After helping Arizona with her leg so she could go to the bathroom nearly an hour ago, Callie flitted in and out of consciousness, but never fully went back to sleep. Deciding to give up on trying, she opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was her award. She was still reeling from the fact that she'd won a Catherine Fox Award. She reached out and traced her name, needing to feel the letters under her fingers because it still seemed so surreal to her. While it was something she'd often dreamed of, she never did anything with the award as her end goal or sole motivation. She'd always been confident in her own skills; she knew she was an excellent and innovative surgeon, she took risks, and prided herself on going above and beyond for her patients, in her research, and even when asked to consult by other surgeons. What she didn't know, what she didn't realize until last night, was how many of her current and former colleagues and her peers in the medical community recognized that and respected her for it.
It was finally starting to sink in that her friends, her chosen family, saw more than just Callie the person. The people who were there for the best and worst times in her life, were, at the end of the day, her colleagues, surgeons themselves, and they saw beyond her personal mistakes, overlooked her faults, and believed in her surgical skills, and some even considered her a mentor. What she'd learned after reading the things that were written about her, listening to friends and strangers alike talk about her many accomplishments, and hearing Meredith's heartfelt speech, was that even though her work on the leg is what earned the nomination, her reputation, her previous efforts and endeavors didn't go unnoticed and her career as a whole is what brought her to this point. She had to admit, it felt good, it felt damn good to be recognized by the medical community as a cutting edge surgeon at the top of her field.
As good as that felt though, she knew without a doubt that Arizona's unwavering love and support meant far more to her than the award and acknowledgment of her peers. She couldn't remember a time when Arizona didn't support her, when she wasn't there to celebrate her wins and commiserate with her over her losses. Even when they were apart, she'd followed her career, kept photos and articles about her, she'd even eventually moved to New York, yes for their daughter's sake, but also so she wouldn't have to give up her center. Arizona always believed in her, always encouraged her and never more so than when she received the nomination for the award. While she'd wanted to turn it down, worried about exploiting Arizona's pain, sharing their private tragedy, it was Arizona who convinced her not to by telling her how proud she was of her, how important this was to her career, and how she should be recognized for her hard work. It was Arizona who'd talked her down whenever she became nervous, it was Arizona who held her hand and supported her, believed in her, and knew without a doubt that she would be coming home with that trophy. She smirked a little when she recalled how Arizona faced off with Hahn, staunchly defending her and her specialty. Just as quickly, a lump formed in her throat when she saw visions of Arizona standing next to her on that stage, and her words echoed in her head. No one could give a speech like Arizona and that one would remain in her heart forever.
She smiled when she felt Arizona snuggling closer, pressing her stomach against her back, sliding her hand just under her breast, and snaking her leg up and over her thigh, completely wrapping herself around her, enveloping her in her love. She could tell her wife was still asleep based upon her slow even breathing and she felt a warm glow rise up from within like she always did when Arizona reached for her in her sleep. Sliding her hand down the leg now draped across her hip, feeling the synthetic skin, hearing her wife's soft hum, indicating she'd felt her touch, Callie knew no matter what Arizona said the night before, she wouldn't be there now, holding the award with her name etched across it if it weren't for her. Though her wife refused to take the credit, saying she did all the hard work, Callie felt differently and she knew she would never fail to recognize Arizona's part in winning that award. She knew she would always see it as a win for both of them.
XXXX
Arizona awoke slowly, practically feeling Callie's mind buzzing, and knew that's what brought her out of her deep sleep. It had happened to both of them on numerous occasions and neither of them even questioned it anymore. She was almost certain where her wife's mind had gone, what she was thinking about and smiled inwardly when she leaned on her elbow and noticed Callie's hand was wrapped around the base of her award. She bent her head, left a trail of soft wet kisses on Callie's broad tan shoulder, working her way up her neck, while her hand slowly wandered upward to caress her firm lush breast, nipped at her earlobe and quietly asked, "What are you thinking so hard about?" Callie's eyes fluttered closed and she hummed in satisfaction as her body started to respond to Arizona's touch and she had a hard time thinking at all. She raised her hand to cover Arizona's, linked their fingers, then held it to her breast a moment longer before rolling over to face her.
She moaned in delight when Arizona's right leg slipped between her thighs and her left leg once again rested on her hip. Callie caressed her protruding stomach then let her hand slide up to cup her swollen creamy white breast and replied, "Actually I was thinking about my wonderful and amazing wife." She then leaned in and brushed their lips together, swiftly requesting access and swiped her tongue across Arizona's, pouring all the love and gratitude she was feeling into a long sensual kiss. Pulling back, slightly dazed and breathing labored, Arizona caressed her warm caramel colored cheek, and asked, "Hmmm, what exactly were you thinking about me?" Callie turned her head to kiss Arizona's palm and answered, "I was thinking about how incredible you are, how much you love me, and how your support, your encouragement, and your belief in me mean more than that award or anything anyone else thinks about me." Touched by Callie's words, Arizona leaned in for another sweet soft kiss, lifted her head and answered, "I do love you and I will always support you Calliope." Callie nodded, slid her hand around to Arizona's back, scratching lightly in a circular pattern while replying, "I know and you always have. No one has ever believed in me, been as proud of me, supported me, or defended me as much as you have and continue to do and to me…that's, that's what really matters." Arizona felt the blush creep up her chest, once again moved by Callie's words, and not knowing how to respond, she lowered her hand to caress Callie's bicep, feeling the muscles ripple under her fingertips, glanced over her shoulder, smirked, and quipped, "You've got to admit though, the award feels pretty damn good."
Callie knew her wife was deflecting, embarrassed by the things she said about her, but decided to let it go, turned her head to get a glimpse of the trophy, smiled brightly and admitted, "Oh, yeah, it feels awesome." Arizona chuckled at Callie's word choice and asked, "Awesome huh?" Callie nodded and repeated, "Awesome! But not as awesome as you." Arizona shook her head and asked, "Well since you can't really put me on a shelf, have you thought about where you want to put your award?" Callie pursed her lips as she tried to figure out the best place to put it and replied, "I'm not sure, maybe in the China cabinet in the dining room or in our office." Arizona started shaking her head and argued, "Oh no! That baby is going someplace where everyone can see it. We need to build a little shelf and display it in the living room." Callie scoffed and asked, "Isn't that a little pretentious?" Arizona arched her brow and returned, "Doesn't a Catherine Fox Award deserve a better place to sit than next to my great grandmother's gravy boat or between your dusty old Gray's Anatomy for Students and Robbins Basic Pathology books?" Callie laughed, nodded her head and replied, "Okay, when you put it that way, then yes, it deserves its own home." Arizona grinned as if she'd just won some great argument, and Callie couldn't help but to lift her hand to caress her soft warm cheek and swipe her thumb over the sexy dimple. She smiled as she leaned in, brushed their lips together, and murmured, "You're so adorable."
Arizona slid her hand up the back of Callie's neck, scratched at her stubble, effectively keeping her in place, shifted her right leg so it pressed more firmly against Callie's sex causing her to whimper, and asked, "Hmm only adorable?" Callie shivered as Arizona's thigh rubbed against her sensitive clit, kissed her way down Arizona's jaw line to her pulse point, nipped it lightly and quietly responded between kisses, "Adorable. Sexy. Irresistible. Mmm and all mine." Arizona turned her head so their lips touched and murmured, "Most definitely yours," and wasted no time in darting her tongue out to lick Callie's lips before they mutually deepened the kiss. Callie slid her hand down Arizona's back to grasp her firm ass at the same time Arizona snaked hers between them and replaced her leg, slowly massaging Callie's lower lips.
