Mark Sloan had been having a great night. But then Lexie got paged and Callie started texting him. After some back and forth, he shot her off an invitation to chat instead of text.

He walked into his kitchen while he waited for a reply and grabbed a bourbon with a big clear ice cube that made the line bend and bow.

The phone in his pocket vibrated. He checked it before pouring a second drink and heading out in the hallway. He left his door cracked as he sat down against the wall with one leg out in front of him and one pulled up against himself.

"You hate texting enough to drag me into the hall in the middle of the night?" Callie asked when she came out. She took the glass from him before sitting down with the door to her apartment cracked a little so she could hear Sofia If she needed.

"I do," Mark agreed. The pair of them had conversations like this all the time when he grew tired of texting back and forth.

"Arizona might be Sofia's father. Mother. Parent," Callie said after two sips of bourbon.

"That's what you texted," Mark said. "Google says it's rare but possible. Are you going to get a test?"

"She and Sofia got tested today, we only figured out last night it was possible," Callie said. She slowly spun the glass in her hands before taking a drink of the smoky liquor.

Mark took another sip of his Scottish before putting the glass down beside him. "How do you feel about all of this?"

"Honestly?" Callie asked. "I feel like I hit the jackpot, and like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop at the same time."

"Finding Sofia's other parent and it happens to be the woman you got the hots for is a hell of a jackpot to win," Mark nodded as he let his head back against the wall behind him.

"It means a lot might change," Callie whispered. "Having to share Sofia with someone isn't something I really ever thought I'd have to do."

Mark straightened his bent leg out before him and folded his hands in his lap. "You don't have to give her anything, you know."

"Mark," Callie sighed. "I do and you know that."

"Yeah, I know," Mark sighed. He had been enjoying having Sofia around since she was born. It helped ease the ache of Lexie not being ready. He was finally there and ready to be a father and now had to wait. It felt like a cruel trick of the universe.

"She and I are getting together on Saturday for brunch and then we'll see," Callie said. She finished her drink when she heard Sofia make it clear she was awake and hungry. "Will you watch her?" she asked as she slid the glass across the carpet to him.

"Always," Mark said as he got to his feet. "Go take care of Sof and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks, Mark," Callie smiled before heading to take care of Sofia.

/

Callie walked into the diner about five minutes before she and Arizona were set to meet. She wasn't surprised to see the back of Arizona's head in one of the tables in the back away from the windows and the sun. She walked in the back with an envelope with the results of the paternity test in her hand.

Over the last several days, they had both given each other space in order to process. They hadn't out right avoided each other in the halls or turned and walked away, but they hadn't shared a date since Arizona brought the idea up that she might be the magical other parent Callie couldn't find.

"Hey."

"Hi."

Callie sat across from Arizona. When their eyes locked, she gave a slight smile as she handed the results over for Arizona to review.

"She's ours," Arizona whispered when she read over the paper in her arms.

"She's ours," Callie nodded. She couldn't wait until today to look at them. She needed to know what kind of conversation to have.

Arizona bent her head for a moment as she tried to compose herself. "I am not going to make big demands of you or her. I want to be her parent, but I am not going to start demanding things."

"We have a chance to do this right," Callie said. She thanked the waitress when she brought her a cup of coffee. She watched her refill Arizona's cup before asking for a few more moments to decide what to eat. "I know you missed the first year, but I don't want you to miss anything you want to be part of."

Arizona wrapped her hands around the mug, letting the heat from it ground her. "I want to start paying some form of support. Even if it's to a college fund or something. It's important to me that I do that."

"We can work that out, sure," Callie agreed.

"I'd like to see her. I know some people are nervous about having a vampire alone around their children," Arizona said while looking at the cup and not Callie.

"Arizona," Callie said as she reached her hand over to rest it on Arizona's forearm. "I'm not scared about you being around Sofia. You aren't a wild animal or dangerous. You're her mother too," She whispered.

"Right. Right." Arizona whispered.

"That night, we made the most amazing little girl. I've had a year of her all to myself. It's not going to be easy to have someone to suddenly have to decide things with. But I want to decide things because I want her to have us both in her corner," Callie said in a soft but sure voice.

