Arizona zipped up Sofia's lunch bag, sat it next to Callie's on the counter, and tried to keep herself busy. She was a bundle of nerves at the moment and couldn't stop staring at the clock. Noticing the time, she picked up her wife's cellphone, checked to make sure the ringer was on for what must have been the sixth time in the past twenty minutes, then laid it back down on the countertop. Hearing the patio door open and feeling the blast of cold air, the blonde snapped her head up to see Addison slipping through the door. Looking around the room, seeing no sign of Callie, the redhead whispered, "Did they call yet?" Arizona hissed, "Shh, she still doesn't know. But no they haven't called." Furrowing her brow, Addison looked at her own phone and asked, "Are you sure you got the date right?" Arizona looked at the clock once again, saw that it was 7:55 am and replied, "Yes, February 1st, the same day they always call, they don't start calling until 8:00 am though." Both women nervously bit their bottom lips, stared at the silent phone, then scattered when they heard Callie coming down the hall, calling for Sofia to hurry up.
When Callie reached the kitchen, she was surprised to see Addie standing at the counter pouring herself a cup of coffee, since normally they have to rush her just as much as they do Sofia. She nearly laughed out loud when she noticed her wife already had their bags, lunches, and coats all lined up and the kitchen was spotless. Arizona was well into her 26th week and had been on a cleaning frenzy for the last few days. They both knew she had officially started nesting, however with her normal type-A personality, her wife was taking it to a whole different extreme. Walking up to the center island, Callie picked up her own cup, took a drink and teased, "Hey Ads, what has you up and ready so early? Did Jake kick you out the door?" Not wanting to turn around for fear that her face would give her away, the redhead opened her mouth to snap out a sarcastic response when Callie's phone started ringing and vibrating across the counter.
All three women turned and stared at it, two in anticipation and the third in confusion. Callie furrowed her brows and asked, "Why is my ringer on? It's never on." Glancing down at the number, she immediately recognized the Boston area code and looked at Arizona worriedly. Her parents were from Boston and maybe there was an emergency and Daniel had someone call her instead of Arizona. While she was staring at the phone, she jumped when both Arizona and Addison shrieked, "Answer it!" Callie connected the call and hesitantly greeted, "Dr. Robbins-Torres." She drew her brows together when the man on the other end of the line clarified, "Dr. Calliope Robbins-Torres, Orthopedic Surgeon, Founder of Fresh START Center for Orthopedics and Prosthetics?" Callie looked up to see her wife staring at her intently and automatically replied, "Yes, that's me." She nearly dropped her phone when she heard, "Dr. Robbins-Torres, this is Dr. Isaac Young from the Fox Foundation and I am calling to inform you that you are one of the nominees for this year's Catherine Fox award. Your research and work in creating the first sensory stimulating robotic limb is exactly the type of innovation we here at the Fox Foundation…"
Callie knew the man continued talking, however she had no idea what he was saying since everything started echoing in her ears as if she were underwater. She was vaguely aware of someone taking her phone from her, but she could only focus on those cerulean blue eyes staring at her with so much love and pride. Running her hands through her hair, Callie tried to make sense of what she just heard, the Catherine Fox award…she'd been nominated for a Catherine Fox…for her robotic limb project…but that…she didn't… Shaking her head, Callie finally brought herself into the present and found her wife looking at her with her stunning super-magic smile and her best friend grinning so big it looked like it was painful. Still in shock and awe, Callie announced flatly, "I ah, I just got nominated for a Catherine Fox." Both women squealed and pulled her into a tight hug, congratulating her, and telling her how proud they were of her.
When they finally settled down and Callie had her wits about her again, she looked from one woman to the other, realized neither of them seemed the least bit surprised by this, narrowed her eyes and accused, "You knew! You both knew!" Arizona smiled, shrugged, and quipped, "Guilty." Callie chuckled at her wife's adorableness, though she didn't look the least bit sorry. Flopping back on the stool, Callie ran her hands through her hair again, looked at the two co-conspirators and asked, "How did you know? When did you find out?" Arizona walked up beside Callie, lifted her hand to fix her hair and asked, "Do you remember that board meeting you had to skip two weeks ago?" Callie nodded and Arizona explained, "Catherine told us then, I swore everyone to secrecy, but I had to tell Addie." Finally feeling the news settle in, realizing what a big deal this was, Callie pulled Arizona into her arms, danced them around the kitchen in circles, and exclaimed, "I was nominated for a Catherine Fox!"
Hearing all the squeals and screaming, Sofia ran into the kitchen to find her mommies and her Aunt Addie huddled in a circle and asked, "What happened? Are the babies coming? Is it time?" All three women laughed, then Callie scooped her daughter up into her arms and explained, "The babies aren't coming yet, but mama just got nominated for a very special award." Sofia put her hands on both of Callie's cheeks, squished her lips together, gave her a smacking kiss and cheered, "Yay mama!" Wiggling out of her arms, she decided she wanted to dance around as well, and asked, "What did you do to win the award?" Callie looked down at her daughter and answered, "Well I didn't win yet, but the people who give the award were very excited about the leg I made for mommy. They think it can help people all over the world." Sofia continued to jump and dance around until Addison saw Jake and Henry come out of the pool house and directed, "Okay kiddo, grab your things and put your coat on, it looks like your ride is leaving." Sofia put on her coat, hugged both of her mommies, picked up her backpack and lunch bag, and followed Addison into the mud room.
Callie was still trying to process what had just happened when her gaze dropped to Arizona's legs. A chill ran down her spine and she froze when it occurred to her why she was winning the award. Her heart sank to her stomach and she blurted out, "I can't accept that award. We…we need to call them back. That's not…no…no award. Hand me my phone." Arizona felt the exact second the mood shifted and her wife's excitement turned to…fear? Dread? She wasn't sure but she could hear the sheer panic in her voice. Following Callie's gaze, she looked down at her own leg, then into terrified brown eyes darting around the room, refusing to make eye contact, and finally understood what was happening. Slowly approaching her wife as if she were a wounded animal, and in a sense, because of this very thing, she was, Arizona took both trembling tan hands in hers and quietly commanded, "Calliope, look at me." Callie kept her head down, shook it back and forth, and tried to fight back the tears she could feel burning the backs of her eyes. She'd always wanted this award, but not like this, not at Arizona's expense.
Seeing that her stubborn wife was refusing to comply, Arizona placed her thumb and forefinger under Callie's chin and gently but forcefully lifted her head so they could see eye to eye. When she saw her wife's emotion-filled dark chocolate eyes swirling with fear, pain, disappointment, and tears, Arizona's heart nearly broke. She knew everything Callie was feeling was a reaction to the past, the insecurities she herself instilled in the other woman. Taking a deep breath, Arizona sternly declared, "Dr. Calliope Iphigenia Robbins-Torres, you will not turn down this nomination. You deserve this award, you spent the last five years of your life researching, developing, and perfecting your robotic limb. What you have accomplished is nothing short of a miracle and it's about damn time you are acknowledged for the genius you are."
