A/N - This story is old school GA, going right back to the start, when it was at it's best and why we all fell in love with it!
Each chapter will focus on a different one of the five original interns (I'll change the character listings each time too). There will also be appearances from all the original major characters too!
(I do not own any of the characters!)
MEREDITH
This is the start of the game and you either have what it takes to play or you don't.
Meredith gazed out of the car window dreamily, as a flood of nerves suddenly hit her and she contemplated just what the next five years of her life would bring.
Meredith was moving across the country to California, not knowing a soul, to start med school and hopefully prove to her mother that she had what it took to become a surgeon, a great surgeon!
She had never been to California before and Meredith was starting to wonder if it really was the best choice for her to attend med school. She had felt certain that it was. Not only was it one of the best in the country, but it was also the furthest one that she could find away from her dominating, overbearing and emotionless mother back in Boston.
Fiddling aimlessly with a strand of her silky blonde hair, Meredith settled her eyes on some other new students walking around accompanied by proud parents. She felt a small pang in her chest. Her own mother wouldn't have dreamt of flying across the country to settle her only daughter in to her scary new life at med school. The idea of that was unthinkable, Ellis Grey was far too busy performing lifesaving surgeries back at Boston General, thinking that supporting her daughter financially was more than enough. The idea that she might need emotional support too, had completely passed Ellis by for the entire course of Meredith's life. As a result, Meredith had grown up unsure of her place in the world, desperate to seek her mother's approval.
Ellis had also been a little dismissive to say the least, of Meredith's decision to go to med school. Saying that she just wasn't cut out for it, and that she was weak just like her father. But that had just made Meredith even more determined to prove her mother wrong.
…
Stepping out of the cab and in to the blazing sunshine, Meredith stopped, catching her breath, taking a long look down the street that would be her home for the forseeable future. It was such a contrast to the cooler weather she had become so accustomed to back in Boston and she felt a bead of sweat break on her forehead, as she lugged her suitcases up the steps to her new home.
'Why couldn't my mother have just bought me a one bed apartment?' Meredith thought irritatingly, as she fumbled with the key in the lock.
Instead, Ellis Grey, had insisted on investing in a five bedroom house for Meredith to live in, under the strict conditions that she rented the spare rooms out to fellow students at the med school, saying she would need the support if nothing else. Another sign to Meredith, that her mother didn't think she was tough enough to follow in her footsteps and take on the gruelling task of becoming a surgeon like her. Meredith, would have much preferred to have lived alone, seeing as she had spent most of her adult life living alone in her mother's huge empty house back in Boston, whilst Ellis practically lived at the hospital.
As she cursed and twisted the key in the opposite direction, still trying to unlock the wide front door, Meredith suddenly wondered just what her five other roommates would be like. She had left it to the last-minute to advertise, having just got back from travelling around Europe all summer, so she had simply settled for the first four that had applied and was therefore fairly convinced that they would all be freaks. Which wouldn't be too much of a problem, seeeing as she really didn't plan on spending any time with them anyway.
Stopping and sighing she glanced down the street again, just as she was met with the sight of a nervous looking young guy, walking up to her. He had shaggy dark hair and gentle brown eyes. On seeing Meredith his face lit up and he said to her "Excuse me. Is this number 26?"
Meredith forced a small smile as she said "Yes."
His face lit up even more as he said nervously "Hi, I'm George O'Malley. Looks we're going to be living together. You're first year med school too, right?" He looked slightly apprehensive, but also kind and friendly and Meredith suddenly felt a small rush of relief, as she smiled with genuine warmth this time and said "Yep, that's right. I'm Meredith Grey."
Meredith giggled at something George said, as they both made their way in to the spacious kitchen of their new home together.
Walking in they were instantly met with the sight of tall blonde girl standing in front of them. She had flawless skin and a model figure, and she beamed as she saw them, flashing perfect pearly white teeth, as she said "Hi, I'm Isobel Stevens, but everyone calls me Izzie."
Meredith felt herself tense up again, as she looked at the pretty girl in front of her. 'Great, I've got to live with some beauty queen! She thought, as through clenched teeth, brushing a strand of loose hair away from her eye, she said "I'm Meredith Grey."
