Fic: About Time, 1/3
Title: About Time
Author: A. Windsor
Pairing/Characters: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. My one semester of law school could allow me to legalese this a little more, but it also tells me it’s pretty useless. So please don’t sue; it’s not mine, I’m just playing!
Series: Thing!verse
Summary: “Dearly beloved: we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of these women in Holy Matrimony.”
Author’s Note: More fluff to tide us through the drama. Beta'd by the amazing roughian .
***
“Oh my goodness, baby in a suit!” Callie laughs, spotting Lexie and five-month-old Grey as they slip into her changing room.
“You should see your baby in a suit,” Lexie says.
“I bet Acer looks great in a suit,” Mark speaks up, adjusting his own tie and then taking Grey from Lexie.
“I’m nervous. Mark, why am I nervous? I’m already practically married. It’s just a party. Right?”
“Right,” Mark says firmly, holding Grey up close to his godmother’s face and adopting a silly baby voice. “Don’t be nervous, Aunt Callie.”
“Thanks, Baby Grey,” Callie rolls her eyes.
“Relax, Torres. You’ve got the kids, the house, the chickens, which y’know, is weird, but whatever. You have nothing to be nervous about.”
“Where’s Lena?” Lexie asks, trying to distract Callie.
“Mrs. Torres and Aria took her in search of diapers.”
“Hey, I’ll stay in this dress for a week if it means I don’t have to change diapers,” Callie blows out a shaky breath. “Is she nervous?”
“There are too many people in that room to be nervous,” Lexie laughs. “Why is your dad in there?”
“My dad’s in there? He loves her more,” Callie sighs.
Mark watches Callie pick at the tissue in her hand.
“Oh, fine. Enough. Torres, you stay here. Lex? Come with your guys; we’re on a mission.”
“What? Mark!”
“Stay here. You look beautiful, Callie. Don’t mess up your make-up or wrinkle your dress.”
Lexie gives a shrug when Callie looks to her for answers, and then follows after her husband and son.
Mark arrives seven minutes later, opens the door to her dressing room, and pushes Arizona into the room.
“Mark! It’s bad luck!” Arizona objects.
“Stop being nervous, both of you. You’re already married; it just took this country a long time to get its collective head out of its ass. You get to go up in front of all the people who are in your life and tell them how much you love each other, and then get plastered at the reception. Get it together; we’ve got a party to get to, and my toast includes the words ‘Suck it, right wing assholes!’ So let’s get this show on the road.”
“That’s gonna go over great with the extended family,” Callie groans.
“I bought you ten minutes. Put it to good use. Teddy and I are desperately fighting off your mothers.”
Mark disappears.
“You look amazing,” Callie breathes, seeing Arizona’s dress for the first time.
Arizona blushes but deflects with a little humor.
“Would you be less nervous if Elvis were waiting for us at the end of the aisle instead of Father Jim?”
“Not funny,” Callie laughs, betraying herself.
A weight lifts off of Callie’s chest as her fingers search for purchase at the smooth satin at Arizona’s waist.
“Now, now. No wrinkling,” Arizona grins, stepping in closer.
“I’m not nervous anymore,” Callie says, tugging Arizona close but not quite touching, leaning forward as if to kiss her neck, but instead hovering just millimeters above her skin, breath warm as Arizona shivers. “What about you?”
“N-no. Nervous is not what I’m feeling right now.”
“No?”
Arizona’s hands rest lightly on Callie’s hips, a feather touch that sends fire in its wake.
“Can we skip the wedding? Lock that door? Pick the kids up in a week?” Arizona practically moans.
“Hey, people fought long and hard so that we could have the right to spend obnoxious amounts of my daddy’s money on this wedding.”
Arizona laughs, but it comes out as a low, breathy chuckle as she focuses on how very close to (but not) touching her Calliope is.
“I know. And I promise I’ll cry at the beauty of our equal rights when I see you walk down that aisle, but that is not what I’m really going to be thinking about.”
“What are you going to be thinking about?”
“What you have on under that beautiful dress.”
“Mm. Not much.”
Arizona’s hands get more insistent. “Oh god, Calliope, don’t tell me that.”