Callie shook her head and argued, "No Arizona, not for this, I won't cash in on something that caused you so much pain. I didn't create this leg for awards, or accolades…or…or…whatever." Already knowing her wife's motives behind creating the robotic limb, Arizona caressed Callie's face, softened her voice and revealed, "I understand that, I do. I know you were only thinking of me and your own healing while you were working on the prototype. But it has become so much bigger, so much more. You can help so many people Calliope, you already have since they started manufacturing it. When Catherine announced that you were a nominee, my leg was the furthest thing from my mind. Today when they called and it became real, it was still the furthest thing from my mind. The only thing I could think of, the only thing I keep thinking of is how extremely proud I am of my wife; my amazing, brilliant, talented wife who makes cartilage from Jell-o and creates legs like God! This isn't about me Calliope; this isn't about what I went through, what I put you through and I hate...I mean I HATE that on what should be the happiest day of your professional career, my leg, my reaction, is your first concern. This award is about you, about your talent, your heart, and yes, you may have started this for me and I am definitely benefiting from it, but the world needs to know, they need to see the genius of Dr. Calliope Robbins-Torres. This is everything you've ever worked for, everything you've dreamed of. Never in the history of this award has an orthopedic surgeon been nominated. But you…you've done it Callie, you've arrived…so just…take the win."
With hot tears streaming down her face, her heart filled with so much love and respect for her wife, Callie lifted her hand to cover Arizona's, turned her face to kiss her palm, looked into gorgeous blue eyes full of love, pride, and certainty, and whispered, "I'm sorry…I know we've worked through this. I just…I don't know why…" Arizona tilted her head and admitted, "Some wounds run deep honey, and this is one of them. I appreciate that you were thinking of me and worried about my response, but Calliope, I am so, so proud of you and I will never begrudge you something you worked so hard for." Callie smiled brightly, tugged Arizona's hand to pull her closer, and leaned in for a long searing kiss. Arizona took that opportunity to pour all the love, pride, and emotion she could into that one act so her wife would have no doubts about how she felt about her nomination. Finally pulling back, breathless, both women laughed when they heard the honking of a horn. Stealing another quick kiss, Callie swallowed the lump in her throat and whispered, "I love you. Thank you for knowing exactly what to say." Arizona stepped back, fixed Callie's collar, and admitted, "I said what was in my heart Calliope and I love you too, more than I can ever express." Callie stood from her stool, wrapped her arms around Arizona's back, giggled when she felt a little kick to her own stomach, bent down and whispered, "Aww are you happy for mama too?" Arizona laughed and pulled Callie toward the door, grabbing her wife's lunch along the way, and huffed playfully when both phones started ringing at once. Reaching into her pocket, Arizona sighed, "And so it begins, the life of being married to a Catherine Fox nominee." Callie laughed, tapped her on the ass to get her moving, and they both answered their phones as they walked out of the house.
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When Callie pulled into the medical park and started to drive around to drop the two fetal surgeons off at The Robbins-Herman Center, Arizona placed her hand on her leg and stammered, "Uh, you can, um, just park in your spot. I left my white coat here yesterday and I need to grab it." Understanding Arizona was giving them a reason to be at Fresh START, Addie spoke up from the backseat, "I'll walk over with you, just to make sure you are safe." Her mind still reeling from her earlier phone call, Callie thought nothing of it and pulled into her own parking space. As the three of them walked in together, both Arizona and Addison kept conversation going and as soon as Callie started to look up into the lobby, one of them would draw her attention back to them. The moment they stepped in the doors, the entire lobby erupted in cheers and whistles and people started emerging from every hallway and gathering on the balcony to cheer for their chief.
Callie should have known her wife and friend were up to something when Arizona made the lame excuse of needing her white coat, one of many, before going into work. There she stood in the middle of her lobby, her entire staff, patients and their families, and her chosen family surrounding her cheering, clapping, and whistling for her. Feeling Arizona squeeze her hand and bring it up between them, she turned to see her wife pointing up at the balcony, followed her finger and her breath hitched when she saw both sets of parents standing there and watched as they released a banner that read, "Dr. C. Robbins-Torres, Catherine Fox Award Nominee." Callie had no idea what came over her, maybe it was seeing the proud look on her mother's face, or feeling her wife standing by her side, or all the congratulatory phone calls she received on the way in, or all these people standing around her, maybe it was all of it, the outpouring of love and respect that finally caught up to her, but when Maria and Lorraine wheeled a cake in front of her, Callie finally fell into her wife's arms and lost control of her emotions. She buried her head in the crook of Arizona's neck, held on for dear life and let her tears flow freely. In that moment, so many images clouded her mind; the late nights in her lab trying and failing to get the sensors to work, the hours she spent reading, researching, and digging for answers to questions no one else dared to ask, the day Arizona found her leg lying on a lab table, the presentation she and Arizona gave to prosthetic manufacturers, grant committees, and even Catherine herself. Every little moment that led to this ran through her mind, and finally Arizona's words from earlier echoed through her head…you've arrived…take the win.
Picking up her head, she looked into the understanding eyes of her wife, allowed her to wipe away her tears, then looked around the room again and finally understood that none of these people would be standing here if it weren't for this project, for that leg. Her stomach flipped when they started calling, "Speech, speech, speech." Already feeling the bile rising in her throat, Callie looked wildly around the room and muttered, "Oh God." Addison chuckled at her friend's fear of public speaking and prodded, "You have to say something. It will give you practice for your acceptance speech in two weeks." Callie snapped her head around and shrieked, "Two weeks? The awards are in two weeks?" Addison nodded and reminded her, "Not the time Cal, talk to your staff." Clearing her throat again, Callie lifted her hand in the air, waited until the room got quiet, then lowered it to cover her heart and sincerely declared, "Thank you, thank you all for being here, for offering your support, and for understanding exactly what the robotic limb project means to me. To be nominated for an award of this caliber for all my efforts, is an honor, but to be sharing it with you, to feel the love and pride in this room, it's humbling and deeply moving." She looked at Arizona, smiled softly, and continued, "This project, it wasn't just something I created, it was truly a work of heart. Without the mind-mapping sensors and the help of the late Dr. Derek Shepherd, the time I spent on perfecting these limbs, and without my wife, Dr. Arizona Robbins-Torres who inspired it all, not only would I not be nominated, but none of us would be standing here in Fresh START today. So thank you all for your love, support, and hard work in keeping this place running and being so committed to our mission. Come get some cake, then get back to work." They all laughed and finally started to disperse.
