Widow Robbins II
February 2007
The weeks since her parents' visit passed by in a blur for Callie. It seemed that she and Arizona were constantly busy. She started studying for the boards every chance she got and Dr. Chang was having her take on more and more surgeries. Dr. Kenley appeared to be putting Arizona through the paces, too, as she was working longer hours with more night shifts. Arizona's fellowship schedule was beginning to resemble a resident's schedule.
With Arizona working so many nights, Callie was spending as much time as she could at Arizona's house. She didn't want Barb and Daniel to have to shoulder the burden of taking care of the girls since their hands were full taking care of Nick. She was truly discovering what it was like to be a parent in Arizona's absence and she had to admit that there had been some issues.
Cam and Vivvy were not happy about Arizona being gone so much. The typical cold, rainy winter in Seattle didn't help matters, either, as they were tired of being cooped up so much. Callie felt sorry for their teacher as she was sure they were cranky in school like they were at home. She hoped that a trip to the aquarium would help and crossed her fingers that Arizona could go, too. She didn't know if she could handle the twins by herself.
Nick had finished his chemo and was scheduled for surgery. As promised, Callie would be in the OR, but not perform the surgery. The scans had been good post-chemo but Arizona was still stressed about it thus spending more time with Nick than before, and Callie was ashamed that she wasn't happy about it. She missed Arizona as much as the girls did.
She grumbled to herself about having to eat lunch in the cafeteria. She was late getting up and forgot to grab the lunch Arizona had packed for her since she wasn't in the habit of packing one. Plus she couldn't count on her girlfriend to bring it because Arizona wouldn't be at work until late afternoon.
"Callie!" She turned when she heard a voice call to her as she headed down the hall to the cafeteria. "Wait up!"
She waited for Mark, who walked briskly to catch up to her. "What, Mark?"
"Are you going to lunch?"
Callie gave him a look that let him know how stupid she thought his question was. "Yes, Mark, I'm going to lunch."
"Blondie - "
"Her name is Arizona," Callie snapped. She found his inability to call her girlfriend by her given name to be tiresome and the novelty of the joke had worn off long ago, even though it was akin to the banter from Nick.
"Robbins didn't pack you one?" he asked, and then he gave her a quasi-leer and a bump of his hip at the implications of his question.
"You're a pig, Mark." She started walking away from him.
"Oh, c'mon, Cal. I'm only joking," he replied, catching up with her.
"You're not as funny as you think you are."
He followed her into the cafeteria where Callie got in line. "I'll go find us a table," he said pointing towards the crowded area.
"Fine," she said dismissively. After getting her lunch she spotted Mark at an empty table. She hesitated for a moment, then decided to join him.
"You bought lunch?" Mark said, eying her burger and fries.
"Yes. What about it?"
"Blon - Robbins give you some lunch money?" he smirked, ignoring the scowl on Callie's face.
"No. I have my own," she replied, taking a large, emphatic bite of the cheeseburger.
"Since when?"
"Since my father gave me my trust fund back," she explained, as she dipped a fry in the ketchup.
"You got it back?" For some odd reason, Mark seemed giddy at that news.
"Yes. And I immediately transferred a chunk of it to my personal account."
"Why not all of it?"
"I don't want to be greedy, and I don't need all of it anyway. Being without it has given me a new independence."
Mark's eyebrows drew together in thought. "So you got it all straightened out with your family?"
She shrugged. "Sort of, I guess." She took a bite of her burger. "I mean, dinner a few weeks ago went pretty well." She wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. "It's weird, though. My mom has been calling or texting several times a week, and wants all the pictures of the girls and Arizona and I." She took a sip from her soda. "What's even weirder is that she's been talking to Arizona. She can't wait to have us all down for a visit in April."
"Mind if I join you?" Addison said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere behind Mark.
Callie nodded, her mouth full of french fries. "Mark is taking an unhealthy interest in my finances."
"Why haven't you learned to mind your own business?" Addison asked as she speared a tomato and crouton with her fork.
"I'm just looking out for Mommy Warbucks over here and making sure Julia Roberts doesn't run away with all her dough," he responded defensively.
"That's offensive on so many levels." Addison pointed at him with her fork. "Not to mention screwing up the pop culture references."
"One word," Mark said. "Pre-nup."
"I didn't ask your opinion on my money or my relationship." Callie added angrily.
Mark held up his hands in surrender. "Fine. Fine."
Callie turned to Addison. "How are you feeling about the wedding coming up?"
Addison toyed with her salad before answering. "I'm not sure I'm allowed to have an opinion on it. Derek's my ex because I did something stupid." She allowed her eyes to drift across the table to Mark.
"We had a relationship, Addie. 'Something stupid' implies it was a mistake."
"Maybe it was." Addison and Callie watched Mark shake his head and seem to deflate. Feeling about an inch tall, Addison began to backtrack. "I shouldn't have put you in the position I did, but he was your best friend. You should have said no."
"Whatever." He slouched in his chair. "It's not like it's going to last. They'll be divorced before she sits for her boards," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Seriously, Mark?" The ladies exclaimed in unison, then started talking over each other.
"You're going to act like this for his second marriage? With everything they've gone through, they're meant to be," Callie said.
"God, nothing ever changes with you." Addison shook her head.
"Are you waiting until they're married to sleep with Meredith?" Callie asked.
"Doubtful. Tried and she shot me down." He drummed his fingers against his bicep smugly.
"You did what?" Addison shrieked.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Callie wished she was sitting next to him so she would be able to hit him for his stupidity.
"How can you call yourself his best friend when you're always trying to sleep with his girl?"
He held his hands up again for them to back off. "They were broken up!" he exclaimed. "It was after you," he paused to point at Addison. "Came here and you guys tried to make it work again. We called ourselves 'the dirty mistresses'. She said no and that was that."
"So why are you dissing their relationship?" Addison asked in confusion.
"Because relationships don't last."
The two women looked at each other, then at him, silently imploring him to continue.
Mark sighed heavily. "I asked Lexie to move in with me and she won't even consider living together or even marriage until after she's sat for her boards and gotten a practice established."
"Mark, you and Lexie are in completely different stages of your lives," Addison pointed out. "I don't think she meant it as never happening, just not right this second."
"Don't pull a Mark and sleep with someone else just because Lexie hurt your feelings," Callie added.
Mark shook his head. "I need new friends."
Callie and Addison laughed. "Good luck with that!"
# # # # # # # # # #
After speaking with some family members after a surgery, Arizona immediately made her way to Nick's room. He had been admitted earlier in the day but she'd been unable to visit him until after her surgery. She knew how anxious he must be feeling about his operation the next day, despite his bravado. Everything that Rebecca Swender had told her sounded promising. The chemo had shrunk the tumor, they'd remove it and then he'd have radiation treatment.
