Chapter Text
Side Note: The year this fic takes place is 2010
Beca had lived in Seattle her whole life, ever since she was born at Seattle Grace hospital. September 22nd, 1985, 6lbs 11oz. She was the youngest of six, her dad was murdered when she was 2. She doesn’t even remember him in any capacity, she just grew up with one man in her life. Her older brother, Derek. She grew up in a family of doctors so it was only natural that she too took the course in becoming a surgeon.
Unlike her God of a brother and her older sister Amelia, she became an Orthopedic surgeon. Call her unique but she just wanted to do something different, she didn’t want to be at Seattle Grace Hospital and have people assume that she took neurosurgery because her brother took it. She wanted to do something on her own, and she actually loved what she did.
She had been working at Seattle Grace for just over a year, at first, she worked at Mercy Grace which was where she trained. Beca didn’t have many friends, at all. She had one. Just one best friend. Arizona Robbins was a very perky pediatrician, one of the best in facts. The woman had monkey stickers on her scrubs and used Heelys everywhere she walked but the two of them just clicked. Maybe because beneath it all the blonde was incredibly sarcastic and sharp. Beca came from a boatload of sisters and yet Arizona was more of a sister to her than anyone else apart from Amelia.
They both went to Seattle Grace at the same time, Beca joined the hospital just heading into her fifth year as a resident and Arizona became the head of pediatrics after the departure of Addison Montgomery. Beca’s ex-sister-in-law, though, Beca still talked to her weekly and thought of her as her sister just as she always had. Beca loved her job, she didn’t really love living under her brother especially from becoming Chief but she still loved her job.
There was one thing Beca and Arizona swore they wouldn’t do when they joined Seattle Grace and that was that they would not fall for or date their co-workers, Beca still held up her part of the promise. Arizona however met Callie Torres and a few weeks in she was smitten with her instantly.
Beca loved her job. That was enough for her.
She stood at the reception desk going through her charts when the blonde skated over to her, putting her hands on her arms as she came to a stop. “Hey, good looking.”
“What do you need?” Beca mumbled as she kept her eyes on the sheets of paper as she continued to mark things off.
“For you to not be so moody.”
Beca just shot her a glance. “Arizona. Seriously what do you need?”
“Nothing. Just letting you know I'll probably not be home tonight.”
Beca huffed a small laugh and bobbed her head. She didn’t even know why Arizona thought that would come as a surprise to her, she had barely been in their apartment all week. “Jesus, is the sex that good?”
“Unbelievable,” Arizona whispered as she then let out a satisfied laugh, resting her chin on the brunette’s shoulder for a moment. “What’s that?”
“Your girlfriend's charts since I’m essentially her bitch.”
Arizona snorted and lifted her head. “She’s your mentor.”
“Same thing,” Beca muttered, then, actually looked at her. The blonde just giggled and gave her arm a rub. “You got any plans for tonight anyway?”
“Nah. Probably just go to Joe’s for a few and then head back home.”
“And talk to your brother at some point?”
Beca just rolled her eyes and remained completely silent. She loved Derek with her entire heart but they argued a lot over stuff. Sibling stuff, work stuff. Just stuff that makes him irritating to her and she insults him. Perhaps it was because he was so protective over her and she doesn’t want that in her life, she doesn’t want to have her big brother watching over her at work. Especially at work. “I will talk to my brother when there is something to talk to my brother about.”
“God, you Shepherd’s are weird.”
“Don’t call me Shepherd,” Beca closed her file and raised her brows to Arizona. “Especially not at work.”
“Sorry. Mitchell.”
Beca decided to use her mother’s maiden name as soon as she started her medical career. Not only so it would stop confusion with her and Derek but it was also for the sheer purpose that she didn’t want to be tied as just Derek Shepherd's sister. Because people would hear the name first and her second.
Arizona knew it all too well that she hated being called Shepherd which was one of the main reasons she called it her when she was in a grouchy mood. Five years stuck at the hip and it still never got old. To her anyway, Beca on the other hand grew tired of it the first time she started doing it.
Beca just looked at her and shook her head. “I’m walking away now, dimples.”
Arizona gave her the same old dazzling smile as she watched Beca walked away and then skated off on her Heelys.