Seeing their parents fight their way through the crowd to get to her, Callie led the small group to her office, shut the door, then glared at Arizona and proclaimed, "For someone with an aversion to surprises, you sure as hell are good at surprising others." Arizona leaned up, kissed her cheek, and quipped, "I learned from the best." Callie laughed, looked around at their family and asked, "What are you all doing here?" Carlos crossed the room, pulled Callie into a tight hug and replied, "We wouldn't have missed this moment for anything in the world mija." Callie shook her head and argued, "I haven't won yet daddy." Daniel snorted and declared, "Yet! That's the key word. You will win and we wanted to be here to celebrate your nomination with you." Callie shook her head and asked, "So are you staying or now you just get on the plane and go home?" Arizona shook her head and informed her wife, "They'd actually like to come to our appointment today to see the babies if that's okay with you." Callie narrowed her eyes and asked, "Is that why you postponed it? We always have our appointments on Mondays or Fridays." Arizona shrugged and chirped, "Maybe." Looking at the four expectant faces, Callie realized how much it would mean to have their parents there for at least one appointment, smiled brightly, and answered, "Of course it's okay. We'd love for you to meet your grand-babies early."
Addison clapped her hands together, rested them on Arizona's shoulders and started moving them toward the door, announcing, "Now, if you'll excuse us, mommy has some yummy glucose syrup to drink so we can draw her blood." Feeling herself being shoved out the door, Arizona quickly pecked Callie on the lips and murmured, "I'll see you soon." Before Callie could respond, the door was closing behind them. Deciding she still had a few minutes before she started rounds, Callie joined her mother and mother-in-law on the sofa and asked, "So how long are you all here for?" Lucia looked down at her hands and muttered, "I ah…I have some business to take care of so I'll be…" Callie eyed her mother, who was looking very much like her daughter at the moment, and interjected, "Mami, you forget I'm your daughter and I can tell when someone is lying." Lucia huffed, tossed up her arms, looked at Barb helplessly, then sighed in relief when the other woman scolded, "We will be here until the weekend and our plans are none of your damn business." Callie let out a bark of laughter, looked at her mother-in-law, pointed, and retorted, "And you forget I am married to your daughter. So what surprise are you planning and why can't I know?" Daniel started laughing and declared, "I told you she wouldn't let it go." Lucia huffed and answered, "We are working with your friends on plans for a baby shower and we wanted it to be a surprise for both of you." Callie deflated, slightly disappointed that she ruined the surprise, stood up, went to her desk, started shuffling papers, and stated, "I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear what you said. I think I hear my pager going off somewhere." She looked up at both women, winked, and suggested, "Can you just make sure no one jumps out and screams at her, we don't need her water breaking all over the floor." All of the parents laughed then stood when Carlos suggested, "We will let you get to work now. I think I speak for all of us when I tell you how very proud we are of you." Trying not to cry again, Callie hugged all four parents and informed them, "The appointment is at 11:00 am, I'll see you over there." She watched as her guests walked down the hall and shook her head when she noticed their mothers making a beeline for Maria and Lorraine. God help them all.
Closing the door behind her family, Callie turned the lock, walked over to her desk, plopped down in her chair, and let out an exaggerated breath. Resting her head back, she closed her eyes, and let the realization wash over her. No matter what happened from this point forward, she was officially a Catherine Fox Award Nominee. That within itself was no small matter. Even if she didn't win, her work was recognized, she was recognized, and though she would try to tell herself that was enough, she knew, deep down, her wife was also right about the fact that this was everything she'd worked so hard for and now that it was within her grasp, she wanted it more than she could ever imagine. Realizing she didn't even know who the other nominees were or what they were being nominated for, Callie turned on her laptop and did a quick Google search. She smiled when she saw her name at the top of the list, read the brief summary of her project, then scrolled down and muttered, "Neuro, General, General, and Cardio." After reading a quick summary of their achievements, Callie looked back at the names, smirked, then burst into a full on belly laugh when she saw the name of the Cardio surgeon. Shaking her head, she muttered, "Oh this is rich. Hahn has to be seething right now." Seeing that name made this nomination mean even more to her. She was up against the one person who looked down on her and criticized her specialty every chance she got. She'd not only proven ortho was good enough, but she was good enough. She was the badass ortho goddess and she'd be damned if anyone took that away from her. Unable to hold this little tidbit of information in, Callie grabbed her coat and ran out the door.
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Arizona sat at the table in her office, held out her arm for Addison and winced when she pulled the tourniquet a little too tightly. Addison put on her gloves, studied her friend's face, noticed she was looking a little peaked, and asked, "How are you feeling? Have you experienced any dizziness, headaches, nausea?" Arizona shook her head and replied, nope, nothing. Well, unless you count the horrible sugary aftertaste and the sudden urge to run around on a hamster wheel." Addison had just started to insert the needle into Arizona's arm and had to pull back because she was laughing so hard. Knowing her friend's sweet tooth, she teased, "I figured you'd be used to all that sugar by now." Arizona shook her head and replied, "Nope, I mean, I can eat my weight in donuts, don't get me wrong, but I can't drink pop. Callie only ever let's me share her pop. She says she doesn't want to be anywhere around me if I ever drink a whole Mountain Dew by myself, but I don't think it would be too bad. This drink was disgusting, but it had double the sugar of a pop and I'm doing just fine." The redhead stared at the other surgeon, exhausted simply by listening to her ramble and suggested, "Ah, yeah, maybe you should stick to tea. Hold still now, I have to get several vials."
Arizona watched Addison insert the small butterfly needle into her vein, and followed the blood as it flowed through the tiny tube and filled the vacuum sealed vial. Seemingly out of nowhere, she commented, "I don't understand how people faint at the sight of blood. I think it's satisfying to watch it fill up the vial. Oh or when you cauterize a bleeder and it suddenly just dries up. Blood fascinates me. I mean think about all the things blood can tell you. It can tell you if you have a genetic disease, cancer, an infection, high or low blood sugar, who you are related to, it can even tell your assigned gender. What else can do that?" Trying to focus on her task and not laugh at her friend whose mind and mouth were going a mile a minute, Addison took the last vial out of the vacutainer, shook it up and down to mix it with the chemicals that would help determine the blood-sugar levels, unfastened the tourniquet, then asked, "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"
Arizona nodded her head and replied, "I feel fine, I'm full of energy." Addison put a band-aid over the tiny hole in Arizona's arm and muttered, "Ain't that the truth." Almost positive she shouldn't let Rocky the Flying Squirrel out of her cage, Addison suggested, "Just to be safe, I'd like you to take it easy today. Maybe get some charting or research done." When Arizona opened her mouth to argue, which the redhead knew she would, she appealed to the surgeon in her and suggested, "I know you are aware that different patients respond to the Glucose Challenge Test differently. I'm just worried when the sugar starts to wear off, you will get dizzy or sick since I had to take so much blood. I just don't want you to fall or get disoriented or something." Arizona exhaled slowly, and though she didn't like it, she knew Addison was right. Though she was full of energy now, she didn't quite feel like herself and relented, "Fine, I'll stay in here and work on my paper. My research is almost finished and I just have to put together a plan of action." Addison sighed in relief, gathered all of the garbage, threw it in the trashcan, then capped the needle, picked up the tubes of blood, and declared, "I'll drop these off at the lab and have them rush them so we have the results for your appointment." Arizona nodded and replied, "Thanks Addie and if you wouldn't mind, can you warn Max that we'll have a whole audience today?" Addie chuckled and quipped, "Before long, we are going to have to start doing your ultrasounds in one of the lecture halls." Seeing Arizona's eyes light up at that, Addie quickly left the room, closing the door behind her.
