Chapter 2: Everything is New

*Alison's POV*

Calm down, Ali. I tried to soothe myself. I could feel my teeth almost chewing a hole through my lip. Moisture made itself apparent by weighing the palms of my hands down so I wiped them quickly on my dark blue scrub bottoms. The motion was actually quite calming so I continued to bring my hands up to my upper thighs and run them back down to my knees, gently squeezing along the way. I matched my breathing with my strokes and realized how incredibly fast I was breathing when the scratchy material of my scrubs started to rub my hands raw. God, why am I so nervous?

My right leg bounced up and down as I checked the time on the large clock above the hospital cafeteria doors. As I watched the seconds slowly tick by my mind wandered back to my conversation with Dr. Hastings…

*Flashback to earlier that day*

"Hi, Dr. Hastings. How can I help you?" I watched her eyes give me a once over. Normally, I would have been flattered, but I sensed a little disdain through her squinted gaze. My usual confidence faltered through her unwavering intensity. I straightened up my white coat before clearing my throat. What on earth is wrong with me?

"Hi, Alison." She seemed to snap out of some train of thought as her usual 'Hastings' smile took over her slim face. Her hands found her way to her long brown locks as she put them up into a ponytail. When I saw her fish her scrub cap out of her pocket I realized she was about to go into surgery. "I heard you met Dr. Fields this morning?"

I felt a blush creep up onto my cheeks. I hope this shade of red matched my blue eyes because I could tell the burning in my cheeks was not going away anytime soon. Emily was talking about me? Already? Only good things I hope...I felt a nervousness wash over me and I saw Spencer's face soften. She brought her hand to my elbow to give it a soft squeeze, I assume to break me out of my train of thought. As her hand fell back to her side she let out a soft chuckle.

"She couldn't stop talking about you. I'm not sure what was in the coffee you two had this morning, but I practically had to will her to get through our consultation this morning." I smiled at the thought of Emily gushing about me. I wonder if she blushed as hard as I am right now… Then it hit me.

"Wait...I thought I saw her after your consultation? Is she here for more than one patient?" I inquired, hopeful that I would get to run into the dark-haired beauty again. I saw Spencer's eyes widen and it seemed as if words got caught in her throat. While it was uncharacteristic for Spencer I couldn't give it much thought since my brain was purely invaded by when I would be able to see Emily next.

"You did." She blurted out after a moment of silence. "I mean...sort of in the middle of it… There was an accident." Her words rushed out and left no room for further inquiry. My eyebrows furrowed for a moment before my train of thought was interrupted. "She's still here. We should...have lunch!"

My entire face lit up at the prospect of getting to know more about this elusive doctor. I smiled widely and responded: "I'd love that. I have rounds and then I'm going to assist Dr. Montgomery while she takes the lead on one of our cases but I should be free around one o'clock. Does that work for you...and Dr. Fields?" I felt my cheeks burning again and stuffed my hands into my coat pockets. Could I be any more awkward? I am a grown woman acting like I'm in middle school over a girl.

Spencer seemed to notice, but she didn't give me a hard time. She just smiled and scrolled through what I assumed was her work calendar on her phone. After a few taps, she looked back up at me.

"One o'clock works perfectly. I'll just text Dr. Fields to let her know I made us lunch plans. I have a surgery I'll have to prep for at 2:30 so I can't go far. Does the cafeteria sound okay?" She looked at me a little apologetically. Little does she know I'd probably eat in a broom closet if it meant I got the chance to get to know more about Emily. I waved my hand to dismiss her apologetic attitude.

"The cafeteria sounds perfect." I said as I saw Aria heading towards rounds. I motioned for her to wait for me. Spencer followed my eyes and acknowledged Aria again with a small smile. Aria visibly gulped and I rolled my eyes at how little she could control her body language. "I'll see you then, Dr. Hastings."

