Disclaimer: These characters are not mine!

I don't normally do this, but I just want to address a Guest review. I totally understand how you feel like this story is dragging along, I've already thought the same thing myself a few chapters ago. You're just the first to point it out. BUT, then I realized there's a reason for the dragging out feeling. Everyone's used to a 7,000-8,000 word chapters and that gets the story moving along quickly. I've cut the chapters down to half that a lot recently, because life has been taking over. And I want to continue with the two updates a week... so yeah they're dragging on or so it feels like it anyway, but they're not. Chapter 68, 69 and half or all of 70 would have usually been one chapter, so I understand where you're coming from. On the other hand, I love details in a story and just filler between big events and most people gloss over that stuff. I'm not going to do that, I will say big things are coming. I understand if you're bored or losing interest, I'm sorry about that, but I wont skip on filler and details, because I've done that the whole story. So, I hope you continue reading and if not that's your prerogative, thanks for what you have read if you don't continue with this ride.

I'm not bored with the storyline and I hope the rest of you aren't either because There is still so much to be told.

Chapter 69

Walking down the hallway of her clinic, Arizona went in search for her best friend. "Teddy?" She said, coming up near to the nurses station. "Teddy bear, where are you.. come out come out where ever you are..." She said, peaking around the corner to see the woman's desk empty. "Hmm.." She said, turning around to check each of the patient rooms, finding them all empty. Deciding to check the stock room, she turned around to find the other blonde. Coming up empty yet again. "Teds.." She sighed. She knew that she hasn't left, because she saw her coat still hanging in the station. Plus Teddy always turned the lights off and locked the doors, even when she was still here. Feeling a rush of cold air, she walked over to the back door of clinic, seeing it was propped open. "Teddy?" She walked up to it and poked her head out.

"Yeah?" She said, quickly throwing her cigarette down so Arizona wouldn't see her.

"What are you doing out here Teds?" She asked, opening the door further and leaning on the frame. It wasn't often the the darker blonde took breaks out there.

"Nothing." Teddy said, trying to hold the smoke in her lungs so the blonde wouldn't jump on to her.

"Theodora Rose?" Arizona said, seeing the smoke come out of her friends nose. "Are you smoking?" She asked, smelling smoke on her friend. Now she knew something was defiantly wrong with the nurse.

"Yeah.." She sighed, releasing the smoke from her lungs.

"What's wrong Teddy?

"Nothing's wrong." She replied.

"Bull shit. I told Callie today I thought something was up and now I know it is. You only smoke when something's bothering you. So spill, missy." Arizona said, pulling her friend back into the clinic and licking the door.

"It's nothing really." She shrugged.

"Teddy. It's me. Arizona Robbins." She said, following her friend down the hallway to the nurses station. "You're best friend since junior high. I know you.. and I know when something's bothering you so.. tell me."

"Okay." Teddy said, turning to face her friend. "Something is up.. but not necessarily wrong per say.." She said putting on her jacket.

"What is it? Is it Henry? Cause if he did something to you, I swear I'll kick his ass!"

"No, and you don't have to defend my honor." Teddy chuckled. "Want to get a drink at Joes?" She asked. She knew Callie was right, Arizona would be excited, but she was still a little reluctant to tell her.

"Will you tell me what is going on with you if I go?" Arizona asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay, give me just a few. Let me call Callie and tell her I'll be a little late so she won't worry." Arizona said, pulling out her phone.

"No.. no. I don't want to spoil your dinner, go ahead, we can talk tomorrow." Teddy said. "I don't want you to cancel plans with Callie."

"No Teddy. I can tell you need to talk and I'm here for you. She won't mind, I'll meet you at Joes okay?"

Nodding. "Okay." Teddy said, collecting her keys and turning off all the lights.

Walking out the door ahead of Teddy, Arizona made it to her jeep. Climbing in, she started her vehicle and dialed her wife, hoping she wouldn't get upset that she wasn't coming straight home like planed. "Hello?" She heard over her car speakers

"Hey, babe." Arizona answered her wife.

"Hi honey. You on your way home?" Callie asked.

