"Listen up, people. New year, new rules. Or — should I say — New Year, and we will be enforcing the rules mandated by the residency review committee."

"Well, this should be fun."

Meredith digs her elbow into my ribs forcefully while I attempt to keep my laughter hidden.

"There were too many mistakes made last year. Fatigue played too big a role. Exceeding eighty hours of work per week will not be tolerated."

"Is he expecting us to get a social life?" My hands press against the sides of my hips. "On such short notice?"

"Sullivan, you were on-call for 28 hours. Leave when you hit 30. Grey, Phoenix, you two were here past two in the morning last night. See you tomorrow at noon."

"We get to go? Free time?"

"Let's make a run for it before he changes his mind."

The two of us walk past the group of attendings, residents, interns, and nurses to wherever we please since we don't have to work until tomorrow.

I curl my arm around hers. "We can finally go to Starbucks before a shift instead of settling for the cafeteria coffee."

"Or we can go to Joe's."

"There's this new café I've been wanting to try, but it opens an hour after morning rounds." I tap my fingers against her forearm.

"There's always Joe's."

"I'm sensing you want to go to Joe's."

"Can we go to Joe's?"

Mockingly, I roll my eyes. She claps her hands together before releasing herself from my hold. We change out of our scrubs and grab our things from the locker room before heading out.

The elevator doors slide open, revealing two nurses and Dr. Shepherd. The nurses step off the lift, leaving us along with the attending.

He lifts his head up, his stare falling on me instantly.

"Leven. Hi."

"Morning, Dr. Shepherd."

"Meredith. Hello."

"Derek."

The three of us are left in a silently awkward atmosphere, not knowing what else to say to each other.

"You're leaving already?" He rolls the newspaper.

"We've surpassed our eighty-hour limit." I count down the floor level in my head. "You?"

"My surgery was postponed." He replies quickly. "And you?"

A pinkish blush spreads up my neck and cheeks. "You already asked me that."

He allows his gaze to roam free across my figure, clearly not ashamed by the presence of his ex-one-night-stand.

"How's Scar doing?" To ease the tension, Meredith clears her throat.

"Oh, he's absolutely great. Thanks for asking." I beam brightly. "But he better stop growing because I'll need a new apartment soon."

"You should bring him to the house." She suggests.

"Scar? Is he your —"

"Dog. He's my dog."

"You have a dog? Oh, you know what? I love dogs."

"Mm. That's nice."

Finally, after what feels like eternity, the elevator doors open to the very bottom floor. Only a certain red-headed woman stands on the other side.

"Dr. Phoenix. Dr. Grey."

"Dr. Shepherd."

Meredith and I quickly evade the lift, avoiding the judgemental look on her face. Once we're out of earshot, she pulls me into a corner.

"He was giving you the look."

"Meredith, have you gone crazy? What look are you talking about?"

"You know, the look."

"Emphasizing a different word doesn't help, Grey."

She squints her eyes harshly. "I think he's in love with you, Leven. Or, at least, he's falling in love with you."

"And how would you know that?" I cock a brow.

"It's how every television couple looks at each other."

"You're using fictional characters to justify your reasoning?"

"I'm not lying, I swear."

"Well, you aren't truthing."

Meredith changes her mind about drinking alcohol in the morning, so we pick up some lattes from the nearest Starbucks. I pick up all of my dirty clothes from my apartment and bring them with me to the laundromat.

"Don't you have a washer and dryer at your place, Mer?" I toss various colored clothes into the washing machine.

"It hasn't been working for years." She exchanges a few dollar bills for rolls of quarters. "And coming here is a lot more fun."

I turn the knob to start the machine. "You've got that right."

After we wash all of our clothes — which takes less time than expected — Meredith and I go our separate ways for the rest of our free day.

Growing bored by the second, I pick Scar up earlier than usual from daycare and take him to the café I had mentioned.

"No matter how many times you beg, I can't give you coffee."

Scar continues to give me a pair of puppy dog eyes, tempting me to no end. I grab the piece of French baguette provided and break it off into little pieces to feed him one by one.

"You drive a hard bargain, mister."

"I could say the same about yourself."

When I look up, I'm met by the bright blue eyes of one neurosurgeon. I huff in an obvious manner, tilting my sunglasses up.

"What do you want, Dr. Shepherd?"

He runs a thorough hand through his parted hair. "You can call me Derek, you know. At least outside of the hospital."

"Does your wife know you stalk interns?" My hand slips into my purse, grasping a few bills. "And would you stop with the dream-like expression and sparkly eyes?"

"What are you talking about?" His brows crinkle in the middle.

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about." My eyes narrow dangerously.

"I really don't." A shit-eating grin appears.

Before I can come up with a response, someone's wet and cold nose pokes my hand, where the remaining pieces of bread are.

"You're not helping, Scar."

Shepherd scratches the Saint Bernard behind his ear, and — to my surprise — Scar practically melts into his touch.

"Now you're really not helping."

I place two ten-dollar bills into the checkbox after clutching my purse. Fortunately, Scar moves away from the gentle pets and back to the olive green Jeep Wrangler.

"Leven, I didn't come here for nothing, you know."

"Well, if you came here for the reason I think you came here. . .you're never getting it."

"Seriously, Leven, I —"

"See you later, Dr. Shepherd."

It's a short drive back to Meredith's house. Izzie and George are already done with their shifts and relaxing with magazines and a box of pizza.

"How'd your day go?"

"Surgery. You?"

"Laundry. You?"

"No surgery. You?"

"Laundry and McDreamy."

"McDreamy?"

I sit up against the cushioned pillows. "I was at the new café, and he happened to be there. A bit too obvious to be a coincidence."

"Did he tell you what he was doing there?" Meredith pours herself a tall glass of red wine.

"Kinda didn't let him." I simply shrug my shoulders. "I'm sure whatever he had to say wasn't important. Otherwise, he would've started with it."

Since I've restrained myself from drinking, I drive back to my apartment in the dark. It takes a few moments to find my keys, but I manage.

Of course, nothing prepares me for what I see inside.

More so who.

"Hi, Leven."

". . .Lennox?"