"Yeah, see you." she said softly. I gave her one last smile before catching up with Aria. I had a thought I knew she was not going to like. A smug grin grew on my face and I saw her looking nervously between Spencer and me.

"What?" She said with wide eyes. "Did something happen?" She stopped in her tracks as I grabbed her arm to keep her walking in the direction of the pediatric wing.

"Yes." I said matter-of-factly. "You just made lunch plans." I saw her throat move to gulp even more dramatically before. I chuckled softly at her nervousness but explained no further.

*End Flashback*

My eyes looked down from the clock when I saw Aria come through the doors of the cafeteria. I waved her down, excited someone was here that I could shove my nervousness onto. She could tell I was a bit off and looked at me inquisitively.

"Are you okay?" She questioned while approaching me with caution. I rolled my eyes a bit- annoyed at her question. I obviously was not okay. When her eyes widened at my harshness I started to feel guilty. It is impossible to be mean to Aria with her big eyes just begging for kindness.

"Yes." I caved. "Well...no. I mean...maybe." A sigh escaped me while I buried my head in my hands. "I told Spencer I'd have lunch with her and Emily." I said while pouting into my hands. When I peeked up at her the younger doctor's face continued to look confused. Her eyebrows raised waiting for an answer to a question she never asked. My eyebrows furrowed back at her not knowing what she was asking.

"Who's Emily?" I squinted at her. I needed her to catch up so she could calm me down before the other women got here. My chest rose and fell with a sigh.

"The girl I met this morning. The one who was here on a consult with Hastings." I explained as if she should have read my mind. Her expression changed towards one of sympathy and understanding. Aria was filled with nothing but empathy and her face always seemed to show it. She brought her hand up to rub my back in a back and forth motion. The physical reassurance seemed to ground me...but only a little.

"Well, that's good. Didn't you want to see her again?" Her innocent voice questioned.

"Of course I want to see her again. Just before it was only her and me. Now Spencer will be here and she hates me. Who knows what she'll say?" I rambled a bit.

"Was lunch your idea or hers?" She shot back challenging my nervousness.

"Hers." I answered softly. She looked at me with pointed eyebrows when she realized she had made a point. "But that doesn't mean anything!" I countered her silent rebuttal.

"Do you really think Dr. Hastings would invite you to lunch just to humiliate you in front of a colleague?" I looked at her incredulously as if the answer should be obvious.

"Yes." I answered with no hesitation or doubt in my voice. She pursed her lips and thought for a moment.

"You're right." She decided and I couldn't help but use my right hand to smack her shoulder. My open hand collided with her so hard she almost fell out of her chair. "Ow!" She shot back. "What the hell? You almost knocked me over." She said bringing her own hand up to soothe the area. I just rolled my eyes.

"You're tiny. A blade of grass could knock you over." I shot back before she seemed to drop her protest to my actions. She could see how anxious I was.

I'll apologize later… I made a mental note before brushing off my assault on the shorter woman and looking up at the clock. The other two doctors would be here soon.

"Wait...you dragged me into a lunch with Dr. Hastings?!" Aria asked incredulously, putting all of the pieces together. She was angry and I looked at her tenderly knowing why.

"Aria…" I started and it looked like she was going to interrupt me so I raised my eyebrows telling her silently to let me finish. "Just because you're my fellow does not mean you need to have the same feelings towards other doctors as I do. I shouldn't have shared my personal feelings towards her with you." She rolled her eyes, but I continued. "She is an incredible doctor. Besides, she may very well be the next Chief of Surgery. If you want a job here after your fellowship you'll need her vote just as much as mine. It helps to have friends in high places, Aria."

She scoffed, but she knew I was right. I hadn't been paying attention to the door so when I felt a cold hand touch my shoulder I jumped. I heard someone gasp loudly and then I realized it was me. I turned around seeing Dr. Hastings and Dr. Fields giggling a little.

