December 2006 - Part 1
Callie trudged down the halls of the hospital, exhausted both physically and emotionally. She was on her sixth straight day working nights, and she'd reached her limit. Working nights meant long stretches of boredom followed by long stretches of absolute chaos. Callie thought she might actually prefer the chaos. It kept her from thinking.
But those hours of boredom found her thinking about Arizona and the twins. She'd hardly seen them since Thanksgiving. She'd managed dinner at Arizona's house before work one night, and they'd met for lunch twice. She missed Arizona, Cam and Vivvy. The few nights she actually made it home to her apartment just made her miss them even more. The days when she didn't collapse into her bed and fall asleep instantly, she found herself tossing and turning. She hated the empty spot on the bed, hated not having Arizona's steadying presence next to her.
Then she felt guilty because working opposite shifts from Arizona meant they really didn't have time to talk and for that, Callie was somewhat grateful. She still hadn't told Arizona what had transpired with her father, and that she still hadn't heard from him. She knew Arizona was concerned and curious, but Callie wasn't ready to talk yet.
Sighing, she walked toward the coffee cart, arriving at the same time as Addison.
"Addy, what are you doing here?"
"Emergency c-section," her friend replied as an explanation.
"Your usual, Dr. Torres?" the coffee cart girl asked. Callie had been a regular the past week, even more than usual.
"Yes, thanks, Lindsey. Biggest cup you've got."
Addison gave Lindsey her order and the two surgeons waited while she filled their orders. "How have you been, Callie? I haven't seen much of you this week." she asked.
"I've been on nights."
Addison frowned in sympathy. "That's rough."
"I guess it's the price I have to pay for having Thanksgiving off." She shrugged her shoulders. "This is my last night shift. I have the next three days off and I'm gonna sleep the whole time."
"No plans with Arizona?"
"She works tomorrow," Callie answered as she handed her debit card to Lindsey after the young woman handed them their coffee.. "For both orders," she said. "Are you heading home now?" she asked Addison before taking a sip of her coffee.
"No, I'm going to stick around for a few hours for my patient."
"Um, excuse me, Dr. Torres," Lindsey said almost timidly
"Yes?"
"There's um, a problem with your card." She almost sounded apologetic.
"What? Are you sure?"
"I tried it three times. It was declined each time. I don't understand. It worked for me yesterday."
"Great," Callie drolled sarcastically. "Now I've got to call my banker tomorrow."
Addison handed her card to Lindsey. "Just use mine," she said before turning to Callie. "I'm sure there's just some mixup."
"I know, but now I've got to take time out from my day off to get it straightened out."
Coffee cups in hand, the two women wandered the halls together. "So, any word from Miami?"
"Silence. I still can't believe he didn't call on Thanksgiving."
"I"m so sorry, Callie." Addison blew on her coffee before taking another sip. "Have you told Arizona yet?"
"No, not really." Callie noted Addison's. "I mean, we talked a little bit on Thanksgiving night when I told her he hadn't called. We haven't really seen much of each other lately."
"Find the time," Addison admonished. "You were all upset because Arizona wouldn't talk to you about Halloween and now you're doing the same thing to her. Honestly, Callie, the two of you really need to work on trust and communication."
"I know, I know." Callie's pager beeped. She took a quick look at it. "I gotta go. They need me in the pit."
"Talk to her," Addison called after her.
# # # # # # # # # #
Callie woke up to a pair of lips pressing a gentle kiss against her cheek. She smiled, knowing that it was Arizona.
"Wake up pretty lady," Arizona whispered.
"I'm awake, I'm awake."
"I brought you coffee and a scone," Arizona sat on the bed beside Callie. "What are you still doing here?"
Callie rolled over onto her back, then slowly sat up. "Late surgery and I was too tired to go home. I decided to take a nap before going there." Arizona handed her the coffee. "Thanks. I need this coffee."
"What you need is to go home and go to bed."
"That too," Callie agreed, nodding her head.
"Do you want to come over tonight, assuming you get some sleep? I know Cam and Vivvy and I would all like to see you."
"Maybe. I'm really, really tired. Working a week of nights has my sleep all screwed up."
"Okay. Just let me know." Arizona tried not to sound disappointed. "I need to get back to work." She leaned over and gave Callie a quick kiss.
"Not so fast," Callie said, setting her coffee and scone on the small table, and placing her hands on Arizona's waist. "I need at least one or two more of those."
They spent a few more minutes exchanging kisses, both careful to keep them from becoming too heated. "Mmm, I've missed that."
"Me, too," Callie agreed, leaning in for one more kiss.
"One more, Callie, then I really do have to get to work."
Callie fake pouted before placing one last chaste kiss on Arizona's lips. "I love you. Have a great day."
"I love you, too." Arizona got up from the bed and opened the door. "Get some sleep, Callie."
"Yes, Dr. Robbins," she called out to her girlfriend as Arizona left the room. She leaned back against the wall and munched on the scone and sipped her coffee. Addison is right. I do need to tell Arizona what happened with my dad, she thought. I don't want to avoid her any longer. I miss her and Cam and Vivvy so much.
Deciding she'd take Arizona's advice and go home and get some sleep, she tossed the empty cup and pastry wrapper into the wastebasket. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, stretched, then bent over to put on her shoes. She slipped on her lab coat before leaving the on-call room. She hoped she wouldn't get stopped on her way to the residents' lounge, but those hopes were in vain. Owen stopped her in the hallway only feet from the room.
"Torres, just who I was looking for," he said with a smile. "I need you for a consult."
"Owen, my shift ended hours ago. I'm on my way home to sleep."
"The VA sent over a consult," he continued as if he hadn't heard her. "It'll only take a few minutes, Callie. It's a soldier," he added, as if that would convince her. He saw the reluctance on her face. "Please, Callie. As a favor to me."
Callie sighed heavily. "When?"
"He'll be here at eleven."
"Get his blood work done as soon as he gets here. Full workup and since it's ortho, it probably wouldn't hurt to get some x-rays. You can page me when the x-rays are done." She gave him a look that intimidated even him. "I'm sure you can handle ordering the x-rays?"
He nodded. "Thank you, Callie. I owe you one."
Callie looked at her watch when he walked away. "That only gives me a few hours to go home, nap, and shower," she whined to herself. "Seems to me there's something else I need to do today," she muttered as she entered the residents' lounge.