Izzie's face glowed, as she said "Oh, you're Meredith. This is your house. Wow! It's such a cool place. It's so nice of you to rent the rooms out to us."
Meredith glanced across at George, to see that his eyes were nearly popping out of his head, as he looked at Izzie, and he stuttered "I'm George O'Malley."
"Well, it's great to meet you two. That makes four of us then." Izzie said, her voice buzzing with excitement.
Meredith shot her a confused look, as she said "Four of us?"
"Oh, you guys haven't met Cristina yet. She's nice, but she's a little….." she lowered her voice and mouthed "She's a little strange!"
Meredith felt almost relieved, strange, she could handle, bright and annoyingly shiny, she could not, she thought, as she looked at Izzie again. Just as a petite pretty girl, with a thick curtain of raven black curls bouncing across her face, strode boldly in to the kitchen.
"Cristina Yang," she said, confidently holding her hand out to Meredith and George, adding "Take it you've met Barbie here?" Leaning her head towards Izzie, who shot her a hurt look, as George quickly shook Cristina's hand, saying "George O'Malley." Before turning awkwardly to Meredith to say something.
"Oh, hi, I'm Meredith Grey." Meredith suddenly said, unsure just what to make of this confident slightly scary looking girl stood in front of her.
Cristina's eyes searched Meredith intently, as she said "So, this is your place huh? Nice, I got here first, just before ba…" …
"Izzie," The tall blonde girl, quickly corrected her, and seemingly unfazed by Cristina's words, Izzie beamed again and said "So, we're all first year med school, right? That's so cool. We're going to have so much fun!" She gushed.
Cristina raised her eyebrows "I honestly, can't wait." She said sarcastically, as Meredith looked at her, catching her eye, as she smirked.
Izzie ignored Cristina and carried on talking. "So, I was thinking Mere…. It's ok to call you Mere, isn't it?" She said, looking at Meredith for a second, before she carried on talking. "We should, you know, draw straws or something for the rooms. It's only fair."
"Oh, screw that. I've already taken the biggest one, and you should, you know, take the next biggest one Meredith, it being your house and all." Christina said.
Meredith shrugged. She really didn't want to end up being in charge of the house, or the referee between the people that she was forced to live with, so she just said. "Look, it's not my house ok. My mother happens to own it, but I'm just living here through med school, with four other people, just like you guys."
"Four!" Izzie and Cristina both said at once. "There's another one?" Cristina said, rolling her eyes.
"Fraid so," Meredith said. "I don't know where he is, but I expect he's probably just running late or something."
"He?" Izzie said, her eyes lighting up. "It's a guy. I hope he's hot!" She added, before George looked down awkwardly at the floor.
"I hope he's a mute." Cristina said.
"He could have dropped out." George said quietly, adding "People drop out of med school all the time, you know."
"Okay, I can't promise he's hot, or anything else for that matter. But I can promise he's moving in with us, he won't have dropped out, we haven't even started yet!" Meredith said, as she suddenly thought how she had only actually exchanged a few hurried emails with their mystery new roommate the day before. She couldn't even remember his name.
Meredith suddenly felt uncomfortable as she looked at the expectant faces of the three strangers in front of her. She hated uncomfortable small talk with people she didn't know. She was tired and she just wanted to go and hide away on her own. But before she could make her excuses, Izzie suddenly said "Okay guys, this is our first night at Med School and we are going to have the time of our lives. So, let's all go out and celebrate. There's a bar called Jack's next to the university, that's going to be rocking tonight and hopefully there'll be some hot guys there too." She added with a twinkle in her eye, as she looked directly at Meredith.
Meredith sighed, her face full of apprehension, hot guys, that really was the last thing she wanted to be thinking about the day before she started med school. She looked over at Cristina to gauge her reaction.
Staring blankly back at Meredith's reluctant face, Cristina simply shrugged and said "Well, I'm in!"
