A/N: So here goes chapter 2... Something to make you all look forward to chapter 3, hopefully. (Which I'm uploading on Christmas day, together with the next chapters of my two other GA fics. A holiday present from me to you guys!)

--- --- ---

--- --- ---

Chapter 2

We all hope for a fresh start… An escape from our old lives… A chance for a new beginning... Maybe we do experience it for a few moments… But somehow… It never lasts...


New York's hustle and bustle was a common sight for all New Yorkers but not for someone who grew up in Boston and Seattle, more peaceful cities. Meredith Grey knew it was going to be a challenge to fit in to this new city she just chose to escape to. Seattle was nothing but a small part of her past now. McDreamy, McSteamy, Addison Montgomery were all placed at the back of her mind as she was determined to have a fresh start.

Her old friend, Marissa, from Darthmouth was going to pick her up from the airport and take her to the hotel she was staying in. She found her jumping up and down, just like her old self, to catch Meredith's attention. Meredith dragged her luggage towards her and gave her a brief hug.

"Long time no see, Meredith," Marissa took her luggage and started to walk with her to the parking lot. "You look different."

"What? I look older?" Meredith smiled.

"No," Marissa shook her head as she looked at him. "You look wiser."

"It's probably just the stress," Meredith shrugged. "Cos' there's no wisdom here..."

"So, what made you move here anyway?"

"Stuff…" Meredith simply said.

"So did you get you the internship over at Sacred Heart?"

"Yeah," Meredith nodded. "I'm starting in two weeks."

"So you have time to go around then,"

"Uh-huh," Meredith nodded once again. "You've got time to take me around?"

"For an old friend, I always have time," Marissa smiled at her as they reached her car.

--- --- ---

2 weeks later...

"Here's your beeper," her new chief of surgery, Dr. Brown, handed her the said beeper. "You know how everything works out, right?"

"Yes, Dr. Brown," Meredith nodded as she clipped on the beeper.

"You answer every page with a run."

"I got that."

"Good, now let's go, I still need to introduce you to your fellow interns," Dr. Brown motioned for her to follow him towards the locker room. "Interns!"

Everyone at the locker room stopped what they were doing and all eyes were focused at Meredith.

"This is Dr. Meredith Grey, she'll be joining you from now on. She just transferred from Seattle Grace. I don't care if you like her or not, she's a part of our team now, work with her to make me happy!" Dr. Brown announced.

Meredith watched as all of them started to murmur and whisper amongst themselves. She didn't catch a word they said but she knew they were talking about her already.

"Hey," a tall blond man, with deep green eyes and matching dimples to accentuate his smile, approached her after Dr. Brown left the room. He offered his hand towards her and introduced himself. "I'm Carter. Carter Lander."

"Meredith," she shook his hand briefly. "Meredith Grey."

"We heard you're related to the Ellis Grey?" Carter did not spend time dilly-dallying.

"She's my mother," Meredith answered with a small nod. "So, umm, where's my locker?"

"Over there," Carter pointed to the locker near the door. "If you want, we could trade. Mine's more in the inside. No one would catch a glimpse of you changing back there…"

"That's alright," Meredith shook her head as she opened her locker and placed the small bag she was carrying. "I'll deal."

"Hi," a curly haired red head woman approached Meredith. "I'm Alana."

Once again, Meredith shook the hand of her new co-intern and introduced herself.

"You're with Dr. Poon, right?" Alana asked.

"Yeah," Meredith nodded. "Is he good?"

"The best," Alana nodded enthusiastically. "He's the top-notched resident around here. We're lucky to be under him and he's friends with the head of neurosurgery, we always get priority inside the OR when it's a neuro."

"Great," Meredith murmured. Miles and miles away from Seattle and yet the mention of the word neurosurgery always flashed Derek's face in her mind.

--- --- ---

A few days later...

"Dr. Grey?"

Meredith turned around and looked at the nurse who just handed her a patient's file.

"Dr. Poon told me to tell you to tend to that patient over there," the nurse pointed towards a man who was sitting on one of the beds.

"Thanks," Meredith walked over to the patient.

"Are you my doctor?"

Meredith nodded. "What seems to be the problem here, sir?"

"Umm," the man looked around nervously. "I had an accident…"

"An accident?"

"Yeah," the man nodded and pulled up his sweatshirt.

"Oh my," Meredith gasped at what she just saw.

"Are you alright? You look a little pale. Is it that bad?"

"No, sir," Meredith shook her head, trying to keep in her lunch. Much to her dismay, her stomach didn't agree with her mind. She quickly got out of the room and threw up in the nearest trash can.

"Dr. Grey, are you alright?" Dr. Poon asked, who happened to pass by just in time.

Meredith shook her head and looked at her new resident. "I don't think so."

Carter passed Meredith a concerned look and stepped in front of her. "I'll take over her shift, Dr. Poon."

"No, I'm okay," Meredith shook her head, embarrassed from what Carter was doing for her.

"It's alright," Carter passed him a small reassuring smile. "You'll just owe me."

"Is that alright with you Dr. Grey? You do look like you need some rest," Dr. Poon stopped what he was doing and waited for Meredith to finally nod.

"Thanks," Meredith gave Carter a small smile as she walked out of the examining room.


The Emergency Room of Sacred Heart Hospital was a busy, busy, busy room. Especially with a four-car pile up that just occured a few minutes earlier that day. All 6 passengers of the 4 cars were taken to the ER of Sacred Heart.

"What do we have here?"

"20-something female, head injuries, she's been unconsious since we got her out of her vehicle," the paramedic spoke quickly as he helped wheel in the said patient.

"Do you have a contact number for the family?" the doctor asked as she checked on the patient.

"We found an address book with only one name on it," the paramedic informed the doctor.

"Lander! Get the address book and call whoever it is on that book," the doctor instructed her intern.

"But that's Meredith!"

"What?"

"Dr. Grey! Meredith! She's a new intern here! She went home earlier because she wasn't feeling well."

"Then call Dr. Poon," the doctor ordered. "Ask him to dig up her files and get a contact number. If they can't find one, have one of the nurses call the number on the address book."

Carter ran off, pocketing the address book.


Fresh start? There's no such thing. Everything you run away from… Just comes back right at ya'.

--- --- ---

--- --- ---

I think the big question is...

Whose name is on her address book?