Fic: Well Maybe What You Want is Right Here 21/?
Title: Well Maybe What You Want is Right Here 21/?
Pairing: Arizona/Callie
Rating: M
Summary: Sometimes we don't realize what we want until we just know. And sometimes we realize that certain things are worth fighting for. Starts a day or two after the scene in 11x08. Timeline may not be perfectly canon. Reunion fic.
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.
A/N: A huge thanks to my few loyal readers -- I love you guys! Also, a disclaimer that I am in no way a doctor, so all my medical knowledge throughout this story is coming from Doctor Google and what I've seen on TV. I hope I'm keeping it as realistic as possible!
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Callie
I'm a little taken aback if I'm honest, despite the conversation we just spent the last hour having. Arizona wants to have a baby now. Part of me thinks it's a little bit insane to jump into this so soon but another part, a bigger part, I think, is about to explode with excitement.
"Callie?"
It's only when I hear her questioning voice again -- her tone soft and a little apprehensive -- that I snap out of my thoughts and let a grin overtake my face.
"Yes!"
Arizona's brow furrows a bit, and she leans back.
"Wait, no. I mean yes I want to have a baby! I don't want to wait either."
She grins immediately then, her expression changing into one of happiness as her eyes dart back to my face.
"Really?"
I grasp her hands between us, threading my fingers with her smaller ones.
"Really, Arizona. Let's start making a baby."
*
"I cannot be late to this appointment, Edwards. Are you good here?"
I pull back from the surgical table, glancing up at the clock. The surgery was finished just in time, as I'd planned it, and all that was left was closing the guy up -- something which I was confident the resident could handle on her own. Edwards had only been on my service a handful of times over the last few months, but I have to say she showed a lot of promise with orthopedics. With surgery in general.
"I'm good, more than. We literally just gave this guy back the use of his arm. It was freakin' crushed. Now he's like...iron man. Titanium man."
The young doctor prepares what she'll need to complete the sutures, gathering tools from the scrub nurse beside her.
"Pretty awesome, right? You ever think about going into ortho, Edwards? You showed some real skills in here today."
I carefully pull my gloves off and dispose of them in the bin by the door to the scrub room.
"You should give it some thought. Page me if you need anything, otherwise keep me updated once he's in recovery."
She barely glances up, already focused on the task at hand, but I see her nod.
"You got it."
I scrub out and exit the OR, pulling off my cap as I head down the hall towards the elevators. Arizona and I have an appointment with the new fertility specialist on staff -- well, Arizona does, but we both wanted to be there. Nicole Herman had been the one to put a bug in the board's ear about expanding the maternal-fetal program, and part of that plan had been the addition to the ob-gyn department of one of the west coast's best fertility specialists. Dr. Jacqueline Neale had come at the recommendation of both Addison and her friend Naomi, herself a fertility doctor in Los Angeles, so we'd decided to visit her this time instead of the private clinic we'd used previously. On the one hand, it brought our personal business into the hospital, but on the other hand, it certainly made things a lot easier.
I head up to the fifth floor, where things are noticeably quieter and less chaotic than the surgical floors, and I find Arizona waiting outside the new set of offices, pacing just slightly along the length of the hall.
"Hey, I’m here.”
I step up behind the smaller woman and gently slide my hands over her waist, effectively stopping her movement as she turns to face me.
“I’m nervous,” she looks up at me, giving me a small smile, “I’m not even hormonal yet and I’m crazy, aren’t I?”
I return her smile and drop a quick kiss on her lips, tasting the freshly applied coconut lip balm that I love so much.
“You’re not crazy. But it’s going to be fine.”
We’d made the decision to try for another baby just over two weeks ago, but given that we worked at the hospital and Addison had given her friend a call, it hadn’t taken us long to get in for an appointment. My wife had been happy about that, because she was still worried about the age factor, but I sometimes wondered if it was also happening a little bit fast for her.
The door behind us opens, and an attractive, middle aged brunette steps out into the hall.
“Arizona? Callie?”
She smiles warmly, extending her hand and shaking each of ours.
“Good to see you again, Arizona. And Callie, nice meeting you outside of the board room. Come on in."
She leads us into her office and motions to the chairs in front of her desk, slipping behind it easily as we settle down. I’d really only met the woman when we hired her and seen her in passing since, but she seems nice, and professional at first glance. Addison assured me she's a wonderful doctor to work with.
“So,” she smiles, pulling over a file from the corner of her desk, “you two are looking at expanding your family. You must be excited.”
I glance over and see Arizona smile, and she looks slightly more relaxed now that we're in here. She’d met with Dr. Neale a few days ago just to have some tests done, and I know she immediately felt comfortable with the other woman.
“We are,” she replies, “we really can’t wait.”