Meredith was squashed in to the corner of a table with her three new roommates in the noisy crowded bar. The atmposhere buzzing with excited first year students, drinking and chatting with loud music blaring in the background. Meredith felt uncomfortable and also a tad annoyed, at being dragged out against her will. She planned to just have a couple of drinks, before heading home for an early night.
"Okay, can I just say guys, here's a toast to the next five years and all the many adventures we'll be having along the way." Izzie said merrily, her eyes full of excitement, as she held her glass up to the other three, forcing them to reluctantly hold up theirs too.
Crisitina, sipped her drink and looked intensely round at the other's as she then said "Okay, can I just say that I am not here to make friends. I do not 'do', people, or relationships or any other form of emotional stuff. I am simply here to be top of my class in everything and secure the best possible internship afterwards. So I do not do ….."
"Okay, we get it. You don't do friends." Meredith said, as both Izzie and George looked on speechless at Cristina, and Meredith thought how she really couldn't work her out. Even though Cristina could evidently be a 'super bitch', there was something about this super confident, sharp witted girl that Meredith kind of liked, as she thought. 'Well, we're either going to be best friends or arch enemies.'
…..
The sight of Izzie, seemed to have turned every male head in the place and it wasn't long before a tall handsome guy with dirty blonde hair came over to their table chat to her. Izzie gushed and giggled, staring up at him with a shy flirty smile, twisting her long blonde hair around her finger.
Meredith looked away and over at Cristina, whose eyes were eagerly scouring the room, as she sipped her margarita furiously threw a straw. "I'm just off to the ladies." Cristina suddenly announced and in a flash she was gone, leaving Meredith sat alone with George.
Meredith shifted uncomfortably, as she felt George's eyes burning in to her intensely 'this is just damn awkward' she thought, as George cleared his throat and said "Um…..Meredith, do you have a boyfriend?"
Meredith was unsure how to answer. She wanted to lie, but instead the answer just instinctively came out of her head as she said dismissively "No." Although, at that exact point in time, Meredith was ashamed to admit, she really wished she did have a 'boyfriend! She was no fool, she could tell when a guy was in to her, and she sighed as she thought, why did it always have to be the ones she didn't want? The nice ones, the kind ones, the ones with the bad 'freaking' shaggy hair. Why couldn't George have a crush on Cristina? She thought, or Izzie? She's like a freaking supermodel!
Aware of the uncomfortable silence and willing Cristina to come back, Meredith slurped the remainder of her drink and stared down in to the bottom of her glass to avoid George's overly eager eyes on her. Just as George said nervously "So um…..what kinds of music do you like Meredith?"
That was too much for Meredith, she felt like she was on a really bad first date and as nice a guy as Geroge was she needed to get away. "I'm just going to the bar." She said hurriedly as she jumped up quickly, desperate to get away from his pathetic puppy dog eyes as fast as she possibly could.
….
If George had been hoping anything would happen between them he would be bitterly disappointed Meredith thought as she slid on to a bar stool and quickly caught the barman's eye, saying loudly. "Tequila!"
The barman grinned at her as he said "Happy hour. It's a double for every single tonight."
"Better make that a double then," Meredith said, all her good intentions of having a quiet night slowly fading away.
"Going for it tonight." A smooth male voice beside her suddenly said.
Meredith turned, to see a dark-haired handsome man staring curiously at her with an amused smile. He had beautiful blue eyes, they were intelligent, deep and captivating.
Meredith felt herself blush, as she stared down at her hands and twisted them together. She felt a new rush of adrenaline, as she sensed his inquisitive gaze on her and her insides churned as she felt an instant attraction to him.
'Say something'! Meredith thought. She was no stranger to being hit on by random guys at bars, but here she froze, as she glanced at him, instantly dazzled by his perfect smile.
"Forgive me," he said. "But I was just wondering what a beautiful girl like you is doing sat here drinking all alone?"
Meredith suddenly felt more than a little self-conscious, as she thought 'is he trying to hit on me?' Becoming lost for words even more, as she pursed her lips and eventually, she looked straight at him and said "It's my first night here and well, I'm not alone, I'm out with my new roommates, and I should really be getting back to them." Downing her drink as she remembered she had left George all alone and she should really try and find Cristina.
