DISCLAIMER: Not my characters, nor my settings. Most if not all (I can't promise as the story progresses) the relationships featured in this piece of fanfiction were developed on screen. All rights, therefore go to whomsoever deserves them: Shonda Rhimes namely.

A/N: This is my first ever Grey's Anatomy story so bear with me. This is also the first female pairing story I am writing so keep that in mind as well. Do us the favor though and if it does offend you, don't read it. I'm not a big fan of hate mail. On that happy note: enjoy!

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On another note, you will have noticed the incredible brevity of this first installment. Fear not, however, my kind fanfictioners! I decided that in light of this being a Grey's Anatomy piece, I would pay homage to the tradition of opening monolouges. I tried to fashion it in the mindset that were it actually spoken by a Grey's character, it would be Meredith speaking. I originally considered writing it for Erica's character but it seemed far more appropriate for Mer to speak it as she is the key monolouge-er.

There is no insurance policy on relationships; no discount on the pain thresholds of the human heart. When you get hurt, you don't get to shove the costs aside onto some bipartisan, third-party company invested in your safety and comfort as long as you return the favor with money. You don't get that. Instead, when you're heart breaks into a thousand tiny pieces, when it is cleaved in two, you deal with the pain. You're stuck. You are entirely responsible for handling whatever excruciatingly agonizing feelings you might encounter along your road to heartache. Sure, you can be sympathized or empathized and you can do therapy to "figure out the pain" but for all intents and purposes, you are alone to wallow in your own discomfort.

Still, despite the consequences, the risks, the inevitable costs; we still continue loving. We still, time after time, hand out our hearts to those we love and trust. Sometimes—rarely—our hearts are given back to us whole and healthy. For whatever reason it was being returned, it was done so in a fashion both congenial and benign. Most of the time, however, we must concede to that inescapable fate before us that each time we lose our hearts and heads for someone, it will only end in sadness. When that happens, your heart is chipped, broken by loss.

Once we realize that hard truth, we begin to grow, to love freely, and to freely hand over our hearts to our loves—whoever they may be. Once we figure out all that fuzzy stuff, we can begin to alleviate the pain.

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A/N 2: A short chapter but still...Reviews are lovely.