"Thank you," Arizona put her hand over Callie's. "I know it was unplanned. And you've had to go through so much alone. But I don't want you to be alone anymore. I want to be there for the both of you." She reached next to her and handed over a small gift bag. "I got this for her, and I was hoping you could give it to her?"

Callie pulled a stuffed bat out and smiled at it. "I thought vampires turning into bats was a myth?"

"It is," Arizona smiled. "But I thought it was still a cute gift."

"You should give it to her," Callie said before putting the stuffed bat back in the bag and handing it back. "Do you want to come over? Mark is watching her right now. Well, Mark is watching Sofia, and Lexie is supervising Mark watching Sofia."

"Really?" Arizona asked.

"After we eat, we can go back and you can spend some time with her," Callie offered.

"I'd really like that," Arizona said. "To meet her without being her doctor, hold her, let her get used to me with you there, so I don't scare her."

"You won't," Callie promised. "Are you going to eat anything?" She asked as she flagged the waitress down.

"I already had breakfast. I was at the hospital, so I hit the blood bank before coming here," Arizona explained.

"How is this going to affect Sofia?" Callie asked after she ordered.

"For now, it won't," Arizona said as she held her coffee with both hands to soak the warmth up. "For the first eighteen years nothing abnormal will happen. Then when she turns eighteen there is a choice. She can either take some of my blood and become a vampire, with all the blessings and curses of it, or she can be human. Federal law requires her to wait to take blood if she has a human parent."

"If she doesn't take blood she will just be a human?" Callie asked as she took that in.

"She'll be a little stronger, faster, she'll be able to sense a vampire from a human, she might always like her meat a little on the rare side, and she'll be less likely to get sick and heal a bit faster if she's hurt. But yes," Arizona nodded as she looked down.

"And if she decides to be a vampire, she and you would have longer lifespans and I wouldn't?" Callie asked in a quiet voice.

"There are ways for humans to bond themselves to vampires, become mates. They give us blood regularly in exchange for effectively a pause on aging and some other side benefits," Arizona explained as she shifted in her seat a little.

"A mate?" Callie quirked an eyebrow.

"Vampires can take mates. Their term of husband or wife. Once we've decided who we want, which admittedly can take some trial and error, we mate for life. Our lifespan. We can be somewhat protective of our mates. Partly because their blood gives us life and partly because vampires aren't great at sharing in general," Arizona said with a nervous smile.

"You are protective," Callie agreed as she slid her hand over Arizona's across the table. "I do like that about dating you. I feel safe."

"What else do I need to know about vampirism to co-parent with you? And to date you?" Callie asked.

"Callie," Arizona whispered. She felt herself suck in a breath just to catch Callie's scent again. "You still want to date?"

"I like you. We have a child together. It's worth a try, isn't it?" Callie asked. She slid her hand back to Arizona's forearm to stoke the pale skin with the pads of her fingers.

"You're worth a lot," Arizona said with a shy smile.

Callie finished her breakfast and pushed the plate to the side. "Come home with me?" She asked as she dropped a twenty on the table to cover her breakfast and their coffee. "Meet your daughter outside of the hospital?"

Hand in hand the pair walked down the street toward the apartment building Callie lived in across from the hospital. Arizona having treated Sofia made Callie feel a little more at ease. She saw the tenderness that Arizona used then and it warmed her.

"I watched her," Arizona said as they walked. "This week. A couple of times. There is a window into where the cribs are. I just watched her. Hoping she was mine. Ours."

"I know," Callie said. "They called me to make sure everything was alright. I told them to let you watch as long as you wanted."

"Really?" Arizona smiled.

"I knew she was yours. In my heart, as soon as you told me it was possible. I wanted you to have some time to process, and if that meant watching her sleep, that's what I wanted you to have." Callie squeezed Arizona's hand.

"You're incredible." Arizona stopped in front of Callie's building so she could lean over to kiss Callie's cheek.