"Hey, Callie. Long shift?" Meredith asked, taking in Callie's appearance.
"Too freaking long. I ended up with an emergency surgery at the end of my shift."
"Anything interesting?" Yang asked hopefully.
"Not to you. Just lots and lots of broken bones."
"Well, now you can go home and get some sleep," Meredith commiserated with her.
"Fat chance of that," Callie scoffed. "It's my day off and Owen wants me back for a consult on one of his army buddies."
"Owen's here?" Cristina asked, trying but failing to sound disinterested.
Callie rolled her eyes. Cristina wasn't fooling anyone. She and Owen weren't doing a very good job of hiding whatever their relationship was. "Yes." She continued into the room. "See you later."
Plopping herself down on the bench in front of her locker, she took her bag out and began to fill it with her dirty clothes. Maybe I can do a load or two of laundry at Arizona's tonight or tomorrow, she thought. I'd much rather do it there than at my apartment. The company is better that's for sure. I don't have to deal with Cristina and Owen. As she emptied her pockets into her purse she suddenly remembered what else she had to do. Damn, I gotta call my bank and find out what's going on with my card. I guess a nap's not happening.
After throwing her bag on the bed, the first thing Callie did when she reached her apartment was to strip and take a long hot shower. It felt like forever since she'd had time to spoil herself with a long shower. The past week of nights had her taking quick showers at work or home. Her priority had been to get clean and then get whatever sleep she could. Today she'd settle for a long shower and a nap after the consultation.
Wearing her robe and her wet hair wrapped in a towel, Callie went into the kitchen and made a fresh pot of coffee. The counters were littered with takeout containers and dirty dishes. Callie cursed Cristina and her sloppiness. While the coffee brewed, she set about cleaning up some of the mess.
Coffee cup in hand, Callie moved to the living area and settled on the sofa. She set her cup down, using a coaster that Cristina seemed to always forget to use, and took out her laptop.
She checked her email first, then logged into her bank account. Her mouth dropped open when she saw the balance was zero and the account closed. "What the fuck?" she shouted to the empty room.
She found her purse, took out her phone and searched for her banker's name. His administrative assistant answered the call and Callie didn't even wait for the pleasantries. "Hi. This is Dr. Calliope Torres. I need to speak to Gerald now."
"I'm sorry, Dr. Torres, but he's on another call."
"Get him. I'll wait." She paced the room as she listened to the canned music while she was on hold.
"Dr. Torres, how may I help you?" Gerald asked ten minutes later, knowing full well why she was calling.
"Gerald, why is my account closed? I have no money!"
"Dr. Torres, you know your father has control over the account. He opened it and gave you access. Yesterday, he had me close the account."
"Why?"
"He did not give me a reason." Gerald knew better than to ask for a reason. Carlos Torres was an important client with his bank. He couldn't afford to lose his business.
"Gerald, my paychecks are deposited there! It was deposited two days ago. That money does NOT belong to my father."
"Dr. Torres - "
"This is what you're going to do," she continued, cutting him off. "You're going to open a new account for ME and deposit my last paycheck into it. If this isn't taken care of by the end of business today, you will be hearing from my lawyer."
Gerald couldn't help the small smile that crossed his face. Callie Torres sounded just like her father when he wanted something. Carlos Torres would be proud. What Callie was demanding was a bit out of the ordinary, and it might anger Carlos. Then again, she was a Torres and whatever caused this rift could blow over. He needed to keep everyone happy right now. "I'll personally take care of it, Dr. Torres. I'll email you the information when the account is set up and the funds have been transferred back."
"Good. I don't expect it to take long. I'll contact my work about the change of accounts for direct depositing my paychecks." She paused. "And Gerald, I expect new debit and credit cards expedited."
"You want to apply for new credit cards as well?" he questioned.
"Obviously," she stated as though it were a foregone conclusion.
"Just be prepared that your credit limit might be considerably lower than what you are accustomed to, without your father being on the account."
Callie inhaled deeply. "Just do it. All accounts for me going forward only have my name on them. I'm not going to be caught in this situation ever again."
"As you wish, Dr. Torres."
She exhaled deeply. "Thank you."
"Is there anything else, Dr. Torres?"
"No, we're all set, for now."
"I'll be in touch. Have a good day, Dr. Torres."
Callie ended the call and sat heavily down onto the sofa. "That's just great. My paycheck barely covers the rent on this place, plus expenses." She blew out a long breath of air. "What am I going to do now?"
# # # # # # # # # #
As she walked down the hall toward the Imaging Department, Teddy glanced at her watch and frowned. It was far too early for lunch, not that lunch in the cafeteria was anything to write home about. She sighed as she remembered the now long gone leftovers from Thanksgiving that Barbara Robbins had sent home with her. She wondered how she could wrangle another dinner invitation at Arizona's.
A somewhat familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. "Something wrong, Dr. Altman?"
"Nick?" Teddy asked, looking down at the man sitting in a wheelchair outside of x-ray. "What are you doing here?"
"The VA sent me over for a consult," he explained. "Said their x-ray machines were down. I met with a Dr. Hunt and he sent me up here after they took some blood."
"Owen Hunt?"
"I think that's his name. I assume you know him?"
"We served in Iraq together." Teddy schooled her expression to be as neutral as she could be. The VA didn't often send patients over for X-rays. Something else must be wrong, she thought. "What are they looking for?"
"Oh, I've been having problems with my left leg. Thought I'd get it checked while I had leave." He flashed her a smile. "Now it's your turn."
"What?"
"Why are you frowning?"
"Was I frowning?"
"You were."
"Oh, I was just thinking about lunch."
"And that makes you frown?" he teased.
"You'd frown, too, if you had to eat in the hospital cafeteria." They both laughed. "And, I was also thinking about how much I miss the leftovers Barbara sent me home with on Thanksgiving."
"Try missing those meals for months and months. Once you've had a home cooked meal by Moms…" he said wistfully, then he smiled. "Maybe you should come over this week some time and join me, us, for dinner."
"I'd have to check my schedule."
"Any night you're available works for me. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."
The door opened and the tech stepped out. "Captain Goodwin?"
"That's me," he grinned. "I'll get your number from Tempe," Nick called out over his shoulder as the tech pushed the wheelchair into the room.
