2Ø

"IF/THEN"

Amedeo sits at her spot in the residents lounge, her permanent scowl on her face as she ties her shoes while listening to April Kepner fuss over Meredith Webber's engagement ring.

"Oh, my god! When?!"

"Last night." Meredith replied, a big smile on her face. Eleanora rolls her eyes, shrugging her labcoat over the grey scrubs. "I mean, I kind of thought he would, and then, sure enough. Are you okay, April? 'Cause I know—I mean I knew this was gonna be hard for you, but—"

"Oh.." April scoffs, trying to play it off. Eleanora watches on as Meredith squeezes her best friends hand, tilting her head as she took a bite of her apple.

"You are going to find someone, April." Meredith assured her. "And Charles is really into you."

"Ugh, I know, I know. But Charles is-"

"Hi. Hey April." Charles speaks up, walking into the lounge. He eyes Eleanora as he passes, and she just flashes him a toothy, predatory grin. He scoots away from her and goes to the safety of his cubby on the other side of Jackson. "Charles is what?"

"Annoying." Eleanora piped up, one of the first words she's spoken to any of them in the past few days. Meredith sent her a pouty glare, Eleanora just holding her chin up a bit higher.

Meredith walked around like she was all that, untouchable, all because her mommy was the Chief of Surgery, the Great Ellis Grey. But as far as Eleanora was concerned, Ellis Grey was a conniving, cold-hearted, bitch.

"I am thrilled!" April assured Meredith about her engagement, ignoring Charles. "Have you told anyone else?"

"Besides my parents, no! You're my person." Meredith responded. It took all of Eleanora's control not to fake gag, or actually gag, at those words. Meredith and Kepner threw that word around all the time like it meant something spectacular.

"Oh, god. This is so beautiful. You guys, you're gonna be, like, the next Shepherds!"

"Screw that. We're gonna be the next Webber's!" Meredith laughed. Eleanora rolled her eyes, which Jackson saw. He tilted his head but she chose to ignore him, standing up and grabbing her pager.

"Okay, how did he do it? Tell me !" April gushed, Eleanora turning her back to them. She pulled out her phone, purposely ignoring the conversation for the next few moments until she knew she had to head up to the Cabbage Patch.

The room grows stiff and quiet as the door opens, Cristina Yang shoving her way through the door. Eleanora turns to look, giving Cristina a quick nod before looking back down at her phone.

Cristina moved to her cubby between Eleanora and Jackson, purposely ignoring both of them. Jackson sighed, putting his stethoscope around his neck.

"Good morning."

"Are you to me?" Cristina asked him, her voice heavy with annoyance. Eleanora turned her head to look at the stand-off, her mean smirk pulling on her lips again.

"Jackson..."April scoffed, eyeing both Cristina and Eleanora. Meredith finished for her, disgust in her voice.

"Don't feed the animals. Just leave them to brood or whatever they do together."

"We do surgeries, Barbie." Eleanora speaks up, voice cool and impassive. She looks back down at her phone, responding to a text from the person she wasn't able to speak to before leaving that morning. "Badass surgeries that you can only dream about. Guess Mommy doesn't have as much power over your nepotism-filled career as you thought."

Meredith let out a gasp, Cristina turning to leave. Eleanora grabbed her stethoscope and went to follow, Cristina speaking up as she eyed Meredith.

"Every single one of you can suck our-"

"Hey! How's everybody doing this morning?!" Alex Karev announced, entering the room with his usual irritating level of enthusiasm and sunshine. Eleanora winced at his loud voice, rolling her eyes. "Everybody ready to kick some butt?"

Everyone stays quiet, Alex sighing before rubbing his hands together, pushing his glasses up when he was done. "Let's run the Board, guys. Avery?"

"Covering the pit."

"Noble work." Alex smiled, his eyes moving to Eleanora and Cristina. He gulped, eyes widening a bit in fear. "Y-Yang? Am-Amedeo?"

"Solo Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm." Cristina replied, monotone. Eleanora crossed her arms, Alex moving his eyes to her.

"Shepherd is letting me lead on her Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome operation this afternoon. Besides that, I'm helping Pretty Blue Eyes with the pit." Eleanora stated blandly, motioning towards Jackson.

Alex nodded, quickly moving his eyes to his fiancé. Meredith sighed, sending a smile. "Well, I guess that means, I'm doing Torres' Post-Ops."

"Kepner?"

"Um, I'm on Shepherds Service. Good Shepherd. W-with..." April eyed Eleanora, "....."

"Oh, hey, I'm on Bad Shepherd." Charles laughed, everyone turning to look at him. "Maybe we're gonna be the next Shepherds?"

"No, we aren't." April responded, face scrunched up with disgust. Eleanora moved her bored eyes back to Alex, Cristina as still as a statue beside her.

"Alright, guys. The day is as good as you make it. Alright, let's get out there and keep Seattle Grace the country's best hospital!"

Cristina moves for the door, Eleanora rolling her eyes at Karev's word as she followed behind her. When she passes by Alex, she speaks up, voice sickly sweet.

"I hate you all."

______

, you excited about the TTTS today?" Addison asked, walking up behind her. Eleanora glanced over at her Attending, her face blank.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you for letting me be the lead surgeon on it." She eyed the woman's big stomach, nodding at it before looking down at the chart. "How's the baby?"

"Good, good. Kicking a lot, gets that from their....their dad." Addison shuttered out. She leaned on the counter, looking down at her resident. "I've spoken to Ellis-"

"Goodie."

Addison smirked a bit at the small woman's disinterest but continued on without commenting on it. "-and she's agreed that, as long as you pass your Boards and become a certified Fetal Surgeon, you will become my only fellow. I need less time on my hands with the baby, and the world needs another, well, ."