Chapter One

The Past Is Always There

The building directory was constantly changing. There were a few offices that had been there for years, O'Malley-Yang Cardiothoracic Specialists being one of them. New ones were a constant though. The building manager was changing names out on a regular basis. The name he slid in today gave Cristina Yang reason to pause. Dr. Alex Karev, OB/GYN. It was odd, seeing that name. She hadn't thought of Alex in years. Not since had transferred to some hoity toity place in New York. Addison Montgomery had gone with him. Of course, she had been pregnant with his child at the time, so it hadn't been much of a suprize to see her go.

"George is going to love this," she murmurs as she walks the mere four feet to the elevator. Her black pointy toed Jimmy Choo's click on the white and gold marble floor. This building had been their first fight as partners. George had wanted some quaint little office by the waterfront. Or one of them pre-fabricated spaces the hospital offered. She had wanted to make a statement. O'Malley-Yang Cardiothoracic Specialists wasn't going to be a cookie cutter facility. They were going to make a name for themselves. To make a name, one had to give the presence of success. This building did just that. She had won that arguement the way she usually won all their arguements: threatening to spill to their patients his syph-boy story. Worked everytime.

The office was empty when she enters, except for their oh so somber receptionist. Ironically, it had been George to find Rose. The almost sixty retired nurse made the perfect addition to their little "family", as George liked to call it. She was constantly reminding him that they were employees, not family, not friends. "Is Dr. O'Malley in yet?"

Rose looks up from the paperwork she is filing. "He's in his office, I believe." Her was as efficient as her work skills. She doesn't wait for Cristina to say thank you, she knew that wouldn't be coming. She simply went back to her filing.

George was indeed in his office, sitting behind his desk, fingers steepled, deep in thought. "You seen the directory, right? That's what you're going to tell me. That you seen Karev's name on the directory." He looks up at her, his blue eyes intense.

Cristina nods, setting her brief case by the door before collapsing in one of the burgandy and navy striped wing back chairs that flanked his desk. His office had a homey feel to it. Nothing like her black and white sterile one across the hall. "Yes. Did you know?" She crosses her legs, smoothing the slim black skirt of her suit.

He shakes his head, a lock of hair falling onto his forehead. Didn't matter how old he got, he still had a boyish charm about him. Even dressed up in a $3,000 suit, sitting behind a desk that would cost most people a year's wages. "No. Not till this morning. Caught Rupert as he was changing out the directory. Guess that pediatrician couldn't hack it."

"They never do," Cristina says smoothly. She drums her french tipped finger nails on the brocade upholstry. "Why do think he came back?"

George shrugs. "Who knows. Heard him and Addison got divorced a few years ago. Maybe he got tired of being in shadow. Wants to make a name for himself." At least that was what he was hoping. When he had first seen Alex's name he had almost panicked, thinking he knew. Then, he had shaken the thought off. Alex had left long before. There was no way for him to know.

"Sure. That makes sense. Have you called her yet? Given her fair warning?" Her being Izzie. They had to warn Izzie.

"I tried. Kept getting voice mail. She's probley in surgery." He scrubs his hands down his face. This wasn't going to be easy. Telling Izzie that Alex was back. She would take it well, put on a show that she was fine, all the while breaking apart and panicking inside.

Cristina nods. Izzie had a habit of scheduling things as early as possible. "What about Meredith? Does she know?" Meredith had been the only one of them to try to keep in touch with Alex. If emails once a year was keeping in touch.

"Yeah, that's the thing I don't get. She knew. The least she could have done was warn everybody that Evil Spawn was back." He didnt' really think Alex was evil, or a spawn. He felt indiffrence where Karev was concerned.

"So, she knew then." Cristina frowns. It wasn't like Meredith to keep things from her. While she was sure Mere had had her reason's it still bothered her. Given the circumstances, they should have all known.

"Yeah. She knew. Said Alex called her last night. Their suppose to meet for lunch," he says drily. It was just lunch, he knew that. Meredith was happy being Mrs Dr. Shepherd. Her eyes never wandered. Still. Lunch with Alex. It didn't sit right with him.

Cristina shakes her head. There was nothing they could do. Aside from giving Izzie fair warning. "Try Iz again," she suggest as she stands. Smoothing her skirt down over her knees, she reaches for the brief case she had set down. George nods, reaching for the phone on his desk. She doesn't stay to find out if he was able to get through this time. She needed to call Meredith. Find out what the hell was going on.