Almost two hours later Teddy was exiting the cafeteria after a less than satisfying lunch. Maybe I should take Nick up on his offer for dinner, she thought with a smile. At least I'll get a good meal out of it. And he's kinda easy on the eyes, too. Her thoughts were interrupted by Callie nearly crashing into her.
"Oh, hey, sorry, Teddy," Callie apologized as she unwrapped a power bar that she'd found in the kitchen before she'd been paged.
"No problem. What are you doing here? Don't you have today off?"
"Yes, but Owen asked me to come back for a consult. I'm heading up now to get the x-rays before I meet the patient."
"I think Nick asked me out," Teddy blurted out when they entered the elevator.
"Who?"
"Nick, Arizona's Nick."
Callie frowned at the way Teddy phrased it. "Oh, Nick. He asked you out?"
Teddy bit back a smile. The way Callie said Nick's name was very similar to how Arizona said Mark Sloan's name, as though saying the name left a bad taste in her mouth. She wondered if Callie even realized it. "Kind of, I guess. He invited me over to the Robbins' for dinner."
"Well, that sounds harmless enough," Callie commented, her mind still on her bank account. She was worried about her rent check bouncing and if she'd have enough money for the rest of the month. She'd never had to worry about money before and it weighed on her heavily.
"Something wrong, Callie?"
"Oh, sorry. I'm just tired. I've been on nights all week and I didn't have a chance to get any rest before coming back to the hospital."
Teddy chuckled. "Life of a surgical resident."
"I can't wait for this year to be over so I can sit for boards and be a full attending and pawn all the minutiae to the interns and residents." The elevator dinged. "Oh, this is me. You should give him a shot. He's got the Robbins seal of approval. What more could you ask for?" Callie said as she exited the lift.
Teddy mulled Callie's comment as the doors closed. The Robbins seal of approval was the ultimate stamp of good graces. What more could she ask for?
# # # # # # # # # #
.
Head down as she reviewed the x-rays one more time, Callie entered the exam room. She was startled to see Nick sitting on an exam table, swinging his legs back and forth. "Nick?"
"What's up. Doc?"
"Funny." She gave him a fake smile.
"I'm a funny guy."
"Hmm. That remains to be seen." She set the x-rays down on the counter. "So, tell me about your leg? How long has it been bothering you? Are you in a lot of pain? And don't lie to me. I saw you limping on Thanksgiving."
Callie made notes in his file as he talked, then examined his leg. "Does it hurt here?" she asked, her hands on his tibia.
"Yes."
"How much, on a scale of one to ten?"
"Sometimes it's about a three or four. Other times it's about an eight."
She stood up from the stool she'd been sitting on and made another note in the file.
"You're looking a bit tired there, doc. Is Mesa keeping you up late?" he said with a grin.
"Mesa?" Callie was confused at first, then she remembered Nick's nicknames for Arizona. "Oh, right, Mesa, Arizona. Got it." She tried not to scowl at him as she was not amused by it. "And no, she didn't keep me up. I've been working nights this week." She made another note in the file to schedule the MRI.
"So what's the verdict, doc?"
"I'm scheduling you for an MRI today. It'll probably be later today so you'll have some time to kill. You might want to get some lunch, though I don't recommend our cafeteria. You may want to call Barbara and Daniel to keep you company."
"Why don't you join me for lunch?" he suggested with a charming smile.
"Thank you, but no. I need to find an on-call room and catch a nap."
"A nap? That's not what I heard on-call rooms are used for. I'm sure Phoenix would like to join you." He gave her a suggestive look.
"That would be a no." She supposed Nick was charming in a Mark sort of way, but right now she had problems and concerns coming at her from too many fronts. And she was not in the best of moods to be charmed. "If you could just wait here, I'll find out when the MRI can be done."
"Whatever you say, doc."
# # # # # # # # # #
Walking past one of the rooms in Imaging later in the day, Teddy spotted Callie sitting slumped over at a table. Concerned with how Callie looked, Teddy entered the room. "Still here, Callie?"
"Yes," she said with a heavy sigh.
The cardio surgeon glanced at the scans hanging up, then took a closer look. She was more familiar with cardio scans, but even she could see something was wrong.
"Is that your consult?"
"Yes. He's got bone cancer. I just met with Swender and we reviewed the x-rays and the MRI. We'll need to get a biopsy to confirm, and then probably a PET scan to see if it's spread."
"I'm sorry, Callie." Teddy knew Callie, like most of the doctors, took it personally when a patient was diagnosed with cancer. From what Arizona had told her, Callie seemed to 'care like crazy' when it came to her patients and Teddy was now seeing it firsthand.
"I can't tell them," Callie murmured.
"Tell who? The patient?" Teddy looked again at the x-rays and saw the name "GOODWIN, NICHOLAS" printed on the scans. "It's Nick?"
"Yes," Callie sighed again. "I can't tell them," she repeated. "You know how close they all are. You were there on Thanksgiving. He calls them "moms" and "pops". He's like a son to them." She paused. "How much more are they supposed to take? And Arizona… she's going to expect me to save him. She'll never forgive me if her second brother dies under my care."
"Slow down, Callie. Who said he was going to die? What did Swender say?"
"She can't be certain until we do a biopsy but she thought it was stage I. She wants a PET scan after the biopsy." She put her head in her hands. "What if I have to amputate?"
"Then you amputate. If it saves his life, then you do it."
"I just don't want to give them any reason to hate me and I feel like if the tiniest thing goes wrong, they will."
"You don't really believe that, do you? I know I don't know them as well as you do, but none of them, Arizona included, strike me as the type to be that way. They would not blame you."
"Do you know how Jillian died?" Teddy nodded. "Erica went above and beyond what was possible to try to save her, yet the way Arizona treated Erica, you'd think Erica murdered her."
"I'm sure that wasn't the only reason why. Erica Hahn has a reputation for being... " She struggled to come up with a word. "Arrogant and cold. I've heard enough talk around the hospital in the short time I've been here to know that there were plenty of other reasons for Arizona to dislike Erica. Callie, Erica was not Arizona's girlfriend, she wasn't even her friend. She was a colleague."
"And look at how she reacted. It'll be worse because I am her girlfriend." She groaned before she started gathering up the scans. "Swender and I are meeting with Nick in twenty minutes. Barbara and Daniel are with him."
