I get it," she shrugged.

"Wait does Callie know about Erica leaving?" she was beginning to worry about the brunette for just being left with probably no goodbye.

"Probably. She didn't look sad earlier, but how would I know Callie looks the same to me," Teddy had barely paid attention to the ortho surgeon she was just so happy that she would no longer be working under Erica.

The sound of pager broke them from continuing their conversation, "911 to the ER. I'll see you for lunch Teddy?"

"Text me when you're ready," the cardio surgeon was already making her way back to her floor.

#######

Arizona knew that booming voice that was yelling at the interns for being incompetent and as soon as she moved the curtain her suspicions were answered when Mark was standing with his back to her yelling for someone to page Callie. It wasn't until she heard the ortho surgeon's name that she noticed the small boy on the bed.

Mikey was lying on the hospital bed holding his abdomen as small whimpers made way from his mouth. The sight terrified her that something could be wrong with the raven haired boy, but her thoughts were broken by Mark's yelling directed at her.

"When I asked for someone from PEDs I meant Karev not you," it was unsettling to see the man look this angry and scared himself.

"Dr. Sloan I'm an exceptional surgeon. I assure you I can be of use to Mikey here;" moving closer to the boy to assess his pain, "just let me see what's…."

"I said Karev!"

In that moment both Alex and Callie came running through the ER doors. Alex had a relaxed face ready to step in and help Mikey out while Callie already had tears straming down her face.

"Oh God. What happened Mark?" when she had seen her son that morning he had a slight fever but it was nothing that worried either doctors. She went to hold her son only to have him scream in pain at the small jostling of his body.

"I don't know he said his stomach hurt and an hour later he started crying really hard. I swear Callie I didn't do anything," even the older man had tears in his eyes for Mikey. He was so worried that Callie would never forgive him for causing his son pain.

Stepping in to explain Alex finally spoke up, "It's nothing either of you have done. If I could take a look real quick I am sure Mikey just has an inflamed appendix," barely touching the area the boy hissed as the discomfort became worse. "Yep. Dr. Robbins and I can go in and remove his appendix and Mikey here will be back to playing."

Both Mark and Callie spoke at the same time, "Absolutely not," this caused the other two doctors to look at each other with confusion.

Arizona figured Callie was just scared to see her son go into surgery, "I don't think you understand Calliope, but Mikey needs the surgery and I am more than qualified to…."

"Robbins I am sure you're a great surgeon, but it would be a conflict of interest if you were to perform the surgery," Mark butted in. He knew after Callie told him that Arizona was Mikey's other mother that she would not be able to enter the OR.

"I don't understand did I do something to offend you Callie?" she looked to the distraught woman who was staring everywhere else but her. "I'd like to apologize for whatever might be the problem, but Callie Mikey needs the surgery before it gets worse."

"I understand, but I can't have you do the surgery," the Latina's voice was barely a whisper as she spoke.

"Fine Alex please take Mikey to the OR. Callie can you come with me?" she started making her way to the elevators that would take them to the OR's gallery.

Callie kissed her son's head and whispered words of love before following the blonde.

It wasn't until they were in the empty gallery waiting for Mikey and the other staff members to enter that Arizona finally spoke, "I'd like an explanation as to why you think I cannot operate on your son Callie?"

Her hard glare only made the taller woman fidget even more.

"Look I get it you're his mother and therefore if you prefer Karev to do the surgery I have no right to be mad, but quite frankly I am. I've done nothing but be a friend to both of you and to be undermined like this is not fair," the blonde continued to explain how hurt she was before Callie could finally find her voice to try and explain.

"I didn't let you operate Arizona because your Mikey's Mama!"

And there it was and the brunette was mad at herself for just shouting it out, but it had been eating at her for years and her confession to Mark only made it to the front of her mind all of last night and this morning. She felt like a zombie just going about her day trying to think of some way to tell Arizona without making the situation worse, but her outburst did just that.

The blonde just stood there in confusion, "Th, that's impossible. I just met him and I mean you had him. He's not mine Callie."

"I know Arizona I did have him, but I got pregnant with Mikey when we were still married. I, I used the stuff we had set aside for us."

"Oh… um okay," the PEDs surgeon was trying to take in what she was hearing and at first she had obviously been confused but once she got more information anger was quickly taking over her.

"Is that it? You're not mad at me? Because I'm a little shocked to be honest that you have yet to yell at me. I mean…" Arizona held her hand out to get the other woman to be quiet.

"Just shut up. You need to shut up because I'm trying to process this."

"Okay I…"

"No Callie you don't get to talk anymore."