Beca walked down the hall and found Callie waiting for her, with a smirk written across her face as she waved her next case in her hand. “How do you feel about assisting me with a neck reconstruction?”
“I feel that I might forgive you for stealing my best friend from me again.”
Callie just grinned at her and failed to give an apology. It came to that point where they had to share custody of the blonde. Just like Arizona had to share custody of Callie with Mark.
“Sorry. It’s not my fault your best friend is, well, you know.”
“No, I don’t know because despite us both preferring women we have never hooked up.”
“Yeah she said that and I was surprised,” Callie laughed. “Two young, hot doctors living together every day and having nothing happen.”
“Sorry, we can’t all be like you and Sloan,” Beca remarked with a small smirk, getting an elbow from Callie as a result. Beca turned on her heel and said as she walked back towards the door. “I’ll say one thing I do know. Robbins is an amazing kisser.”
Callie’s jaw dropped, but before she could open her mouth to even question what that meant. Beca opened the door with her back and turned back around as their new patient was lay on the bed. Sure Beca and Arizona had never slept together, but that doesn't mean they were never curious how good each other were at kissing on a drunken night.
There was no crime in that. But neither of them have ever had feelings towards each other, it was always more of a sibling bond and even more so now. Arizona even calls Beca her sister the majority of the time, she knew that Arizona was waiting on her to find someone like she had so Beca wouldn’t be alone.
But she didn’t see that happening anytime soon.
Chloe pulled her bags out of the trunk of the cab and saw her best friend standing on her porch. It was a big deal for her, moving from Portland to Seattle, a long way to travel but she was excited that was had her new job.
She grinned at Aubrey and waved at her as she put her bag down on the floor and the cab pulled away. Aubrey quickly got down the steps and into her friend's arms. “I’m so excited that you’re here!”
“I’m so excited I’m here too!” Chloe giggled with her arms tightly wrapped around the blonde, then pulling back, “Thanks so much for letting me stay. I was going to stay with my cousin but she’s got a roommate and-”
“You don’t need to thank me! I had a spare room I’ve missed you like crazy, I’m so glad our jobs have both landed in the same city.”
“It’s the best.” Chloe smiled as they headed up the stairs and to the house. Aubrey moved to Seattle over a year ago, she got a job at a high-end school as a drama teacher and it was too great of an opportunity to turn down. It was just a potluck that Chloe got in at the hospital for her internship where both her best friend and cousin lived.
“So,” Aubrey threw her arm around Chloe’s neck as they stepped into her bungalow. “Are we excited? New resident at Seattle Grace. It’s a big deal.”
“Yeah it’s going to be amazing, I’m really excited but I’m nervous as hell.”
“You’ll do great.”
Chloe just gave her an appreciative smile and dumped her bag into the room that was to be hers. It was a really nice space, she could tell that she was going to like it. She was living in a great city, with the job of her dreams underway and with her best friend, of course, she was going to like it.
“I know I said before but I’m sorry about you and Tom,” Aubrey called from the kitchen as she made the two of them a tea, Chloe just shrugged as she walked out of the bedroom. “I’m not. It was fun in college but come on we were just staying together cause we were scared of being alone.”
“And now?” Aubrey raised a brow.
Chloe leaned down on the kitchen counter. “Never felt better.”
Chloe dated Tom during her senior year in college and then on and off for many years after. Here she was now 27 years of age and after seven long years of him leaving and coming back she finally dropped the dead weight, she realized that she didn’t love him or like him that much. She just kept letting him come back because her family liked him and it shut everyone up.
She cut ties with him for good two months ago and had never looked back.
“Rebound?”
Chloe scrunched her nose as she shook her head and simply shrugged. “Once or twice...but even though I’m happy I’m not with Tom I still hate being single.”
“Poor baby,” Aubrey teased as she slid Chloe her cup of herbal tea, as they walked over to the couch she added. “So what do you say tonight we go out? You don’t start your job till Monday right? Got a whole weekend to have some fun.”
“I’m so down.”
“There’s this great bar around here called Joe’s we should go there.”
Chloe shrugged as she sunk into the couch, the heat of the cup warming her cold hands up. “You’ve always been the brains in this operation.”
“If only you realized that when were in college, then you wouldn’t have wasted so much time on Tom.”
