chapter forty-two ━ welcome back, catherine avery
( season eight, episodes sixteen & seventeen )

❝You're in for an interesting
life, Sof.❞

ELLIE AND ALEX were walking towards the NICU when Lexie ran up to them with a smile on her face. "Hey, guess what?" she said making them both jump at her sudden appearance. "I'm on peds today. Babies! Yay!"

"It's the NICU," Alex replied and Ellie opened the door in front of the trio. "Not the nursery. It can get pretty intense."

Lexie shrugged it off. "Oh, well, nothing is as intense as working on Derek's lost causes." Ellie glanced at her. "It's like a death march up there. I mean—I call time of death on a daily basis. What do we got today?"

The blonde let out a small breath, leading them into a nearby room. "Well, have you ever seen a baby that weighs less than a pound?" she asked her.

"Uh—no—because babies that weigh less than sixteen ounces—" Her steps slowed as the two peds residents walked towards the incubator. "—don't survive." She moved closer to the incubator and Ellie pulled out the chart. "My God... He's the size of a soda can."

Alex nodded. "Fourteen ounces," he confirmed.

"But he's growing," Morgan said and the three residents looked over, seeing the intern wheeled in by her boyfriend.

He shrugged. "That might just be the bloating from the fluids," he told her causing Ellie and Alex to share the same exasperated look.

"Well, let's take a look," Ellie said, clearing her throat as she took hold of her stethoscope and opened the incubator.

Lexie looked at the new mother. "How are you feeling, Morgan?" she asked her.

"I—I'm the least of my worries," she replied, her eyes briefly flickering away from her son and Ellie.

"You must be Chris," Lexie said, glancing up at the man standing behind Morgan's wheelchair. "Cardio resident at Cleveland, right?"

Chris looked down at his girlfriend. "You talk about me?"

"You don't talk about me?"

"Oh." Lexie was looking at the sign on the side of the incubator. "You guys haven't had time to pick a name yet, huh?"

Chris shook his head. "No, we, uh—"

"Yeah," Morgan said, looking up at him. "We—We should do that. Any thoughts?"

"We should probably wait a few weeks, don't you think?" he replied and Ellie glanced up momentarily from examining the small baby. "Until he can see and hear and breathe on his own?"

She cleared her throat and wrapped her stethoscope around her neck, looking up at the new parents. "Fourteen point three ounces today," she said and Alex nodded, filling out the chart.

Morgan smiled at the information. "I told you he was bigger."

"Let's see how that changes his outcome predictor."

Lexie furrowed her brows in confusion. "Outcome predictor?" she whispered to Alex and Ellie.

Alex nodded. "Yeah," he replied with a small sigh. "It's a formula for micro preemies that determines their chance of survival. We don't use it here."

"Why not?"

"Nope," Chris said, showing Morgan his phone screen. "Chance of survival—still a whopping thirteen percent."

"That's why," Ellie answered Lexie and she nodded. "It freaks parents out."

Just then, Arizona walked in with a smile. "Morning," she greeted the group of residents in the room.

"Dr. Robbins," Morgan said, perking up at the sight of the peds surgeon. "Fourteen point three today."

She nodded, stopping next to Ellie at the incubator. "Well, at least that's headed in the right direction," she said before letting out a breath. "On the other hand—uh—we got the x-rays back, and he's developed Nec. His bowels are rotting, and unless we get in there and fix it—"

"The mortality rate of that surgery is over fifty percent in a preemie this size," Chris interrupted and Morgan shrugged.

"Survival rate for treating Nec surgically has gotten way better."

"Guys, hold on," Alex interjected. "Listen, you've got plenty of decisions to debate down the line—too many. This one's a no-brainer. You don't operate, he's gonna die. Simple as that."

Arizona nodded in agreement. "Dr. Karev is right."

Chris sighed. "Well, I guess we have no choice."

☀️

AFTER SCRUBBING IN on Morgan's baby's surgery—and Chris saying they should stop all measures—Ellie was sitting in the cafeteria. She was leaning her head on Alex's shoulder while they listened to Lexie's rant.

"That's not my point," she was saying. "I can't believe they're not gonna do anything. I mean, they are basically giving this kid a death sentence. Chris just wants to get back to his residency, and Morgan is too weak to even think straight."

Ellie sighed. "The parents have made up their minds, Lex."

"Just let us eat in peace," Alex added.

"Ali doesn't even have any parents as far as I can see," Lexie continued, using the nickname she had given the still-nameless baby. "And you know what?" She looked directly at Alex. "She's your intern. You need to step up."

He groaned in annoyance and leaned forward, reaching for Jackson's headphones that he was wearing. "Give me those. She won't shut up."

