Fault Lines (5 [Part One]/36)
Fault Lines
Chapter 5 (Part One)/36
Authors: Faith kennedysbitch & Kye
Pairing: Callie/Arizona, Mark/Lexie
Rating: NC-17
Story Summary: Sequel to Choices. Callie and Arizona make the decision to move forward with their lives, but when a gradual series of events begin to snowball, Arizona tries desperately not to lose her grip on reality.
Chapter Summary: Arizona and Callie take the next step forward. Mark continues to overstep his bounds.
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. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Previous Chapters
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For the better part of a week, Bailey, Torres, and Robbins spent every free moment going over every single second of baby Isaac’s surgery. It had attracted a fair amount of attention, not only from the surgical staff at the hospital, but from the media as well.
The morning of the surgery, Arizona tuned everyone and everything else out aside from her job. She left the surgical gallery open only because Chief Shepherd made her. It was packed full of more people than there were seats. They rotated every few hours, but the blonde barely noticed as she worked.
Five hours in, and they were only getting started with the hard part, not even half way finished.
“Look at this mess,” Arizona sighed. She took a moment to crack her neck to both sides, trying to ease the tension building up from standing there for so long. “The partial organs are leeching most of the blood supply from his abdomen. I’m surprised his own kidneys haven’t shut down by now.”
Arizona glanced briefly across the table at Callie, mostly staying focused on the patient. “Sorry, Dr. Torres. Might be a little while longer before we can cut through the mass to get to the bone fushion site.”
Callie was staring longingly back at her girlfriend, eyes semi-glazed over.
Bailey just so happened to glance up at the same moment Arizona did. “Torres!” she suddenly snapped, causing Callie to jump. “In here? Now?”
Callie's gaze quickly shot down to the shorter woman standing next to her. “What? She's hot when she's all...surgeon-y and intensely focused.” And after five straight hours, Arizona was in the zone.
Callie smiled beneath her surgical mask as she slowly returned her attention to her girlfriend.
Arizona found herself smiling beneath her mask as well, though she didn’t dare look at Callie with Bailey standing right there. “I’m a freaking rockstar with a scalpel, Dr. Bailey, you can’t really blame her,” the blonde chuckled.
Bailey rolled her eyes. “Glad to see the fame and attention hasn’t gone to your head,” she mumbled, retracting a portion of muscle while Arizona slid her instruments in there and worked around the blood supply.
“I don’t care about the media,” Arizona replied, still intently focused on what her hands were doing. “I care about helping this kid survive after being the one-in-a-million to be born with this condition. I care about helping his parents sleep better at night knowing that their son is going to have a normal life. I care about making damn sure he’s going to be able to walk and play football in high school if he wants to.” She shook her head and carefully separated some tissue. “The media want a good story for the end of the five o’clock news to fill a fifteen second gap between the local weather and the latest election poles. I just want to hand him his life back so he has the ability to do something with it.”
Callie kept her attention on Arizona the whole time, beaming beneath her mask. “Rockstar,” she confirmed with pride in her voice.
Arizona looked up and met Callie’s eyes, holding them this time.
Bailey glanced from one to the other, recognizing the silent eye-sex the two love birds were sending each other. The ‘if there wasn’t a surgical table between us, I’d be all over you right now’ look.
She rolled her eyes.
Lesbians.
It was in that precise moment that Callie suddenly realized what a cute, sexy little scrub cap Arizona had on. And how good she looked in that surgical gown. And those bloody gloves that-
Okay. Maybe that part was a little bit much.
Callie cleared her throat with a quick shake of her head as she finally looked away from soft blue eyes. She glanced down at her own idle, completely bloodless hands.
She couldn't wait to get in there.
***
“God, I can’t believe how small he is,” Callie commented with a hint of disbelief. “I know he’s a baby, but c’mon.”
“Having something literally sucking the life out of you can hold back a person’s growth rate,” Arizona chuckled. “He was also born seven weeks premature.”
So, yeah. Tiny.
“Everything’s ready for the amputation,” Bailey stated a couple of seconds later. “Be very, very careful,” she added as Callie picked up the saw.
“She’s a rockstar too, she can handle it,” Arizona replied, winking at Callie as she got in there and stabilized Isaac. Ninety nine percent of his blood vessels has been redirected and freed from the leeching organ mass, but now they still had quite a job to do in separating Isaac’s tiny, fragile femur and pelvis from the extra bone growths within the third leg.
Callie's usually steady hand gave a bit of a shake as she approached the baby with a bone saw.
Bailey noticed. “Dr. Torres?”
“I'm okay,” Callie instantly shot back. She glanced over. “I'm okay.” Her hand steadied out as she moved closer towards the tiny patient with the instrument.
He was just so...little. Fragile.
A baby. Like the one she and Arizona were about to have.
Callie found herself smiling. She glanced up as she held her hand poised just above the limb.
Arizona smiled back beneath her mask, and it radiated through her always expressive blue eyes.
Callie took in a deep breath and then slowly released it as the sudden shrill roar of the saw filled the O.R.
***
“I can't believe it went that smoothly,” Callie called over her shoulder as she flipped through the magazine in her lap.
“Why not?” Arizona laughed in return as she poked her head out of the bathroom. “We're both so freakin’ awesome, how else could it have gone? Thanks to you, that little boy is gonna know what it's like to run and play and be normal.” She beamed at Callie, flashing those dimples in her direction.
Callie felt that tug in her chest once again. But her own smile vanished in an instant and she pointed. “Shower. You smell like hospital. No one likes that.”
Arizona's grin faltered before she quickly withdrew back into the bathroom.
Callie smirked to herself as she turned back to the magazine spread out over her lap. She flipped another page, but was listening intently to the sounds filtering out from the bathroom. The shower door opening with a squeak, then sealing shut, then...
As soon as she heard the sound of running water, she quickly flipped all the way to the back of the magazine. Her eyes lit up as she read over a list of baby names taped to the last page.
***
After almost seventeen whole hours in an OR with very little in the way of breaks, Arizona would have been happy to collapse in the shower and nap as the hot water soothed her aching muscles.
She was happy, and had a good buzz going earlier just from the high of the experience, but now…
Now she was tired.
The blonde showered for as long as the hot water tank held out, then pulled on the pair of sweat pants she had grabbed from the dresser - Callie’s - and a white tank top. She couldn’t be bothered to do more about her hair other than poke it with a comb once or twice, leaving it wet.
Concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other and not doing a face plant on the floor, Arizona quietly padded out of the bathroom some time later to find Callie absorbed in a magazine. “What’cha readin’?” she asked, crawling onto the edge of the bed and across the mountain of covers to plant a quick, but loving kiss against the side of her girlfriend’s neck. She then promptly collapsed next to her and rested her head against Callie’s stomach.
“Nothing!” was Callie's instant response a second before she slapped the magazine closed on her lap. She wasn't really sure why she did that. Or why she suddenly felt so guilty.
It's not like Arizona didn't know they were having a baby. Soon, hopefully.
A blonde brow rose in amusement as a small smile played over Arizona's lips. “Okay then,” she chuckled tiredly.
Callie sighed as she reached up to run a hand back through her own slightly damp hair. She'd taken a shower as soon as she got home. Which just so happened to be exactly twenty minutes before Arizona.
Which, was a good thing. Because she knew if they'd taken a shower together...
Well, not much showering would have been done. Plus, there'd have been no hot water for one later.
The brunette flicked the magazine back open, biting her lip softly as she turned to the last page. She flipped the book around in her lap so the blonde could see it.
Arizona forced her eyes to remain open, even though every time she blinked she wanted to pass out. “What’s that?” she asked in a sleepy voice.
It was hard to focus when she was snuggled comfortably against Callie’s stomach like this. Everything about her was warm, soft, smelled nice…
“Arizona!”
The blonde jerked awake. “I’m here. What?”
Rolling her eyes, Callie dropped the magazine on her head.
Groaning, Arizona grabbed it and held it out so she could see. After a moment, she pushed herself up onto an elbow, staring at the list. “Calliope. These are names.”
Callie drummed her fingers against the bed. “Yep.”
Arizona paused. “Calliope. You’re not even pregnant yet.”
“Key word here is yet,” Callie replied with a growing smile. She scooted closer to her lover to peer down at the list of names taped to the magazine's last page. She could feel herself becoming just a little bit giddy as she read them over.
