-~-~-~ Thanks for the reviews guys! I'm not too happy with this chapter but I guess I can live with it, I was going through somewhat of a writers block and between finals last month with college and then my new job I didn't have too much time to devote to clearing the block sooo lol yeah. But I'm back now and I should update sometime towards the end of this week or next.

Hope you like it!

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Chapter 4

Meredith leaned her scrub covered lithe body against the wall next to Trevor's room and shook her head wearily. When they had told the kid his parents didn't make it through the train crash he had looked so confused and helpless that she was forced to step closer and grab his hand in hers because she knew all too well what it was like. And since she knew she had waited, silently, until the look of horror and sadness so deep that it was so horribly wrong on a seven year old child she couldn't help but cringe.

People, especially ones that young, weren't supposed to feel sadness like that and it was so immoral to think that she had to be the one to deliver news to people who didn't deserve it…hell the kid didn't even know his last name. What right did she have to spoil the rest of his life by telling him he didn't have family to turn to when he needed them the most? Nothing…and it was something she could honestly say she hated about her line of work.

"Dr Grey? Chief?"

Her eyes snapped open and she gave O'Malley a half hearted smile, still not moving her body from the slouched form she had put it into. "Yes Dr O'Malley?"

"Is there anything I could do…I mean for Trevor…or you. You know it's not a problem for me if you need something since I am your resident today…not that it would bother me if you didn't need anything…it's just. Crap I should shut up huh?"

She had watched him fidget with the chart in his hands and she brought her green eyes to study his chocolate brown eyes; eyes that matched the short buzzed hair he was sporting and the warmth of his embarrassed smile. Meredith felt like this resident wasn't just a fumbling idiot with a medical license…not like some of the doctors she had been forced to work with back at her old job. This doctor standing nervously in front of her actually cared…hadn't been corrupted by too many deaths and too little sleep that eventually led to strained relationships with friends, families and lovers...that is if they weren't able to handle the life of a surgeon. This resident, this man, wasn't ready to give up on his dream and it gladdened her to know that there were doctors still around that were like that.

"Its fine…I'm just tired that's all. Ummm….there is something you could do for me if you want to."

George nodded his head rapidly, an almost loyal dog look in his eyes that made her laugh mentally at how far this resident would go to please just about anyone.

"Watch Trevor throughout the day, keep him company since I seem to be otherwise occupied. I don't want him alone for long periods of a time…he just found out his parents were killed and he doesn't even remember who they are, just that he will never meet them again."

George shot a sympathetic glance at the door before turning to nod respectively at her request. "I would be happy to Dr Grey…what about my other patients?"

Meredith shrugged and lifted herself from the wall, walking towards the elevator and her office. "I'm sure one of the other residents would be able to take them off your hands, if not just tell them it's an order from the chief…they won't have much to complain about then."

She didn't wait to see his reaction or to hear his answer since she stepped onto the open and empty elevator, pressing the small button for the floor to her office. If she was going to attend this stupid lunch with Addison and Archer then she would at least do it looking good and not like she had just stepped out of an on call room, sleeping on the small beds for not enough hours. Which she technically hadn't; switch the small bed with her large hotel one and the on call room for her hotel one and you get the only difference.

Closing her eyes, she thought back to the kid's reaction to her news and winced when it brought back memories she was hoping to avoid all together. What had happened to Trevor wasn't really what had happened to her and her parents but it might as well have been since it was certainly seemed close enough.

She waited until the elevator doors opened and revealed her floor. She brusquely walked towards her office lost in her thoughts.

"Dr Grey?"

Meredith sighed and stopped her pace, surveying the waiting nurse. What is it with people interrupting her thoughts today? First it was Sloan and then O'Malley and Addie…and now this…geez.

"Yes."

The red haired nurse shifted on her feet a little bit without looking at her for very long, almost as if she was afraid of Meredith. "Ummm Dr Montgomery wanted me to, ummm, remind you about the lunch. She told me you would know what I am talking about."

Meredith narrowed her eyes but thanked the nurse, waving her off to go somewhere else while she continued her way to her office down the hall. She opened the door and smiled at Richard who was sitting in her chair again.

"Do you miss this office or something? I always see you in here when I'm not."

Richard laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "Not really my office anymore…too modern for my taste anyways." He eyed her annoyed face and lifted himself from her chair and made his way over to stand next to her. "What's up Meredith?"

She smiled at him but ignored the question, moving to grab her skirt and shirt she had put off to the side to dry a couple of hours ago. "Nothing."

He scoffed loudly and moved to turn his back so that he wasn't watching as she pulled her scrub shirt off and replaced it with the teal tank and black dress jacket. "I know that's not true Mere, I practically raised you…I know the difference between nothing and something."