"I'm so…"

"Do you not understand me? Obviously not because you continue to ignore me. I can't even be here right now." Walking out of the room the blonde could feel her chest tighten with anger and sadness, but she was unsure of who it was really directed at.

"So what you're not going to stay to make sure he's okay?"

"You've done a good job at keeping me from doing that for four years," with that the smaller woman made her way to the exit of the hospital bumping into people on her way as she frantically tried to escape the confining space.

#######

She must have sat on the bench that overlooked Seattle for hours before someone made their way to her.

"Mind if I sit?" looking up she could see Teddy standing by her with a sympathetic expression.

The blonde just shrugged her shoulders since the lump in her throat only got thicker with the appearance of her friend.

"Mikey's okay. He was actually asking for his Airzona when he woke up," the taller blonde chuckled when she remembered how angry he got when the other adults tried to comfort him and the small boy was not interested in them.

All Arizona could do was grunt a response when tears began to burn at her eyes. "Hey look I get it your angry and hurt, but let me say that Mikey will not be mad at you for not being around."

"I'm angry that's for sure, but I don't know who at. It's my fault she left. She begged for me to come home and told me we could try again," trying to hold the sob that was burning in her chest , "But Teddy when I came home that night I knew something wasn't right. Heck I knew at work when Callie was complaining of cramps that something was probably wrong, but I ignored it and there was no reason for it. She wasn't in our bedroom that night and then I could see the light in our bathroom on. I found her curled up in a ball in the shower and it took me forever to get her to follow me back into bed. It wasn't until I turned on the light that I saw the sheets soaked with blood."

Teddy gasped at the realization of what had to these two women and the immense pain that they must have felt. She moved closer to place her arm over the smaller woman to provide some comfort as she continued to talk.

"By the time I got her back to the hospital she had lost so much blood that she was completely unconscious. When she finally woke up I had to be the one to tell her that we lost our baby. I couldn't be around her after that it just hurt because I feel like I failed at her for not being there when it happened and the pain was always written all over her face. I was awful to her and it's my fault she felt the need to leave and raise our son without me."

"I know your situation is not at all ideal and both of you went through enough pain to know how unfair this all is. But Arizona now you have a son, if you want to make it up to anyone you can start now with Mikey."

Nodding her head she stood from the bench to make her way back to the hospital, "I'm going to go see my son," she said with a smile.

#######

It was quiet in the room that held both Mikey and Callie. Arizona made her way quietly to the side of the room and pulled the blanket draped over the brunette tighter around the woman before pulling up a chair on the opposite side to sit down.

She barely reached for Mikey's hand when a small groan cut into the silence. Arizona snapped her head to the sound of the small boy waking up.

With a small smile his voice came through dry lips, "You came," he smiled even wider when the blonde gave his hand a squeeze and her own smile.

"Of course little man. I had to make sure you were okay."

"Mami told me you're my Mama," he looked at her as tears began to fall down the blonde's face. "Are you crying because you don't want to?"

"No I want to be your Mama Mikey, I'm just sorry that we're only meeting now."

"That's okay because Mami said you didn't know. Are you going to come and live with me now though?"

Kids were resilient and Arizona had first-hand knowledge of that after seeing them sick for so long and after surgeries see them come back better than ever. But they also had a simple way of forgiving others that was hard for adults to explain and she knew it was going to be hard for him to understand this knew situation. Even she was a bit confused as to what was going to happen next, but she knew Mikey was in her future and there was no way the blonde was leaving now.

"I have my own place Mikey and there isn't a lot of room for me to come move in with you and your Mami."

"Yeah there is juts share a bed with Mami," it was so simple for him and Arizona might be ready to be a parent to Mikey, but she was not ready to forgive Callie.

"Well I would but Mami likes her own bed. How about we figure all of this out later and I can get you some pudding. Let me guess chocolate is your favorite?"

"How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess," she shrugged.

The next time she came back with chocolate pudding in hand both Callie was up and laughing at her son's antics.

"Mama," her new role as Mikey's Mama made her smile and it was then when her son returned her smile that she could see he had the Robbins dimples.

Callie could see the other blonde falter as she noticed Mikey's physical attributes similar to her own, "I know those Robbins dimples have gotten him out of many punishments," she said as kissed each one on her son's cheek.

"I bet," Arizona knew how easy it was to get out of anything when she used her own smile to get out of trouble with Callie.

"When can we go home?" Mikey was eager to get back home with both of his moms.

"You'll have to spend the night Mikey, but in the morning your Mami can take you home?" the blonde explained.

"No, Mama has to come too."

Arizona looked to Callie for help. This was unfamiliar territory for her and she didn't want to start by being the bad guy in all of this.