Chloe didn’t say anything, she just remained silent and just drank her tea. She would oppose that but then she would be lying if she said Aubrey wasn’t right.
“Are you going to tell your cousin that you're here?”
“No. I told her I start to work the week after this one coming up so I’m gonna surprise her on Monday.”
Aubrey rested her head against the back of the couch as she smiled at her. “I told you I’m proud of you right?”
Chloe just smiled back at her friend and hummed sweetly. “Thanks, Bree. I’m proud of you too.”
They gently tapped their cups together and then dove into more conversation of their excitement to be roommates once again.
“Time of death four forty-three.” Beca sighed as she backed out of the O.R. Ripping off her scrub mask and threw it in the trash before removing her gloves and throwing them in there too. She leaned down against the sink and took a breath as she bowed her head.
This was something she really hated about this job, yes, she knew that it was part of it all. That they may lose patients, hell a lot of the time they do. But it always hits a nerve when there’s a college student now lay dead on the table, a college student who was pre-med and wanted to do exactly what they were doing. What they were supposed to do, which was save lives, instead they failed someone who was ultimately wanting to become one of them.
Plus he was sweet. She hates when they die when they’re sweet.
She heard the door open and now had Callie stood next to her. “Beca, it happens don’t kick yourself.”
“I should have seen the puncture-”
“No one saw the puncture okay not even me. It happens, it couldn’t be helped he was practically dead before we even got started.”
“Still should have seen it,” Beca mumbled under her breath as she pushed herself up and walked out without letting Callie say another word. Callie then also knew better than to go after her and try to cheer her up.
She knew she shouldn’t try and take it or personally and she tries not to. Just when it feels like it was on her cause she missed something, a part of her feels like she killed them. As she walked through the ward, she saw Derek walking in her direction and a big part of her felt like turning on her heel and walking away.
But he would have just caught up to her anyway. He smiled at her “There’s my favorite sister”
“You really can’t keep calling me that,” Beca said in a breathless laugh but her exhaustion and irritation still shone through, he tilted his head at her. “What’s up? You okay?”
She took in a breath and just shrugged, “Just had a bad surgery.”
“Didn’t make it?”
“Torres is probably on her way to tell his family now.” Beca sighed, pressing her lips together and hearing her big brother let out a breath.
Derek frowned at her. “It happens, Becs.”
“I know but I missed the puncture so I feel like it’s kinda on me.” Beca arched and then rolled her neck as she tried to loosen up best she could, then hearing Derek say in a way to try and change the tone. “You got plans tonight?”
“No,” Beca breathed as she looked back at him. “Arizona’s out with Callie tonight and…”
“And she’s the only friend you have,” Derek smirked. Beca just rolling her eyes and slapping his arm as he laughed and asked her another question “You heading to Joe’s ?”
“Hell yes, I’m gonna need a drink.”
“Well. Meredith and I will see you there then.”
Beca just nodded and carried on walking down the ward as he too carried on in his treks. She waited for the elevator and as soon as the door opened she rolled her eyes. “God.”
“Hey,” Mark laughed as the elevator doors opened. “There’s my scrappy little shepherd.”
“Hi, Mark,” Beca whispered with a tight smile. She had grown up with two brothers really, there was Derek who was the sweet and quiet brother, then there was Mark. The brother in spirit, who was the frat boy loud type, brother. She loved them both, but Mark was a lot to handle when she was emotionally drained. “What’s eating you?”
“Nothing,” Beca mumbled as she dragged her palm from her temple down to her cheek. “Just been a long day.”
“You’ve been tense lately,” Mark stated after poking her in the neck, he crossed his arms again and leaned forward slightly. “You know why?”
“If you say it’s because I haven’t got laid-”
“It’s because you haven’t got laid,” she said nothing, she just closed her eyes and cleared her throat before hearing him add on. “C’mon seriously when was the last time you got some? And if you have to think about it then it’s been too damn long.”
Beca shrugged as she leaned against the back of the elevator. “Okay, maybe it has been a while but that’s not why I’m tense. I’m tense because I’ve had three patients in a row die on the table my last three surgeries.”
There was an eerie silence for a moment before Mark nodded. “And because you haven’t got laid.”
“Mark.”
“It’ll help you unwind! You going to Joe’s tonight?”
