Notes:
Hi everyone!

This is my first ever fanfic! I am currently enrolled in a fanfic class and as I began writing this story I kinda fell in love with it. I hope you all enjoy it as well. I would love to hear your opinions, so please comment, if nothing more than to say hi!

I will be updating pretty regularly because I am already over halfway done with the story, although it tends to take on a life of it's own so I don't know how long it will be. Fear not though, it is already a pretty long story.

"She's just always so cheery," Callie says to no one while walking along the hall to the attendings' lounge. Marks tries to contain his grin as he continues to walk alongside Callie.

"Who's cheery?" Mark replies even though he is certain that Callie is talking about Arizona Robbins, the Pediatric surgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital where they all work.

"Arizona." Callie all but groans. "She's just always smiling and gliding along on her stupid wheely sneaks. How can anyone take her seriously? I don't even understand how she got through med school. I understand caring about your patients, but she plays with them, Mark! Literally! I once walked into a consultation with her, and she was "looking" all over for the kid that was obviously under the blanket. She also lets her patients do rounds and pretends they are doctors too! Who does that? That's not how a doctor should behave!"

Mark again tries to hide his grin as he says "She cares. She's sweet. I don't understand why it bothers you so much that she's happy and caring."

"No one should be that happy. It's just not natural. And surgeons shouldn't treat their patients like their own kids. She shouldn't be playing with them; she should be working."

Mark just shrugs as he and Callie walk into the lounge and grab some coffee. "Ok, but why are you so upset about it now? Let her do what she does, and you do what you do." Mark finally says.

"Because Mark," Callie says with much more than a hint of irritation in her voice, "I have to work with her on a patient. A baby that was born with a rare disorder that causes his legs to be misshapen to the point of not being able to walk. He's now 3 and old enough for us to start surgeries on him, but it is going to take at least 5 surgeries over the course of the next few months. Not only that, but I think I might be able to give him full mobility in both of his legs, but it's experimental. That means that I'm actively going to have to work with Dr. Robbins for the next few months and I really just don't have the energy to deal with two children every day."

"I love you Callie, but you are really weird when it comes to Arizona. She's really nice and honestly, she is the best pediatric surgeon I have ever met. I don't know why you get so weird about her, but try to just let go of all of your weirdness for a bit and focus on the patient. I actually think it would do you some good to get to know her a little bit."

Callie just scoffed as she got up. "I have surgery. I'll see you later. Want to go to Joe's bar after work today?"

"Sure. See you there Scrooge." Callie just made a slightly annoyed but amused face and was on her way.

Really? I have to work with her again? It's not like she's bad… she's actually really awesome, and I can tell she cares about her patients, but she just doesn't show it. I also don't think she likes me very much. I don't want to have to deal with looking at her grumpy face for months. It's fine, just continue to think positively, and maybe this will be great. Leo is going to be able to walk and that's the best gift ever. I can definitely put up with an annoyed-looking Dr. Callie Torres for a couple of months. Arizona was brought out of her thoughts by a slightly annoyed Jo Wilson. Although Jo isn't an attending yet and is only in her third year of residency, she is still incredibly intelligent, and Arizona would probably consider her her best friend.

"It's nothing" Arizona tried to brush her off even though she knew that Jo was able to read her every expression.

"You are thinking about working with Dr. Torres, aren't you?" Jo replied with a knowing look in her eye.

"Ya… It's just… I don't know. I feel like she doesn't like me, and I hate it when people don't like me. It's almost like she looks down on me and doesn't think I'm a good doctor, and there is nothing that pisses me off more than that. Just because I'm cheery and blonde doesn't mean that I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. She judges me without even knowing me. She knows nothing about me but acts as she does. UGHHH" Arizona groaned.

Somehow talking and thinking about Callie always riles Arizona up and she hates it.

Jo softly puts her hand on Arizona's arm to let her know that she is there for her. It always hurts Jo to hear that Arizona feels this way. She knows how amazing of a doctor she is and all that she has been through. She doesn't understand how other people don't see it also. "It's her loss for not knowing you. Everyone knows what an incredible surgeon you are. Literally, no one has won the awards or done the surgeries you have done. You just don't go around acting like you are a god who needs to be worshiped. You care about your patients and you want what's best for them. Just be who you are and let Dr. Torres see how amazing that is. And if that doesn't work and you need to release some anger we can always go to a boxing gym or something and punch the daylights out of a boxing bag with Callie's face on it."