Turning to her computer, Arizona focused on the screen in front of her and prepared to pull up her research, when her home page came up, revealing a picture of Callie under the headline, "The Fox Foundation Announces Award Nominees." Clicking on the link, curious to see what was written about her wife and her work, Arizona waited for the article to load and nearly choked on her laughter when she saw the other nominees. Right next to her wife's gorgeous face was the picture of an angry looking blonde woman with ice blue eyes. Though Arizona knew she would recognize that face anywhere, she had to scan the article for the name, just to make sure it was her. She'd never met Erica Hahn in person, but the horror stories she's heard over the years made her skin crawl. Recalling how Callie told her that the cardio surgeon didn't even count ortho as a real specialty, Arizona looked at the picture of the serious angry woman again and couldn't help but laugh out loud. Hearing the special knock on the door, that signified her wife was on the other side, Arizona called out, "Come in Calliope," then without further greeting, she turned her laptop in Callie's direction and asked, "Oh my God did you see this?" Callie started laughing all over again and answered, "That's why I'm here, I realized I didn't even know who the other nominees were, did a quick search and nearly shit my pants. I had to come tell you right away." Both women looked at the angry face staring back at them from the screen and Arizona commented, "If she looks pissed in that picture, I can't imagine what her face will look like when she sees this." Both women broke into another fit of giggles which only amplified when Addison came into the room to scold them for being so loud, looked at the computer screen and deadpanned, "Oh to be a fly on the wall in her office right now!" Taking a deep breath, Arizona fanned her face, looked at Callie, and proclaimed, "I thought nothing could be better than you being nominated for a Catherine Fox, but being nominated the same year as her…this is gold." Callie nodded in agreement, then sobered, and flatly stated, "Unless she wins, then I'll…" "Oh no! You don't get to do that Calliope. You are winning this damn award. You've already won it. So don't you start second guessing yourself just because the wicked witch of the west is one of the nominees." Arizonaa commanded sternly. Addison nodded, poked her thumb at Arizona and stated, "What she said…all of it."
Callie smiled, shook her head, and replied, "You're right, I can't let her get into my head." Arizona stood up, wrapped her arms around Callie's neck, kissed her softly and assured her, "No you can't. You are a superstar with a scalpel and anything she's done to get on that list doesn't even measure up." Callie exhaled slowly, nodded, then stepped back and suggested, "I should get over there and actually get some work done." Addison smirked and quipped, "Sure, leave us little people to do our jobs, humbly saving babies before they're even born and all." Callie shook her head and argued, "You are anything but humble, Addison Montgomery." She blew Arizona a kiss and called out, "I'll see you in a bit." Arizona waved her off, then turned back to the screen, and she and Addison fell into another fit of giggles. When they were finally done laughing, Arizona's eyes widened, she grabbed Addison's arm and gasped, "Oh my God, you need to help me pick out a dress for the awards!" Addison plopped her ass on the desk and muttered, "Great, but we are definitely waiting until the sugar high wears off."
XXXX
Walking out of his office carrying a brown paper bag for Sofia, Max stopped and knocked on Arizona's door to see if she'd left for her appointment yet when he heard something smash to the floor. Running into her office, he found Arizona leaning against her desk swaying back and forth, looking disoriented. He poked his head out the door and hollered, "I need a little help in here." Dropping the bag on the sofa, he rushed to her side and asked, "Arizona, are you okay? Can you tell me what happened?" He sighed in relief when she looked at him and replied, "I, I'm okay. I just…I've been sitting here since Addison drew my blood and I think I got up too quickly when I realized what time it was." Seeing how pale she was and feeling the tremors in her hands, Max asked, "Do you think you can make it to the couch?" Arizona nodded, then closed her eyes and replied, "No, I don't think I should move just yet." Reaching out with his foot, Max pulled her desk chair over and helped her sit down. Pulling his stethoscope from around his neck, he informed her, "I'm going to do a quick exam okay?" Arizona started to nod, then remembered how dizzy it made her feel and replied, "Okay. Um Callie, can you call Callie?"
Callie had just walked into the lobby and started to sit down to wait for their parents when she heard Max's unmistakable voice call out for help. Looking up at Dee, she asked, "Where is he?" Seeing that the older woman had the phone to her ear and was staring down the hall where Arizona's office was, Callie took off running in that direction. She reached the door at the same time Addison did, and slumped in relief when she heard her wife ask for her. Rushing to her side, Callie dropped to her knees and soothed, "I'm here. I'm right here baby." Callie intertwined their fingers with one hand while rubbing soothing circles on her wife's protruding belly with the other. She looked at Max and asked, "What happened?" Arizona squeezed her hand and tried to assure her, "I just got a little dizzy that's all." Seeing the books and glass of water on the floor beside the desk, Addison asked, "Did she fall? Did she hit her head?" Max looked up at Arizona, noticed her color still hadn't come back and calmly offered, "I just got in here. She didn't fall, but she's extremely dizzy and her pulse is thready. Let me examine her okay?" Addison nodded then announced, "I'm going to get a banana bag," and quickly left the room.
After completing his exam, Max put the stethoscope back around his neck, looked at Arizona and proclaimed, "Your heart sounds good, it's a little fast right now. I think the combination of the sugar and the blood draw just threw you off. Have you eaten or drank anything since your blood test?" Arizona bit her bottom lip, she knew she was about to get yelled at and replied, "No, just a little water. The glucose made my stomach upset and I wasn't sure I could eat." Callie closed her eyes trying not to scold her wife, softened her tone so she wouldn't sound harsh and gently reminded her, "Honey, you have to eat something. Do you think you could eat now? Maybe some yogurt or some fruit?" Not sure if she could keep it down, but also not wanting to be hooked up to an I.V., Arizona nodded and replied, "I have some strawberries and yogurt in my fridge." Max quickly crossed the room to the refrigerator, took out the fruit and yogurt, picked up a spoon from the table, and handed it to Callie. She opened the yogurt, passed it to Arizona, then went into the bathroom to wash and refill her water glass.