"Listen mijo," Callie waited until her son looked at her before continuing, "Mama has her own house that you can go to, but she won't be living with us okay?" The brunette wished they were in a better place that Arizona would want to live under the same roof as her, but she knew this was exactly what the smaller woman needed.

"Can I go tomorrow?"

"Let's wait until the weekend so Arizona has time to get some kid stuff in her house for you," she looked to the blonde who shook her head in agreement.

"Okay, but will you come too so we could all be together like a family?"

Both adults cringed and could see this situation was not going to be easy on Mikey, "We will always be a family Mikey, but Arizona and I don't have to live together to make us one. Sometimes it's better that parents live separately for their kids okay?"

He tried to understand but he couldn't get why his moms wouldn't want to share a house together. For now he would just let it go and question them later when they were alone.

For the rest of the day Mikey spent most of the time cuddled into Arizona as he talked a mile a minute about what they would be doing when he got to live with her. When he finally fell asleep both parents left the room to have a moment and figure what was next.

"Arizona I'm truly sorry for what it's worth and you have every right to hate me. Trust me I will not fight you on when you want to see Mikey. Give me a time and he's all yours."

"That's not what I want. It's not fair to Mikey to take him whenever I please. He should be on a schedule between the two of us and I can start next week if that's what he wants. I just need to talk to the chief and work my schedule out so I have better work hours."

"I agree and I can help purchase anything he'll need," Callie was willing to hand Arizona everything on a gold platter to show how sorry she truly is.

"There is no need for any of that. I can take care of it all."

"Okay well I am going to go back in there you're welcome to stay the night too with us, but I don't have to tell you that anyways."

The two moms made their way back into the room to watch over their sleeping son. Arizona had so many reasons to be mad at Callie but when she looked at her son all of that anger washed away and she could only feel joy at this beautiful boy being hers.

#######

A month had passed by and Arizona only spoke to Callie when she needed to confirm a time to pick Mikey up or to say he was doing well. For the blonde this arrangement worked because even though she might have not harbored any anger towards the ortho surgeon she still had no clue what to do. She could tell Callie felt bad for it all, but Arizona couldn't find it in herself to befriend her like before.

The time she did spend with Mikey was some of the best moments in her life. They had visited the zoo and countless other parks that Seattle had to offer. He even convinced her to get him a pet, but the puppy he wanted turned to be a small goldfish that Arizona bought Mikey saying once he learned to be responsible for that then maybe she'd buy him a dog. So far Arizona had to replace the fish twice because every time it was her turn to take care of it the PEDs surgeon was always busy that when she came back home by the end of the week it would be floating upside down. When the two would be sitting around the home either cooking or watching TV Mikey always brought up his other mother and how he felt they should just kiss and make up.

That's why when Arizona dropped Mikey off tonight at the brunette's home she knew it was time she accept the other woman's apologies.

The blue door flew open before they even knocked, "I heard you guys singing down the hallway," she explained for her reason to being there, but it was also because Arizona always made it to her apartment at the exact same time.

Callie bent down to get a hug and kiss from her son, "Did you have fun with Mama mijo?"

"I did. We even painted and I made one for you to put in your office like Mama did with mine," he had his little arms wrapped around her neck as he shared a little more of their week.

"That sounds like fun I'm a little jealous. But give Mama hugs and kisses, then put your backpack away."

He padded back over to the blonde with slumped shoulders, "Why can't Mama stay here with us tonight?" Mikey would do the same thing every time either one of them dropped him off they had to tell him every time that they needed to go to work. It was always true, but it was never easy for either woman to see their son sad.

Arizona lifted Mikey's chin so he could look at her, "Hey little man you know Mama has work, but what if I came over tomorrow for dinner?"

His face lit up with excitement, "Yes and we can all watch a movie together?"

She looked to Callie for affirmation and was answered with a nod, "Yup, but behave or it'll only be Mami and me who get to watch the movie," she teased the little boy.

Giggling he breathlessly spoke, "I always behave."

Callie scoffed, "Sure you do, but let's say bye so Arizona isn't late to work."

The two exchanged their I love you's before Mikey went off to his room.

"Arizona are you sure you want to come over? If he misses you I don't mind letting him go out to dinner without me."

"That's not it. He thinks we hate each other and that's the complete opposite. I don't hate you I just…I was hurt and I can't when you gave me a son. So Callie could I join you and Mikey for dinner around 7?"

Her smile couldn't get bigger if she tried, "Yes, of course Arizona."

With a quick goodbye they both parted and it was up to Callie to keep her nerves calm for the next night. It was just dinner with Mikey's other mom… right?

AN: I hope you enjoyed and remember review to tell me what you think :)