"Gather round," Bailey instructed, "You are all in the clinic. No EXCEPTIONS. There is a nasty nasty stomach flu going around and if you haven't been vomited on at lease 5 times by lunch," she eyed them all. "You ain't doin' your job."

"Miranda," Addison's heels staccatoed purposely past, "I need Cristina."

"Not today," Bailey shook her head.

Addison stopped dead in her tracks, "But I need an intern."

Bailey shrugged, " Ask someone else."

"But I need Cristina," Addison said desperately.

Cristina raised her eyebrow.

"I've prepped Cristina," Addison invented.

Bailey glanced at Cristina.

Cristina nodded in agreement. She hated vomit.

"Fine," Bailey turned her back, dismissing everyone.

Cristina jogged after Addison, "You want to make sure I keep my mouth shut don't you."

Addison picked up a stack of charts and piled them in Cristina's arms, "I'm glad we understand each other."

XXXXXXX

Derek stepped into the clinic and looked around wearily. It reeked of vomit.

"Meredith!" He called across the room, motioning to her over the heads of patients.

"What?" she asked as she approached, wiping her brow with her forearm.

"You left early this morning," he began awkwardly.

She shrugged, "I just didn't come in with you."

He brushed his hand softly over her arm, "I missed you," he smiled.

"Sorry," she replied without much conviction.

"Mer, come on."

"No," she shrugged away from him, "I'm still mad. I get to be mad."

"Meredith," Derek sighed.

"No, Derek. You don't get to always come first with me," Meredith spat, lowering her voice to barely a whisper, "I have other people in my life. Just because you have shut yourself off from everyone, doesn't mean that you have to drag me along with you."

"Meredith," Derek reached out for her, "I'm sorry," he whispered sincerely.

"Okay," she shrugged, "Thanks."

"Meredith," he tried again, "I'll talk to Cristina. I'll apologize, and I'll ask her to come back."

She looked at him for the first time since she walked over, "Really?"

Derek grinned, "Well, first I am going to try to get her back to Burke's," he saw her tentatively smile back and his grin grew larger "I'll get her back for you. I'm McDreamy, I can do anything."

XXXXXXX

"George," Callie swung the curtain around trapping him inside, "I want out."

"What?" George's jaw dropped.

"I want out of that house," Callie insisted, "We are married and we have no privacy in that house! There are people everywhere. I want out. We need out."

George stared at her dumbly, "We can't leave."

"Why not?" she demanded.

George began to stutter, "We can't leave Meredith. Without a roommate. And. And. She's picky. So. She needs to find someone to take that, that room. And she's picky. " George grasped, "And Izzie. We can't leave Izzie there. With Meredith. And Derek. And her all alone. And…"

"So you are saying," Callie interrupted, "That we can't move out until Meredith finds a new roommate and Izzie finds a boyfriend?"

"No!" George paused, "Well, yes…"

Callie narrowed her eyes and her jaw set angrily, "I married you George," she exclaimed, ripping back the curtain, "Not the whole damn gang."

XXXXXXX

"Should I ask or…" Callie glanced between Cristina and Addison, who although they were sitting together were completely ignoring each other.

"Don't ask," Addison replied, not looking up from her journal.

"Right," Callie accepted, She nodded to Cristina "How are the new digs? Blissfully dismal and silent?"

"Dismal? Yes. Silent? No."

Yeah?" Callie questioned, not really interested but trying to fill the silence.

"Turns out Alex is an animal in bed," Cristina continued, examining the chunk of Mac and Cheese on her fork before dropping it back on her plate.

"Yeah?" Callie grinned, sliding her gaze over to Addison, "Did you hear that Addison? An animal."

"Oh she knows," Cristina smirked, "She knows…"

"Cristina!" Addison exclaimed, tossing down her journal in abject annoyance.

"Oh." Cristina feigned embarrassment; "I didn't know we were hiding it from your friends too. Oops."

A wide grin spread across Callie's face, "I knew you would cave and sleep with him."

"Oh there was no sleep," Cristina corrected, "For anyone. On the entire block."

"Really," Callie gleefully abandoned her lunch and turned all her attention to Cristina, "The entire block?"

"Mmm," Cristina nodded and swallowed a bite of her lunch, "Round one wasn't to bad. The bed squeaks a bit. Round 2 I thought was an earthquake until someone started yelling 'faster… harder… faster… harder,'" Cristina tipped her head from side to side as she intoned each word, "I thought the bed would actually burst through the wall. Round 3…"

"You can go!" Addison exclaimed, "Cristina. Now. Please."

"We are going out for drinks tonight. Big ones. You owe me major stories. But without Miranda, this time," Callie informed her once Cristina was gone, "To many of her interns are negatively effecting our lives."

XXXXXXX

Alex clenched his fists tightly.

Addison ignored him completely.

"She won't tell," he hissed despite the fact that the elevator was now empty.

"She already did," Addison hissed back, "Callie barely sat down and Cristina told her everything."

"Callie is your friend. Who cares what she knows."

"Callie is George's wife."

"So what!"

"So…"

"Who cares if he knows."

"I care."

"He doesn't Addison," he cut her off, "He doesn't care what you do."

"Why do you care?" Addison demanded as the elevator doors opened, "We were just fooling around."

Derek looked up and stepped on to the elevator, "Hi."

Addison smiled, "Hey."

"I was looking for you actually," Derek glanced at Alex briefly then returned his attention to Addison, "You ok?" he asked, glancing at her face, her shoulder, her chart then finally his own shoes.

"Fine," she replied praying that Alex wouldn't do something stupid, "Why?"