Arizona noticed the change in her girlfriend's demeanor. She smiled as she dropped her eyes back to the page. With just one look, she could tell the list was old and worn. The corners were ragged and the paper was crinkled all over. “Just how long have you had this for, hm?”
Callie looked slightly guilty. “Honestly?”
Arizona watched her patiently.
“Two, three years,” Callie answered with an innocent smile. “Four tops.”
“Oh, sweetie…that’s adorable,” Arizona teased, making her girlfriend blush.
Callie picked at the bed spread. “Ever since George and I…w-were trying, I…”
Arizona watched Callie’s face fall, and it once again hit her how long the other woman had been waiting for this. Instead of suggesting it was a little early to pick out names, like she had planned on doing, she took Callie’s hand and gently kissed the back of it. “Which ones are your favourites?”
Callie barely held back a happy grin. Arizona had totally taken the bait.
“I love Olivia,” she began as she snuggled down next to the blonde. She reached out to trace her finger down along the list of names. “Jessica and Kailey are really beautiful too. Then there are some family names like Natalia and Amelia.” She glanced over to see her partner focused just as intently on the page. Her heart melted a little inside of her chest.
Arizona would be such a perfect mother. It was beyond Callie why she had ever thought otherwise. Even though things were better now, she still didn't quite understand why Arizona fought the idea of kids so hard and for so long.
But she wanted them now, and that's all that mattered.
“What about you?” Callie asked softly, stroking her fingers through damp blonde curls.
Arizona looked up at Callie with wide eyes. “Me?”
Callie tilted her head. “Yes, you. You have a stake in the outcome too, y’know.”
Arizona continued to look like she was caught off guard. “Um…I spent my entire life not thinking about naming kids, so…I don’t exactly have a list of favourites. I guess I wasn’t going to think about it until we knew you were pregnant.”
Callie's dark brow furrowed as she pushed away from her girlfriend enough to sit up with her back against the headboard. She kept her eyes on the other woman as she folded her hands in her lap. “I'm not sure I like how you said that,” she started tentatively. “Why do you keep saying it like that?”
Arizona sat up a little, frowning. “Like...what?”
“Like 'we need to be sure' I'm going to get pregnant. Or like you're not even sure about the possibility.” Callie swallowed back the sudden lump in her throat. “You're not...h-having second thoughts, are you?”
Arizona’s eyes widened again. “No! Of course not!” She sat up fully, wide awake now. Crossing her legs, she gently placed both hands on Callie’s thigh. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like…that’s not it at all.”
Choosing her words carefully, Arizona squeezed her hands. “Of course I’m sure. I just know that it’s a long process, a-and…we’ve only just started.” A smile appeared. “We don’t even know if she’s gonna be a she.”
Callie smiled widely as she leaned a little closer. “She'll be a she,” she replied as she reached down to entwine their fingers. “Don't get me wrong, I love little boys with their little blue blankets and their tiny blue booties...” She trailed off and gave the hand in her own a gentle squeeze. “But there's just something about that damn pink.”
Arizona grinned and shuffled back in to curl up against Callie’s side once more. “I like Riley.”
Callie arched an eyebrow. “Who?”
“For a name,” Arizona chuckled. “I don’t know, I always thought I liked that name for a girl. Or Jordan. I like that, too.”
“She’s gonna be a tough girl, is she?” Callie smirked.
“You know it,” the blonde replied, resting her head against her lover’s shoulder. “With a kickass ortho God for a mom? She’s gonna be awesome.”
Callie's smile widened as she felt another hard tug in her chest. This was real. It was really real and happening...for real.
They were actually talking about having a baby together. A living, breathing child of their own to raise, love, and nurture. She had never thought they would get to this point.
The brunette's smile faltered just a bit as she leaned into her girlfriend's body. “Arizona?” she called softly. “I'm...not really sure what made you change your mind, but I'm so happy that you did.” She glanced down, but didn't dare move from their snuggled up position. “I was kinda considering the possibility myself,” she added honestly as her voice cracked just a little. “A few more nights of this big, empty bed and another shower or two alone, and I would've caved. I can’t...live without you in my life, e-even it if means we never...”
Arizona lifted her head from Callie’s shoulder and instantly cupped her face between both hands. “Don’t.” Her thumbs stroked lovingly against soft cheeks. “Don’t.” She leaned in and pressed a slow, gentle kiss against those lips she loved so much.
“You made me change my mind. Losing you was one of the worst things that’s ever happened to me. Realizing how amazing having a family together would be, that was one of the best.” She stole another kiss.
Callie sighed softly into it, and when Arizona tried to pull away, she reached up with a hand of her own to pull the blonde back in deeply.
Arizona found herself wavering a little beneath the force and intensity behind the other woman's kiss. It made her head spin and her heart sizzle in her chest.
Callie's free hand reached out to snag Arizona by the front of her tank. She pulled back from the kiss with a heavy breath. Brown eyes gazed into deep blue as she gave the material a slight tug. “Off.”
Well, this was a change of pace. Not that Arizona was complaining too much.
Still slightly out of breath, she placed a gentle hand on top of the one pulling at her shirt. “Calliope, slow down.”
“This is slow,” Callie pointed out, tugging at the scruff of Arizona’s shirt once again.
Arizona smiled at that. “I thought you wanted to talk baby names?”
For a second, Callie said nothing, but then she pulled her head back a little to survey Arizona suspiciously. Her hand remained bunched around the fabric. “Are you trying to avoid sex?”
Arizona’s eyes widened. “What? No. Avoid?”
Callie just arched a sharp brow. “Don’t lie to me.” She gave another rough tug.
“Would I be making out with you if I was trying to avoid sex?” Arizona whined, pouting a little. “Why would I?”
“Because you worked seventeen straight hours in the OR today,” Callie pointed out. “And you actually bothered to put pajamas on after you showered.”
Arizona blinked back at Callie. “Okay yes, I’m very tired. But the pajamas were just for show.” In order to prove her point, Arizona reached down and yanked her tank top over her head, tossing it aside. “See? Off.”
Callie instantly groaned as her lover's smooth, perfect skin was suddenly on display. She flickered her eyes down for just a moment before slowly lifting them back up her body. Her hands were shaking as she reached down for the hem of her own shirt. “Don't need sex to be intimate,” she whispered a second before the material passed over her head to be discarded onto the floor.
Callie didn't dare break their gaze as she reached down with a shaking hand to place it on the blonde's hip, and moved closer to her until their bare skin was touching.
The brunette could feel the other woman's sweet, warm breath against her face. She swallowed back as a slow, nearly breathless smile formed across her lips. “You taught me that.”
Arizona’s reply was to lean in and kiss her.
It said more than she could in words.
She ran her left hand up Callie’s side, marveling at how smooth her skin felt beneath it. She gently tugged her back down against the bed and slid underneath the covers. Their legs intertwined, and Arizona pressed herself in as close as she could.
Callie felt a shiver as it jolted through her entire body. She felt as though she was on fire wherever their skin touched. She sighed into the kiss as she pushed her leg just a little harder between Arizona's, and pressed her own body right back against the firm, comforting warmth of the blonde's.
Arizona moaned into the kiss and tangled her fingers into Callie’s damp hair.
It was quickly becoming apparent that sex was still definitely on the menu.
Breaking apart long enough just to breathe, Arizona instantly kissed up along Callie’s throat, adding a little love bite here and there as she went.
Callie moaned softly as she arched into the touch. Her fingers clutched desperately at the bare skin on the blonde's back. A sharp gasp escaped her lips a second before brown eyes suddenly popped open. “Mmh- wait.”
Arizona's lips froze against her girlfriend's neck.
Callie swallowed. “I...I don't want sex.”
A blonde brow furrowed as Arizona pulled back. “Run that by me again?”
Callie smiled through a breathless blush. “I...I just wanna lie here. Like this,” she added as she tugged Arizona’s body a little harder against her own. “We're both exhausted. We have an early morning, and we've got every night for the rest of our lives for sex.” She brushed her leg along her girlfriend's as she released another shaky breath. “But I don't wanna lose this intimacy.”