"No. I just got into my jeep. Hey listen I know I said id be right behind you, but Teddy asked me to have a drink at Joes with her. So I'm going to be a little bit. You don't mind do you?"

"Arizona.. of course I don't mind, but we had plans already." Callie knew that Teddy needed to talk to her wife, but so did she. She didn't understand why Teddy had to drag it out.

"I know babe, but remember when I told you she was acting a little strange this morning?" The blonde asked.

"Yeah, I remember."

"Well apparently something's bothering her. I just want to be there for her. Please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad, but we need to talk too, Arizona." Calliesighed, she knew Teddy needed to talk to her wife and she didn't mind at all, but unfortunately they needed to talk too.

"I know, and I know.. I know I promised to cook you dinner and I still will.. just give me thirty minutes okay?"

"Alright."

"Callie, please don't be upset." The blonde said when she heard her wife sigh.

"I'm not. I'll see you later, okay."

"Okay, love you." Arizona said, expecting to her hear wife return the sentiment, but only receiving silence before the line went dead signaling her wife had already hung up.

Tossing her phone down on the coffee table after getting off the phone with her wife, Callie sighed and laid down on the couch. Grabbing the remote hoping to wind down from her day, the brunette turned the TV on. She had expected to relax and laze on the couch most of the evening, but not alone. Now she was getting aggravated about this whole Carter Maddison situation. Granted she was the one to put off the talk, but she went back to have the conversation to her wife after the blondes nap. She felt Arizona seemed to keep putting it off for some reason, which wasn't a good sign in her opinion. She distracted her with sex and now going to have a drink with Teddy, only made Callie worry that Arizona was going to accept the offer to go Africa and not even discuss it with her. And that only made her thought that the blonde had already accepted the offer. "Ughhh..." She grumbled, rolling off the couch and making her way into the kitchen. She couldn't take her mind off her wife's phone call earlier in the day and not know was killing her. Deciding to have a drink while she waited on her wife to come home, she pulled the tequila from from the freezer, and took a shot. "Damn that's good." She sighed to herself, sitting the glass bottle down on the island. She just needed something to relax her for a little bit, because she felt she may be over thinking things having no clue why they wanted her wife to go to Africa. It could be for a day, week, months or even years. No one ever knew when it came to the Carter Maddison Foundation, so she would give her wife the benefit of the doubt. Grabbing the mushrooms out of the fridge and an onion from the cabinet, Callie began slicing up the vegetables a for their dinner as she as she began to cook their meal. She knew if she had dinner ready when her wife walked through the door she would definitely have a replay of their fun tryst they had in her wife's office earlier. But only after they talked.

"So Teds. Spit it out." Arizona said, taking a drink of her beer. They had been at Joes for ten minutes now and Teddy had yet to tell her what was bothering her.

"I uhh.. It's stupid Zo. But I was scared to tell you.." Teddy said, taking a drink of her beer.

"What Teddy? Why would you be scared to say me anything. We've always been able to tell each other everything." Arizona replied, picking at the label on her bottle.

"I know. I just don't want things to change and I guess at first I thought they would. But I talked to Callie and she told me... whatever it was, you wouldn't be upset." She said, not wanting her best friend to know that she had already told her wife the news.

"She told me she hadn't noticed that there was something bothering you today." Arizona told her. "But she's right Teds.. unless.. wait." Arizona said, thinking what this could possibly be about. "Are you quitting my practice?"

That was the last thing Teddy expected to hear. "What? No? How could you think that?"

"I don't know, that's the only thing I could think of that would make me upset." Arizona said, looking at the TV above the bar, seeing a winter weather warning was in affect to Seattle and the surrounding areas starting later tonight.

Pulling out the ring from her pocket, Teddy slipped it on her finger. "Well.." She said, holding it up for the blonde to see.

Looking back to her best friend, Arizona saw Teddy holding her left hand up. Gasping, Arizona covered her mouth when she saw the sparkling diamond ring. "Teddy..." She mumbled, tears filling her eyes. "You... You're getting married?" She asked, meeting her friends eyes.

"Yes." She grinned looking at her perfect princess cut diamond ring.