"Oh, that's a shame." The mysterious dark-haired guy said, as he ran his finger across his mouth. "I was going to ask if I could you buy you another drink?"
Meredith stared down at her knotted fingers, she could feel her cheeks burning scarlet. What was it about this guy that had her in such a head spin? She looked up to meet his blue eyes and bit her lip, before she said. "I am sure I can catch up with them in a bit."
"I'm Derek." He said, his eyes lighting up warmly.
"Meredith Grey." Meredith smiled back, suddenly feeling a little more relaxed.
"Well, pleased to meet you Meredith Grey." Derek said, with another amused smile. "So, what brings you here?"…
Meredith was feeling light-headed and buzzing. Partly due to the effects of the alcohol rushing around her system and partly due to being in the company of the mysterious, gorgeous guy, she was sat drinking with.
After what must have been her fifth tequila, she went to stand up "I should go," she said giggling.
"I'll walk you home." Derek said, quickly standing up to catch Meredith as she wobbled slightly and he grabbed her arm to steady her, 'Uh oh, this is normally how it starts', Meredith thought. Next he'll be through my front door and then in my bed. But somehow, as much she was attracted to Derek, Meredith wasn't sure if she wanted to take him back to hers for a seedy one night stand, perhaps she didn't want him to see that side of her and she just wanted to remain the drunken girl in the bar.
"No. Seriously I'll be fine, its only a few blocks away," Meredith said, still laughing.
Derek went to say something, with a new concerned look on his face, as Meredith said forcefully, "I should really find my friends. We can walk home together." Suddenly feeling very guilty for abandoning George, as she looked around the room, but there was no sign of him, when she suddenly spotted Izzie.
Izzie had her back to Meredith and was sat talking to the same guy from earlier. They were deep in conversation, their foreheads practically touching and Izzie burst in to a loud ripple of laughter, flinging her long hair back behind her as Meredith apprehensively walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder, aware of Derek's eyes burning in to her, eagerly watching her every move.
Izzie turned and grinned as she saw Meredith and shouting over the music she said. "Meredith, hey, meet Hank. Hank, this is my new roommate Meredith."
Meredith smiled at them both, as she said "I was thinking of heading home. You wanna come too?"
Izzie's face changed as she looked behind Meredith and caught a glimpse of Derek and her eyes met Meredith's with a sparkle and she leaned forward and whispered in her ear "Oh, no, I was thinking of hanging here a bit longer. But I'm sure you'll be fine." Gesturing towards Derek with her head, as she said "He's dreamy, go you!"
Meredith couldn't help but almost feel a small rush of excitement then. As with another amused smile Derek said softly "I think your friends busy…. So, Meredith Grey, you have no excuse now, but to let me walk you home."
Meredith felt fuzzy all over as she fumbled with the key in the lock of her new front door for the second time that day. She had thought she had seen a light on somewhere, meaning either George or Cristina must be back already, but she wasn't going to the ring the doorbell. Not with this dreamy guy stood next to her.
"Need a hand?" Derek said, as he grabbed her trembling fingers expertly with one of his long slender hands.
Meredith instantly felt an electric current zap through her. Guys never normally had his effect on her. If they were reasonably good looking she'd sleep with them once, if they interested her she'd maybe sleep with them a couple of times. But she'd never had a serious relationship, and she was pretty sure she'd never been in love. The thought of either, had never really interested her, or maybe she just hadn't found a guy that interested her enough? Although, her mother had repeatedly drummed in to her, that falling in love would be her biggest weakness.
But there was just something about this mysterious dreamy guy that fascinated her. As she looked at his unreadable expression, he looked so cool and calm, and all she could think about was how desperately she wanted him to kiss her. The blood was rushing around her entire body in anticipation, as he looked directly at her and his eyes locked with hers for a moment in a lingering gaze, before he eventually leant in to brush her lips lightly with his. Meredith felt herself melt against him, as she moved in closer, pushing herself against him and opening her mouth with furious intensity, as the kiss became deeper. He smelt delicious, some expensive aftershave and body lotion as his light manly stubble gently brushed her cheek. Causing Meredith to feel increasingly dizzy and turned on.