Not that their sex wasn't intimate. But this, this felt...amazing. She didn’t care if she sounded like a total girl in that moment or not. She wanted to stay curled up and feel Arizona’s skin gliding into her own, breasts pressing together, hearts beating in unison...
“Not possible to lose it,” Arizona said quietly, placing one more kiss against Callie’s lips. “Nothing would make me happier than lying here with you like this. You’re super snuggly and you smell good to boot.”
The down comforter was warm, and combined with being snuggled up to Callie…well, exhausted didn’t quite cover what Arizona felt. But just lying there together was more relaxing and peaceful than anything else in the world to her.
Arizona tightened an arm around Callie’s waist. “What time is your appointment tomorrow?” With babies and baby names on the brain, it had just occurred to her that tomorrow was Callie’s first OB appointment.
Callie's smile widened. “Ten,” she replied softly. She swallowed back, and then slowly licked her lips as she once again brushed her leg along the inside of Arizona's warm, smooth calf. “Did you manage to get out of that surgery?” She didn't mean to sound so selfish, but she was. She wanted - needed - Arizona to be there with her.
“That’s one of the perks about being the boss of my department,” Arizona chuckled. “I can pawn the workload off on my inferiors.”
“Inferiors?” Callie smirked.
“Hey, I’m a rockstar with a scalpel. I’m entitled to my inferiors.” Arizona kissed Callie soundly on the lips. “Pencil me in, I’ll be there.”
***
“Crap, crap, crap, crap,” Arizona chanted as she virtually sprinted down the hallway as fast as her legs would carry her.
Yes, she’d gotten out of the scheduled surgery. But then a kid was hit by a car and she’d spent the last forty five minutes trying for damage control, before handing the rest of the surgery over to Owen.
And now, she was late.
Bursting into the hospital’s OBGYN office, out of breath and still in her scrubs, Arizona literally ran directly into the administration desk, startling the receptionist.
“Can I help-”
“Torres, Calliope Torres,” Arizona panted. “Where?”
“Um…” The receptionist raised an eyebrow. “And you are…?”
Arizona narrowed her eyes. “I’m the one that saves babies for a living downstairs. I’m also the boss of every other baby-saver in this hospital. Now what room is she in?”
“Six-twenty-two, down the…hall…” The girl at the desk slowly trailed off as Arizona jogged away before she could finish.
***
“Here!” Arizona announced as she burst into the room, grateful that the OB was MIA and apparently more than five minutes late as well.
“So sorry,” the blonde apologized to her girlfriend, who was already in a gown and sitting on the edge of the examination table. She made her way over there, still breathing hard and sweating a little. “Here now.”
Callie smiled widely as she watched her lover brace herself against the edge, slumping as she struggled to regain her breath. “Why didn't you just use the skates? You’re way faster zipping around on those things than you are running.”
Arizona paused in her panting as she frowned in thought.
Callie chuckled again. “It's okay, honey,” she offered in an effort to ease a little of her girlfriend's pain. “I didn't even page you yet ‘cause the doctor is running a little behind. Seems we're not the only ones looking into to getting knocked up today.”
Arizona smiled as her heart rate finally started to go back to normal. Instead of answering with words, she just grabbed Callie by the back of the neck and tugged her into a brief, but deep kiss.
“I love you,” she stated with a grin upon pulling away.
Callie wrinkled her nose. “You’re all sweaty.”
Arizona pouted and dropped her hand. “I had a twelve year old bleed all over me in the OR, and then I ran up three and a half flights of stairs and through six different hallways to get here. I smell as good as I’m able to smell.”
Callie laughed just as the door to the room finally swung open.
“So sorry,” the doctor announced as she stepped into the room holding a clipboard in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. She pushed the door closed behind her and then looked up to smile at the couple. “I'm Dr. Edwards.” She glanced from Callie to Arizona and then back again. “So this is the famous couple, hm?” She took a sip of coffee as she turned to the small desk lining the far wall of the room.
Callie's eyebrow lifted just slightly as she looked from her girlfriend to the doctor. “We're...famous?”
“This is Seattle Grace, of course you are,” Dr. Edwards pointed out as she washed her hands at the small sink next to her desk.
Arizona shared a look with Callie, and then shrugged. “Why are we even surprised? If Mark knows, everyone else knows.”
That guy was a worse gossip than anyone she’d ever met.
As Callie lay back against the examination table, Arizona pulled a chair up to sit next to her. She leaned down to kiss her lovingly on the forehead before plunking down in the seat.
Dr. Edwards glanced up as she pulled on her blue examination gloves and rolled her stool over to the end of the table. She reached over to pull the stirrups up and into place.
Callie jerked a little with each metallic ‘clank’. She reached above her head in search of her lover's hand, and sighed quietly when she felt the gentle warmth instantly slip into her own.
“Okay, Dr. Torres,” Dr. Edwards began as she reached over to the sterile table next to her. It was set up with all the necessary supplies for the various tests. She grabbed a bottle of gel and flipped the lid to squirt some onto her fingers. “You're going to feel some slight pressure, but nothing too unbearable.”
Callie nodded, pulling in a slow, deep breath before releasing it. “I don't know why I'm so nervous,” she began to babble. “It's not like I haven't been through this a hundred times before.”
Arizona lifted an eyebrow as she glanced down. “A hundred times?”
“Maybe not a hundred,” Callie chuckled in return.
Dr. Edwards laughed as she closed the lid on the bottle and replaced it on the table. “So this isn't your first fertility test?”
Callie's smile faded as she glanced down at the other blonde woman in the room. “Well, yeah, it...y’know, is, I just meant...had physicals before, and stuff.” She felt stupid being nervous, but it was kind of a big deal. The outcome of these tests and the physical exam mattered.
Everything needed to be in working order.
“It’ll be over soon,” Arizona whispered soothingly in Callie’s ear, her lips brushing against it. “I’ve already bribed the lab tech to fast-track your results. He owed me a favour. We’ll know how fertile you are in no time.”
“Oh, I'm fertile,” Callie pointed out. “I have to be fertile. Every woman in my family is fertile,” she continued to rant. “I'm Spanish for God's sake. I’m so fertile I’m a freaking garden of fertility.”
Dr. Edwards looked up to meet Arizona's eyes. She smiled with a slight shake of her head before returning her attention to the task at hand. “I'm sure we'll find you plenty fertile enough, Dr. Torres,” she encouraged as she moved back to position herself between the brunette's open legs. She glanced up. “Ready for the physical exam?”
Callie dropped her gaze down as her hand squeezed a little harder against the blonde's. “As I'll ever be.”
Arizona kissed her lover’s temple and used her free hand to softly stroke her hair. Even though she wasn’t the one getting examined and tested for all of this baby stuff, her stomach was still in knots.
It was hard to believe this was really happening.
She was still whispering softly in Callie’s ear when the door burst open once again.
Arizona looked up sharply, surprise evident on her face. “Mark? What the hell are you doing here?”
Sloan didn't immediately reply as he looked from Arizona, to Callie, then down to the doctor sitting between her spread legs. A smirk instantly formed on his lips as he moved to lean casually against the door frame. “Hi there.”
Dr. Edwards glared at him suspiciously. “You know this person?” she asked as she looked to the couple.
Arizona sighed. “Unfortunately.”
“I paged him,” Callie cut in as she glanced up to gauge her girlfriend's reaction. “I...I thought he should be here.” She quickly looked to Mark, shooting him a harsh glare. “Although now, I'm seriously reconsidering that thought.”
“These exams are usually private,” Dr. Edwards pointed out with a stern glare at Mark, who ignored her reaction and sauntered over to Callie.
Arizona kept her face carefully neutral, though inside she was fuming.
Sloan didn’t seem to notice anything as he grinned down at Callie. “Wow. It took me a little more time than that to get you on your back with your legs spread the first time we met.”
Callie’s eyes widened at Mark, unable to believe he just said that out loud. Arizona’s hand tightened involuntarily against hers.
“Mark!” Callie growled as she reached up with her free hand to shove at his stomach. “Get out, would you?”
The man frowned as he stumbled a little from the hard shove. “But you paged me-”
“-to wait,” Callie instantly cut in. “In the waiting room. Not for the actual test, you moron.”
Mark's frown deepened. “But it's not like I haven't seen you like this before.” He glanced down to her wide open legs spread out by the stirrups. “I don't remember ever getting them that wide, but-”
Callie's dark eyes widened even more. “Mark?! Out!”