“Rain check for a pre-reception quickie?”
“We would not be fully exercising our equal rights if we didn’t,” Arizona says seriously.
“True.” Callie takes a step back to clear her head and enjoy the view. Arizona pouts at the distance between them, but Callie just smiles. “God, you’re so beautiful.”
“I never thought I’d be wearing one of these,” Arizona says, smoothing the cream fabric at her hips. They’d both agreed to white-ish dresses, no veils, and plenty of jewelry.
“Have you seen Lena? She looks so cute. Lexie said Asa’s rocking the suit we got him,” Callie grins.
“He is! Oh my goodness. And having all that attention? He’s eating it up.”
“Let’s do this. You still want to marry me?”
“I’d marry you every day for the rest of our lives.”
Callie beams. “But then where would we fit in a honeymoon?”
“Mmm. Spain. A whole week.”
“No kids.”
Arizona frowns, thinking immediately of their three-year-old and sixteen-month-old. “I’m going to miss them.”
“Me, too. But we get a week to ourselves for the first time since Asa was born, and they get a week with the undivided attention of all four grandparents.”
Mark pounds on the door.
“One minute warning. Put yourselves back together.”
Arizona and Callie grin stupidly at each other.
“See you out there,” Arizona says, eyes twinkling. “I’ll be the blonde at the end of the aisle not holding our baby.”
Callie laughs. “Good to keep in mind. Sometimes it’s hard to tell you and Teddy apart.” She takes a deep breath. “I’ll be the girl dancing down the aisle toward you.”
***
Their wedding is a medium-sized affair, tastefully decorated by Emeline Robbins and Rosario Torres in the Episcopal church where both Asa and Lena were baptized. The same young priest that performed those baptisms waits, smiling warmly, at the altar rail.
The bridal party is small: Mark as Callie’s best man to carry Asa, Teddy as Arizona’s maid of honor to carry Lena, the fathers to escort each bride down the aisle. They decided anything more would just be confusing and chaotic.
It still is.
Mark and Asa are supposed to go first, followed by Teddy and Lena, then Arizona and the Colonel, then Callie and Carlos. To prepare him, Mark lets Asa peek out at the gathered crowd. It doesn’t go well.
“No.”
“What?”
“I wanna go home,” the boy’s face crumples. “Let’s go home.”
“Acer, no. We’ve got a party to get to.”
“I wanna go home,” Asa whines. “I want my mommies.”
“Hey, buddy, it’s gonna be okay. We’ll meet them out there. Promise.”
“Momma...” Asa begins to squirm and kick.
Arizona sneaks around the corner at the sound of his impending meltdown.
“I got this one, Uncle Mark,” Arizona smiles, grabbing Asa and putting him on her hip, adjusting his tiny little bowtie. “Hey, bubba. No whining, okay? Use your big boy voice and tell me what’s wrong. Are you scared?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he says meekly.
“Okay. We practiced this. There’s nothing to be scared of. Uncle Mark’s gonna have you the whole time, and he’s cool, right?”
Asa nods, face calming as his little fingers trace idle circles onto Arizona’s bare shoulder, brushing aside her long, loose curls.
“I like your hair, Momma.”
Arizona beams at her son. “Why thank you, Mr. Robbins-Torres. That was very sweet of you to notice.”
“¿Dónde está Mami?”
“With Abuelito. Waiting her turn. And now it’s your turn to do your job. When I give you back to Uncle Mark, you have to ask him if he has my ring. And then you have to be super quiet while Father Jim speaks, okay? Just like in church.”
“We are in church.”
“See? Exactly. Can you do it? For me?”
“Yes, Momma.”
“Okay. Good job, little man. Love you.”
She hands him back to Mark as the music starts. Mark smiles reassuringly at his godson.
“Uncle Mark, got my Momma’s ring?”
Mark pats his breast pocket. “Right here. Ready to go, Acer?”
“Yessir.”
As they get ready to head down the aisle, Arizona turns to Teddy, Lena, and her father.
“Anyone else need a pep talk?”
