Lauren sits directly behind Arizona and Teddy in the conference room. Arizona can feel her energy and it makes her anxious. Teddy picks up on it and looks at her questioningly. She shakes her head and continues trying to focus on the presentation.
"What are you going to do about this thing with Lauren?" Teddy asks Arizona. They are sitting on a bench drinking coffee, it's a mild winter day for the east coast.
"I'll talk to her soon," Arizona replies taking a sip of her coffee.
"She regrets it you know," Teddy says watching her.
"She talked to you about it?" Arizona asks conflicted between annoyed and surprised.
"We had just met and we went out drinking, we came back to my place and we were having one of those horrible late night honest conversations that you only have after you've been drinking. I started it, talking about regrets," Teddy replies, "she told me everything but she didn't tell me that it was you or even Seattle."
"Hmm," Arizona says looking off into the distance.
"Arizona, I can't even imagine a scenario in which you cheat on Callie," Teddy replies softly.
"Me either, but it happened and I can't change it," she says sadly.
"Teddy, I should get going," Arizona says as they walk back from the restaurant.
"You could just stay at my place, we're in the skills lab tomorrow, so you can just wear scrubs." Teddy points out.
"It would be nice not to drive," she admits, "Let me call and my parents know."
"Okay, now let's have a drink and relax," Teddy says when they enter her place. "Bathroom is down the hall, there's a futon in my office/guest room and I'll get you something to change into."
"Okay, thanks." Arizona replies sitting down on the couch.
A few minutes later Teddy returns and hands Arizona some clothes. "Here these should be comfortable for you, do you want a beer or a drink?"
"A drink would be great, scotch neat if you have it." She replies.
"I do, and I think that you'll like this one." Teddy replies getting down glasses.
"Is this Balvenie?" Arizona asks taking a sip.
"Yeah, what gave it away?" Teddy asks.
"It's the sherry oak on the finish, it's slightly sweet," Arizona replies, savoring another taste of the scotch.
"You're really good at this," Teddy replies.
"Well, all Dad drank was scotch, so Tim and I snuck around and tried them all," she says laughing.
"My parents didn't drink, there was nothing for me to sneak," she replies laughing.
"Teddy?" Arizona asks looking over at her, "How are you doing?"
"Ah, you know, no one has asked me that in a long time. I mean, no one who knows," she says rambling nervously.
Arizona reaches over and squeezes her knee.
"I love my job and I've been seeing someone, Thomas is on a mission right now, but you'll meet him when he gets back in March, I promise." She says smiling. "It just takes time, you know."
"Oh I know all about time, Teddy. It's been three years. And it's not easy watching Callie date. Thank you for suggesting this contract, even despite Lauren, it is good to get out of Seattle and clear my head." Arizona admits.
"Once you talk with Bos and put that behind you, I really hope that you'll begin to relax and enjoy being here."
Her reply is interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Teddy gets up and looks out, then flings the door open.
"You're back from Atlanta! Come in I want you to meet someone!"
The woman who enters is about Teddy's height and build, but she has light green eyes and long, light reddish brown hair.
"Arizona Robbins meet Julie Fuller, Julie works at NIH, Arizona is Fetal Surgeon in Seattle, who is here for six months to teach a crash course in Fetal medicine at Walter Reed." Teddy explains introducing them to each other.
"Lovely to meet you Arizona," Julie says with a slight southern accent. "Teddy, I don't want to interrupt, I just heard your voice and wanted to ask if any of your people were looking for a sublet?"
"A sublet? You are going somewhere?" Teddy asks.
"No, but I just ran into James and he took a temporary assignment in San Antonio, he wants to sublet until July. I told him to give you the details, he'll probably talk to you about it tomorrow, he was heading out to dinner," she explains.
"Oh, well Arizona is looking for a sublet, she's staying with her folks in Arlington," Teddy replies pouring Julie a glass of scotch and topping of both of their glasses. "You do have time for a drink?" She asks handing one to her.