She found Nick alone in his room, staring out the window. It didn't matter how many times she'd seen Nick with a military buzz cut over the years, she was still startled to see him with a bald head. "Hey!" she said brightly. "Where are my parents?"
"Off to get dinner, since I can't have anything before surgery tomorrow."
"How are you feeling?" She sat down on the bed by his hip. "Nervous?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "Not really. The surgeon was in earlier to go over it all." He rolled his eyes. "Again."
"Callie's going to be in the OR with you." She rubbed his hand soothingly.
"Is she doing the surgery?"
"No. She'll be there to observe."
"Why not? Isn't the doctor good? Does she not trust him?" His eyes widened as panic started to set in.
"No, the surgeon's good. I asked her to because I can't be there with you," she reassured him.
"Guess I'll have to accept your judgement," he said, his voice flat and his gaze returning to the window.
"What's wrong, Nick?"
"Nothing."
"Nicholas Peter Goodwin, don't lie to me. I've known you almost my entire life and I know when something's bothering you and I know when you're lying."
The room was silent for several minutes, before Nick asked in a small voice, "Should I stop seeing Teddy? I think I should."
Arizona froze in shock. "What? Why? Why would you do that?"
He rolled his eyes at the obviousness of the situation. "I've got cancer, Phoenix, in case you've forgotten."
"I haven't forgotten, Santa."
"I don't want her to keep seeing me because she feels sorry for cancer guy,"
It was Arizona's turn to roll her eyes. "You won't always have cancer. Your prognosis is very good. You'll get better. You're almost there. Have faith in the system."
"I suppose so."
"What's this really about? You like Teddy, don't you?"
"Obviously."
"And she seems to like you." Arizona's voice changed to one of gentle teasing. "I'm not sure why she does. Maybe she needs to have her head examined."
"Ha ha. You're so funny." His face fell. "I just don't have much to offer her right now. We watch movies and have dinner with Moms and Pops. Not much romance happening."
"Why do you need romance now? You're still in the getting to know you stage. What brought this on?"
"There's this blonde chick who got chemo when I did. I think she's a doctor here. Those doctors with the light blue scrubs, you know, not dark like yours."
"Residents and interns," Arizona said.
"They are always buzzing around her talking about a big wedding. And that's all I've heard today since she's in the room next door. And with Valentine's coming up, I just…"
"Just what?"
"I want to do something nice, something romantic with Teddy, but look at me. I'm bald, I limp, and I've got radiation starting up not long after I have the surgery tomorrow."
"Teddy knows all that, Nicky and she still comes around to see you here and at my parents' house." She took his hand. "What do you really want?"
"I like her a lot, Arizona," he admitted, Using her real name meant he was doubly serious.
"Well, she's head and shoulders above any other woman you've dated, that's for sure."
They looked at one another, and both said "Susie Ann Adams!" before roaring with laughter.
"Teddy's someone I could get really serious about. I want to woo her rather than the usual dinners at home, or going for a short drive," he said after their laughter had faded.
"Well, let me think about it. I'm sure we can come up with something."
"What are you doing for Callie?"
"I don't know. The schedule just came out and I'm working late that night. I'll probably have a late dinner with her and we'll celebrate it some other time."
"No, no, that won't do. What's the matter with you?" He shook his head slowly side to side. "If that's the best you can do, maybe I shouldn't be coming to you for advice. I don't know how you ever got a woman like Callie. You got no game."
"Hey! I got game."
"No you don't. You always had me and Tim do your dirty work as your wingmen, then would clam up when the girls approached."
"I'll have you know, my listening skills help put people at ease, which women find charming and mysterious."
Nick laughed and rolled his eyes. "Right," he scoffed. "It was more that you batted those blue eyes and flashed the dimples. Always those damned dimples." He tipped his head back as if pleading to the gods to give him some decent advice. "I don't have the baby blue eyes or dimples, and I don't even have the hair to give me a rugged, mysterious edge, so what do you suggest?"
"Well, you can always go the traditional route. Flowers are always appreciated. Mom swears you can't go wrong with flowers. To be honest, it worked with Callie." Arizona smiled as she remembered the first time she gave Callie flowers.
"What did you do, Arizona?"
"What do you mean?"
"You must've done something wrong to give a woman flowers."
Arizona thought for a moment. "For the longest time, I thought Callie was only interested because of Cam and Vivvy. A ready-made family. And it worried me. But I felt myself drawn to her and wanting her opinion on everything even though I tried pushing her away. Then, I fell. Literally. Sprained my ankle, minor fracture in my foot and all I could think of was disappointing her because it happened while wearing my heelies."
"Those damned shoes."
"It wasn't my fault that some dorky resident ran into me." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, she asked me out on a date while working on my foot and I told her no because she was my doctor. I never want to see that look on her face again. Eventually, I bought some flowers and asked her on a date. The rest is history."
"I was right. No game." Arizona swatted him on the shoulder. "Hey! No hitting the cancer guy."
"Oh, sure, play the patient card now."
"C'mon, Tempe, don't hit me again!" he said ducking from her.
"Okay, okay. I wouldn't want Swender to see your bruises tomorrow."
"Thank you." He leaned back against the pillow. "So, what else?"
"What do you mean?"
"What else can I do for Valentine's Day?"
Arizona paused in thought for a minute or two. "Okay, here's what you do. Order flowers and have them delivered to her at work first thing in the morning. Next, have a big box of chocolates delivered later in the day. That lets her know you're thinking about her more than once."
"Anything else?"
"A Valentine's Card is a must. No, wait, even better. Make one for her." Arizona grinned. "I'm sure the girls can show you how to make one."
"A card?"
"Yes. You bring the card in person. And in it, have a handmade coupon promising her a night out of fine dining."
"Really? You think that will work?"
"Yes, I do. Thinking of her that day, and planning for future time together. It's genius."
"If it doesn't work, I'm blaming you."
"It'll work. Trust me." She heard the familiar beep from her pager and took it out of her pocket. "I've got to go. 911 to the ER." She leaned over and gave her oldest friend a kiss on the cheek.
Unbeknownst to Arizona, Mark Sloan was walking by the open door. He saw the blonde sitting on Nick's bed, her back to the door. From his vantage point, it looked like she had clearly given the man a kiss. So much for Blondie being a lesbian. No better than that idiot O'Malley. He scowled as he continued down the hall and wondered if or how he should tell his best friend.
# # # # # # # # # #
Callie parked her car, grateful that she had a spot in Arizona's garage. She'd already gotten wet going to her car because her umbrella got turned up by a strong gust of wind. All she wanted to do was have a hot shower, get something to eat and crawl into bed. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen any time soon. She was already a bit late getting to Arizona's so there would definitely be a delay to her plans.
