What You'd Be Today - 1/?
What You’d Be Today - Chapter Onexml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /
It ain't fair: you died too young,
Like the story that had just begun,
But death tore the pages all away.
Summary: Arizona thought she knew the truth about everything that had ever happened in her life, but sometimes “the truth” can come back to haunt you.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Grey’s Anatomy or any of its characters.
Authors note: So this is the first chapter of my new fic and I hope you all like it. The universe in this is in some ways similar to the story I co-write, As Time Goes By, and I will be using some characters from that story. I want to say a huge thank you to Majin Cammy who was a huge help with both the planning and the writing of this and in general for just being a truly awesome friend. The title comes from the song Who You’d Be Today by Kenny Chesney.
“Please Arizona... please take them! You know how much I hate soccer.” Arizona shook her head as she loaded the washing machine. Callie had been begging her non-stop for about four hours to take their sons to their soccer game. “Why did you choose soccer for them anyway? Couldn’t they be football stars? I mean at least that is a real sport.”
“Okay, one, they are far too young to be playing a sport like football. Two, soccer is a totally awesome sport. And three, I did not choose it, the boys did. You know I’d at least come with you if I could, but I have back to back surgeries this afternoon.”
Callie let out a deep annoyed sigh, pouted her lips and folded her arms across her chest. She looked more like their twelve year old at that moment rather than the grown woman she was. Arizona turned around and couldn’t help but laugh at her wife’s behaviour. She leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to her wife’s lips.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine. There will be plenty of other parents for you to talk to; you might even make a friend or two.” Their talk was interrupted as Arizona’s pager beeped. She pulled it off her belt and read the page. “Damn it, I have to go, it’s 911 for Tiffany Burrows. “ Arizona gave Callie another quick kiss and grabbed her coat. She walked to the bottom of the stairs and called up to her children. “Boys, Sofia, come on get down here or you’ll be late.”
“Arizona, I have enough friends, can’t we just trade places?”
“Believe me babe, there is nothing I’d like more then to watch our boys kick butt out on that field, but right now I have a life to save so you are on your own.”
The sound of feet on the stairs made Arizona look up and smile as her very own tiny humans came running down.
“Mom are you gunna make it to the game today?” Arizona gave her son a small smile, but gently shook her head. Joseph Daniel Robbins-Torres or “JD” as he had been known since the day he was born, was the oldest of the twins and at his mother’s answer he looked disappointed, but understanding.
“I’m sorry guys, but I promise I will come next week and tomorrow is my day off so after school I will take you out for ice cream. How does that sound?”
“Awesome!” both twins said at the same time and high-fived each other before running into the back room of the house to grab their things, shouting a “bye mom” as they went.
“Bye mom.” Sofia smiled at her mom before following her brothers. Arizona said her final goodbyes before sprinting out the door and off to the hospital.
Callie clapped her hands together before opening the front door.
“Okay, let’s go guys; we only have twenty minutes till game time.”
“Hey TJ, race you to the car.” Callie had to practically dive out of the way as her sons bolted out of the kitchen and onto the drive way.
“You guys are such dorks!” Sofia shouted after them as she left the house.
“Sofia!” Callie warned as she locked up the house.
“Sorry Mama.”
And with that they all climbed into the car and drove to the game.
“Oh, come on ref, are you freaking blind or something?! Maybe if you started paying attention to the game instead of standing there looking like a little girl, then that kid wouldn’t still be on the field tripping my Patrick every chance he gets!” Callie raised her eyebrows at the mother next to her while Sofia stood there and sniggered.
Callie grabbed her shoulders and steered her daughter away from the screaming woman before turning her attention back to the game just in time to see JD score his third goal of the game.
“Yes!” both Callie and Sofia cheered and clapped.
“Woo go itchy!” Callie laughed at her daughter’s nickname for her brother. Sofia called her brothers Itchy and Scratchy for two reasons. One; because they absolutely loved The Simpsons and two; because they were always play fighting with each other.