“Well,” the doctor flips open the file in front of her, “you’ll be happy to hear, Arizona, that all the tests we ran the other day came back with good results. Your pap test was normal, blood work was normal, and the STD and Rubella tests all came back negative. The x-ray panel also showed that your fallopian tubes are both open and looking healthy, so there are definitely no obvious underlying fertility issues. You’re in excellent health overall, so as far as I can see, this should be a relatively easy process for you.”
I hear Arizona let out a slight sigh of relief, and I reach over to slip my hand around hers.
“Now,” she looks at the blonde directly, “I know you’re concerned about your age, and the fact that you did miscarry an earlier pregnancy.”
Arizona nods slightly before replying.
“Just given my profession, I know the risks - I just worry that something could go wrong again.”
Dr. Neale smiles a little sympathetically.
“I can understand that worry. A miscarriage is never something to take lightly - it’s not something a woman forgets. But given your profession, you should also know that it’s most often a completely random occurrence, and the chance of experiencing a repeat miscarriage is still fairly low, even in your age bracket. My only recommendation would be that you do choose a different sperm donor, since that’s an option for you, because there is a rare chance there was a genetic incompatibility at play.”
“What about other risks at this age?" I voice the question I know has my wife worried the most, “realistically, how concerned should we be about issues arising with the baby? Or with Arizona?”
“Realistically, given the test results and your wife’s overall good health, I don’t feel you need to be any more concerned than you would be normally. We can definitely do prenatal screening if you like - I actually recommend it to all my patients.”
I glance over at Arizona and see her looking at me, and she nods definitively. We made the choice with Sofia to have prenatal tests done, even though Mark voted against it, so I know that’s something we’ll agree on again.
“I think we’d definitely want to have that done.”
“Good,” Dr. Neale nods, making a quick note on the file, “my other biggest recommendation - again, this is something I tell all my patients - is to try and keep your stress about becoming and being pregnant to a minimum throughout this process.”
She looks up at the blonde and smiles reassuringly - she really does have the bedside manner down pat.
“I know that’s not easy, Arizona. It's natural to worry about whether the process is working, or worry when it doesn't work right away, but it’s the best for your health, and your chances of success to try and keep the stress at bay. And your marriage, quite honestly. You can’t let this take over your entire lives.”
I nod a little, understanding what she’s getting at.
“I get what you mean...I think we both do,” I reply, squeezing my wife’s hand, “we have our daughter at home, and we have work, and we have to keep living our lives without obsessing over this.”
“Exactly. I’ve found that you’re much more likely to be successful in getting pregnant when you don’t let the idea consume you. Your body works best in a state of relaxation.”
Arizona laughs a little, softly, and she lets out a breath.
“I’ll try.”
“You should also maintain a healthy sex life throughout the process; again, the more relaxed and stress-free Arizona’s body is, the more receptive it will be.”
Unable to help the grin that tugs at my lips, I glance sideways to see Arizona laugh again.
“That won’t be a problem.”
“So,” Arizona clears her throat a little, holding back her smile and turning back to the doctor, “can we get started right away?”
Dr. Neale nods, pulling a prescription pad from her drawer.
“Absolutely. We actually have perfect timing here, as you’re about ten days from ovulation in your cycle. You know the drill, obviously - I’ll prescribe you some drugs to help stimulate egg production, and you’ll need to monitor your cycle with the home ovulation tests.”
“Right. Ten days of turning into a hormonal mess.”
I grin, lifting her hand to kiss her knuckles.
“Don’t worry, this time I’m prepared, honey.”
Dr. Neale chuckles lightly, handing Arizona the prescription paper, along with the card and contact info of the donor bank she recommended.
“Make a date, and go to the donor bank to look at your options. It's a bit of short notice, but you two seem eager to get going so we want to be ready - your insemination could be anywhere from seven to ten days from today. The minute your home tests show that you're ovulating, you want to get in here the same day."
Just now realizing what date we are, I turn to the blonde and quirk a smile.
“You could get knocked up on your birthday. I better cancel the surprise party.”
She narrows her eyes slightly, an amused smile tugging at the corners of her lips, and I’m glad to see she’s not nearly as tense as she was when we first came in.
“I see from your file that you actually got pregnant on your first round last time,” Dr. Neale speaks up again, and we turn back to face her, “but you should know that’s fairly unusual. Don’t be surprised if this takes a few tries.”
“I know. We know,” Arizona glances at me and nods, “we don’t expect anything to happen immediately.”
She smiles at us, closing Arizona’s file and getting up to come around the desk.
“Good. I look forward to getting started then.”
*
“So...” I glance sideways as we leave Dr. Neale’s office, barely containing the grin that wants to spread across my face, “you could be pregnant next month. In two weeks even.”
Arizona gives me a brilliant smile and she reaches for my hand, threading our fingers as we wait for the elevator to run down to the pharmacy on the ground floor.
“That...would actually be kind of insane.”