She knew she was in a grumpy mood. She had PMS, Arizona had barely been home the past two weeks, and the twins were cranky. The weather hasn't helped either, she thought as she hung up her wet coat and took off her wet shoes before entering the house. Kara was sitting at the dining room table, several open books and her laptop in front of her.
"Hey, Kara. Sorry I'm late. Thanks for staying."
"It's no problem, Dr. Torres, I mean, Callie." She closed her laptop and began to gather her schoolwork. "I fed Cam and Vivvy a little while ago. They had scrambled eggs with cinnamon toast."
"Thanks. I really tried to get home in time but I got called into surgery this afternoon and it took longer than expected."
"It's not a problem."
She looked around the room. "Where are the girls?"
"Upstairs. Last time I checked about fifteen minutes ago, they were making Valentine's cards." Kara placed her books and laptop in her bag. "Fair warning. They're kind of cranky tonight."
"Probably missing their mom." I know I am, Callie thought.
"And tired of being cooped up because of the weather."
"Hopefully our trip to the aquarium this weekend will help."
"They're gonna love that." Kara put on her coat. "I need to get home."
"Drive safely. It's still raining pretty hard. Text me when you get home, so I know you made it safely."
"I will. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Kara."
After locking the front door behind Kara, Callie headed up the stairs. She could hear the girls bickering before she even reached the second floor.
"You're doing it WRONG, Cam!"
"No I'm not. YOU are! Stop being such a doo-doo head."
"Am not! You are! You're a dummy!"
"You're stinky pants!"
"And you're a meanie butt."
"Hey!" Callie raised her voice sharply as she walked into the room. "No name calling! What's going on in here? I could hear you at the bottom of the stairs."
Vivvy stood and pointed at her sister. "Cam isn't cutting the hearts right and called me a doo-doo head!"
Cam crossed her arms over her chest. "Why are you such a tattle tale?"
"Hey! It all stops now. No more name calling." The girls started talking over one another, hurling five year old insults. All it did was give Callie a headache on top of the one she already had. "ENOUGH!" Callie's bellow immediately quieted the girls. "If you can't work together… quietly… then maybe we shouldn't go to the aquarium this weekend."
Cam's lower lip stuck out. "But the 'quarium is cool. I wanna see the sharks."
Callie's voice softened. "I wanna go, too. But if you can't behave at home, how am I supposed to trust that you'll behave in public?" She pointed at the table. "Bath time is in a half hour. Play nice, finish up your Valentine cards and get everything put away.." She waited to see if the girls would listen.
"All Cam can make is broken hearts," Vivvy remarked as she picked up the Elmer's glue bottle and tossed it at her sister. "Maybe this will help fix them."
Cam pushed away from the table angrily. "I DO NOT!" she yelled as she wildly swung at her and missed causing her to stumble against the other girl.
Callie rushed forward, stepping between the girls. "Camilla Jean, you know better. We do not hit and we do not call each other names." Behind her Vivvy stuck her tongue out at Cam, who pointed at her. Callie turned her head quickly to see Vivvy's antics. "Vivian Marie, you stick that tongue back in your mouth." She shook her head. "Enough is enough. You're not listening and you can't be together. Cam, go to your room and sit in the corner. Vivvy, go sit over there."
"You can't do that! It's not fair!" Vivvy cried, crocodile tears streaming down her cheeks."I didn't even do nuthin'."
Cam took a defiant stance and crossed her arms over her chest. "You can't make me. You're not my mommy."
Callie felt as though the young girl had connected a sucker punch to her belly as all bravado left her body. She may not be their mother, but for so long, she felt as if she was. She held back her emotions and steeled her expression. Her tone switched to the one she gave the interns. "I might not be, but I am the adult in charge. If you misbehave, that gives me the right to punish you. Time out. Now." She watched as the two girls stomped to their respective areas and tried not to flinch when Cam slammed the bedroom door.
With a heavy sigh, Callie walked into the hallway and closed the door to the playroom. She walked over to the top of the stairs and sat on the top step, not wanting to be too far from the girls since this was the first time she had to really punish them. She set a timer on her phone for five minutes and placed the phone on the step next to her. She crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself. The hollow ache in the center of her chest felt as if it would never leave. She didn't realize she was crying until a tear fell onto her knee. She wiped futilely at her cheeks. She had to stay strong.
# # # # # # # # # #
After a very quiet bathtime and no story, the girls were put to bed. Once Callie was assured they were asleep, she opened a bottle of wine and poured herself a large glass. She sat on the couch with a heavy sigh. Cam and Vivvy's behavior and their comments had rattled her. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a parent, she thought. I'm not their mother, even though I feel like I am. Maybe I should talk with Arizona about my true place in their family.
She picked up her phone and called her father.
"Calliope," he answered pleasantly.
"Hi, Daddy. I hope it's not too late for a call," she said, looking at the clock. She'd forgotten the time difference and blamed it on her distress over parenting the girls.
"It's never too late for a call from you." When Callie didn't respond right away, he became concerned. "Is something wrong, mija?"
She took a steadying breath. "Daddy, when you first dated Mom, did you have any problems with Aria?" she asked softly.
"What kind of problems?"
"Did Aria ever say anything like 'you're not my daddy'?" He paused and Callie could hear the ice rattling in what was sure to be a glass of scotch.
"Aria was very young, only a toddler when your mother and I started dating, and then married." He chuckled softly to himself. "But Aria is Aria, even when she was only two." He took a sip from his class. "She had her moments where she was difficult. Why do you ask?"
Callie told him what had happened with the girls and what they'd said. "I felt awful, Daddy."
"When Lucia and I started discussing marriage, we had to sit down with Aria and explain that I would be her father. Now mind you, she was only three so we tried to be as simple as possible. I don't think it was that she didn't think I was going to be her father. It was more that she was jealous of having to share her mother's attention."
Callie heard some whispering and then her mother's voice. "Callie? What's wrong?"
"I had to discipline the girls tonight and it didn't go well."
"I can't imagine those two sweet girls misbehaving."
Callie rolled her eyes. Of course Lucia wouldn't believe her. Typical. "Think of Aria and I squabbling when I was about five years old."
Lucia both laughed and groaned. "Those were some interesting years. You two were like oil and water."
"It was so hard to send them to time out and get them to listen to me." She sighed and topped off her glass of wine. "Maybe I'm not mother material."
"Nonsense. The fact that you are worried about being a good parent means you'll be a good mom."
"I hope so."
"Anyone could see how much those girls adore you, Calliope. It's always hard the first few times you have to put your foot down and be stern. Just be consistent."
"Does it get any easier?" she questioned hopefully.
"Sometimes. At least until the teen years. Right now, you're still finding your place with them."
