I paced the halls of Seattle Grace frantically. In a matter of minutes I would be faced with a mob of angry, questioning faces with no escape. You did this to yourself. I kept telling myself. There was no real reason to come back to Seattle, yet I felt drawn to the city I once called home.

I'd spent the last six months in Los Angeles learning to cope with my current situation. On the day I fled Seattle, I wasn't sure I'd make it anywhere. I was terrified, angry, and so sad. I still am on occasion. Luckily, with the help of Addison I got back on my feet and moved on. The irony of our situation was almost too much to handle. The rejected ex wife and the rejected ex mistress made quite the pair.

Ultimately, I couldn't stay with her. I knew I couldn't hide forever. That brought me to my current predicament. In just two minutes the nurses would page my friends to the Chief's office. There I would see them for the first time in six months. My body was practically jumping out of my skin. Things would be different if I had said goodbyes or given some sort of explanation. Unfortunately, I didn't do any of those things. In fact, I'd been ignoring any and all attempts at communication from them. The only calls from Seattle that I would take were from the chief.

Richard knew exactly what was happening. I had to tell him something when I asked to take a leave of absence. Plus, he always acted as a calming presence in my chaotic life. He always had advice to give when there wasn't a good outcome in sight. He was the one who suggested I return to Seattle Grace. I made my way to the chief's office. He was sitting at his desk going over paperwork. When I entered the room, he immediately jumped up. "Meredith!" He exclaimed. He slowly approached me as if I was an animal he was worried about spooking. "How are you?" "

I'm great." Richard gave me a skeptical look. "Really." I held my arms out and embraced him in an awkward yet somehow loving hug. This experience brought us together. He patted my back and pulled away. "Have the nurses paged them?"

He smiled. "Not yet. They were waiting for a final okay from me." I nodded and sat down on the small leather couch, mentally and physically exhausted. "How are you feeling? Addison told me about that scare last week. She almost killed me for suggesting you come back."

I smiled half-heartedly to assure the worried man and said, "Still not 100%, but much better. She bit my head off too when I asked about the possibility of traveling. I finally got her to agree with one concession— she had to come along."

"Oh lord. That should make this easier." Richard laughed.

"I'm really just trying to figure this thing out. It's not exactly an ideal situation." I sighed and looked through the glass panes at the hospital that I'd spent more nights in than my actual home. Nurses bustled about attending to patients, visitors searched for their specific room numbers, and residents were lecturing interns about everything they didn't know but somehow should have. I missed it. I hadn't set foot in an operating room since I'd left and I was having serious withdrawals. It was time to return.

The chief placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder and asked, "Are you ready?" I took a deep breath and nodded. He smiled and stepped to the door. "I'm going to step out and give you all some privacy." Before he left his office, he offered one more piece of advice. "They're going to be angry. They're going to be sad and upset. You can explain your situation and justify you leaving as much as you want, but that can only go so far. Just tell them you're sorry for hurting them. You're human and humans make mistakes. They'll learn to forgive you." With that, he left the small room.

Breathe. Just breathe. You are Meredith Grey. Resident. Surgical prodigy. You will be fine. No matter what I told myself, the nerves wouldn't stop. Shortly, my friends would see me for the first time in half a year. Richard was right. They were going to be furious with me. They would question everything I did. I could only hope that they would forgive me for lying and ignoring them for so long. Maybe I had put this off for so long because I was afraid they wouldn't forgive me. This wasn't something I could do alone.

Breathe. You'll be fine. They will understand. The doorknob turned and the door cracked open. I stood up to meet them. They will understand that you did what you had to do to protect yourself. They will understand that you did what you had to do to protect your unborn baby. They have to.

Author's Note: Hello everyone! I hoped you like my first installment in this story. I'm not sure what direction this will take yet, but I'm excited for you all to figure it out with me. I love getting suggestions and reviews so make sure to comment. Thanks for reading!