"Sorry," Spencer said, not sounding sorry at all. "I did not mean to scare you." I had a few choice words for Hastings, but when I saw Emily shoot me a playful wink I couldn't help but feel all of my annoyance and anger slip away. Anger and pettiness were definitely rare for me these days, but when those feelings struck they were incredibly hard to stop. While I sure as hell didn't think now would be the best time to give Emily a preview, I did wonder how she managed to take all of those feelings away so easily.

"Hi, Emily." I smiled softly and saw her blush. When she looked down to the floor I took the opportunity to let my eyes drift down her body. Her sweatpants and baggy t-shirt had been exchanged for a pair of dark blue scrubs matching my own. I felt myself biting my lip again, but this time it was to stop myself from being too obvious about just how attractive I thought the girl standing in front of me was.

She had a slim figure but I could tell her shoulders were strong. Her scrub bottoms didn't completely envelop her tennis shoes like mine did so I could tell she had long legs. I swallowed when I realized how dry my mouth had gotten while raking my eyes over Emily's figure.

She isn't a piece of meat. I thought to myself, chastising my neanderthal behavior. Emily's gaze caught mine and I could tell I'd been caught. I opened my mouth to say something, but a smile spread across her face and she beat me to the punch.

"We need to get food. I'm starving. Do you all want to come with?" She gestured towards the few lines of options. Her eyes fell towards Aria and she extended her hand. "I'm Emily." Aria softly grabbed her hand while standing up.

"Aria." the shorter girl introduced herself back. I couldn't help but smile at the two interacting. They both seemed so genuine and pure that I was starting to question if I could handle the two of them in the same room. After their quick handshake, Spencer looped her arm through Emily's and led her toward the salad bar. I saw Emily's eyebrows raise and they exchanged a few words before Spencer huffed and walked over to the 'create your own burger' line. Emily looked smug upon getting her way.

I'd give it to her whatever way she wanted… My mind began before I stopped myself. I was, however, sure of my next thought. She would always get her way with me. I didn't notice I was staring at the woman until Aria snapped me out of my thoughts.

"She looks really familiar. What hospital did you say she was from?" I shrugged my shoulders, mildly annoyed that she had stopped my staring. I saw her staring as well as her teeth chewed on her bottom lip.

"I haven't asked. I assume it's nearby, but Spencer could've flown her in. It depends on how serious the consult is I guess." Aria didn't seem satisfied with my answer so I pressed further, teasing her. "Should I be worried I'm dipping into your large pool of ex-lovers?" She finally snapped out of her trance, but only to look at me and roll her eyes as dramatically as possible.

"If there were a woman on that list it would be you." I giggled while starting towards the salad bar. She giggled back and began to follow me in the same direction. I tossed my hair over my shoulder and gave her my most sultry voice.

"Why, Aria...I'm flattered." I batted my eyelashes her direction then giggled at her deadpan expression. Aria was the straightest girl I'd ever met, but I could never help myself when it came to teasing her.

"Don't be. I would've slept with Herman before you." She chuckled as my jaw dropped in shock. I playfully swatted her arm.

"Aria! Let the man rest in peace." I scolded before chuckling as she just shrugged her shoulders matter-of-factly. I shook my head at her antics before grabbing a container to make my salad. I couldn't help looking over in Emily's direction one last time. For some reason, I felt the need to make sure she was safe. It isn't that crazy of a notion...she is from a different hospital after all. She could get lost!

I knew I was being ridiculous, but before I turned around I noticed both of the doctors engaged in what seemed to be like a slightly heated discussion. Emily's eyebrows were furrowed deeply to the point that they were almost touching the bridge of her nose. Her lips were slightly pursed in a way that made her seem almost worried. I wanted to soothe any worry she could ever have…

Spencer slightly slammed her tray down and turned towards Emily. I could tell whatever she was saying was incredibly serious. I assumed they were having a disagreement about their patient. Aria and I fought like that constantly.

