Author's Note: Same disclaimers still apply. I appreciate all the feedback so far! Hope you enjoy...the story will start picking up soon! Chapter Title from the great Joan Jett song "Crimson and Clover"

Crimson and Clover

"Abigail Lynn Robbins, if you don't get your butt out here in five seconds, I promise I will come in there and pour a bucket of ice water all over you!"

For the past half hour, I had been attempting to get Abbie up and ready school as I scrambled to prepare work. Not a morning person, even an excited Abbie was difficult to rouse. Despite my best efforts, we needed to be out the door five minutes ago, and both of us were now in very real danger of being late for our respective first days.

I drink the last dregs of my coffee rather unenthusiastically as I watch Abigail dart into the kitchen, grabbing the Poptart I'm holding for her while simultaneously gulping down her customary glass of orange juice.

"We're burning daylight, Mom!" Abbie exclaims as she grabs her jacket and opens the front door, looking over her shoulder to flash me a lopsided smile and a small wink.

"At least someone's happy about today", muttering more to myself than to Abbie as I lock the front door, suddenly longing for a time machine.

Surprisingly, I managed to drop Abigail off just in time for 1st period, and made it to work with 10 minutes to spare. My day started slow, with a traditional first day crash course that filled my mind with endless information I was sure I'd forget within the hour. After meeting with Chief Webber, he paired me up with three scrub nurses to fill me in on all things not related to official hospital protocol. Four hours later, and I'm still sitting here listening to them yammer on. I really need a brick.

Aside from patient information that would prove vital for my job, I'm completely uninterested in the sexual roulette occurring in the various on-call rooms of the hospital. Unfortunately, my lack of interest clearly did nothing to deter the overly friendly nurses from filling me in on all the hospital gossip I'd been missing out on.

As I continue to smile and nod politely while the nurses connect various doctors with their various sexual partners, I realize it's a good thing I've sworn off dating. I certainly didn't want to be the topic of all this gossip. However, mere seconds after I made my subconscious manifesto, life once again mocked me.

"And then there's Dr. Torres, who ran off and married O'Malley. After he cheated on her, she swore off men and began batting for the other team, only to get ditched by Dr. Hahn too…"

Nurse Brenda nods in agreement, before adding, "Callie used to be so badass. She was THE ortho chick. Now, she's just a shell of herself…the woman can't keep a relationship, male or female."

The nurses continue to go on about Callie, but I've tuned them out, and instead actively begin trying to squash my growing intrigue about Dr. Torres. As I stand there, internally willing myself to forget the information I had just been given, I hear Dr. Sloan calling out for a consult from Callie.

I look up just in time to see her round the corner, dark hair cascading over her shoulders and tanned arms peeking out from the rolled up sleeves of her lab coat. I gasp a little; struck by how smitten I was with a woman I hadn't even known existed 90 seconds prior. Of all the women I had been attracted to in the past, she was in a whole other category. Her full lips and elegant curves stood out like a beacon, and she carried herself with an air of sensuality that I had never seen with any other individual. As she threw her head back, laughing at something her patient said, I swore I had never heard a sweeter sound.

"Dr. Robbins. Earth to Dr. Robbins…ARIZONA!" I jump backwards, startled by the small woman who had been screaming for my attention. I don't even know how long she's been standing next to me. Super creepy.

"Sorry Dr. Bailey…I don't really know what got over me." I flash her an apologetic smile, shaking my head a little to clear my thoughts.

She just stares at me. "Yeah, whatever. Come on, I need you for a consult on the Gibbons boy"

As we make our way down the hall, I turn back to catch one last look at Callie.

This whole not dating co-workers thing is REALLY going to be difficult.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur between getting caught up to speed with my patients and stealing glances at Callie whenever the opportunity presented itself, and I was eternally grateful when my shift finally ended. Exhausted, I trudge through my front door only to have Abbie launch herself into my arms. Sometimes I think she forgets that she's 14 and is my size.

"Dude! I've been waiting for you to come home FOREVER. You'll never believe my day. My teachers are awesome, and I've already met a whole bunch of girls who have like, taken me under their wing. And I spoke to the soccer coach and he told me that even though try outs ended last week, he'll let me try out over the course of a few practice sessions, so that starts tomorrow. And then there's this boy, and Mom, seriously, he's the most attractive kid I've ever seen. AND he let me borrow some of his notes that I've missed. We will be dating by the end of this semester; it's a personal mission. I just love that you got transferred to Seattle!"

She kisses me on the cheek as she takes my bag off my shoulder and places it on the chair. She grabs my hand and leads me into the kitchen still talking a mile a minute. "Since I got home pretty early, I made us dinner. You know, as a thank you for being you and awesome and a kickass surgeon and all. I mean I only know how to make pasta, but whatever. It'll still tastes awesome. It's carbs. Okay, enough about me. Tell me about your day."

"You know kid, that was a super speech right there. I'm not even sure you took a breath." I can't help but chuckle at Abigail's enthusiasm. I'm glad that after a crappy start to her life, my daughter finally has things to be excited for.

"I live with you, the queen of the monologue. Don't act so surprised" she counters, sticking out her tongue.

Slinging one arm over her shoulder, we make our way to the couch, food in hand.

"My day was okay. It was easy getting acquainted with my patients, and thankfully, we had no hardcore emergencies come through. My co-workers seem to be obsessed with gossip, and only gossip. Christina's the 'cardio-God' who's super cutthroat, there's Sloan the resident man-whore, Bailey the Nazi… and Meredith, who apparently is married to Derek, but only after she tore apart his first marriage." I pause, taking a bite of food before calculating my move into the topic I've been waiting to talk to her about.

Usually, Abbie and I were incredibly open about things, but after her Joanne meltdown, I've been much more guarded with what I share. Abigail assured me her meltdown was part period induced and part sympathy for me, but still. It's a meltdown I'm not ready to repeat, ever. Even so, she's my best friend, and I really need to just… tell someone about Callie.

I figure my best bet is to go with nonchalance on the topic. "Speaking of marriage, then there's Callie, the favorite topic of the nurses. She was married to O'Malley, who then cheated on her with Stevens, so they divorced. Now she's sexually fluid and just went through a gnarly breakup with a doctor who just up and left Seattle Grace. She's apparently having a rough time coping and isn't her 'bad ass' self anymore, which totally makes sense since she's been through one disaster after another and….what?"

"You mean, Callie's YOUR favorite topic, right."

I gape at her, displaying an inappropriate amount of half chewed food.

"Oh don't give me that! First of all, you haven't stopped smiling since you started talking about Callie. Which is weird, because it's not a happy story. Which brings me to my second point: Have you asked her out yet? Because I'm sensing a significant crush here." Busted.

"Nope. Absolutely not. I told you, it's going to be a while before I bring anyone new into our lives. Plus, I haven't even officially met the woman yet. I just…" my voice tapers off as I recall watching Callie's russet eyes soften as she explained to a young boy why she was resetting his mother's arm, a soft blush creeping up my neck and face at the memory.

"…You just have been actively stalking her since you saw her" Abigail finishes my sentence, patting my arm sympathetically.

"This conversation is so over."

"Once you finally meet this bad ass ortho chick I think you'll be whistling a different tune…"Rendered speechless, I watch as Abbie places her dish in the sink and heads to her bedroom.

It's only day one and I'm already in trouble.