Shifting slightly so they both had better access, Callie slipped her hand lower, swiped her fingers through Arizona's sex, collecting the moisture that had already gathered, and circled her core with two fingers, teasing but not giving Arizona what she wanted. Whimpering with need, knowing Callie was playing with her, Arizona began circling her sensitive bundle of nerves, feeling it swell between her fingertips. As their hips rolled together, searching for the pleasure they so desperately desired, their touches became more deliberate in taunting the other as if they were trying to see who would give in first. When Callie pressed her finger against Arizona's opening as if she were finally going to penetrate her, Arizona's hips bucked, causing her stomach to bump her arm and she inadvertently pressed down on Callie's clit causing her to break the kiss and growl out, "Fuck! Arizona please." Arizona nipped her bottom lip and commanded, "Together." Then each of them cried out in pleasure as they felt two fingers enter their needy core.
In their current position, their movements limited, they had no choice but to go slow, to take their time, and they savored every minute of it. As they stared into one another's eyes, it felt like their bodies became one as their hips and hands moved in tandem to the relaxed rhythm and tempo they set. Neither of them minded, and the moment seemed to call for the lazy outpouring of love after the excitement of the last two weeks. Arizona raised her head at the same time Callie lowered hers and just like their touches, their kisses were slow, teasing, a quick brushing of lips before the other pulled away, until their need for one another became too much and the desire grew from within. At last, they connected their lips in a long sensuous kiss, their tongues mimicking the rhythm of their fingers. As their bodies tensed and rolled with need for release, their movements became more frantic, their kisses wet and sloppy, their low whimpers turned to cries for release and with one hard thrust, Callie's entire body stiffened and she broke the kiss on a silent scream and her jerky movements sent Arizona over the edge as she buried her head in Callie's neck to muffle her cries of pleasure, all the while, they continued thrusting into one another, slowly bringing the other down from their high until their quivering bodies could take no more.
Tangled together in a web of arms and legs, trying to get their breathing under control, Callie's hand automatically lowered to Arizona's stomach, moving in slow soothing circles as she kissed the top of her head, which was now resting on her chest and declared, "I wish we could stay like this all day." Tilting her head back, Arizona kissed the underside of Callie's chin and returned, "Hmm, me too. That sounds heavenly." She laid her head back down, listening to Callie's heart as it slowed to its natural rhythm and though she truly wished they could stay in bed for the remainder of the day, Arizona conceded, "While I want nothing more, we should probably get up and get ready for brunch." Callie groaned and whined, "Can't we just stay here? We have a lot of celebrating to do." Arizona chuckled and before she could answer, they heard the muffled vibration and steady beeping of an alarm emanating from somewhere across the room at the same time the hotel phone sitting on the nightstand next to Arizona rang, startling them both. Letting out a low growl, Callie exclaimed, "Well, there's my answer." She reluctantly got out of bed in search of the cell phone while Arizona leaned over and picked up the hotel phone.
Expecting to be greeted with the pleasant voice of the desk clerk informing her of their wake-up call, Arizona rolled her eyes when she heard Maria's sarcastic, "Get off each other and get in the shower. This is your thirty minute warning." Just to irritate their friend, Arizona let out a lewd moan and stammered, "It's ah…give us forty-five minutes. Mmm, Callie don't stop." Callie had just found the phone in Arizona's clutch when she heard her response to whom she thought was the receptionist and stood up to stare at her questioningly. The blonde laughed out loud when Maria growled, "Ewww, you answered the phone while…" She stopped when she heard Arizona's hysterical laughter, growled and commanded, "Thirty minutes you ass!" Through her giggles, Arizona replied, "See you soon Maria," and laughed even harder when all she heard was a dial tone. Callie stood in the middle of the room with Arizona's phone in her hand, her entire body shaking with laughter and asked, "Why do you do that to them?" Arizona wiped the tears from her eyes, shrugged, and chirped, "It's fun!"
Callie shook her head, crossed the room to help Arizona out of bed and asked, "What if they decide to get revenge one day?" Arizona wrapped her arms around Callie's neck and quipped, "They wouldn't dare." Callie arched her brow and asked, "How are you so certain?" Arizona smiled smugly and replied, "They both know what I'm capable of and I'm not above using blackmail." Callie laughed again, smacked her on the ass and ordered, "Get in the shower perv." Arizona sashayed across the room, turned her head to see Callie staring at her ass, and quipped, "Says the person who hides sex toys in the shower." Callie opened her mouth to respond then shut it again when she noticed the red marks on her wrist and realized her wife was indeed capable of far more than she let on.
XXXX
Unbeknownst to either woman, several floors below them, a very smug Erica Hahn was sitting in a conference room waiting for her meeting with the Catherine Fox Award Committee. She intended to file a formal complaint against Callie winning the prestigious and coveted award. Though she'd tried to convince the other nominees to join in her efforts, none of them found fault with the decision and even appeared to be happy for the ortho surgeon and impressed by her innovative thinking. In her mind, they just didn't want to make waves, she had no such qualms however, especially after being escorted from the banquet and banned from returning. She was so angry knowing that Callie was celebrating an undeserved win, that she couldn't sleep, and spent the evening digging for any information on the ortho surgeon she could find to use as ammunition. It was far more difficult than she'd imagined. After finding nothing but rave reviews about Callie's reputation, her orthopedic center, and her many inventions, including the prototype for which she'd won the award, she decided to go a different route. She went over every single stipulation in the agreement which each nominee had to sign and was certain she'd finally found the proof she needed in order to have Callie disqualified and the award revoked. She was determined that award would leave with its rightful owner and she knew damn well it was she who deserved the award.
When the door opened and the five members of the committee filed in, Erica stood to greet them, only to be met with stone faces as they all rounded the long table and sat opposite her. The older gentleman in the middle straightened his tie, cleared his throat, and started, "Dr. Hahn, I am Dr. Bill Humphrey and I am the president of this committee. To my far right, you have Dr. Enid, then Dr. Robinson, and to my immediate left is Dr. Bishop, and of course you know Dr. Fox. It is our understanding that you are here today to file a petition against our decision to name Dr. Robbins-Torres as this year's Catherine Fox Award winner." Erica ignored the introductions, sat up straighter, pulled her chair up to the table, then passed out the documents she had compiled, which listed her reasons for revoking the award, and answered, "That is correct. After doing some research, I've discovered several pieces of information which should have disqualified Cal…uh, Dr. Robbins-Torres not only from winning the award, but from even being nominated." The room was quiet as each member scanned the document and from the raised eyebrows, Erica was certain that she'd caught their attention and grinned self-assuredly.
She looked up when Dr. Enid commented, "It says here that Dr. Robbins-Torres and her wife have direct connections through their partnership with The Catherine Fox Foundation as partial owners of Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital." Erica smirked at her and replied, "That is correct and if I am not mistaken, this was the same reason Dr. Christina Yang was not awarded the Harper Avery several years ago." While she was thrilled with that decision, she wasn't above using it for her own purposes. The young lady nodded and replied, "Meredith Grey, last year's winner, is also part owner, yet after searching our records, I don't see any complaints from you in that regard. Is this because you were not nominated last year, therefore it was of no concern to you?" Shocked by the question and the implication that she was there out of jealousy over losing, Erica's face became red with anger and before she could respond, Dr. Robinson asked, "Dr. Hahn, are you aware that since Dr. Yang's nomination, due to the erroneous decision that she didn't win in fact, the Catherine Fox Award Committee has been completely reconstructed and has no ties with the foundation whatsoever? In addition, other than being members of this committee, none of us have any connection with Dr. Fox herself." Erica's temper began to show and she argued, "But Dr. Fox, who does have a working relationship with Dr. Robbins-Torres, is on the committee and she has a vote in the decision making process." She turned her attention to the woman in question and stared at her in challenge.
