The First Encounter

Prologue

Arizona Robbins sat in Joe's Bar with a half filled glass of red wine in front of her. It was her first night in Seattle where she would start her new job at Seattle Grace Hospital as a surgeon for children in about a week. To say she was nervous was an understatement, it was more anxious excitement that she felt.

Arizona lifted the glass of wine to her lips and took a sip. As she did, she met eyes with a dark haired woman across the room who had been watching her. The woman made her way over.

"Can I buy you another?" The woman asked.

Arizona gulped. "Um... I'm not much of a drinker." She said. "But thanks."

The woman thought for a moment. "How about a round of darts?" She suggested.

"Um... sure." Arizona said cautiously.

The woman smiled. "I'm Amelia." She introduced herself, holding her hand out for Arizona to shake.

"Arizona." Arizona said.

"Like the state." The woman giggled.

Arizona's heart fluttered in her chest. "Yeah. Like the state." She nodded.

Amelia got the darts from the bar and they began the game.

Soon the two women fell into a rhythm of chatting, drinking and throwing darts. Arizona had completely forgotten about her vow to drink as little as possible before her first day of her new job. Amelia had let her guard down.

Eventually, the two women were too drunk to even throw the darts straight. They laughed and stumbled back towards their table, keeping each other up right.

"My family and I moved around a lot, my dad was in the army. I spent my entire childhood with my school teachers asking my name and then saying 'your name, honey, not where you are from' and I had to explain to the entire class that my name is actually Arizona." Arizona burst into laughter. "They all thought I was mad."

Amelia joined in the laughter. "You're not mad."

Arizona, recovering from her laughter, saw the time on the clock on the wall across the room and sighed. "Well, this has been fun but it's time for me to head home."

"Awe, really?" Amelia slurred her words.

Arizona nodded. "Sadly... yes." She pushed her blonde hair out of her eyes.

Amelia pouted. "Do you really have to go? We could take this party back to my apartment." She suggested, her pout turned into a smirk.

Arizona swallowed, debating the offer in her head. "Um... sure." She said uneasily.

A smile crossed Amelia's face. She collected her jacket, keys and phone off the table and watched Arizona do the same. "It's only a five minute walk."

Arizona nodded, pulling her jacket on.

The two women left the bar and stumbled towards Amelia's apartment. The cool night air was a refreshing change from the warmth of the bar, it was sort of sobering. The fresh air relieved their lungs from the alcoholic smell they had become used to with the hours they spent inside the small busy building.

Amelia fumbled with her keys when they arrived. She dropped them a few times, giggling, before she was finally able to put the keys in the lock and open the door.

Arizona couldn't control her laughter as they stumbled in through the front door and into the hallway.

The two women slipped off their heals and went into the kitchen.

"Wine?" Amelia asked.

Arizona shook her head. "I'm already too drunk."

Amelia shrugged. She poured herself a glass of wine and took a drink.

"You have a beautiful apartment." Arizona said as she looked around, unaware that Amelia was coming up behind her. She turned and found herself inches from Amelia's face

"Thank you." Amelia breathed.

Arizona could smell the fruitiness of the wine on Amelia's breath. She swallowed.

The rest of the night was a blur for the two women. Arizona didn't even remember waking up the next morning or getting home.