Summary: A Meredith Grey story. To learn to live, you have to let go... To learn to let go, you have to have someone new to hold onto… R&R please. MerDer, Mer/Other.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and most certainly no one. I'm a borrower, Shonda Rhimes is the librarian.

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Chapter 11
Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same
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"Tell me something I don't know, Meredith," Layton's voice came from the other end of the line. Meredith looked down at the papers she was holding, her right hand holding a pen, she's been staring at the spot where she would sign and indicate her leaving of Seattle Grace for good.

"I'm thinking of leaving Seattle," she said. He kept quiet for a few seconds. She was waiting for him to say something but he didn't. "Tell me someth-"

"I already know you're thinking of leaving Seattle, Meredith, what I don't know is if you really are leaving," he cut her off.

"Tell me something I don't know, Layton," she chose to ignore his comment and went on with their habit.

"You're a hard woman to get, Meredith Grey, but I know it's going to be worth it," he spoke quietly and Meredith knew he was thinking if he said what he just said at the right time. "And Meredith?"

"Yeah?"

"Just sign the damn papers," he told her.

"Wh- How did you know?" She looked around her for a second before narrowing her eyes and speaking to him once again. "Are you stalking me or something? Where are you?"

"You didn't look hard enough," his voice was teasing. She looked around once again and she finally saw him on one of the seats in the farther end of the lobby. He was wearing his trademark attire, a suit, as if going to a charity ball as always. He waved at her and smiled. "So? Are you going to sign them or not? After that, it's free sailing for you, Meredith." She looked at him and she shook her head. "What? Not free sailing yet?"

"I still need to have it signed by the Chief, Layton," she said. He didn't know yet.

"So? He'll see no problem in letting you go, you've got no ties to this hospital," he shrugged. She watched as he shifted in his seat and leaned forward.

"You see, the Chief? He's my husband," she finally told him. She watched as his face fell and he sat up straight and leaned once again on the back of the chair. He didn't say anything. "Layton?" He brought down the phone from his ears and he shut it closed as he stood up. He walked towards her and Meredith slowly brought down her phone. He stopped right in front of her and he looked at her intensely.

"I'd like to see him not sign your transferal, Meredith, I'd like to see him try not to. I'll slap him with a lawsuit so fast he wouldn't even know what hit him," Layton spoke harshly. She imagined that that was the exact way he spoke every time he was in a court room.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" she evaded the topic.

"I needed to finish some stuff regarding my case," he replied. She was thankful that he didn't press on the issue that she has bluntly evaded.

"I thought you already won that one?"

"Some stuff still needed to be done," he shrugged. He flashed her a smile. "Besides, it seems like I can't tear myself away from you."

She didn't know how to react to what he said. She kept quiet, her usual choice of trying to avoid a conversation. She knew Layton knew that she didn't want to talk about it so he changed the topic.

"I heard you already moved out of your friend's apartment…"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I moved into a hotel room last night. I think Alex was starting to get backaches from sleeping on his couch." She smiled a little, remembering how Alex was denying his backaches every morning.

Layton's phone started to ring, he looked at it for a second, glancing at the caller ID and he looked at Meredith. "I need to take this. Just sign the papers, Mer. I'll see you tonight." He gave her a smile and walked away. Meredith sighed deeply and looked down at the papers once again. She knew what needed to be done. She knew what the right thing to do was now…

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"Alex, right?"

Alex looked over to his right and found Layton looking at him with a polite smile. "Hey." Alex shook his hand briefly and gave him a curt nod. "Dude, what are you doing back here? You're not chasing after Meredith, now are you?"

Layton let out a small laugh and nodded. "Yeah. As a matter of fact, I am."

"So, have you succeeded?" Alex asked, raising his brow.

"I'm getting there…"

The elevator doors opened just as Layton's phone started to ring. He excused himself from Alex and stepped closer to the corner to answer the call. Alex watched him and then turned his attention back to the door in time to see Derek walk in.