She glanced over at his turned back and grimaced. She wasn't really one to hide something from him but in this case she didn't want him worrying about her reminiscing about her parents. So instead, she took a deep breath and pulled her bottoms off, wriggling into her skirt. "Archer's back."

Richard let out a deep bellow of a laugh and nodded his head as if that explained everything. "Ah yes, Archer…too bad we already have the best neurosurgeon available, not to mention Sheppard too, or else I would suggest you give him a job."

Meredith glared at him in disbelief and slipped her feet into the high heels. "Never.…I refuse to even work in the same hospital as that man whore…knowing him is bad enough, being his so called little sister is even worse but I put my foot down when it comes to sharing an OR."

He chuckled again, turning to watch as she fixed her hair in the mirror on the other side of her closed door. She turned around and did a 360 in front of him, silently asking him if she was presentable. He nodded with an amused quirk of his eyebrow."You going some where's Chief?"

"Lunch with Addie. I have been eating this place's food for the past few weeks…I think I deserve real food now and then…besides I was kind of roped into going with her."

He raised his other eyebrow and laughed when she shot him a look of resentment. "Well go then, don't want Addison waiting for you too long."

She laughed and shrugged her shoulder, grabbing her purse in the process. "Yeah I guess we can't have that, can we? I'm not sure when I will be back, my pager is with me soo don't worry I'm sure it won't be long before I am called away from the loving arms of my other family!"

As Meredith walked out quickly she could make out his deep laughter behind her, and she smiled in response. Shrugging away her worry and memories that came with telling Trevor about his parents, she decided to take the stairs instead of the elevator since she didn't want to run into people with questions and problems. This was her break and she intended to take full advantage of it.

--

The first thing Meredith noticed about Joe's Emerald city bar was that it wasn't the type of packed, crazy bar that she had figured it would be. The walls were covered in photos of people Meredith didn't recognize and some that she did; this place seemed to be a Seattle Grace doctor hotspot. She glanced around at the different out of season decorations, not knowing why they worked in this place but somehow they gave off a more comfortable aura than her parent's house during Christmas.

The bar tender noticed her and waved slightly, no doubt wondering at the new meat walking through his doors and she smiled at him, not helping it that her lips curved involuntarily when she looked at him. He was probably one of those people who were loved where ever they went; ones who were natural bar owners.

Her attention drifted to the few people who were in the bar during lunch time and smiled when she realized that it was going to be just her, Addie and Archer since the bar looked pretty empty. Good, she didn't want a lot of people here when Archer came; his excitement tended to be more than people were used to.

Seeing that Addie or Archer wasn't there yet, Meredith decided to order a quick drink from the bar tender, maybe talk a little bit before she was engulfed in memories of times past. She quickly made her way over to the bar, taking a sit near the end of the table, smiling at the man as he put down the glass he had been washing and walk over to her.

"So what'll it be?"

Meredith eyed the shelves lined with numerous liquor bottles and sighed heavily. "Water with a lime, if you don't mind."

The man nodded but shot her a questioning glance. "No real drinks?"

Smiling she shook her head and turned to look at the exit, "Nope as much as I wish I didn't, I have to go back to work after this soooo no alcohol."

While he busied himself cutting her lime, he gave her curious looks, no doubt trying to figure her out like all other bar tenders did; it was their job to figure their customers out. "Joe."

Meredith narrowed her eyes in question before realizing what he meant. "Oh, yeah I kind of figured since the sign out front and everything. Meredith Grey."

He nodded and smiled again, handing her the water and lime. "So Meredith Grey what is it exactly, this job of yours, that forbids you to have a good drink in my excellent bar?"

"Chief of Surgery."

Joe whistles softly and leaned against the bar in front of her. "So you're The Meredith Grey…heard about you from every other doctor that comes into this place. Can't say it's all good things that I hear though."

She grins wirily and took a sip of her drink, "Comes with the job description…"

He nods, throwing her a sympathetic look, "From what I see you don't seem all that scary and intimidating."

"I'm not? Hmmm well I guess I have to work on that." Her grin widens and so does his.

"How do you like Seattle?" He catches her questioning glance and shrugs his shoulders. "Hey, I'm not a doctor but I work with enough of them to know that famous neurosurgeon Meredith Grey didn't live here."

Meredith laughed and returned his shrug. "Still getting used to it, haven't figured out how everyone can stand this much rain all the time…It's crazy."

Before Joe could say anything else Addison came rushing through the doors and hopped onto the stool next to Meredith, quickly ordering a mojito and turning excited eyes to her friend.

"Guess what? We don't have to contain Archer by ourselves anymore!"

Meredith raised an amused eyebrow and took a sip of her water. "Should you really be drinking in front of your boss? And what are you talking about?"

Addison smiled happily to Joe as he placed her drink in front of her and went to take care of another customer who was sitting on the other end of the bar. "I'm not working right now and neither are you, so no boss-thing okay? Besides I'm not working after this either, no surgeries and no on calls. I can drink all I want! Unlike you who has to be sober for everything."

