6.06

The peace in Mark and Helena's room, as they slept during the night, was abruptly interrupted as the sound of a pager going off filled the room. At that, Helena's head shot up from her place in her pillow, the girl tiredly mumbling to herself as she quickly got up from bed.

"I'm awake, shut up..." She whined, grabbing the beeping pager and staring at it in the dark. As she noticed it was Mark's, a giddy smile fell on her lips as she muttered. "It's not mine."

Sitting back in bed, the girl tapped her boyfriend's shoulder, the man's light snoring stopping abruptly as he took in a sharp breath.

"They're paging you, honey. Wake up." She told him, handing him his pager as the man groaned.

"I'm sleeping." He whined, taking the pager and squinting to read it as Helena curled back up in bed.

The girl watched between fluttering eyelids as the man quickly got dressed, smiling into the kiss he pressed onto his lips as he got ready to leave.

"I love you, see you in the morning." He told her, grabbing his keys as he turned to leave.

"Yes, yes... love you... in the morning." She muttered, already almost asleep, making Mark smile adoringly at the small frame curled up between sheets and pillows.

——

"I always knew that Wallace's parents were wealthy, but not 25 million dollars wealthy. I mean, that libraries names after you kind of money... save babies in Africa and has dinner at the White House regularly type of money!" Arizona told them as Callie and Helena made breakfast in the kitchen, the next morning.

This was a tradition that Mark, Helena, Arizona and Callie had had for a while, having breakfast together in Callie and Cristina's apartment about once a week.

Right now, the blond was telling them about the donation her patient's parents had made to the peds department.

"People don't give me that kind of money. You have an unfair advantage, you work with children!" Mark whined, making Helena shake her head as she served the first breakfast of the morning.

"Oatmeal, side of fruit, wheat toast, hold the butter!" She called out, Owen sitting down at the kitchen stool as he put on his watch.

"Thank you."

"You know what? That money is gonna make such a difference for so many patients. It's really amazing." Callie told her girlfriend, the woman shooting her a grin.

"Plus, I'll get to have fun with it too, since I'm always on peds!" Helena smiled from the stove, Arizona letting out a giggle.

"Maybe I should do more cleft palate kids, everyone is a sucker for those." Mark suggested, Helena getting on her tiptoes to reach over the countertop and smack his forehead.

"Cheese omelette, extra butter, cinnamon toast, crispy bacon!" Callie called out as she served another breakfast.

"Mine!" Cristina raised her hand as she left her room, sitting down to have her breakfast.

"25 million dollars pretty cool, right?" The peds attending asked.

"Best birthday gift ever." Helena smiled, Callie manking a confused face.

"Birthday gift?" The ortho surgeon asked.

"Well, I mean, technically the money is for the hospital, but as Arizona's birthday is on Friday... you know, birthday gift." Helena explained, soon turning from the stove to notice Callie's stunned expression.

"Hum... how does Lena know about your birthday and I don't?" Callie asked her girlfriend.

"Birthdays are just days like any other days. I don't like them, don't celebrate them, no big deal." Arizona told them. "25 million dollars? That's a big deal." Glancing at her watched, she let out. "Crap, I'm gonna be late. I will see you there."

As Arizona left the apartment, Callie turned to them. "Ok, she's downplaying, isn't she? I am her girlfriend, I have to do something for her birthday, right?"

"Yes." Owen let out.

"No." Cristina and Helena disagreed.

"I don't do birthdays either." The short girl revealed. "I mean, I'll go for lunch or something, but definitely not a partly."

"Why?" Mark asked his girlfriend, looking at her, surprised.

"When I was eight, my mom threw me this birthday party. And I was already in middle school, do I didn't have loads of friends, but, still, my mom invited all the kids from my class, even if they were twelve." Helena started to explain, taking a sip of her coffee. "Most of them didn't show up, and those who did made fun of me throughout the whole thing, so I just went home and cried. It was pretty depressing. Haven't had a birthday party since."

At that, the room feel into silence for a second, Mark pressing a kiss to Helena forehead.

Breaking the uncomfortable silence, Callie spoke up. "Well, childhood traumas aside, I should probably do something... maybe a surprise party?"

"Whoa!" Mark reacted. "Bad idea. Surprise parties are hostile, they're dark, people jump out and scream at you. Never come to any good."

"For once, Mark's right." At the man's offended noise, Helena looked at him as she patted his head. "I'm agreeing with you, stop whining. Anyway, don't any of you throw me a surprise party, ever." Narrowing her eyes, she told them, lowering her voice. "Yeah, I'd definitely have an anxiety attack or cry... or both, probably both."

At that, Cristina let out a snort, Callie turning to her friend. "Arizona won't cry!"

"If you're sure..." Helena shrugged, finishing her coffee cup.

"I'm just saying, bad idea." Mark shook his head.

——