"Dr. Karev," Derek greeted him with a polite nod. Derek stood on the spot that Layton occupied a while ago. He turned his head and looked at Alex. "Have you seen Dr. Shepherd?"

"No, sir," Alex shook his head. "I haven't seen Dr. Grey." He emphasized the word Grey.

"I haven't seen her for days," Derek told him. Alex shrugged, not caring any less, as he raised his brows at a 'so what?' manner.

"It's a big hospital, she's probably somewhere around here," Alex would have scoffed out loud if he didn't give a rat's ass about his job, but he did. So he needed to wait for his chance to do what he has been itching to do long before Meredith signed those divorce papers… Punch Derek Shepherd in the face. Alex smirked, thinking of his devious plan. He quickly wiped it away as he saw Derek looking at him strangely. Alex cleared his throat and looked back at Layton who has just finished his phone call.

Layton pocketed his phone and watched as the elevator doors open, he walked past Derek accidentally bumped into him. Layton uttered a 'sorry' to Derek and looked at Alex before speaking. "Tell her I'll see her tonight for dinner. Do you know what time she gets off?"

"I think she's off at 8." Alex nodded. "I'll tell her."

"Thanks," Layton smiled appreciatively and walked out of the elevator completely.

Alex smiled cockily, almost breaking into song. He glanced at Derek who was oblivious to the fact that the man who just bumped into him was probably the same man who was going to make his wife, ex-wife, forget all about him. Alex got off on his floor and with all the luck in the world, saw Meredith just around the corner. He made sure that the elevator doors were closed before he walked closer to her.

"Mer," Alex called out.

"How's the back?" she grinned playfully. "Better now that I'm gone?"

"You could say that," Alex shrugged. "But my apartment's always open for you, always remember that. My back's had worse. You've got nothing to worry about."

"Well, my back's getting pretty pampered by the hotel's bed, so your back could get pampered by your own bed," Meredith told him.

"By the way, I just caught a ride with your lover boy in the elevator, he told me to tell you that he'll see you for dinner tonight. I told him you're off at 8," Alex told her. When she didn't respond, he raised his eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"What do you think of Layton, Alex?" she suddenly asked.

He was caught in surprise, he didn't expect her to ask him something like that. He thought about it for a moment, thinking back to the man he's seen a few times. "He looks like a decent man. Not as hot as me though," he shrugged arrogantly.

Meredith rolled her eyes and gently hit him on the arm. "Seriously!"

"I am serious! What else do you want me to say!? I'm a dude, I don't do girl talk!" Alex reminded her. "Go to Yang or Stevens if you want to talk chick."

"You know you like it," Meredith teased him.

"Yeah," Alex nodded a bit. His eyes trailed down to the papers she was holding. "What's that?"

"Transferal forms," she held it up. She looked at it sadly for a moment before handing them towards Alex. Alex took them without any hesitation. "I already signed them, all I need to do now is to get them to Derek's office."

"I'll make sure of it," Alex told her. "I'll even hand it to him personally if you like."

"There's no need for that," she told him, shaking her head a little, a tight smile adorning her face. "I wouldn't want you to get a black-eye out of this."

Alex scoffed out loud. "Dude, I went through college in a wrestling scholarship. Who do you think would come out crying in that scenario?" Alex gave her a wink. "I'll make sure he gets this." He flailed the papers in the air as he walked away. He turned around and gripped the papers in his hands. He was holding Meredith Grey's future in his hands, and he was determined to make sure her future would be bright and shiny. Because Alex Karev knew that Meredith Grey deserved it.

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Okay. I know this chapter's a bit useless... Hmm... But all I want to know is:::
Who wants to see Alex Karev punch the daylights out of Derek Shepherd!?

And I also want to know:::
Mer/Derek? Mer/Layton?

Cos' I'm having 2nd thoughts...