Chapter One
"Faith Robbins you better get your ass down here otherwise you're going to be late on your first day" Arizona Robbins yelled up the stairs, only to be greeted with the sound of blaring music. She rolled her eyes. Faith was barely just a teenager, and already it felt like she was dealing with a sixteen year old.
"Jeez quit it" Faith came down the stairs, her blonde hair curled, mascara on her long lashes. Arizona stared at Faith.
"I'm pretty sure they don't allow makeup at school" she glared. "Take it off, and quickly I'm going to be late for my first day at work"
"Fine" Faith replied sulkily, stomping back up the stairs. Arizona fixed her some breakfast. She'd probably throw a little teenage strop about it and claim she wasn't a baby but Arizona was in no mood. This was it, a brand new start in a new hospital. She'd built up a good reputation for herself in the past couple of years and finally got a place at the hospital she truly wanted to work at. Seattle Grace, the workplace of some doctors who were known for being the best in that particular field. Derek Shepherd, the world class neurosurgeon worked there, alongside Meredith Grey who happened to be the daughter of Ellis Grey. Anyone who studied Medicine knew who Ellis Grey was. Arizona was almost certain she'd feel a little starstruck around these big middle names. She knew that Catherine Avery owned the hospital itself and her son worked in plastics. She was beyond excited to work in such a great hospital.
Faith came up beside her, looking down at the cereal Arizona had poured for her. Arizona braced herself for the whole but-I'm-not-a-baby rant, that Faith seemed to have perfected these days, but Faith just smiled. The makeup was gone, which Arizona was glad didn't cause much of a fuss, as she didn't want Faith to be in trouble on her first day. Faith took her cereal.
"Thanks, Auntie Arizona" she smiled.
"You nervous?" Arizona poured herself a bowl of cereal and joined Faith at the table. She felt bad about moving her niece away from all her own friends, although when you get offered a job at a great hospital you'd be an idiot not to take it. Besides it had come at a great time, Faith was just beginning high school, just like the rest of the kids in her class would be. So Faith wouldn't exactly be the new girl coming into class.
"Not really" Faith shrugged. Arizona knew she wouldn't be. Unlike herself, Faith was confident, and found it easy to make friends with. Arizona meanwhile, was always confident in her work and any decisions associated with work, but lacked the social confidence her niece had. "Are you nervous?"
"Definitely" Arizona nodded. "There's so many big names..."
"Like Derek Shepherd, and Meredith Grey and Catherine Avery and I might be a little bit starstruck" Faith grinned, finishing her aunt's sentence off. Arizona rolled her eyes.
"Did I mention it before?" Arizona replied.
"Only once or twice. I don't think you went over the top" Faith stuck her tongue out. Arizona stuck her's out in reply.
"I'm not sure what time I'll get back tonight, so I made you pasta, all you have to do is heat it up in the microwave. And you know your way back right?"
"Sure" Faith nodded. They'd been in the neighborhood a couple of weeks now, and Arizona had walked with Faith to the school every day before school started so that she would know her way when Arizona couldn't get to her.
"Good" Arizona cleared the table and headed to the fridge. "Here is your lunch" she handed faith a brown paper bag and reached further inside the fridge to get a bottle of water. She then reached into her pocket. "And a set of keys, please don't lose them – I don't want to come back to this place being robbed" she smiled.
Faith put her lunch and keys in her school bag. Arizona gave her niece a quick hug.
"You and I are going to rock it today kiddo" she patted her niece on the back.
Arizona decided to walk Faith to school one last time, just to ensure she knew her way back. Mentally calculating, she had enough time to jog back and grab her car. The hospital wasn't too far away, but Arizona thought it would be better taking the car in case it was night time before she left. She didn't like being alone in night. Not after what happened to Eleanor.
Faith's father, her brother Timothy died in the army when Faith was three. He made his whole family proud, and he had the most beautiful wife Eleanor, and young daughter Faith. He didn't want to go back into the army when Faith was born, but he had a hard time adapting to normality and desperately wanted to go back. Arizona would never forget the day she found out Timothy was 'd just gone back to the army, and had barely been back two weeks. Arizona, Eleanor and Faith were round at her parents house for dinner when they found out. They were devastated. Her father in particular hadn't been the same way since.
Eleanor was devastated at the loss of her husband. Timmy and her were teenage sweethearts, they'd won prom king and queen and people honestly thought they were the perfect couple. A few weeks after that, Arizona was babysitting her niece when she received a call from her parents. Eleanor had been attacked whilst walking home late at night, and she didn't make it.
Arizona rushed Faith to the hospital after waking her, but it was already too late. Post-mortem revealed that Eleanor had been pregnant with her and Timmy's child, but the trauma she had suffered was so severe that neither her or the baby had survived. It didn't take long for them to catch the monster who had attacked her, and Arizona was glad he was in prison where he rightfully belonged.
Faith had drifted from her grandparents to her Aunt's house in the aftermath of losing both her parents. She didn't understand it fully, it broke Arizona's heart watching her niece play as though nothing had happened. They had to talk custody. Eleanor was an only child and both her parents were dead. Arizona knew her parents were too old to take care of a three year old full-time. And no one wanted to see Faith be put up for adoption. So naturally custody fell to Arizona, there were no battles over who would have Faith, it only took a few weeks for Faith to be settled in.