"No, I'm studying."

Ellie quirked an eyebrow upward, looking at him. "In the cafeteria?"

"Look," Lexie continued and Ellie sighed, dropping her head in her hands. "All I'm saying is—"

"Let it go, Lex," Ellie said, glancing at the brunette. "They're the parents. We can only give them our professional advice. But it's up to them whether they use it or not."

"All I'm saying is that parents did not decide his treatment plans," Lexie replied. "Doctors did. Math did."

She stood up and left the table. Her seat was soon occupied by the older Grey who stole one of Alex's chips.

He slapped her hand away. "Get your own," he grumbled.

"Hey, so it turns out Devin needs a thoracotomy," she said to Cristina who was looking at another table. "Your surgery..." She nodded, still distracted. "Remember Devin? Likes coffee, is in love with his barista?" Ellie found herself glancing at Jackson momentarily. "What about me? Remember me?"

"Hey, um—" She scooted her chair closer to Alex. "—have you—uh—hit that?"

"What that?" he asked, looking behind him at the table full of nurses.

"That—That brown-haired that."

Alex nodded. "Oh." Meredith and Ellie glanced at each other before following their gazes. "The that with the brown hair and the nice ass and perfect—?"

"Teeth, yes," Cristina finished in annoyance. "Have you?"

"Uh, no," he replied, shaking his head. "She only goes for attendings. Next year."

Ellie tilted her head. "What is the inside of your brain like?" she asked him and he shrugged, returning to his lunch. "Alright, then." She stood up. "I need some little girl cuddles. Am I still on the list for daycare, Mer?"

"Of course you are."

She smiled happily. "Thank you." She walked over to the end of the table and pulled off Jackson's headphones. "You look tense," she told him and he glanced up at her. "You should take a break."

"I can't," he replied, taking back the headphones and standing up. "I have to study."

She let out a small sigh and watched him leave the cafeteria. She made her way to the hospital daycare and found Derek and Mark inside with their daughters.

"Well, hello Miss Zola," she said, sitting down on the floor. "And little Sofia. How are you both today?" Ellie's eyes shifted briefly to Zola's hair and she looked around the room before smiling awkwardly. "Are you having fun with your daddies?"

Derek looked out the window and turned to the brother and sister. "Did you see that?" he asked them.

"No."

"What?"

"The way that woman looked at me and Zola," Derek said and Ellie looked out the window, not seeing a woman anywhere.

Maybe he's losing his mind...

"Derek, we're hot doctors with babies," Mark told his best friend. "Women are gonna stare."

Ellie shook her head in amusement, pulling Sofia onto her lap, and holding her close. "Just stop talking," she said. "You're in for an interesting life, Sof."

"I think she's racist."

Ellie raised her eyebrows and looked up at Derek. "That is... quite the accusation."

"Oh, I get it," Mark said and she glanced at him. "You're worried about bridging the cultural divide. I know all about that. That's why I learned Spanish. ¿Es la verdad, si, mi señorita chica muchacha? Yo soy el papi de tu. Sofia-rita. Beso me mucho."

Ellie tilted her head. "And that means...?"

"You know she doesn't speak Spanish, right?" Derek added.

"Oh, but she shall," Mark said, looking down at his daughter who was playing with the ends of her aunt's blonde hair. "¿Verdad? ¿Hablas mucho? You shall. See? Bridging the divide."

Derek nodded to himself. "So, how's it going with your better half?" he asked.

"He's uptight, worried about the boards." Ellie paused and looked up at him, sharing an amused look with Derek. "Snapping at patients."

"I think he meant Julia," she said and he looked at her. "But I'm definitely going to be telling Jackson that you think of him as your other half."

Mark nodded. "Oh." He chuckled awkwardly. "Of course. She's—uh—she's good, thanks. She's doing well."

"Good."

"I think your daddy is in love with Jackson," Ellie said in a sing-song voice, bouncing Sofia. "I think he is."

Mark frowned. "Don't tell her that. Besides, I'm not the one in love with him," he said, muttering at the end of his sentence.

"Nothing. I gotta go."

He quickly kissed Sofia goodbye and Ellie looked at Derek who stood up. "Yep, me too. Bye, Zola."

Ellie furrowed her brows, both of her nieces sitting on her lap and she looked down at them. "Well... at least you're not leaving me." Zola jumped off her lap and walked away making the blonde sigh. "Sofia, you're now my favorite."

☀️

ELLIE WAS SITTING in the computer lab when Cristina walked in, logging into the computer behind her. She smiled briefly at the woman and there was comfortable silence between the two until Cristina turned around.