“Do I need to call security?” Dr. Edwards piped up.
Arizona released Callie’s hand and instantly jumped out of her chair. She fully planned on grabbing Mark and ripping his face off as she tossed him out on his ass, but apparently the sight of this much rage in her eyes was enough to send him packing.
“Okay! Okay!” Mark stumbled backward and tripped over another stool as he beelined for the door, a very pissed off looking Arizona stalking dangerously after him. “Let me know when you find out!”
Arizona slammed the door, Mark barely making it through without getting crushed. She paused for a second, taking in and releasing a deep breath before turning and walking back over to Callie.
The brunette watched her lover very closely as she made her way back to the head of the table. She released an uneasy breath when she felt the blonde instantly retake her hand, and glanced down to the doctor. “Sorry about that,” she offered with a weak smile. “He's a good guy, but he tends to think with his penis.” She paused with a slight tilt of her head. “A lot. All the time, really.”
Dr. Edwards smirked. “I know the type, unfortunately.” She took in a breath as she reached over for the bottle once more. “So, shall we continue?”
Callie's hand once again squeezed tightly against her girlfriend's.
A few seconds passed, but Arizona eventually squeezed right back.
***
Two days after the blood work, samples, and physical check-up information had been sent to the lab for testing, Arizona’s favour paid off and they had their results. She sat with Callie in the waiting room while they waited for their appointment.
Only problem was, Mark Sloan was there too. Between them.
Unimpressed so far, Arizona sat with her elbow against the arm of the wooden chair and her chin propped up in her palm. Her eyes glazed over as they watched other people in the room go about their business, and she just wished the doctor would hurry the hell up.
“How about Mark Jr.?” Sloan piped up as he glanced over to his best friend with a wide smile.
“For the hundredth time, Mark,” Callie replied with a disinterested sigh. “No.”
Arizona grit her teeth as she continued to stare straight ahead. She would accept him as the donor for the baby. She was even willing to accept that he was going to be in the child's life, and probably in a greater capacity than just 'Uncle Mark'. Because she loved Callie, and would do anything for her.
But she drew the line at a namesake.
No way. Not gonna happen.
“Dr. Torres?”
Callie jerked a little when the nurse called her name, then instantly leapt from her chair. “Yes?”
“Finally,” Arizona grumbled under her breath, getting to her feet a little slower. She glared at Mark when he stood up, too. “Are you coming with us?” she asked, not really trying to hide her annoyance.
“Yes,” Mark pointed out. “I am.”
“Then keep your trap shut,” Arizona instructed before following Callie and the nurse down the hall and into one of the small offices.
There were only two chairs. She took the time to pull one over for her girlfriend, but by the time she moved to sit next to her, Mark had flopped down into the other.
Gritting her teeth, Arizona stepped over to the other side of Callie’s chair and leaned back against the wall, arms crossed stiffly over her chest while she waited for the doctor to settle into her desk.
Callie wasn't stupid. She could see the rigid tension in her girlfriend's body, and she knew exactly what that tension meant.
She sighed softly as she glanced over at Mark. “You shouldn't have done that,” she whispered just loud enough for him to hear.
Sloan looked over. “What?” he asked innocently.
Callie just shook her head as she returned her attention to Dr. Edwards.
She finished scribbling on the clipboard before turning to the surgeon with a wide smile. “Congratulations, Dr. Torres,” she said as she looked from Callie to Arizona and then back again. “You're fertile. And you're about to start ovulating in approximately three days time, given your last cycle.”
Callie blinked. “I...I am?”
Arizona was too shocked to remember that she was annoyed with Mark. “She is?”
Holy crap. This was…happening fast.
“So…what does that mean?” she asked stupidly. She was a pediatric doctor and knew stuff about pregnancy and all that. But when it came to her and Callie’s own child…her mind was completely numb and she couldn’t think.
“It means, you can either move this along right away and try to get pregnant within the next few days, or you can plan for next month, which will give you more time.” Dr. Edwards looked from Callie to Arizona. “Your choice.”
Arizona turned to look down at Callie, waiting to see her reaction.
“Right away,” Mark piped up as he suddenly sat forward in his chair. His smile was wide and a bit giddy as he looked from the doctor to Callie with a slight tick of his brow.
But the brunette was still a little shocked at the news. She swallowed back and shook her head. “Uh...”
“What are you 'uh’ing about?” Mark shot back as he turned to level his gaze on his best friend. “You've wanted this forever, right? And now here it is.” He shifted a bit in his chair. “I'm feelin' pretty ready to go right now, too, if you know what I mean.”
It was all Arizona could do to not rip Mark’s arm off and beat him to death with it. He just couldn’t keep his god damn trap shut.
“This isn’t your decision, Sloan,” she cut in with a sharp reminder. “It’s Callie’s.”
She moved away from the wall and knelt down next to her girlfriend’s chair, taking her hand. “Baby, look at me.” Arizona had to smile when Callie turned her wide, shocked brown eyes down to meet hers. “What do you want to do? There’s no rush if you want an extra month to prepare.”
Callie was still too shocked by the news to do much more than stare down at Arizona. “I...”
“There's no need to make a decision now,” Dr. Edwards spoke up. “You still have another few days to try.”
Callie looked up. Well, that was good. Right?
“Calliope?”
Dark brown eyes shifted back to meet blue. “I...I don't know,” Callie finally answered. She paused for a moment to take in a shaky breath. “What do you think we should do?”
Arizona shrugged. “I don’t know either. We can talk about it at home, give you some time to think tonight. If it feels like rushing, we can wait another month.”
Mark opened his mouth to speak, but the glare Arizona shot him instantly made him shut up.
She didn’t care what he had to say. He was the donor, not the father. She wasn’t going to let him push Callie into this without her being ready.
As it was…Arizona was still having a hard time thinking about this kid being Mark’s. Especially the way he kept talking about names and dates and offering to build the baby’s crib.
Those were supposed to be her things. He apparently needed reminding that he wasn’t going to play a part in this other than shooting off into a cup.
“The rest of your tests were fine, you’ve got a clean bill of health,” Dr. Edwards added after a moment of silence in which Callie still failed to speak. “So take your time, and if you decide to come back in a few days, give me a call.”
There was another slight pause, and then...
“Let's do it,” Callie suddenly spoke up. She slowly began to smile as she looked from her girlfriend over to the doctor. “When's the earliest we can start?”
Dr. Edwards was a little surprised at the sudden change. “Um, right away, if you wish.” She shifted her gaze to the only man in the room. “As soon as Dr. Sloan provides a specimen.”
Mark instantly leapt from his chair. “Where's the cup?”
Arizona’s eyes widened and she instantly stood up. “Whoa. Hang on. Not now.”
“Why not?” Callie asked.
“Because we…this…no, not right this second. Just…hang on,” Arizona stuttered.
“Why?” Mark cut in. “What’s the point in waiting? Let’s do this thing.”
Once again Arizona fought the urge to kill him. “Because, she has to be off her feet for two days for the best chance of conception. And considering you have an eight hour surgery later today, not to mention a busy schedule until Thursday night, jumping into things right this instant wouldn’t be the smartest idea.”
Arizona ignored Mark’s further protests and looked Callie in the eye. “Wait a day or two, until we can talk it over and make sure everything is sorted out. Please?” Her voice was soft and caring, unlike the irritated tone she’d been using with Mark.
Callie sighed as she gazed back into those shining blue eyes. How in the hell was she supposed to say no to eyes like that?
“Okay,” she relented with a soft whisper.
Mark scowled. “Okay?” he repeated with obvious annoyance. “Just like that? Okay?”
Callie looked away from her girlfriend to glare at her best friend. “Yes,” she replied with strong confidence. “Just like that. Okay.”
“Bullshit,” Mark grumbled. “She’s just chickening out.”
Arizona’s eyes flashed. “You can step out now, Mark. We don’t need you here for this.”
Mark glared at her, waiting a few extra seconds before he opened up the door and moved outside, closing it sharply behind him.
Dr. Edwards watched the heated exchange. “There’s no rush,” she repeated. “Call me in a day or two and we’ll get you in if that’s what you choose.”
Callie sighed as she reached up to rub at her aching forehead.
This wasn't turning out quite like she had hoped.