"You should probably page Arizona," Teddy suggested.
"Isn't she in surgery?"
"I was on the surgical floor about ten minutes ago. She was scrubbing out."
Callie scowled. "This day has been a real shit show." She stood up. "I'll text Arizona and tell her to go to his exam room, then I have to find Swender." She pulled her phone from her lab coat pocket as she exited the room. Meet me in exam 3. She typed and sent the brief message to the pediatric surgeon. Short and simple…ok. Ugh, I can't do this. I can't be the one to ruin their lives like this. Teddy's words ran through her mind to give her an alternate perspective. Please don't let her hate me.
As she entered the exam room a few minutes later, Callie saw the look on Arizona's face change from one of confusion to one of fear when Dr. Swender followed her into the room. Arizona knew Rebecca Swender as she'd had pediatric cancer cases with her.
"Callie, what's going on?"
"Nick, Mr. and Mrs. Robbins, this is Dr. Swender. Rebecca, this is Nick Goodwin, Daniel and Barbara Robbins, and you know Dr. Robbins."
"Callie?"
Callie cleared her throat and put on her best professional expression. "When I reviewed Nick's x-rays, I saw something and - "
"What did you see?" Arizona asked, her tone sharp.
"It looked like a tumor. After examining Nick, I ordered an MRI. I called Dr. Swender for consultation and she agreed with my initial findings."
"What are you saying, doc?" Nick asked.
"Cancer," Arizona said bluntly.
Barbara's gasp was audible and Callie would've given anything not to have heard it. The anguish and pain was heartbreaking.
"You think I have cancer?" Nick asked incredulously. He looked over at Arizona. "I thought you said she was the best. There's no way I have cancer. No way."
Callie couldn't bring herself to answer, so Rebecca stepped up. "We do. We'd like to get a biopsy to confirm it and see what kind it is. Depending on what the results are, we may need a PET scan."
"Biopsy? Phoenix, what's that?" Nick asked.
"They'll go in and take a sample of the tumor and then send it to the lab for confirmation."
"And if I have cancer? What are my options? Can you just cut the tumor out?"
"We're not at that point yet," Rebecca said. "Let's get the biopsy done first, then we can talk."
"And when will you do the biopsy?"
"I'd like to have it done first thing Monday morning," Rebecca said. "Dr. Torres and I will set it up. Depending on the results, we'll probably do a PET scan later." She suggested that they talk it over before excusing herself and leaving the room.
"I'm gonna go," Callie said quietly. She saw the stunned looks on Daniel and Barbara's faces. Daniel had his arm around his wife's waist and Barbara was holding Nick's hand. Arizona's expression was one of disbelief.
"No, stay," Arizona said. "Please."
"So what are we looking at?" Nick asked, breaking the silence. "If I, y'know, have cancer." When Arizona didn't answer, he turned to Callie. "Tell it to me straight, doc."
Callie swallowed hard. "Depending on the type, and what stage it is, there could be chemotherapy and radiation, maybe amputation."
"What? No! Absolutely not. You're not cutting off my leg."
"Nick, if that's what is needed to save your life, you'll do it," Arizona stated firmly. Her tone left no room for discussion.
"No way, Yuma! It's my leg! You don't understand. You don't know what you're talking about."
"I'm a doctor, Nick. Did you forget that? Did you think I wouldn't have an opinion?"
"It's my leg we're talking about," he repeated.
"It's just a biopsy now," Calie said. "We won't know until we get the results."
"But you and that other doctor both think it's cancer."
Callie reluctantly nodded. "We do."
Nick's head dropped. "I don't want to lose my leg."
"If it's a matter of your life or your leg, you damn well better say yes to the surgery," Arizona said resolutely, then her voice caught. "I can't lose another brother."
The room fell silent once again until Callie spoke. "I'm gonna go set the biopsy up for Monday." She slipped out of the room, leaving the shell-shocked family. She took a seat at the nurses' station and proceeded to schedule the biopsy and then scheduled the PET scan. They could always cancel it if it wasn't needed.
"Callie?"
She looked up to see Arizona. "The biopsy is scheduled for eight AM Monday," Callie said. "I'll bring in the paperwork. Do you need me to explain anything?"
Arizona shook her head. "You're doing it, right?"
"I, uh, I don't think that's a good idea. I don't think I should be the one overseeing Nick's case."
"He needs an orthopedic surgeon, Callie."
"Maybe not. The radiologist will do the biopsy."
"And after? He'll need Ortho."
"And I'm not the only one here. Chang's the head of ortho. He can do it."
"Nick needs the best. That's you."
"Arizona," Callie sighed. "I'm too emotionally involved. I shouldn't. I can't."
"We need you, Callie."
"If we need to later, I can get Owen to do it. You trust him, right?"
"Yes, I do, but you need to be in the OR for it. Promise me, Callie."
Resigned to some involvement, Callie acquiesced. "Yes, I'll be in the room."
"Thank you." She leaned over and gave Callie a kiss on the cheek. "Are you coming over this weekend?"
"I don't think that's a good idea. You probably need some time as a family to…"
"You're family, too, Callie, Cam and Vivvy miss you. I miss you."
"I miss you all, too."
"And I need you." Arizona suddenly turned shy. "We're planning on getting our tree tomorrow and decorating it on Sunday. It wouldn't be right to do it without you."
# # # # # # # # # #
It was dark by the time Callie left her apartment to go over to Arizona's house. She'd gone home, threw a load into the wash and then napped. She was EXHAUSTED. The nap hadn't been restful; she'd tossed and turned the whole time. Maybe sleeping beside Arizona would help, she thought. Maybe what I need is some "Arizona" time.
Driving down the street Arizona lived on, she passed Barbara and Daneil's house. The Christmas lights were up and she smiled. After Halloween, she wondered what other decorations Daniel would be putting up, then she frowned. With Nick's probable cancer diagnosis, the family most likely would not be feeling the holiday spirit this year. Approaching Arizona's house, she was cheered by the colorful lights on the house and the tree out front. They must have put them up during the week while I've been at work, she thought, sorry to have missed out on the fun.
Callie parked her car in the garage and entered the house, knowing she'd missed dinner but hoping the twins were still up. After hanging up her coat and placing her purse in 'her' cubby, she continued further into the house. She smiled when the tell-tale noises of bath time echoed down the stairs. With her bag slung over her shoulder, she quickly trotted upstairs. She tossed her bag into the master bedroom before heading to the girls' bathroom.
