A flash of red was all Arizona Robbins saw as her three year old daughter charged through the front door and straight past her. "Hey, no running in the house!" she called after the little girl. "What's got ants in her pants?" she asked Callie as her wife joined her.
Callie took a quick kiss in greeting, shrugging her shoulders. "She won't say anything but that she needs to see Tim. I guess she made him something at preschool."
"Mami! Yo neccicito use the phone!" Sofia called loudly from the kitchen in her adorably mixed Spanish and English.
"That's not how we ask for things, Sofia Michelle," Callie reminded her.
"Por favor!" Sofia added quickly, rushing back with Arizona's cell phone in her hand and her red bundle still wadded under her arm. "Mama, please! Uncle Tim!"
Obliging her with a smile, the blonde unlocked the phone and dialed her brother. "Hello?" Tim's greeting was almost drowned out by crying babies in the background, Tim's twin sons apparently both awake.
"Sorry, brother. Did I wake them up?"
"Nah, they just do not want to go down for naps today. What's up?"
"Sof wants to talk to you," Arizona told him, holding up one finger when her daughter gestured impatiently for the phone. "And your cousins are sleepy, so don't keep Uncle T on the phone too long, okay, sweetheart?"
Sofia nodded obediently and took the phone, dashing away with it cradled to her ear, and already chattering eagerly. Her parents watched her go with an exchanged glance and Callie smirked. "She's like you were at that age. It's awesome," she declared with a happy sigh, jumping when Arizona pinched her butt.
"Shut up. You don't know that!"
"I do know that," Callie said confidently. Her proud, happy grin was infectious. "You know it too." She slung an arm around her wife's shoulders and they watched their little girl pace back and forth with the phone in the hall. She spun on her heel for the next turn and Callie pointed gleefully. "You do that now!" she said triumphantly.
Sofia ran back with the phone, shoving it into Arizona's hand and dashing away again. "Unk T and Aunt T are coming over for supper!" she called over her shoulder. "I gotta go get ready!"
Exchanging looks with Callie, Arizona lifted the phone to her ear quickly. "Hey, Tim, you still there?" No answer. "I guess they're coming over tonight," she informed Callie with a shrug. "Do we have food?"
Callie laughed, hearing loud, three-year-old footsteps on the floor above them. "Did you go to the store?"
Arizona sighed, thumb swiping the screen of her phone. "I'll call for pizza. I mean, we have enough for us, but I wasn't expecting company…"
"Baby, it's okay. I wasn't accusing you of stranding us with no groceries," Callie assured her with another laugh, catching the phone before it could reach the blonde's ear. "You haven't had a day off in weeks," she rubbed her wife's back, touch sliding down to pat her butt affectionately, "and I wouldn't care if you'd spent the day on the couch watching bad TV." It was obvious from the state of their living room, neat and clean and orderly in a way that it rarely was anymore, that that wasn't what Arizona had done with her day off. The scent of cleaner was still wafting down the hall from the kitchen. "Just please tell me you used a mop in the kitchen and didn't do crazy Marine cleaning in there on your hands and knees," Callie requested. Arizona chewed on her lip and didn't say anything. "Honey…"
"It works better than the mop!" Arizona protest sheepishly.
Callie kissed the side of her face, squeezing her ass again. "But I think the only thing you should be on your knees for is me," she teased, arching an eyebrow that made Arizona bite her lip for an entirely different reason. "And I got us a really good mop. Remember? You gave me a hard time about it being a sexist present, even if we're both women…"
Giggling, Arizona wrinkled her nose. "I don't remember that, Calliope," she played. "I'm sure you heard wrong. If I was calling you anything, it was sexy, not sexist…"
"Mmhmm," Callie hummed, narrowing her eyes and patting her hip again. "Don't worry about dinner, okay? I'll go pick up some Italian. Teddy likes the place we normally get, doesn't she?" Arizona nodded. "Great. Then I will be back soon. You and Sof try not to kill each other, okay?" she teased. Their daughter was really her mother's daughter, in every way, and Callie couldn't adore it more. But the pair could (had in the past and definitely would again in the future) get into some pretty creative trouble when they were left to their own devices. "And no Heelies…"
"In the house, I know," Arizona finished with a pair of rolling eyes, pouting for good measure. Callie kissed her protruding lower lip quickly to soften the reminder. "But, Calliope, you just got home…"
"And you spent your day off cleaning," Callie countered. "So I at least owe you some errands, probably some sex, because you know how much I hate folding the laundry." Arizona blinked, smile growing swiftly. "That's what I thought," Callie declared, kissing her one more time, just because she could. "Will you call in the order so it'll be ready when I get there?" Arizona nodded, already searching her contact list.