"I know."
"And you will be just fine, Callie. You have a big heart and that is what's important."
Callie felt tears well up in her eyes at her mother's words. "Thanks, Mom."
"It'll be fine, Callie," she reassured her.
"I hope so."
"I know so. Now get some sleep and call us anytime."
"I will. Love to you and Dad. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Callie. We love you."
Callie disconnected the call and tossed her phone onto the coffee table. She stretched out on the couch and closed her eyes for a moment. Hopefully her parents were right and everything would blow over quickly. For now, she would take inspiration from Scarlett O'Hara and view tomorrow as a new day. Everything will be better tomorrow.
# # # # # # # # # #
It was after ten o'clock when Arizona finally came home. She entered through the garage as usual. After hanging up her coat and purse and taking off her shoes, she made her way to the living room. She'd spotted a light on and wondered if Callie was already in bed and left the light on for her or if she was still up.
She paused in the doorway and smiled. Callie was sleeping on the couch, a small throw blanket covered her. Her heart was full seeing Callie there, like she belonged. Not for the first time her mother's comments about Cam and Vivvy's Christmas wish about Callie living with them came to mind. This could be my life, our life, she thought.
It wasn't until she stepped further into the room that she saw the empty wine glass and half-full bottle of wine on the coffee table. She frowned. She was a bit upset to see that Callie had been drinking while she was home alone with the girls. She sat down on the sofa beside Callie's hip. "Callie? Sweetie?" She placed her hand on Callie's hip and leaned over to kiss her cheek. That seemed to do the trick as Callie slowly opened her eyes.
"You're home," she said sleepily, rolling over onto her back.
"I am."
"What time is it?" she asked, reaching out to pull Arizona down beside her.
"Almost ten-thirty," Arizona answered, snuggling up to Callie.
"I'm so glad you're home," Callie sighed.
"Rough night?" Arizona asked, eyeing the wine bottle and the empty glass.
"That's an understatement." Callie noticed where Arizona gaze fell and quickly added, "I didn't have any wine until the girls were sound asleep. I promise."
"It's okay, Callie. We've both had wine at night before bed." She gently caressed Callie's cheek. "Want to tell me what was so rough about tonight? Did Cam and Vivvy give you any trouble?"
"Sort of," Calie said with some reluctance.
Arizona moved onto her side so that she and Callie were laying side by side, facing one another. "What happened?" She placed a reassuring hand on Callie's hip.
"Oh, the girls were just bickering while they were making something." Callie said vaguely.
"And?"
"Well, there was name calling and then Vivvy threw a bottle of Elmer's Glue at Cam and Cam took a swing at Vivvy, but missed."
"What?" Stunned, Arizona sat up.
"I put them in a timeout in separate rooms."
Good for you. It's what I would've done." When Callie wouldn't make eye contact with her, Arizona knew something else had happened. "That's not all of it, is it?"
"No," Callie admitted, tears springing to her eyes.
"Callie, sweetie, what's wrong?"
She looked up at the ceiling, avoiding Arizona's concerned gaze. "They were not happy with the timeout. Rather, with me sending them to timeout." She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, struggling to keep the tears at bay.
"Callie, what else?" she prodded.
"They said I couldn't make them, that I wasn't their mommy," she whispered, the words still stinging.
Arizona's jaw dropped in shock and started to rise. "I'm going to have a talk with them."
Callie grabbed her hand and kept her seated. "Arizona, it's okay. I handled it. They're sound asleep."
"No, Callie, it's not okay. They were being disrespectful. They are old enough to know better."
"I'm sure they didn't mean any of it. They were cranky and they're missing you. I miss you, too."
Arizona looked down in shame. Her schedule this month had been one of the worst she'd had since residency. She wasn't happy, either, hardly seeing the girls. If she and Callie didn't work together, she probably wouldn't see much of her, either. "I'm sorry, Callie. You've been so good with them and a big help. You didn't deserve that."
"It hurt, I admit."
"Well, I'll still have a talk with them tomorrow. And as for the aquarium…"
"No, don't cancel the trip to the aquarium. We all need some time together and it would be good to get out."
"I suppose you're right. But they have to apologize and know that they have to obey you as well."
Callie sighed and avoided eye contact. Her insecurity made another appearance. "Maybe… maybe I'm not really cut out to be a parent."
"It won't always be fun and games. There will be some tough moments. The fact that you are worrying about if and being upset about what the girls said means you'll be a great mom."
"That's what my mom said," Callie wiped away a lone tear.
"Mom's are smart like that," Arizona replied with a wink. She stood and held out her hand to help Callie to her feet. "Come on. Everything will feel better after a good night's sleep."
# # # # # # # # # #
The following morning, Cam and Vivvy stumbled sleepily to the kitchen table. "Good morning, girls." Arizona greeted them, sliding a bowl of Cheerios in front of Cam and a bowl of Rice Krispies in front of Vivvy.
Cam looked around. "Where's Callie?"
"She left. She…" Arizona started to explain her girlfriend's absence.
Vivvy's lower lip trembled. "Is it cuz we were bad?"
Arizona sat at the table with her plate of toast and bowl of strawberries and blueberries. "No, she got called into work early." She tilted her head to the side and pinned the girls with a look only a mother can manage. "Why do you think you were bad? Did something happen last night?"
Both girls looked at their lap with mirroring trembling lower lips. Neither touched their cereal. Cam mumbled something Arizona couldn't hear. She simply waited for the twins knowing they would speak when ready. After several silent minutes other than occasional sniffles, Vivvy finally spoke. "I was mean to Cam and we was yellin' and Cam said Callie wasn't our mommy when she put us in timeout."
"Is that something you would say to Kara?" When both girls shook their heads, she continued. "So why would you not listen to Callie?" Her voice softened. "It doesn't matter who it is that's watching you, if you're misbehaving, they are allowed to put you in timeout. If they say you can't do something because you were being bad, they're allowed to do that. It doesn't matter if it's Kara, Callie, Grandmom or even Yang. If you don't behave and they feel you need to be punished, then they can do so within reason. Do you understand me?" She waited for their nods.
"Does that mean we can't go see the fishes and otters tomorrow?" Cam asked timidly.
"I don't know. Do you think you should if you were bad?" The two girls' shoulders slumped in tandem. "Lucky for you, Callie still wants to go, but I expect you both to apologize for how you treated her." She waited for them to nod. "Good. Eat up. You still need to get changed for school." Once the mood lightened and everyone was eating, Arizona decided to bring up a subject which had been weighing heavily on her mind. "You know, Grandmom told me what you girls asked Santa for at Christmas. For Callie to live with us. Is that something you really want?"
"I like it when Callie's here," Cam commented, then scowled. "Most of the time."