"Oh my god." Arizona said, grabbing the darker blondes hand. "You're getting married." She smiled through her tears. "When did.. this is.." She was so excited, she couldn't even form a sentence. "When.. How? Tell me everything."

"I am.." Teddy laughed nervously. "Well after work last night we came here. And I complained the whole way. I just wanted to go home and take a hot bath because I was just to tired from work. But Henry insisted we come here for dinner. He wanted to watch the Seattle Seahawks playoff game and drink beer. So with a lot of resistance I finally caved, but I wasn't happy about it." She said, taking a drink of her beer.

"Breathe Teds." Arizona laughed at her friends breathless rambling.

"Right." She laughed, shaking her head. "Anyway, I was bitching the whole time but we finally sat down and had a few drinks and are some appetizers. After a few minutes, he said he would get us some refills. So while he was gone, I wasn't paying attention to anything but the game on the TV. And the next thing I know, Joe comes over and drops me of a cocktail with a note written on a napkin. I was so confused. I mean, I was there with my hunky boyfriend. Who would have the balls to send me a drink?" She laughed, remembering back to last night. "So I opened the napkin." She said, taking a drink of alcohol.

"And..." Arizona said, excitedly. "What did it say?"

"It read... Did it hurt.'" She giggled.

"Shut up." Arizona smiled, smacking her friends arm. "He didn't!"

"He did. And I opened it it further and it read. 'When you fell from Heaven?'" Teddy grinned. It was the exact same thing he had done when they first met.

"Aww, you're going to make me cry." Arizona said, propping her head up with her hand, engrossed in the story Teddy was telling.

"Well.. I looked up and saw him standing at the bar, sipping on his scotch. Just like the night we met."

"Oh my god, this almost beats my proposal."

"It does beat it. But yours was was good..." Teddy said, bumping shoulders with her best friend.

"I'm sorry, Teds. But I'd have disagree, and I know Calliope would strongly disagree." She laughed, winking at her friend. "Tell me more." She said, sipping on her beer.

"So, I was about to get up and go to him, when Joe came back from behind and handed me another napkin. I had no clue what the hell Henry was up too. I just thought he was being sweet. You know, to butter me up so I'd give him some when we got home." Teddy laughed. "But I took the note and sat back down. It was weird, because something was wrapped up in it."

"No freaking way."

"Way.." Teddy laughed at her friend. She felt bad for thinking Arizona would have taken this any different than she was right now. "So on top of the note he had wrote 'Good evening my darling.' And I lifted the top up and inside he had written, 'I was never a man that would send a complete stranger a drink until I laid eyes on you. I was a man who has loved, but never really been loved until I met you. After I met you, I became a man who loved and was loved because of you.'"

"Aww Teds."

"I know.. And stop crying." Teddy laughed, wiping her own tears.

"I can't help it. You know I'm such a romantic at heart." Arizona laughed, wiping her eyes.

"I know." Teddy laughed. She couldn't wipe the smile off her face after thinking about her proposal again. "So I opened the napkin all the way up because I could tell there was something inside.. and when I lifted it up, I saw he had written something." She explained to her friend. "

"What did it say?" Arizona asked.

"He had written, 'Theodora Rose, you are the one. The one who knows me. The one who loves me. The one who holds me. The one who I'm asking to marry me?' And I looked up in shock because that was the last think I was expecting. Henry was down on one knee in front of the table. He handed me a bouquet of Roses and then picked up the ring from inside the napkin and said a few more things and then asked me to marry him. And of course I said yes."

"Wow... I'm so happy for you Teds." She said, hugging her friend by the neck. "If you have half of the love for him that I have for Calliope, and I know you do... you will never wipe that smile off your face."

"Thank you." Teddy said, hugging her friend back.

"Wait.. Why were you scared I would be upset?" Arizona asked, pulling back from the hug. Looking back down at her friends ring. "He did good. It's so beautiful." She said, feeling someone sit down beside her. Looking over she noticed Erica. "Oh, hi Erica." She smiled.

"Hey Arizona. Where's Callie?" She asked, looking around for the brunette.

"She's at home."

"Ahh.." She nodded and ordered her drink.

Turning her attention back at her friend, "So tell me Teds. Why would you think I'd be upset." Arizona asked, finishing her drink.