"Did you have any pets growing up?" she asked.

Ellie paused and glanced up from the screen, turning her head. "Uh—no. Why?"

"Just trying to get to know you better," Cristina replied with a shrug. "That's it."

"Uh—okay?"

"What about your mother's maiden name?"

Ellie turned around in her seat to face Cristina. "Are you trying to hack me?" she asked her.

"I need the nurse's schedule."

"Oh." Ellie shrugged and turned back to her computer. "Well, you could have just said that instead of trying to break into my account. Who are we looking for?"

"Uh—Emily someone."

She nodded, finding the schedule. "Okay... Emily... Let's see... Okay, she was days in the CCU, but then she switched to nights in the surgical ICU handling traumas, which is odd, but Hunt signed off on it. So... should be fine..." Cristina opened the door and Ellie looked up. "Hey, if you need a cover story just let me know!"

☀️

JACKSON WAS PACING. It was slowly becoming his favorite hobby. The Sloan siblings were sitting at a table in front of him, the younger sister's head resting on the older brother's shoulder in boredom.

"Okay, let's go over the game plan again," he said and Mark groaned. "If we see my mother...?"

"We're buried with work today," Mark recited in a bored tone, poking his sister to wake her up.

Jackson nodded, still pacing. "And... you're sorry, but Jackson has no time to spend with her, okay?" he finished.

Ellie stifled a yawn. "Why is everybody talking in the third person lately?" she asked. The door to the skills lab opened and Catherine Avery walked inside making Ellie chuckle to herself. "That was impeccable timing..."

"There you are."

"Dr. Avery," Mark greeted her politely and she looked over at the plastics surgeon.

"Oh, Dr. Sloan," she said with a smile. "How nice to see you again. Now move. Ellie, dear, how are you?" she asked the blonde, giving her a once-over. "Are you eating? Jackson, you need to make sure that she eats."

"I'm just fine, Catherine, I promise," Ellie assured her with a small chuckle. "And I do eat." She glanced at Jackson and pushed him forward. "Say hello to your mother."

"I'm glad someone encourages him to see me," Catherine said, hugging her son once he was within arms-length of her. "There's my boy. You also look skinny. Tell me that you did not forget your tux."

Ellie glanced between them. "Tux?"

"Jackson is my date for the Frontiers of Medicine benefit tonight," Catherine replied when she remembered the woman standing behind her. "Oh, this is Dr. Mara Keaton. Mara is my star urology fellow. Mara, this is my son, Jackson."

"Hi."

"Dr. Mark Sloan," she continued. "And his sister, Ellie."

Mara smiled politely, looking at the siblings. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"You, too."

"Mara's considering Seattle Grace as an option for next year," Catherine explained. "And I thought, well, who better to show her around than my son?" Jackson pressed his lips together. "Dr. Sloan, can you spare him for just a couple of hours."

Mark nodded. "Absolutely." Jackson looked up, a sense of betrayal on his face, while Ellie laughed at him. "Show her around. Take your time."

"I—I can't possibly. We are... buried with work."

"Kepner can cover for you," Mark said with a shrug. "And, you know what? Take Ellie with you." She paused. "She knows this hospital backward and forwards."

"I'm sorry..." Ellie looked up at her brother. "Maybe I misheard. Did you just say 'Take Ellie with you'?"

"Oh, that's a great idea!" Catherine agreed with a smile and she looked at the woman. "The chief resident always knows this hospital better than anyone. Perfect."

"Perfect," Mark echoed.

Ellie let out a puff of air. "Perfect..."

Jackson nudged her in the ribs and she looked up at him. "Looks like you're stuck with me for the day."

Maybe the idea wasn't that bad...

☀️

ELLIE WAS TRAILING behind Mara and Jackson, watching their interactions, as they entered the observation deck. "And this is OR 2," Jackson said, gesturing around them. "Which looks exactly like OR 1..."

"You still have to cover the ER in the fifth year and study for your boards?" Mara asked him.

He nodded. "Yeah, it's a pretty rigorous program. Speaking of which... I need to be getting back to work, so...?"

Mara looked at them. "Do you mind if we watch for a second?"

"Not at all," Ellie said, sitting in the back of the gallery.

"God." Mara sighed as she sat down in front of the blonde and Jackson sat beside her. "And I thought I had no time for a social life. Are you still dating anyone?"

Jackson paused and knitted his brows together. "Am I still dating?"

"I mean—are you dating anyone?"

He didn't answer. "Tell me about you," he said and Ellie found herself glancing between the two. "Where'd you go to school?"

"Well, my dad's the director of surgical science at Oxford, so I did my preclinical years there," she began and Ellie raised her eyebrows.

