Everyone Has Secrets

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy or any of its characters. I only own the storyline and any additional characters.

The past week had been hard, and that was an understatement. She stretched under the sheets, feeling the ache in her muscles that protested against the movement. She groaned softly and climbed out of the bed, yawning as she did so.

She'd been back in Seattle, almost permanently, for three months now after being away for the past couple years, having spent that time training at hospitals across Europe. Being so well known across both the American and European medical communities, it was tiring. Her days were spent corresponding with countries across the US and Europe via countless emails and phone calls for consults and questions about her most recent articles. The most relaxed she felt was being in the OR, but that in itself, after the surgery was over, dumped more exhaustion and aches on her body. The only other thing that relaxed her was something she'd began whilst she had spent 8 months in Germany. Walking.

She could walk for hours, enjoying the nature around her, clearing her mind of any and all stresses of the week. That's what she planned to do today.

She quickly showered and changed into her usual walking gear, yoga pants, T-shirt and windbreaker, and running shoes in case she felt like having a jog whilst she was out. She checked the weather before she headed out, feeling a slight joy that others, specifically Cristina, would find strange from the fact it was due to rain in an hour or so. She fastened up her windbreaker jacket before getting in the car, driving to the trail she'd found only a few weeks prior.

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The wind danced through the strands of her hair that had become loose from her ponytail as it's speed picked up with the passing time. She must've been out walking for over an hour at this point, even though she knew there was a forecast of wind and rain, but she was determined to complete her usual Sunday afternoon walk through the forest land she had discovered a few weeks prior.

Her hand touched against the bark of a nearby tree, feeling the roughness beneath her fingers, inhaling the earthy scent of the woods around her, closing her eyes a moment as she did so. Her eyes snapped open as she heard a rustle nearby, looking in the direction of the noise for the source, frowning a little when she didn't see anything. She shrugged a little to herself and continued walking, a small rush of simple pleasure running through her as she heard the crunch of the leaves under her feet.

She stopped a moment at the grand oak tree in front of her, looking up at the leaves that rustled in the wind, a soft laugh escaping her lips as drops of rain started to fall on her forehead.

"Did the tree tell you a joke?"

She spun around as she heard the voice speak from behind her, and a young-ish looking male, approximately 5'10" in height with dark hair was standing there, hands in his pockets, and leaning against a tree as though he had been watching her for some time. She took in his appearance, his hair dishevelled from the wind, dressed in grey joggers and a fleece, a soft grin on his face as their eyes met.

"No," she said with a small shake of her head, smiling slightly as she bit her bottom lip. The rain started to come down heavier now and she pulled up the hood of her windbreaker.

"Why the laughter?" He asked still grinning, his head tilting to the side a little.

"I just enjoy the rain," she said, her smile turning into a grin as she looked up into the sky again, becoming slightly aware of the grass beneath her becoming saturated and splashing dirt against her shins.

"Do you come this way a lot?" He asked, moving closer a little, but stopping when she looked at him again, droplets of rain now dripping from the tip of her nose.