She was just about to wrap her arms around his neck and embrace him further, when he abruptly broke apart from her, and for the first time in the night he had lost his cool air of confidence and his amused smile. His face was more serious as he looked away and said "I'm sorry Meredith. I shouldn't have done that. It was nice meeting you." Then, without so much as a goodbye peck on the cheek, he had vanished in to the night.
Meredith, woke the next morning in her new bed, with a sharp, banging headache. Despite it being the first day of college, all she could think about was the guy from last night 'Derek'. His eyes, his smile, that hair, that kiss. But, he hadn't come in, she'd wanted him to, desperately! All her good intentions had gone out the window the moment he'd kissed her, but he'd just left so suddenly. Why?
She groaned as she pulled her phone out of her purse by the bed. She needed to be up and out the door in five minutes. She needed to forget about Derek, she didn't even know his last name, or anything about him. He was probably some hotshot lawyer, or financial guy. He wouldn't be interested in her. Why would he? She was Meredith Grey. She was a screw up!
As she stumbled out of her bedroom door, Meredith heard yelling coming from the kitchen. It sounded like a male and female voice, she was pretty sure it was Izzie but she didn't recognise the male one, it certainly didn't sound like George.
…
"What's going on?" Meredith said, walking in to the kitchen, feeling slightly shaky with her evolving hangover.
"And you've drunk all my orange juice..." Izzie yelled. She was stood perfectly made up, with her blonde hair loosely tied up and her hands on her hips, her cheeks flushed, looking mad, shaking an empty carton of orange juice. Next to her, stood an equally outraged looking Cristina and a bemused George was sat at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal.
Meredith turned to see Izzie was yelling at a tanned, dark haired, good looking guy who was just stood looking back at them with an arrogant smirk. Meredith shot a confused look at George, who in between wolfing down mouthfuls of cereal said "Our fifth mystery roommate, Alex."
"Oh," Meredith said.
Izzie then turned to her and said "Mer, this jack ass here, our new roommate, decided to go in to my room last night take all my stuff out and move his in, and now he's drunk all my freaking orange juice!"
Alex grinned at Izzie as he said "It's nothing personal doll face. You snooze, you lose."
"And he helped himself to my first edition medical text books," Cristina said angrily.
Alex laughed to himself as he said "You shouldn't have left them lying around then."
Meredith held her hands up and quickly moved to make herself a coffee. She didn't care what this guy had done, she was sticking firmly to her guns; she wasn't in charge of the house. They would have to sort this out themselves. "Seriously, this isn't my problem. I'm running late." Meredith simply said in response.
Cristina's facial expression suddenly changed and she turned to look at Meredith, as she said curiously "Are you related to Ellis Grey?"
Meredith froze. This time they had her full attention, as she saw all four of her new roommates suddenly staring at her with burning curiosity. 'Dam! This is exactly what I wanted to avoid' Meredith thought.
"Why?" Was all she could say as she sipped her coffee hurriedly, avoiding eye contact with any of them.
"Because, I found 'evil spawn' here, watching some old VHS of her surgeries. He said he found them last night and they're not mine or O'Malley's' and I seriously doubt their Barbie's," Cristina said.
Meredith was fuming now, as she turned to Alex and raising her voice, she said "You had no right. Did you go in my room?"
If he was sweating at all, being verbally attacked be three women at 7.30am in the morning, Alex showed no sign of it as with the same arrogant smirk, he said to Meredith "They were in the hall in a bag. I thought they were there for the taking. Come on, we're both studying surgery."
"We're all studying surgery," Izzie said feistily.
Alex just dismissed Izzie, waving his hand and saying "You, won't last five minutes babe."
"You're an ass," Izzie said back.
Cristina cut in then, saying "Okay, seriously, we're running late now, and I am not being late on the first day. So, if you want a lift I am leaving now."
Alex looked at her. "Oh, you have a car, cool!"
"Sorry, only four spaces," Cristina said with a smug smile.