“Why does no one assume I have something better to do?” Beca looked over to him, Mark shrugged and stated simply. “Because when I asked Callie if she wanted to hang, she told me she was out with Arizona and if Arizona is out with Callie that means you are out with no-one.”
“You’re an ass,” Beca mumbled as she looked back to the doors, just hearing Mark laugh before asking again, “So you going?”
“Yes but not because you asked. I was already going.”
“Great. You and I will go out tonight and get some women.”
The elevator doors opened for Beca’s floor, she pushed herself up. “Not happening Mark.”
“You just wait! You’ll see what you’re missing,” he managed to say as the doors closed.
Maybe he was right, maybe she did need some intimacy to unwind. But she never thinks about putting herself out there when she does go out. Callie and Arizona try to set her up all the time. And Mark. And Addison whenever she came into town, even when she was in LA she was sending suggestions. But no matter who they tried to set her up with, Beca shut it down. The main reason being the thought of blind dates and setups were for miserable and lonely people.
Sure she was single but she wasn’t lonely and she wasn’t miserable either. She was stressed a lot but she was happy. And to everyone’s surprise, she wasn’t really one for one-night stands, in the aspect of sex, she was kind of old fashioned where she had to really like someone to get into bed with them. All she wanted and needed was a drink tonight.
Beca ran her fingers through her hair as she walked out into the living room. Officially out of her scrubs and now in her red velvet jacket, black t-shirt, and dark blue ripped jeans. Arizona looked at her as she was applying her lipstick in the mirror and teased her with a growl, “Look at my girl. Looking like a full course meal.”
“Oh shut up.”
“Seriously you look hot. Mark said you two were going on the prowl tonight.”
“We are not!” Beca quickly fired back. “Well he probably will be but I’m not.”
Arizona just raised a brow to her and put her lipstick in her bag. “Just so you know. I’m going to be staying at Callie’s tonight. At least one of us in this apartment should be having sex.”
“Yeah you’re having sex because you are in a relationship, you know I can’t have meaningless hookups.”
“You’re adorable,” the blonde teased in a whisper, earning a glare from Beca before she looked down at her phone, hearing Arizona giggle and then make her way over to her. “Be honest. How do I look?”
“If you weren’t family to me I’d sleep with you,” Beca put her phone in her pocket and turned to her friend, raising her brows at her with a deadpan expression. “How’s that?”
“A bit forward but still all the more complementary,” Arizona grinned at her. “Thanks.”
“Callie better know what she has else I’ll kill her.”
“I’ll make sure she’s aware...in various ways.”
Beca huffed a small laugh and nodded. “I bet. Okay, I’m heading out. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Arizona nodded and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Have fun.”
“Without you. How can I dare?” she quipped, then feeling her ass briefly get hit. Which was something Arizona liked doing before they left the apartment. Beca just gave her a playful push and then left her friend to get picked up by her girlfriend.
Beca got in a cab and went to the bar. Seeing that her brothers were already in there. Derek was sat with Meredith, Cristina, and Lexie who was Meredith’s little sister but Beca’s favorite Grey of all since they went through a lot of their years together. She felt like her own sister in many ways. Mark was sat at the bar, it was so he could get a good look at whoever was around that he would sleep with. Still trying to convince himself that he wasn’t in love with Lexie which was a filthy lie.
Beca acknowledged her brother and sister-in-law as she walked to the far, a small foot or two away from Mark as she leaned down on the bar. “Stacie. Whiskey, please. Neat.”
Stacie strummed her fingers along the bar and nodded to her. “Coming up,” she gave her a wink and went to get her the drink. Beca looked to Mark as she felt his eyes burning on her, slowly shaking her head to him. “Forget it.”
“I made my piece before,”
“Your piece is bullshit when the woman you love is sat over there.”
Mark glanced at Lexie and he just drank his beer, Beca nodded and looked straightforward as she muttered. “Yeah, silence speaks volume, Marky.”
“I thought we agreed there would be no more Marky.”
“You still insist on calling me scrappy little Sheperd so it seems neither of us is getting what we want.”
Again, he said nothing. But this time he did just smirk. Mark looked over to the other end of the bar and then gave her a nudge with his foot. “Just to let you know. There’s this cute redhead at the end of the bar that has kept looking at you ever since you walked in.”
