title: way better than grey's anatomy
characters: annie jenkins, britta portnoy, jeff crocker
setting: greenhealth main cafeteria (blind/blonde AU)
pairing(s): jeff x annie, mentions britta x troy and britta x subway
word count: 622

"I swear I'm going to punch that smug attending right in the knads next time I see him."

"He's not that bad, Britta." Annie sighed, patting the chair carefully before she sat down. It was at their usual table in Greenhealth Main's cafeteria, but later than their normal lunch hour; the sun didn't feel as warm on her skin.

But Britta wasn't about to let up. She never did. "He said that cut was crooked! Jagged! We have not done one crooked or jagged incision since the first day we teamed up, and that is a fact!" Annie flinched slightly when Britta's palm slapped against the table to emphasize her words. "He probably just can't handle the fact that two female surgeons fresh out of their residency are showing him up." She sniffed, as though satisfied with that answer.

"You know that isn't... Alright, it might be a little true," Annie admitted. She cocked her head slightly to one side, listening. "Now can we please switch to a different conversation?" she pleaded.

"Why?"

"Because he's on his way over here and I'd really hate for all of us to get kicked out of the cafeteria again."

"That was the one time, and-" Britta twisted to look over her shoulder. She groaned under her breath. "I'll be nice if he is," she muttered, turning back around and crossing her arms over her chest.

Annie beamed and said, "Thank you!" just as Greenhealth's chief attending surgeon, Jeff Crocker, slid into the seat next to hers. "Hey babe," he greeted, leaning over to press a quick kiss to Annie's mouth (she turned slightly to help him out). Britta groaned at the very sight.

She could practically feel Jeff quirking an eyebrow in the blonde's direction. "Problem, Godzilla?" he asked breezily, slinging one long arm around Annie's shoulders.

"Yeah, you and your inability to see a perfectly straight incision when you see it." Britta replied back. (Annie sighed at her surgical partner's inability to let anything go) "You might want to lay off on spending so much time in the tanning booths - I think it's burning through your retinas." She didn't sound all that worried about the prospect. Annie heard the familiar movement and rustlings on someone rising to their feet. "Where are you going?" she demanded. "We haven't even eaten yet!"

"You guys'll be eating each other's faces off in about two minutes, I guarantee it." Britta retorted. "And I just don't think I could stomach that after what happened last time." The blond's voice was already fading away. Annie felt her face flush. Jeff knocked his knee gently against hers.

"She really shouldn't complain so much," Annie said when she was certain Britta was gone, very much complaining herself. "She's basically the one who set us up! No, in fact, she is the one! And then you did the nice guy thing and got her a date with your medical intern friend! Roy-?"

"Troy. And I'll be honest. It was only because I was sick of hearing her in the janitor's closet next to my office with the guy from the morgue who is creepily into sandwiches."

Annie shuddered delicately She leaned forward, tapping the tabletop gently with her fingers until she found the bottle of water Britta had purchased for her before
they sat down. Jeff waited till she was sitting properly again to murmur into her ear:

"So, how to you feel about proving Britta right?"

"Again?"

"Alright, we'll just keep it to ourselves this time."

Annie giggled, "Jeff!" and reached out to swat where she knew his shoulder must be. Jeff caught her wrist and pulled her forward so that their lips met in another, much longer kiss.

So this one's been floating around in my head for a while, but actually seeing it written in front of me... I can't say I'm as impressed as I wanted to be. I'm always super-critical of AU's, mostly because I find some of them get taken too far and take the character away from the character (if that makes any sense). I know there's the liberty to make changes, because it's a different setting and, in a sense, different people... Alright, I'm rambling. Maybe all of you lovely people will think differently.

Also, my medical knowledge is slim to none, so you'll have to go easy on the few medicine-related term I slipped in there.