Smirking at the arrogant tone Addie was pretending to use, Meredith spun in her seat to fully face her friend repeating the second part of her earlier question. Addison smiled again and took a delicate gulp from her glass.

"Mark, Derek and Callie have decided to join us for lunch."

Meredith choked back on her water and stared at Addison incredulously. "They what?! Addison that's three of my attendings away from my hospital and not counting me and you! Who the hell is watching the place? Residents?"

Addison flicked her hands in dismissal, eyeing her best friend's reaction. "Don't worry about it, I got Richard to cover it…he was more than happy when I told him that it was so you could socialize with our coworkers…instead of hiding in that little shell of yours."

"I do not have a shell, Addie. Besides I have friends…"

The red head snorted and shook her head. "I don't count, and neither do the ones in Sans. I mean here, Mere…you live in a hotel and the hospital is pretty much all the social life you have gotten in the last month or so, and that's just sad."

Meredith narrowed her eyes in annoyance and huffed, "That is not sad, I just moved here and I'm Chief of Surgery…I have every reason to choose not to socialize. And the hotel is temporary, you know that!"

Addison just rolled her eyes but didn't say anything as the door opened and the three attendings strolled in laughing and talking amongst themselves.

Meredith quickly leaned over and whispered lightly, "Do they know Archer?"

Addison laughed and pointed to the two men walking towards them, "They do, but Callie doesn't. She has heard of him though."

The blond nodded and turned back to stare into her drink as the new members of the lunch took seats at a circular table, motioning for the two women to join them. She watched as Joe smiled and talked to them like he had known them forever, while he ordered their drinks. Meredith smiled at Addison, who was tugging her hand to move over to the table. She explained that she was going to order food for them and that she would join them after. Addison nodded her understanding but shot her a look of promise.

Meredith sighed and fished around in her purse for her cell phone. When she had it in her hand she let out a sigh of frustration when she realized she had no idea what the number was for any good restaurants. "Hey Joe?"

She waited as he stopped talking to some other customer and made his way over to her, glancing down at her water to see if she needed more. When he saw she didn't, he looked down at her questioningly.

"I have to order lunch for six people…and I have no clue which place is good or even what to order…"

He smiled at her flustered appearance and tapped his head thoughtfully. "Why don't you let me order something for you guys?"

Meredith looked up from her phone in surprise and gratitude for the bar tender; she barely knew him and already he was turning into her favorite guy in Seattle. "You sure you want to? I mean…"

"No its fine Meredith, I know these guys pretty well and I know this city extremely well soooo I think I can order lunch. Go have fun."

She nodded slowly and gave him one of her bright smiles. "Alright, thanks so much Joe! Here I'll give you my card, just tell them to bill it to my debit."

He smiled back at her and took the plastic card she held up, turning around to head over to his own phone, a contemplative look on his face…no doubt thinking of a place to get their food from.

Meredith grabbed her drink and smiled at Addison, who was watching her from her seat across the room. She slowly made her way over to the group watching at Callie smiled and waved at her and the other two men nodded familiarly in her direction. Dropping into her seat she returned the smiles.

"So when is the food going to get here?"

Meredith turned to look at Derek who had voiced the question and tilted her head, gesturing to Joe, who was currently talking to someone on the phone. "Joe wanted to take care of it so I don't really know."

Addison grinned, taking a sip from her drink and nudging Meredith with her healed foot. "You had no clue where to order did you?"

Blushing slightly, she shook her head and laughed lightly at herself. "Only lived in Seattle for a little bit…though I have my hotel room service memorized…I sadly am not fluent when it comes to take out menus."

Mark laughed, "I know the feeling, when I moved here I lived on the same stuff."

Shaking his head, Derek pointed to Mark accusingly, "That's not the only thing you lived on."

Mark smirked at the innuendo and tilted his head in acceptance. Meredith wondered exactly what that meant but looking at the man's good looks she had a feeling she knew exactly what had been referred to. She sipped again at her water and listened quietly to the spirited ramble of her co workers.

"So Chief, what brings you away from the confines of the hospital?"

Meredith turned to look at Mark who was seated next to her, and realized the others were involved in their own conversations while she had remained quiet. She grimaced and fingered her glass. "Family reunion...sort of."

His brows furrowed for a second and he gestured to Addison. "I thought it was her brother that was coming to visit."

"It is…it's kind of complicated but me and Addie lived together during med school and intern days, so her family grew to be my family too. Or so they tell me anyways."

Mark nodded and shifted in his seat a little so that he could look at her better. "Yeah I know what you mean; Derek and I have that kind of thing too."

Smiling, Meredith sipped her water again and frowned when she saw that she was pretty much out of liquid. She pushed it away from her and leaned back in her seat.