"Have you ever known me not to have time for a drink?" Julie replies winking at Arizona and coming around to sit on the other end of the couch. "Now Arizona, Fetal Medicine is a relatively new specialty, how long have you been in it?"
"Just a few years, I trained under Nicole Herman. I am also a Pediatric Surgeon," Arizona explains.
"She's so modest, she is one of the top Pediatric Surgeons in the nation, she won the Carter Madison grant right out of Med school and she is currently Chief of Maternal and Children's Medicine, a department that didn't even exist until she created it and raised the money to fund it." Teddy gushes.
Looking slightly embarrassed, Arizona takes a sip of the scotch, "Teddy will give you a copy of my CV tomorrow," she jokes.
"Okay, so Julie here, she's a brilliant Neurologist at NIH and she was just in Atlanta presenting at the CDC, her team has been analyzing the new microscope app created for the iPhone, it's already being used to Africa to help identify people infected with the Loa Loa." Teddy says, "Julie what is your team hoping to use it for again?"
"Many, many things and Arizona has practiced medicine in Africa, so I'm sure she can just imagine how useful it is." Julie replies turning her attention back to the blonde.
"Arizona, it's been a pleasure meeting you. This is quite the convenient place to stay in Bethesada, I hope you consider letting James' place." Julie says standing up with her glass, "Teddy, I'll drop this by tomorrow. I need to finish unpacking."
Arizona stands up too, "Julie, I'm sure that I'll see you soon and maybe we could have dinner, I'd love to hear more about what you're working on and my clinic in Africa has been using that microscope app for a few months now."
"Well, we should do lunch then, that's not dinner talk." She says, reaching out to shake the blonde's hand, but really just holding it for a moment.
"The NIH is only a few blocks away from Walter Reed," Teddy points out as she wraps an arm around the other woman and walks her to the door.
"You should totally go out with her, she's great and single, and a lesbian." Teddy gushes after shutting the door.
"Can we have dinner together tomorrow?" Arizona asks Lauren the next afternoon after lunch.
"Uh, yeah." Lauren replies stunned that the blonde is talking to her and asking her out.
"We're talking, that's all." Arizona adds.
"Okay," Lauren replies.
"See I told you that she'd come around," Tricia remarks overhearing the exchange.
"I'm fairly certain that's not her coming around," Lauren says shaking her head.
"Well if she was just going to tell you to fuck off, she wouldn't have invited you for dinner." Tricia points out. "You're going to tell her everything, right?"
"I don't know, I think I should just listen to what she has to say first. She may not want to know my side of it," Lauren counters.
"She's taking a sublet in Teddy's building, I overheard them talking." Tricia replies.
"Then we have an extra room, you should call your wife and have her visit this weekend," Lauren suggests, "Bring Sammy and I'll babysit her while you guys go out."
"Your first weekend here and you want to babysit my kid?" Tricia asks.
"Okay, it's all set. James says that you can move into his guest room this weekend and he leaves the middle of next week for Texas. This is going to be great," Teddy says excitedly. "Now about Julie, have you called her for lunch yet?"
"No, I haven't. But I'm having dinner with Lauren tomorrow night to talk," Arizona replies.
"Dinner? That implies a lengthy conversation, where are you taking her?" Teddy asks.
"I thought the Woodmont would be quiet on a Thursday night," Arizona remarks.
"Uh, yeah that should be perfect." Teddy says, "so you're going to hear her side of it?"
"Dinner will give us both a chance to talk, then we'll be done with it." Arizona points out.
"Are you sure that there's nothing between you two? I've been watching you and each of you steals glances when the other isn't looking." Teddy replies.
"Teddy, sleeping with her destroyed my relationship with Callie and that's something that I'll live with the rest of my life. Having anything more than a professional relationship with her is out of the question." Arizona replies firmly.
A/N: consider Julie to be played by Nikki Deloach, the woman firefighter from S12:8, since this isn't canon fo S12 that didn't happen and I thought she and JCap had some chemistry.