"You aren't so bad yourself," Callie turned and tugged Arizona into her arms. "Come on, let's go get our girl."

When they reached the fifth floor, Callie knocked on Mark's door while keeping her hand in Arizona's.

"Hey Torres, Blondie," Mark smiled when he opened the door with Sofia in his arms.

"Mark," Arizona said politely. Her eyes were glued on Sofia though as she itched to reach out. Mark was just inside the apartment though, so she didn't reach for her.

"How was she?" Callie asked as she reached out and took Sofia from Mark.

"She was an angel. We napped on the couch for a bit. She has a clean diaper, and she ate about twenty minutes ago, but I think she's ready for another nap. Lexie got paged but Uncle Mark handled things," Mark said with a grin.

"Thank you for watching her," Callie smiled.

"Of course, Torres," Mark said. "Anytime you need me to watch my favorite goddaughter, you let me know. I've been there from the start."

Arizona bit back the growl that wanted to come forward at Mark's words. He was making a claim to her daughter that Arizona really didn't like. But he was right, he had been there and she hadn't.

"Thanks." Callie just laughed as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Enjoy the rest of your day off."

When the door shut, Arizona followed Callie across the hall and into her apartment. She looked around at the dark colors and the chrome and smiled. This place screamed Callie Torres with the dark colors and high end furnishings.

Arizona crossed the living room to stand close to Callie and the well behaved one year old in her arms. "Well, Calliope, can I hold Sofia?"

"You can," Callie said. She pressed a kiss to Sofia's head and spoke softly. "Sofia, can you say hi?" She whispered before carefully transferring Sofia to Arizona's waiting arms.

Arizona bent her head down and breathed in Sofia's soft baby scent. She wrinkled her nose at Mark's smell all over her but she blocked that out for a moment. "Hi, Sofia," she whispered. "I know I haven't been around for you sweet girl, but I am here now. I am going to always be here for you. I promise you that. I love you so much already."

Callie reached out to rub over Arizona's bicep as she watched Arizona and Sofia interact. She had tears in her arms at the way Arizona was talking to their daughter. "She has your nose," she whispered.

"She's perfect, Calliope. She is perfect," Arizona said. She pressed a kiss to Sofia's forehead as she rocked her a bit. She didn't notice her fangs were down until she felt tiny fingers reaching toward it. She retracted her fangs with a slightly panicked look at her face.

"See, she's not scared," Callie said. She put her hand on Arizona's back and brought her over to the couch so the three of them could sit.

Arizona felt the warmth when Callie wrapped her arm around her shoulder. Between her and Sofia, Arizona felt warmer than she had in months. She looked down at the face of her daughter as Sofia cuddled to her chest and felt a surge of protection and love. "How can I love her so much already?"

"You're her mom," Callie said as she trailed her thumb over the back of Arizona's neck. "The first time I held her I felt it too."

Arizona nodded at how instant it was. "She looks so much like you. But you're right. She has my nose," she said as she studied Sofia's face.

"Can you take a picture?" Callie asked. "Will you show up on camera?" She corrected the question.

"I will," Arizona nodded. "Turned vampires do."

Callie got off the couch and pulled her phone out. She snapped a few with Arizona smiling at her and a few more with Arizona looking down at Sofia. After setting one as her lock screen, she texted them to Arizona, so she had them before sitting back down.

Arizona leaned her head against Callie's shoulder. "I never wanted kids. Even more after I was turned. I didn't want them. I didn't want to be tied down or have to put my job second," she whispered as she held Sofia close. "But now? Calliope, I couldn't walk away if I tried. A few minutes with her in my arms, and it's like I'm under a spell."

"Sof has a way of doing that," Callie said. She leaned her head against Arizona's as the pair cuddled with their daughter. "It's hard. Being a surgeon and a mom. But there are two of us now so we can coordinate. And Mark's a great babysitter."

Arizona schooled her features but said nothing. "I have to tell my parents about her," she whispered. "I don't know if they are going to understand. But they will be supportive."

"You mentioned a brother once," Callie asked.