When Addison returned with the banana bag and other supplies she'd need to insert the IV, she was happy to see Arizona was eating and seemed to be more alert. Shaking her head, she scolded herself, "I should have come in to check on you. When I left, you seemed fine. I mean you were rambling a little more than usual, but you were hopped up on sugar." Arizona finished chewing her strawberry, took a drink of her water, and consoled her friend, "It wasn't your fault. I knew better than to not eat anything. It's the first thing we tell our patients after this test. I'm good now. There's no need for that thing." Addison eyed her warily then conceded, "Okay, but if you so much as wobble, I'm admitting your ass for observation." Arizona chuckled and quipped, "No wonder you haven't won an award yet, the babies aren't in my ass Montgomery." Addison huffed, tossed the supplies on the table and muttered, "She's fine." Max shook his head at his friends and colleagues, he can most certainly say he's never worked anywhere so entertaining. He grabbed the bag off the sofa, looked at Callie and asked, "You got this?" Callie nodded, helped Arizona to her feet, pulled her into her arms, kissed her forehead and murmured, "You scared me. Promise you won't do that again." Arizona leaned her head against Callie's chest, soaking up the warmth and love and swore, "I won't do that again. I scared me too." Not taking any chances, Callie pulled Arizona into her side, wrapped her arm around her and led her out of the office.
When they reached the lobby, they saw their parents sitting there waiting for them and Arizona suggested, "Give me a few minutes to get situated, then someone will come out and get you." Seeing them smile and nod, the two women continued to the larger exam room where Addison directed them. Callie smiled when she walked into the room and saw the upgraded examination chair, and teased, "Ooh fancy, you must be stepping up in the world." Arizona giggled and replied, "Actually, I can't step up at all, that's why we bought a few of these and had them installed. We still have some regular exam tables, but these are far more comfortable and easier for our patients to get in and out of when they get further along." Callie pouted, "Oh so you don't need me anymore." Arizona took her hand, guided her to the chair, and replied sincerely, "I will always need you." Callie kissed her on her cheek, helped her sit down, reclined the chair so Arizona was comfortable and Addison would easily be able to examine her, then draped a blue cloth over her thighs, tucked it into the waistband of her pants, then lifted her shirt up to expose her stomach. Finally finished, she kissed Arizona softly and knocked on the door to let Addie and Max know they were ready.
When Addison entered the room, she was followed by both sets of parents and Max bringing up the end of the line. They all watched as Max put the paper bag on the counter and Lucia asked, "What's that?" The OB smiled, looked at Arizona for approval, received the nod, then explained, "Every time Arizona has an ultrasound, I bring Sofia a piece of fruit or a vegetable which most closely resembles the size of the babies at that time." Barb smiled at the man's thoughtfulness and asked, "What is it this time?" Max reached into the bag, pulled out a butternut squash and handed it to the older woman. Daniel looked at his daughter's stomach and asked, "That's the size of the babies?" Carlos looked at the gourd then at Arizona's stomach and questioned, "There's three of those in there?" Max nodded and chuckled, then Daniel scowled and asked, "How the hell are they supposed to get out of there?" Barbara slapped his shoulder and scolded, "Daniel Robbins, you know damn well how a baby comes into this world. You were there when both of your children were born." The older man looked at his wife, waved his hand in the air and argued, "That was different! This is my baby girl and she…those things are huge…hmph." He crossed his arms and glared at Callie, who muttered, "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."
Arizona laughed and declared, "I'll be fine daddy. My body was made to do this." She then nodded at Addison and commanded, "Show them the real babies, maybe he'll settle down." Callie could still feel the older man's gaze on her and hissed, "Quickly!" While Addison was setting up the ultrasound, Callie crossed the room, took the gel out of the holder, then went to the sink to run it under the hot water. She could feel her face heat up with embarrassment when she heard both of their mothers cooing at her thoughtfulness. She squeezed a good amount of the warm gel on Arizona's stomach, handed the tube back to Addie, then took her place by her wife's side once again. They all sat silently while they waited for the image of the babies to pop on the screen. Addison started on Arizona's right side and explained, "Okay we should see little Rainbow any second…and there she is." Daniel sniffled as he looked at the screen and nodded in agreement when he heard Lucia gasp, "Oh my, she looks just like her mommy. Look at that little nose." Addison paused, took measurements, tapped a few of the keys, then whispered, "Here come the waterworks," and turned up the volume so the tiny little heartbeat filled the room. As if on cue, all four grandparents sat with tears running down their faces.
Moving to the other side, Addison looked at the screen and saw the two boys snuggled up together and took a quick picture before she looked at Callie and requested, "Do your magic mama." Barb and Lucia looked at the three women questioningly and watched as Callie leaned down over Arizona's stomach and cooed, "Hey mama's boys. It's picture time. You need to turn around so Aunt Addie can hear your hearts and your grandma and grandpa and abuelo and abuela can see your handsome faces." Arizona grunted and grabbed the side of her stomach as they all watched the two babies wriggle around and search out Callie's voice. Smiling brightly with tears in her eyes, Callie cajoled, "That's it, just a little more, but don't hurt mommy okay?" Carlos wiped at his eyes and asked, "Is that…is that normal?" Addison shook her head and declared, "No, not in general, but with these three it is. They've been responding to Cal's voice since the beginning." All four parents stared at the screen with rapt attention as the fetal surgeon took the measurements she needed and allowed them to listen to the boys' heartbeats as well.
When she was all finished, Addison turned her stool and asked, "Max, do you want to go over the blood tests?" The OB smiled at his friends and declared, "Everything looks good. Your blood sugar tested at 130 mg/dl and as you know, 140 or higher is when we would have to do more testing. So, at this point, you are showing no signs of gestational diabetes. Also, your blood pressure is maintaining at a normal rate, so we are going to see about weaning you off of that medication." Callie and Arizona both sagged in relief at hearing this. Though they knew Arizona's blood pressure wasn't dangerous, they both felt better knowing it was now under control. Reaching for Callie's hand, slightly worried about her little episode earlier, Arizona asked, "What about the babies?" Addison took over and explained, "I know you will know what I'm talking about, but I'll go into a little more detail so everyone understands. With a single birth baby, we expect the weight at this point to be at about two pounds. Multiples often run a little bit smaller. Right now, Rainbow and Aggie are both at one pound and five ounces while Mr. Tulio is weighing in at one pound and thirteen ounces." Callie looked at Arizona, still not certain what was normal for multiples and asked, "Is that good? Are they at a healthy weight for all of you?" Arizona smiled at her wife's concern, squeezed her hand and assured her, "They are perfect. We are all doing just fine." Callie bent down, kissed her on the cheek, then looked back up at Addison to continue.
Addison pointed to the picture that was frozen on the screen and started, "Tulio and Aggie are both measuring at…" She stopped when Callie's dad cleared his throat and interrupted, "Excuse me Dr. Montgomery, but what are these names you are using?" He looked at his daughter and huffed, "Surely these aren't the names you've chosen for your children." Callie and Arizona both started laughing and Arizona answered, "No, those aren't the names we've chosen. We want to keep them a secret." She narrowed her eyes at Addison and finished, "Some people wouldn't leave us alone about it, so we made up these ridiculous names. Now we just use them to identify the babies instead of using baby A, baby B, and baby C." All four parents exhaled loudly, then Barb muttered, "What a relief. I would not be calling my grandchild Aggie. It sounds like an old man's name." Arizona laughed and explained, "It's short for Agamemnon." She watched as Lucia, who named both of her children out of her love of Greek Mythology, perked up, and enthusiastically explained, "That's the name of a Greek God. He was also the father of Iphigenia." Callie tossed up her arms and asked, "How did I not know this about my own name?"