Imagine that.
---
Chapter 5 (Part One)/36
Authors: Faith kennedysbitch & Kye
Pairing: Callie/Arizona, Mark/Lexie
Rating: NC-17
Story Summary: Sequel to Choices. Callie and Arizona make the decision to move forward with their lives, but when a gradual series of events begin to snowball, Arizona tries desperately not to lose her grip on reality.
Chapter Summary: Arizona and Callie take the next step forward. Mark continues to overstep his bounds.
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. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Previous Chapters
---
For the better part of a week, Bailey, Torres, and Robbins spent every free moment going over every single second of baby Isaac’s surgery. It had attracted a fair amount of attention, not only from the surgical staff at the hospital, but from the media as well.
The morning of the surgery, Arizona tuned everyone and everything else out aside from her job. She left the surgical gallery open only because Chief Shepherd made her. It was packed full of more people than there were seats. They rotated every few hours, but the blonde barely noticed as she worked.
Five hours in, and they were only getting started with the hard part, not even half way finished.
“Look at this mess,” Arizona sighed. She took a moment to crack her neck to both sides, trying to ease the tension building up from standing there for so long. “The partial organs are leeching most of the blood supply from his abdomen. I’m surprised his own kidneys haven’t shut down by now.”
Arizona glanced briefly across the table at Callie, mostly staying focused on the patient. “Sorry, Dr. Torres. Might be a little while longer before we can cut through the mass to get to the bone fushion site.”
Callie was staring longingly back at her girlfriend, eyes semi-glazed over.
Bailey just so happened to glance up at the same moment Arizona did. “Torres!” she suddenly snapped, causing Callie to jump. “In here? Now?”
Callie's gaze quickly shot down to the shorter woman standing next to her. “What? She's hot when she's all...surgeon-y and intensely focused.” And after five straight hours, Arizona was in the zone.
Callie smiled beneath her surgical mask as she slowly returned her attention to her girlfriend.
Arizona found herself smiling beneath her mask as well, though she didn’t dare look at Callie with Bailey standing right there. “I’m a freaking rockstar with a scalpel, Dr. Bailey, you can’t really blame her,” the blonde chuckled.
Bailey rolled her eyes. “Glad to see the fame and attention hasn’t gone to your head,” she mumbled, retracting a portion of muscle while Arizona slid her instruments in there and worked around the blood supply.
“I don’t care about the media,” Arizona replied, still intently focused on what her hands were doing. “I care about helping this kid survive after being the one-in-a-million to be born with this condition. I care about helping his parents sleep better at night knowing that their son is going to have a normal life. I care about making damn sure he’s going to be able to walk and play football in high school if he wants to.” She shook her head and carefully separated some tissue. “The media want a good story for the end of the five o’clock news to fill a fifteen second gap between the local weather and the latest election poles. I just want to hand him his life back so he has the ability to do something with it.”
Callie kept her attention on Arizona the whole time, beaming beneath her mask. “Rockstar,” she confirmed with pride in her voice.
Arizona looked up and met Callie’s eyes, holding them this time.
Bailey glanced from one to the other, recognizing the silent eye-sex the two love birds were sending each other. The ‘if there wasn’t a surgical table between us, I’d be all over you right now’ look.
She rolled her eyes.
Lesbians.
It was in that precise moment that Callie suddenly realized what a cute, sexy little scrub cap Arizona had on. And how good she looked in that surgical gown. And those bloody gloves that-
Okay. Maybe that part was a little bit much.
Callie cleared her throat with a quick shake of her head as she finally looked away from soft blue eyes. She glanced down at her own idle, completely bloodless hands.
She couldn't wait to get in there.
***
“God, I can’t believe how small he is,” Callie commented with a hint of disbelief. “I know he’s a baby, but c’mon.”
“Having something literally sucking the life out of you can hold back a person’s growth rate,” Arizona chuckled. “He was also born seven weeks premature.”
So, yeah. Tiny.
“Everything’s ready for the amputation,” Bailey stated a couple of seconds later. “Be very, very careful,” she added as Callie picked up the saw.
“She’s a rockstar too, she can handle it,” Arizona replied, winking at Callie as she got in there and stabilized Isaac. Ninety nine percent of his blood vessels has been redirected and freed from the leeching organ mass, but now they still had quite a job to do in separating Isaac’s tiny, fragile femur and pelvis from the extra bone growths within the third leg.
Callie's usually steady hand gave a bit of a shake as she approached the baby with a bone saw.
Bailey noticed. “Dr. Torres?”
“I'm okay,” Callie instantly shot back. She glanced over. “I'm okay.” Her hand steadied out as she moved closer towards the tiny patient with the instrument.
He was just so...little. Fragile.
A baby. Like the one she and Arizona were about to have.
Callie found herself smiling. She glanced up as she held her hand poised just above the limb.
Arizona smiled back beneath her mask, and it radiated through her always expressive blue eyes.
Callie took in a deep breath and then slowly released it as the sudden shrill roar of the saw filled the O.R.
***
“I can't believe it went that smoothly,” Callie called over her shoulder as she flipped through the magazine in her lap.
“Why not?” Arizona laughed in return as she poked her head out of the bathroom. “We're both so freakin’ awesome, how else could it have gone? Thanks to you, that little boy is gonna know what it's like to run and play and be normal.” She beamed at Callie, flashing those dimples in her direction.
Callie felt that tug in her chest once again. But her own smile vanished in an instant and she pointed. “Shower. You smell like hospital. No one likes that.”
Arizona's grin faltered before she quickly withdrew back into the bathroom.
Callie smirked to herself as she turned back to the magazine spread out over her lap. She flipped another page, but was listening intently to the sounds filtering out from the bathroom. The shower door opening with a squeak, then sealing shut, then...
As soon as she heard the sound of running water, she quickly flipped all the way to the back of the magazine. Her eyes lit up as she read over a list of baby names taped to the last page.
***
After almost seventeen whole hours in an OR with very little in the way of breaks, Arizona would have been happy to collapse in the shower and nap as the hot water soothed her aching muscles.
She was happy, and had a good buzz going earlier just from the high of the experience, but now…
Now she was tired.
The blonde showered for as long as the hot water tank held out, then pulled on the pair of sweat pants she had grabbed from the dresser - Callie’s - and a white tank top. She couldn’t be bothered to do more about her hair other than poke it with a comb once or twice, leaving it wet.
Concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other and not doing a face plant on the floor, Arizona quietly padded out of the bathroom some time later to find Callie absorbed in a magazine. “What’cha readin’?” she asked, crawling onto the edge of the bed and across the mountain of covers to plant a quick, but loving kiss against the side of her girlfriend’s neck. She then promptly collapsed next to her and rested her head against Callie’s stomach.
“Nothing!” was Callie's instant response a second before she slapped the magazine closed on her lap. She wasn't really sure why she did that. Or why she suddenly felt so guilty.
It's not like Arizona didn't know they were having a baby. Soon, hopefully.
A blonde brow rose in amusement as a small smile played over Arizona's lips. “Okay then,” she chuckled tiredly.
Callie sighed as she reached up to run a hand back through her own slightly damp hair. She'd taken a shower as soon as she got home. Which just so happened to be exactly twenty minutes before Arizona.
Which, was a good thing. Because she knew if they'd taken a shower together...
Well, not much showering would have been done. Plus, there'd have been no hot water for one later.
The brunette flicked the magazine back open, biting her lip softly as she turned to the last page. She flipped the book around in her lap so the blonde could see it.
Arizona forced her eyes to remain open, even though every time she blinked she wanted to pass out. “What’s that?” she asked in a sleepy voice.
It was hard to focus when she was snuggled comfortably against Callie’s stomach like this. Everything about her was warm, soft, smelled nice…
“Arizona!”
The blonde jerked awake. “I’m here. What?”
Rolling her eyes, Callie dropped the magazine on her head.
Groaning, Arizona grabbed it and held it out so she could see. After a moment, she pushed herself up onto an elbow, staring at the list. “Calliope. These are names.”
Callie drummed her fingers against the bed. “Yep.”
Arizona paused. “Calliope. You’re not even pregnant yet.”
“Key word here is yet,” Callie replied with a growing smile. She scooted closer to her lover to peer down at the list of names taped to the magazine's last page. She could feel herself becoming just a little bit giddy as she read them over.
