...
Hunger
You make a fool of death with your beauty, and, for a moment, I forget to worry.
...
Arizona
Currently, I'm sitting with April in her lawyer's office, wondering if any of this is actually necessary. Surely, Jackson wouldn't stoop so low as to take her child away from her. Having said that, the breakdown in communication between the two of them could mean anything. Last week, she served her ex-husband with a restraining order. No contact with her and, subsequently, no access to the baby. But, she's so unbearably sad. It just seems to me like April's having second thoughts about this whole debacle.
"The restraining order was a mistake!" She says, in the middle of the heated conversation with the lawyer who's sitting on the opposite side of the desk to us. "Can't we just take it back?"
"I'm serious, here. Do not try to talk to him," the other woman warns, firmly. "The restraining order needs to stand. We have to do this together. Okay?"
"This is exactly what I was trying to avoid," she says, more to me than the lawyer. "After everything that happened with Samuel, I just... I just want to keep this baby safe," she says, tearfully.
"Good, see," the lawyer says, bringing our attention back to her. "You felt your baby was in danger. That's great. That, we can use!"
April sighs out, woefully, and I take her hand as a show of support. She looks at me, yearning for advice that I don't have to give.
...
Amelia
I'm walking to my next consult when I feel the back of a clipboard come into contact with my ass. It's in the playful hands of Arizona, who's wearing a perky grin. She has her hair scraped back in two French braids today, making her look extra cute.
"And, hello to you," I respond with a smirk. "You're extra perky today," I say as she links her arm through mine.
"Luca gets to go home today," she beams excitedly at the mention of her latest success story; a little boy born at thirty two weeks with all manner of breathing and heart difficulties who's been in the hospital for the past six weeks.
"You're a miracle worker, Arizona Robbins," I say, proudly. "Hey... How did it go with the lawyer this morning?" I say, as the topic pops into my head.
"Okay... I think," she says with a confused frown. "I don't know, really. April seems kinda..."
"Conflicted?"
"Yeah..." she says, worriedly.
"It'll all work out in the end," I say with a reassuring smile.
"What will?" Meredith's voice startles me as she begins walking alongside us.
"Hey, you're back!" My girlfriend says with the sweetest smile.
"I am," Meredith says, happily. "And, I am itching to get back in that OR."
"Well, take it easy while you can. Your next week looks busy," Arizona says, motioning to the schedule that's open on Meredith's tablet. Two short beeps coming from her pager interrupt our conversation. "I have to run... Good to have you back, Mer."
"Hey, get back here," I say, taking her arm and spinning her around, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "See you tonight."
"I can't wait," she says, with my favourite smile. As she turns and rushes towards the paediatric ward, I can't tear my eyes away from her. She's just incredible.
"God, you're still so loved up," Meredith brings me out of my daydreaming with a voice and face full of disgust.
"Of course, I am... Have you met that woman?"
"What's tonight?" She asks with an eyeroll.
"Well, I've been trying to get reservations at this place she loves for weeks, and I've finally been able to get us a table," I explain. Meredith simply smirks at me. "What?"
"You gonna propose?" She jokes.
"Oh, shut up!" I say, shoving her with my elbow.
"Dr Shepherd, these are Mr Walker's CT results," Blake says, handing me a chart. She's getting a little less useless under our guidance.
"Thank you, Penny," I say with a smile.
"You?" Meredith's one word is full of venom and all the colour is drained from Blake's face. "Why is she here?" She asks me, eyes never leaving the redhead.
"Dr Blake transferred to the hospital while you were on maternity leave," I explain, confused as hell. "I take it you two know each other?"
They continue to stare at each other. Penny looks as though she's seen a ghost, but Meredith looks hurt and angry.
"Ask her where she transferred from," Meredith says through gritted teeth.
"Dr Grey..." Penny interjects, eyes full of tears.
"TELL HER WHERE YOU TRANSFERRED FROM," Meredith screams at her. A silence falls throughout the entire corridor.