That comment by Jo actually got Arizona to laugh. Jo always knew what to say to get her out of the funk that she was in. It was particularly funny because Jo knows that Arizona is the least violent person on the planet and would probably apologize to the punching bag after.

Jo interlaced her arm in Arizona's, and they continued along to the cafeteria. They both got their lunches and sat down. "So what are your plans for the rest of the day? Have any cool surgeries I can scrub in on?" Jo asked with a hopeful smile.

Arizona couldn't not smile back when Jo asked that way, "Yeah, I have an Esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula. You can scrub in if you want, but you have to prep the patient in 30 minutes."
"Yay! Thank you! After lunch, I'll head straight there."

The two continued eating and talking like they did most days until Jo was on her way to prep the patient and Arizona got some paperwork done before the surgery.

A few hours later the two women were in the OR concentrating intently on what they were doing. However, Jo noticed that there was still something off about her best friend.

"Okay spill. What's going on? This can't all be because you don't want to work with Dr. Torres."

Arizona sighed but then started talking, "It's just when I'm around her, I feel like I'm back in med school and my residency where people didn't take me seriously. Have I ever told you what it was like for me back then?" Jo only shook her head and Arizona continued. "I am naturally a happy person. I want to connect with my patients and make sure they are as happy and comfortable as can be during their time here. I believe that taking the time to reassure patients and caring about them goes a long way. Obviously, not everyone thinks the same way. Because of this, and because I'm a woman, people didn't take me seriously. They kept calling me a nurse or a babysitter especially because I always knew I wanted to be a peds surgeon. They would tell me to just quit the program and go have kids of my own. It was really really frustrating."

Jo couldn't believe what she was hearing. Obviously, as a woman herself, she knew about sexism and especially the sexism in her field, but it had never been as blatant for her as it had for Arizona.

Arizona took a minute then continued to share her story, "Finally when I couldn't take it anymore I decided to give in. I started distancing myself from my patients and not playing with them as much and not connecting with them and making sure they were as happy as can be. Not only did I begin to not enjoy my job as much, but my outcomes in surgery weren't as good. One day, one of my attendings came up to me and told me that I had the best outcomes in the whole program. She told me that she had always been incredibly impressed by me, but lately she felt like I was slipping a bit. At that moment I felt like I couldn't take it anymore. I told her everything. I told her how people wouldn't take me seriously and how I decided to change the way I work. She wasn't shocked by any of it. She told me as women we have to work twice as hard to get half as far, and the things that are considered to be feminine, like kindness and compassion are seen as weaknesses. However, these are actually our strengths. We can't give in to society's idea that being distant and tough is what makes you better in your career. She told me that the reason I was doing so well was not just because I was a great surgeon, but also because I cared, and I took the time to bond with my patients and make sure that they were comfortable. After that day I realized that regardless of what anyone says, the patient is the most important. I went back to my usual caring compassionate way and I felt happy and like myself again, but the things people say still hurt me. I still get scared that one day I'm going to become closed off again because someone says something that really pushes me over the edge. I try really hard to teach my residents about the benefits of kindness and compassion in medicine, but every once in a while, someone like Callie comes around and makes me feel like that kid from med school who felt like she didn't know what she was doing and needed to change. I don't know. Sorry, I was just rambling, I'm just stressed."

Jo didn't know what to say after Arizona said all of that. She had known Arizona for years now and had never heard this about her and they talk about everything.

"Wow. How did I not know all of this?"

"I don't know. It's not something I talk too much about. I don't want to discourage other people from being more compassionate with their patients by talking about how others may see you kind of negatively. I also have had quite a bit going on in the last few years." Arizona almost giggled while saying the last sentence. Jo never thought she would get to the point of laughing about what happened a few years back. She was really grateful that she did though.

"Yeah, you had a bit on your plate" Jo also laughed a bit. "I'm really sorry you had to deal with all that. It really freaking sucks! Don't let Callie get in your head. If she starts to, let me know. Do you want me to beat her up for you?" Jo asked, mostly joking, but with a hint of sincerity in her voice.

Arizona laughed again and shook her head. Jo has been such an amazing light and help in Arizona's life these last few years. Arizona took a second to look up from the patient and looked directly into Jo's eyes as she said, "You know I love you right? I really don't know how I would have gotten through these last few years without you."

"Yeah yeah. I know… I'm the best" Jo joked back, and they were both back to work.