"I had a brother," Arizona said quietly. "Tim, died in Iraq. He was an Army Ranger. I miss him every day, and if he were alive he would laugh so hard at me being the one to have the accidental pregnancy. Dad knocked it in his head early to never let anything like this happen."

"Accidents happen," Callie turned her head to press a kiss to Arizona's. "How she got here isn't as important as her being here."

"They are going to love her," Arizona promised. "My father is a retired Marine Colonel. He's gruff, but he cares so much for the people he loves. Mom has wanted grandkids forever but knew I didn't want them. She gave up the dream when Tim passed away. She'll be so excited."

"My parents are split," Callie admitted. "We're Catholic so having a kid without knowing who the father is is a big problem for them. Daddy has come around, but I haven't spoken to my mom since I told them. My older sister Aria and I talk every few months but it's never more than five minutes."

"So, being with a woman isn't going to make your mom come around?" Arizona asked.

"No." Callie shook her head. "But I am not going to be unhappy, because she thinks I'm going to hell."

Arizona turned her head to kiss Callie's jaw. She lingered there a moment as she breathed in the scent she had already come to love. "Can I ask you a question that is going to sound very odd?"

"Yes," Callie said without hesitation.

"What blood type are you?" Arizona asked.

"A positive," Callie answered.

"I won't take from you but I can take A positive blood," Arizona explained shyly. "It's silly. It won't be yours. But the idea I'm at least having the same type feels kind of nice. Even from a bag."

"Will you tell me why you hate bagged blood? It's clear you do for reasons other than how it makes you feel less human," Callie asked as she wrapped her arm around Arizona again.

"It's never warm enough. And it's not fresh. It tastes more than good. But it's nothing like biting someone. Feeling it pump into my mouth is a rush all on its own. The warmth, the salt, the feeling of being so close to someone, the feeling of connection," Arizona explained as she shifted closer to Callie. "I suppose it's like feeding a baby a bottle vs breastfeeding."

"I still breastfeed Sof at night," Callie said as she started to understand the difference. "She's eating more solid food but it's the easiest way to get her to sleep and honestly it's something I really enjoy when I'm putting her down. Though her getting teeth has made it a little less fun."

Arizona closed her eyes as the thought of Callie holding their daughter and feeding her came to mind. It was an image of pure love, of family, that lodged itself in her chest and refused to leave. "I bet it's beautiful to see."

Callie chuckled. "You can watch if you want to stay the night."

"Calliope," Arizona opened her eyes and looked at her. If she had a heartbeat, she knew it would be racing right now. Such a simple offer that meant more to Arizona than she could even articulate. But was it too much too soon? Was it jumping the gun on their new little family bonds? She breathed in and caught Sofia's scent and Callie's around her and felt how it eased her doubts. The scent of her girls. "I'd like that. A lot."

Callie leaned in for a quick kiss before resting her head back on Arizona's shoulder. "I jump into things. When they feel right, I jump in with both feet. Even when I'm trying to take things slow, I jump in fast. So, if I go too fast, tell me, alright?"

Arizona leaned her head against Callie's. "Watching you feed our daughter isn't too fast," she promised as she watched her sleeping daughter's chest rise and fall as she breathed. "I'll sleep on the couch and if she gets up in the middle of the night I can get her for you."

"And here I thought you'd cuddle with me in bed," Callie chuckled.

"Oh," Arizona whispered. "Yeah, if you'd like that I can. Though I would think I'd be the little spoon between us."

"I can cuddle you as the big spoon," Callie reached over to rest her hand on Arizona's leg.

"You can," Arizona smiled. "You absolutely can."

The rest of the day passed far too fast for Arizona's liking. She spent most of it on the couch with Callie and Sofia. They put on a movie, but Arizona mostly just watched Sofia, held her as she rested, and then played with her when she started to fuss.

When Callie got up to make dinner, the happiness was broken up by the sound of a pager. Arizona grabbed hers and winced. "I need to go to the hospital for a little while."

"Come back here when you're done?" Callie asked.

"I don't know how long I'll be," Arizona said as she stood.

"We'll be here when you are," Callie said simply.