"Is the party still going on?" Callie asked, stepping into the bathroom.
"Callie!" the girls shouted, trying to stand.
"Sit down," Arizona ordered. "I don't want you two winding up with head injuries from slipping in the tub."
Callie leaned over and gave Arizona a kiss first, then the girls.
"They're almost done," Arizona explained.
"Need a hand?"
"Always."
Callie grabbed the two towels from the rack, green for Cam, purple for Vivvy.
"Sing the splish-splash song, Callie," Vivvy requested.
"Yeah. Sing it!" Cam urged.
While she and Arizona got the girls out of the tub and wrapped up in their towels, Callie sang the splish-splash song, accompanied by Cam and Vivvy. The twins' carefree exuberance as they sang on the way to their bedroom seemed to ease some of the sadness in Arizona.
"What pajamas do you want tonight?" Arizona asked as she pulled open a drawer.
Vivvy's choice was her Ariel nightgown while Cam wanted her red Marine t-shirt with navy blue bottoms.
"Can we stay up a little later?" Vivvy asked.
"We don't have school tomorrow," Cam added as she struggled to pull her shirt over her head.
"Just for a little bit," Arizona said as she adjusted Cam's shirt. "You've got a big day tomorrow."
"We're gettin' a Chrissmas tree tomorrow." Cam was excited to share the news.
"Are you coming with us, Callie?" Vivvy's eyes were full of hope.
"I am," Callie answered. "And I'm going to help you decorate it on Sunday."
"Yay! I want a pretty tree."
"I want a big tree!" Cam announced as they all walked back downstairs. "The biggest one we can find."
Callie laughed. Of course Cam wanted the biggest tree and Vivvy the prettiest one. The two little girls always lifted her spirits and tonight was no exception. Despite Nick's diagnosis hanging between her and Arizona, Cam and Vivvy found a way to lighten their mood without even knowing.
"Callie can cut the first loop," Vivvy suggested when they reached the living room.
"The first loop? What's that?"
"We'll show you." The girls tugged on Callie's hands, leading her to the "chain" made of red and green construction paper that hung between the dining room and the living room.
"There's one loop for every day until Christmas," Vivvy explained.
"And every night before bed we cut one loop," Cam added.
"Are you sure you want me to?" The girls nodded and Arizona handed her a pair of scissors. "Should I say something?"
"Only if you want to."
Callie took the scissors and carefully picked up the paper chain. She could see that it had been remade at least once before so she was careful to cut where it had been pasted together. "Only twenty-four days until Christmas!"
"Yay."
"How many is twenty-four days?" Cam asked.
"A lot," Vivvy sighed.
With the cut "link" stored away for next year, the four of them went back into the living room. Callie could see a spot had been cleared away by the front window for the tree and there were several boxes marked "XMAS Decorations" set aside.
"We missed you, Callie," the girls chorused as they snuggled up on either side of her.
"I missed you, too."
"You were away forever," Cam exaggerated, but it did seem that way to her.
"But I'm here now and I couldn't be happier."
Arizona leaned back from her spot on the sofa and watched Callie with Cam and Vivvy. The bond between the three of them filled her heart. The love they had for one another was strong. She never thought she'd have this with another woman after Jillian died, and what she had with Callie was a dream come true, a dream she hadn't dared to even contemplate.
"Have you made your lists for Santa Claus?" Callie asked.
"Not yet."
"We start after the tree is up. Mommy helps us."
"But you can help us, too, Callie."
"I'd love to help you with your lists."
"Tomorrow night," Arizona said. "When the tree is up and decorated."
"I have so many things I want," Cam sighed.
"Me, too."
Callie felt her heart stop upon hearing the twins' exuberance. How am I gonna buy presents for them? I'm broke! What am I gonna do?
Arizona saw a panicked yet sad look cross Callie's face. It was gone in an instant, quickly replaced by a half-hearted smile when she hugged the girls close.
"Everything okay, Callie?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just really tired. I haven't slept much lately. You know what it's like working nights."
"All too well." She slapped her knees and stood up. "Speaking of sleep, it's time for two little girls to go to bed."
"Do we have to?" they protested.
"It's already past your bedtime."
Both Cam and Vivvy dramatically sighed heavily and nodded their heads, then climbed down from the sofa. They gave their mother a quick hug and kiss.
"Can Callie read us a story?"
"Please?"
Arizona looked at Callie. "Are you too tired?"
"No, I can do it, but I may go to bed right after they do."
"Sounds like a good idea."
The girls darted up the stairs to brush their teeth before bed. Callie rose from the couch and Arizona immediately took her into her arms for a tight hug. They stayed in each other's arms, neither saying a word, just drawing comfort from one another. Their moment was broken by the sound of the girls yelling that they were ready for their story.
"Do you want me to draw you a bath while you read them a story?" Arizona asked.
"Only if you'll join me," Callie replied.
"Great," Arizona answered, and she kissed Callie. The girls called out for Callie again. "Go ahead. I'll lock up." She waited for the trio to start up the stairs, then quickly went through her nightly routine of locking the doors and checking the windows.
Once done, she headed upstairs and into the master bedroom to begin filling the tub with warm water, some bath salts and a little bit of soothing bubble bath. When the bath was ready, she undressed and eased into the warm, inviting water. She groaned as she felt the tension ease from her back. She rested her head on the back of the tub and closed her eyes.
This day now ranked in her top three of bad days. One, Jillian's death. Two, Tim's funeral. Three, Nick, her surrogate brother, given a cancer diagnosis. It couldn't be an easy cancer, it had to be bone cancer.
"Well that's not fair, getting started without me." Callie's voice interrupted her tranquility.
"You were taking too long." Arizona opened her eyes halfway to watch her undress.
Callie caught her staring and tried to cover her breasts. "What?" Arizona smiled cheekily but remained silent. "You're staring at me like a creeper." she laughed.
"You're beautiful." Arizona said softly but honestly.
Callie allowed her hands to drop and finished undressing. "And you're a charmer."