She laughs as the door opens, tugging me over the threshold.
“I can’t even imagine it yet. I’m so relieved everything seems okay in there.”
I grin, hitting the button and backing her against the wall of the empty space, my hands carefully cradling her back against the rail on the wall. She lets out a surprised sound and I capture her lips, kissing her with a passion I can barely contain whenever I’m around her.
“I love you so much.”
I murmur the words between kisses, one hand sliding up her back to tangle in her loose, blonde hair. Her lips still taste faintly of coconut, and as she tilts her head slightly the scent of her perfume reaches me and I press a kiss to the line of her jaw, breathing deeply.
“God, and you always smell so amazing.”
The elevator dings and she kisses me lightly once more, pushing me back as the doors open. I glance over again and see her lick her lips ever so slightly before she straightens her scrub top, stepping out of the enclosed space.
Cruel, that’s what that is. I should have stopped the damn elevator.
"When are you off tonight?"
She looks back as I follow her out, posing the question with a cute tilt of her head and glancing at me from under her lashes.
"Technically, any time now," I smile slowly, "I want to check on my patient from earlier, make sure Edwards is doing alright, but then I'm free."
"You know, Sofia hasn't seen Uncle Alex in an awfully long time..." she draws the words out, a thoughtful, flirty look crossing her face again, "maybe he'd like to take her to supper tonight. And you could spend the night helping me...relax."
The hall is relatively empty, so I sidle up closer to the blonde and run my finger along the neckline of her top, skin barely grazing skin.
"The doctor did say that was important."
She leans up, pressing a warm kiss just below my ear, and her voice lowers to a husky pitch that sends a shiver down my spine.
"Very important."
She pulls back -- her super-magic smile flashing across her face and dimples on full display -- and takes a step backward in the direction of the pharmacy.
"Go check on your patient, Calliope. I'm going to pick up my meds and go find my good friend Alex."
*
Arizona
Alex is actually off tonight, and Jo is stuck at work, so he happily agrees to spend some time with his honorary niece and promises to give her a fun-filled evening while we "get our freak on".
I'd tried to claim we just wanted a night off, but it's Alex. He knows me well enough to see right through that excuse.
I procure my prescription from the pharmacy and then stop by daycare to tell Sofia about the change in plans for the evening, giving her a kiss goodnight in case she's asleep by the time Alex brings her home later. Dr. Neale's words of reassurance earlier and my positive test results had put me in a much better mood than I started out with this morning; and while I know I'm still going to be worried when the actual time comes, for now I'm feeling pretty optimistic.
Optimistic and happy. Feelings that are no longer a struggle for me.
I head to the locker room to get changed, and within the hour I meet Calliope back upstairs in the lobby, ready to leave for the night. She smiles as I approach, extending her hand to me, and I link our fingers as we head outside and leave work behind.
"I haven't stopped thinking about you for the last hour," she kisses my cheek as she opens the car door for me, her body pressing dangerously close to mine, "I can't wait to get you home."
I settle inside and wait for her, watching the leather jacket hug her curves as she climbs into the driver's side.
"What have you been thinking about?"
"Lots of things."
A momentary beat of silence passes between us as she starts the car and pulls out of the parking lot, turning in the direction of home.
"Tell me."
The brunette glances over quickly again, slightly surprised, but I see the corners of her mouth twitch upward into a slow smile before she speaks again.
"Well...I kept thinking about how I couldn't wait to kiss you again, for one. When you give me that flirty little smile, it's all I can do not to grab you and kiss you right then and there."
"Oh?"
"It can be a problem. Especially when you give me that look during board meetings like you did a few weeks ago. And I just know you'll taste like that coconut lip balm you always wear."
I lick my lips unconsciously and smile a little, enjoying where this is going already.
"Tell me more."
"I kept thinking about how hot you looked when we left the house this morning," she glances over, her eyes noticeably dipping to my cleavage before looking back to the road, "and how you'd look when I stripped that top off you. Because I really love the red bra you've got on."
I look over, eyes roaming over her face.
"Mm, do you?"
"So much so that I'm tempted to let you leave it on when we get home. The red panties too. But," her voice drops to a husky octave, "I'm more tempted by what's underneath. All that soft, warm skin. I want my mouth on every inch of you."
The timbre of her voice sends a shiver through my body, and I can feel the slight heat gathering between my thighs already. The woman holds a power over me that I don't even think she realizes.
"I want to kiss that spot just below your right breast; that spot that always drives you crazy. Spend some time there."
She pulls into our driveway and parks in front of the garage, turning off the car.
"And the one," she unbuckles her seat belt and reaches over, trailing the tip of her finger under the hem of my blouse and along the waist of the low-rise jeans I'm wearing, "right here."
I suck in a quick breath as her fingertip teases a sensitive spot on the left side of my pelvis, arousal pulsing through me immediately.
"That gets me that reaction."
