"Meredith?" Mark said trying to get her attention. Her eyes remained glued where they were. He turned to follow her eyes. About fifty feet away stood Alex. He was just as frozen as Meredith. "This isn't good." He mumbled to himself.
Tears quickly filled her eyes as she tried to move to her feet. But she couldn't find the strength.
"Meredith?" Richard's voice came. She slowly nodded but didn't look away from Alex. "It's Madi. She's out of surgery." Meredith's head whipped around to look at Richard.
"Is she alright?"
"Shepherd is looking for you."
Fear crossed her face as she forced thoughts of Alex out. She quickly stood up, glanced at Mark then Alex, before turning and hurrying out with Richard.
--
"Dr. Shepherd." She breathed out as she came into the recovery room.
"Meredith." He turned to look at her.
"Derek, how's my baby?" She quickly asked taking Madi's hand.
"We were able to remove all the tumor. Time will tell, but I'm expecting a full recovery."
"But she will… You think she will be okay, right?"
"I'm very good at what I do."
"Thank you, Dr. Shepherd." She said kissing her daughter's cheek.
Derek smiled and let himself out. Richard hugged Meredith tightly. "She's going to be fine, Mer."
"I know, Dad."
The door opened and George stood there panting with Owen in his arms. "Mer, I got here as soon as I got your guys' page. How is she?"
"She's doing fine." Richard answered with a smile.
"Mommy, is Madi all better?" Owen asked sheepishly.
Meredith took her son from George's arms and hugged him tightly. "Yes, Baby. She's doing much better."
"Is there anything I can do, Mer?" George asked.
"No, I'm fine." She looked down at Madi. "As long as they're fine. I'm fine."
It wasn't the truth. She had just seen the love of her life for the first time in years. But she didn't need them worrying about her so soon after Madi got out of surgery.
--
"Oh my god." Izzie said sitting across from her friends at the lunch table. Christina sat angrily stabbing her salad. Alex, on the other hand, was in complete shock sitting slumped over in his seat staring out in the distance as he bit his finger. Nobody could read his face. "Does George know?"
"He's a traitor. He's been hanging out with her all along." Christina snapped bitterly.
"What? George wouldn't keep something like that from us." Izzie objected. "Wait. How do you know?"
"I saw her earlier." Though Christina was furious at Meredith, she wouldn't tell her secret. It wasn't because she felt she owed her something or because she thought she deserved secrecy when it was her fault that Alex was the way her was. Meredith once was her person and probably still was if she was completely honest. But in the end, Alex didn't deserve this. Christina knew that no matter how hard it was to admit she was as much part of their family as Izzie is or Meredith once was.
"You saw her, and you didn't tell us!" Izzie screeched.
"Yes, Barbie, I did. Shock, shock Bambi and I can keep a secret too."
"Why wouldn't she come see us?"
"I don't know." Christina shook her head rubbing her eyes.
Izzie looked over at Alex to find him still staring off into the distance. He was frozen in the same position unfazed by the women's conversation.
"Alex? Alex?" Izzie said trying to pull him from his daze. "Alex!" When he didn't respond, she shook his shoulders lightly. Slowly, his eyes moved to meet hers. "Are you okay?"
He stood up abruptly and walked away leaving Izzie and Christina puzzled.
He couldn't believe it. After five long years, she was back. He wasn't sure what he felt. Shock was the first and foremost emotion. But once that started to subside, he felt happiness, confusion, and so many more jumbled up feelings that he couldn't quite sort out.
He walked through the hospital in a daze unsure what to do from there. Pushing the on-call room door open, he collapsed on the bed hoping that he could collect himself. He stared up at the bottom of the top bunk trying to remember what had made Meredith leave Seattle in the first place. What was it that forced her to leave her home, their love, and everything behind?
His pager went off just as he exited the patient's room. Groaning, he looked down at it. With only ten minutes left in his shift, he didn't want to be bothered with a trauma or whatever that page had in store for him. He had to find Meredith. Ellis had come into the hospital earlier that day. He didn't know why since Meredith stayed in her mother's room all day, and he hadn't got a chance to talk to her.
Stopping at the nurses' station, he was told that he was needed in the on-call room. Thinking it was Meredith, he happily complied, feeling a little relieved that wouldn't have to hunt her down. But when he pushed the door open, he didn't see Meredith. Instead Ava… or Rebecca stood before him.
"What are you doing here?"
"I left him, Alex. I divorced my husband." A smile stretched across her face as she took a step closer.
"You divorced your husband? And you come here?"
"We can be together." She stepped closer as he stepped back.
"Ava… Rebecca, we can't be together."
"Why not?" She asked with a small smirk.
"Because…" He sighed. "I'm in love with someone else."
"No, your not." He had never seen her like this. "You just need to remember."
Before he knew what was going on, her arms were around his neck, and her lips were on his. He felt nothing. All he thought about was Meredith. He pulled his lips away. Just as he was about to say something and push her off of him, the door flew open. Meredith stood before them as tears rolled off her cheeks. Her scrubs covered in blood. He pushed her off and went to comfort his girlfriend, but Meredith was already gone.