Wednesday morning the junior and sophomore classes filed into the entrance way at Seattle Grace.
"Sophomores with Miss Whitman and Mr. Bruce," Madame announced, "juniors with Mrs McKinnon and I."
Where is Nikki McCrae," Mrs McKinnon asked.
"Her brother works here and is leading the tour. Nikki was going to come here with dr Hunt today," madame replied.
"You didn't tell me were working with Owen Hunt," Beth said.
"I expect you to separate your personal and professional lives," Madame replied, "I believe your group is working with Dr. Altman for the morning. Dr. Hunt wanted Nicole's group with him. They did some prep work this morning."
Owen and Teddy walked into the open area with Nikki on their heels.
"Go join your friends," Owen said.
"They brought Miss Whitman for the Sophomores," Nikki groaned, "I'm with Mrs. McKinnon."
"I have the sophomores with Robbins," Teddy groaned, "for the tour."
"And we told the hospital yesterday," Owen said.
"Arizona is happy for us," Teddy smiled, "I'll let her know not to say anything in front of Beth."
"That's up to you," Owen said.
"I can still hide it in scrubs," Teddy said.
"Don't worry," Owen said, "she's the one who can't move on, not us. We did nothing wrong Teddy."
Richard stood on the stairs above the dancers.
"Good morning ladies and gentlemen, I'm Dr. Richard Webber the chief of surgery here and a donor for Pacific Crest Ballet School. Today you will be working with my heads of trauma and cardio. Dr. Owen Hunt and dr Teddy Altman. I'll turn you over to dr Hunt."
"Good morning," Owen greeted, "I'm starting to recognize some of you as my little sister's friends."
"Hi Owen," a few of the junior girls called.
"As I was saying," Owen continued, "this spring I've learned a lot about ballet from watching classes, performances, listening to my little sister and my girlfriend. I think a few of you have seen Teddy around. On our surgical staff she is the dance expert. Today you are going to have tours of the hospital in four groups. Junior girls with me, junior boys with Dr. Torres, Sophomore girls with Dr. Altman, sophomore boys with Dr. Robbins."
"Why is Hunt taking a group of girls," Mark asked Derek
"His little sister is one of the students," Derek said, "Nikki is a weird kid. He would keep her close."
"Weird how," mark asked.
"Gifted, ADHD, shy," Derek said, "and a ballerina. She's one of my study participants. Listens to Altman more than Hunt."
"Why do I have a feeling there's a lot we don't know about Uncle Sam or GI Jane," Mark said.
"They are a couple," Derek said, "you weren't here yesterday. Altman is pregnant."
"What," Mark choked out, "does Yang know?"
"Yang has been doing a lot of Altman's surgeries," Derek said, "I know she liked Hunt."
"We knew that wouldn't last as soon as Altman got here," Mark replied.
"The first day she was here he sent her to deal with his little sister," Derek said, "after the kid rejected, Mer, Lexie and Kepner."
"I'm going to call each group by the doctor you're with for your tour," Owen explained, "follow with your teacher and the doctor."
Owen dismissed the groups until he only had Nikki's group standing at the bottom of the stairs.
"No teacher squirt," Owen asked.
"Madame should be with us but she's arguing with Miss Whitman," Nikki replied, "two guys in your scrubs were talking about you and Teddy and that."
"That," Owen said.
"You said I can't say anything until after the summer session," Nikki replied.
"We said something here yesterday," Owen replied, "you can be excited now auntie Nikki."
"Why am I in your group," Nikki asked.
"Because I have a plan but need you as my guinea pig," Owen said, "Mom is okay with it."
Owen answered a few quick questions from Nikki's group and led them to their first stop.
After the tours the groups all met in the cafeteria for lunch.
Nikki sat with her friends and pulled out her lunch.
"How did you get a good lunch," Mackenzie asked.
"Teddy packed it," Nikki replied.
"You have cookies and pretzels," Sydney said, "two treats."
Nikki opened the container, "leftover chicken quesadillas from last night. Neither of them can really cook."
"Your mom always packs good lunches," Corinna said, "mine only ever give me veggies and salad."
"Teddy did three lunches last night," Nikki said, "I didn't know what she was packing. I have veggies and watermelon. But I think some is my snack because I'm not going back to school with everyone. I have to stay until one of them leaves."
"Why," Mackenzie asked.
"I'm a human guinea pig for a Dr. Shepard," Nikki groaned, "and Dr. Torres. We worked with Torres early this morning, she did a bunch of X-rays with me on pointe. She's going to show us after lunch."
"Why did you get to," Sydney asked.
"They needed parent permission," Nikki said, "and a family member present so Owen was there. Teddy played ballet teacher through a window."
"She said Blackhurst, she must have been good," Sydney commented, "I'm glad she's my surgeon. I feel like I know her."
"Can I sit here," Teddy asked the teens.
"Sure," Nikki replied scooting over on the bench.
"Do you have enough lunch," Teddy asked.
"For lunch and snack," Nikki replied, "it's more than mom packs for just lunch."
"Protein, carbs, veggies, fruit," Teddy said, "a treat. Typical lunch formula."
"Not for ballerinas," Corinna said.
"You need it all," Teddy replied, "pick and choose what you want your brother will eat what you dont."
"Really," Nikki asked.
"Owen is a bottomless pit," Teddy groaned.
Beth walked over, "girls not much longer for lunch. Dr. Altman."
"It's good to see you Miss Whitman," Teddy said coolly, "their with Owen and I after lunch they have until I finish eating."
"I think that once madame or Evelyn know about you little situation they won't want you near the girls," Beth hissed.
"Evelyn was the first to know," Teddy replied, "Nikki knows as well."
"Madame," Beth repeated.
Teddy stood to face the jealous woman, "it's none of your business Beth. Owen left you two years ago. He didn't cheat on you. You broke up. What happens in my relationship with Owen is none of your business. We are excited for our baby our family and friends are excited. What I've heard today the way you speak to your students I will be contacting the school. There is no need to ever speak to them like that."
Madame walked over, "dr Altman May I have a word?"
"Yes mam," Teddy replied.
They stepped away from the group into a small alcove Teddy motioned for Owen to join them.
"Dr Hunt," madame said, "what's going on?"
"Beth, miss Whitman and I broke up two years ago," Owen said, "I ended our engagement. After Meghan I realized Beth isn't the person I wanted by my side or near my little sister."
"Owen and I have been together since February," Teddy replied.
"I heard congratulations are in order," madame said, "is this your first?"
"It is," Teddy replied, "thank you madame."
"Margaret would have been happy for you Theodora," madame said.
"Thank you mam," Teddy answered.
"You made a comment about how miss Whitman spoke to her students," madame said, "what did you observe?"
Teddy answered, "Beth has made several rude, condescending remarks to the girls all morning. She has told several they weren't smart enough to do things. I'm concerned that if she does this in front of me and she knows who I am, what is she doing in the classroom with the door closed. Since Owen and my return six months ago Nikki had mentioned her English mark dropping miss Whitman refusing to provide assistance on assignments to help Nikki boost her Mark."
"Are you both involved in nikkis life," madame asked.
"We are," Owen replied, "I have my concerns about Beth as well and her sense of reality. The first time I came to the school she tried to kiss me, this was repeated at Coppelia. She doesn't understand that we broke up that it's over."
"I understand," madame replied, "I'll talk to the headmaster and get back to you."
"Thank you madame," Owen replied.
"We should finish our lunches before the next section," Teddy said.
"Were you okay to sit with the girls," Owen asked.
"I am and my lunch is still there," Teddy replied, "some of these girls don't have much or enough nutrients for lunch. Nikkis looks huge by comparison. I followed mom's list."
"Sandwich or wrap, fruit, veggies, snack, treat," Owen said, "always."
"She has a quesadilla like we do it was just easier to make her one when I made dinner last night like I did for us," Teddy said.
"Why would you make her a separate lunch," Owen said.
"Exactly," Teddy replied, "chicken, cheese, peppers, tomatoes shes good."
"Do you have enough," Owen asked.
"I should," Teddy replied, "I can always steal Nikki's leftovers or grab something. I have trail mix in my locker and granola bars. I wish my mom was here. Madame and her trained together and preformed together until I came along."
"We're they close," Owen asked.
"Like an aunt to me until she came out here to teach," Teddy said, "I hadn't seen her since mom passed."
After lunch the students were lead into the lecture hall.
"This morning we had Nikki come in a couple hours ahead of you," Owen began, " and she worked with Dr. Torres, Dr. Altman and I to get some images of what your bodies do one pointe and in different positions."
"Why Nikki," a boy called.
"Because she's my sister and it was easiest to get parental permission from our mom," Owen replied, "actually Nikki I need you up here with pointe shoes on."
"Teddy took my dance bag to put it away," Nikki said.
"I have it," Teddy replied, "come change your shoes."
Nikki ran down to the front of the stage and Teddy passed her her dance bag.
"You left your leotard and tights under your uniform," Teddy whispered.
"I did," Nikki replied.
"There's a practice skirt in your bag, an old one of mine, I kept one dance outfit for some reason," Teddy said, "put it over your leotard, I know your teachers and classmates are used to no skirts but the guys on staff here will be uncomfortable."
"I will," Nikki replied.
"Go in the wings," Teddy said.
Nikki ran off and came onstage in her cranberry coloured leotard with the pinched front and crisscross straps on her back. In this setting she was thankful for Teddy's black wrap skirt even if it wasn't the current style but it had been at least 15 years since Teddy had danced.
Callie showed the X-rays and had Nikki demonstrate each pose.
"Hold that one little Hunt," Callie directed.
"McCrae," Nikki corrected.
Owen offered Nikki a hand as he had provided stability for that pose for X-rays. Nikki shook her head. She didn't want her brother's help. She extended her arms to arabesque holding the pose longer. Raising her extension and showing off.
"How did you get such clear images with good alignment," Madame asked, "it's hard to get good X-rays of dancers."
"I coached," Teddy said, "and helped Dr Torres position the machines. Owen helped by being a human ballet barre."
Callie lectured about how the bones and muscles moved and showed the x rays she had taken of Nikki that morning.
After the other dancers left Nikki sat in the attendings lounge with Teddy.
"What do you think," Teddy asked.
"It was interesting but I don't want to be here everyday," Nikki said, "if you two are trying to convince me to be a doctor forget it."
"Wasn't trying to," Teddy responded, "don't do it unless you want to."
"Can I have copies of my xrays," Nikki asked, "I want to look at the angles again in my arabesque and developes."
"I can bring them up on a screen for you," Teddy said, "why the angles?"
"Madame is always talking about 45 and 90 degree extensions," Nikki said, "I want to see if I'm actually at those angles. What is the actual angle of one leg to the other in arabesque?"
"Your well over 90," Teddy said, "and showing off on the stage."
"I couldn't embarrass you and Owen," Nikki replied.
"Not at all," Teddy said.
"Why did Miss Whitman think mom or madame wouldn't want you sitting with use," Nikki asked, "what did she mean by your little situation?"
"It was all to do with the baby," Teddy said, "same reason Owen was your human barre and I gave directions though the window this morning."
"But why does she care," Nikki asked, "why would mom be mad?"
"Your mom is happy for us I think," Teddy said, "she hasn't said anything otherwise."
"Mom is knitting and crocheting baby things," Nikki said, "why doesn't Miss Whitman like you?"
"I'm making an assumption but I think she thinks Owen cheated on her," Teddy said.
"The king of the rule followers," Nikki said.
"I know," Teddy replied, "she thinks him and I were together when we were away. That's the impression I get. I wouldn't do that. I knew he was engaged and I would never go there. It's never worth being the other woman. So I decided to be his friend. He was my best friend for years. But Owen would tell me things he couldn't or wouldn't tell Beth. I was with your siblings that day. Beth is a very insecure jealous person. She's going to try to make trouble and cause drama. You need to keep your head down and stay out of it."
"That doesn't answer her comment about a little situation," Nikki said.
"The baby and that we're not married," Teddy said, "some people believe you have to be married to have a baby. We know we love and support each other and we will be together."
"If Owen asked would you marry him and really be my sister," Nikki asked.
"I would marry Owen," Teddy acknowledged, "and you are already my sister that doesn't change."
"Really," Nikki asked.
"Really," Teddy promised, "this little peanut will need their Auntie Nikki."
"Even if their aunt is stupid," Nikki asked.
"Why do you keep saying that," Teddy asked.
"Because my older siblings are all surgeons and I just want to dance," Nikki said.
"Yesterday when you did that testing with Derek you came out on the high end of gifted," Teddy said, "that score shows your not. But I've watched you do your homework and your questions about body angles today made Callie the bone expert have to really questioned angles on joints and what was possible. That's hard to do. I know Owen told you on Saturday to stop calling yourself dumb and I'm saying the same thing. Nikki you're not just a ballerina. You are smart. You just haven't found what you like yet. You are good at a lot of things other than dancing. Your music, school work, you're a good friend. Don't let one thing define you."