While the others were laughing at her wife, Arizona looked at Max and Addison and said, "I think we're done here. If there's anything else you want to tell me, stop by my office in a bit." Addison shook her head and declared, "Oh no, it is officially past noon, you still aren't looking your best, and you are going home to rest. I'll come by this evening to check on you." Arizona huffed, pulled the blue draping material out of her waistband and started to clean up her stomach when a strong tan hand beat her to it. Callie smiled down at her and whispered, "That's my job." She watched while her wife took great care in cleaning the gel off of her stomach, lifted her hand to rub at the soft stubble on the side of her head and whispered, "I love you. Thank you for taking such good care of us." Callie smiled, fixed Arizona's clothes, then helped her off the bed and replied, "I will always take care of you." As usual, the two women entered their own little world, paying no attention to the six sets of eyes watching them intently.
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After going out to lunch with their parents, Callie returned to work and Arizona went home to take a much needed nap. When she woke up, it was to a sight that had become second nature now, except the body lying beside her talking to her stomach was the miniature version of the one she was used to. Arizona watched through heavy lidded eyes as a small hand caressed her stomach and listened to the tiny voice as her daughter lamented about her day. She struggled not to laugh when she heard, "After Tommy pulled my hair, Henry told him to leave me alone or he would tell the teacher. Now everyone is saying Henry likes me and they make kissy noises and that's just gross. Henry is like my brother, he was protecting me just like I will protect you and you will protect each other. I feel bad because they made Henry sad, but I made him a card thanking him for standing up for me and he was better after that." Sofia raised her eyes to the ceiling, trying to think of what else to say, and gasped, "Ooh, I know you heard all the screaming earlier, that was because mama is going to win a super special award. Our mommies are both doctors, I told you that already, but they are the best doctors in the world. Mommy got hurt a long time ago and she only has one leg, but mama made her a new leg and she can run and swim and she can even feel me touch that leg now. She couldn't do those things before, well, not without changing her leg all the time, but she could never feel me before mama made her leg. Now all kinds of people who get hurt and need new arms and legs can use mama's arms and legs and they can feel their kids too. I think that's why she's getting the award. No one in the world is as smart as our mommies and they do things that no one else can do. They tell me they are proud of me all the time, but I don't think I ever tell them that. I think I should. What do you think? Maybe I should make mama a card to tell her I'm happy she is winning her award." Sofia started to get off the bed when she heard the door creak and popped up to see her mama standing there smiling at her with tears in her eyes.
After trying and failing to go on about her day as usual, Callie decided to bring her paperwork home. Between the constant phone calls, interruptions by well-meaning colleagues and staff members, and her concern for Arizona niggling at the back of her mind, the ortho surgeon hadn't accomplished a single thing other than meeting with a few patients for consults and doing her rounds. When she got home and found the house quiet, she assumed Jake had kept Sofia so Arizona could rest and headed toward their bedroom to check on her wife. As soon as she stepped into the doorway, she saw Arizona looking at her with one finger over her lips and glanced down to see their daughter lying on the bed next to her talking to her babies. Her heart nearly melted when she overheard the little girl bragging to her siblings about their parents. As a child who never god much praise, she made certain to tell Sofia how special she was every chance she got, they both did. But to hear their daughter talk about how proud she was of them, how much she looked up to them, Callie realized it didn't matter how old you were, it still felt good to hear it, to know the people you loved the most were proud of who you were. When she heard Sofia wrapping up her conversation, Callie tried to back out into the hall but accidentally bumped the door making it squeak and startling the little girl. When she saw the slight blush creep up her daughter's face, Callie held out her arms and croaked, "Come here sweet girl." She braced herself when her daughter took a flying leap off the bed, gathered her in her arms and gave her a big bear hug, nuzzling her neck and making her giggle.
Arizona watched the touching scene and finally let her own tears flow at their little girl's heart-felt sentiments. She scooted back to make room for Callie when she carried Sofia to the bed and sat on the edge facing her. Noticing her mommy was awake, Sofia smiled sheepishly and asked, "Did you both hear me?" Callie and Arizona nodded their heads and Callie declared, "We did and the things you said were so sweet and mean so very much to us. I'm happy I make you proud and though it's nice to hear, mommy and I know you are proud of us." Arizona nodded in agreement then suggested, "I still think it's nice to show people through our actions though. What do you say you and I make mama an extra special dinner to show her how proud we are of her for getting nominated for this award." Sofia nodded her head up and down, jumped off the bed, and exclaimed, "I know just what to make! I'll go see if we have everything." They watched as the little girl bounced out of the room, then Callie smirked and asked, "How much do you want to bet she's going to make you cook spaghetti?" Arizona laughed and replied, "Well it is one of your favorites." Callie stretched out beside her on the bed, tucked a stray curl behind Arizona's ear and responded, "It is, but it's also her absolute favorite." Both women laughed, then Arizona grinned and teased, "Well, you are my absolute favorite, so I will cook you whatever you want." Callie leaned in, brushed their lips together and murmured, "So cheesy." Arizona wrapped her hand around the back of Callie's head, pulled her closer, whispered, "You love it and you know it." Then she connected their lips on a long sensual kiss and neither of them said anything for quite a while.
"I look like Barney!" Arizona huffed while looking in the mirror, turning from side to side, hoping to find something redeeming about the dress. Addison rolled her eyes and argued, "No you don't, Barney had a big green stomach and a slightly larger head." Arizona turned, glared at her friend and questioned, "Why the hell did I bring you with me?" Addison smirked and replied, "Because you waited until the last possible minute to pick out a dress for the awards ceremony, I have good taste, and you need to look so good you knock Hahn right off her high horse." Arizona laughed at the last statement, went back into the changing room, closed the curtain and grumbled, "I didn't wait until the last minute, it's only Wednesday and the awards ceremony is Saturday. Besides, my stomach is growing bigger by the day. Any dress I buy now probably won't even fit by this weekend." Struggling to reach the zipper, Arizona ripped the curtain back, turned, and waited for Addison to unzip the hideous gown.
While pulling down the zipper, Addison looked at the slew of dresses piling up and commented, "If you even buy a dress at this rate. You've tried on five already and you've found something wrong with all of them." She picked up the shimmery gold dress and asked, "What was wrong with this one?" Arizona walked back into the dressing room, started to pull the curtain closed again, and huffed, "I looked like a shiny version of Pacman." Trying to fight back her laughter, the redhead picked up another dress and asked, "And this one?" Arizona looked at the silver sequined dress, rolled her eyes and muttered, "A disco ball Addison. My wife does not want to be seen with a disco ball." Addie chuckled, tossed the dress back on the pile and claimed, "No, your wife wants to be seen with you and it doesn't matter what you are wearing." The blonde poked her head out again and seethed, "Fine, you go find me something that doesn't make me look like a demented dinosaur then." Enjoying the blonde's frustration and surly mood far more than she should, Addison let out a bark of laughter, started out of the dressing room and called back, "How about a pretty blue dress to match your eyes?" Arizona huffed, "Yeah, that'd be great, get something that will make me look like a whale. Oh, I know, just run down the street to the tent shop." The redhead laughed and left the room, hoping like hell she could find something that would calm the beast.