"You smile more when Callie's here, Mommy," added Vivvy.
Arizona chuckled softly. "I suppose I do. But I hope you two understand that if or when Callie comes to live with us, things are going to change. Living with someone isn't like having a constant sleepover. There might be things she does that you don't like or that you do that she doesn't like and there will be lots of compromises. Do you understand?"
"What kinds of things?" asked Cam.
"Well for instance, we've talked about getting a pet in a few years."
"A dog like Sir Barksalot!"
"No, I want a kitty!" Vivvy added.
"What if Callie is allergic to dogs or cats? Then it wouldn't be safe for her if we got a pet." Arizona explained. "That's a compromise you'd have to make. That's just an example. Maybe she likes different foods."
"Callie makes the bestest waffles." Vivvy exclaimed, then looked down for fear she might have hurt her mother's feelings. "Sorry, Mommy."
Arizona chuckled. "It's ok, sweetie. She does make really good waffles. My point is that sometimes we find things out about a person when we live them that we would never know otherwise." They nodded along. "Do you still want Callie to live with us?" She held her breath in anticipation, knowing the future of her relationship hinged on their response.
# # # # # # # # # # #
Later that night, Callie leaned her forehead against her steering wheel. Between the altercation with the twins the previous night and putting in an eighteen hour day that included Nick's surgery going long, her brain was fried, her emotions bubbling under the surface. With a steadying exhale, she exited her car and entered the house. The kitchen was dark except for the lights under the cabinets closest to the garage entrance.
After she hung up her coat and removed her shoes, she wandered to the living room. A World War II documentary played softly on the large television. Kara sat with an open notebook on her lap and a bowl of popcorn beside her. "I wouldn't have taken you for a World War Two buff," Callie commented teasingly.
"Oh, Dr. Torres. I didn't realize you were home." Kara scrambled to clean up her little nest.
"Relax. I just walked in. Can't say I was expecting to see the bombing of London, though." She sat on the other end of the couch and leaned her head back. "And, please, call me Callie."
"Term paper about Churchill due in two weeks." Kara stopped the DVD and started to gather her belongings.
"I'm really sorry for being late again. I feel like this is fast becoming a thing and I don't want you to think we're taking advantage."
"I know things are a bit unsettled right now with the Robbinses what with that Nick guy having cancer and all. I'm glad to help. But…" Her voice trailed off.
Callie sat up. "What is it?"
Kara shook her head dismissively. "Nevermind. It's probably a conversation I should have with Dr. Robbins."
"Kara?"
"I got accepted to UCLA. It was a long shot but my dream school and I got my acceptance letter yesterday."
"That's amazing! Congratulations!"
Kara blushed. "Thanks."
"Have you decided on your major?"
"Pre-med." And she blushed again.
"Scholarships?"
"A few academics, plus I'm going to try out for their marching band." She busied herself with packing her bookbag. "Anyway, you guys are going to need a new sitter and I was going to suggest my sister, Megan. I think it would be good for her. Ever since the incident, she's in need of something to occupy her time."
"The incident? What happened?"
Kara waved away the comment. "Sometimes I forget you weren't always around. She dislocated her patella and did a ton of tendon and ligament damage during a soccer match last spring. She rehabbed over the summer, then her first match back, she ruptured her Achilles. The doctors and physical therapists all agreed that she should probably hang up her spikes. It's too bad because she was a really good soccer player."
"Who did she see?"
"Spencer at U-Dub. No offense, but Seattle Grace is probably the last place on our list of hospitals. Seems like something crazy is always happening there. I mean, it blew up a couple years ago, plus that one doctor got shot there before that."
Callie reflected on those events from her experience. She had nearly forgotten that Burke had been shot trying to get the heart for Denny Duquette. "When you put it like that, I can't blame you. Spencer is good though. Knows her stuff when it comes to sports medicine."
"Anyway, Megan has watched the girls a couple times, so they know her. She just turned fifteen in September, so she'll be getting her learner's permit soon. Plus I can show her the ropes until she'd need to take over in mid-May."
Callie nodded. "It makes sense. I'll let Arizona know and you guys can hammer out the details."
Kara stood, gathered her bookbag and the rest of her belongings and headed towards the door. "Thanks, Dr. Tor…I mean, Callie."
Callie started to follow her. "Wait a sec." She rushed into the kitchen to rummage in her coat and pulled a few bills from her pocket. She returned to the living room and held the cash towards the babysitter. "Here. You deserve a bonus for the late nights this week."
Kara stared at the bills in disbelief. It looked like several twenty dollar bills. "No, no, it's nothing. Just part of the job. Dr. Robbins pays me really well."
"This isn't from Arizona. This is from me." Callie forced the cash into the teen's hand. "Thank you for all you do for us."
Kara blushed. "Thank you for the tip." She opened the front door. "Have a good weekend."
"You too." Callie stood in the doorway and waited until Kara started her car and was pulling out of the driveway. With a final wave, she closed and locked the door and began walking around the lower level securing the house for the night. As she came to the top of the stairs, weariness began to overcome her. As tired as she was, she still wanted to peek in on the twins before heading to the master bedroom. She readjusted Vivvy's blanket, moved Sir Barksalot closer to Cam's body and placed a kiss on each girl's cheek. As she closed the door behind her, Callie wished she could do this every night.
# # # # # # # # # #
Saturday morning, Arizona woke to an empty bed. She sniffed the air, expecting the aroma of breakfast being cooked, but was perplexed to smell nothing. With a frown on her lips and her eyebrows furrowed, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up. She grabbed her robe from the back of the door and headed down to the kitchen. She looked around the area in confusion. No coffee started, no pans out, nothing in the middle of being prepared, no Callie. Then she noticed Callie's quick scrawl on the whiteboard on the refrigerator.
Ran to store. Bringing home breakfast. Xoxo C
With a smile and a nod, Arizona moved to the coffeemaker and pressed the button to begin the morning brew. She had just sat on one of the high backed chairs at the kitchen island when the girls came running downstairs.
"We're goin' to the 'quarum. We're goin' to the 'quarum," they sang together excitedly. They skidded to a stop when they realized they couldn't smell anything being cooked for breakfast.
"Where's Callie?" asked Cam.
For a moment, Arizona felt a moment of deja vu. Before she could answer, Vivvy's lower lip quivered. "Does Callie not love us anymore?"
Arizona eased off her chair and knelt in front of the girls. "Why on earth would you ask that? Of course, she still loves you."
Cam sniffed and rubbed her face, her voice shaking. "But she never said goodbye yesterday when she left and she didn't come home and now she's not here and we ain't goin' to the 'quarum no more." Her words came haltingly and by the time she finished talking she was fully sobbing.
Arizona pulled them into a tight embrace, holding them against each shoulder, rubbing their backs in comfort.