Maybe I'll be able to ask her about it someday... I mused to myself. I heard Aria clear her throat and I realized I was holding up the line. I gave her a little eye roll and apologized to the doctors that were waiting behind us before moving down the line. Someday, Dr. Fields...someday.

*Emily's POV*

The moment I saw Dr. Montgomery sitting next to the blonde-haired beauty I felt my heart stop in my chest. Spencer didn't seem to notice my hesitation because she kept barreling towards the two women to get their attention. If I didn't know any better I'd say Spencer was trying to scare Alison, but surely she behaves at work.

I caught up, finally, to the taller girl just as I heard Alison gasp. I made a mental note to chastise Spencer for picking on the woman. She'd never want to go on a date with me if I was friends with a bully. I did giggle a bit because Alison looked so cute when she got scared. I shot a wink in her direction then met her bright blue orbs. Upon making eye contact with her all of my anxiety melted away about the shorter woman who was next to her. It was like for just one moment we were suspended in time- the two of us sharing a moment that no one else was privy to.

"Hi, Emily." her soft voice beckoned me further into her world. I felt my cheeks catch on fire so I quickly snapped out of my trance and looked towards the ground. If I was lucky it may swallow me whole. When I felt the blonde's eyes burning into me I felt a little more confident.

Maybe I should've been a doctor? I thought, chuckling at myself inside of my head. If I had known I looked this good in scrubs maybe I would have finished school.

The thought of my academic career being put on hold started to bring my mood down so I quickly snapped out of it and suggested we all go get food. I realized I was being a little rude to Alison's company so I let my eyes fall on the shorter woman and tried to suppress the anxiousness I felt building in my chest.

"I'm Emily." I extended my hand. I tried to muster a smile and hoped Alison didn't notice my reservation as Dr. Montgomery softly grabbed my hand.

"Aria." She introduced herself back. I could feel Alison smiling which helped to dull the feeling of intense panic I felt inside. I let her hand go and felt Spencer leading me towards food. She started to veer towards the salad bar when I raised my eyebrows at her.

"I am not eating salad while food still tastes good to me." The mention of having to start treatment soon made Spencer huff, knowing she'd give into whatever I wanted. She began to lead me to the "create your own burger" line and I felt a smug smile spread across my face. It was quickly replaced with worry when I remembered who I just 'met'. I made sure we were far enough away from Dr. Montgomery and Alison before I lit into Spencer.

"Why didn't you tell me Dr. Montgomery was going to be here?!" I asked incredulously. Her eyes went wide not knowing where my anger was coming from.

"Em, I didn't know." She started. Her eyes were peering into me like I was a puzzle she was trying to solve. "Dr. Montgomery...she isn't wearing a coat or badge, how did you know her last name?"

"She was there, Spence. She was in the ER the first night I came in." Spencer's jaw dropped finally putting the pieces together.

"Oh, shit." She said as the color drained from her face.

*Flashback to Six Years Ago*

The whole world seemed to be spinning as I returned to consciousness. I had been feeling bad for a few months but usually a warm shower helped. I guess not this time. I tried to clear my throat in an effort to speak but it was incredibly dry. My eyes scanned the room for someone to motion to, but I only saw a short woman in light blue scrubs with her back turned to me.

My limbs felt incredibly heavy so the only way I could get her attention was a soft grunt. It was barely audible, but by some miracle she heard and turned around. Her eyes took up a good portion of her face- but her smile proved to be bigger as she came towards me.

"Hey, Emily right?" I shook my head yes. I felt so weak that I wasn't sure if she noticed. Her mouth closed as the right side of her mouth lifted a little higher than the other. It could've been perceived as pity but it felt more like an 'I understand' look. "How are you feeling?"

I darted my eyes to the cup of water sitting on the table that was slightly rolled away from my bed. Her eyes quickly followed my gaze and her smile took over her face again. She began to move towards the cup.

"Ah- of course." She opened the straw next to the cup and sat it softly within the water. When she approached me she bent the straw in my direction, but before bringing it to my lips continued: "I know you're thirsty, but take it slow okay? I don't want you choking on my watch."