Catherine, who had remained quiet to this point, for exactly those reasons, was well aware of Erica's former employment at the hospital and the circumstances under which she left. She also knew about her fleeting romance with Callie and was certain this was personal. Aside from that, the entire committee was well aware of her reputation as being temperamental and arrogant, which happened to be one of the qualities considered when choosing the winner. She was well known throughout the medical community for these reasons since there were very few people she hadn't offended. Leaning forward, Catherine clasped her hands, rested them on the table, and corrected, "Actually Dr. Hahn, I don't."
Dr. Humphrey pulled a document from the top file and passed it to Catherine. She put her glasses on and read, "Article five of our contractual agreement states, 'Any committee member has the right to nominate a candidate who fills the requirements set by the committee. Should a situation arise however, in which a prospective nominee has any direct connections, whether it be through business or otherwise, to a member of the committee, that member is unable to cast a vote. In the event of a tie, an outside party will be called upon to make the deciding vote.'" She then took off her glasses, looked to the other members of the committee for their approval, turned to Erica and formed a smirk of her own as she informed her, "While it is true that I did recommend Dr. Robbins-Torres for the nomination, I was forbidden from taking any further action, whether it involved voting for her nomination or for her winning of the award. In this case, there was no need for a tiebreaker however, as the vote was unanimous."
Erica could feel her face burning as her anger boiled to the surface, it infuriated her to learn that not only had Callie beaten her, but also she, herself, didn't even have a chance. Certain she'd found a loophole with her second concern, she tried to remain calm as she asked, "What about the next point? No nominee should use funds from the Catherine Fox Foundation to finance their research or the creation of their innovation." Pinching the bridge of his nose, Dr. Humphrey passed a different folder to Dr Bishop, who opened it, read through the documents, and stated, "According to these records, which we have previously reviewed, Dr. Robbins-Torres has never requested nor been gifted any funding from either the Harper Avery nor the Catherine Fox Foundations." Erica huffed and her voice rose as she argued, "She's part owner and on the board of the hospital, do her dividends and board payments not count as funding from the foundation?"
The president sighed, passed another folder to Dr. Robinson, who opened it, read through the documentation, and announced, "According to her contract with Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, Dr. Calliope Robbins-Torres is, in fact, acting as guardian ad litem to a minor child and all payments go directly into a trust in the name of that child with her other parent, Dr. Arizona Robbins-Torres listed as the co-beneficiary. According to the actual bank statement, neither can access those funds without the signature of the other, which, it appears, have gone untouched since the establishment of the account." He then looked up to Erica and declared, "Dr. Hahn, as you can see, in a situation such as this, where the nominee does have such strong connections to the Fox Foundation, we are extremely thorough in our investigation of that candidate, which includes both business and personal financial records, in the event that someone may challenge the validity of our decision. I might add however, that despite the many surgeons associated with The Fox Foundation who have been nominated for or have won the award, this particular concern has never been contested, nor brought to our attention. Due to the fact that both Dr. Robbins-Torres and her wife are so closely associated with Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, before even approving the nomination, we made certain that nothing in regard to the creation of the AR-5511 prosthetic leg, which earned her the nomination and the award, could be credited to the Fox Foundation or to Dr. Fox herself either professionally or personally."
Realizing she was getting nowhere, Erica lost control of her temper, stood up, slammed her hands on the table, towered over the members of the committee and spat out, "SHE'S AN ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON! It shouldn't even be included as a surgical specialty, let alone considered for this award. I cannot believe how much the standards of this committee have been lowered. It's as if you were scraping the bottom of the barrel. This is a joke of epic proportions and the Catherine Fox Award has become nothing more than a participation trophy!" "ENOUGH!" Catherine commanded as she stood up, mirrored Erica's stance, looked her in the eyes and rather than yelling, remained calm and collected as she quietly stated, "Need I remind you that you were also a nominee this year Dr. Hahn? Therefore if we scraped the bottom of the barrel, as you so crudely put it, then you were included in our scrapings." Erica sputtered, trying to think of a response, a way to backpedal, but it was clear Catherine wasn't finished. The older surgeon leaned closer and continued, "To stand here and say that our choice of recipient for this year's award is a joke, is not only insulting to the committee, but it is degrading to Dr. Robbins-Torres' exemplary work, and the specialty of orthopedics as a whole. Finally, if The Catherine Fox Award is no more than a participation trophy, you'll have no problem being removed from any further opportunities for nomination." She watched as the cardio surgeon's skin tone turned from beet red to sheet white in an instant.
Erica reeled back as if she'd been smacked in the face, she'd never thought of that possibility; certain she would be successful in her attempt to revoke the award. Her anger returning ten-fold, she snapped, "You bi…" Dr. Humphrey stood up and softly commanded, "Watch what you say next Dr. Hahn. You are in a room with five people who have a great deal of influence in the medical community. Your disrespect towards us and your fellow surgeon is uncalled for and completely unprofessional. Never in the history of this committee has anyone, especially another nominee, challenged our decision in such an aggressive manner. Dr. Robbins-Torres is an outstanding surgeon with a stellar reputation and unless you have actual concerns about the time, effort, research, and ingenuity she put into the invention of the AR-5511 Prototype, we have no reason to see this as anything other than a personal attack towards both Dr. Robbins-Torres and ourselves. Therefore, our decision stands, should you continue to press the matter publicly or personally with Dr. Robbins-Torres herself, there will be repercussions. You are dismissed." Furious with the decision and her blatant dismissal, Erica turned on her heels and started to storm out of the room when Catherine called out to her, "Dr. Hahn?" Erica spun around, daggers shooting from her ice blue eyes, and waited for the older surgeon to say what she needed to say.
Catherine rounded the table, went to stand in front of Erica and lowered her voice as she asserted, "You and I both know this is a personal vendetta against Callie and you wouldn't be making such a scene if anyone else won that award. I am well aware of your history with both Callie and the manner in which you left Seattle Grace, which only speaks of your own lack of professionalism. Whatever problems you have, whatever your personal issues with Callie, I suggest you come to terms with them because between your outburst at the banquet and your belligerent behavior just now, you've done far more damage to your own career and reputation than anything you could have done to harm her. My advice to you is to suck it up, accept our decision, and see this as an opportunity to learn to respect all specialties in our profession and keep your personal feelings to yourself." Having said what she needed to say, Catherine returned to her place at the table and watched as the irate surgeon left the room and slammed the door.
Once they were alone in the room, Dr. Humphrey turned to Catherine and asked, "Is there something else we should know Dr. Fox?" Catherine sat back in her chair, crossed her legs and replied, "There is, however I withheld the information purposely to give you the opportunity to form your own opinions and draw your own conclusions, which you all did fairly quickly and accurately." She pointed to the final folder in the pile, and explained, "That is Dr. Hahn's Personnel file. Several years ago, prior to any mergers, when Grey-Sloan was known as Seattle Grace, Dr. Hahn worked as an attending and head of cardio for a brief period. During that time, she'd accumulated a number of complaints from patients as well as co-workers, as you can read for yourselves. She'd also formed a romantic relationship with Dr. Torres who was a resident at the time. My understanding is that they had a disagreement and Dr. Hahn left both Dr. Torres and Seattle Grace without warning. Several days later, she submitted her formal resignation via e-mail. As you've all deduced, this was a personal attack on Dr. Robbins-Torres and nothing else." Dr. Bishop, who was sitting directly to Catherine's right, commented, "That was clear from the beginning," and the others nodded in agreement.