“We’re good,” Teddy laughs, extracting her necklace from sixteen-month-old Lena’s iron grip.
“Calliope’s ring?”
Teddy grabs her bouquet as her cue comes up, flashing the platinum band secured by a ribbon to its base.
“See you on the other side,” Teddy smiles at her best friend.
“Good luck, Leni,” Arizona addresses her daughter. “Love you.”
Lena grins and they’re gone.
The Colonel is in full dress uniform, smiling openly, something grandfatherhood has made come more easily.
“Are you in need of a pep talk?”
“No, sir.”
“No, I didn’t think so.” He offers his arm. “This seems rather redundant, but I know your mothers appreciate it. And I always held out hope I would one day walk you down the aisle.”
Arizona smiles. “Me, too.”
“I just wish Danny could see you now.”
Arizona glances upward, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow, enjoying the solid ground he gives her.
“I think he can.”
“Well then, with his permission, let’s make you an honest woman.”
***
“¿Lista, m’ija? Los otros ya entraron.” [“The others have already gone.”]
“Yes, Daddy. I’m so ready.”
Carlos looks his confident daughter over with warmth and pride.
“She is a good woman. A good mother. A good wife.”
“She is.”
“A good man in a storm.”
“What?”
“A story for the reception. Vámanos. Tu esposa espera.” [“Your wife awaits.”]
“Gracias, Daddy. Te quiero.”
***
Arizona does cry when those doors open to reveal Carlos and Callie, and it’s not really for the wonder of their equal rights.
(That came six months earlier, gathered in their living room with their closest friends, hopeful champagne on hand, as CNN announced the Supreme Court’s final judgment on the legality of state bans on gay marriage. They’d each unknowingly had diamond rings waiting in their pockets, and they were exchanged--giggling, tipsy, and insistent-in bed after everyone left. A formality, they both promised, but one that felt wonderful after how long they’d waited.)
No, these tears are because today Callie is her wife in every way possible, shouted from the rooftops. These tears are because they made it this far. Because they have a son and a daughter, a house and chickens, and now that final legitimization in a ceremony their mothers had long craved. These tears are because she’s marrying the single most brilliant, beautiful, loving woman in the world, despite all the times they both nearly screwed it up and threw it all away, despite the fights about babies (thank god she changed her mind about that), despite the devastating Malawi interlude and its aftereffects, despite the irrational blow-outs about what to paint the rooms of their house when Callie was in her third trimester with Lena and took Arizona’s every suggestion as an insult. Despite hateful intolerance, veiled and unveiled, from strangers and family, and less often, co-workers and patients.
Okay, so maybe these tears are a little in awe of their equal rights.
Callie actually rolls her eyes when their gazes meet, even if those eyes are wide and glassy with unshed tears of her own. She puts a little shimmy in her step, as if she is really dancing down the aisle to her.
“Mami,” Asa giggles as he notices Callie, earning a laugh from Father Jim and the guests, and an affectionate shushing from his godfather. Behind Arizona, Lena babbles happily until Teddy quiets her with a few soothing words in her ear.
Callie and Mr. Torres seem to reach the altar in record time; Carlos hands Callie off to Arizona with a warm smile, an approving nod, and an affectionate kiss for each of them.
Hands clasped and sneaking adoring looks at each other, they stand before the young priest, who smiles winningly at them.
“Dearly beloved: we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of these women in Holy Matrimony. And I think I speak for all of us who know and love them, when I say it’s about time!”
***
“Those whom God has put together, let no man tear asunder.”
The congregation gives a resounding “Amen!” as Callie dips Arizona in a dramatic kiss that even Father Jim has to applaud. The music starts up as they pull apart, and it’s Arizona’s turn to shake her head and roll her eyes adoringly.
Mark and Teddy bring the kids over, who greet their moms with warm hugs and wet kisses. Callie puts Asa on her hip and hands him her bouquet, which he solemnly accepts. Arizona has Lena, but doesn’t dare trust the beautiful arrangement in the infant’s hands. Teddy instead keeps both as she takes Mark’s proffered arm.
The procession out is even faster than the procession in. They’re all eager to get through the pictures and onto the reception.