Arizona noticed the change in her girlfriend's demeanor. She smiled as she dropped her eyes back to the page. With just one look, she could tell the list was old and worn. The corners were ragged and the paper was crinkled all over. “Just how long have you had this for, hm?”
Callie looked slightly guilty. “Honestly?”
Arizona watched her patiently.
“Two, three years,” Callie answered with an innocent smile. “Four tops.”
“Oh, sweetie…that’s adorable,” Arizona teased, making her girlfriend blush.
Callie picked at the bed spread. “Ever since George and I…w-were trying, I…”
Arizona watched Callie’s face fall, and it once again hit her how long the other woman had been waiting for this. Instead of suggesting it was a little early to pick out names, like she had planned on doing, she took Callie’s hand and gently kissed the back of it. “Which ones are your favourites?”
Callie barely held back a happy grin. Arizona had totally taken the bait.
“I love Olivia,” she began as she snuggled down next to the blonde. She reached out to trace her finger down along the list of names. “Jessica and Kailey are really beautiful too. Then there are some family names like Natalia and Amelia.” She glanced over to see her partner focused just as intently on the page. Her heart melted a little inside of her chest.
Arizona would be such a perfect mother. It was beyond Callie why she had ever thought otherwise. Even though things were better now, she still didn't quite understand why Arizona fought the idea of kids so hard and for so long.
But she wanted them now, and that's all that mattered.
“What about you?” Callie asked softly, stroking her fingers through damp blonde curls.
Arizona looked up at Callie with wide eyes. “Me?”
Callie tilted her head. “Yes, you. You have a stake in the outcome too, y’know.”
Arizona continued to look like she was caught off guard. “Um…I spent my entire life not thinking about naming kids, so…I don’t exactly have a list of favourites. I guess I wasn’t going to think about it until we knew you were pregnant.”
Callie's dark brow furrowed as she pushed away from her girlfriend enough to sit up with her back against the headboard. She kept her eyes on the other woman as she folded her hands in her lap. “I'm not sure I like how you said that,” she started tentatively. “Why do you keep saying it like that?”
Arizona sat up a little, frowning. “Like...what?”
“Like 'we need to be sure' I'm going to get pregnant. Or like you're not even sure about the possibility.” Callie swallowed back the sudden lump in her throat. “You're not...h-having second thoughts, are you?”
Arizona’s eyes widened again. “No! Of course not!” She sat up fully, wide awake now. Crossing her legs, she gently placed both hands on Callie’s thigh. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like…that’s not it at all.”
Choosing her words carefully, Arizona squeezed her hands. “Of course I’m sure. I just know that it’s a long process, a-and…we’ve only just started.” A smile appeared. “We don’t even know if she’s gonna be a she.”
Callie smiled widely as she leaned a little closer. “She'll be a she,” she replied as she reached down to entwine their fingers. “Don't get me wrong, I love little boys with their little blue blankets and their tiny blue booties...” She trailed off and gave the hand in her own a gentle squeeze. “But there's just something about that damn pink.”
Arizona grinned and shuffled back in to curl up against Callie’s side once more. “I like Riley.”
Callie arched an eyebrow. “Who?”
“For a name,” Arizona chuckled. “I don’t know, I always thought I liked that name for a girl. Or Jordan. I like that, too.”
“She’s gonna be a tough girl, is she?” Callie smirked.
“You know it,” the blonde replied, resting her head against her lover’s shoulder. “With a kickass ortho God for a mom? She’s gonna be awesome.”
Callie's smile widened as she felt another hard tug in her chest. This was real. It was really real and happening...for real.
They were actually talking about having a baby together. A living, breathing child of their own to raise, love, and nurture. She had never thought they would get to this point.
The brunette's smile faltered just a bit as she leaned into her girlfriend's body. “Arizona?” she called softly. “I'm...not really sure what made you change your mind, but I'm so happy that you did.” She glanced down, but didn't dare move from their snuggled up position. “I was kinda considering the possibility myself,” she added honestly as her voice cracked just a little. “A few more nights of this big, empty bed and another shower or two alone, and I would've caved. I can’t...live without you in my life, e-even it if means we never...”
Arizona lifted her head from Callie’s shoulder and instantly cupped her face between both hands. “Don’t.” Her thumbs stroked lovingly against soft cheeks. “Don’t.” She leaned in and pressed a slow, gentle kiss against those lips she loved so much.
“You made me change my mind. Losing you was one of the worst things that’s ever happened to me. Realizing how amazing having a family together would be, that was one of the best.” She stole another kiss.
Callie sighed softly into it, and when Arizona tried to pull away, she reached up with a hand of her own to pull the blonde back in deeply.
Arizona found herself wavering a little beneath the force and intensity behind the other woman's kiss. It made her head spin and her heart sizzle in her chest.
Callie's free hand reached out to snag Arizona by the front of her tank. She pulled back from the kiss with a heavy breath. Brown eyes gazed into deep blue as she gave the material a slight tug. “Off.”
Well, this was a change of pace. Not that Arizona was complaining too much.
Still slightly out of breath, she placed a gentle hand on top of the one pulling at her shirt. “Calliope, slow down.”
“This is slow,” Callie pointed out, tugging at the scruff of Arizona’s shirt once again.
Arizona smiled at that. “I thought you wanted to talk baby names?”
For a second, Callie said nothing, but then she pulled her head back a little to survey Arizona suspiciously. Her hand remained bunched around the fabric. “Are you trying to avoid sex?”
Arizona’s eyes widened. “What? No. Avoid?”
Callie just arched a sharp brow. “Don’t lie to me.” She gave another rough tug.
“Would I be making out with you if I was trying to avoid sex?” Arizona whined, pouting a little. “Why would I?”
“Because you worked seventeen straight hours in the OR today,” Callie pointed out. “And you actually bothered to put pajamas on after you showered.”
Arizona blinked back at Callie. “Okay yes, I’m very tired. But the pajamas were just for show.” In order to prove her point, Arizona reached down and yanked her tank top over her head, tossing it aside. “See? Off.”
Callie instantly groaned as her lover's smooth, perfect skin was suddenly on display. She flickered her eyes down for just a moment before slowly lifting them back up her body. Her hands were shaking as she reached down for the hem of her own shirt. “Don't need sex to be intimate,” she whispered a second before the material passed over her head to be discarded onto the floor.
Callie didn't dare break their gaze as she reached down with a shaking hand to place it on the blonde's hip, and moved closer to her until their bare skin was touching.
The brunette could feel the other woman's sweet, warm breath against her face. She swallowed back as a slow, nearly breathless smile formed across her lips. “You taught me that.”
Arizona’s reply was to lean in and kiss her.
It said more than she could in words.
She ran her left hand up Callie’s side, marveling at how smooth her skin felt beneath it. She gently tugged her back down against the bed and slid underneath the covers. Their legs intertwined, and Arizona pressed herself in as close as she could.
Callie felt a shiver as it jolted through her entire body. She felt as though she was on fire wherever their skin touched. She sighed into the kiss as she pushed her leg just a little harder between Arizona's, and pressed her own body right back against the firm, comforting warmth of the blonde's.
Arizona moaned into the kiss and tangled her fingers into Callie’s damp hair.
It was quickly becoming apparent that sex was still definitely on the menu.
Breaking apart long enough just to breathe, Arizona instantly kissed up along Callie’s throat, adding a little love bite here and there as she went.
Callie moaned softly as she arched into the touch. Her fingers clutched desperately at the bare skin on the blonde's back. A sharp gasp escaped her lips a second before brown eyes suddenly popped open. “Mmh- wait.”
Arizona's lips froze against her girlfriend's neck.
Callie swallowed. “I...I don't want sex.”
A blonde brow furrowed as Arizona pulled back. “Run that by me again?”
Callie smiled through a breathless blush. “I...I just wanna lie here. Like this,” she added as she tugged Arizona’s body a little harder against her own. “We're both exhausted. We have an early morning, and we've got every night for the rest of our lives for sex.” She brushed her leg along her girlfriend's as she released another shaky breath. “But I don't wanna lose this intimacy.”
Not that their sex wasn't intimate. But this, this felt...amazing. She didn’t care if she sounded like a total girl in that moment or not. She wanted to stay curled up and feel Arizona’s skin gliding into her own, breasts pressing together, hearts beating in unison...