Her fingertips slip just below the waist of my jeans, tracing a teasing pattern over the red panties underneath, and I grasp her wrist quickly, meeting her eyes.
"House. Now."
*
It's a good thing we live in a nice neighbourhood and both have at least a little sense of propriety, or else we would have been making out against the side of the car like a couple of teenagers. As it is, we barely make it inside the front door -- because as Callie fumbles the keys into the lock I can't stop myself from brushing her hair aside and pressing hot, wet kisses along the warm skin of her neck, savouring the delicate taste of her on my lips.
We are definitely repeating the newlywed stage of our lives. And I have zero complaints.
The taller woman turns the tables on me once we step inside though, pressing me back against the closed door as she slides the lock into place. Her hands seem like they're everywhere at once; roaming over my hips and pushing under my blouse to skirt across the bare skin of my abdomen, sliding up my sides to squeeze my breasts before they cup my cheeks and she kisses me fervently, her lips and tongue hot and needy against my own.
No words are exchanged when we break apart minutes later, and I tilt my head as she trails wet kisses along the line of my jaw, her fingers slipping into my hair and tugging as she grasps at handfuls of it. Her lips move to my neck, lavishing attention over my pulse point and along my throat, her tongue darting out to trace over heated skin. I grasp at her shoulders then, a low groan escaping my body as it responds to her touch, and the need to feel more becomes almost overwhelming.
"Calliope..."
I manage to utter her name, the syllables rolling off my lips with a gasp, and it's apparently all the brunette needs because a second later she scoops me into her arms and heads toward the bedroom -- that act alone something that heightens my arousal tenfold. Being married to an orthopedic goddess has its perks.
She sits me on the bed and true to her word makes quick work of removing my shirt, dropping it behind her on the floor as her gaze drops to the red, lace adorned bra. I watch as she bites her lip a little, as if thinking over her next move, but then she nudges me back and slides her hands down my stomach, her long, talented fingers popping open the button and zipper on my jeans and then pulling them slowly down my hips.
She tugs them free off my ankles and drops them on the floor with the shirt, her hands running up my legs as she places a teasing kiss along my inner thigh.
It took me so long to realize that Callie didn’t see me any differently without my leg; to understand that the metal and plastic and computer chips were irrelevant to her, the prosthesis simply an extension of my body and nothing more. She smooths her warm palms over my hips, her hands slipping under my thighs and not even noticing though when they touch something other than skin. She easily lifts me and shifts me back on the bed, and I let my fingers slip through the tangle of dark hair falling over me.
"So hot."
The murmured words against my belly button send a delicious shiver down my body, and I tug slightly, coaxing the brunette to meet my eyes.
"Calliope. Take off your clothes."
*
Callie
The blonde's request is an easy one to fill, and I quickly divest myself of clothing and climb back onto the bed, hovering over her perfect, scantily clad body. She runs her hands over me, heightening my every nerve ending with her touch, but I find that all I can do for a minute is gaze down at her, my heart beating wildly in my chest.
Because my god, she's gorgeous.
It still takes me by surprise sometimes; takes my breath away when I look at her laying underneath me or undressing before me. I love the pale freckles that dot the skin along her collarbone, and the way her blonde hair curls freely around her shoulders, messy now from making out in the hall and splaying across the pillow beneath her. I love the way she flushes ever so slightly when I gaze at her, even after all these years, and the way her skin feels under my fingers and my lips -- softer than the finest silk in the world.
I love the small scar on her collarbone, the remnant of a childhood scrape with her brother, and the one on her forearm earned from a teenage collision with her bike. There's the pale, slightly raised line along her lower abdomen from where she lost her appendix at age nine, and a small jagged mark over the left side of her waist left by a deep wound-- the only other physical reminder left on her body from the plane crash.
She hates it, that one. But I lean down and press a kiss directly over it, lingering for just a moment with my lips on her skin.
I love it. Because she lived, for me. She lived so I could touch her, could kiss her, could breathe her in again, and so we could simply be.
Her back arches off the bed a little and she lets out a breathy sigh, a sound that is absolute music to my ears.
"I'm not relaxed yet."
Her impatience makes me grin, and I look up and quirk an eyebrow at her words. I scoot down on the bed, hooking my fingers into the lacy scrap of underwear and sliding them down her legs, not missing the fact that they're already soaking wet.
"Oh, you'll be relaxed when I'm done with you."
The blonde leans up on her elbows, a slow smile forming on her own lips.
"I hope that's a promise."
I silence her with a bite to the inner thigh and trail my tongue slowly higher through wet folds, savouring the taste and the feel and the warmth of her on my lips. Her head falls back onto the pillows as she lets out a low groan of approval, and she bends her knees to open herself up further as a hand simultaneously tangles in my hair and tugs me close.
A delighted hum leaves my lips, and I can't help a small quip before I give my wife exactly what she wants.
