8.01

At the sound of a baby crying coming from the monitor, both Helena and Mark let out a groan, as they were woken up.

"Alice is up." Helena sighed, swinging her legs out of the bed with her eyes still closed. "I'll get her, you got her at night."

"Thank you, honey." Mark answered as the girl rubbed her eyes, leaving her bedroom to cross the hallway into the nursery.

However, as she did, she found Cristina already there, picking the small girl up from her crib.

"Did she wake you?" The short girl asked, as she moved over to Cristina, who smiled down at the small baby, rocking her back and forth.

"No, I was already up. I just heard little miss dimples over here crying and thought I'd get her." The woman answered, as Alice smiled up at her too, the dimples she'd inherited from her bother showing.

"She likes you." Helena pointed out in a soft voice, before she asked. "Think you got her while I take a shower?"

"Yeah, yeah, go." Cristina agreed, as the foreign girl entered her room and followed to the en-suite bathroom.

It had been a week since Cristina had been kicked out by Owen and the woman had been living with Helena and Mark since. It had also been a week since Helena and Meredith had their fight, the two not having really made up. They kept civil, but there was still a clear tension between them, even if they both missed each other.

——

"Good morning." April called out from the top of a little bench, being ignored by mostly everyone. They were at a breakfast for fifth years and attendings, in order to discuss their specialties. "And welcome to your final year of residency."

Helena shot her friend an encouraging smile, before turning back to make her breakfast. Serving herself some scrambled eggs, she watched as Mark put several pieces of bacon and pancakes in his plate, making her giggle. "Gosh, you eat like a child, Mark Sloan."

"Well, you eat like a grandma. You like gross vegetables and, well, one of your favorite foods is soup. . You don't get to judge." The man shot back, teasingly.

"At least food is healthy." Helena told him in a singsongy manner.

"Good morning, Dr. Sloan." Jackson told Mark, approaching the couple. "I was hoping to discuss a possible mentorship?"

"Okay, and that's my cue." Helena smiled at both men, grabbing her tray as she turning away. "I hear enough about plastics at home."

Looking for a table, she sat by Cristina and Meredith, clearing her throat at the tension between them.

"Good morning, Meredith." She wished with a tight lipped smile, as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Good morning." After a moment of silence, Cristina looking between the two, she asked. "Hum, how's Alice doing?"

"She's good, thank you." Helena told the blond. "She's sleeping for longer, which is good."

"Oh, I know, Zola just slept through the night. It's good not to have to wake up to a screaming child at midnight." Meredith agreed, finishing up her sandwich.

Some more uncomfortable silence followed, before the blond let out. "Ok, then." She told them, getting up from her seat.

"That was uncomfortable." Cristina scoffed.

"Yeah..." Helena agreed, playing around with her eggs.

"Owen told me about Chief Resident. Is that why you got so pissed at Mer?" Cristina questioned, as Helena shrugged.

"I... look, I don't know. I think it was everything mixed together, but most of all the fact that she hasn't even apologized." The brunette shook her head, taking a bite of her breakfast. "I know she doesn't regret what she did, and I know that she didn't mean to hurt me, but the very least she could do would be apologize for the fact that she did. I'm just... sometimes you just get sick of having to take care of everyone else, of having to deal with everyone's messes, you know?"

——

Helena stood outside of the ER, waiting for the incoming ambulances, as Owen and Callie rushed out of the hospital doors.

"We're going to the scene for an on-site amputation." The man told the group of doctors. "Woman's trapped under her car. You guys are gonna get swamped with bodies. Kepner, you're in charge till I get back!" He instructed as he entered the ambulance.

"Yes, sir. Have fun!" The resident called out, making Helena and Lexie share a questioning look.

"At an amputation?" Callie asked, furrowing her brows.

"I-I mean good luck." She apologized as she returned to the group.

As Helena helped Lexie tie her trauma gown, she heard steps behind them, looking to see Meredith walking out to the ambulance bay.

"You know what? There's bound to be piles of head trauma. Derek's gonna have to talk to you." Cristina told her friend.

However, at the expression on Meredith face, Helena's brows furrowed in worry. "Mer? What's wrong?"

"I got fired." She let out, drily.

"?" Lexie's head turned to her sister, a shocked look on her face.

"The Chief fired me." She repeated herself, as Helena shook her head.

On one hand, she understood why the decision had been made. Meredith had messed with the trial, therefor compromising the hospital as a research facility. It wasn't only something unethical and unprofessional, it was illegal.

On the other, this decision didn't make sense, not coming from Webber. Not coming from the same man that had allowed Izzie Stevens to stay after she had cut an LVAD wire. So, yes, Helena was pissed at the decision. Not only because she wouldn't be able to work with her person, but because it was unfair.