"You're living in a hotel huh? Not planning on staying very long in our lovely city?"

Turning her head, she studied him for a second and then shrugged her thin shoulders slightly. "No I plan on staying even though it rains every damn day…" She stopped for a second and scowled at his amused expression. "I just haven't had time to look for any place yet…though the town houses near the water seem nice."

He smiled, admiring the thoughtful frown her green eyes were giving him, as she explained that she had always loved the water; one of her reasons for living on the west coast. "So you love water, and yet hate the rain…I don't really understand you Meredith Grey."

Meredith snorted and raised her eyebrow, "Maybe I don't want to be understood."

Mark shook his head, grinning at the playful tone her voice had changed to. "Every woman wants to be understood."

"Oh and you know this from experience?"

He laughed, pointing a finger at Addison, Callie and Meredith. "Yes I am very good at reading people…especially woman."

Callie chose this time to jump in, "You only 'read' women to get in their pants."

Addison laughed, "The only thing you're good at apparently."

Mark held his hands up in denial, "Hey! I am a damn good plastic surgeon…the fact that I have such great natural facial features is just a bonus. Besides, Derek here is just as bad as I am."

Derek narrowed his eyes, "How so? I do not do one night stands for every night of the week."

"Oh yeah? Then why are the nurses naming you Mcdreamy? Can't be because you're innocently pure right?" Mark was leaning forward in his seat, grinning at the slight blush on the other man's face.

"I…I…I have no clue why they call me that."

Addison sniggered softly and mock-glared at the two men, "You both are horrible womanizers…and Derek you know exactly why they call you that."

Derek scoffed, smirking in the red head's direction, "Not like your any better Addison."

Meredith lifted her eyes to stare at her friend skeptically, as if she hadn't heard right when she listened to the reproachful tint on the last part. She looked over at Callie who was staring at the two surgeons like she knew exactly what was going on. Callie noticed Meredith's stare and gestured to the empty glass of water and back to the bar. Meredith nodded and picked it up, excusing herself to get a refill from Joe, Callie following her.

When they both were out of ear shot, Meredith raised her eyebrows and waved behind them. "Did I miss something back there?"

Callie laughed softly and pushed their glasses towards Joe, smiling at him in the process. "Gin and whatever is in hers." She turned her eyes back to focus on Meredith nodding to her question. "Yeah, Derek and Addison have a history when it comes to relationships and everything."

Frowning, Meredith thanked the bar tender, sipping her new drink slowly. "So they dated?"

Callie shook her head, grabbing her own glass. "Nope never, but they sort of have this thing between the two of them…like…I don't know..."

"Like they undress each other with their eyes all the time thing right?"

"Who's undressing who and can I join?"

Meredith sighed disgustedly, knowing that if it was anyone who would catch the last part, it would be Mark Sloan. "Addie and.."

Mark laughed, handing Joe his drink, and leaning against the stool near Meredith. "Derek. Yeah I know. Jumping down each other's throat all the time…it's their thing."

Meredith nodded, gazing contemplatively at her friend, "Why don't they date or whatever?"

Callie shrugged and said over her shoulder, as she made her way back to the table, "No one knows, maybe now that you're here, you can make it happen."

Frowning again, Meredith followed Callie with her eyes and watched as she joined in on the conversation with the other two surgeons. "Is it just me or did I just sense a hint of resentment…"

Mark turned to stare at who she was talking about but he just shook his head as if the reason Callie had said what she did should be obvious to the other woman. "It wasn't just you."

Meredith smiled briefly the look Addison was shooting her across the room and turned back to study the man next to her. "What did I do?"

"You're here."

She scowled, "That's hardly a reason."

Mark narrowed his eyes down at her and took a swing of his drink. "Are you really that naive or are you just pretending to not notice?"

Meredith sighed and grimaced, understanding exactly what Mark was alluding to, "I guess I do get it but….I can't do anything about being Chief and I certainly won't apologize for it. The job was offered to me and I would be a complete idiot not to accept it…."

He laughed and gave his head a quick shake in a dismissal of her words. "That's not why Callie is acting like that."

She tilted her head questioningly to the side and her eyes drifted to the now laughing orthopedic surgeon. "Hmmmm I don't remember insulting her during the month that I have been here, and to tell the truth this is the first time I have talked to her outside of the hospital…so I'm not sure what I did."

Mark shrugged again, smiling at the look of concentration on his boss's face. "It's not something you could have helped…and it's not your fault either. Your Addison's best friend." With that he walked back over to the table, easily inserting himself back into the conversation as if he hadn't even left.

Meredith sighed and rubbed her left temple in irritation; because she was Addie's friend, Callie didn't like her? She shook her head and began to walk in the direction of the group until she heard the door to the bar bang open and a pair of bright blue eyes and short brown hair.

"Meri!"