"Doctor's orders, after all."
Pairing: Arizona/Callie
Rating: M
Summary: Sometimes we don't realize what we want until we just know. And sometimes we realize that certain things are worth fighting for. Starts a day or two after the scene in 11x08. Timeline may not be perfectly canon. Reunion fic.
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.
A/N: A huge thanks to my few loyal readers -- I love you guys! Also, a disclaimer that I am in no way a doctor, so all my medical knowledge throughout this story is coming from Doctor Google and what I've seen on TV. I hope I'm keeping it as realistic as possible!
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Callie
I'm a little taken aback if I'm honest, despite the conversation we just spent the last hour having. Arizona wants to have a baby now. Part of me thinks it's a little bit insane to jump into this so soon but another part, a bigger part, I think, is about to explode with excitement.
"Callie?"
It's only when I hear her questioning voice again -- her tone soft and a little apprehensive -- that I snap out of my thoughts and let a grin overtake my face.
"Yes!"
Arizona's brow furrows a bit, and she leans back.
"Wait, no. I mean yes I want to have a baby! I don't want to wait either."
She grins immediately then, her expression changing into one of happiness as her eyes dart back to my face.
"Really?"
I grasp her hands between us, threading my fingers with her smaller ones.
"Really, Arizona. Let's start making a baby."
*
"I cannot be late to this appointment, Edwards. Are you good here?"
I pull back from the surgical table, glancing up at the clock. The surgery was finished just in time, as I'd planned it, and all that was left was closing the guy up -- something which I was confident the resident could handle on her own. Edwards had only been on my service a handful of times over the last few months, but I have to say she showed a lot of promise with orthopedics. With surgery in general.
"I'm good, more than. We literally just gave this guy back the use of his arm. It was freakin' crushed. Now he's like...iron man. Titanium man."
The young doctor prepares what she'll need to complete the sutures, gathering tools from the scrub nurse beside her.
"Pretty awesome, right? You ever think about going into ortho, Edwards? You showed some real skills in here today."
I carefully pull my gloves off and dispose of them in the bin by the door to the scrub room.
"You should give it some thought. Page me if you need anything, otherwise keep me updated once he's in recovery."
She barely glances up, already focused on the task at hand, but I see her nod.
"You got it."
I scrub out and exit the OR, pulling off my cap as I head down the hall towards the elevators. Arizona and I have an appointment with the new fertility specialist on staff -- well, Arizona does, but we both wanted to be there. Nicole Herman had been the one to put a bug in the board's ear about expanding the maternal-fetal program, and part of that plan had been the addition to the ob-gyn department of one of the west coast's best fertility specialists. Dr. Jacqueline Neale had come at the recommendation of both Addison and her friend Naomi, herself a fertility doctor in Los Angeles, so we'd decided to visit her this time instead of the private clinic we'd used previously. On the one hand, it brought our personal business into the hospital, but on the other hand, it certainly made things a lot easier.
I head up to the fifth floor, where things are noticeably quieter and less chaotic than the surgical floors, and I find Arizona waiting outside the new set of offices, pacing just slightly along the length of the hall.
"Hey, I’m here.”
I step up behind the smaller woman and gently slide my hands over her waist, effectively stopping her movement as she turns to face me.
“I’m nervous,” she looks up at me, giving me a small smile, “I’m not even hormonal yet and I’m crazy, aren’t I?”
I return her smile and drop a quick kiss on her lips, tasting the freshly applied coconut lip balm that I love so much.
“You’re not crazy. But it’s going to be fine.”
We’d made the decision to try for another baby just over two weeks ago, but given that we worked at the hospital and Addison had given her friend a call, it hadn’t taken us long to get in for an appointment. My wife had been happy about that, because she was still worried about the age factor, but I sometimes wondered if it was also happening a little bit fast for her.
The door behind us opens, and an attractive, middle aged brunette steps out into the hall.
“Arizona? Callie?”
She smiles warmly, extending her hand and shaking each of ours.
“Good to see you again, Arizona. And Callie, nice meeting you outside of the board room. Come on in."
She leads us into her office and motions to the chairs in front of her desk, slipping behind it easily as we settle down. I’d really only met the woman when we hired her and seen her in passing since, but she seems nice, and professional at first glance. Addison assured me she's a wonderful doctor to work with.
“So,” she smiles, pulling over a file from the corner of her desk, “you two are looking at expanding your family. You must be excited.”
I glance over and see Arizona smile, and she looks slightly more relaxed now that we're in here. She’d met with Dr. Neale a few days ago just to have some tests done, and I know she immediately felt comfortable with the other woman.
“We are,” she replies, “we really can’t wait.”