I nodded my head in understanding and tried my best to follow her directions. As soon as I had taken a few sips I cleared my throat again. My neck strained as I tried to produce words, but eventually I was successful.

"What happened?" I was obviously in a hospital so there was no sense in asking where I was. My eyes fell on the door window and I immediately noticed the hallways. I came to see Spencer here all the time to have lunch. I wonder if she is working today…

"It appears you had a little spell. Right now it is looking like just an episode of syncope, but we're going to run a few more tests just to be sure. We also need to take you up to get some images of your brain, but we'll let you rest for a little longer first before we try to move you. Is there anyone I can call for you? The EMT's didn't bring any belongings with you, but the person who called 911 gave us your first name."

I wracked my brain trying to think of who I was with. Maybe I should start giving out business cards to everyone I hook up with… Why is this doctor staring at me? Oh...right.

"Um, no. That's fine. Could you tell me if Dr. Hastings is working today?" She smiled warmly at me before heading over to the computer. After a few minutes of research, she turned back to me.

"It looks like Dr. Hastings is on call with Dr. Fitz tonight so she should actually be here any minute. We paged neuro to do a preliminary exam on you before we did any further tests." I gulped at the information. If Spencer doesn't have warning I'm not sure what her reaction will be.

"Did they bring my phone with me? I really need to text Spencer before she comes in here." Her eyes turned apologetic and I knew we were both about to be in for a wild ride. I tossed my head back against the pillow that was propping me up. This proved to be a bad idea as it began throbbing from the sudden movement.

"Dr. Montgomery." I hear a male voice address the small doctor. He looks in my direction and smiles. "Ah, Emily is it? I'm Dr. Fitz." He smiled at me warmly. "I didn't realize you were awake. That is perfect actually. Could you give us your last name, please?"

"Fields." I hear Spencer's voice assert, slightly panicked, as she stood in the doorway. I could tell she was shocked by the way her entire body seemed to be frozen. "Her last name is Fields." She says again running through the door this time. I could feel her panic before I even realized she was coming my way.

"Oh my god, Em. What happened?" She rushed out as she reached me and held my face between her hands. Her questions and presence were a bit overwhelming seeing as I just came back to consciousness. Dr. Montgomery seemed to notice and stepped closer towards Spencer to explain. "Why didn't you page me?" She spat at the young doctor.

"Spencer." I chastised her. I could feel that she was scared, but bullying a resident wasn't going to help that. The taller girl completely ignored my warning and stood up. Her hand found her face to wipe away a tear that was starting to shed.

"You can go, Dr. Montgomery." Spencer said, avoiding eye contact even though her vulnerability was very obvious without it. The younger woman seemed perplexed and looked at Dr. Fitz to say something. The other two doctors in the room seemed to have a staring contest for a few seconds. It appeared as though they were silently communicating, but I was too out of it to know what it could be about. He just shrugged his shoulders towards her before Spencer broke the silence again. "Now, please."

Her voice left no room for question and Dr. Montgomery bit down on her lip to, I assume, stop herself from saying something she shouldn't to a superior. After another breath of silence the shorter woman turned on her heel and quickly left the room. I couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like she used her sleeve to wipe a tear off of her face as she rounded the corner.

"We'll take care of you, Em. I promise." Spencer continued after the woman's exit. She extended her hand, signaling Dr. Fitz to give her my chart. The man hesitated, pondering his words before he said them out loud.

"Dr. Hastings…" He began. "You know you can't touch this patient." She rolled her eyes and grabbed the chart out of his hands anyway. "Dr. Hastings." His voice was pointed in warning.

"Emily is there anything you don't want me to see in here?" I shook my head 'no' while making eye contact with Spencer. There was a lot happening at the moment and to be honest I was mostly just scared. "Okay."