He shrugged, "You're pale," he returned his gaze to her shoulder, "You should get more sleep."

Alex smirked.

"I'll do that thanks," Addison shot Alex a look then looked back to Derek, "You were looking for me?"

"Ya," Derek remembered suddenly, shifting his gaze so he wasn't quite looking her in the eye, "I need to find Cristina."

"Why?" Alex asked, already knowing the answer.

"Oh," Derek shoved his hands in his pockets, "I promised that I would talk her out of staying with you. Meredith thinks that she is having to much fun there or something."

"So you came looking for Dr. Montgomery because Grey told you too," Alex clarified, looking at Addison not Derek.

"She did tell me too…"

"I haven't seen her," Addison interrupted.

Derek shrugged, turning as the elevator doors opened once again, "If you see her," he said over his shoulder as he exited, "I'm looking for her."

Alex crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a cocky smile, "Ya. He cares…"

"Why do you find this so hard to understand Karev?" she demanded, "I hate that he won't even look at me. And I hate that every time that he does it's as if I viciously murdered his puppy. I hate that! But I still…"

"Well stop! Just get over it. He's…"

"I don't want to!"

They stared at each other.

The elevator doors opened and they both looked away.

"Fine," Alex said quietly, leaving her alone in the elevator, "Then don't."

XXXXXXX

Chief Webber stood in the middle of the hallway, arms crossed, looking around pensively.

This was not good. A year ago it would have been bad, but the more he thought of the ripple effects that this would have…

Some hospitals had policies about personal relationships.

He should transfer to one of those.

"Derek," he nodded to his neurosurgeon, "I need to speak with Grey."

Derek shrugged and shook his head, "Check the clinic. I'm actually looking for Yang, have you seen her lately?"

The Chief raised his eyebrows, "You're looking for Yang?"

Derek nodded, "It's a long story."

The Chief nodded, "Why don't I help you look for her," he suggested, failing at covering his interest in her whereabouts, "I wanted to talk to her after I talked to Meredith."

They saw Cristina first; pouring over a journal of medical anomalies like it was the latest issue of Cosmo. Meredith approaching from the other end of the hallway eyeing Derek curiously.

"Cristina," Derek began, glancing at Meredith for approval.

"Cristina," The Chief interrupted Derek, stepping in from of him and speaking gently, "Cristina," he said again, regretfully, "I have some bad news."

Cristina wrinkled her nose, "I have to work in the clinic don't I?" She glared at Meredith; "I can smell you from here."

"An hour ago I received a fax," Richard said quietly, "Preston Burke has resigned from Seattle Grace effective immediately."

XXXXXXX

Addison glanced up.

"My boyfriend just moved to Baltimore without saying good bye,"

Addison sighed softly and placed a hand on her hip. She took in Cristina's demeanor as she stood silently in front of her, "There are twins in isolation; I need some one to monitor them until this evening."

Cristina nodded and turned away.

"Cristina," Addison stopped her. "Eventually it stops hurting."

"What?"

"Being the one that gets left behind."

XXXXXXX

"I now declare you sufficiently drunk," Callie proclaimed loudly, "And an official member of the Seattle Grace Cougar Club."

"Thanks," Addison said setting her now empty glass, her fourth, down on the table, "I am honored."

"It's a rite of passage," Callie teased, "Everyone sleeps with an interns once."

Addison glanced at her.

"Or multiple times in one night"

Addison winced and took a large gulp of her drink.

"…Or a bunch of nights."

Addison sighed heavily.

"Nooo," Callie tossed her head back and started at the ceiling for a moment, "You are thinking. You'ren't supposed to be thinking! You're supposed to be drinking!"

"I'm not thinking" Addison pouted, "I'm just…"

"No," Callie grabbed Addison's purse and stashed it behind her, "You are not booty calling him before midnight."

"I wasn't…"

"No," Callie reaffirmed.

Addison sighed, "We had a fight," she admitted, "He accused me of still being in love with Derek."

"Well are you?" Callie asked bluntly, tipping back another drink.

"No. I don't know," Addison took another drink, "I hope not."

Callie motioned to the waiter. "We are going to need a lot more liquor," she opened her wallet, "Why don't I just give you all my cash now."

XXXXXXX

Alex set his bag down on the coffee table and started to unload it, "Tonight," he pulled out a quart of vodka placing it in front of Cristina. He pulled out 2 large bottle of water, "Before bed and tomorrow morning," he instructed. He pulled out another 3 bottles, "Tomorrow night, repeat. After that you are on your own. Preferably in your own apartment."

Cristina nodded, not taking her eyes from the TV and twisting off the cap.

Alex collapsed on the other end of the couch, 6 pack of beer on the floor between his feet.

"What's your sob story?" Cristina demanded taking a long swig of her vodka, wincing at the harshness.

He shrugged, "Drinking alone is pathetic and your life already sucks enough." He downed half the bottle, "What are we watching?"

"Home Shopping Channel."

"Juicers?"

"Meredith's Christmas present."

Alex nodded.

Suddenly the beer was gone, and the vodka bottle lay empty on the floor beside the couch.

Cristina stared at the ceiling a minute longer and closed her eyes, gathering her wits. Alex was already sitting back on the other end of the couch, staring straight ahead at the opposite wall. Cristina slid from the couch her pants still looped around one leg. She pulled them back on but didn't bother to zip them up.

Alex didn't look at her as she grabbed one of the bottles of water and locked herself inside her room.

He glanced at his cell phone as it started to ring on the coffee table. He looked at the clock, 12:09am, and picked up the phone, A. Montgomery.

He didn't answer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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