***
TBC in Part 2
Author: A. Windsor
Pairing/Characters: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. My one semester of law school could allow me to legalese this a little more, but it also tells me it’s pretty useless. So please don’t sue; it’s not mine, I’m just playing!
Series: Thing!verse
Summary: “Dearly beloved: we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of these women in Holy Matrimony.”
Author’s Note: More fluff to tide us through the drama. Beta'd by the amazing roughian .
***
“Oh my goodness, baby in a suit!” Callie laughs, spotting Lexie and five-month-old Grey as they slip into her changing room.
“You should see your baby in a suit,” Lexie says.
“I bet Acer looks great in a suit,” Mark speaks up, adjusting his own tie and then taking Grey from Lexie.
“I’m nervous. Mark, why am I nervous? I’m already practically married. It’s just a party. Right?”
“Right,” Mark says firmly, holding Grey up close to his godmother’s face and adopting a silly baby voice. “Don’t be nervous, Aunt Callie.”
“Thanks, Baby Grey,” Callie rolls her eyes.
“Relax, Torres. You’ve got the kids, the house, the chickens, which y’know, is weird, but whatever. You have nothing to be nervous about.”
“Where’s Lena?” Lexie asks, trying to distract Callie.
“Mrs. Torres and Aria took her in search of diapers.”
“Hey, I’ll stay in this dress for a week if it means I don’t have to change diapers,” Callie blows out a shaky breath. “Is she nervous?”
“There are too many people in that room to be nervous,” Lexie laughs. “Why is your dad in there?”
“My dad’s in there? He loves her more,” Callie sighs.
Mark watches Callie pick at the tissue in her hand.
“Oh, fine. Enough. Torres, you stay here. Lex? Come with your guys; we’re on a mission.”
“What? Mark!”
“Stay here. You look beautiful, Callie. Don’t mess up your make-up or wrinkle your dress.”
Lexie gives a shrug when Callie looks to her for answers, and then follows after her husband and son.
Mark arrives seven minutes later, opens the door to her dressing room, and pushes Arizona into the room.
“Mark! It’s bad luck!” Arizona objects.
“Stop being nervous, both of you. You’re already married; it just took this country a long time to get its collective head out of its ass. You get to go up in front of all the people who are in your life and tell them how much you love each other, and then get plastered at the reception. Get it together; we’ve got a party to get to, and my toast includes the words ‘Suck it, right wing assholes!’ So let’s get this show on the road.”
“That’s gonna go over great with the extended family,” Callie groans.
“I bought you ten minutes. Put it to good use. Teddy and I are desperately fighting off your mothers.”
Mark disappears.
“You look amazing,” Callie breathes, seeing Arizona’s dress for the first time.
Arizona blushes but deflects with a little humor.
“Would you be less nervous if Elvis were waiting for us at the end of the aisle instead of Father Jim?”
“Not funny,” Callie laughs, betraying herself.
A weight lifts off of Callie’s chest as her fingers search for purchase at the smooth satin at Arizona’s waist.
“Now, now. No wrinkling,” Arizona grins, stepping in closer.
“I’m not nervous anymore,” Callie says, tugging Arizona close but not quite touching, leaning forward as if to kiss her neck, but instead hovering just millimeters above her skin, breath warm as Arizona shivers. “What about you?”
“N-no. Nervous is not what I’m feeling right now.”
“No?”
Arizona’s hands rest lightly on Callie’s hips, a feather touch that sends fire in its wake.
“Can we skip the wedding? Lock that door? Pick the kids up in a week?” Arizona practically moans.
“Hey, people fought long and hard so that we could have the right to spend obnoxious amounts of my daddy’s money on this wedding.”
Arizona laughs, but it comes out as a low, breathy chuckle as she focuses on how very close to (but not) touching her Calliope is.
“I know. And I promise I’ll cry at the beauty of our equal rights when I see you walk down that aisle, but that is not what I’m really going to be thinking about.”
“What are you going to be thinking about?”
“What you have on under that beautiful dress.”
“Mm. Not much.”
Arizona’s hands get more insistent. “Oh god, Calliope, don’t tell me that.”