Without warning, the door to the garage opened and Callie pushed forward, her hands full of grocery bags. The aroma of coffee in the air hit her full force, so she began speaking without taking notice of her surroundings and plopped the bags on the island countertop. "Who knew so many people would be buying groceries at seven on a Saturday morning? Didn't help matters that the Safeway only had one cashier who, I swear, walked with dinosaurs. Then the drive thru at McDonald's…" Her voice trailed as she saw the trio on the kitchen floor. "What's wrong?"
The girls pushed away from Arizona and ran to hug Callie's legs. "You're here!" "You came back!"
Callie knelt to their level. "Of course, I came back." She looked over to Arizona quizzically. The girls wrapped their arms around her and leaned into her shoulders, much like they had been with their mother a few moments before.
"They haven't seen you since Thursday," Arizona began as she got up from the floor.
"We didn't mean to be bad," Vivvy wailed.
"Please don't leave us," sobbed Cam. "We don't have to go to the 'quarum. We're sorry."
Callie tightened her arms around the duo. "Hey, I'm not going anywhere. You two were asleep when I got called to work and again when I got home yesterday. I thought I was going to be able to make it back from the store before you all got up this morning. I brought home McDonald's breakfast as a treat." She pulled back to wipe the tears from their cheeks.
"But we were mean to you," Vivvy protested. Cam just sobbed harder, unable to articulate her feelings.
"I know and that's not okay, but you didn't like that I was the one punishing you. I've always been the fun adult and that changed the other night. It's an adjustment for all of us, but it's something we all need to get used to because I plan on being around for a long time," Callie said softly. She kissed both their foreheads. "Now, dry those tears and go sit at the table. I probably need to reheat your pancakes and sausages. You're going to need your energy for today. Going to be lots of walking at the aquarium."
"We still get to go?" Cam asked hopefully.
"As long as your mom says we can." The trio looked up at Arizona. "What do you think , Mom? Do they deserve a trip to see the fishies?" Callie winked at her.
Arizona released a long heavy breath. "I dunno."
"Please, Mommy. Pretty please," the twins begged in unison.
"Did you get me a sausage McMuffin with egg and cheese?" she asked Callie.
"Of course."
"I suppose we can go then," she drew out her response.
"Yay!" They rushed to hug her, then she directed them to the table to wait for their breakfast.
Arizona walked over to where Callie still knelt and helped her to her feet. Once Callie was standing, Arizona wrapped her arms around Callie's neck and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her lips.
Callie smiled against her lips. "Not going to complain, but what was that for?"
Arizona beamed at her. "You're amazing. You love us so much, without question. You're simply amazing and I love you."
Callie's smile broadened. "I love you, too. And I meant what I said. I'm not going anywhere, Arizona. I'm all in."
Arizona kissed her again. "Good. Cuz so are we."
# # # # # # # # # #
Callie took one last peek into the girls' bedroom before going to bed. The girls were fast asleep with their new toys beside them. Vivvy had an arm wrapped around her plush pink river otter. For Cam, she had a stuffed blue tiger shark clutched in one hand, and Sir BarksALot beside her head.
"You really didn't have to get them anything, you know," Arizona whispered from beside her. "The trip to the aquarium was enough. More than enough considering their behavior a few days ago."
"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to." She smiled as she remembered how excited the girls were to see the seals and otters. "They were sorry and…"
"And what?"
Callie hesitated. "I feel like I didn't give them enough for Christmas."
"Callie…"
"I just wanted to do something special."
"You have such a big heart, and I love that about you." She gave Callie a soft kiss on her cheek.
"It was my first trip to the aquarium, you know," Callie confessed.
"Really?" Callie nodded. "I'm glad we could all share it with you." She took Callie's hand and led her to the master bedroom.
"About Valentine's Day…" Callie said as she began to undress.
"My mom's staying over that night after Kara leaves. I have the late shift, remember?"
"I remember." Callie frowned at the thought of Arizona working Valentine's night. "Why don't you come over to my place and spend the night?" she suggested.
"Really?" Arizona pulled her favorite t-shirt to sleep in over her head much to Callie's disappointment. She rather liked the view of a topless Arizona.
"Yeah. We'd have the place to ourselves. Yang has plans with Owen." Callie was never sure if her roommate and the trauma surgeon were on again or off again. Their relationship was almost as bad as Mark and Lexie's. Cristina, however, had made a point of telling Callie she'd be out. Callie doubted she said that because she wanted to give her the apartment for the night. Probably wants me to clean it, Callie grumbled to herself.
"I think that's a great idea. A night for just the two of us? No kids?" Arizona said as she approached Callie.
"Uh huh." Callie nodded.
"Count me in." Arizona gently grasped Callie's hips and pulled her close. "I'm definitely all in for that," she murmured, before giving her girlfriend a passionate kiss.
"Are you starting Valentine's Day early?" Callie asked before returning the kiss.
"Just practicing."
"Practice does make perfect," Callie agreed, then pulled Arizona down onto to the bed
# # # # # # # # # #
Addison looked over the top of her glasses when she caught a glimpse of something glimmering around Callie's neck.
"Callie, what's that?"
"What's what?"
"This," Addison said, pulling a necklace out from under Callie's scrub top. Callie positively beamed and Addison was happy to see Callie smiling but also a little envious of Callie's happiness.
"Oh, this? Well, this morning in bed -"
"You can skip the 'in bed' part. I don't need those details."
Callie rolled her eyes. "Since I have to work the day shift, and Arizona's working the late shift until ten o'clock, we exchanged Valentine's gifts this morning," she explained. She grinned again. "You'll never believe it, though."
"Believe what?"
"We got each other the same gift, except mine is silver and Arizona's is gold. We didn't buy them together or anything. Just a weird cosmic coincidence."
Addison fought the urge to roll her eyes. If Callie and Arizona weren't her friends, she would've found the story almost too sickeningly sweet. "Are you doing anything else for Valentine's?"
"Arizona is coming to my apartment after she gets done with work. A night childfree is just what we need. Oh, and I've booked a suite at the Archfield for after the wedding." She got all dreamy-eyed for a moment. "Do you have any plans?"
"I will be spending my night on Old Maid's Island," Addison groused.
"What? That's just wrong. You are not an old maid. You've been married before."
"Are you calling me old, Callie?" she deadpanned.
"What? No. You're not old, either," she sputtered. "Why don't you and I go out for a drink after work? Arizona won't be over until well after ten."
"I appreciate the sentiment, Callie, but I'm not going to spend my night drinking at a bar with a bunch of couples out celebrating romance and love."
"You might get lucky," Callie continued. "Come on, Addison."
"No."
"Then come over to my place for a drink."