Dr. Humphrey closed the folder and suggested, "Now our next topic of discussion is whether or not we inform Dr. Robbins-Torres of this complaint and our decision." Dr. Enid quickly replied, "I feel as though it is our duty to do so, if for no other reason than to prepare herself for a media attack in case Dr. Hahn does not heed our warning." Dr. Robinson added, "I agree, though I'm sure that Dr. Robbins-Torres, like everyone else at the ceremony saw Dr. Hahn being led out by security." Catherine chuckled and replied, "I also agree, however she is very well aware of Dr. Hahn's opinion in the matter. During the cocktail party, Dr. Hahn approached a woman who was looking at the photos and started bad-mouthing ortho in general and Dr. Robbins-Torres specifically. What she was unaware of was the fact that she was speaking to Dr. Arizona Robbins-Torres."
Dr. Humphrey chuckled and replied, "A formidable foe indeed. While she is much nicer about it, she is definitely not one to make angry. A fierce protector, that one." He then asked, "So we have come to a decision? We should notify Dr. Robbins-Torres?" They all voiced their agreement and Catherine informed them, "She is currently attending a brunch with her colleagues down the hall." Dr. Robinson replied, "I'm not certain that's the best time, however due to Dr. Hahn's antics, we never got the opportunity to congratulate her as a committee nor present her with the rest of her award." Catherine dropped her professional façade and answered, "I'm sure Callie and Arizona would both want to know as soon as possible and I have been invited to attend. It would be a shame to turn down the invitation." All in agreement, they finished up some last minute business, then left the conference room.
XXXX
Since they'd gotten out of bed and put the toy she'd left in the shower to good use, Callie was becoming more excited about seeing their friends. She looked at her watch again and noticed they only had ten minutes before they were supposed to meet the others for brunch and called out, "Arizona, we're going to be late!" Strolling out of the bedroom, still putting her earring in her ear, Arizona huffed, "It's not my fault it took half a bottle of concealer to cover up this damn hickey!" Callie released the top button on her shirt, pulled the collar away from her neck and replied, "Yeah, but a little bit it is. Now come on." Arizona rolled her eyes and muttered, "Seriously Calliope, we're meeting them downstairs, not across town." Fastening her button again, the brunette sighed and relented, "I know, I'm sorry, I just don't know when we will see them again and they came all this way." Arizona walked toward her, leaned up, kissed her on the cheek and declared, "Okay, let's go."
Callie opened the door and huffed in annoyance, but couldn't help but smile when Arizona yelped, "Wait!" and waddled back into the bedroom. Most of the time, Arizona could keep her normal gait, but when she tried to walk faster, it became more of a waddle and it made Callie smile every time. When the blonde emerged again, Callie shook her head and argued, "We are not taking that with us. It's pompous." Arizona shoved the well-deserved glass trophy in her wife's hands and ordered, "We are taking it with us because our daughter and my parents haven't seen it yet and screw pompous, you've just won a Catherine Fox Award!" Looking down at the trophy and seeing her name again made Callie puff up with pride and she declared, "You're right! If I want to carry my award around, I will." Arizona smiled and the two left the room and headed toward the private dining room where their brunch was being served.
As they walked through the lobby on their way to meet their friends and family, they heard the unmistakable voice of their daughter exclaiming, "Mommies!" and looked up to see that Sofia and the elder Robbins' were just entering the hotel. Feeling Callie's grip on her hand tighten as her body tensed up, Arizona quietly asked, "Callie what's wrong?" With her eyes on her in-laws, Callie asked, "Is your mom looking at me funny? I feel like she's looking at me weird." Arizona chuckled and replied, "My mom is not looking at you any sort of way Calliope." Callie hissed, "She knows Arizona!" Just to tease her wife, the blonde asked, "What? You mean about my den of iniquity?" "Stop talking!" Callie commanded, then added, "You're dad already hates me because I knocked you up." Arizona couldn't contain her laughter, pulled her toward the door and said, "Come on, let's go see our daughter." Callie hesitantly followed, though she was certain her mother-in-law was staring at her suspiciously, her eyes looked as if they were glowing and she had an odd expression on her face.
As they got closer, Sofia broke free of her grandpa's grip on her hand and ran toward her mothers. First she hugged Arizona, kissed her belly and whispered, "Hi babies, I missed you." Arizona pouted, "What about me? You didn't miss mommy?" Sofia put her hands on her hips and declared, "Of course I did!" She then threw her arms around her waist again, squeezed lightly so she didn't hurt the babies, and said, "I missed you mommy." Arizona ran her hand through soft brown curls and returned, "I missed you too big girl. Did you have a good time with grandma and grandpa?" Sofia nodded her head, lifted the camera bag that hung off her arm and replied, "They took me to a bunch of famous places that grandpa said were important to the history of our country and I took lots and lots of pictures." Arizona smiled and replied, "Well I can't wait to see them. Is that why you brought your camera, so you could show us?" Sofia shook her head and answered, "No, I wanted to take pictures of all my aunts and uncles before they go back home." Callie interjected, "I think that is a great idea and so thoughtful of you. We can hang them on the wall with the rest of our pictures."
Sofia looked up at Callie, then did a double take when she saw the glass statue in her hand, wrapped her arms around her legs and squealed, "Mama! You won!" Callie looked down at the smiling face that was looking more like hers every day and answered, "I did." Bouncing on her toes, the little girl asked, "Can I see it?" Callie beamed down at her daughter, more than a little afraid she'd drop it, squatted down and turned it so she could read her name. Sofia looked at it in awe, lifted her hand up, stopped in mid-air, almost pulling it back, then asked reverently, "Can I touch it?" Callie smiled and nodded, then watched while her daughter mimicked Arizona's actions from the evening before, tracing her name with her finger while her wide brown eyes darted back and forth between her face and the trophy. Finished with her intense study, Sofia wrapped her arms around Callie's neck, nearly knocking her off balance, and exclaimed, "I'm so proud of you mama. You're the best bone doctor in the whole wide world." Glancing up at Arizona who was looking down at her, eyes full of pride, Callie felt a lump form in her throat and it only confirmed her earlier thoughts that she could win every award that existed and it still wouldn't measure up to how her family made her feel.
As soon as she stood up, Callie found herself enveloped in Barb's arms as she proclaimed, "Congratulations! I am so proud of you dear." When she pulled back, Callie realized the look she was seeing earlier was immeasurable pride and not condemnation. Blushing slightly and feeling the tears sting the backs of her eyes, Callie kissed her cheek and responded, "Thank you. That means more to me than you know." Barb had long ago taken up a special place in her heart and after everything she and Arizona had been through, she still loved and supported her and it meant just as much to hear Barb say she was proud of her as it did when her mother said it the night before. The older woman winked at her, pulled her into another hug and whispered, "You may have your own mother back, but I'm still your mama and nothing can change that." Callie shook her head against her shoulder, fought back her tears, and mumbled, "No, nothing can change that," and held on just a little bit longer until she felt a tug on her arm.
Turning to see who was behind her, Callie was surprised when she was pulled into yet another hug as Daniel's strong arms wrapped around her and squeezed her tight while saying, "You did good sweetheart, I am so proud of you for not giving up, no matter how tough it got." Callie pulled back, looked her father-in-law in the eyes, and knew his words had a double meaning. She shook her head and quietly replied, "I never will Daniel. This award means a lot, but the real prize is right there." She nodded her head toward her family and the older man followed her gaze as he replied, "What a beautiful and treasured prize they are, at that." Callie smiled, nodded her head, and answered, "They're my everything." Having overheard the conversation, Arizona was on the verge of tears, cleared her throat and asked, "Shall we move this party in with the others?" Sofia nodded, wormed her way between her parents, took each of their hands and swung them back and forth as they walked with Daniel and Barb following close behind.