“Well,” the doctor flips open the file in front of her, “you’ll be happy to hear, Arizona, that all the tests we ran the other day came back with good results. Your pap test was normal, blood work was normal, and the STD and Rubella tests all came back negative. The x-ray panel also showed that your fallopian tubes are both open and looking healthy, so there are definitely no obvious underlying fertility issues. You’re in excellent health overall, so as far as I can see, this should be a relatively easy process for you.”
I hear Arizona let out a slight sigh of relief, and I reach over to slip my hand around hers.
“Now,” she looks at the blonde directly, “I know you’re concerned about your age, and the fact that you did miscarry an earlier pregnancy.”
Arizona nods slightly before replying.
“Just given my profession, I know the risks - I just worry that something could go wrong again.”
Dr. Neale smiles a little sympathetically.
“I can understand that worry. A miscarriage is never something to take lightly - it’s not something a woman forgets. But given your profession, you should also know that it’s most often a completely random occurrence, and the chance of experiencing a repeat miscarriage is still fairly low, even in your age bracket. My only recommendation would be that you do choose a different sperm donor, since that’s an option for you, because there is a rare chance there was a genetic incompatibility at play.”
“What about other risks at this age?" I voice the question I know has my wife worried the most, “realistically, how concerned should we be about issues arising with the baby? Or with Arizona?”
“Realistically, given the test results and your wife’s overall good health, I don’t feel you need to be any more concerned than you would be normally. We can definitely do prenatal screening if you like - I actually recommend it to all my patients.”
I glance over at Arizona and see her looking at me, and she nods definitively. We made the choice with Sofia to have prenatal tests done, even though Mark voted against it, so I know that’s something we’ll agree on again.
“I think we’d definitely want to have that done.”
“Good,” Dr. Neale nods, making a quick note on the file, “my other biggest recommendation - again, this is something I tell all my patients - is to try and keep your stress about becoming and being pregnant to a minimum throughout this process.”
She looks up at the blonde and smiles reassuringly - she really does have the bedside manner down pat.
“I know that’s not easy, Arizona. It's natural to worry about whether the process is working, or worry when it doesn't work right away, but it’s the best for your health, and your chances of success to try and keep the stress at bay. And your marriage, quite honestly. You can’t let this take over your entire lives.”
I nod a little, understanding what she’s getting at.
“I get what you mean...I think we both do,” I reply, squeezing my wife’s hand, “we have our daughter at home, and we have work, and we have to keep living our lives without obsessing over this.”
“Exactly. I’ve found that you’re much more likely to be successful in getting pregnant when you don’t let the idea consume you. Your body works best in a state of relaxation.”
Arizona laughs a little, softly, and she lets out a breath.
“I’ll try.”
“You should also maintain a healthy sex life throughout the process; again, the more relaxed and stress-free Arizona’s body is, the more receptive it will be.”
Unable to help the grin that tugs at my lips, I glance sideways to see Arizona laugh again.
“That won’t be a problem.”
“So,” Arizona clears her throat a little, holding back her smile and turning back to the doctor, “can we get started right away?”
Dr. Neale nods, pulling a prescription pad from her drawer.
“Absolutely. We actually have perfect timing here, as you’re about ten days from ovulation in your cycle. You know the drill, obviously - I’ll prescribe you some drugs to help stimulate egg production, and you’ll need to monitor your cycle with the home ovulation tests.”
“Right. Ten days of turning into a hormonal mess.”
I grin, lifting her hand to kiss her knuckles.
“Don’t worry, this time I’m prepared, honey.”
Dr. Neale chuckles lightly, handing Arizona the prescription paper, along with the card and contact info of the donor bank she recommended.
“Make a date, and go to the donor bank to look at your options. It's a bit of short notice, but you two seem eager to get going so we want to be ready - your insemination could be anywhere from seven to ten days from today. The minute your home tests show that you're ovulating, you want to get in here the same day."
Just now realizing what date we are, I turn to the blonde and quirk a smile.
“You could get knocked up on your birthday. I better cancel the surprise party.”
She narrows her eyes slightly, an amused smile tugging at the corners of her lips, and I’m glad to see she’s not nearly as tense as she was when we first came in.
“I see from your file that you actually got pregnant on your first round last time,” Dr. Neale speaks up again, and we turn back to face her, “but you should know that’s fairly unusual. Don’t be surprised if this takes a few tries.”
“I know. We know,” Arizona glances at me and nods, “we don’t expect anything to happen immediately.”
She smiles at us, closing Arizona’s file and getting up to come around the desk.
“Good. I look forward to getting started then.”
*
“So...” I glance sideways as we leave Dr. Neale’s office, barely containing the grin that wants to spread across my face, “you could be pregnant next month. In two weeks even.”
Arizona gives me a brilliant smile and she reaches for my hand, threading our fingers as we wait for the elevator to run down to the pharmacy on the ground floor.
“That...would actually be kind of insane.”
She laughs as the door opens, tugging me over the threshold.