Arizona bent down to kiss Sofia and then Callie. "I'll be back," she promised before leaving to go save a tiny human.

By the time Arizona got back, it was nearly eleven at night. She paused outside of Callie's door and thought about knocking, but worried if Sofia was sleeping it would wake her. She sent Callie a text and entered when Callie told her she was in Sofia's room feeding her.

Arizona stopped in her tracks when she walked into Sofia's room and saw Callie with her shirt open and Sofia breastfeeding. She swore she felt her heart beating at the breathtaking sight in front of her, but she knew it was in her head.

"Hey, how'd the emergency go?" Callie asked as she looked up.

"They should make a full recovery." Arizona stood in the doorway and just watched.

"Come here," Callie said. She moved her feet off of the foot rest for the rocking chair and gestured for Arizona to sit.

Arizona did as she was instructed and watched from a few feet away. It felt magical to see her daughter and Callie bonding in this way. She carefully reached out a hand to stroke the top of Sofia's head.

"Amazing to watch, isn't it?" Callie asked. The look of awe on Arizona's face was unmistakable.

"It is," Arizona agreed. "I've seen this before a couple of times but when it's your daughter and her mother it's another level of incredible."

Callie smiled as she shifted Sofia to the other side. She winced slightly at the feeling before relaxing again. "I don't know how much longer I'm going to do it. But a little while longer. She's getting to the point where I think it's more for me than her."

"You should do it as long as you want." Arizona leaned forward to press a soft kiss to Sofia's head.

"Today has been a lot for you. Finding out about Sofia and spending time with her. How are you doing?" Callie asked. She started to stroke through Arizona's hair when she made no move to pull away from Sofia. Maybe it should be awkward but it really didn't feel like that at all.

"It feels good, Calliope," Arizona chuckled as she pulled back slightly but not enough to get Callie to stop playing with her hair. "It feels good to come home and see you nursing our daughter. It feels good to have you just accept me. It feels good."

Callie smiled at Arizona and the look of certainty on her face. "Good. It feels good for me too."

Arizona leaned forward to kiss Sofia's head again and felt Callie's fingers stroking her hair again.

"Take her and put her to bed?" Callie asked when she felt Sofia drift off and stop feeding.

Arizona carefully lifted Sofia from Callie as she stood up. She carefully moved to the crib and set her daughter in her bed. She felt Callie's arms around her waist from behind and leaned back against her.

"Come on," Callie whispered.

The pair walked to Callie's bedroom on the other side of the apartment.

Callie half shut the door before pulling Arizona in against her chest. Arizona wrapped her arms around Callie and leaned up to nuzzle her neck. She pressed a firm kiss against Callie's neck as they swayed to music in their heads.

"Let me grab you something to wear to bed," Callie said but made no move to pull back.

"Alright," Arizona agreed. "Anything works."

Callie grabbed an old shirt and shorts when she finally did move back. "Bathroom is through there and the bottom drawer should have an extra toothbrush."

Arizona headed in to change, washed her face, and brushed her teeth. While cavities were no longer a worry she couldn't just not brush her teeth anymore. When she came back to the bedroom, Callie was already changed and in bed.

"I took my makeup off and brushed my teeth before I fed Sofia," Callie explained.

"Right." Arizona slid into bed next to Callie before Callie shut the lights off.

Callie rolled to her side and offered a space for Arizona to move between her arms. Arizona didn't need to be offered twice before she fit herself against Callie's chest. She could feel Callie's strong heartbeat against her body. Callie's warmth mixed with the scent and the soft blankets made her feel the type of sleep that pulled her that she hadn't in a long time.

"What time do you need to be up tomorrow?" Callie asked.

"Nine," Arizona answered.

"I have an alarm set for eight, but Sofia will have me up before then," Callie said as she closed her eyes.

"Us," Arizona corrected. "She'll wake us up."

"Us," Callie smiled.

Arizona kissed over Callie's heart, glad the loose fitting shirt allowed her to find skin. "Goodnight, Calliope."

"Goodnight, Arizona," Callie said just before sleep took her.