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Deciding she wanted to get as far away from this place as possible before she ran into anyone from Seattle or worse, Callie and her annoying outspoken wife, still seething with anger Erica went to her room and swiftly packed her belongings. After being dismissed by the committee, more upset that they'd caught on to the fact that her outrage was indeed personal, Erica realized she should have given herself time to calm down and submitted a written complaint. For some reason, she couldn't let go of something that was brought up today about Callie acting as guardian for a minor child, which meant the child's money was invested to purchase those shares. Callie had also mentioned in her speech, something about leaving her daughter without her other mother after the plane crash. Suddenly, it all came together for her. Though she wasn't clear on the details because she didn't care enough to go beyond hearsay, she knew Sloan died in that same crash or as a result and that was why his name was on the hospital. Zipping up her bag, she pulled up the search engine on her phone, found Mark's obituary and skimmed through it. She stopped when she read, survived by daughters Sloan Riley and Sofia Robbin Sloan-Torres and chosen family members Callie Torres, Arizona Robbins, and Derek Shepherd.
Shocked, she dropped onto the bed staring at her phone. Each time she read it; she became more angry. She should have known Callie would run right back to Sloan. What she didn't understand was how this Arizona woman got wrapped up in that mess or why the kid had all three of their names. She knew in her heart she had left Seattle because she didn't want to share Callie, not just with Sloan, but with anyone. It was clear to her that she didn't come first, her career which was far superior to Callie's meant nothing to the ortho surgeon, who saw them on the same level. Her loyalty was to her friends and the hospital and not to her. She left and never came back, but after the first few weeks of trying to contact her, Callie gave up. Now she knew it was because she'd met the woman who would become her wife, which only intensified her anger. Though she thought she'd prepared herself for seeing the ortho surgeon again, she was completely thrown off guard, not only to learn that she was married, but also by her overall appearance. To say that it was shocking to see her dressed in a tuxedo would be an understatement. Erica scoffed at the fact that even after all this time, Callie was clearly still having identity issues.
Telling herself she was better off, she threw her bag over her shoulder, and left the room, hoping to leave this fiasco of a weekend behind her. Stomping down the stairs toward the reception desk to check out, she stopped when she heard an annoying squeal and looked over the balcony just in time to see a little brunette, who looked to be about eight or nine years old, running through the door, and knew before looking at her parents who the child belonged to. She was the spitting image of Callie. Unable to look away, she watched as the girl ran up to Callie and her wife, kissed the blonde's stomach, then proceeded to hug them both.
She felt that same stabbing in her stomach and couldn't figure out why it bothered her so much to see the little family interact with one another. She absolutely refused to believe that she had any lingering feelings after all this time. Yet, the uncomfortable ache only worsened when they were joined by an older couple who were clearly the blonde's parents and they were beaming at the ortho surgeon with pride. When she saw Callie bend down and hold the Catherine Fox Award out so the little girl could see it, her anger bubbled up from within, like a volcano about to erupt, and she hid behind a pillar and refused to allow herself to watch, afraid she'd do something she'd regret like snatch the award out of Callie's hand and smash it to the ground. She heard the blonde say something about joining the others and watched the small group turn down the hall toward the private dining rooms.
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Coming to a halt outside a set of closed double doors, hearing no noise coming from within, Arizona furrowed her brow in confusion and asked, "Isn't this the room where they told us to meet them?" Callie released her daughter's hand, took out her phone, double checked Addie's message and replied, "This is the one." She pulled on the handle to see if it was locked and easily opened the door, then nearly jumped out of her skin as the room erupted in applause and cheers. Based upon the decorations which included black and silver balloons and streamers, she realized what she'd expected to be a quiet brunch to catch up with her friends, turned out to be a surprise celebration in her honor. Turning to Arizona, she narrowed her eyes and asked, "Did you know about this?" The blonde shook her head, held up her hands and declared, "No clue. I thought we were having brunch." While she'd known everyone was going to be there, Callie didn't expect them to treat her any differently and was a little embarrassed by the attention.
Looking around the room for the culprits, her first instinct was to blame Addie, Lorraine, and Maria. Glaring at them, she asked, "Did you do all this?" All three of them shook their heads and Lorraine answered, "Not this time chief. We're innocent." Arizona scoffed, "You three are anything but innocent." Addie arched her brow at Arizona and muttered, "Look who's talking." Arizona glared at her while Callie chuckled and whispered, "You kind of had that coming." Arizona bumped their shoulders together and flirted, "And you enjoyed every bit of it." Feeling the blush rise up her face, Callie looked around the room and asked, "Seriously, who did all this?" Meredith approached them, handed Callie and the elder Robbins' a mimosa and declared, "Guilty, but I didn't do it alone, I have an accomplice." Miranda walked up next to her, gave Sofia and Arizona both a glass of orange juice and confirmed, "We've been planning this since we heard about your nomination, we figured no matter what the outcome, we couldn't go home without a proper celebration."
Callie shook her head at her friends, overwhelmed by the faith they had in her and said, "Thank you, really. There isn't a person in this room who hasn't supported me, believed in me, or been there for me at some point during my career and I thank you all for being here now." Miranda raised her glass and declared, "To Dr. Robbins-Torres, the newest Catherine Fox Award winner!" They all raised their glasses in a toast and laughed when Karev and Sofia both asked, "Can we eat now?" Callie looked to Meredith who nodded and replied, "We can eat now. Everything is set up as a buffet, so help yourselves." Arizona looked up and saw several people already forming a line and called out, "Save some bacon for the pregnant lady!" Karev grabbed a second plate, piled some bacon on it and replied, "I got you boss." Sofia started tugging on Callie's hand, exclaiming, "C'mon mama, I'm starved, grandma and grandpa wouldn't let me eat!" Before allowing herself to be pulled away, Callie looked at Arizona and asked, "Is there anything else you want besides bacon?" Arizona looked over at the table full of food and replied, "Crispy potatoes and a waffle please." Callie nodded, kissed her cheek, handed her award to her, then let Sofia drag her across the room.
"Is this a private party or can anyone join?" The entire room went quiet and looked up to find Erica standing in the doorway with a smug look on her face. Looking into the room, Erica was mildly amused by everyone's surprised reaction. After checking out of her room, she heard the cheers and clapping emanating from around the corner where Callie and her precious little family were headed and realized they must be celebrating the ortho surgeon's undeserved win. Her anger still bubbling at the surface, she was determined to put a damper on Callie's day. She followed the noise and approached the door just in time to hear Bailey make the toast. Even through all of her anger, it wasn't lost on her that while she'd come alone and sat with a group of boring strangers, Callie had not one, but two full tables of supporters who all seemed to be here now. She also found it annoying that while she'd also worked with many of these people, not one of them even acknowledged her presence at the ceremony. Looking around the room, she spotted the blonde standing with an older couple near the front of the room and saw Callie at the back table talking to her daughter.
Just as she was about to enter the room, Miranda, Meredith, Jackson, and Richard all moved to the entrance to block her from going any further. In her most commanding and chief-like voice, Bailey replied, "This party is by invitation only and since I made the guest list, I know for certain you are not on it." Erica tilted her head, and with her tone dripping with sarcasm, cajoled, "Come now Miranda, is that how you treat a former colleague? I just want to congratulate the guest of honor. What do you say Callie, can I join you?" Callie felt a tug on her hand, looked down at Sofia who looked at her with fear in her eyes and asked with a tremor in her voice, "Mama, who is that lady and why is she looking at you so mean?" In that moment, Callie's shock immediately turned to anger, her protective instincts kicked in and she decided enough was enough. Seeing the fire flash in Callie's eyes and the fear in Sofia's, Alex took the little girl's hand and said, "Come on squirt, let's go into that kitchen and see if we can get some whipped cream and chocolate chips for these waffles." Sofia nodded but kept her eyes on Erica. Callie bent down and whispered, "It's okay baby girl. She's mad she didn't win the award and wants to ruin it for mama. I won't let her though. Go on with Uncle Alex." Pulling her to the side door, loud enough for everyone to hear, Karev asked, "Did I ever tell you the story about the witch with the frozen heart?"