Callie could still hear that woman hooting and hollering from half way down the field and she was suddenly very glad that she didn’t like soccer, if that was what the “passionate” soccer moms were like.
“She’s a character, isn’t she?” Callie turned her head to the woman stood next to her and laughed.
“I could think of a few other words to describe her.” The woman, who was similar looking to Callie except she was a couple of inches smaller, smiled at her before pointing to the kids.
“Which one is yours?”
“I have two out there, number nine and number three.”
“Oh, so you’re one of TJ and JD’s mothers?” Callie smiled and nodded her head.
“I’m Juliana, but everybody calls me Jules. My boys are constantly talking about yours. I’m Timmy and Daniel’s mom,” a light bulb went off in Callie’s mind at the sound of the names. She remembered TJ telling her about their new friends.
“Callie, it’s nice to finally meet you.” The two women shook hands.
“Likewise, and is this your daughter? Sophie is it?”
“Sofia.” The young girl corrected with a small amount of annoyance.
“Oh, my apologies sweetie, I am just terrible for remembering names when I don’t have a face to put them to, but I promise I won’t do that again, not when the name belongs to a face as pretty as yours.” Sofia giggled, slightly embarrassed by the praise from the older woman.
The conversation was interrupted as a boy who looked just slightly younger then Sofia ran up to Jules and hid behind her legs.
“Get back here, ya little runt!” shouted an older boy who had been running after him. His trousers were ripped on his left knee and he had a big grass stain all up his basketball jersey.
“Woah, calm down. Jakey, what happened to you?”
“I was playing basketball with Craig, Eric and Tyler and then Christopher came and had to ruin the game!”
“I didn’t do anything, Mom he wouldn’t let me play with them.” Jake rolled his eyes.
“That’s because you’re just a little kid and besides, you can’t play a two on three basketball game genius.”
“Don’t talk to your brother like that and tell me what happened to your clothes!”
“I fell when I was running after him because he’s a little girl that needs to hide.”
“Shut up, Jacob!”
“You shut up, Chris!”
“My name is Christopher!”
“Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris”
“Enough!” Jules held her hand up and silenced them. “Jacob, you need to be nice to your little brother and Christopher, when it’s a game like that you just sometimes need to let your brother play with his friends, okay?”
“Yes, mom.”
“Okay, now Jake, go back to the park and I’ll keep Christopher here with me.” Jake didn’t need to be told twice and bolted back to his friends.
“Be glad you don’t have teenagers yet. He’s a great kid, but sometimes, I swear, he had a personality transplant over night. He loves his brother; really, he’d do anything for him. Wouldn’t he Christopher?”
He nodded his head as he watched his younger brothers running up and down the field.
“So where’s your wife today?”
“She couldn’t make it. She’s in surgery all day.”
“Ah yes, Danny told me you’re both surgeons. That’s impressive. I could never do it myself. All that blood.” Callie laughed as Jules pulled a face.
“What do you do?”
“I’m a district attorney and my husband, Jacob, is a cop. He’s working today too.”
“Wow and you think I’m impressive.”
The two women continued laughing and talking throughout the game and when the final whistle blew they cheered and clapped with the rest of the parents. Their son’s team had won 4-1. JD and TJ and Timmy and Danny ran over to their mothers.
“You guys played so well!” Callie high-fived her boys and Sofia ruffled their hair.
“Mom, can JD and TJ come to the pool party on Saturday?” Danny asked Jules excitedly.
“As long as it’s ok with Mrs Robbins-Torres. It’s their birthday on Saturday, the big nine.”
“Please, Mrs. Robbins-Torres, pleeeeease.” As Callie looked at the young boys she couldn’t help but notice that they had a lot of resemblances to her own twins.
“I don’t see why not.” All four boys had huge smiles on their faces and started talking nonstop about the party.