She shot a look at Dr. Fitz before he sighed and left the room to either tattle on Spencer or compose himself. I sighed a bit and watched as Spencer flipped through my chart- seemingly forgetting I was even in the room. I looked out the window again and saw Dr. Fitz talking to Dr. Montgomery. She did not look happy at all as she gestured towards my room.

I'll have to ask Spencer about that later… I thought as I began drifting to sleep.

*End Flashback*

"Em...Em, are you okay?" Spencer tried to softly ease me out of my trance. It took a moment but my eyes snapped back to hers and I could feel the worry on my face.

"What if she remembers me, Spence?" I said. The worry felt like it was eating a hole through my body. My fingertips were numb and my cheeks felt like they were on fire. Spencer began to talk but I interrupted before she could even get a word out. "Spencer, what if she tells Alison?"

Spencer seemed equally affected by worry and my constant stream of questions was not helping. She slammed her tray down on the cold metal of the bar in front of us and shot me a pointed look before she started grabbing various condiments she doesn't even like. I call her name again before she explodes at just above a whisper.

"I'm thinking, Emily." My shock at her outburst is evident on my face. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath- a telltale sign that she is trying to center herself. When her eyes find mine again she seems much calmer. She smiles a little at me to apologize. "Look, Em. There are laws. Even if Dr. Montgomery remembers you; she can't tell Dr. DiLaurentis anything about your medical history. The most she'd be able to say is that you were her patient once."

I still felt like the ground beneath my feet might give way. My neck felt strained from how taught I was holding my jaw. If I bit down any harder I might lose some teeth. Spencer seemed to notice and gave me a squeeze on my shoulder.

"It's a really big 'if', Em." She continued to reassure me. "Aria had to have been a first or second-year resident. That was years ago. Plus, as soon as your results came back you immediately got passed off. She wasn't on your case long. My mom made sure of that." I furrowed my eyebrows at her last statement.

"What do you mean your mom made sure of that?" I questioned, not following. Her mom was on the board but wasn't a doctor. I'm not sure what she would've had to do with putting together my medical team.

"Nothing. My mom just wanted the best doctors for you, Em. If you remember correctly I wasn't even on your team until I finished my fellowship. Dr. Fitz was very protective of you. I think my mom put the fear of all of God's smite towards Rosewood in him. Come to think of it… If he hadn't left I'm not sure I'd be on your team now." She rambled, getting lost in her own thoughts.

Spencer's right. I decided to be soothed by her words. I met Dr. Montgomery a lifetime ago. I'm sure she has had so many patients since then that there is no way she could remember someone from back then.

"Would it be so bad though, Em? Dr. DiLaurentis blushes like a schoolgirl whenever your name is brought up and you two just met this morning. I'm sure she wouldn't care if you weren't a doctor. You know...we're not as shallow as people think." Spencer pointed out. While I'm sure there was some truth to her words I doubled down quickly.

"There is no way she would go on a date with me if she knew I lied to her within our first few minutes of meeting. Just…" I pondered while looking in the blonde's direction. I turned back to Spencer with a new resolve. "Look. If it ends up being something and starts to get serious I'll tell her. There's no sense in taking a chance on ending something before it has even begun." Spencer still seemed hesitant so I tried to lighten the mood. "I thought you wanted to spend more time with me?" I teased. "What? Are you changing your mind already?"

I poked her side and giggled as soon as her ticklish-ness broke through her stone-cold exterior. As she paid for our food I took another peek at the blonde. She was already back at the table and noticed me looking in her direction. She raised her hand and wiggled her fingers in a silly little wave. I felt my cheeks starting to reach my eyes as a huge smile took residence on my face.

I'll tell her. I thought. Someday.

Author's Note: Hello! The next chapter will have more Emison interactions. I just needed to set up the story a bit more for context. Please let me know what you think! Any feedback is welcome. I felt inspired to write this so quickly because of the reviews the first chapter got! :) As always- Emison is endgame!