Tim and Teddy were gracious about coming over to takeout, the twins only starting to wake up from their naps when they arrived. Even sleepy though, they were glad to see their aunts, Callie and Arizona each taking one while Sofia finished whatever preparations she'd been making in her room.
When she clattered down the stairs, she blew past her parents with her cousins, flying straight to her uncle. He swooped her up and flew her through the air, the little girl over his shoulder. "You came!"
"I told you I would," he answered her with a laugh, putting her down.
"I made you something!"
"That's what I heard," Tim said as he tousled her hair. "Let's eat first and then you can show me what it is, alright?"
Teddy pretended to pout as Sofia bolted to the kitchen, dragging Tim along by the hand. "How come Uncle T's the only one to get a present anyway?"
Sofia shot her a look over her shoulder that was Arizona to perfection. "You know I love you, Aunt Teddy!"
"But you didn't make me anything at school," the heart surgeon argued lightly. "And I didn't even get a hug." Abandoning Tim in the doorway, Sofia dashed back to throw both arms around Teddy's waist and squeeze her tightly. "Mmh, that's a good hug," Teddy said, sending her husband a superior look. "Now no matter what you got, I got the best hug."
"Aunt T, don't fight," Sofia requested with a long-suffering sigh that made Callie grin and send a superior look at her own spouse, Arizona's cheeks flushing even as she pointedly avoided looking at Callie. "Sit next to me," she practically ordered, Callie barely restraining her laughter while Arizona's cheeks burned behind her.
"Your aunt needs to sit next to the high chairs, remember?" Arizona noted, cradling her squirmy nephew in one arm and patting her passing daughter's head with the free hand. "And Teddy, I can feed this little guy if you want to get the food while it's still hot."
Her friend didn't even argue, finding a pair of baby food jars in the diaper bag still over her shoulder and shoving them into Arizona's grip. "Have fun."
They actually got the twins fed and settled before Sofia couldn't contain her bouncy energy any longer and, having already devoured her own meal, ran from the table to get her uncle's gift from her room.
Tim had been relaxing in his chair and suddenly straightened, rubbing both hands over the tops of his thighs. "Do you guys know what it is?" he asked almost nervously. They just shrugged and he nodded, eyes moving around the room as he tried to think of possibilities.
"Oh, get that look off of your face," ordered Arizona, pointing sharply at him. Tim just exchanged looks with Callie. "You used to have the same expression on when Dad would get close to finding our cigarettes," she reminded him. "This is my little girl, Tim. She's not Dad."
"She's a little like a mini-Colonel," he argued. "But in a very cute way."
"She's like you," Callie cut in before the siblings' bickering could escalate. "And it's awesome," she declared, kissing her wife's cheek and shooting a look at her brother-in-law as their daughter pounded back down the stairs.
Throwing herself into Tim's lap, Sofia set about unrolling her present with a flourish. Tim shrugged from behind her, not sure what it was. When no one said anything, Sofia jumped down again and ran a quick lap of the kitchen, the red fabric blowing out behind her and making it clear what she'd made.
"A cape? You made me a cape?" Tim asked, clearly pleased.
"You made him a cape?" echoed Arizona, her own surprise clear. She wasn't jealous of Sofia's relationship with her brother, she was grateful for it really, glad that her little girl had a strong, honorable man in her life to look up to. She couldn't say that it didn't sting a bit that Tim was apparently Sofia's superhero, though.
Hearing the tone in her partner's voice, Callie's hand slid over the top of her thigh under the table. "It's sweet, Sofia. Did everyone in your class make capes?"
"No, Mami. The teacher said to make something for our hero." She beamed proudly at her uncle. "And Uncle T was in the Army…"
"Marines," Tim and Arizona chorused in unison to correct her over the sound of Teddy coughing to try and drown them out.
"And he has the robot leg you gave him…" Sofia continued despite them. She loved the idea that her uncle had a metal leg and was sad that she couldn't see it. Mami had shown her the x-rays though, which were pretty cool, even if Mama said she was too little to look. "Try it on!"