Beca didn’t even look, she just nodded as she reached for the whiskey that Stacie passed her. Stacie glanced to who Mark was referring to and raise a brow as she looked back to Beca. “She is hot.”
“I don’t care if she needs a fire extinguisher, I’m not interested.”
Stacie leaned down on the bar and squinted to her. “I’ve heard you say you’re not for one-night stands. But isn’t it possible that meeting someone in here doesn’t always mean one-night stands? I mean your brother and Meredith-”
“Had a one-night stand.”
“But now they’re married,” Stacie raised her brows to her. Beca tilted her head at her as she pointed her finger. “You know just because we went to high school together doesn’t mean you get to be an after-school special okay?”
“For the record. It was me that stopped your scrawny ass from getting kicked back then.” Stacie stated as she grabbed Mark’s empty bottle to go and get him a new one. Beca looked at Mark and saw the smug look on his face, she rolled her eyes, “How do you know she isn’t looking at you?”
“I’m handsome but I’m not naive I can tell when someone isn’t looking at me.”
Beca rubbed her lips together as she took another sip of her whiskey, keeping her eyes down on the glass for a moment, and then decided to give in and looked over. Well, she had to admit. The woman they were talking about was insanely beautiful, and their eyes did briefly hit each other as she looked over as Mark said. But that was it. That was all Beca did, after a brief few seconds of looking at her she looked away and walked over to Derek. She just hoped that standing with them would take the heat off of her. But it didn’t, Derek nudged her as Meredith also mentioned the redhead at the end of the bar. Beca flattened her palms down on the table, “Guys. Seriously, lay off.”
“Leave her alone,” Lexie said in a mid giggle. Beca motioning her hand to the young doctor beside her. “Thank you.”
Beca bit her lip and looked over again. Chloe on the other side slowly dragged her eyes away from her and looked to Aubrey. “She’s so hot.”
Aubrey looked over to her and shrugged. “She comes in here a lot.”
“She pick up girls a lot? Or anyone?"
“I don’t know, Chloe. I don’t keep up with her nightly achievements.”
Chloe just rolled her eyes and put her straw back in her mouth as she looked over to Beca again, then groaning at herself before mumbling. “I need to stop looking.”
“Why don’t you try talking to her?”
“Are you kidding? I’m like ten feet away from her and I’m already intimidated.”
Aubrey giggled to her and just resumed her drink. Chloe put hers down on the bar and gave her friend’s arm a squeeze. “I’m gonna go the bathroom.”
Chloe made her way across the bar and went into the bathroom, not resisting but getting a look at the brunette from behind as she did so. Chloe wasn’t the type of person to go to a bar and pick someone up. But as soon as she saw Beca walk into the bar she couldn’t stop looking at her. She was insanely beautiful.
Chloe had only been with one other girl in her life and that was at the start of college, she had always been attracted to girls, she hid it more from her family as some kind of way to spare them any animosity on the chance she would just be with a guy, which wasn’t the answer to it but she dealt with it that way for now. Besides she had been with Tom for so long she didn’t think it was worth mentioning.
But those three minutes she just spent looking at Beca was more exciting than the seven years she went round and round in circles with him. She walked out of the cubical and when she did she saw Beca walk in, letting out a heavy breath before seeing she was in there.
Chloe gave her a polite, nervous smile with Beca just returned as her hand pressed against the door. Chloe walked over to the taps and looked at the brunette again. “You okay?”
“Oh, yeah,” Beca said with a breathless smile, then pointing to the outside. “Just need some air. Family.”
“Oh,” Chloe laughed as she rubbed her now soapy palms together. It suddenly fell silent between the two of them. Neither of them really knowing what to say or what to feel, Beca just felt awkward as hell.
“I’ve never seen you here before.” Beca suddenly just said in an attempt to try and make it any less awkward. She wasn’t good at this kind of thing, she never was. Not in the start anyway.
Chloe looked at her and smiled again, shaking her hands in the sink before grabbing a paper towel. “No first time. I’ve actually just moved here.”
“Ah and what brings you to Seattle?”
“New job.”
“Nice. Well if this is your new bar spot I wager we’ll be seeing more of each other.”
Chloe raised a brow, butterflies setting off in her stomach as she crossed her arms. “Oh yeah?”