As soon as Sofia was out of sight, Callie crossed the room to stand with Arizona, and asked, "What do you want Hahn?" Hearing the name, Lucia studied the woman's sour face, and asked, "Hahn? Isn't she the doctor who had to leave with security?" Carlos nodded and responded, "I believe so." He then looked to Addison who was standing with Maria and Aria and asked, "What does she want with Calliope?" Deciding to be discrete with Callie's parents, the redhead replied, "She and Cal worked together several years ago and had a falling out. They were both nominated for the award and it appears she's being a sore loser." Hearing this, both Carlos and Lucia went to stand with Callie and Arizona who were already being flanked by Miguel, Barb, and Daniel.
When Addie moved to join them, Aria caught her arm and asked, "What's the real story?" Turning her back so no one else could hear, Addie explained, "Before Arizona, this is the first woman Cal was ever with. They were each other's first actually, and while Erica jumped right into the vagina monologues, Callie was still on the fence and coming to terms with being bi-sexual. They got into an argument about something completely unrelated, Erica walked away never to be seen or heard from again, and Callie was left devastated." Maria huffed and asked, "Are you telling me another ex is making a scene?" Addie nodded and laughed when the brunette muttered, "I swear we can't take these two anywhere!" Maria stormed to the front of the room with the other two women hot on her heels and stood behind Callie and Arizona.
Meredith and Jackson moved aside, just far enough so the two women could see each other, and Callie asked again, "What do you want Erica? We all know you aren't here to congratulate me or say anything even remotely nice." Miranda let out a "hmmph," and muttered, "Wouldn't know nice if it bit her in the ass." Erica glared at the shorter woman, then moved her gaze back to Callie, practically sneering as she took in her attire of suit pants, a vest, and a long sleeved button down shirt. Curling her lip in disgust, she snarled, "I see you're still having identity issues. Not only do you not know which team you're playing for, by the looks of it, you don't even know which team you want to be on." Just to add to the dig, though she already knew the answer from her earlier eavesdropping, she asked, "Does Sloan's kid call you daddy?"
The moment Erica brought up Sofia, both women went on high alert, their bodies stiffened, their nostrils flared and their hands balled into fists. Seeing this reaction, not at all aware of how protective either woman was of their daughter, she smirked and asked, "Hmm did I hit a nerve there? I'm interested in knowing how your wife feels about raising Sloan's love child." Callie stepped forward and warned in a low growl, "Leave my family out of this." Though at one time, that comment would have upset her, Arizona was now extremely secure in her role as Sofia's mother and determined not to allow the other woman to feel for even a second that she had the upper hand, Arizona stepped up to Callie's side, intertwined their fingers and replied sweetly, "Actually choosing to co-parent with Mark and become a mother was the best decision I've ever made. Mark was a wonderful father, in fact, these are also his children." She put her hand on her swollen stomach and smiled when the haughty expression slipped off Erica's face.
Just to turn the knife, Arizona looked Callie up and down, bit her bottom lip, cocked her eyebrow, and saucily explained, "As for what team my wife plays for, let me assure you that she has hit plenty of homeruns out of this park." Ignoring the snorts from behind her, the surprised looks from their parents, and the tightening grip on her hand, her lips formed a huge grin now as she looked straight at Erica and continued, "MULTIPLE homeruns, we're talking extra innings. Grand slams on many occasions! Oh, and don't get me started on her pre-game warm-up." Leaning in closer, she shuddered a little, gave a seductive eyeroll, and bragged, "The best is after a big win and man did we celebrate last night!" Hearing her father clear his throat, Arizona decided she'd said enough and took great satisfaction in watching Erica almost slump in defeat. She, just like everyone else in the room, knew that the cardio surgeon was jealous and was trying to get under Callie's skin any way she could.
Struggling to keep a straight face, Callie declared, "Now if you are finished with your personal attack, we have some celebrating to do." Seeing the doors were about to close in her face, she was having no effect on Callie whatsoever, and was once again being dismissed, Erica called out, "I've never known you to back down from a fight Torres. Isn't it beneath you to hide behind the little woman?" Erica watched Callie's body tense up and grinned wickedly knowing she had finally upset her. What she didn't expect was the murderous look in those rich brown eyes when Callie spun around and stepped up so close she could feel her breath on her cheek when she snapped, "What the actual fuck is your problem?" Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Callie shrugged it off and continued in a barely controlled voice, "Since you arrived yesterday, you've done nothing but criticize me, ortho, my nomination, the fact that I won the award, and now you interrupt my celebration with friends and family with more personal attacks. I get it, we all get it, you're pissed off that you didn't win and furious that I'm the person you lost to. Clearly whatever issues you had with me ten years ago haven't been resolved. That's not my problem to deal with and I suggest you leave before I call security."
Erica shoved Callie's shoulder, knocking her back a step, and yelled, "You and I both know you don't deserve that award! You got the sympathy vote because of your crippled wife!" Before she knew what was happening, Erica found herself pinned against the door with a hand wrapped around her throat. Expecting to see Callie standing in front of her, she was surprised when she opened her eyes and stared into the angry blue eyes of an older balding man. The entire group watched in shock as Carlos appeared out of nowhere and snatched up the cardio surgeon with seemingly no effort at all. Erica struggled, clutched at his wrist, and warned, "Get your hands off me!" Carlos leaned in and growled, "I'm going to say this one time and one time only; no one disrespects my family. Personal attacks aside, you crossed a line. Not only does Callie's creation speak for itself, but more importantly, Arizona is the last person who needs sympathy. That woman has fought her way back from a terrible tragedy against all odds and despite her traumatic experience, she has become the most sought after maternal and fetal surgeon in the country. She protects the ones she loves fiercely and has even taught me about being a good man in a storm, which is why you are not being carried out on a stretcher right now. When I let go, you will walk out of this room and neither of my daughters' names will cross your lips again. Are we clear?"
Just to get out of the man's grip, Erica nodded her head, and the moment she was released, needing to get in one last dig, she looked at Callie and claimed, "I've already submitted my petition to have your award revoked and the committee is taking it under consideration as we speak." Her head snapped around when she heard Dr. Humphrey's deep voice declare, "I believe my exact words were, 'Our decision stands.' I'm also certain that I advised you there would be repercussions should you choose to press the matter either publicly or personally and this qualifies as both, therefore, an official report of your behaviors this weekend will be submitted to the medical board." Erica sputtered, "That man tried to choke me!" Catherine replied, "After you verbally and physically assaulted Dr. Robbins-Torres. We witnessed the entire ordeal Dr. Hahn. Now, if you wouldn't mind, you are interrupting a private celebration. These two men will lead you out." She stepped aside and allowed two security guards to enter. The entire group cheered when Erica was nearly lifted off her feet and carried from the room.