"It's dumb, but I just thought it would push us apart."

"Why in the world would you think that?" Arizona asked, seeing her friend shrug her shoulders while she took a drink of her beer. Realizing what Teddy was meaning. "Oh.. because of Tim." It was a statement, not a question. "Hey..." She said, getting her friends attention. "Look at me Theodora." She said, waiting on her friend to turn back around. "I'm happy for you and mama and daddy will be too, nothing changes except one thing."

Nodding. "What's that?" Teddy asked, her eyes watering again.

"I'm getting a brother in law." She grinned.

Laughing at Arizona, "You are." She said, feeling Arizona's arms around her neck yet again. She felt ridiculous for thinking Arizona would be anything but excited.

"Oh my god." Arizona said, realizing something.

"What?" Teddy asked, pulling out of the hug.

"I'm going to be an aunt one day." She grinned.

"You are.." Teddy said yet again, laughing at her friend.

"You should hurry and get knocked up so we can be pregnant together." The blonde said a little to loud.

"You're pregnant?" Erica turned and asked. She couldn't help but over hear what Arizona just said.

"Crap.." She mouthed to Teddy. "What? No. I'm not pregnant." Arizona laughed, turning towards the other blonde. "I was just meaning that I wanted her to hurry up and make me an aunt." She tried.

"But you said together?" Erica questioned, sitting her beer down. "You said, so we can be pregnant together."

"I did?" Arizona played dumb. "She didn't want this to get out. Maria, Teddy and Addison were the only people that knew her and Callie were trying to have a baby. And she sure as hell didn't want Erica to be the first person to find out.

"Yeah, you did." Teddy laughed, trying to help her friend out. "How much have you had to drink?" She teased, hoping Erica would take the bait.

"Oh.. Yeah me pregnant? YIKES.." She make a face. "Not me.. Nu-uh." She shook her head.

"Go home, Arizona you're drunk." Erica laughed, raising her glass up before taking a drink. "But I'm sure you two would make a cute kid."

"Yeah, I need to get going..." Arizona told the two.

"Yeah, me too. Henry's cooking me dinner." Teddy said, finishing her beer.

"I'm suppose to cook for Calliope. A little thank you for her finishing my shift today." She winked, throwing down some cash to cover her beer. "I'll talk to you tomorrow? Maybe we can have dinner at the house to celebrate." Arizona asked.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Just let me know for sure." Teddy said before collecting her things and leaving.

"Well, I'll see ya Erica." Arizona said, putting on her jacket. "Have a great night." She said, losing her hand on the other blondes back.

"Yeah, you too. Maybe one day we could all double date. You and Callie.. Graham and I."

"Yeah. Maybe." She said "Night."

"Night, Arizona. Tell Cal I said hey." Erica said.

"Will do."

Walking into the house, Arizona laid her purse and keys down on the table by the door before entering further to find her wife. Walking by the family room, she noticed the lights were off, but a fire had been lit with the dogs lying by the warm heat. Walking further down her foyer, she walked towards the kitchen. "Calliope? Baby?" She said, hoping her wife wasn't upset that she stayed out longer than she expected too, but she was sure once Callie heard the news, she would be excited for their friends as well. "Cal?" She said, walking up to the door of kitchen, seeing the lights were also turned off. Arizona knew her wife was still up because she wouldn't leave a fire burning without keeping an eye on it. Running up the stairs, Arizona checked their bedroom room and bathroom for her brunette wife, coming up empty yet again. Getting a little worried. "Calliope?" She yelled out, running back down stairs, thinking something happened. "Calliope?" She went back into the living room, flipping the switch, lighting the room up. "Where are you?" She asked, turning back around and checking their downstairs bathroom near the soon to be theatre room. "Damn it. Calliope answer me?" She yelled, walking into the kitchen to turn on the light.

"Don't you dare turn the light on." She heard her wife say from a distance.

"Callie?" She asked, walking further into the room. "What... what did you do?" She asked laying her purchase she picked up on the way home down on the kitchen island. Seeing her wife sitting at their dinning table with two candles lit, sipping on a glass of wine.