"Can't you chuck him out Mer?" Izzie said, from the back of Cristina's car. "I can't believe we have to live with him. He's like the biggest ass I've ever met!"
"He's evil spawn." Cristina said, laughing wickedly.
"Well, you know one rotten apple out of five isn't bad." George said, trying to lighten the fiery atmosphere of the three furious women he was sat in the car with.
"Ooh, did I tell you? I met a hockey player last night called Hank and he's taking me out on a date tonight. I really like him, he's hot, like really hot." Izzie said giddily, changing the subject.
"Yeah, you did, just a few times," George said sighing.
Meredith exhaled firmly and drowning their voices out from the back of the car, she brushed her fingers through her long hair, glancing in to the mirror. She looked tired, she thought, as a flash of Derek popped in to her head again.
"So, Meredith." Izzie suddenly said, leaning forward in to the front. "Who was that guy you were with last night? He was dreamy."
Meredith felt her cheeks flush crimson, as she glimpsed back at Izzie, catching Geroge's eye by accident, long enough to see a hurt look cross his face, before she quickly turned away.
"Oh, no-one," Meredith replied, trying to brush it off. Feeling Izzie's eyes burning in to her, wanting immediate answers.
"So, Ellis Grey's your mother right?" Cristina then said, her eyes fixed on the road. Meredith shifted and cleared her throat. This was the one question she had wanted to avoid, but somehow, it seemed favourable to talking about that guy from last night. The one she couldn't get out of her head.
"Yep, she's my mother." Meredith said slowly. As she heard Izzie go back to gushing about her date to George.
Meredith turned to look at Cristina as she said "So, what happened to you last night anyway?"
Cristina didn't move as she said swiftly."Oh, met a hot guy too."
Walking in to the crowded lecture room, Meredith sat down eagerly next to Cristina. She felt a rush of excitement. This was why she was here, to study to become a great surgeon. To prove to her mother she could do it, and to make her mother proud of her.
Meredith looked up to see a short fierce looking woman stood at the front of the room, hands on hips, glaring at the sea of faces of nervous first year students.
The door to the lecture theatre, suddenly swung open and Meredith saw Alex skulk sheepishly in and take a vacant seat on his own at the front.
"You're late on the first day," the scary looking woman said to him.
Meredith almost for a moment, felt sorry for Alex, as she saw him look nervously around, his clothes looked creased and his hair ruffled. Then she remembered what an ass he'd been earlier. She sighed, that was one problem she didn't want to have to think about right now, as she fixed her eyes on the woman in front of her.
"Okay, listen up everyone. I'm Dr Bailey. I am in charge of you sorry people for the first year here. This will be the start of the hardest, but most rewarding journey of your lives. Some of you won't last, some of you will crack under the pressure. I will be overseeing you all, as well as performing lifesaving surgeries myself. So, in a word, I will be busy. Therefore, I don't expect any misbehaviour from any of you. If you do step out of line at any time, you will have me to answer to…oh and don't bother sucking up to me. I already hate you."
Meredith swallowed as she listened intently to Dr Bailey continuing to talk loudly. "Okay, so this morning we have our new guest teacher here. He's taking time out of his busy schedule, as one of the states finest nureo surgeons. So, I trust you'll all make Dr Shepherd feel very welcome."
Meredith nearly fell off her chair. As there right in front of her, stepping up to the microphone with the same perfect hair, expressive eyes and dazzling smile was the dreamy guy from the night before. Derek!
"Good morning everyone. I'm Dr Shepherd. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I will be doing some of your teaching over the next year, so let's get started. It's a beautiful day to study medicine." Derek said, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and a fresh amused smile, as he looked over and caught Meredith's eye. Meredith couldn't believe it.
'I really am such a screw up' she thought, wanting the ground to open up and swallow her. Meredith, had truly thought she would never see Derek again and now here he was, a nureo surgeon. In one word, that was hot!
But, he's also my teacher! Meredith thought glumly, as seeing Derek here again, sending intense shock waves through her whole system, she wondered just how, she would be able to get through her first year of med school now?
TO BE CONTINUED….