Going back to the evening gowns, Addison searched through the racks, trying to find something complimentary to Arizona's skin tone, her hair color, her eyes, and would hopefully draw her attention away from her protruding stomach. The blonde looked beautiful in all of the gowns she'd tried on so far and Addison knew she kept turning them down because of her own insecurities. She picked up the first dress that caught her eye, a simple silk hunter green dress with a squared off neckline and sheer lantern sleeves and knew it met all of the blonde's requirements. Tossing it over her arm, she continued to stroll through the store and smiled when she came across a gorgeous red, chiffon-laced gown with a high-low skirt to showcase Arizona's award winning legs, and a plunging neckline to reveal just a hint of her ample cleavage. She remembered Callie talking about how much she loved seeing Arizona in red and knew her friend would be picking her jaw up off the floor when she saw her wife in this. Turning to go back into the dressing room, Addie saw a simple but elegant, black, V-neck, velvet and satin, long sleeved, dress with a slit that would reach mid-thigh on the left side and added that to the other two dresses. It was elegant, but not so formal that Arizona couldn't wear it somewhere other than a fancy celebration. She found the perfect size and carried all three into the dressing room.
After Addison left the room, Arizona looked in the mirror, put her hands over her protruding belly and smiled when she felt a kick on both the inside and the outside of her womb. It still felt strange to her, but she relished the feeling, loved knowing her babies were thriving and growing. Looking down at her stomach, she whispered, "You agree with mommy don't you? We don't want to look like a whale do we?" She took the extra little kick to her hand as a no and looked back at the mirror. Taking a longer look at herself, she sneered at the white maternity bra and matching granny panties that nearly reached her outie belly button. She'd been wearing the plain utility underwear for support and comfort since she'd long grown out of the beautiful pieces Callie picked out when she first started showing, but they were driving her crazy. She sighed at her reflection, recognizing that the dresses weren't the problem, what she wore under them was. The gowns were all gorgeous and she knew Addison was right, Callie would love whatever she chose, but she wondered how in the world her wife ever found her the least bit desirable in the hideous plain cotton underwear.
Addison started to open the curtain and hand over the dresses when she caught a glimpse of her friend in the mirror through a small gap in the curtain. Noticing how the blonde was scowling at her reflection and fiddling with her plain white maternity bra and panties, she realized what the underlying issue was. Having seen Arizona in various stages of undress by this point, whether she wanted to or not, Addison knew, like herself, the other woman had a penchant for rather risqué undergarments. Stepping back out into the store, she went straight to the department that would hopefully lift Arizona's spirits and gathered a variety of different colors and styles for her to choose from.
Arizona looked in the mirror again and grunted at her reflection. She'd never worn this much fabric to cover herself in her life and missed her racy matching bra and panty sets. She loved how they made her feel sexy and sensual, how Callie looked at her when she'd undress and be left in nothing but little scraps of lace that barely covered her body. Her wife still looked at her as if she were the only woman in the world, she was still turned on by her, and couldn't keep her hands off her, but like this…she didn't feel sexy, she didn't feel self-assured. She almost felt embarrassed to be seen in the dreaded underwear. Deciding there was nothing she could do about it, certain they didn't make sexy lingerie for pregnant women of her size, she poked her head out of the curtain to see what was taking Addie so long and felt the huge grin form across her face when she saw her friend had not only found some beautiful dresses, but she also had several hangers in her other hand which held some very suggestive lingerie and one extremely sexy teddy. Though it was still maternity, it was gorgeous and she felt better just imagining herself wearing it.
When Addison returned, she couldn't miss the brilliant smile on her friend's face when she saw the hangers in her left hand and knew this was exactly what she needed to boost her confidence. Laying the bras and panties aside, she handed over all three dresses and before the blonde could criticize them she teased, "Okay, here you go, Christmas tree, Kool-Aid Man, and the black hole." Arizona looked at the dresses being held out for her and couldn't contain her laughter at the accuracy of the descriptions she knew she would have come up with on her own. Maybe it was silly how something as simple as sexy underwear could lighten her mood, but it did. Snatching the red dress out of her friend's hand, feeling lighter than she had since they started this whole dress shopping fiasco, Arizona quipped, "I'll try this one first, Callie loves my Kool-Aid." Addison scrunched up her nose and exclaimed, "Eww! I do not need that vision in my head!" Arizona laughed, closed the curtain, and commented, "Then you should have said tomato. Callie doesn't eat tomatoes." She only laughed harder when Addison growled, and she heard the clicking of heels moving quickly across the tile floor, further away from her.
As soon as she slipped on the red dress, even though the white bra was still visible and she could see the panty line around her waist, Arizona envisioned the red lace bra and panty set she'd seen amongst the selection Addison brought and knew she'd found her dress. It was Callie's favorite color on her so it would help calm her nerves, or maybe distract her altogether, it was short in the front so it would show off Callie's work beautifully, and it made her feel sexy. Opening the curtain when she heard Addison's heels coming closer, Arizona turned so her friend could zip up the gown, then looked in the mirror once again. She loved how it hugged her newly formed curves and felt a shiver go down her spine as she pictured Callie's face when she saw her in the gorgeous gown and what she was wearing underneath. Watching Arizona's reflection in the mirror, Addison commented, "I take it we found the dress?" Arizona nodded, then looked at the other dresses, remembered she and Callie bought tickets for The Lion King and decided, "I think I'm going to try on the black dress too. Callie and I are taking Sofia to a Broadway show for her birthday, and I'll need something to wear to that also, but I'll probably go up a size." Addie smirked at the blonde's enthusiasm at trying on dresses now and asked, "It was the underwear wasn't it?" Arizona turned her back, lifted her hair so she could be unzipped, and answered, "Oh, yeah. Totally the underwear." Both women laughed and Arizona got dressed while Addison put all of the discarded dresses back on their hangers.