Tim stood up and tied his new accessory around his neck, shaking it out behind him. It hung barely below his belt in the back but he just grinned, pleased with it. Crouching, he hugged Sofia. "Thank you. I love it."
"Fly me!" she requested eagerly, squealing as he scooped her over his shoulder and rushed into the backyard.
"Do you ever wonder if we have two kids?" Callie asked, laughing as Teddy followed them outside.
Arizona didn't speak, chin dropping to her chest as she looked down at herself. No one knew they were trying to get pregnant again. And not even Callie knew that she's lost her last three dinners to nausea.
"Oh, sweetheart, I didn't mean it like that," Callie said when Arizona didn't answer. "Hey," she said, patting the top of her wife's leg. "You know who's my hero?" she asked softly. Blue eyes met brown, a smile quirking Arizona's lips. "I think you do know…"
"Calliope…" She couldn't keep it in anymore, couldn't even really remember why she hadn't said anything yet. Callie was patient and supportive and loved her. And they knew how this worked, they'd done this before and it wasn't always quick or simple. But it had been six months and she was more or less terrified that she wasn't going to be able to do this for her wife. Callie had offered to carry their next child, but she'd insisted - it was simpler, and somewhere in the midst of watching Callie carry Sofia, she'd had a crazy thought that maybe that was something she could do.
"I'm going to say it anyway," Callie decided, smiling and leaning into Arizona's neck. "You are my hero." She said it simply, calmly. "You do so many amazing things for me, you know that?"
"Calliope…" Arizona said again, feeling her stomach rolling. Typical. And right when she was getting her nerve up to actually share her possible news. "I…" She wasn't going to make it. She felt bad about shoving Callie's arm off her shoulders and bolting, but it was either that or puke on the floor.
Callie was on her feet and on her wife's heels a second later, following her into the small hall bathroom and watching in anxious confusion as Arizona heaved into the toilet. Getting her wits back, Callie moved forward and pulled her wife's hair back gently, rubbing her back with her other hand. "Was it the pasta? Because I thought my alfredo tasted kind of funny…"
"I had the scampi," Arizona reminded her between coughs, Callie's hand rubbing her back soothingly. "That's not what this is," she gasped. One hand braced against the floor, the other one sneaking down to cover her stomach. "I think I might need to tell you something…"
Realizing what was going on, Callie's eyes went wide. "What? Honey, how long - this isn't the first time you've been sick, is it? Why didn't you tell me?" It was too close to how she'd reacted when Callie had gone into labor and Arizona smiled, wiping her mouth. Callie's hand slid across her stomach and she leaned into her neck, breathing deeply. "Is it always at night?"
"So far," Arizona acknowledged, feeling her stomach still rolling. Callie's morning sickness had always been quick purges without lingering sick feelings. Her own wasn't being so kind four days in.
Callie rubbed her stomach soothingly, closing her eyes and coaxing Arizona's head backward onto her shoulder. "How long?"
"This is the fourth day."
"How have I not noticed this?" asked Callie. "We sleep together - same room, same bed."
Arizona smiled, leaning her head up to kiss under her jaw. "You've been tired, all the work with your clinical trial."
"And you didn't think I would want to know about this, that I wouldn't give up sleep to hold your hair back?" Callie questioned, smiling down at her.
Arizona's answer was delayed by another round of purging, Callie moving with her to do what she'd said, holding blonde hair out of the way. When it had passed for the moment, Arizona slumped back into her. "I was scared. I'm still scared. Scared all the time that maybe tomorrow I won't get sick like this."
Squeezing her eyes closed, Callie hugged her closer. "Oh Arizona, you know…" She had to stop, swallow a hard lump in her chest. "If it happens, don't you think I would want to hold you through that too?" Her voice was soft, breath tickling the back of Arizona's neck.
"Calliope…" Callie would hold her through anything, she knew that. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not mad, sweetheart," Callie cut her off gently. "And we don't know anything yet. Do we? Have you taken a test yet?" Fingers combed through soft blonde hair.
Arizona shook her head meekly. "No." She'd been too anxious about the results to even think about it.
"Okay, well we can go to the pharmacy tonight while Tim and Teddy are here to watch Sofia, or we can get a blood test at work tomorrow," Callie stated their options, Arizona pulling out of her arms again to dry heave. She had no food left in her but the nausea couldn't be denied.