"Callie, I do appreciate the offer. I really do, but I think I'd rather go home and have a bottle of wine by myself."
"If that's what you want." Callie sounded doubtful. "Just stay away from Mark. I know how you two can be when your love life sucks."
"Point taken." Addison sighed.
"If you change your mind and want to stop at mine on your way up to yours, feel free."
"Thanks, Callie."
# # # # # # # # # #
Arizona stood in the doorway of Teddy's office and waited for her friend to finish her call. She admired the large bouquet of flowers that sat on her desk and mentally sent kudos to Nick for the choice he made. Roses wouldn't have been appropriate at this stage in their dating, but the assortment of flowers were bright and colorful. Mom probably helped him, Arizona thought with a smirk.
"Sending flowers to yourself?" Arizona teased after Teddy ended her call. "I thought you'd have outgrown your imaginary friends by now. That's just sad."
"Ha. Ha." Teddy rolled her eyes. "I assume you know something about these." She pointed at the flowers. "And that." She gestured to a three feet tall cream colored teddy bear with a big red heart on his chest sitting in the corner by the door. "And for sure, you know something about these." She pulled a box of chocolates from her desk drawer.
"I know nothing," Arizona deflected. "I maintain you're sending gifts to yourself. Maybe to make Nick jealous?"
"You're the only person here who knows my favorite chocolate is cashew clusters."
"You mean, other than your imaginary friend."
"Arizona," Teddy growled in frustration.
"I'm sure your mystery admirer, if there is one, has a plan, Teddy. Just wait it out."
"You're too damned cheery today."
"Why shouldn't I be? Callie and I exchanged gifts this morning; got each other the same thing funnily enough." She pulled the necklace out and showed it to Teddy, then tucked it back underneath her shirt. "And the girls gave her cards that they made and Callie cried." She rocked back on her heels for a moment. "Plus, we're having a child-free night at her apartment."
"How long are you going to keep up this pretense of not living together?"
"Actually, I was thinking of talking to her about that tonight. The girls and I talked about it and we all want to make that official."
Teddy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? Wasn't expecting that."
Arizona shrugged. "Why wait?" She leaned forward to grab a cashew cluster. "Let's talk more about your admirer."
Teddy smacked her hand and pulled the chocolates out of reach. "These are only for me and my TRUE friends, real or imaginary. Right now, you're not on those lists." She stuck her tongue out teasingly.
"Y'know, Teddy, Nick and Tim always used to say 'don't stick it out unless you intend to use it'." she said with a serious face.
"ARIZONA!"
Teddy's jaw dropped in shock and Arizona spotted her chance. She reached over and snagged one of the desired cashew clusters. "What?" she asked innocently.
"I can't believe you said that."
Arizona batted her eyelashes and smiled. As she raised the cluster to her mouth, a pink heart shaped balloon floated into Teddy's office. "Well, that's a good trick, Teds. Who'd you get to do that?"
"That would be me, Tucson," Nick said as he stepped into the office. "The chocolates are not for you." He glared at her. "Scram!"
"Whatever you say, Nicky," she said with a shrug of her shoulders and stood up. "I'll leave you two kids alone. Should I close the door?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.
"Beat it, short stuff," Nick ordered.
"Talk to you later, Teddy." She pointedly looked at Nick before she popped the candy into her mouth, then waved her hand as she exited.
# # # # # # # # # #
As she finished tidying up her apartment, Callie thought back to the first time Arizona had spent the night at it. She remembered how nervous she'd been while she had cleaned the apartment and made the bed. Oh, she had been so nervous that night. Nervous, excited and horny. Tonight, she knew what to expect and was no longer nervous. She was excited to have alone time with her girlfriend and not just a little bit horny. It seemed like ages since they'd had any time together.
She finished changing the sheets, thinking to herself that she'd hardly slept in her own bed in weeks. Arizona's place had become more of a home to her than the apartment. She wondered what it would be like to live with Arizona and the girls. Sure, she'd spent many nights there, given the girls baths and put them to bed, shared meals, and had 'family' times. But living there? Being part of the day-to-day with them? She honestly couldn't wait for all of it.
But now they had a night for just the two of them. After showering and shaving, and primping and plucking, Callie sat down on her bed with a bottle of her favorite lotion. Arizona liked it and Callie really liked the way Arizona's hands and lips felt on the smooth skin. As she spread the lotion, she contemplated what she was going to wear. Her red negligee seemed too cliche for Valentine's Day but she liked the way she looked in it, and Arizona liked her in red. I suppose it won't really make a difference because if I have my way, I won't be wearing it long, she thought as she pulled on the red one.
She knew pizza and beer wasn't all that romantic for a late night dinner on Valentine's but it had kind of become their thing. She'd already put a six pack in the refrigerator and the pizza had been delivered an hour ago. They could always reheat it or eat it cold. She hoped Arizona wouldn't think the heart-shaped pizza was too corny.
She slipped on her robe, not bothering to tie it shut, and returned to the living room. She heard the door knob rattle and she quickly went to it. "You're early," she said sultrily as she opened the door. "Mark?"
"Hey, Cal," he said as he walked into her apartment, then he leered at her outfit. "Niiiiice."
"You're not Arizona," she frowned, disappointed. She pulled her robe tight around her body and crossed her arms.
"Are you expecting Blondie?" He ignored Callie's scowl at his use of 'Bllondie' as he opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of beer.
Callie rolled her eyes. "Of course I am. It's Valentine's Day and we have plans. And put that back. Those are for Arizona and I," she ordered.
"Too late," he said. He'd already opened the bottle and had taken a big swig from it. "You sure about Robbins coming over?" He made himself at home on the couch.
"Why wouldn't she? Did she get called into surgery?" She felt certain if there was a delay that Arizona would find a way to let her know.
"I saw her earlier. She's probably with her boyfriend," he said flippantly. "They seemed pretty damn cozy."
"What? Boyfriend? What the hell are you talking about?" Callie glared at him.
Mark shrugged as he took another drink of his beer. "I saw her kissing some guy the other day."
"What? Who?"
"Some bald dude. I think he's a patient."
Callie burst out laughing. "That's Nick. He is not her boyfriend."
"Sure about that?" he pushed.
"Nick is her oldest friend. He's like a brother to her. It would be like you kissing one of Derek's sisters."
"Not really making your case stronger, Torres. Been there, done that."
She shook her head. "There's no way there's anything going on between them. One, Arizona is a lesbian, a gold star lesbian. Two, Nick is dating Teddy. She was probably comforting him and you are so against me being in a healthy relationship that you're looking for reasons for me to be miserable with you." She sat down beside him. "Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be with Lexie?"
"She still wants some 'space'," he said with a grimace.
"Look, Mark, I'm sorry things aren't so good between you and Lexie, but that doesn't mean you can stir up trouble between me and Arizona."
"I'm not," he protested.
"You are. Whenever your love life is having issues, you try to mess with mine. It needs to stop."
"Callie…"
"I love her, Mark. And I see a future with her."
"Seriously? You've known her for what - five minutes?"
"We've been dating for six months, Mark. Six straight months. You can't say the same about you and Lexie."
"We've been dating at least that long."
"I bet it hasn't been six months if you add up all the time you've actually been together. You two break up every other week." She took the bottle of beer from him. As she lifted to her lips, the door swung open. She wasn't sure what to make of the look on Arizona's face when she saw her sitting next to Mark.
"Well, isn't this cozy," Arizona commented snidely as she removed and hung her jacket by the door.
"It's not what it looks like," Callie quickly said, handing the bottle back to her best friend.
Mark smirked. "Yeah, I already tapped that."
"Mark!" Callie punched him in the arm.
"It doesn't matter." Arizona shook her head and started towards the bedroom. "I'm taking a shower and if you're not in bed waiting, I'll be forced to take matters into my own hands, Calliope." She gave Callie a suggestive look, then dismissed him with a "Go away, Mark," as she disappeared down the hallway.
Callie stood up and watched Arizona slip into the bedroom. "Mark, you need to leave because tonight is Valentine's and I'm gonna eat pizza and drink beer in bed with my girlfriend and then we're gonna have lots and lots of sex."
Mark looked forlornly at the pizza box sitting on the kitchen island. "Can I at least have a slice of pizza?"
Wordlessly, Callie got up from the couch, tore off a sheet from the roll of paper towels, opened the pizza box and selected the smallest slice. She dropped it on the paper towel sheet and then handed it to Mark.
"Thanks," he mumbled.
"Goodnight, Mark."
Once he was gone, Callie grabbed the six (now five) pack of beer and pizza and headed for her bedroom. She sat down on the bed and waited for Arizona. A few minutes later, Arizona exited the bathroom wrapped in a towel.
"What did Mark want?" the blonde asked as she toweled her hair dry.
"Oh, he's just sad because he and Lexie aren't together right now." Callie smiled. "And he accused you of having a boyfriend." She chuckled at Mark's confusion.
"What? Why on earth would I have a boyfriend?"
"Yeah, he apparently thinks Nick is your boyfriend."
"Callie, you know that's not true." Arizona dropped the towel she was using on her hair on the end of the bed in exasperation.
"I know." She met Arizona's gaze. "I know it's not. I set him straight. It's just Mark being insecure."
"Hmm. He does that a lot."
"What?"
"Says stupid things."
"Of course he does. It's Mark," Callie said as a way of explanation. "Mark. Stupid things." She held her hands out as though balancing the two statements.
"So you didn't believe him?"
Callie shook her head. "Of course not, Arizona."
"Good."
"It was a stupid thing to say."
Arizona chewed on her lower lip. "You don't sound so sure about that."
"Well, he did say he saw you kiss him."
"On the forehead!" Arizona exclaimed. "Like I do with the girls when they're sick."
"You never had a moment with Nick?" Callie asked in disbelief.
"Never!" Arizona scoffed. "There has never been any blurred lines between Nick and I, unlike you and Mark."
"What?"
"And Nick has never seen me in lingerie, either," she continued.
"I wasn't wearing it for him! I'm wearing it for you."
"You know what? I'm not going to spend Valentine's Day arguing about Mark," Arizona snapped as she began pacing beside the bed.
"You're jealous of Mark!" Callie blurted.
"Jealous? Hah."
"Then what's your problem with him?"
"He doesn't respect me or our relationship. And his comments? I'm tired of them." She stopped and adopted an arrogant, upright pose as she lowered her voice in a bad imitation of Mark. "Yeah, I already tapped that," She huffed and her posture slumped. She cocked head to the side. "Really, Callie? We all know it to be true. It doesn't need to be mentioned every time I'm around."
"I'll… I'll talk to him."
"I get that he is your best friend, but my friends would never disrespect you that way."
Callie shook her head from side to side slowly. "This is not how I planned our night to go."
Seeing the crestfallen look on Callie's face, Arizona realized she'd overreacted. She sat down on the bed beside Callie. "I'm sorry, Calliope. I was surprised when I saw Mark here when I was expecting only you, and I was annoyed and I overreacted." She took Callie's hand. "I'm sorry." She sighed. "I was looking forward to tonight, too." She nudged Calie's shoulder with her own, causing Callie to look up. "And you wore the red negligee and everything."
Callie gave her a half-smile.
Arizona bumped her shoulder again. "You know, if you moved in with us, we wouldn't have these misunderstandings about your former friend with benefits who lives across the hall just dropping in whenever he feels like it."
Callie gave a scoffing laugh. "Pull my other leg, why don't you."
"Move in with me, with us." Arizona repeated earnestly.
"What? You're just saying that because you're upset about Mark."
"No, I'm serious. Cam and Vivvy and I talked about it and we all want you to live with us."
"Really?"
"Yes. I love you. Cam and Vivvy love you. We want you with us."
"Really?" Callie repeated.
Arizona nodded. "Really really," she responded with a bad Shrek impression.
Callie laughed. "Then yes! Yes, I'll move in with you." She wrapped her arms around Arizona's neck and kissed her quickly. "Even if your Shrek imitation is lousy."
Arizona chuckled and held her close. "Awesome!"
"When?"
"As soon as you can."
Callie pursed her lips as she thought about her schedule and what would need done for the move. "I'll need some time to pack up my stuff and figure out where everything will fit at the house. And I'll need to let Cristina know I'm moving out."
"We don't have to work it all out now," Arizona said, moving closer to Callie. "But for now, we need to celebrate."
"We do," Callie replied, wiggling her eyebrows.
Arizona laid down next to her and idly rubbed her hand over Callie's lace clad belly. "I wasn't planning on asking this way, you know."
"What do you mean?" Callie propped herself up, leaning her head onto her hand so she looked down at her lover.
"I'm tired and seeing Mark made me cranky and we were fighting and it's Valentine's Day. I wanted it to be something more romantic." Arizona explained, not quite meeting her gaze. She yawned and readjusted her head on the pillow. "It'd be a shame to let that negligee be wasted though."
Callie leaned down to kiss her deeply. "Who says it's going to be wasted? I think we have another thing to celebrate."
"What about the pizza?"
Callie moved her lips over Arizona's pale neck as her hands opened the towel to reveal her naked, freshly showered body. "Celebrate first, pizza later."
"You have the best ideas," Arizona replied, as she slid her hands up Callie's body, pulling the red negligee up.
Who needed pizza and beer when they were in each other's arms for Valentine's Day? They had each other. And nothing else mattered.