Arizona sat up to allow Callie to slide behind her, then relaxed against her. Arizona allowed her thoughts to drift as they relaxed together. Obviously, over the past three years, she missed sex, but she never realized how much she had missed the intimacy of being with someone. Moments like now, being in a bath with a lover and having their strong arms surrounding her, comforting her, quietly supporting her. These were the moments she had missed the most without really knowing.
She felt Callie's breath against her ear. "What's on your mind?"
Arizona shook her head. "Trying my best not to think, right now."
Callie exhaled deeply. "Same." The excitement from the twins about their Christmas lists had tugged on the thin string of Callie's financial woes and her anxiety about disappointing them by not being able to afford decent gifts for them and their mother. "How about we just stay like this and not think of anything outside of this bathroom?"
"You know I'm a worrier."
"Try not to worry yet. We don't know for sure it's cancer, and if it is, it may not be as bad as you think."
"With the string of bad luck I've had over the past three years, it's hard to be positive."
Callie slumped slightly. Surely Arizona didn't consider her part of the "bad luck"?
"You're the only really good thing that's happened to me in three years." Arizona squeezed Callie's forearms, hugging them tighter to her chest. "You're the best."
# # # # # # # # # #
Callie was growing impatient. They were driving to yet another lot to pick out a Christmas tree. To her, they all looked the same. How many more places are we going to go? she wondered. She tried not to groan when the girls started singing along with the Christmas music that was playing on the radio. Arizona had claimed it would put them in the holiday mood for tree selection. Callie thought it was only giving her a headache when the twins massacred the lyrics to yet another song. Is it gonna be this way until Christmas? she internally whined. I'll go crazy before then.
Sitting at a red light, Arizona glanced over at Callie who had a hint of a scowl on her face. "Something wrong, Callie?"
"No. Just a headache."
"Do you want me to take you back to the house?"
"No, no. I'll be fine. I'll just take some Tylenol when we get home. I don't want to spoil getting a tree. The girls are so excited about it."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, but maybe turn the radio off?" she asked as she rubbed her temples. Arizona gave her a questioning look, but did as requested. "Thank you," Callie said with a sigh as the noise in the car immediately ebbed.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Well, hopefully this will be the one," Arizona commented as she pulled into another lot that was full of Christmas trees.
"I'm surprised you're not going to one of those 'cut-your-own-tree' places," Calle muttered, unfastening her seat belt when the car was parked and the engine turned off.
"Maybe next year, when the girls are older. For now, we go to a lot and pick one out. This is only the second year that they've gone with me, and they're very excited."
"I'm sorry I'm being so grumpy. I'm… I'm just tired."
Vivvy held onto Callie's hand and Cam held Arizona's while they walked through what seemed to be endless rows of freshly cut trees.
"Are your parents getting a tree?" Callie asked as they paused in front of one.
"I'm not sure. They sometimes do, but Dad is more into decorating the house than putting up a tree. I don't know what they'll be doing this year." They moved on to another tree.
"What are the plans for Christmas? Do you all get together at your house or at your parents's house?"
"My house. It's a lot easier for them to come over than for me to lug two excited girls who just want to play with their new toys over to their house on Christmas morning."
Visions of the twins running down the stairs to see what Santa Claus brought danced in Callie's head and she smiled. "So you celebrate Christmas morning? What about Christmas Eve? I managed to get Christmas Day off. Do I need to get the day off for Christmas Eve, too?"
"I wouldn't go out of your way to get it off. It's a low key day, as much as it can be with two five year olds." Arizona smiled. "We usually watch a movie or two, bake cookies for Santa. On Christmas Eve night, we read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' and then they go to bed." She stopped in front of another tree and pulled out a large Douglas Fir. "What about this one?" she asked.
"It's pretty," Vivvy said with a big smile.
"And it's big," Cam added.
"What do you think, Callie?"
"Um, it's lovely." She'd never been shopping for a real tree. They'd always had an artificial tree that was put away right after New Year's.
"It smells good, too!" Cam added.
"I like the way trees smell. It smells like Christmas," Vivvy said.
"I think we've found our tree."
Arizona waved down one of the lot attendants, who lugged the tree to their car and tied it down on the roof.
"We got the bestest tree there," Cam bragged as she climbed into her booster seat.
"Mommy, I'm hungry." There was a hint of whine in Vivvy's voice, surprising Callie and Arizona both. Vivvy usually wasn't the one to whine.
"Let's go out for lunch. I think I know just the place," Arizona grinned as she started the car.
"Where?" Callie asked.
"You'll see."
"We get to eat out?" the girls asked, wide-eyed at the news. They rarely went out to eat.
"Yes. It's a family day and we get to do something special."
Thankfully, for Callie, Arizona left the radio turned off. The only sounds were the girls chattering in the back seat about the tree. Callie wasn't really paying attention while they drove and then when she saw Seattle-Presbyterian Hospital she suddenly realized where they were going.
"Millie's?" she asked, her smile broad.
"Yes. I think it's time the girls got to meet Millie, and I thought you should be there when they do," Arizona replied, pulling into a prime parking spot in front of the restaurant.
Callie didn't think it possible, but her smile grew even wider at the implications behind Arizona's words. "Thank you," she said softly and she leaned across the seat and placed a gentle kiss on Arizona's cheek.
"For what?"
"For letting me be a part of it."
Stepping into the diner, Arizona waved to Millie, who immediately came over.
"Dr. Robbins, Dr. Torres."
"Hi, Millie. I've got two someones for you to meet," Arizona greeted the owner. "Millie, these are my girls, Cam and Vivvy. Girls, this is Millie. She makes the best milkshakes in Seattle."
"HI!" Cam said brightly, followed by a shyer "Hi" from Vivvy.
"Well, aren't you two just darling," Millie commented.
"Do you have a booth for us?" Arizona asked.
"For you, always, Dr. Robbins," Millie answered, leading them to a booth by the window. "So what brings you here today?"
"We got a Christmas tree," Vivvy said.
"The biggest and bestest one," Cam chimed in.
"You did? Is that your car out there?" She pointed to Arizona's car parked where they could see it from the window. The girls nodded. "Well, it does look like a pretty tree."
The girls climbed into opposite sides of the booth. Callie froze, not knowing which girl to sit beside. Arizona decided for her, sliding in next to Vivvy.
"Coffee?" Millie asked.
"Oh, God yes." Callie blurted, causing Millie and Aizona to laugh.
"Make it two, Millie. Thanks." While Millie got their coffee Arizona turned her attention to the girls. "What do you want? Hamburger, grilled cheese, or chicken nuggets?"
"Cheeseburger," Cam immediately said. Vivvy wanted grilled cheese.
"And because it's such a special day, you two can split an order of french fries."
The girls cheered and hopped up and down in their seats. "Milkshakes, too?"
"Yes, but only if you eat some vegetables."
Callie ordered a club sandwich and she and Arizona agreed to split their own plate of fries.
"What'll you have, Dr. Robbins?" Millie asked, pen poised to take down the order.
"I always eat salads for lunch," she said with a frown as she thought about the salads from the hospital cafeteria. "I'm going to have the chicken tenders."
"What's that?" Vivvy asked.
"It's… it's like chicken nuggets for adults," she explained. "Could we also have a plate of some fresh veggies and dip while we wait?" Arizona asked Millie.
"I'll bring them right out, with the milkshakes. "Chocolate and strawberry, right?" she asked, looking at the girls. They nodded. "And two vanilla," she finished, picking up the menus.
"Thanks, Millie."
Millie watched the four of them as she waited for their lunches. Munching on the veggies and slurping their milkshakes through straws, the four of them looked every bit a happy family. She thought the girls were adorable and she was heartened to see Dr. Robbins was still with Dr. Torres. The easy way Dr. Torres interacted with the girls, and with Dr. Robbins made it clear that there was plenty of love going around the table.
"How are those milkshakes?" Millie asked as she set the plates down on the table. "And you finished all the veggies," she complimented them.
"My strawberry shake is yummy," Vivvy said.
"My chocklit is better."
"They're all delicious as usual, Millie," Arizona said, heading off the argument that was brewing between the girls.
"Good. Enjoy your meal." She picked up the empty veggie plate and left.
"I don't like pickles," Cam said when she saw a pickle spear on her plate. "Do you want it?" she asked Callie,
"Sure. Thank you." Callie speared the pickle with her fork and set it on the edge of her plate.
"Do you want mine?" Vivvy did not want to be outdone by her sister.
"Thank you, Vivvy." Once again, she added an extra pickle to her plate.
After lunch, they drove back to Arizona's home and unloaded the tree. Arizona was old school and believed the tree needed a day to sit in water and open up. Decorating would happen the next day, after breakfast, no matter how much the girls pleaded to decorate now. For the time being, it was time to rest and relax as a family.
# # # # # # # # # #
The next day, Cam and Vivvy sat impatiently on the couch as they watched Arizona "inspect" the Christmas tree. Christmas music played softly in the background.
"Is it ready?"
"Can we hang the orn'mints?"
"Hmmm. What do you think, Callie?" Arizona asked, throwing a sly wink at her.
"I don't know. Do you think we need to wait a little longer?"
"Mommy!" the girls pleaded as one.
"Well, I think we can string the lights." Arizona had spent the morning untangling the lights and then checking for any lights that needed replacing. "Callie, want to give me a hand?"
"Uh, sure. Um, how do you do this? Do you start from the top or bottom?" Callie looked bewildered and a bit out of her element as she surveyed the tree decorations.
"You don't know how?"
"No, we always had an artificial tree that had the lights on it." She didn't want to tell Arizona that the household staff did the tree decorating. More than once, her mother hired interior designers to come in and decorate the house, including the tree. Those were the years her parents had big holiday parties and it was all about impressing the family and friends. She didn't miss that, but she did miss her family.
"Well, it's time you learned. No artificial trees in this house," she said with a wink and a smile.
Callie paid close attention as to how Arizona strung the lights on the tree. Even though she'd never done it before, she had plenty of ideas of how to do it better, more efficiently. She kept her opinions to herself, though. Maybe next year we can try it my way, she thought, and then she smiled. Next year. She hoped there would be many more tree trimmings with the family.
"Ready?" Arizona asked, her hand resting on the lightswitch.
"Yes!"
The tree was soon sparkling with a rainbow of colors. The Torres' family tree was always adorned with white lights. Callie had seen trees with a few colors, sometimes just red or sometimes two or three colors. The lights on this tree were literally a rainbow and once they warmed up, were randomly blinking.
The girls delightedly clapped their hands. "Our tree is the prettiest," Vivvy declared. Cam's head bobbed in agreement.
Despite the girls' disgruntlement with having to wait a little longer, they had a quick simple lunch before opening the boxes full of ornaments. Callie noticed that many seemed to be personalized, but some were "generic". The latter were the ones she focused on hanging. She was still amazed at the number of ornaments that they had, and how meaningful they were. There were "First Christmas" ornaments, even a tank, and some that looked like they were probably from Arizona's childhood. She made sure to hang her ornaments higher up on the tree as the girls were almost overloading the branches they could reach.
"Time for the star to go on the top," Arizona announced.
"Callie can do it."
"She won't even need the ladder."
Arizona fake frowned at the girls while Callie laughed. "Step aside, shorty," Callie teased as she took the star from Arizona's hand. It was a bit of a reach, but standing on her tiptoes, she was able to affix the star. She threw Arizona a smirk over her shoulder. "Guess you'll need to keep me around to put the star atop the tree."
"I can think of lots of other reasons to keep you around."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Arizona said with a tilt of her head, then her smile grew flirty. "And not all of them PG."
"Arizona," Callie hissed, checking to see if the girls had heard her. They hadn't as they were too busy looking through the boxes for any ornaments they'd forgotten.
Arizona winked at Callie, then reached for a small box. "Who wants this year's ornament to hang?"
"Me! Me!" the girls chorused.
Arizona took out a soccer ball ornament with Cam's name on it, and a small pair of dance shoes with Vivvy's name on them. "Go hang them up," she instructed. She reached into the box again. "So we couldn't decide on what to give you. We all wanted something different, so we compromised."
"Arizona…"
She handed Callie an ornament consisting of a bone with a stethoscope wrapped around it. "We don't need to put your name on it because it's clearly yours."
"Arizona, I… thank you." She watched Arizona set the box aside. "Where's your ornament Arizona? Don't you get one this year?"
"I'll leave that up to you and the girls to pick one out. No rush."
Arizona had turned her attention to the girls and missed seeing Callie's panic-stricken face as she mentally tried to budget money to buy an ornament for Arizona. Shit. What am I gonna do? I can't just buy any basic ornament. She had mine custom made. She had to. There's no way she just found this in a store.