“Rain check for a pre-reception quickie?”
“We would not be fully exercising our equal rights if we didn’t,” Arizona says seriously.
“True.” Callie takes a step back to clear her head and enjoy the view. Arizona pouts at the distance between them, but Callie just smiles. “God, you’re so beautiful.”
“I never thought I’d be wearing one of these,” Arizona says, smoothing the cream fabric at her hips. They’d both agreed to white-ish dresses, no veils, and plenty of jewelry.
“Have you seen Lena? She looks so cute. Lexie said Asa’s rocking the suit we got him,” Callie grins.
“He is! Oh my goodness. And having all that attention? He’s eating it up.”
“Let’s do this. You still want to marry me?”
“I’d marry you every day for the rest of our lives.”
Callie beams. “But then where would we fit in a honeymoon?”
“Mmm. Spain. A whole week.”
“No kids.”
Arizona frowns, thinking immediately of their three-year-old and sixteen-month-old. “I’m going to miss them.”
“Me, too. But we get a week to ourselves for the first time since Asa was born, and they get a week with the undivided attention of all four grandparents.”
Mark pounds on the door.
“One minute warning. Put yourselves back together.”
Arizona and Callie grin stupidly at each other.
“See you out there,” Arizona says, eyes twinkling. “I’ll be the blonde at the end of the aisle not holding our baby.”
Callie laughs. “Good to keep in mind. Sometimes it’s hard to tell you and Teddy apart.” She takes a deep breath. “I’ll be the girl dancing down the aisle toward you.”
***
Their wedding is a medium-sized affair, tastefully decorated by Emeline Robbins and Rosario Torres in the Episcopal church where both Asa and Lena were baptized. The same young priest that performed those baptisms waits, smiling warmly, at the altar rail.
The bridal party is small: Mark as Callie’s best man to carry Asa, Teddy as Arizona’s maid of honor to carry Lena, the fathers to escort each bride down the aisle. They decided anything more would just be confusing and chaotic.
It still is.
Mark and Asa are supposed to go first, followed by Teddy and Lena, then Arizona and the Colonel, then Callie and Carlos. To prepare him, Mark lets Asa peek out at the gathered crowd. It doesn’t go well.
“No.”
“What?”
“I wanna go home,” the boy’s face crumples. “Let’s go home.”
“Acer, no. We’ve got a party to get to.”
“I wanna go home,” Asa whines. “I want my mommies.”
“Hey, buddy, it’s gonna be okay. We’ll meet them out there. Promise.”
“Momma...” Asa begins to squirm and kick.
Arizona sneaks around the corner at the sound of his impending meltdown.
“I got this one, Uncle Mark,” Arizona smiles, grabbing Asa and putting him on her hip, adjusting his tiny little bowtie. “Hey, bubba. No whining, okay? Use your big boy voice and tell me what’s wrong. Are you scared?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he says meekly.
“Okay. We practiced this. There’s nothing to be scared of. Uncle Mark’s gonna have you the whole time, and he’s cool, right?”
Asa nods, face calming as his little fingers trace idle circles onto Arizona’s bare shoulder, brushing aside her long, loose curls.
“I like your hair, Momma.”
Arizona beams at her son. “Why thank you, Mr. Robbins-Torres. That was very sweet of you to notice.”
“¿Dónde está Mami?”
“With Abuelito. Waiting her turn. And now it’s your turn to do your job. When I give you back to Uncle Mark, you have to ask him if he has my ring. And then you have to be super quiet while Father Jim speaks, okay? Just like in church.”
“We are in church.”
“See? Exactly. Can you do it? For me?”
“Yes, Momma.”
“Okay. Good job, little man. Love you.”
She hands him back to Mark as the music starts. Mark smiles reassuringly at his godson.
“Uncle Mark, got my Momma’s ring?”
Mark pats his breast pocket. “Right here. Ready to go, Acer?”
“Yessir.”
As they get ready to head down the aisle, Arizona turns to Teddy, Lena, and her father.
“Anyone else need a pep talk?”
“We’re good,” Teddy laughs, extracting her necklace from sixteen-month-old Lena’s iron grip.
