Another Note - Thank you for the follows/favourites and reviews. Enjoy the next chapter.

One of the hardest parts of life is deciding whether to walk away or try harder.

Grace wasn't around for Ellis Grey's admittance but she did hear about it very quickly. She got to Richard's office just as Meredith was walking in the opposite direction.

'She told you?' Grace said quietly, making him startle.

'Grace, oh, yes, she did.' Then something occurred to him. 'You're not surprised?'

'I saw her coming out of the home one day, they specialise in this kind of thing. I never told Meredith what I saw though.' She walked in and put a coffee and bagel on the table. 'I was told you escaped, so I brought this. Page me if you need me.'

'Thanks,' Richard said with a nod. 'I will.'

Grace left then, knowing he wouldn't be up for talking much.

Following the nurse towards the shouting, Grace find Ellis Grey freaking out on O'Malley.

'Please get some haloperidol.'

'Don't you give me that look.' Ellis said spitefully to George as Karev and Meredith came up behind Grace. 'That sad little soulful, little puppy routine. I know it by heart, Thatch, and I'm over it. I don't want to hear about your day, or your students, for your pathetic little research grants! My…' Elis broke off and took a breath. 'My work is what counts. It's what pays for this house. It pays for you and it pays for Meredith. And for your precious lifestyle. So why won't you just leave me alone and let me do it?

Ellis stormed back to her bed and got on it. 'Meredith may think she needs you, but I sure as hell don't.'

Grace felt Meredith walk off as the nurse returned with the sedative. 'I'll take that, Marie.' She walked into the room and over to the bed. 'Doctor Grey, I am Doctor Mason, I've just got to give you this shot, some kind of new surgery procedure.'

Ellis didn't respond to this but she seemed to settle slightly. So Grace didn't need to have O'Malley or Karev hold Ellis while she did the shot.

'Thank you Doctor Grey, someone will be nearby if you need them.'

Grace disposed of the used needle and ushered Karev and O'Malley out. 'Try to find a topic that is familiar and routine to her current state of mind and treating her will be a lot easier.'

O'Malley nodded at her and Grace turned to leave.

Grace was sat with Miranda the observation room doing paperwork when Izzy came in and sat on the other side of Miranda.

'You have a problem?' Miranda asked after looking at her.

'No.'

'You have a mocha latte and a hot chocolate?'

Izzy seemed confused. 'No.'

'Then go away.'

Izzy chuckled slightly. 'Actually, I need a new assignment. The Shepherds' preemie case is non-surgical.'

'Non-surgical?' Miranda asked with a frown.

'Non-operable.' Izzy elaborated.

'Sucks.' Miranda and Grace said together.

'Yeah.'

'Did you know about Ellis Grey?' Miranda asked Izzy. 'Did Meredith tell you?'

'No.' Izzy scoffed and rolled her eyes. 'It's just, you think you know someone. You know who they are. You share a house or make wishes on eyelashes with them. And we don't know each other. None of us.' Miranda and Grace exchanged an amused look, Izzy not even noticing. 'We're just a bunch of interns who work together. There's nothing there.'

Grace shook her head and glanced back at the OR, frowning when she saw Yang swaying slightly. 'What the…?' Suddenly Yang collapsed, everyone in the observation room stood up, Miranda and Izzy quickly leaving.

Grace looked around and turned the com off. 'Alright everyone clear out and find something else to do.' There was some grumbling but everyone left, Grace headed after Miranda and Izzy.

She caught up in time to hear Yang tell Izzy she was pregnant.

After a pause, Miranda shoved the gurney into the lift, stopping Izzy when she tried to follow. 'No, we're going to pre-op instead. Find Addison Shepherd. And, lzzie, be discreet.'

Izzy looked at her. 'I thought you were in the same specialty? Couldn't you – '

Grace shook her head and set off at a quick pace. 'No, I don't do a lot of surgeries, I have a nerve problem. Addison will be somewhere near the entrance, her shift ended not long ago and with the preemie…she'll be telling the Chief she's leaving.'

'Alright.'

They were just reaching the stairs in the surgical reception when they saw O'Malley, Richard and Addison coming down towards them.

Izzy rushed forwards. 'Excuse me, Doctor Shepherd, we need you. Fast. Um…it's Cristina, one of our interns, she's…she's collapsed.'

O'Malley instantly switched to worried. 'Cristina's collapsed?'

'Why do you need me?' Addison asked with a frown.

Grace snorted. 'Seriously Addie?' She said with a raised brow as the other three finally got it.

'Cristina's pregnant?' George asked in astonishment.

'Shut up George!' Izzy said under her breath. 'Please come.' She said to Addison as they started to walk away.

'This doesn't change anything, Richard. I'm stilling leaving in the morning.' Addie said as they rushed off.

'This is a very bad day.'

Grace looked at O'Malley who was just stood there like a wet fish. 'O'Malley, don't you have a patient to be watching?'

'Y-yes but…' he looked to where Izzy and Addie had disappeared.

'You can find out about Yang later,' Grace said a little more gently. 'There's nothing you can do for her, but you can look after Ellis Grey.'

George nodded. 'Yes, Doctor Mason.' And quickly left.

Grace looked at Richard who was rubbing his head. 'Oprah looking more appealing now?'

Richard just gave her a look before putting his hat back on walking away.

The NICU was mostly dark as such places always were. Grace quietly went in and found Addie's preemie baby. A quick check of the chart showed that over the day she had somehow gotten stronger.

Grace smiled down at the stirring baby. 'Seems like you're a fighter little one.' She stood there for a while before carefully, minding all the wires and tubes, removed the baby from her crib. Grace sat in the rocking chair she had pulled closer, adjusting her scrub top so she could hold the baby against her skin and then pulling her coat over the top to keep in heat.

Rocking there in the silence, Grace hummed a lullaby under her breath. Perfectly at ease with the motion.

A vibration in her pocket startled her slightly but Grace carefully adjusted her grip to answer it.

'Hello?' She kept her voice soft and quiet.

'Where are you? Why are you so quiet?'

'In the NICU and I'm holding a preemie,' Grace told Mark with a smile.

'What's the chances?' He asked after a moment.

Grace's smile grew. 'Well, this morning she was going to just be on pain management until…but somehow she's gotten stronger. So I think she'll get the surgery she needs in the morning.'

'That's good. I'm glad. How's your day been?'

'Drama filled,' she said with a laugh. 'One intern's mother came in blowing the secret that she has Alzheimer's, and she has a liver mass, a nurse told me it was benign though. And another intern collapsed in the OR, with an extrauterine pregnancy. She'll be fine in a couple of days, if she rests.'

'Oh, one of those ones?'

'Big time, I'm pretty sure she's gonna go with heart stuff.'

'Heart stuff? Gracie, you realise you graduated top of your class from Harvard, right? You can use big words.'

'I like the little words,' Grace said as she smiled down at the unseeing baby. 'They usually have more impact. Words, words, words, all they do is make noise and hide the truth. And truth is – '

'Truth is simple. I know.'

Grace sighed happily. 'That's why we work so well, Markie. We don't need words to know what we mean. How are you?'

There was a heavy sigh over the phone. 'I just…I don't know anymore.'

'You want me to pick on them for you?' Grace offered eagerly.

'Thanks for the offer, Gracie, but no.'

Grace was disappointed, but at least she had made him laugh.

'You going to sing a lullaby for her?'

'Yeah, you staying on the line?'

'Don't I always?'

Grace smiled again and started singing.