“Okay, so the party is at 17 Ryder Road and it starts at 2pm. Bring your wife along too, if she can make it. It’d be great to meet her.”
The two families said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. On the car ride home, Sofia and the boys spent the whole time talking about the game, but Callie had one thought on her mind. It was crazy just how much Timmy and Daniel and her boys looked alike.
Arizona was exhausted. She’d had four very intense surgeries back to back and had lost two patients; Elliott Larkin, a seventeen year old who had been diagnosed with Leukaemia when he was fourteen and Cady Walsh, an incredibly sweet six year old with cerebral palsy. She had spent the whole day thanking god that her family was happy and healthy and also praying for the families who had lost one of their own.
The sound of music coming from the kitchen filled her ears as she walked into the house and it was accompanied by the smell of something that brought a smile to her lips. Callie was making paella and it was one of Arizona’s favourite meals. Taking off her coat, she walked into the kitchen and laughed when she saw Callie. She stood at the stove singing and dancing as she cooked. Arizona walked as quietly as she could towards Callie and just as she was about to grab her wife by the waist, she felt a pair of hands grab her own waist.
Arizona almost jumped out of her skin and let out a small scream that was immediately followed by the sound of her son’s laughing. Callie, who had jumped at Arizona’s scream, turned round to find her wife with her hand over her heart and the twins practically bent over with laughter.
“I got you so good Mom.” JD was still laughing hard and had a huge grin on his face.
“She was gonna scare you, Mama, but JD got to her first.” TJ had a smile on his face identical to his brothers.
“Oh were you now?” Callie walked over to Arizona with her hands on her hips.
“Maybe just a little bit.” Callie laughed and kissed her wife.
“Gross!” the twins covered their eyes at the sight of their mothers locking lips.
“Oh be quiet, you’ll be doing this one day when you get a girlfriend... or a boyfriend”
“Girls are gross and I don’t wanna kiss anybody. Talk about puke.” TJ pulled a face as his brother nodded his head in agreement. Arizona and Callie laughed at their typical naive answer of a nine year old.
“Just go and tell your sister that dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes.”
“SOFIA!” JD walked over to the kitchen door and shouted as loud as he could.
“Joseph! I said go and get her.” Callie pointed to the stairs. “And then wash up for dinner.”
The boys ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs, laughing as they went.
“Did I say hello?” Arizona wrapped her arms around Callie’s neck.
“I must have missed it.” Callie pulled Arizona closer towards her as she snaked her arms around her waist. Arizona giggled and leaned up to kiss her. The kiss was slow and lasted for a couple of minutes before Arizona pulled back with a sigh.
“That was quite a hello.” Callie placed one last peck on her wife’s lips and used her hand to push a stray piece of hair out of Arizona’s eyes.
“Well, I try my best.” Callie smiled and reluctantly pulled herself out of Arizona’s arms and turned back to the stove.
“There’s a bottle of chardonnay for you in the fridge. How was surgery today?” Arizona sighed as she pulled the wine out of the refrigerator.
“It started great, but disasters struck by surgery number three. Lost two patients.”
“I’m really sorry, baby, that’s awful. Are you okay?” Callie turned her head to look at her wife, a small amount of worry on her face. Arizona gave her a loving smile and nodded her head. She took a sip of her wine and let out a hum of satisfaction.
“Now I am.” Callie winked at her before turning back round to finish up their dinner. “How was the soccer game?”
“Well, as much as it pains me to say it, it was alright. Our boys were rock stars. JD scored three goals and TJ was like a brick wall in defence.”
“I don’t know why you sound so surprised! We Robbins’ have always been excellent athletes. Timothy was captain of the football and baseball teams all through high school and at the academy. And need I remind you that I was captain of the soccer, lacrosse AND softball teams and I was co-captain of the cheerleading squad with Nix.”
Callie let out a snort of laughter and tried to hide it with a fake cough, but Arizona noticed.
“What’s so funny?”
“It’s just, your high school life... I can’t believe you even tried, however unsuccessfully, to hide the fact that you’re gay. You couldn’t have made yourself more stereotypically lesbian if you walked around in a rainbow Technicolor dream coat singing show tunes and setting off glitter bombs.”
Arizona opened her mouth in shock. She leaned forward and playfully slapped Callie’s ass before both women burst out laughing.
“I’ll have you know that I was a very convincing straight girl.”
“Whatever you say babe.”
“I was! Just ask Nix.”
“I did ask Nix and he showed me the video of you guys cheering at nationals ‘93 and man, you really did like to look up those skirts, didn’t you?”
Arizona blushed and hid her face in her wine glass. Callie turned off the stove and walked over to her wife. She sat down on a stool and tapped her lap signalling for Arizona to sit down. Arizona obliged and sat on Callie’s lap with her arms around her neck.
“I can’t believe Nix showed you that video, remind me to have a word with him about that next time I see him.” Callie laughed and kissed her wife on the cheek.
“You were totally hot in high school. That uniform certainly helped.” Arizona raised her eyebrows at Callie as if to say oh really?
“Are you saying I’m not hot anymore?” Callie was silent for a minute as she thought about it. Arizona pinched Callie’s neck. “I cannot believe you are hesitating.”
“Ow that hurt and you didn’t let me talk.”
“I’m listening.” Callie kissed the pout on Arizona’s lips.
“You, Arizona Robbins-Torres, are hotter now.” Callie kissed her neck. “Then you have ever... ever been. Super hot. In fact, you’re not just hot. You, my darling wife, are the most beautiful woman... ever.” Arizona grinned and kissed her.
“Much better. “ They kissed again slowly and passionately, pouring all the love they shared into that one moment. Arizona pulled away just for a minute and smiled cheekily at Callie before leaning up and whispering in Callie’s ear. “I still have that cheerleading uniform, ya know.” She placed a kiss just below Callie’s ear and pulled away to see that Callie’s eyes were wide open and she looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
Callie opened and closed her mouth a couple of times trying to speak, finally coughing and blinking her eyes.
“Really? That’s uh... that’s very interesting.” Callie was trying to act as nonchalant as possible, but failing miserably. Callie leaned in to kiss her again, but Arizona moved away and shook her head.
“Come on, dinner is going to go cold and I for one... am starving.” Arizona lowered her voice as she said the last two words and giggled as Callie’s eyes went wide again. She stared straight ahead, her mind obviously on overdrive. Arizona pulled her arms and jumped off Callie’s lap and started to wash her hands.
The sound of running water pulled Callie out of her trance.
“You have got to be kidding me?” Arizona was trying so hard not to laugh as she turned off the water and dried her hands.
“What are you talking about, Calliope?” Arizona started pulling plates out of the cupboard and silverware out of the draws.
“You cannot tell me something like that and then just start setting the table.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Callie was about to retaliate when Sofia entered the kitchen with her hands over her eyes.
“Itchy and Scratchy said you guys were sucking face. Is it safe yet?” Arizona scoffed and shook her head.
“Yes, baby girl, it’s perfectly safe.” Sofia uncovered her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Come on. Dinner.”
Dinner in the Robbins-Torres household was always a fun event. As hard as they worked at the hospital, both women always tried extremely hard to make it home for dinner so they could hear all about what their children had done that day. Tonight was no exception as JD and TJ told Arizona every single detail about their soccer game.
“And then TJ tackled that jerk Patrick Connolly and passed the ball to Johnny who crossed it to me and bam, I knocked it straight into the top right hand corner. Like boom.” Arizona smiled clearly proud of both her boys, but wished she could have been there to see it.
“Is Patrick the boy with the mother who kept screaming at the referee?” Sofia asked as she broke off a piece of bread and popped it into her mouth.
“Oh yeah, she’s weird. Mike Jenson said that his dad said she’s fresh out of the wacky shack because she locked herself in a stock room at the supermarket where she worked and refused to come out for three whole days and when they finally got her out she was wearing a pineapple as a hat.”
“TJ you shouldn’t gossip, especially about people you don’t know. Right Callie?” Arizona raised an eyebrow at Callie who appeared to be in a little bit of a daze. “Callie.” Callie blinked and shook her head.
“Sorry what?”
“I was just telling TJ that it is not nice to gossip about people.” Callie looked from Arizona to her son.
“Oh right yeah, Timothy listen to your mother.”
“But Mama gossips all the time. With Uncle Mark, Aunt Addie, Aunt Cristina, Grandma Barbara AND the girl at the coffee cart at the hospital. ” Arizona glared at Callie, shook her head and laughed.
“Well, Mama shouldn’t do that.” Arizona looked at Callie to find her distracted again and looking slightly flustered.
“You okay, Mama?” Sofia placed her hand on Callie’s shoulder.
“What? Oh I’m fine mija, I’m just... tired and it’s kinda hot in here.” Callie stared straight at Arizona as she talked, who grinned into her dinner, very proud of the way she had gotten Callie so worked up, even though she knew she was going to pay for it later. And even though the kids were there she couldn’t resist wanting to work her up even more.
“You were right about me making new friends today, by the way Arizona.” Callie took a sip of her wine. She was just about to swallow it when she spat it out all over the table and choked on it. Coughing and spluttering she grabbed her napkin and started mopping up the liquid.
Just as Callie had been putting down her wine glass, Arizona had taken off her shoe and ran her foot all the way up Callie’s leg. Right in that moment Callie felt like she really could kill her wife.
“Way to make a mess, Mama.” Everyone but Callie laughed at Sofia’s words.
“Okay everybody, time for bed.” Callie jumped up from the table and started collecting plates.
“What? But Callie it’s only 7…“ Arizona was beyond confused.
“Yeah and we just had dinner, aren’t we supposed to like let the food digest first.”
“Sofia, go to your room.”
“Callie!” Arizona was just realising just how worked up she had gotten Callie.
“Look you guys. If you go up to your rooms now and stay there I will let you stay up for an hour after your bed times.”
At Callie’s words, all three kids stood up and ran upstairs.
“Mama, can we watch TV in Sofia’s room?” Arizona was about to object until Callie cut across her.
“Yeah sure, just stay in Sofia’s room!”
Arizona stood up and started picking up plates.
“I can’t believe you did that Callie. Do you know how hard it’s gonna be for me to get them up for school in the morning if Sofia gets to go to bed at like 11.”
“Put... the plates... down.” Arizona put the plates back down on the table as Callie walked towards her.
“I can’t believe how much of a tease you have been tonight.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Arizona was playing dumb and Callie was definitely not going to let her win this one.
“Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean, Dr. Robbins.” Callie grabbed Arizona and kissed her with so much enthusiasm that she almost knocked Arizona off her feet.
“Mama?” Callie pulled away, frustrated, as Sofia called down the stairs.
“Yes, sweetie?”
“JD slipped in the bathroom and he’s hurt his ankle and he’s crying.”
“I’ll be right up.” Callie pecked Arizona on the lips. “I’m gunna go make sure he’s okay, but it is bed time for you.” Arizona giggled and shook her head as Callie ran up the stairs.
Arizona lay down on the bed waiting for Callie. She knew from the way that she had been teasing Callie that she was going to be in trouble and this was one of those times that she really didn’t mind being punished. She snuggled back against the pillows and closed her eyes thinking of all the wonderful ways Callie was going to get her back for her behaviour.
Callie pressed play on the DVD player in her son’s bedroom. It had taken her twenty minutes to calm JD down and once he had, he could barely keep his eyes open, still tired from his soccer game. She kissed her sleeping son on the forehead and then gave TJ the same treatment as he lay in his bed watching The Simpsons. She closed the door to their bedroom and happily walked to her own ready to cuddle up with her wife and enjoy the wonders of being married to the love of your life.
Callie opened the door to her bedroom and let out a groan. There on the bed lay her wife fast asleep, lightly snoring. Callie slammed the bedroom door hoping to wake her up but nothing.
“Arizona!” Callie walked over to the bed and gently shook her wife. When nothing happened she lay down next to her. “Wake up, baby.” Callie whispered in her ear. She got frustrated and shook her wife harder causing Arizona to stir and slowly open her eyes.
“What? What happened?”
“Uh you, me, the kids going to sleep, me getting you back for all your teasing.”
“Oh yeah, it was great, you totally rocked my world.” Arizona rolled back over and fell right back to sleep. Callie let out an annoyed grunt, she knew now that there was no way she was going to get what she wanted tonight. She got up and walked towards the door. She opened it and turned around to get one last look at her sleeping wife.
“Well played Arizona, well played.”
“CANNONBALL!” Callie and Arizona laughed as they watched JD and TJ playing in the pool with their friends. The pool party was in full swing and all the kids were having an awesome time.
“It is so nice to finally meet you Arizona, and may I say what a beautiful name that is.” Jules smiled at her and took a swig of her beer.
“Thank you. I was named after the USS Arizona, the battleship that my grandfather served on.”
“My husband and I actually moved here from Arizona, we’ve only been in Seattle for five years. One of the twins was actually supposed to be a girl and my husband really wanted to use Arizona as a name.”
“Speaking of our boys, am I the only one who noticed how much our twins and your twins look alike.” All three women turned to look at the four boys and it was almost impossible to not notice the similarities. All four boys had blonde hair, blue eyes, and dimples and were almost the exact same height.
“I know, it’s so weird. Jacob and I had a parent teacher conference last month with Mrs Akin and she said at the beginning of the year she thought they were quadruplets.”
As all three women started laughing, something across the other side of the pool caught Arizona’s eye. Her breath caught in her throat and her mouth went so dry she felt like she had eaten a bucket of sand. Across the other side of the pool stood a man who looked to be just a year older then her. He had sandy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Something was drawing her eyes to him. Her mind was on overdrive.
“Arizona, are you okay?” The sound of her wife’s voice brought her back down to earth.
“Who me? Yeah, I’m fine... um Jules, who’s that guy over there.” Arizona nodded over towards the man who had just picked up the birthday boys and thrown them into the pool much to their delight before pulling off his shirt and jumping in after them.
“That’s my husband Jacob. Jake come over here!” Jules shouted over to her husband who looked up from the water and smiled at her before pushing himself up and out of the pool. He grabbed a towel off a chair and walked over to them.
“Jake, this is Callie and this is Arizona, they are TJ and JD’s mothers.”
“Ah so the wonder twins of soccer belong to you. Nice to meet you.” Callie shook hands with him before he held out his hand to Arizona. Arizona stood staring at his face for a few seconds trying to make sense of what was in front of her. This couldn’t possibly be happening, clearly it was a dream. She looked from his face to his hand and when she did she noticed something that made her heart almost stop beating.
Jacob was missing a finger from his outstretched hand. As she looked at it, a very specific memory flashed through her mind.
“Colonel, Barbara, I’m so sorry that I can’t give you better news.” Arizona sat on the sofa in her parent’s living room listening to what she knew was going to be the most heartbreaking news she’d ever hear.
“Just say it, Lieutenant.”
“I’m afraid your son, Timothy, was killed three days ago in an explosion. We were unsure at first at the identity, but we were able to finally make a conclusive identification from a finger that had been found at the scene, obviously amputated from the impact of the explosion.”
The words amputated finger, explosion and death were running so fast through Arizona’s mind that she thought she might faint. For here she stood, at a children’s birthday party, looking into the eyes of the one person she had never ever expected to see again in this life time.
Her Brother.