“I can’t even imagine it yet. I’m so relieved everything seems okay in there.”
I grin, hitting the button and backing her against the wall of the empty space, my hands carefully cradling her back against the rail on the wall. She lets out a surprised sound and I capture her lips, kissing her with a passion I can barely contain whenever I’m around her.
“I love you so much.”
I murmur the words between kisses, one hand sliding up her back to tangle in her loose, blonde hair. Her lips still taste faintly of coconut, and as she tilts her head slightly the scent of her perfume reaches me and I press a kiss to the line of her jaw, breathing deeply.
“God, and you always smell so amazing.”
The elevator dings and she kisses me lightly once more, pushing me back as the doors open. I glance over again and see her lick her lips ever so slightly before she straightens her scrub top, stepping out of the enclosed space.
Cruel, that’s what that is. I should have stopped the damn elevator.
"When are you off tonight?"
She looks back as I follow her out, posing the question with a cute tilt of her head and glancing at me from under her lashes.
"Technically, any time now," I smile slowly, "I want to check on my patient from earlier, make sure Edwards is doing alright, but then I'm free."
"You know, Sofia hasn't seen Uncle Alex in an awfully long time..." she draws the words out, a thoughtful, flirty look crossing her face again, "maybe he'd like to take her to supper tonight. And you could spend the night helping me...relax."
The hall is relatively empty, so I sidle up closer to the blonde and run my finger along the neckline of her top, skin barely grazing skin.
"The doctor did say that was important."
She leans up, pressing a warm kiss just below my ear, and her voice lowers to a husky pitch that sends a shiver down my spine.
"Very important."
She pulls back -- her super-magic smile flashing across her face and dimples on full display -- and takes a step backward in the direction of the pharmacy.
"Go check on your patient, Calliope. I'm going to pick up my meds and go find my good friend Alex."
*
Arizona
Alex is actually off tonight, and Jo is stuck at work, so he happily agrees to spend some time with his honorary niece and promises to give her a fun-filled evening while we "get our freak on".
I'd tried to claim we just wanted a night off, but it's Alex. He knows me well enough to see right through that excuse.
I procure my prescription from the pharmacy and then stop by daycare to tell Sofia about the change in plans for the evening, giving her a kiss goodnight in case she's asleep by the time Alex brings her home later. Dr. Neale's words of reassurance earlier and my positive test results had put me in a much better mood than I started out with this morning; and while I know I'm still going to be worried when the actual time comes, for now I'm feeling pretty optimistic.
Optimistic and happy. Feelings that are no longer a struggle for me.
I head to the locker room to get changed, and within the hour I meet Calliope back upstairs in the lobby, ready to leave for the night. She smiles as I approach, extending her hand to me, and I link our fingers as we head outside and leave work behind.
"I haven't stopped thinking about you for the last hour," she kisses my cheek as she opens the car door for me, her body pressing dangerously close to mine, "I can't wait to get you home."
I settle inside and wait for her, watching the leather jacket hug her curves as she climbs into the driver's side.
"What have you been thinking about?"
"Lots of things."
A momentary beat of silence passes between us as she starts the car and pulls out of the parking lot, turning in the direction of home.
"Tell me."
The brunette glances over quickly again, slightly surprised, but I see the corners of her mouth twitch upward into a slow smile before she speaks again.
"Well...I kept thinking about how I couldn't wait to kiss you again, for one. When you give me that flirty little smile, it's all I can do not to grab you and kiss you right then and there."
"Oh?"
"It can be a problem. Especially when you give me that look during board meetings like you did a few weeks ago. And I just know you'll taste like that coconut lip balm you always wear."
I lick my lips unconsciously and smile a little, enjoying where this is going already.
"Tell me more."
"I kept thinking about how hot you looked when we left the house this morning," she glances over, her eyes noticeably dipping to my cleavage before looking back to the road, "and how you'd look when I stripped that top off you. Because I really love the red bra you've got on."
I look over, eyes roaming over her face.
"Mm, do you?"
"So much so that I'm tempted to let you leave it on when we get home. The red panties too. But," her voice drops to a husky octave, "I'm more tempted by what's underneath. All that soft, warm skin. I want my mouth on every inch of you."
The timbre of her voice sends a shiver through my body, and I can feel the slight heat gathering between my thighs already. The woman holds a power over me that I don't even think she realizes.
"I want to kiss that spot just below your right breast; that spot that always drives you crazy. Spend some time there."
She pulls into our driveway and parks in front of the garage, turning off the car.
"And the one," she unbuckles her seat belt and reaches over, trailing the tip of her finger under the hem of my blouse and along the waist of the low-rise jeans I'm wearing, "right here."
I suck in a quick breath as her fingertip teases a sensitive spot on the left side of my pelvis, arousal pulsing through me immediately.
"That gets me that reaction."