Beca shrugged. “This is the place my co-workers and I usually come after work. If you ever need any cocktails recommendations then-”
“I come to you?”
“Oh no I don’t touch that shit I was meaning my uh, best friend, she soaks them up.”
“Good to know,” Chloe giggled, she bit her lip as she subtly looked Beca up and down before asking politely. “So have you always lived here?”
“Born and raised.” Beca just nodded.
“It seems like a great city. I only just got here today but I think I’m going to like it here.”
“What makes you so sure?”
Chloe shrugged. “The people”.
Beca cocked an eyebrow to her and just smirked. “I guess thanks?”
“It was a compliment,” Chloe chuckled in her confirmation. “Your friend by the way, out there? Muscular. Good looking?”
“Yeah. Mark.”
“I think he wants to sleep with my friend.”
“Blonde?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah, he does.”
The two of them just paused as they let out a small burst of giggles, Beca shrugged and said in the midst of the laugh. “It’s not even a question, he’s probably gone over to her already. What are his odds?”
“Given the few weeks, she’s had...pretty good.”
“Just let her know he’s on the rebound.”
“Trust me I don’t think she’ll care. So is she,” she bit her lip again for a moment and then pointed outside. “I should probably...”
“Oh yeah of course,” Beca lowered her hand from the door but didn’t move, it seemed that part of the process didn’t register with actually moving out of the way. She watched as Chloe ran her fingers through her hair and walked over, the redhead only noticing she was still stood in front of the door once they were stood closer face to face.
Chloe looked into the brunette’s dark eyes, feeling her breath getting caught in the back of her throat, she took in a breath and then said in a sweet voice. “It was nice meeting you.”
“You too,” Beca stuck her hand out. “Beca. Mitchell.”
Chloe put her hand in hers and said in the same tone as she gently shook her hand. “Chloe Beale.”
Beca just hummed as she nodded to her words. Her eyes drowning in Chloe’s, the two of them now just stood there, gazing into each other's eyes with their hands still together. Chloe was an impulsive person, so maybe leaning forward was stupid of her but she was doing it anyway. Slow. Very slow to see what Beca’s reaction would be, and when Beca didn’t move away, she felt that her instincts were right.
Both their eyes closed as their lips gently pressed together. It was brief as if it was a tester. A taste. They looked at each other for a moment. Completely silent. Beca’s hand then flew to Chloe’s jaw as she lunged forward and pressed their lips together more fiercely. Chloe gripped onto her waist and pressed Beca’s back against the door as their tongues lapped over each other and she let out an eager noise against the brunette’s mouth. Their hips pressing together as Beca’s other hand gripped onto the back of Chloe’s jeans.
“I don’t usually....” Beca pulled back breathlessly. “Do things like this.”
“Me neither,” Chloe whispered, her mouth still close to Beca’s before she continued. “But I saw you come in the bar and I couldn’t stop looking at you,” she kissed her again. Beca brushed her lips against hers as Chloe’s hand rested on Beca’s wrist with her still resting at her jaw, she looked back into her eyes. “I don’t usually do this but right now I want to make an exception.”
Chloe didn’t say anything for the moment, she just ran her tongue along her lip before biting it. And that made Beca bend the exception, even more, Beca curled her fingers into Chloe’s ginger locks. “My roommate is going to be gone tonight…”
“What are you implying?” Chloe smirked.
“I’m implying I go out there back to my people. You go back to yours. I leave a minute or two before you make up an excuse to leave and we back to my place...for coffee.”
“I don’t even know you.”
“You know my name's Beca Mitchell. You know I grew up here and you know my roommate is gone for the night. I’d say that’s a good start.”
Chloe gently giggled and then nodded. “I guess you’re right.”
Beca pulled her close and kissed her again for a tender moment before she pulled her lips apart and stood up straight from leaning against the door. “I’ll see you in ten minutes. That is if you want-”
"I want."
Beca smirked and stepped to the side and now allowed to door to be opened for Chloe. Chloe just looked at her, with a smirk still lingering on her face. She opened the bathroom door and walked out, thus starting the ten-minute countdown.
Her first night in Seattle? Something told her it was going to be good.
hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter, leave your thoughts below, and drop a kudos if you liked it! plenty more to come.