Once the intruder was gone and the doors were closed, Callie pulled Arizona into her arms, buried her head in the crook of her neck and cried, "I'm so sorry honey. I'm so…" Arizona shook her head, ran her fingers over the back of Callie's scalp to calm her down and whispered, "There's nothing to be sorry for Calliope. She's an angry miserable bitch and just wanted to upset you. Don't let her take this from you." Callie lifted her head, studied Arizona's face and asked, "You really aren't upset?" Arizona shook her head, caressed Callie's cheek and admitted, "I'm quite relieved actually." Callie arched her brow then watched as Arizona tilted her head to look behind her, winked at Carlos and quipped, "I'm relieved it took your dad ten years before he decided to throw a woman against a wall." Carlos chuckled, hugged both women, and retorted, "That was no woman." Addie muttered, "What the hell did you see in her?" Lucia furrowed her brow in confusion, then she sputtered, "That woman? She could have been my daughter-in-law?" Callie, Arizona, and the entire Seattle crew, including Addison, all yelped, "NO!" and started laughing, effectively breaking the tension in the room.
After checking on the well-being of both women, everyone dispersed, Alex returned with Sofia, and they all picked up where they left off. Callie and Arizona were sitting together at a table, quietly taking comfort in one another before rejoining the festivities when they were approached by Catherine and the rest of the committee. After she introduced everyone, Dr. Humphrey proclaimed, "On behalf of the committee, I'd like to apologize for all of the trouble. Dr. Hahn did meet with us earlier and we immediately recognized her complaint as a personal attack and told her our decision was final and warned her to leave you alone. Clearly she dismissed our request." Callie shook her head and assured him, "There's no need to apologize. We anticipated the fact that she would have a negative reaction. I have to admit though, I figured we'd heard the last of her after being escorted off the stage last night." Dr. Robinson agreed, "We thought the same thing." Dr. Humphrey reached into his pocket, pulled out an envelope, and stated, "Which brings us to the true reason for our visit." He handed the envelope to Callie and explained, "While the award is presented on stage, we prefer to congratulate the winner in person and present them with the monetary portion of the award."
Callie looked down at the envelope in confusion, turned it over in her hands, and looked at Arizona in question. Realizing once again Callie was taken off-guard and unaware, Catherine chuckled and explained, "Callie dear, when Harper originally created the award, his intent was to make surgeons who are already on the top of their game, try to take it to an even higher level. In addition to the honor, the winner also receives a monetary prize which has recently been increased from 500,000 dollars to 750,000 dollars since this committee was founded." Though she tried to hide her shock, Callie's eyes widened and she asked, "Is this to go toward furthering my research on the prototype or can I use it on other proj…" She was cut off by an amused Dr. Enid, who clarified, "This is a personal monetary award, not a contribution toward your research. In fact, we advise against using it in further research or projects since it may hinder your chances at being nominated again."
Still astounded, Callie was broken from her thoughts when Dr. Humphrey declared, "We will leave you to celebrate with your friends. Congratulations again Dr. Robbins-Torres." Callie smiled, thanked them each individually, shook their hands, and escorted them to the door. Catherine stayed behind to join the party, waited until the others left, gave Callie a big hug and whispered, "I would have kicked her ass!" Callie laughed, picked up her award from the table and replied, "I already did." The older surgeon shook her head and proclaimed, "Oh honey, that wasn't ever a question. The vote was unanimous." Callie's mega-watt smile bloomed across her face and she looked at the award again and said, "This truly is an honor, thank you." Catherine smiled in return then crossed the room to join her husband.
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After Callie went up in a second attempt to get them something to eat, Arizona took a drink of her orange juice and started rubbing soothing circles on her stomach when she felt one of the babies kick. She put her glass on the table, looked down at her belly and murmured, "I know, mommy's hungry too. Mama's getting us something to eat right now." She startled when a plate of bacon was plopped down in front of her and she looked up to see Karev pulling out the chair beside her as he teased, "Here you go prego." Arizona popped a piece of bacon in her mouth and snapped, "Suck it crap dog." They both smiled at each other and the younger man shook his head and declared, "Man I miss you!" Arizona nodded and replied, "I miss you too." Feeling a hard kick, she flinched and put her hand over her stomach. Alex arched his brow, blushed slightly and asked, "Can I feel it?" Arizona took his hand, rested it on her right side where she just felt the kick and explained, "This is our little girl. She's the most active but I think it's because she has more room." Alex smiled when he felt the kick, shook his head and declared, "Dude, I never thought I'd see the day when you got knocked up. Pregnancy really agrees with you."
Arizona released his hand, continued to rub her stomach and replied, "Thank you. It really does, I love being pregnant. Though I didn't expect three at the same time." Karev laughed and replied, "Yeah, I can see how that would be a surprise." He tilted his head and asked, "But you're doing okay?" Arizona nodded and answered, "I am. I get tired very easily and I've already cut back my hours to part time and mostly work on my research." Nodding in understanding, Karev looked across the room, watched Callie try to juggle three plates, nodded in her direction and commented, "I don't even have to ask if your wife is looking after you." The blonde shook her head, smiled tenderly and replied, "Callie has been amazing. Extremely overprotective, but amazing." Her former protege patted her hand and replied, "I'm happy for you Robbins." Arizona winked and asked, "Are you going soft on me Karev?" Alex grunted and started shoveling food in his mouth, making her laugh at his avoidance tactics.
Callie handed Sofia her plate and directed, "Be careful not to spill it." Sofia nodded and asked, "May I go sit with Tia Aria?" Callie nodded and replied, "Of course you can." Turning to pick up the other two plates, Callie heard a gasp and saw Addie staring at her exposed wrist. Meredith looked up, followed the redhead's gaze, grabbed Callie's hand, pointed at the faint red line and asked, "What the hell is that from?" Rather than being embarrassed or answering directly, Callie looked to Addie and offered, "Let's just say I really appreciate you for bringing that suitcase." Addison's head whipped around to look at Arizona then she turned back to Callie and hissed, "I thought she was joking to irritate me!" Meredith let out a bark of laughter and commented, "I have no idea what was in that suitcase but based on the look in her eyes last night, and the comments she made to Hahn, I'm surprised that's the only mark you have."
Callie laughed as she thought about the things her wife said and was about to explain it was the only visible mark until Addie pointed at Meredith and accused, "You told us they left because Arizona wasn't feeling well." Callie wiggled her eyebrows and replied, "Oh trust me, she was feeling just fine." Addison put a spoonful of fruit on her plate and muttered, "I can't wait until these babies come, at least I'll have a 6 week reprieve from hearing about or being an accomplice to your sex life." They both watched as Callie's face dropped and she asked, "Six weeks?" Meredith laughed and added, "Probably longer than that with three newborns." Addie smirked and teased, "It could be even longer if you aren't nice to me. After the babies come, the fate of your orgasms is in my hands." Callie dropped her head and mumbled, "Oh God!" making the other two surgeons break into giggles. As she walked away, she heard Addie call out, "Oh and if I ever hear another baseball reference, I swear I will vomit!" She blushed and scurried in the other direction when she heard her father-in-law mutter, "Damn sure ruined the game for me."
Once they were all seated, conversation and laughter filling the room, Maria sat down across from Callie, pointed to the award and asked, "Are you going to carry that thing with you everywhere you go?" Callie smirked and retorted, "No, actually I figured I'd add that to your duties as my head nurse. You can just follow me around carrying it on a silver platter." Lorraine laughed and quipped, "Good, then she won't be bugging me at the front desk while I try to get my work done." Maria glared at both of them, stood up and huffed, "I don't need this abuse!" and walked away. Arizona laughed, looked at Callie and stated, "And you say I give her a hard time." Callie smiled, shrugged, and replied, "You're right, it's fun." All three women started laughing and Lorraine agreed, "It really is."
