The Flipside of A Very Short Processional
Author: 8030baxley
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All characters mentioned are the intellectual property of Shonda Rhimes/ABC/Disney Co. They are being used for fun and not profit.
I am getting married. Again. And this time, it’s not in Vegas. I’m not getting hitched up by an Elvis impersonator whose real name is Larry and raises alpacas as his day job. The witnesses aren’t Lady Priscilla and an elderly organ player. It's not the middle of the night and my judgement is not clouded by half price drinks. It’s not the first time the irony hits me. The first time I was married, it was a joke. A 100% legal and binding joke of a marriage. This time, it’s the most genuine thing I’ve ever done, and it’s a domestic partnership.
I wasn’t so sure I’d ever do this again. I had hoped, of course. But, the first time…well, it was disastrous. George. Sweet George. I loved him. I did. He was wonderful. He was funny and adorable and innocent. So, I thought. But, he never loved me the way I needed to be loved. His eyes never lit up when I entered the room. He never got lost in my eyes in the middle of conversation. He never chose me over anybody or anything else. He didn’t want to have a family with me. He wasn’t Arizona Robbins.
She is the one. My one. Yes, I’m marrying the woman who kissed me in a bathroom one minute after introducing herself. It took a minute. It took her one minute to flip my world upside down. How can you not marry someone like that? How could I ever doubt I'd end up right here? About to walk down the aisle that leads me to her.
We’re exactly where we are meant to be. Surrounded by the family we’ve created. Our friends are littered throughout the crowd. They’re not just friends anymore, they’re the people responsible for saving me. These people made it possible for me to be here today, getting married to the love of my life. Oh, there’s the lesbian posse. How many of those bitches want to be where I’m standing? Who looks like the idiot now, Julie? Ha! And, hmm, I don’t even know the people in the corner. They must be related to Arizona or something. She said something about cousins from Wisconsin. I hope those are cousins from Wisconsin, because the last thing we need are lesbian wedding crashers.
I can feel her eyes on me all of a sudden. She’s smiling that super magic smile of hers. It’s the one that makes me all warm and fuzzy. What am I saying? All her smiles make me warm and fuzzy. I can’t help but smile back and mouth I love you. I follow her eyes to Mark, who is smirking and giving her a thumbs up.
“Be serious,” I nudge him. “Just for the next 90 seconds or so.”
I turn back to her with a wink before I lose eye contact. She’s fussing with her father’s jacket and her dress. Even when she’s fidgety, she’s gorgeous. The music starts and she glides down the aisle on the arm of The Colonel. This is it. I feel Mark pull a little tighter on my arm.
“What?” I ask him.
He never looks at me, his stare directed toward Arizona making her way toward Bailey. “I’m happy for you, Callie. Both of you.”
“Thanks.” Who would have thought? Mark is giving me away. To Arizona.
***
“Mark, dammit, open the door!” I said for the fifteenth time as I pounded mercilessly. “I know you’re in there crying about Lexie and Derek.”
“I’m not crying!” Mark pulled the door open, but only enough to see about half his face.
“Sure.”
“Say I’m not crying or stay out there.”
“Fine,” I say with a shrug. “I’m not crying.” I push the door open before he gets to his big wussy man fit. “Do you know the new Peds Surgeon?”
He momentarily took a break from his pouting to think on it. “Why would I know a Peds Surgeon?”
“Arizona Robbins?”
“What Robbins?”
“Arizona.”
“What the hell kind of name is Arizona?”
“I don’t know!”
His brow furrowed. “No, I don’t know any human being by the name of Arizona. I hear Phoenix is nice, though. Slept with a girl from Tucson once. Or was it Yuma? Is Yuma in Arizona?”
“Yes,” I answer before rethinking. “Maybe Yuma’s in New Mexico. No, no. It’s Arizona. I think.”
“So the Peds Surgeon is from Arizona?”
“NO! She is Arizona.”
“Okay, what about her?”
“She just kissed me, Mark.” I smiled at the memory, “At Joe’s, in the bathroom, she kissed me.”
“You were on a date with someone named Arizona?”
“No, I wasn’t on date with her,” I sighed at his obvious stupidity. “I don’t even know the woman.”
“Then she’s stalking you?”
“No,” I panicked. “At least I don’t think so. She said the talk is good. And people would be lining up for me…and then she just...”
“Wait,” he was trying to work this out. “Some Peds surgeon named Arizona, that you don’t even know, followed you into a bathroom?”
“At Joe’s.”
“And said the talk is good?”
“And kissed me.”
“How much did you have to drink tonight?”
“Not enough to imagine this.”
“Is she hot?”
“Oh my God,” I answered giving him the wide eyed approval. “Really, really hot.”
“Really?” Mark, being Mark, settled on the dirty smirk. “Just a kiss? Nothing…else?”
“You’re a douche!” I yelled before stomping out of his apartment.
“C’mon Torres,” he called after me. “Was there tongue involved? A little under the shirt action?”
I could still hear him after I shut the door.
“On a scale of one to ten, Callie. How hot?”
***
As I watch her kiss her father, the nerves start to get the better of me. I’m not nervous about getting married. Certainly not nervous about marrying her. I was nervous about my mother’s disapproval, but I know this is what I want. It’s just that…this is the most important day of my life. Well, second to the day Sofia was born. But, I don’t remember that day. I want to experience every second of this one. Today is the day my family becomes officially complete. Arizona, Sofia, and I will be all knotted together.
***
I watched them from the doorway of the nursery. She looked like a mom, the way she cuddled Sofia close and placed a light kiss on her head. I can’t believe she thought she wouldn’t be great at this. And if I wasn’t kicking myself for pushing so hard and delaying my moment with my baby, that would the happiest I’ve ever been.
“Hey,” Arizona acknowledged me as she tilted the baby up so I could see her.
I smiled at her. “Hi Sofia.”
“It’s Mommy, say hi to mommy.”
“She doesn’t even know who I am.”
Arizona looked away from Sofia to me, “Yes, she does, Calliope. She knows exactly who you are.”
I could start to feel the tears coming on when she waved me in.
“Gown up.”
“What?”
“Gown up.”
“Bailey and Stark haven’t cleared it yet.”
“I’m clearing it, gown up and come hold your daughter,” she said with authority. “I’m here. I’ll help.”
I have a pink, puffy gown on before she could even finish the sentence. She pulled a rocker over out of the corner and pointed to the chair, “Sit.”
My hands were still pretty weak. I still hadn't regained complete control of them yet, but I was shaking from the significance of what was about to happen more than anything. When she placed Sofia in my arms, I nearly wept. She never left us, she knelt down in front of the chair and kept a hand on the baby the entire time. The other hand locked mine into place.
“You’re holding her, Calliope,” Arizona said with a sniffle.
“I am.” I looked at her, hoping all the love I had for her is shining through. “We are.”
***
My legs start moving of their own accord at some point, because before I know it, I’m on my way to her. My heart starts to pound. My knees are starting to get a little wobbly and I’m willing myself not to trip. It must have been out loud because Mark gently says, “You’re not going to trip.”
And my eyes find hers. She’s waiting for me. And I know she’s got me…forever.
“You’re right, I won’t.”
***
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” I shrieked as we wheeled slowly down a darkened hallway at Seattle Grace. Our relationship was still fairly new and we were in that place where we ached to spend time with each other. So, of course, since we both happened to be on call, I might have ended up on the Peds floor. What I didn’t know is that Arizona had bought me a pair of wheely sneaks and she was itching to get me to try them out.
“It’s fun, Calliope,” Arizona said as she gripped my hips and guided me around the occasional nurse. “Admit it, you’re having fun.”
“Nope!” I adamantly disagreed. I will never willingly admit that rolling around on these ridiculous Heelies is fun. “What if I trip? I’m not going to let Dr. Mmmbop mess with my flawless skeleton.”
“His name is Dr. Hanson, and you’re not going to trip.”
“He’s 12 and he looks like the little drummer boy.”
“Callie, I’m not going to let you fall. I’ve got you.”
“These are shoe shaped death traps, Arizona!”
She stopped us abruptly, and then rolled around in front of me. “Do you trust me?”
“What?” I asked not knowing where she’s going with this.
“Do you trust me?”
Her face is filled with such sincerity that I can’t not say yes, “Of course.”
She beamed, “Okay, then.”
Before I know it, she whipped around and gave me a hard shove sending me flying across the newly waxed hospital floor.
Okay, it was a little fun. “I’m doing it,” I screeched.
I heard a faint “Yay!” because I was doing it…only she forgot to teach me how to stop. So I kept doing it, right into Bailey.
When I peeled myself off the little woman, she did not look pleased. She peered at with her intimidating Nazi stare. “That woman is a bad influence on you, Torres.”
***
When I reach her and take her hand, I feel like I’m home. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves because there are a lot of eyes on me. But, Arizona’s here. She’s grounding me. I just have to keep looking in her eyes, she’ll keep me safe.
“Who gives this bride to this bride?” Miranda asks.
I look back to Mark. “That would be me,” he says.
He’s my best friend, and I’m so glad he stepped up for today. But, I can’t help but wish it was my father.
***
“She’s really something.”
“Yeah,” I agreed with my father. “She’s amazing.”
“Quite the speech maker.”
“She has a knack for spontaneous oration,” I said as I pour another glass of wine. I was surprised when he showed up outside the hospital and finally relented on his ‘pray away the gay’ stance. “Hold on, how do you know that?”
“We had a little talk this afternoon.”
I shamelessly drained the glass. “You and Arizona? My Arizona?”
“Well, she talked. I reluctantly listened.”
“What did she say?”
“It wasn’t what she said, Calliope,” he said smiling at me. I didn’t know if I’d ever see my father smile at me, so I welcomed it wholeheartedly. “It was the conviction with which she said it.”
“So she changed your mind?”
His eyes grow distant for a second, but they warm again. “I’m not so sure my mind is changed. I am sure, though, that you’ve found a good, honorable person. And if you’re happy, then I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you, Daddy.”
“As long as there’s still marriage and babies.”
“Of course, Dad. I have a feeling there will be…someday.”
***
I can’t believe today’s that day. Finally. I turn to Bailey, willing her to speed this along. As much as I’ve looked forward to this moment, I can’t wait to be Mrs. Arizona Robbins.