Walk Tall...by lilscout

Chapter 2

A/N – It's a short one but I think you'll like it anyway. BTW, I may have misspelled Kinley/Kenley, but I found both spellings in numerous references; if anyone knows for certain, can you let me know please?

...

Monday morning rolled around and while Callie's hangover had long since worn off, the foggy memories of that night still remained with her. She remembered being at Joe's. Beyond that, it was only flashes of the evening that she could recall. A guy, on the ground...someone helping her home...a beautiful blonde at her door...snapshots, but not a complete picture. The pounding headache and queasy stomach she woke to the next morning were the only things she was sure of. She didn't even remember taking off her own shoes, yet there they were, untied and lined up neatly beside the couch.

Callie looked down at her waist as her pager went off. Another busy day for the brilliant ortho doc. This time, the call was for a consult in paeds. Callie took the short elevator ride up, trying not to notice the sidelong glances she kept getting from various hospital staff. There it was again, pity. Sometimes, it was amusement or spite, but usually it was just pity. She rounded the corner to the nurse's station and began to ask who needed her assistance, when she was cut off by a pleasing sound to her right.

"Dr. Torres, how are you feeling?" Arizona asked, genuine concern in her voice.

Calllie turned quickly to greet the unknown doctor, though, come to think of it, there was something vaguely familiar about her. "I'm sorry, have we met?" she asked, a little confused.

Oh. She doesn't remember. "Uh, well, sort of..." Arizona began, keenly aware of the interest the nurses were paying to this odd conversation. She decided to start over, and stuck out her hand. "I'm Arizona Robbins, the new head of paediatrics. I'm replacing Dr. Kinley." She paused, still holding Callie's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard so many good things about you." She made sure to emphasize that point, for the nosy nurse's sake, then politely sent them off to check on various patients.

Callie let her hand drop as she furtively surveyed the smiling woman before her. "So, you called for a consult?" Callie asked. I do know her from somewhere...

"I did, yes, it's about a leg fracture on a seven year old..." Should I say something or not? Would she want to know it was me the other night? Would I?

"Do you have the x-rays with you?" God, those dimples are killing me...I don't think I've ever seen such beautiful blue eyes before..."I'm sorry, what?"

Arizona smiled widely and repeated her question. "I asked if you thought that pins would be the best way to go given the placement of the injury?"

"Oh, right..." Callie motioned for the x-rays again, and Arizona stepped beside her and raised her arm to give the pictures some backlight. Callie caught a scent of something, and turned her head, her mind working overtime to try and understand the tenuous connections it was making. Vanilla. I remember that from the other night, I think. The person who helped me get home smelled like vanilla.

Arizona gave Callie a puzzled, yet concerned look. "Dr. Torres? Are you okay?"

Are you okay? Those words, that voice, hung in her ears for a few moments. Callie's eyes narrowed, then went wide with realization. That was you?

Callie took a sharp breath in as the dots connected and the floodgates opened. "That was you!" she gasped out loud.

Arizona quickly pulled Callie into an empty nearby room before the whole floor found out about their unofficial first meeting.

Callie's mind raced to put together the events of the night, and she was remembering it all now. Too much to drink at Joe's, the guy hitting on her, then later trying to assault her, the mystery woman at the doorway, no longer a mystery, the gentle way she held Callie's arm as she spoke to her, the guy grabbing at them and Arizona putting him down on the ground, walking home in the threatening rain, stumbling up the stairs and in the door, and soft blue eyes trailing over her body as she drifted into sleep. "I don't know what to say..." was all she could manage.

"You don't have to say anything. We can forget it ever happened, if that's what you want. I haven't said a word to anyone..." Arizona was cut off as Callie interrupted her.

"You were amazing!" she exclaimed. "I've never seen anything like that before...oh my god, were you injured?" She quickly grabbed at Arizona's shoulders and gave her a frenzied visual inspection.

Arizona laughed and calmly took Callie's hands in hers. "No Calliope, I'm not injured. I'm fine, honestly..." She paused. "I'm just really glad you're okay."

Callie couldn't have missed the sincerity in the woman's voice if she tried.

"Yeah, well, thanks to you, I'm fine. You really saved me." She paused, her eyes narrowing again. How did you do that anyway?" Callie leaned in a little closer. "Are you secretly a ninja, or something?"

"No, not a ninja," Arizona's eyes widened and she laughed, and Callie thought it was just about the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Blue eyes twinkling, mouth open, dimples doing what they do best. Callie was instantly smitten, and she blushed, hard. Suddenly feeling very exposed, she turned away slightly to try, in vain, to hide her embarrassment.

Arizona couldn't have missed that if she had tried. She pulled a pad of paper from her coat pocket and began to scribble on it. "This is where I train, if you're interested in learning some self defense skills." She tore off the sheet and held it out to Callie. An unspoken offering. If she's at all interested, she'll take it...if not, she'll decline.

Callie unhesitatingly reached out to accept the information. She glanced at it just briefly before folding it and placing it in her own pocket. "Thanks," she said, and suddenly remembered why she had been there in the first place. "Oh, yeah, your seven year old, you were right, pins are the best option."

Arizona smiled brightly at Callie as she opened the exam room door, "Thanks a lot, Dr. Torres, I appreciate the advice." She hesitated before leaving, and lowered her voice, "You should come...to the class. Work permitting, I'm usually there Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 7 pm. I think you'd get a lot out of it. And, oh yeah, when you come..." she let it hang in the air, "wear something comfortable."

Callie mutely nodded as she stood in place, watching the blonde doctor walk a few feet, then kick down and glide away along the hall on her Heelys. She pulled the piece of paper from her pocket and unfolded it again. She traced the along the lines of Arizona's handwriting with her finger, before finally registering what it said. Her face actually fell. "Oh my god. What did I get myself into?"

...

So, you like? :) I'll try to have the next chapter up in a couple of days.