“Not possible to lose it,” Arizona said quietly, placing one more kiss against Callie’s lips. “Nothing would make me happier than lying here with you like this. You’re super snuggly and you smell good to boot.”
The down comforter was warm, and combined with being snuggled up to Callie…well, exhausted didn’t quite cover what Arizona felt. But just lying there together was more relaxing and peaceful than anything else in the world to her.
Arizona tightened an arm around Callie’s waist. “What time is your appointment tomorrow?” With babies and baby names on the brain, it had just occurred to her that tomorrow was Callie’s first OB appointment.
Callie's smile widened. “Ten,” she replied softly. She swallowed back, and then slowly licked her lips as she once again brushed her leg along the inside of Arizona's warm, smooth calf. “Did you manage to get out of that surgery?” She didn't mean to sound so selfish, but she was. She wanted - needed - Arizona to be there with her.
“That’s one of the perks about being the boss of my department,” Arizona chuckled. “I can pawn the workload off on my inferiors.”
“Inferiors?” Callie smirked.
“Hey, I’m a rockstar with a scalpel. I’m entitled to my inferiors.” Arizona kissed Callie soundly on the lips. “Pencil me in, I’ll be there.”
***
“Crap, crap, crap, crap,” Arizona chanted as she virtually sprinted down the hallway as fast as her legs would carry her.
Yes, she’d gotten out of the scheduled surgery. But then a kid was hit by a car and she’d spent the last forty five minutes trying for damage control, before handing the rest of the surgery over to Owen.
And now, she was late.
Bursting into the hospital’s OBGYN office, out of breath and still in her scrubs, Arizona literally ran directly into the administration desk, startling the receptionist.
“Can I help-”
“Torres, Calliope Torres,” Arizona panted. “Where?”
“Um…” The receptionist raised an eyebrow. “And you are…?”
Arizona narrowed her eyes. “I’m the one that saves babies for a living downstairs. I’m also the boss of every other baby-saver in this hospital. Now what room is she in?”
“Six-twenty-two, down the…hall…” The girl at the desk slowly trailed off as Arizona jogged away before she could finish.
***
“Here!” Arizona announced as she burst into the room, grateful that the OB was MIA and apparently more than five minutes late as well.
“So sorry,” the blonde apologized to her girlfriend, who was already in a gown and sitting on the edge of the examination table. She made her way over there, still breathing hard and sweating a little. “Here now.”
Callie smiled widely as she watched her lover brace herself against the edge, slumping as she struggled to regain her breath. “Why didn't you just use the skates? You’re way faster zipping around on those things than you are running.”
Arizona paused in her panting as she frowned in thought.
Callie chuckled again. “It's okay, honey,” she offered in an effort to ease a little of her girlfriend's pain. “I didn't even page you yet ‘cause the doctor is running a little behind. Seems we're not the only ones looking into to getting knocked up today.”
Arizona smiled as her heart rate finally started to go back to normal. Instead of answering with words, she just grabbed Callie by the back of the neck and tugged her into a brief, but deep kiss.
“I love you,” she stated with a grin upon pulling away.
Callie wrinkled her nose. “You’re all sweaty.”
Arizona pouted and dropped her hand. “I had a twelve year old bleed all over me in the OR, and then I ran up three and a half flights of stairs and through six different hallways to get here. I smell as good as I’m able to smell.”
Callie laughed just as the door to the room finally swung open.
“So sorry,” the doctor announced as she stepped into the room holding a clipboard in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. She pushed the door closed behind her and then looked up to smile at the couple. “I'm Dr. Edwards.” She glanced from Callie to Arizona and then back again. “So this is the famous couple, hm?” She took a sip of coffee as she turned to the small desk lining the far wall of the room.
Callie's eyebrow lifted just slightly as she looked from her girlfriend to the doctor. “We're...famous?”
“This is Seattle Grace, of course you are,” Dr. Edwards pointed out as she washed her hands at the small sink next to her desk.
Arizona shared a look with Callie, and then shrugged. “Why are we even surprised? If Mark knows, everyone else knows.”
That guy was a worse gossip than anyone she’d ever met.
As Callie lay back against the examination table, Arizona pulled a chair up to sit next to her. She leaned down to kiss her lovingly on the forehead before plunking down in the seat.
Dr. Edwards glanced up as she pulled on her blue examination gloves and rolled her stool over to the end of the table. She reached over to pull the stirrups up and into place.
Callie jerked a little with each metallic ‘clank’. She reached above her head in search of her lover's hand, and sighed quietly when she felt the gentle warmth instantly slip into her own.
“Okay, Dr. Torres,” Dr. Edwards began as she reached over to the sterile table next to her. It was set up with all the necessary supplies for the various tests. She grabbed a bottle of gel and flipped the lid to squirt some onto her fingers. “You're going to feel some slight pressure, but nothing too unbearable.”
Callie nodded, pulling in a slow, deep breath before releasing it. “I don't know why I'm so nervous,” she began to babble. “It's not like I haven't been through this a hundred times before.”
Arizona lifted an eyebrow as she glanced down. “A hundred times?”
“Maybe not a hundred,” Callie chuckled in return.
Dr. Edwards laughed as she closed the lid on the bottle and replaced it on the table. “So this isn't your first fertility test?”
Callie's smile faded as she glanced down at the other blonde woman in the room. “Well, yeah, it...y’know, is, I just meant...had physicals before, and stuff.” She felt stupid being nervous, but it was kind of a big deal. The outcome of these tests and the physical exam mattered.
Everything needed to be in working order.
“It’ll be over soon,” Arizona whispered soothingly in Callie’s ear, her lips brushing against it. “I’ve already bribed the lab tech to fast-track your results. He owed me a favour. We’ll know how fertile you are in no time.”
“Oh, I'm fertile,” Callie pointed out. “I have to be fertile. Every woman in my family is fertile,” she continued to rant. “I'm Spanish for God's sake. I’m so fertile I’m a freaking garden of fertility.”
Dr. Edwards looked up to meet Arizona's eyes. She smiled with a slight shake of her head before returning her attention to the task at hand. “I'm sure we'll find you plenty fertile enough, Dr. Torres,” she encouraged as she moved back to position herself between the brunette's open legs. She glanced up. “Ready for the physical exam?”
Callie dropped her gaze down as her hand squeezed a little harder against the blonde's. “As I'll ever be.”
Arizona kissed her lover’s temple and used her free hand to softly stroke her hair. Even though she wasn’t the one getting examined and tested for all of this baby stuff, her stomach was still in knots.
It was hard to believe this was really happening.
She was still whispering softly in Callie’s ear when the door burst open once again.
Arizona looked up sharply, surprise evident on her face. “Mark? What the hell are you doing here?”
Sloan didn't immediately reply as he looked from Arizona, to Callie, then down to the doctor sitting between her spread legs. A smirk instantly formed on his lips as he moved to lean casually against the door frame. “Hi there.”
Dr. Edwards glared at him suspiciously. “You know this person?” she asked as she looked to the couple.
Arizona sighed. “Unfortunately.”
“I paged him,” Callie cut in as she glanced up to gauge her girlfriend's reaction. “I...I thought he should be here.” She quickly looked to Mark, shooting him a harsh glare. “Although now, I'm seriously reconsidering that thought.”
“These exams are usually private,” Dr. Edwards pointed out with a stern glare at Mark, who ignored her reaction and sauntered over to Callie.
Arizona kept her face carefully neutral, though inside she was fuming.
Sloan didn’t seem to notice anything as he grinned down at Callie. “Wow. It took me a little more time than that to get you on your back with your legs spread the first time we met.”
Callie’s eyes widened at Mark, unable to believe he just said that out loud. Arizona’s hand tightened involuntarily against hers.
“Mark!” Callie growled as she reached up with her free hand to shove at his stomach. “Get out, would you?”
The man frowned as he stumbled a little from the hard shove. “But you paged me-”
“-to wait,” Callie instantly cut in. “In the waiting room. Not for the actual test, you moron.”
Mark's frown deepened. “But it's not like I haven't seen you like this before.” He glanced down to her wide open legs spread out by the stirrups. “I don't remember ever getting them that wide, but-”
Callie's dark eyes widened even more. “Mark?! Out!”
