A/N

I do not own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy. I do however own a few original characters that will pop up throughout.

I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter 1

As I walk into the bar I shake the rain from my jacket. It feels good to be back in Seattle after visiting my parents in North Carolina for three weeks. I head straight for the bar to order a beer, knowing that my best friend Teddy will be here any minute. As I'm waiting for Joe to finish up with another patron I can feel heads turn towards me. I didn't take much time getting ready after my flight landed, I'm just wearing some dark washed men's skinny jeans and a blue oxford, but the attention is not completely unwelcome. Depending how the night goes I might use my dimples to get a round of drinks for my friends.

"Hey Arizona, been a while. How ya been?" Joe asks as he pours my favorite draft, knowing after so many repeated orders he doesn't even have to ask anymore.

"I've been well! I'm glad to be back with time to settle before the new school year starts. How is business?"

Joe laughs and slides me my drink, "You know it's slow when you and your lot are out of town, but first one's on me. Welcome home!"

I thank him as I make my way to my favorite booth. Joe has always had a soft spot for me ever since I moved to Seattle just over two years ago. I broke up a fight between some college kids over a game of darts. I may have had to break a pool cue to do it, but Joe says I still probably saved him some cash. After all of my years in the Marines I know how to handle some drunk idiots. I told him that he didn't have to keep supplying free drinks, but I don't really protest him much when he insists.

Just as I'm getting settled, I see the lanky form of my best friend walk in with the usual group. She and Addison come right over to me while Mark and Owen grab their first round from Joe. Teddy wastes no time with a hello, instead she throws herself on my side of the booth leaving no space for me to get away. She lunges onto me and wraps her arms completely around my middle, practically squeezing the life out of me.

"AZ I've missed you! You are not allowed to visit your parents ever again! I was so bored!"

"Ha okay… I'll let my mother know you said so. And did you forget that you were on vacation up until last week?"

Addison cuts in before she can rebuke, "Just give her this one, please? She hasn't shut up about how bored she's been and how she doesn't have anyone to drink with since she's been home. Never mind the fact that she and Mark have had a drinking contest every night this week. I for one am tired of looking like the responsible adult."

Teddy lets go and leaves some respectable space between us and laughs at the red head's comment, "Yeah, but Henry and Ellie stayed in Boston to spend more time with his parents. I have to be an irresponsible adult while I can, I go back to being a mother of an almost two-year-old in a few days. Plus, Mark is a lightweight. Drinking someone under the table loses its charm after the first few."

Just then Mark and Owen are back with the drinks. Owen slides next to Teddy and Mark next to Addie. "Hey Arizona, welcome back. How are your folks?" Owen politely asks. But before I can answer, Mark feigns hurt and shoots Teddy a glare, "I heard what you said, Altman! I told you I hadn't eaten all day and that's why you won. Convenient that you still haven't made time for our rematch, don't you think?" I use a salt packet as a paper football and flick it directly at Mark's forehead and ignore him. "Home was great, Owen. Thanks for being such a great friend to ask." At this the bearded man kicks me under the table causing Owen to snicker. Soon different conversations start up around the table while we all continue to catch up.

We've all been at Joe's for about an hour and we are all just enjoying our third round when the door opens. People have been coming in and out all night and I've paid them no mind. For some reason, this time I look up. I am no longer listening to Mark and Addison argue about God knows what because the woman who walked in is stunning. Her dark brown hair, or it could be black but the color is so dark I can't tell, isn't damp like mine was when I entered. It must have finally stopped raining. Her caramel skin is glowing under the bar lights and the deep red v neck t-shirt is showing off her shapely curves. She has her sleeves of her shirt and her jacket pushed up to her elbows letting me see her strong arms that I wouldn't mind being held in. Her smile is radiant as she passes the young woman who held the door for her, and I can see the smaller woman blush as she exits Joe's through the door this beautiful stranger just entered.

Teddy notices that I'm staring at the door so she too looks. And just as luck, or embarrassment, would have it Teddy calls for the stranger, "Callie! Over here! Addie scoot over, please." Callie, apparently, looks toward our booth at the sound of her name. Her face lights up even more and she makes her way through the crowd. As she approaches the booth I try to clear my throat so I don't sound like a fool when we are surely introduced. My throat and mouth are too dry so I take a pull of my beer. Owen gets up and allows Callie to slide next to Teddy and then he sits back down beside Addison, Callie nods her thanks.

Teddy seems to be the only one who knows the newcomer, so she leads the introductions once everyone is settled back into the booth.

"Callie, I'm so glad that you could make it. Everyone here works at the university so I'll introduce you." Callie thanks Teddy and smiles at all of us. I'm still sort of stunned at how gorgeous she is and I have to shake myself from my thoughts once again. Get it together, Robbins. This isn't the first time you've seen a pretty girl! "Ok, so the red heads to your left; you have Owen Hunt and Addison Montgomery. They work in the History Department with me. The handsome devil in the corner is Mark Sloan, English. And to my right you have the stunning Arizona Robbins, also English and best friend to yours truly. Everyone, this is Callie Torres. She's our new English professor from Miami."

Everyone offers their welcome and congratulations on her new position. Owen hops out of the booth and offers to get another round together. As everyone puts in their order Callie reaches for her wallet but Owen stops her, "Please allow me, I'm sure you will be joining us again in the near future. If you'd like to get a round next time I might not put up too much of a fight." Callie smiles and thanks him then Owen is off. He is easily one of the politest people I have ever met. Definitely the politest out of our group of friends, not that he has much competition some days. He grew up on Army bases much like I grew up on Marine bases and some of that honor and duty mentality becomes innate. He and Teddy's husband Henry are old Army buddies and I am just glad he was able to hold onto it through all of his tours. I know it wasn't always the same for Henry, or me.

When Owen returns a few minutes later we focus the conversation back to Callie. She doesn't seem to be minding all of the attention. "So, Teddy, how is it that you seem to know Callie and she doesn't even work in your department?" Mark is the one to ask, but I was secretly wondering the same thing. I feel slightly jilted that I didn't get to meet her sooner. "That's an easy answer, Sloan. I was the only one who went to our staff meeting on Wednesday. I know AZ was across the country but what was your excuse?" The salt and peppered hair man just grins and we all know the answer. Callie being so new to our group doesn't catch on to the Sloan charm as quickly, that's a relief, and speaks up, "I feel like I'm missing a very important joke. Don't hold back on my account." I chuckle and she winks at me, "It's okay Callie, you will learn soon enough that if Marky here misses plans he is more often than not entertaining the fairer sex." Callie catches on and Mark smiles wider. I look to Addie and the red head elbows him in the side for me causing the rest of the table to laugh.

A round and a half later Teddy has excused herself for the bathroom and Addison, Mark, and Owen are engaged in some sort of debate. I catch enough to know they are talking about upcoming classes; I'm not looking forward to jumping into the semester just yet so I take my opportunity to get to know Callie a bit more. I can't help but be curious about her. She looks a lot younger than the rest of us and I wonder what her story is. Not that twenty-eight is old, but I did just spend three weeks with my mother reminding me that I'm not getting any younger. If she wasn't overtly hinting that I need to find a woman and settle down she was not so subtly requesting grandchildren. I shake off that annoying train of thought and set my sights on Callie once again.

I know never to ask a lady her age directly, so I decide on subtly, "So, Miami? Did you teach at UM?" That wasn't so bad, good job Robbins. She finishes sipping from her Long Island, what I wouldn't give to be that straw, and answers, "Oh, no. I just finished my bachelors last spring. This will be my first-year teaching." I must not have hidden my shock very well because she laughs and asks, "Not the answer you were expecting?" She sounds coy when she says it and there is a twinkle in her eye so I play along. "Definitely not, what are you twenty? Twenty-one?" She takes another sip of her drink, "I'm twenty-three today, actually. What are you, thirty-five?"

She is definitely flirting with you. Don't say something stupid. "I'm going to ignore you calling me old and just wish you a happy birthday instead. Would you like another round, birthday princess?" Princess, what's wrong with you? Luckily, she doesn't think I'm a complete clown. "I would love another round, but since I'm the birthday princess I say you have to dance with me first." She may be making fun, but I still get to dance with her. I can definitely work with that.

"Lead the way."

Callie grabs my hand and drags me to the makeshift dance floor. There is a surprisingly large number of people already dancing, so we have to stay close so we don't get separated. She takes my hand and pulls me along behind her. I'm enjoying the view of her from back here. Her dark wash jeans look like they've been sewn on her. I'm getting nervous about the tight clothes and the tight space on the dance floor. I definitely don't mind being this close to Callie, but I don't want to get too carried away with our dancing. I'll have to remember to keep any space between us that I can. She looks like someone who knows what to do with her hips and that could be my undoing.

It's not that I'm shy or that I'm a bad dancer, quite the opposite actually. I love to dance and I drag Teddy and Addie out any chance I get. What has me so nervous is that I just met Callie and I'd rather not let her accidentally grind into my secret. I'm not ashamed of it anymore, it's who I am and it's a part of me. I'm thankful that my family and friends are supportive, but that doesn't mean I still want to tell every woman I meet right up front that I was born with a penis. Sometimes it's too obvious to hide after a night dancing or clubbing, but I can prepare more when I go out. If I know that I'll be close to people grinding and sweating I can make sure I wear the right underwear and the right pants. Callie just sort of dragged me onto the dance floor and I couldn't really turn her down on her birthday. I hope that these jeans will be tight in the right places and that I can keep everything hidden. But I don't think my boxer briefs are going to be doing me any favors tonight.

Callie must sense my apprehension and she pulls me in close so I can hear her over the music, "Arizona, I'm sorry if you don't want to dance. We can just go to the bar and grab another round." She sounds disappointed Even if that's what I was just thinking in my head, it isn't what I want at all. I just realized how much I want to be dancing with Callie when it almost became a non-option.

"No! Um, I mean… No, please. I said I wanted to dance with you and I meant it. I'm sorry for making you think otherwise, but I was just lost in thought." I can tell that this was at least partially the right thing to say because she once again beams up at me and continues our path. I'm relieved, the last thing I want to do is disappoint her.

Callie has pulled me nearly to the center of the dance floor. She has somehow found a spot that has a bit of room. Soon Callie turns to me and starts dancing to the beat. It's a fast-paced song so we aren't dancing closely. We are just letting loose and I'm starting to having a blast. Even though Callie and I just met it feels really comfortable to be out here and hopping around like an idiot. I didn't even realize how much I missed dancing, but I suppose it could also be the company. This thought makes me smile and of course she notices. "What's with the look? Did you not expect to be having so much fun?"

I can tell she's proud of herself for seemingly getting me to have fun when I told her I was so distracted earlier. I can't let her be so smug so I keep it simple, "I'm just glad you can dance. I was worried there for a second when we first started." She playfully swats my arm and gives me a look that tells me she knows I'm lying. We dance our way through a handful of upbeat songs and I really miss my cold beer that I'm sure someone has placed for me back at the booth. As the current song starts fading out I grab for Callie's hand so I can lead her off of the floor. Before we can make our way completely out of the crowd a slow melody starts playing. Couples are starting to pull each other close and I'm equal parts sad and happy that we aren't going to be dancing closely. No such luck, Callie stops walking and her grip on my hand stops my path. "I love this song. Will you dance with me one more song before we head back? Please?"

She looks so hopeful as she awaits my response. As if I could deny her. You just met her, what are you saying? I ignore my thoughts and just try enjoy being this close to Callie. I have to be aware of our bodies and pay attention to the distance while we dance. At least between our hips, but it is clear she has other ideas. Her right hand is on my shoulder and her left hand pulls my hips into her. I gasp quietly as Callie rests her head on my shoulder. "Is this bothering you, Arizona? Am I making you uncomfortable?" If only you knew. "I'm not uncomfortable. This is really nice." She smiles at me and I enjoy the last moments of the song.

Before we can continue to lose ourselves in another song Teddy comes and interrupts. "Hey, there you two are. Addie just got another round. Are you coming back to the table?" I look to Callie and she nods so we follow the blonde to our booth. The dance floor has thinned but she still grabs my hand in hers and it makes me smile.

We slide back into our side of the booth and I can see the smirks that Mark and Addie have yet to wipe from their faces. I just give them a look that tells them to shut it and it seems to work. For now. It's not long before we are nearly done with our latest round and we hear Joe call for closing time. I didn't even hear him yell last call. I'm not concerned because I know what had me distracted on the dance floor so I just drink the rest of my beer and start to stand.

"Do you all want to head back to my place? I hate getting kicked out early on week nights, I still need more booze." I look to Addie, Teddy, and Owen and silently ask if they want to agree to Mark's plan. With a shrug, they agree. "Sure, Mark. But not for too much longer I haven't even unpacked. Callie?" She looks up from putting on her jacket and see our expectant faces. "I could go for another drink, how far is it?" Mark clasps his hands on Owen's and Teddy's shoulders as he leads the way out, "Great! It's across the street. Bye, Joe!"

We all bid Joe farewell and follow. I make sure to hang back so I can walk next to Callie. I'm pretty sure that she is at least interested in getting to know me more and not just being polite. And I don't think she is only interested in being friends. I've noticed she doesn't seem to be flirting with anyone else. She doesn't smile as much or touch anyone else's arm when she is telling a story. And let's not forget that I was the one she asked to dance.

Yes, I definitely want to find out more about Callie Torres.