"Oxford... Wow."

"Then residency at Mass Gen," she continued. "Then I transferred to the Brigham to study under your mother, and... here I am."

Ellie nodded, playing with her fingers. "Here you are..."

"That's quite a pedigree, isn't it?" Jackson asked.

The blonde looked at him and her heart sank.

"Well, you know, a little hard work and a lot of good timing," Mara said and Jackson nodded, standing up.

"No, I get it. I totally get it."

Ellie furrowed her brows when he began to leave. "Where are you going?" she hissed at him.

"Just stay with her," he replied and she frowned.

"Is that Derek Shepherd?" Mara asked and Ellie looked back at her. "So there's cord damage. Do you mind if we stay and watch this for...?"

She turned around, only to see Ellie alone in the room. "Yeah," she said with a strained smile. "Yeah, we can stay."

☀️

ELLIE WALKED INTO her office and saw Jackson and Mara sitting on the floor, laughing together. "Oh, sorry," she said making them look up at her. "I—I'll just—uh—I'll just go." She hit the wall. "Ouch. Uh—sorry."

"Wait, Ellie!" Jackson called out to her. "You're not interrupting." She glanced back at him. "We were just talking. Besides, she's just a spy for my mom."

"A—A spy?"

Mara nodded. "She wanted to know more about his life," she explained. "His boards, his relationships... you."

Ellie furrowed her brows. "Me?"

"Just sit down," Jackson said and she sighed, sitting down beside him on the floor. She saw a pile of wrappers on the table.

"Were you eating my trail mix?" she asked.

He pressed his lips together. "Uh—no?"

"Jackie!" she exclaimed, playfully hitting him in the shoulder. "I've told you—don't eat my trail mix!"

"Right, right, I'm sorry!" he replied, holding his shoulder. "I'll buy you the world's biggest supply for your birthday. Just stop hitting me."

Mara looked between the two residents and smiled at the way they looked at each other; it was full of love.

"Jackson told me that you grew up with Derek Shepherd," she said and Ellie nodded.

"I did."

"What was that like?"

Ellie chuckled to herself. "Well, with both Mark Sloan and Derek Shepherd in the same room together—as teenagers, nonetheless—a lot of ego."

"It hasn't changed," Jackson added.

She nodded in amusement. "Actually, I think it's gotten worse."

"And your brother?" Mara asked making Ellie look back at her. "What was he like while growing up?"

Ellie smiled to herself and Jackson glanced at her. It was one of his favorite smiles. She had different smiles for different occasions. But one of his favorites was whenever she was asked to talk about her brother.

Her favorite person in the world.

"When people find out that Mark was the one who practically raised me, they always give me this really confused look," she said with a shrug. "Especially, if they already know Mark. I mean, before Sofia, he didn't really give off 'caring father' vibes. But I personally think he did an amazing job."

"Yes he did," Jackson agreed with a nod and she smiled at him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He really did...

☀️

ELLIE WALKED OUT to the main lobby, putting on her coat, and saw Jackson and Mara standing next to the nurse's station. "Shouldn't you two be on your way to that benefit by now?" she asked them.

Jackson turned around at her voice and he—somehow—looked even more handsome in a tux. "Well, Mara found her guns and we're not going."

Ellie found herself admiring the tux before remembering what she had said and clearing her throat. "That's impressive," she said. "It's not easy standing up to Catherine Avery. At least... according to what Jackson told me."

"We're going to get pizza," he told her and she nodded. "Care to join?"

"Oh, I—I shouldn't—"

"Please?" he asked and she looked back at him. "Come on, you love pizza. And potstickers and Oreo ice cream—well, all ice cream, actually." She chuckled to herself. "And getting pizza with you is fun because I never see anyone else's eyes light up the way yours do when pizza is in front of you." She blinked at him. "And potstickers. And Oreo ice cream. It makes me happy seeing you happy. Please?"

She stared back at him, not noticing that her cheeks were turning into a dark red blush. "Uh—o—okay," she said, stumbling over her words. "Just—Just give me a minute. I think I left my phone in my office."

He nodded. "We'll still be here."

Ellie nodded in response and hurried back into her office, her mind racing a mile a minute. She closed the door behind her and leaned against the wood, letting out a breath.

"And I think deep down, you like him, too."

"Avery couldn't keep his eyes off you."

"It makes me happy seeing you happy."

Ellie sat down on her couch, running a hand over her face. "Oh, my God... I'm in love with Jackson Avery..."

☀️

━ author's note:

*in nick fury's voice* it's about damn time!

one half of jallie down, one half to go...

and this is definitely how i reacted the first time i wrote this almost a year (!) ago: