Title: Cruciverbalist
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Callie knows Arizona loves crossword puzzles.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I do not intend to profit in any way, shape or form by posting this story. It's for fun, nothing more, and nothing less. Please don't sue me.
A/N: My first attempt at writing for an event at the
callie_arizona community. No beta at all for this, so all mistakes are mine. Please be kind and leave a comment, because comments fuel future writing. :D
It’s been six months since the accident that turned her life around. Six months since her daughter was born and her girlfriend fought for her life. Six months since she had seen the heart that she loved so much stop beating within Callie’s chest. Six months since the restarting of that heartbeat spurred her into action and her hands started little Sofia’s heartbeat. Six months since she asked Callie to marry her. Six months and two days since Callie said yes. Six months and three days since Callie had forgotten the entire event. Things between the two had been going very well, except when Callie woke up for the second time after all her grueling surgeries, she hadn’t remembered the proposal or accepting it. Arizona just accepted that it was the wrong time and place and decided she would just ask again in the future; whenever her heart was repaired from the damage it suffered that third day.
Arizona yawned while she made her way down to the cafeteria. She was thankful her last surgery went off without any unexpected complications because all she could think about was spending lunch with her wonderful girlfriend and daughter. Callie had mentioned to Arizona that she would be picking Sofia up from the daycare to have lunch with them as well. Lunch with her family and she was totally excited. Is this what her life was going to be like now? She couldn’t help the grin that appeared on her lips. Why hadn’t she agreed to kids the first time?
“Hey!” Callie waved at Arizona and then playfully lifted Sofia’s arm and waved it at Arizona. Sofia then giggled and leaned back in Callie’s lap. “Someone is so happy to see Mommy!” Callie was sitting at a full table, but had managed to keep the seat next to her open. Teddy was talking with Owen, Cristina and Meredith at the far side. Mark was sitting across from Callie, a small pout on his face since Sofia was engrossed with Callie and Arizona at the moment. April and Karev were discussing a case at the other side of the table.
“It looks like two someone’s are happy to see me.” Arizona leaned down and kissed Callie’s cheek while brushing a hand over Sofia’s head, loving the feel of her dark hair. She then pressed a kiss to the top of Sofia’s head which earned another giggle and the baby jumping in Callie’s lap playfully.
“You mean at least three. I’m happy to see you too.” Mark offered a toothy grin to Arizona.
“Oof, careful kiddo.” Callie laughed at Sofia’s exuberance. It was as though Arizona’s perky transferred into the baby whenever the two were together. She was nervously sitting at the table and waiting for Arizona to appear and Sofia was practically sleeping. Now she’s giggling and all smiles at Arizona. “This kid is totally wrapping you around her finger. And Mark, seriously?”
“Who says she hasn’t already?” Arizona sat down next to them and poked Sofia’s belly before leaning over and pressing her lips to Sofia’s cheeks. She then blew a raspberry into Sofia’s cheek and she started squirming and giggling in Callie’s lap. She ignored Mark’s remark and kissed Sofia again. She’d been doing a lot of ignoring Mark, it was easier than trying to reason with him or be angry at him. She let go of all the anger for Sofia. She was civil to him and he pretended like nothing happened while Callie was injured and honestly, Arizona was just fine with that.
Callie couldn’t stop the smile on her face as she watched Arizona play with their daughter. “Okay, you’re right. I’m pretty sure she’s got everyone wrapped around her finger. Even Cristina. Isn’t that right, Sofia?”
“It’s not my fault you and Sloan made a freakishly adorable baby.” Cristina huffed and then placed her elbows on the table and took a bite into her sandwich. The rest of the table laughed.
“Only Cristina could use the word freakishly and make it a compliment.” Arizona rolled her eyes and she commandeered Callie’s tray of food, looking it over for a moment before picking up a fork and digging into the half eaten salad.
“She has a point though. Look at those cheeks. She’s like a chipmunk!” Alex was smiling at Sofia and seemed to forget there was a table full of his peers and superiors there. They all stopped what they were doing and turned their heads at Alex. “What?” He shrugged and hunkered down into his plate, taking a bite of the apple he had chosen for lunch.
“God, you’re such a softy.” Meredith snickered and glanced at Cristina who was holding her hand in front of her mouth to make sure she didn’t laugh her food right out of it.
“I think it’s sweet. Sofia is like the mascot of Seattle Grace-Mercy West.” April glanced at Alex, hoping he would approve of her going to his defense, but he had just rolled his eyes.
“Call my daughter a mascot again and I’m going to put you on scut for a month at least.” Arizona deadpanned as the entire table erupted into laughter again. Even Sofia started giggling.
Callie placed a newspaper in front of Arizona. It was folded to the crossword puzzle and a pen was attached to the top via its clip. “Aw, look at how well your Mami knows me, Sofie-bear!” Everyone at the table giggled awkwardly.
“Seriously? Sophie-bear?” Cristina mocked Arizona’s choice of nickname under her breath and Meredith elbowed her. “Ow! What the he-- Uhm, heck, Mer.” Once again, the table erupted into laughter.
“We’re going to have to enforce a swear jar around here, otherwise her first words are going to be really colorful.” Callie rolled her eyes at Arizona. Arizona already had a swear jar in the apartment and Callie hated it. Mainly because she and Mark had filled it up once already.
Teddy glanced at Callie and then nodded toward Arizona when she got Callie’s attention. Callie looked over and a nervous grin settled on her lips as she saw Arizona grab the pen and start the crossword puzzle. Mark was grinning obnoxiously and Callie was thankful Arizona was so absorbed by the puzzle that she didn’t see everyone was staring at her with funny faces.
“Hey, Callie, why did you mark some of these questions?” Arizona had been trying to figure out where to start on the new puzzle when she noticed Callie had marked four of the questions in numerical order.
“Oh, I just figured you should start with those.”
“Eh, I usually have my own system with these, you know, but I’ll humor you.”
There was more laughter from the peanut gallery. Why had she invited them again? Oh right, they blackmailed her when they found out about her plan.
Arizona eyed the first clue. It was rather easy. Good ___ Hunting. She checked the space where it was supposed to go and counted four letters. “Yay!” She jotted down the word will into its spaces and then moved on to the next clue.
Preventer of forest fires. She looked at the spaces for the clue and saw it was a three letter word. “Oh!” She giggled as she remembered the old Smokey the Bear commercials. She wrote you into the spaces.
Four Corners state. Arizona blinked and glanced over at Callie. She was playing with Sofia and the rest of the table seemed to be in their own worlds. That could be an awfully personalized clue. She checked the spaces where the clue would go and, sure enough, seven spaces were made available. She quickly jotted her name into the available spaces.
Wooer’s words. Hm, she quickly looked at the spaces available and counted seven. She bit the bottom of her lip as she read the clue over again and then it clicked. She wrote marryme into the spaces. It was then she put the four clues together and suddenly the pen dropped from her hand and landed on the table with a smack. Suddenly all eyes were on her as she turned to Callie, who had a velvet box opened with the most beautiful diamond ring being offered to her.
“Will you, Arizona, marry me?” She offered Arizona a sheepish smile while Sofia squirmed and reached for the box her Mami was holding.
“Oh my god.” Arizona muttered softly to herself and she was suddenly aware of all the eyes on her, but her own eyes never left Callie’s. She just stared at Callie for several moments, then smiled as she lifted her left hand and held it out to Callie. “Yes, of course, yes!”
Callie released the breath she was holding with a forceful puff. “You had me worried there for a minute.” The table clapped and laughed as Callie slid the ring onto Arizona’s finger and then the two kissed. It was a rare public display of affection, but neither cared at the moment. They cut the kiss short as a wolf whistle rang out into the cafeteria.
“Congratulations!” Teddy was the first to speak. She and Cristina placed a large cake on the center of the table. The cake read: Congratulations on your engagement, Callie and Arizona! Everyone sitting at the table with them started congratulating them on their engagement. Sofia was reaching out for the cake causing everyone to laugh.
Callie leaned in and wrapped her arms around Arizona, while ensuring Sofia was safely between them. She kissed Arizona just below her ear before whispering, “I’m sorry it took me so long to remember.”
Arizona shivered at the words for a moment then pressed her forehead against Callie’s. Her lips were curled into the super-magic smile Callie loved so much. “It was well worth the wait.”