“Do I need to call security?” Dr. Edwards piped up.
Arizona released Callie’s hand and instantly jumped out of her chair. She fully planned on grabbing Mark and ripping his face off as she tossed him out on his ass, but apparently the sight of this much rage in her eyes was enough to send him packing.
“Okay! Okay!” Mark stumbled backward and tripped over another stool as he beelined for the door, a very pissed off looking Arizona stalking dangerously after him. “Let me know when you find out!”
Arizona slammed the door, Mark barely making it through without getting crushed. She paused for a second, taking in and releasing a deep breath before turning and walking back over to Callie.
The brunette watched her lover very closely as she made her way back to the head of the table. She released an uneasy breath when she felt the blonde instantly retake her hand, and glanced down to the doctor. “Sorry about that,” she offered with a weak smile. “He's a good guy, but he tends to think with his penis.” She paused with a slight tilt of her head. “A lot. All the time, really.”
Dr. Edwards smirked. “I know the type, unfortunately.” She took in a breath as she reached over for the bottle once more. “So, shall we continue?”
Callie's hand once again squeezed tightly against her girlfriend's.
A few seconds passed, but Arizona eventually squeezed right back.
***
Two days after the blood work, samples, and physical check-up information had been sent to the lab for testing, Arizona’s favour paid off and they had their results. She sat with Callie in the waiting room while they waited for their appointment.
Only problem was, Mark Sloan was there too. Between them.
Unimpressed so far, Arizona sat with her elbow against the arm of the wooden chair and her chin propped up in her palm. Her eyes glazed over as they watched other people in the room go about their business, and she just wished the doctor would hurry the hell up.
“How about Mark Jr.?” Sloan piped up as he glanced over to his best friend with a wide smile.
“For the hundredth time, Mark,” Callie replied with a disinterested sigh. “No.”
Arizona grit her teeth as she continued to stare straight ahead. She would accept him as the donor for the baby. She was even willing to accept that he was going to be in the child's life, and probably in a greater capacity than just 'Uncle Mark'. Because she loved Callie, and would do anything for her.
But she drew the line at a namesake.
No way. Not gonna happen.
“Dr. Torres?”
Callie jerked a little when the nurse called her name, then instantly leapt from her chair. “Yes?”
“Finally,” Arizona grumbled under her breath, getting to her feet a little slower. She glared at Mark when he stood up, too. “Are you coming with us?” she asked, not really trying to hide her annoyance.
“Yes,” Mark pointed out. “I am.”
“Then keep your trap shut,” Arizona instructed before following Callie and the nurse down the hall and into one of the small offices.
There were only two chairs. She took the time to pull one over for her girlfriend, but by the time she moved to sit next to her, Mark had flopped down into the other.
Gritting her teeth, Arizona stepped over to the other side of Callie’s chair and leaned back against the wall, arms crossed stiffly over her chest while she waited for the doctor to settle into her desk.
Callie wasn't stupid. She could see the rigid tension in her girlfriend's body, and she knew exactly what that tension meant.
She sighed softly as she glanced over at Mark. “You shouldn't have done that,” she whispered just loud enough for him to hear.
Sloan looked over. “What?” he asked innocently.
Callie just shook her head as she returned her attention to Dr. Edwards.
She finished scribbling on the clipboard before turning to the surgeon with a wide smile. “Congratulations, Dr. Torres,” she said as she looked from Callie to Arizona and then back again. “You're fertile. And you're about to start ovulating in approximately three days time, given your last cycle.”
Callie blinked. “I...I am?”
Arizona was too shocked to remember that she was annoyed with Mark. “She is?”
Holy crap. This was…happening fast.
“So…what does that mean?” she asked stupidly. She was a pediatric doctor and knew stuff about pregnancy and all that. But when it came to her and Callie’s own child…her mind was completely numb and she couldn’t think.
“It means, you can either move this along right away and try to get pregnant within the next few days, or you can plan for next month, which will give you more time.” Dr. Edwards looked from Callie to Arizona. “Your choice.”
Arizona turned to look down at Callie, waiting to see her reaction.
“Right away,” Mark piped up as he suddenly sat forward in his chair. His smile was wide and a bit giddy as he looked from the doctor to Callie with a slight tick of his brow.
But the brunette was still a little shocked at the news. She swallowed back and shook her head. “Uh...”
“What are you 'uh’ing about?” Mark shot back as he turned to level his gaze on his best friend. “You've wanted this forever, right? And now here it is.” He shifted a bit in his chair. “I'm feelin' pretty ready to go right now, too, if you know what I mean.”
It was all Arizona could do to not rip Mark’s arm off and beat him to death with it. He just couldn’t keep his god damn trap shut.
“This isn’t your decision, Sloan,” she cut in with a sharp reminder. “It’s Callie’s.”
She moved away from the wall and knelt down next to her girlfriend’s chair, taking her hand. “Baby, look at me.” Arizona had to smile when Callie turned her wide, shocked brown eyes down to meet hers. “What do you want to do? There’s no rush if you want an extra month to prepare.”
Callie was still too shocked by the news to do much more than stare down at Arizona. “I...”
“There's no need to make a decision now,” Dr. Edwards spoke up. “You still have another few days to try.”
Callie looked up. Well, that was good. Right?
“Calliope?”
Dark brown eyes shifted back to meet blue. “I...I don't know,” Callie finally answered. She paused for a moment to take in a shaky breath. “What do you think we should do?”
Arizona shrugged. “I don’t know either. We can talk about it at home, give you some time to think tonight. If it feels like rushing, we can wait another month.”
Mark opened his mouth to speak, but the glare Arizona shot him instantly made him shut up.
She didn’t care what he had to say. He was the donor, not the father. She wasn’t going to let him push Callie into this without her being ready.
As it was…Arizona was still having a hard time thinking about this kid being Mark’s. Especially the way he kept talking about names and dates and offering to build the baby’s crib.
Those were supposed to be her things. He apparently needed reminding that he wasn’t going to play a part in this other than shooting off into a cup.
“The rest of your tests were fine, you’ve got a clean bill of health,” Dr. Edwards added after a moment of silence in which Callie still failed to speak. “So take your time, and if you decide to come back in a few days, give me a call.”
There was another slight pause, and then...
“Let's do it,” Callie suddenly spoke up. She slowly began to smile as she looked from her girlfriend over to the doctor. “When's the earliest we can start?”
Dr. Edwards was a little surprised at the sudden change. “Um, right away, if you wish.” She shifted her gaze to the only man in the room. “As soon as Dr. Sloan provides a specimen.”
Mark instantly leapt from his chair. “Where's the cup?”
Arizona’s eyes widened and she instantly stood up. “Whoa. Hang on. Not now.”
“Why not?” Callie asked.
“Because we…this…no, not right this second. Just…hang on,” Arizona stuttered.
“Why?” Mark cut in. “What’s the point in waiting? Let’s do this thing.”
Once again Arizona fought the urge to kill him. “Because, she has to be off her feet for two days for the best chance of conception. And considering you have an eight hour surgery later today, not to mention a busy schedule until Thursday night, jumping into things right this instant wouldn’t be the smartest idea.”
Arizona ignored Mark’s further protests and looked Callie in the eye. “Wait a day or two, until we can talk it over and make sure everything is sorted out. Please?” Her voice was soft and caring, unlike the irritated tone she’d been using with Mark.
Callie sighed as she gazed back into those shining blue eyes. How in the hell was she supposed to say no to eyes like that?
“Okay,” she relented with a soft whisper.
Mark scowled. “Okay?” he repeated with obvious annoyance. “Just like that? Okay?”
Callie looked away from her girlfriend to glare at her best friend. “Yes,” she replied with strong confidence. “Just like that. Okay.”
“Bullshit,” Mark grumbled. “She’s just chickening out.”
Arizona’s eyes flashed. “You can step out now, Mark. We don’t need you here for this.”
Mark glared at her, waiting a few extra seconds before he opened up the door and moved outside, closing it sharply behind him.
Dr. Edwards watched the heated exchange. “There’s no rush,” she repeated. “Call me in a day or two and we’ll get you in if that’s what you choose.”
Callie sighed as she reached up to rub at her aching forehead.
This wasn't turning out quite like she had hoped.
Imagine that.
---