After they finished their meals, the waitstaff collected their plates and everyone's attention was drawn to the front of the room when Miranda cleared her throat and commanded, "May I have your attention for just a moment? Callie and Arizona could you join us up here please?" Seeing Bailey and Grey standing in front of the buffet table, Callie stood up, helped Arizona to her feet, then the two shared a questioning look as they walked toward their friends. Meredith looked at her two friends and stated, "As Bailey said earlier, we've been planning this little surprise since we first heard of your nomination. We all knew we wanted to be here to support you and while we had no doubt you would win, we wanted to be able to celebrate another big moment with you as well and welcome the newest members of our Grey-Sloan family in person." She nodded toward the kitchen entrance and both women turned to see Richard wheeling out a cart with pink and blue balloons tied to the handle, which contained a cake in the shape of a scrub top decorated with pink and blue frosting. He was followed by Jackson, Alex, and Jake who were all carrying matching white bassinets loaded with gifts.
Seeing this brought tears to both women's eyes and Arizona exclaimed, "I can't believe you did this!" Callie shook her head and agreed, "This is just…Thank you." Bailey smiled and explained, "When word got out that you were expecting, people started dropping off donations and gifts and we figured since we were coming out, we'd throw you our own mini-baby shower." All three men placed the baby beds on the now empty buffet table, Alex reached into the one he'd carried in, took out a large flat box, handed it to Arizona and smirked when he said, "BokHee knows what a big fan you were of the scrapbook station, so she made sure to take care of that for you." With Callie looking over her shoulder, Arizona opened the box, took out the book, and gasped as she flipped through the pages and not only found messages from all of their former colleagues, nurses, and other staff members, but also several pictures of the two of them together or in the O.R. She smiled, held it tight to her chest, and requested, "Please tell her thank you and we love it."
Jackson took out a package, looked around to find Sofia, crooked his finger toward her, then waited for her to join him. He bent down on one knee, held the present in his hand and swallowed the lump in his throat before explaining, "Your daddy, he was my teacher and I learned nearly everything I know from him. When I joined his service, he came up with a name for us. He called us The Plastics Posse." Sofia giggled, "That's a funny name." Jackson smiled and agreed, "It is, but I was kind of hoping you and your sister and brothers would be in that club with me since I'm on my own now." He handed the gift to Sofia and nodded for her to open it. The little girl turned to look at her mommies to make sure it was okay and she knew it must be something special when she saw the tears in their eyes. She opened the present and found a pink t-shirt in her size and a pink onesie and two blue ones. Opening it up, she tried to read the first word, "Hono…honorar…honorary! Honorary Member of The Plastics Posse." She threw her arms around Jackson's neck and said, "Thank you Uncle Jackson. When the babies come, we'll take a picture and send it to you." The plastic surgeon held her tight and whispered, "I'm glad you like it." When he stood up, both Callie and Arizona hugged him and Callie murmured, "He'd be so proud of you." Jackson nodded and Bailey demanded, "No more tears! This is a celebration people. Let's eat cake, some of us have a plane to catch."
While everyone ate cake and tried to get the names of the babies out of the expectant parents, Meredith approached Lorraine and Maria and apologized, "I hope we didn't step on anyone's toes, we just…" Maria shook her head, squeezed the general surgeon's hand and stated, "They're your family, we get it, and for the record, you didn't step on anyone's toes. This was great and I know they're thrilled to have shared this with you." Meredith smiled in thanks and Lorraine shooed her off, "Go spend the little time you have left with your friends." Just as she started to walk away, Sofia hopped in front of them with her camera and ordered, "Say cheese!" The three women posed for the picture, blinked at the flash, then laughed as the little girl ran off to take more pictures. After several group photos, they all regretfully said their goodbyes.
Callie followed them into the hallway, hugged each of them again and offered, "Thank you all for being here. It means so much to know how much you believe in me." Bailey replied, "We wouldn't have missed it for anything in the world. We're family Callie, 3,000 miles won't change that." Callie smiled, watched them walk away then called out, "Catherine, may I have a minute?" The older woman walked back to her and Callie said, "Thank you…ah, for the room. We really appreciate it." Catherine winked and replied, "Well, I would tell you to enjoy your time alone, but I've been told you already have." Callie hung her head in embarrassment and Catherine patted her on the shoulder and comforted, "It could be far worse, you could be striking out." She then let out a cackle and walked away.
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After returning to the dining room, Callie joined Arizona at the table with the others and asked, "Did you all drive here?" Addie shook her head and answered, "No, your dad sent his plane for us. We have to take off soon." Maria piped in, "I suppose you want us to take all of this with us." Callie and Arizona looked at each other and Arizona answered, "Ah, not just these gifts." Addison shook her head adamantly, waved her hand and declared, "Absolutely not! I refuse to transport anything for you ever again." Callie laughed and explained, "We have an entire roomful of gift baskets and flowers upstairs and I have no idea how I'll fit it all in our SUV." The redhead eyed her skeptically and Lorraine cut in, "We would be happy to take them with us." Callie smiled and said, "Thank you. I'll go up in a minute and sort everything out. I want to keep a few of the flower arrangements, but the others can be split between the two centers and given to patients."
Confused by the conversation, Sofia looked at her mommy and asked, "When are we going to go home? Don't I have school tomorrow?" Arizona held her arms out for her daughter, wrapped them around her little waist and informed her, "Mama and I thought we'd stay in Boston for a few days and grandma and grandpa would like you to stay with them and visit." Milk chocolate eyes twinkled with glee as she looked from her mommy to her mama, then squealed, "Really?" Callie laughed and answered, "Really little miss. That is, unless you want to go home with the others and go to school." Sofia bit her lip, shook her head, then asked, "But what about Tobin, won't he miss me?" Addison knelt down and said, "Tobin is at home with Henry and Kim. It's not the same and he will miss you, but we will take good care of him and you can call and talk to him whenever you want." Feeling much better about that, Sofia nodded, then ran to her grandpa, jumped in his lap and shrieked, "I get to stay grandpa. We can keep working on our ship." The older man smiled and replied, "I can't wait sweet pea."
Carlos clapped his hands and suggested, "I'll get a porter to take these gifts out and request a second transport to the airport. Why don't you all get checked out and meet us in the lobby." He then turned and pulled out his phone to make the arrangements for a second form of transportation. Everyone started to leave the room and Arizona tugged on Callie's hand and said, "I'll be right out, I want to talk to your dad for a minute." Certain she knew what it was about, Callie nodded, gave her a soft kiss on the lips and murmured, "I'll wait for you in the lobby." Carlos finished his phone call and turned to leave the room, only to find he wasn't alone. Seeing tears in the beautiful blue eyes of his daughter-in-law, concern crossed his features as he asked, "Arizona, mija, are you feeling okay? Where is Calliope?" Arizona approached her father-in-law, wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "Thank you for defending me." Carlos tightened his grip for a moment, pulled back, raised his hands to her cheeks, wiped her tears away with his thumbs and revealed, "I meant every single word of it. You don't let what she said get to you." Arizona shook her head and replied, "I won't, she's the one I feel sorry for." Carlos hugged her again, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, led her out of the room, and declared, "If Calliope would have introduced her to me ten years ago, I don't think I would have been opposed to throwing women against walls." Arizona tossed her head back, let out a bark of laughter, and teased, "Awww you liked me." The older man smirked and quipped, "The dimples are deceiving."
A/N: I went MIA, I'm so sorry. I intended to have this chapter up several days ago. I had surgery scheduled on my other arm for next week and they moved it up a week. It's not quite as easy to hunt and peck 13,000 words with one hand. I know I spent a great deal of time on Erica, but I really needed to see that bitch put in her place. I also wanted the Grey-Sloan crew to be able to celebrate the babies with them in person. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and promise I'll do my best to post regularly.