"Aren't you going to hang your ornament, Callie?" Arizona asked, noticing the somewhat dazed look on Callie's face.
"Yes, right. Hang the ornament."
# # # # # # # # # #
Arizona was out on the back patio grilling the salmon when Barbara, Daniel and Nick arrived for dinner. Callie had already prepared the vegetables and roasted the potatoes. Daniel carried a small box which he immediately set down in front of the Christmas tree. Barbara set a fresh apple pie on the kitchen counter.
"Arizona?" she asked Callie.
"Grilling the salmon." She turned to Nick. "There's beer in the refrigerator, unless you want wine."
"Beer would be great, thanks." He took out a bottle of beer. "I'm gonna go keep Phoenix company." He stepped out onto the patio, now lit up by the porch light in the dark December sky. "Hey, Flagstaff."
"Nicholas."
He scowled at her. "Don't call me that."
"Well then, stop using state cities for mine."
Knowing they'd reached an impasse in their familiar argument, he sniffed the air. "Smells good. Your girls like salmon?"
"Surprisingly, yes, they do."
"They're good kids," he commented, taking a sip of his beer. The past week he'd spent several evenings at Arizona's house, getting to know the girls a little better "You've done a great job with them."
"Thanks. I've had a lot of help, especially from Mom and Dad."
"And Callie." She turned her attention away from the grill and gave him a sharp look. "Don't look at me that way. Anyone can see how important Callie is to the girls, and you."
"She is. The girls love her, and I do, too."
"I know." He took another sip from the bottle. "Tim worried a lot about you after Jillian died. He was afraid you'd give up on love and that you'd be a single mom for the rest of your life." He paused, trying to be careful with his words. "I've never seen you happier, Flagstaff. You've got yourself a keeper."
"I think so, too. She's wonderful." She turned the grill off and placed the salmon on the platter. "Nick, I hate - hate - the reason you're here in Seattle, but I'm really happy you're here with us for Christmas."
"Me, too, me, too," he said softly.
"Do you think Tim would've liked Callie?" Her voice was almost meek.
"Absolutely. He would've loved her. He would've loved the way she looks at you, and how she is with the girls. And he would've loved the way you look at her. But the biggest reason he'd love her is because of that."
"What?"
"That smile on your face whenever Callie's name is mentioned," he said, gesturing at her with his bottle of beer. "It's good to see you happy. It looks good on you" He hugged her tightly. "And I'd agree with his opinion one hundred percent." He kissed the top of her head. "C'mon. I'm hungry." He ruffled her hair, managing to avoid her attempts to swat at him.
He carried the platter inside and set it on the stove. "What are the rest of you having for dinner? He joked.
"Nice try, Nick."
"Guess we'd just have to eat this delicious apple pie instead," Arizona retorted, her hands on the pie.
NIck's mouth dropped in dismay. He loved salmon, but he loved a Barbara Robbins pie more. "Fine. You win," he said
The seven of them sat down for dinner.
"I'm so glad you didn't have crab," Barbara said, placing a piece of fish on her plate. "We had it last night."
"I try not to have crab," Arizona said. "Too messy."
"But it's fun to eat," Vivvy said.
"It is," Barbara agreed. "You know how much Nick likes it. And apparently Teddy Altman does as well."
"Teddy?" Arizona looked at Nick, her eyes twinkling and an amused smile on her face. "Teddy, huh?" She couldn't wait to tease Teddy.
"Yes, she joined us for dinner. Honestly. I don't know where she puts it. She had just as much as Nick, and an extra piece of pie. Do they starve you over at Seattle Grace?"
"No, we just work a lot of hours and don't have time to eat properly."
"I think she doesn't know how to cook, either. Maybe I should give her a cooking lesson or two, along with you, Arizona."
"Me? Why me? I can cook." Arizona rolled her eyes. This was an argument she'd been having with her mother for years.
"You need to cook a bigger variety. You can't expect Callie to do all the cooking."
"I don't expect her to."
"It's fine, Arizona. I don't mind cooking," Callie said. "I enjoy cooking."
"Told yah she's a keeper," Nick commented, waving his fork.
"I want to learn to cook," Vivvy piped up.
"Me, too," Cam added.
"Maybe in a few years," Barbara gently pushed back. "You're a little young right now."
After dinner and the kitchen cleanup complete, they moved to the living room. Barbara opened the box and began handing out the stockings to be hung up over the fireplace. It was tradition for her to store them and then hand them out each year. Vivvy's was purple with snowmen and Cam's was green with reindeer on it. Daniel's was white with Santa Claus and Barbara's was gold with an angel. Arizona's was blue with snowflakes.
"I found your old stocking, Nick," she said, handing him a light gray stocking with Christmas trees.
"Awesome," Nick said.
"And Callie, I made you one." She handed Callie a red stocking with candy canes. "I hope the color is okay with you."
"Wow. Thank you." Knowing she'd be part of a family Christmas celebration, a tear came to her eyes. "This is… it was very thoughtful of you to include me," she stammered.
"Well, of course we'd include you, Callie, You're family," Barbara almost chided her.
As it was her house, Arizona hung up the stockings one by one. First hers, then Callie's. The girls were next, followed by Daniel, Barbara and Nick.
"Getting kind of crowded there on the fireplace," Daniel chuckled as he stood beside Arizona..
"I know. Isn't it great?"
"It is," he agreed. He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "It's a very good thing."
The trio headed out shortly after that. Bathtime was followed by Cam's turn to cut a link on their Christmas chain.
"Girls, I have something to show you before you go to bed," Callie said,
"What?"
"Come with me. You, too, Arizona." Callie led them over to the tree. "Lay down on the floor and close your eyes."
"Callie?"
"Trust me."
The three of them did as they were told. Callie turned off the lights in the room so there was only the glow from the lights on the tree. "Keep your eyes closed and then scoot up under the tree." When she saw they were positioned under the tree, she told them to open their eyes and look up.
"Look at the lights!" Cam exclaimed.
"It's so pretty."
"Callie, this is beautiful," Arizona said, squeezing Callie's hand. "I think we've found a new tradition."
Callie felt tears of joy fill her eyes. It had always been a dream of hers to start a family tradition. With Arizona and the girls, her dreams were fulfilled.