Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's because if I did, I wouldn't be working at a job that really sucks. I'd be laying by the pool drinking Cosmopolitans.

How did you let this happen? You were so close. She wanted you, and yet, you let her get away. Again. He cried out in frustration before kicking the wall. How could I have known? I thought it was just testosterone. But, I was wrong. I love her. Now, it's too late because she's gone. She left without saying "good-bye" to any one. Maybe we didn't mean that much to her after all…No! That can't be true. She loves us. Or, at least, I thought she did. His head in his hands, he wondered how this could have happened. You should've told her how you feel. Maybe she would've stayed for you. This time, he slammed his fist into a locker. Blood came to his knuckles and spilled over his hand. Damn it. Fucking son of a bitch. All those times I wanted to tell her. I tried, but she wouldn't…or couldn't…listen. He thought he'd gotten over her for good, but every now and again something would bring back the memory. And he'd struggle with himself. It was his fault she left in the first place, and he didn't try to hold on.

"Chief?" a light knock sounded on his office door.

"What?" he was angry, though not at the nurse he just yelled at.

"I…I'm sorry," she stammered and began to back away. "There's a patient in the pit…"

"What's the problem?"

"Well, someone just dropped her off. She stumbled into the ER and passed out before being registered. She's been beaten pretty badly. The police want to speak with you."

"Fine. Tell them I'm on my way."

He took his time gathering a few things together. Whenever police were involved, he knew he could expect to be delayed for at least an hour. After a pit stop to refill his favorite travel mug, the one she'd bought him for Christmas so long ago, he headed down to the pit. The sight that greeted him nearly caused him to drop his mug, not to mention lose his lunch. It's her! How can this be? What the hell happened? He tried to remain calm as he approached the patient and police officers. He turned to the resident.

"Patient's name?"

"Driver's license says her name is Erika Nicole Winthrop."

It's not her! It's her sister! I'd forgotten just how much those two look alike. A sigh of relief followed the identification.

"Apparently she was attacked. No sign of rape. No money or credit cards in her wallet. No cell phone. GSW to the left shoulder. No exit wound. Currently stable. We'll be proceeding with surgery within the hour. And whoever the perp was tried to slit her throat. She must've tried to run. It wasn't deep."

"I'll take it from here. Dr. Grey, were you the original physician?"

"Yes, sir."

"Please answer the officers' questions. I'm going to take her on back to surgery."

"Sure thing, Chief," she leaned closer to him and whispered, "Do you know her?"

"What? Why would you think…"

"Forgive me, sir, for being presumptuous, but there was a look…"

"No, Lexie, I don't know her." Anymore.

After several hours of reconstructive and reparative surgery, Mark Sloan emerged from the OR exhausted but satisfied. The bullet was removed without any complications, and he did some reconstructive plastics on her neck. However, the blow to her head had done a lot of damage. Derek performed a flawless craniotomy. Nikki would be just fine, if she ever woke up, that is. She deserves to know that her sister is at Seattle Grace. I should be the one to call her. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number that he'd memorized long ago.

"Addison Montgomery," was the short, businesslike greeting that met Mark's ears after one ring.

He nearly dropped the phone. Hearing her voice after eighteen long months was completely amazing. Before their one night stand, Mark didn't go a day without talking to Addison for at least a few minutes. They had always been there for each other. When she and Derek would fight, he would hold her close and tell her everything would turn out okay. When he'd come home from a bar completely wasted, she'd make sure he was okay. She sat with him in the bathroom floor more times than he could remember. Then, she'd tuck him into bed with a bottle of Evian and some Tylenol on the nightstand. A few times, she'd slept on the covers next to him, just to be sure he'd be alright. The next morning, she would always have breakfast ready so that he would be on the fast track to recovering from his hangover. She never failed to have one of his favorite breakfasts waiting on him: homemade blueberry muffins, pancakes with his favorite gourmet bacon, or homemade doughnuts.

"Addie? It's Mark. How are you?"

"Fine," her tone was cool.

"There has been a…umm…an accident. Your sister was attacked. She's alive, but she is in a coma. Derek doesn't know for sure that she'll come out of it. I'm so sorry, Addie."

"My…Mark…?" she was stunned speechless by the sudden bad news and the fact that Mark was delivering the bad news to her.

"Nikki's out of surgery. If you want to come see her, I'll let you pass on visitor's rules. I know it will be late when you get here."

"Thanks, Mark. I'll…um…Call when I get to Seattle."

I hope Nikki is okay. I have to get there as soon as I can. She began throwing things into a suitcase though her entire body felt numb. Focusing solely on her sister, Addison called LAX to see when the soonest flight to Seattle was scheduled. She tried to force the fact that Mark had been the one to call her out of her mind. Needless to say, it didn't work. Derek did the craniotomy. He should've been the one to call me. Why did Mark call instead. What was Nikki doing in Seattle anyway? My baby sister. Mark. Oh, God.

"Where are you going?" Pete had just walked into the bedroom of Addison's apartment.

"Seattle."

"Why?" his tone was edgy and anxious.

"My little sister has been…hurt. I have to go see her. She's at Seattle Grace."

"Isn't that where your ex-husband and…that one guy work?"

"Yes, but…"

"Are you going to see one of them?"

"No! My sister is in a coma! I want to see her before…just in case…Anyway, I'm going to Seattle tonight."

"I'll come with you."

"No!" she shouted. "I'm sorry. It's just that it would probably be best for you to stay here. You have to work tomorrow, and I'm not sure when I'll be back."

"That's fine. If you don't want me to be with you, then I'll stay here."

"It's not like that, Pete. I have to go now. I'm sorry."

As she walked toward the bedroom door, Pete grabbed her and kissed her. He tried to pull her down onto the bed next to him, but she backed away. His lips weren't soft like Derek's. They didn't taste sweet like Mark's. The emotions that Derek, and later Mark, had brought to her mind weren't present when he kissed her. They never had been and probably never would be. She was kidding herself each time she looked into the mirror and told herself that they were there and that she was perfectly happy to be marrying Pete. She left him standing in the bedroom and headed to the airport.

AN: What do you think? Should I continue? Other chapters will be longer.