"I made us a romantic dinner." The brunette smiled, standing up and greeting her wife with a kiss on the lips. "Hi." She smiled.

"Hey you..." Arizona said, nestling her wife's nose against hers. "What did you do this for? I told you I was make you dinner." She said, wrapping her arms around the small of the brunettes back. Arizona looked around at the romantic setting Callie had arranged. The light from the candles giving off the perfect glow.

"Because I love you." Callie replied, circling her arms around her wife's neck and hugging her close. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." She said. "Oh guess what?" She pulled back slightly.

"What?"

"Teddy's getting married." She grinned. "We're getting a brother in law." She giggled. "Well another one.." She corrected, because soon James would be married into the family.

"When did he propose?" Callie smiled, loving the reaction Arizona had to Teddy's announcement. She knew her wife would be over the moon for her friend, she didn't know why Teddy thought she wouldn't.

"Last night. It was so romantic. But that's a story I'll let her tell you." Arizona said, hugging her wife again.

"Wow. I'm excited for her." She said, kissing her wife's temple.

"Me too.. I told her that we'd have her and Henry over for dinner tomorrow night to celebrate. You didn't have anything planned for us did you?"

"No. Double date night sounds good. Maybe we can make chicken piccata together."

"You don't care do you?"

"Of course not." Callie laughed.

"Yey." Arizona laughed into her wife's neck.

"Come on, let's eat. Dinner should be ready." Callie said just as the timer went off on the over.

"What are we having?" Arizona asked, picking up her previous purchase from the counter and walking up behind her wife.

"Pizza." The brunette replied taking the hot pan out of the over.

"Calliope.. you didn't have to make pizza."

"I know. But I knew how bad you wanted it." She laughed. "So I figured I'd go ahead and make it while I waited on you."

"How did you know when 'Id be home?" She questioned.

"I had texted Teddy after I had talked with you and told her to text me when you were leaving Joes." Callie answered, turning around to face her wife. Smiling when she saw what was in her wife's hands, "What did you do?" She asked when she saw her wife holding a bouquet of roses. She didn't notice them when her wife first came in, but then again she was paying any attention to anything but her blondes face.

Shrugging, "I wanted to apologize for not coming right home after leaving work. And I wanted you to know that I love and appreciate everything you do for me." She said, handing her wife the flowers.

"I already know you do." Callie said, taking the flowers. "But thank you. It's very sweet." She said, smelling the scent before placing the roses in a vase by the sink. "Thank you baby." She walked up to her wife and kissed her pink lips.

"You're welcome, love." Arizona said, pecking red lips one more time. "Ooo.. Can't forget the card." She said, picking it up off the counter and handing it to her wife.

"Ooh." Callie said taking the paper. Opening the envelope, she pulled out the card. The front of the paper had a picture of a green field of colorful daisy both a beautiful sunset. With the writing, You are the real reason

behind my joys and my smiles and you have been tolerating me all the while. I love you sweetheart.

Opening the card, she read the words writing on the right side. 'The best and most beautiful things in this world can not be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.'Smiling at the sentiment, Callie then read the words her wife wrote.

I'm a little bit more in love with you each morning when I wake up, and I'm a little bit more in love with you each night when you kiss me goodnight. And when I drift off to sleep all I think about is, you love me.

You have my heart for all my life.

I love you, Calliope

"Why do you do that?" Callie whined, closing the card.

"Do what?" Arizona questioned.

"Make me cry." The brunette said, wiping her tears that had fallen down her face while she read the card.

"I didn't mean too." Arizona said, wiping her wife's wet face. "I just like for you to have little reminders, so you know I love you so much."

"I know... I always know." She said, hugging her wife. Letting a few more tears escape. "Thank you honey." She mumbled into her shoulder.

"You're welcome, Calliope, now come on.. lets eat this delicious dinner you made us before it gets cold." She said, kissing her wife's neck. "I'm starving."

Ahhh... poor Japril. (And can I say... Sarah Drew's acting was impeccable. She's amazing!)

Side note: my mother has surgery Wednesday and will have to stay on the hospital/rehab for almost three weeks, I will be away for at least a day maybe more. So I will try my best to get an update sometime Thursday, but if not. I will for sure post Friday.