Her fingertips slip just below the waist of my jeans, tracing a teasing pattern over the red panties underneath, and I grasp her wrist quickly, meeting her eyes.
"House. Now."
*
It's a good thing we live in a nice neighbourhood and both have at least a little sense of propriety, or else we would have been making out against the side of the car like a couple of teenagers. As it is, we barely make it inside the front door -- because as Callie fumbles the keys into the lock I can't stop myself from brushing her hair aside and pressing hot, wet kisses along the warm skin of her neck, savouring the delicate taste of her on my lips.
We are definitely repeating the newlywed stage of our lives. And I have zero complaints.
The taller woman turns the tables on me once we step inside though, pressing me back against the closed door as she slides the lock into place. Her hands seem like they're everywhere at once; roaming over my hips and pushing under my blouse to skirt across the bare skin of my abdomen, sliding up my sides to squeeze my breasts before they cup my cheeks and she kisses me fervently, her lips and tongue hot and needy against my own.
No words are exchanged when we break apart minutes later, and I tilt my head as she trails wet kisses along the line of my jaw, her fingers slipping into my hair and tugging as she grasps at handfuls of it. Her lips move to my neck, lavishing attention over my pulse point and along my throat, her tongue darting out to trace over heated skin. I grasp at her shoulders then, a low groan escaping my body as it responds to her touch, and the need to feel more becomes almost overwhelming.
"Calliope..."
I manage to utter her name, the syllables rolling off my lips with a gasp, and it's apparently all the brunette needs because a second later she scoops me into her arms and heads toward the bedroom -- that act alone something that heightens my arousal tenfold. Being married to an orthopedic goddess has its perks.
She sits me on the bed and true to her word makes quick work of removing my shirt, dropping it behind her on the floor as her gaze drops to the red, lace adorned bra. I watch as she bites her lip a little, as if thinking over her next move, but then she nudges me back and slides her hands down my stomach, her long, talented fingers popping open the button and zipper on my jeans and then pulling them slowly down my hips.
She tugs them free off my ankles and drops them on the floor with the shirt, her hands running up my legs as she places a teasing kiss along my inner thigh.
It took me so long to realize that Callie didn’t see me any differently without my leg; to understand that the metal and plastic and computer chips were irrelevant to her, the prosthesis simply an extension of my body and nothing more. She smooths her warm palms over my hips, her hands slipping under my thighs and not even noticing though when they touch something other than skin. She easily lifts me and shifts me back on the bed, and I let my fingers slip through the tangle of dark hair falling over me.
"So hot."
The murmured words against my belly button send a delicious shiver down my body, and I tug slightly, coaxing the brunette to meet my eyes.
"Calliope. Take off your clothes."
*
Callie
The blonde's request is an easy one to fill, and I quickly divest myself of clothing and climb back onto the bed, hovering over her perfect, scantily clad body. She runs her hands over me, heightening my every nerve ending with her touch, but I find that all I can do for a minute is gaze down at her, my heart beating wildly in my chest.
Because my god, she's gorgeous.
It still takes me by surprise sometimes; takes my breath away when I look at her laying underneath me or undressing before me. I love the pale freckles that dot the skin along her collarbone, and the way her blonde hair curls freely around her shoulders, messy now from making out in the hall and splaying across the pillow beneath her. I love the way she flushes ever so slightly when I gaze at her, even after all these years, and the way her skin feels under my fingers and my lips -- softer than the finest silk in the world.
I love the small scar on her collarbone, the remnant of a childhood scrape with her brother, and the one on her forearm earned from a teenage collision with her bike. There's the pale, slightly raised line along her lower abdomen from where she lost her appendix at age nine, and a small jagged mark over the left side of her waist left by a deep wound-- the only other physical reminder left on her body from the plane crash.
She hates it, that one. But I lean down and press a kiss directly over it, lingering for just a moment with my lips on her skin.
I love it. Because she lived, for me. She lived so I could touch her, could kiss her, could breathe her in again, and so we could simply be.
Her back arches off the bed a little and she lets out a breathy sigh, a sound that is absolute music to my ears.
"I'm not relaxed yet."
Her impatience makes me grin, and I look up and quirk an eyebrow at her words. I scoot down on the bed, hooking my fingers into the lacy scrap of underwear and sliding them down her legs, not missing the fact that they're already soaking wet.
"Oh, you'll be relaxed when I'm done with you."
The blonde leans up on her elbows, a slow smile forming on her own lips.
"I hope that's a promise."
I silence her with a bite to the inner thigh and trail my tongue slowly higher through wet folds, savouring the taste and the feel and the warmth of her on my lips. Her head falls back onto the pillows as she lets out a low groan of approval, and she bends her knees to open herself up further as a hand simultaneously tangles in my hair and tugs me close.
A delighted hum leaves my lips, and I can't help a small quip before I give my wife exactly what she wants.
"Doctor's orders, after all."