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Callie pulled up under the awning of the luxury hotel where the banquet was being held later that evening, turned to look at Arizona and confided, "I can't do this Arizona. There will be hundreds of people there. Experts in their fields, past award winners, donors, and what if I…Oh God, what if I win and I have to say stuff." Arizona reached over, peeled Callie's fingers off the steering wheel, looked her in the eye and softly responded, "Yes Calliope, there will be hundreds of doctors in there. Surgeons just like you. Experts in their fields just like you. Nominees, just like you. Donors who will hear about the great things you've done with prosthetics and will be begging you to take their money. And baby, there is no 'if' to it. You will win and when you stand up there to say your speech, the words you've practiced over and over again, you only need to look at me. You need to look into my eyes and see how much I love you, how proud I am of you, and know you are standing up there on that stage, accepting that award because of how much you love me. You have worked so hard to give me and people like me something we thought we lost along with our limbs. You gave us, me, a better way of life. You can do this Calliope." Arizona watched as bare red lips curled up at the corners and giggled when her wife muttered, "Damn Robbins speeches." She reached out, caressed Callie's face, and responded, "Well, you're a Robbins now too and we aren't afraid of giving speeches." Callie's smirk bloomed into a full blown mega-watt smile and she leaned forward, stole a quick kiss, steeled herself and said, "Okay, let's do this."
Stepping out of Arizona's SUV, Callie handed the keys to the valet, rounded the car to take her wife's hand, and waited for the porter to get their overnight and garment bags and put them on the cart. When they walked to the check-in desk, they were greeted by a young man who appeared to be in his late twenties, who asked, "Could I have your names please?" Callie smirked and replied, "Dr. and Dr. Robbins-Torres." Without having to look up their names, the man handed over two key cards and explained, "You will be staying in the Presidential Suite compliments of Dr. Fox. Enjoy your stay and good luck Dr. Robbins-Torres." Callie looked down at the two gold colored key cards and asked Arizona, "What do you think that's all about? Didn't we just have a regular suite?" Arizona shrugged and replied, "Maybe there was some confusion with the reservations." Callie nodded, took Arizona's hand and followed the porter to the elevators. Once they were inside, Callie asked, "Do you think Sof was really okay with us staying the night here?" Arizona smiled and replied, "Sofia is fine. She loves staying with my parents; besides we haven't spent a night alone together since New Years Eve and we deserve a little extra time together before these three decide to join us." Callie smiled and teased, "We could just skip the ceremony and…" Arizona shook her head and scolded, "We are not skipping anything. We are going to have a lovely dinner, you are going to accept your award, then we are going to have our own private celebration in our room." Hearing a throat clear behind them, both women blushed when they remembered the porter was standing in the back of the elevator. Thankfully, they had just reached their floor and wouldn't have to stand in awkward silence.
When the porter opened the door and gestured for them to enter first, Callie's breath hitched when she saw the number of bouquets and gift baskets awaiting her. Turning to look at Arizona, she asked, "Do we even know this many people?" Arizona chuckled at her wife, nodded at the young man who hung their clothes in the front closet, then tipped and thanked him when he left the room. Arizona excitedly prompted her wife, "Go see who they are from." Not needing to be told twice, Callie rushed across the room where a large vase containing at least two dozen roses sat front and center, took out the card, and read, "We are so proud of you mija, love mami and daddy." Arizona smiled, walked to a gift basket containing shot glasses, a fifth of tequila, headache medicine, and an icepack and asked, "Care to venture a guess on who this is from?" Callie shook her head and declared, "Nope, I'm positive that's from Yang." Arizona pulled out the card, read it, then started laughing and handed it to her wife who read, "Kick Hahn's Ass. If you don't, this will kick yours. Yang." Callie threw back her head and commented, "Oh I almost forgot how much she hates Hahn." Arizona laughed and the two proceeded to walk around the room looking at Callie's gifts.
Pulling out one card, Arizona gasped and said, "Oh my gosh. Callie, this one is from Jake." Callie turned around and asked, "Jake the ballet dancer?" Arizona nodded and watched her wife's eyes well with tears. To this point, they'd only come across cards from their friends and colleagues. Pulling out another card, Callie read, "Congratulations, I expect one of those fancy legs, Bill and Crystal." Callie shook her head in disbelief and stood in the middle of the room staring at the vast array of gifts. Turning her head, she caught a glimpse of a large bouquet of orchids, looked at Arizona who was trying to feign innocence, walked across the room, pulled out the card, and read, "My dearest Calliope, words can never express how proud I am of you or how much I love you. You make my life so much better; you make me better. Congratulations on fulfilling another of your dreams. All my love, Arizona." Certain she wouldn't be able to talk, she crossed the room, wrapped her arms around Arizona's back and buried her face in the crook of her neck. She knew no matter what the evening brought, she already had everything she ever wanted right there in her arms.
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Agreeing to get ready separately, Callie stood in front of the mirror tying her bow tie, mentally going through her speech, when she caught a flash of red behind her. Turning on her heels, Callie's heart sped up and electricity flowed through every nerve in her body when she saw Arizona standing before her in the gorgeous red dress. She nearly stumbled over her own feet to get to her wife, and with all the reverence she could muster, she husked out, Arizona, you look…" She shook her head at her loss for words and realized she couldn't think of any because their weren't any words to describe just how gorgeous her wife was in that moment. Her hair was straightened and pinned up on one side with a small red flower, her eye make-up gave off a smokey vibe that only enhanced the blue in her eyes and made them pop, her creamy alabaster skin was glowing, and that dress, good lord did she look amazing in that dress. Hearing a little giggle, Callie blinked a few times and snapped out of her lust induced stupor when Arizona asked, "I take it you approve?" Nodding her head furiously, Callie answered, "Very much so. You…there are no words Arizona…you look stunning."
Arizona couldn't contain her smile, she knew Callie would love this dress, but she had no idea she'd get this reaction. Stepping forward, she finished tying Callie's tie for her, straightened out her collar, then buttoned her vest, leaned up on her toes, nipped at her earlobe and growled, "I can't wait to tear this off you." Callie's knees almost buckled and she had to close her eyes and clench her fists so she didn't attack her wife and say, 'fuck the award'. Taking a deep calming breath, she opened her eyes and declared, "Well, if your goal was to distract me from my nerves, you've definitely done that." Arizona smiled her super-magic smile, popped her dimples, and chirped, "Mission accomplished." She then wrapped her arms around Callie's neck, pulled her closer, and murmured, "Give me a kiss before I put on my lipstick." The brunette slid her arms around her wife's waist, rested her hands just above her ass, then bent her head and softly brushed their lips together, tilted in the other direction, brushed them together again, then ran her tongue across Arizona's bottom lip, requesting access and moaning in delight when it was immediately granted. The kiss was slow, sexy, filled with love and promise. Both women took their time exploring the other's mouth, allowing their hands to roam along the other's body. Breaking the kiss mutually for some much needed air and before they got too carried away, Arizona went to the mirror, applied lipstick to her kiss swollen lips, then took Callie's hand and declared, "Let's go collect your award Dr. Robbins-Torres."
A/N: I am a horrible, awful person! I'm so sorry it took so long to get this up. I know there may be some errors and I promise to go back tomorrow to fix them. I was struggling with the time jump here, but I need to meet these babies and Callie deserves an award for Arizona's leg. Thank you all for the amazing reviews and the messages of concern. I'm okay, just trying to wrap up the school year.