"Dillard," she whispers. My skin starts to crawl at the name. Dillard Medical Centre; the place Derek died. Surely, she can't have known him...
Meredith turns her attention to me, tears in her own eyes. Then she utters the words that send unforgettable, stabbing chills down my spine: "Penny killed your brother."
...
"You can not keep her here, Bailey!" I shout across the boardroom table. The department heads sit around the table, each one paying close attention to the argument that's unfolding in front of them. Meredith hasn't uttered two words since she identified Blake as Derek's murderer.
"Hey, what's going on?" Arizona asks, walking into the room, still in her scrubs. "I got a page..."
"Blake was Derek's doctor," Hunt explains, briefly. Her eyebrows shoot to her hairline before she looks between Meredith and I, and then back to Bailey.
"Oh, then she can't stay here," Arizona says, decidedly. That's my girl.
"We can't just transfer an intern for personal reasons," Avery argues, practically. I know he's right, of course, but in this moment I don't like him for it.
"Okay, then look at it this way..." Arizona begins as she takes a seat next to me, keeping her eyes fixed on him. "Every single attending surgeon in this hospital loved and respected Derek Shepherd." The passion in her voice brings a lump to my throat. Just when I thought I couldn't love her any more than I already do, she proves me wrong. She is beautiful inside and out, always. "When the others find out that Blake was his doctor..."
"They won't find out," Bailey says, sternly.
"They will, Bailey!" She argues back. "You know they will! Things spread like wildfire around this hospital. And, when they do, not one of them is going to want her on their service. Not one of them is going to put in the effort to help her reach her full potential. We would be doing her... a disservice, or... whatever!" She's saying the words, but she doesn't believe them. She's just helping us find a way to get rid of Blake. Bailey sighs out, contemplating her options. "She needs to go, and you know it."
"I need time to think this through," she says, quietly. She turns to Meredith and I, looking at us with sympathy. "I'll have an answer for you by the end of the week."
...
Arizona
I knock on Amelia's door at seven, wearing my LBD and black stilettos, hair in loose curls. Our reservation isn't until eight-thirty, but I want to make sure that she's okay and that she actually wants to go out after today's events. When she answers the door, she's wrapped in a white cotton towel that stops just above her knee, her soaking wet hair clinging to her back. God, she is stunning.
"You are super early!" She smirks at me, but lets me inside anyway.
"I know, I'm sorry... I needed to know that you were alright," I say, taking her hand.
"I'm fine... I am, I just... I'm kind of weirded out," she says, honestly. "For months and months, we trained this doctor, not knowing who she was, or what she did..." she trails off, something else taking her attention. "You look beautiful, by the way."
I can't stop the huge grin that spreads across my face. I lean in to kiss her and she wraps her arms around me, pulling me as close as she can. Before I know it, her lips have moved to my neck and my eyes roll to the back of my head.
"You smell incredible," she whispers, noticing my new perfume.
"Uh huh..." I say, unable to verbalise much else. Suddenly, she stops and pulls back.
"I've got you all wet," she says, noticing the damp patches she's left on my stomach and shoulder.
"That's a little presumptuous," I say with a raised eyebrow and a self-satisfied smile.
"Not what I meant, Robbins," she laughs. "I better get ready..."
"We can do it another night... if you want to," I say, sincerely.
"No... No, I'm not going to let that bitch ruin this for us," she says, determinedly. "Plus, you look far too good to stay in," she compliments me with a suggestive smirk. "We're gonna go out and have a fancy dinner... And, I'm going to get you tipsy enough that you'll laugh at all my stupid jokes," she resolves. I laugh and kiss her once more, approving greatly of her plan. She's dealt with this incredibly and I couldn't be more proud of her.
"Sounds perfect," I reply.
"Come talk to me while I get ready," she demands, dragging me up the stairs.
"I'm not sure there'll be much talking if you're going to be in that towel the whole time..."