Arizona loved Faith with all her heart, but nothing could possibly prepare her for taking care of a toddler full time. Arizona didn't want kids, she never saw kids in her future. But in a tragic turn she ended up with her niece. It took a while for Arizona to get to terms with raising a toddler. Now Faith was 14, and beginning her first day of high school. Arizona liked to think that things got easier as time progressed.
It wasn't long until they reached the school. Arizona was greeted with the sight of lots of parents waving their children off. Her heart sank when she realized some of the kids were in little groups already, but she knew her niece would still make friends just as easily. Arizona's eyes drifted to a woman waving her daughter off just beside her. Her daughter looked quite timid and shy, and Arizona nudged Faith.
"Why don't you go ask if that girl wants to walk to class with you?" She asked. Faith nodded, suddenly a lot more scared than she was appearing to be. She followed her aunt over to where the shy girl stood.
"Hi, I'm Faith" Faith stuck her hand out. The shy girl returned the handshake. "Are you starting here today too?"
The shy girl nodded. Faith wasn't put off by her lack of speaking. She continued.
"What's your name?"
"Sofia" the shy girl smiled.
"Nice name" Faith commented.
"I like yours too" Sofia smiled shyly.
"We should get going into class" Faith linked Sofia's arm and waved to her aunt. Sofia waved to her mom who turned to Arizona.
"Your girl seems lovely" Sofia's mom commented. "I'm Callie by the way, Callie Torres" she stuck her hand out which Arizona shook.
Arizona wondered why that named seemed so familiar but just couldn't put her finger on it.
"I'm Arizona Robbins, and Faith isn't my daughter, she's my niece" she smiled.
"Oh" Callie didn't want to press her acquaintance for any details. "She looks just like you" she smiled.
"Thanks" Arizona replied. "I should get going, otherwise I'm going to be late for work"
"Same here" Callie checked her watch. "It was nice meeting you Arizona"
"You too" Arizona called out, as she began to jog back to get her car.
Luckily Arizona was a reasonably fast runner, otherwise she'd have definitely been late for her first day at work. She reached the hospital in good time and headed straight inside. She would have been lost if it wasn't for a large crowd in front of her. She decided to follow the crowd.
"A couple of months ago you were in medical school training to become doctors. Now you are the doctors"
Arizona opened her mouth to protest, making her way over to where the chief was stood.
"Hi, I'm new here I'm not sure where to go" she smiled.
"Are you an intern?" The guy stuck out his hand. "Chief Owen Hunt" Arizona smiled as she shook his hand.
"I'm Arizona Robbins, the new peds attending" she stood up straight. Chief Hunt laughed off his mistake.
"I'm sorry Doctor Robbins, I'll get someone to lead you the way to peds right now" he called one of his attending's over.
"April, this is Dr Robbins our new pediatric surgeon" he introduced Arizona to April. "Arizona, this is April Kepner, head of our trauma department" he paused as the two shook hands. "April can you take Arizona up to the peds department, then Karev will show her the rest from there".
"Sure" April smiled. She beckoned to Arizona to follow her. Arizona glanced round the hospital. It was huge, a lot bigger than her old place. Arizona wondered how long it would take her to know her way around. It seemed as though April Kepner was reading her mind.
"It won't take long for you to find your way round" she smiled. Arizona spotted someone familiar approaching. It was the mom she'd seen outside Faith's new school. Arizona smiled in her direction.
"Hey, Arizona isn't it?" Callie stopped. "Are you a new intern?" She smiled. Arizona shook her head.
"I wish I was that young" she laughed. "I'm the new peds attending"
"Actually the head of peds" April corrected. "Do you two know each other?"
"We met this morning, dropping the kids off at school" Callie responded.
"You have a kid too?" April smiled. "I have two, Samuel and Jamie" she smiled.
"Not exactly" Arizona replied. "I'm taking care of my niece, her parents died when she was three so..."
April and Callie shared a glance, deciding not to ask any more questions.
"Well I look forward to working with you" Callie smiled.
"You too" Arizona called out as April began walking again. Finally, they reached the peds ward. Arizona gulped, her new job officially begun now.
"Faith" Arizona called out once she got home. It was just after six pm and school ended at three.
"In here" Faith called out from their living room. Arizona followed the voice to face the sight of her niece doing her homework.
"This is a shock" Arizona commented. "Have you eaten yet?"
"No" Faith responded. "But judging by the amount of pasta in the fridge there will be enough for two" she smiled. "I'll heat it up"
"You're a star" Arizona smiled. She was exhausted from her first day at work, and it wasn't even as long as some of the shifts she used to work. Faith came back a few minutes later with two steaming bowls of pasta. Arizona ate hungrily.
"So how was your first day"
"You first" Arizona told her niece.
"It was good" she smiled. "That girl Sofia is in most of my classes, she's really nice. And then Zola Shepherd who you'll be thrilled to know is the daughter of Meredith and Derek"
"What? No way?" Arizona responded, she'd seen Meredith and Derek briefly but hadn't spoken to them yet.
"And Sofia's mom works there too" Faith grinned.
"I seen her today, actually" Arizona smiled. "She seems really nice"
"And my classes seem good so far, although that will probably change" Faith continued. "So how was your day?"
"Good but long. Didn't have any huge surgeries on today, but it's so fast paced compared to where I used to work"
"We'll get used to it" Faith ensured her.
"That's something I should be promising you" Arizona smiled. The roles were often reversed with her and Faith. Faith cleared her books.
"I'm going to call grandma and grandpa" she told Arizona. "I'll run you a bath and then afterwards we can watch a movie?"
"Sounds perfect to me" Arizona smiled.