"I think I need to lay down," Arizona said when she could speak, feeling completely miserable. "Preferably on you if that's okay."
Callie smiled against her hair. "Of course," she murmured. "Let's get you upstairs and I'll tell T and T that you don't feel good, see if they can stay until the munchkin is asleep."
"You don't have to do that," Arizona protested even as she let Callie pull her arm around her own shoulders, guiding her slowly and gingerly to her feet.
"You just shut up and let me take care of you," Callie instructed, flushing the toilet and steering her partner out of the bathroom and down the hall one slow step at a time. "Just breathe," she coaxed on the stairs, keeping her arm around Arizona's middle. "We're almost there, just step over…" Arizona hissed sharply as her toes hit the hard corner of Sofia's fire truck in the floor. "Sorry, baby."
Flopping onto her front on the bed, Arizona crawled into the middle of the space and dragged a pillow into her arms, curling herself into as small a ball around it as she could manage. "Ugh, this is your fault, Calliope."
Callie just planted one knee on the edge of the bed and leaned over to kiss her cheek with a smack. "I hope it is," she agreed happily. "I'm sorry you don't feel good though."
"Because your kid hates Italian," Arizona whined, rocking into her pillow. "Mngh, Calliope, you promised I could lay on you," she reminded her. "Tell Sofia that I love her though! And tell Teddy to take the leftovers when they go. I don't think I can look at them."
Callie's hand ran down her arm and across her back tenderly. "Okay, sweetie. Give me one minute and I'll be back to be your pillow," she promised.
It was longer than a minute, but still not too long before Callie was back and sliding onto the mattress behind her, pulling her into her arms. "What happened?" mumbled Arizona, cuddling closer and wrapping herself around her wife. Callie was a much better pillow than her pillow.
"Sofia's going to have a spend-the-night with her favorite aunt and uncle," Callie answered her, stroking her hair again. "Do you feel better at all?"
"Getting there," Arizona murmured, nestling her head into Callie's shoulder. "It normally takes a little while for the nausea to go away."
Callie hummed, the sound relaxing her partner. "I wish you would have woken me up. It doesn't matter how much sleep I get. I'd rather be with you anyway."
"Keep humming," Arizona requested tiredly. "I'll wake you up tomorrow night, I promise." Obediently, Callie sang softly, Arizona's breathing growing steady and slow against her collarbone. She would have sworn her partner was asleep when she spoke again, voice sleepy and soft, "My dad was my hero growing up…"
Callie waited for more, murmuring, "I can understand why. The Colonel is a heroic kind of guy."
"And I can understand why Sofia looks up to Tim. Really, I can. Hell, you know I look up to him too. He's my big brother. And he's actually kind of superhero-y…"
"Baby," Callie sighed, turning her head in to kiss blonde hair. "Sofia adores you. Almost as much as I do." She shifted down to kiss her temple. "Do you want a cape? I will make you a cape. Because you are my hero, Arizona Robbins. Not your dad, and not your brother, you are."
A heavy breath answered her. "Not if I…"
She was cut off by Callie's hand over her mouth. "You - Arizona, no matter what, having our baby or not, you're the one. Anything one person can be for another person that's awesome, you are it for me. You're my hero, the mother of my beautiful child, you're the love of my life." She found Arizona's eyes over her hand. "Do you understand me?"
Moving her hand allowed Arizona to agree, "Yes ma'am." She pulled Callie's hand back to her lips, kissing her palm. "I'm in love with you," she whispered. Callie rubbed her shoulders when she coughed, the blonde clenching her teeth and riding out the next wave of nausea. "Thanks," she breathed, hoarse from coughing.
"Anytime, babe," Callie promised. "Absolutely anytime."
Arizona smiled, dimples popping. "I already promised I will wake you up next time. Serves you right for knocking me up." Callie's own smile couldn't be contained at the reminder. Arizona might be pregnant. Or she might have some ongoing food poisoning, which would suck. "You're a good pillow," sighed Arizona, nestling closer and closing her eyes.
"How's your tummy? Feeling better?" checked Callie considerately, rubbing her wife's stomach.
"Every minute," Arizona answered. "But I don't want to move if you're okay."
"I'm okay." Her hand moved in circles across front and back.
"My hero," murmured Arizona, settling comfortably against her.
So, this is it. I hope you guys have had some fun with this... And if you haven't that's too bad for you, I guess, because I've had a great time!