Lost and Found

Chapter 24

A/N: Thanks all for reading! 

Enjoy!

Arizona adjusted the blanket over Zola. The girl's vitals were normal, everything was fine. Zola was going to be fine. But, was she fine? Arizona sighed. She thought she had the answer to her and Callie, but now... not so sure. She thought expanding their family was the answer, but the truth was, she was losing what she already had, and it would be unfair to put Zola in the middle of that. Right?

She was double checking her IV when the door opened and Grey walked in. "Hey," she said. "How is she?"

"She's doing great. No sign of any complications." Arizona smiled, patting the blankets.

"That's good," Meredith stepped closer to the bed and sighed as she gazed at the little girl. Zola had drifted off to sleep again.

"You, um..." Arizona cleared her throat. "I think you were right... what you said," or rather, growled at her earlier. It had been bugging her all day, "about- a child being everything."

"Oh." Meredith said softly.

"Callie and I- we just want each other to be happy, and I guess we're just trying to figure that out."

"Yeah," Meredith mumbled, but her gaze was on Zola. "Do you think... Do babies remember?-Ugh. Nevermind." Meredith shook her head.

Where was Medusa Grey? Snappy, impatient, focused, surgeon Grey? Who was this person in front of her? Meredith seemed spaced out- lost in herself. Arizona decided to be blunt. "Are you okay?" Arizona asked. "Grey? What's going on with you?"

"I'm... I'm leaping."

"Leaping?"

"Look, I don't know, Robbins! All I know is... I've lost everybody I've ever deeply loved. And the last time I was in this room four years ago, they told me Zola was gone for good, and I- I don't know... I'm just- It hurts, but I can't stay away! Maybe I like pain, I don't freaking know! In a couple days she'll be gone to where? Malawi or something? And I'll probably be emptying another bottle of tequila and barfing on my sister again- and-" she panted and stifiled a sob. "But I-" Meredith shook her head and drew her arms protectively around herself.

Even though Meredith tried to hide it, Arizona saw... Brokeness. "You love her." Arizona realized.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because you're here. You're accepting the pain of loss just to be here. For her." Arizona stated, suddenly realizing something about her own situation. "That means you love her." She swallowed. She'd seen that look of brokeness before... on someone else.

"I do?" Meredith squeaked.

Arizona considered her colleague. Meredith been through a lot, built a lot of walls, big Medusa sized walls... but leave it to a tiny human to break through them. She didn't know Pre- shooting Meredith very well, but she remembered that she was a lot more hopeful, and she smiled a lot more and... she believed in love. "It's okay to leap," she said.

"Landing is really gonna hurt." Meredith said, sitting beside Zola.

"Maybe... it doesn't have to." Arizona murmured to herself.

"Huh?"

But Arizona had to go, something compelled her. She walked to the door, "Uh... nothing. I have to- I'll check on you guys later," she said as she headed down the hall.

xxx

"Are you ready Noah?" Jackson asked his son as he reached for his hand. "Big day today." He was taking him to daycare, and they had a special trip planned.