“Calliope’s ring?”
Teddy grabs her bouquet as her cue comes up, flashing the platinum band secured by a ribbon to its base.
“See you on the other side,” Teddy smiles at her best friend.
“Good luck, Leni,” Arizona addresses her daughter. “Love you.”
Lena grins and they’re gone.
The Colonel is in full dress uniform, smiling openly, something grandfatherhood has made come more easily.
“Are you in need of a pep talk?”
“No, sir.”
“No, I didn’t think so.” He offers his arm. “This seems rather redundant, but I know your mothers appreciate it. And I always held out hope I would one day walk you down the aisle.”
Arizona smiles. “Me, too.”
“I just wish Danny could see you now.”
Arizona glances upward, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow, enjoying the solid ground he gives her.
“I think he can.”
“Well then, with his permission, let’s make you an honest woman.”
***
“¿Lista, m’ija? Los otros ya entraron.” [“The others have already gone.”]
“Yes, Daddy. I’m so ready.”
Carlos looks his confident daughter over with warmth and pride.
“She is a good woman. A good mother. A good wife.”
“She is.”
“A good man in a storm.”
“What?”
“A story for the reception. Vámanos. Tu esposa espera.” [“Your wife awaits.”]
“Gracias, Daddy. Te quiero.”
***
Arizona does cry when those doors open to reveal Carlos and Callie, and it’s not really for the wonder of their equal rights.
(That came six months earlier, gathered in their living room with their closest friends, hopeful champagne on hand, as CNN announced the Supreme Court’s final judgment on the legality of state bans on gay marriage. They’d each unknowingly had diamond rings waiting in their pockets, and they were exchanged--giggling, tipsy, and insistent-in bed after everyone left. A formality, they both promised, but one that felt wonderful after how long they’d waited.)
No, these tears are because today Callie is her wife in every way possible, shouted from the rooftops. These tears are because they made it this far. Because they have a son and a daughter, a house and chickens, and now that final legitimization in a ceremony their mothers had long craved. These tears are because she’s marrying the single most brilliant, beautiful, loving woman in the world, despite all the times they both nearly screwed it up and threw it all away, despite the fights about babies (thank god she changed her mind about that), despite the devastating Malawi interlude and its aftereffects, despite the irrational blow-outs about what to paint the rooms of their house when Callie was in her third trimester with Lena and took Arizona’s every suggestion as an insult. Despite hateful intolerance, veiled and unveiled, from strangers and family, and less often, co-workers and patients.
Okay, so maybe these tears are a little in awe of their equal rights.
Callie actually rolls her eyes when their gazes meet, even if those eyes are wide and glassy with unshed tears of her own. She puts a little shimmy in her step, as if she is really dancing down the aisle to her.
“Mami,” Asa giggles as he notices Callie, earning a laugh from Father Jim and the guests, and an affectionate shushing from his godfather. Behind Arizona, Lena babbles happily until Teddy quiets her with a few soothing words in her ear.
Callie and Mr. Torres seem to reach the altar in record time; Carlos hands Callie off to Arizona with a warm smile, an approving nod, and an affectionate kiss for each of them.
Hands clasped and sneaking adoring looks at each other, they stand before the young priest, who smiles winningly at them.
“Dearly beloved: we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of these women in Holy Matrimony. And I think I speak for all of us who know and love them, when I say it’s about time!”
***
“Those whom God has put together, let no man tear asunder.”
The congregation gives a resounding “Amen!” as Callie dips Arizona in a dramatic kiss that even Father Jim has to applaud. The music starts up as they pull apart, and it’s Arizona’s turn to shake her head and roll her eyes adoringly.
Mark and Teddy bring the kids over, who greet their moms with warm hugs and wet kisses. Callie puts Asa on her hip and hands him her bouquet, which he solemnly accepts. Arizona has Lena, but doesn’t dare trust the beautiful arrangement in the infant’s hands. Teddy instead keeps both as she takes Mark’s proffered arm.
The procession out is even faster than the procession in. They’re all eager to get through the pictures and onto the reception.
***
TBC in Part 2