I'll Look After You

Chapter 11

Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same
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"Tell me something I don't know, Meredith," Layton's voice came from the other end of the line. Meredith looked down at the papers she was holding, her right hand holding a pen, she's been staring at the spot where she would sign and indicate her leaving of Seattle Grace for good.

"I'm thinking of leaving Seattle," she said. He kept quiet for a few seconds. She was waiting for him to say something but he didn't. "Tell me someth-"

"I already know you're thinking of leaving Seattle, Meredith, what I don't know is if you really are leaving," he cut her off.

"Tell me something I don't know, Layton," she chose to ignore his comment and went on with their habit.

"You're a hard woman to get, Meredith Grey, but I know it's going to be worth it," he spoke quietly and Meredith knew he was thinking if he said what he just said at the right time. "And Meredith?"

"Yeah?"

"Just sign the damn papers," he told her.

"Wh- How did you know?" She looked around her for a second before narrowing her eyes and speaking to him once again. "Are you stalking me or something? Where are you?"

"You didn't look hard enough," his voice was teasing. She looked around once again and she finally saw him on one of the seats in the farther end of the lobby. He was wearing his trademark attire, a suit, as if going to a charity ball as always. He waved at her and smiled. "So? Are you going to sign them or not? After that, it's free sailing for you, Meredith." She looked at him and she shook her head. "What? Not free sailing yet?"

"I still need to have it signed by the Chief, Layton," she said. He didn't know yet.

"So? He'll see no problem in letting you go, you've got no ties to this hospital," he shrugged. She watched as he shifted in his seat and leaned forward.

"You see, the Chief? He's my husband," she finally told him. She watched as his face fell and he sat up straight and leaned once again on the back of the chair. He didn't say anything. "Layton?" He brought down the phone from his ears and he shut it closed as he stood up. He walked towards her and Meredith slowly brought down her phone. He stopped right in front of her and he looked at her intensely.

"I'd like to see him not sign your transferal, Meredith, I'd like to see him try not to. I'll slap him with a lawsuit so fast he wouldn't even know what hit him," Layton spoke harshly. She imagined that that was the exact way he spoke every time he was in a court room.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" she evaded the topic.

"I needed to finish some stuff regarding my case," he replied. She was thankful that he didn't press on the issue that she has bluntly evaded.

"I thought you already won that one?"

"Some stuff still needed to be done," he shrugged. He flashed her a smile. "Besides, it seems like I can't tear myself away from you."

She didn't know how to react to what he said. She kept quiet, her usual choice of trying to avoid a conversation. She knew Layton knew that she didn't want to talk about it so he changed the topic.

"I heard you already moved out of your friend's apartment..."

"Yeah," she nodded. "I moved into a hotel room last night. I think Alex was starting to get backaches from sleeping on his couch." She smiled a little, remembering how Alex was denying his backaches every morning.

Layton's phone started to ring, he looked at it for a second, glancing at the caller ID and he looked at Meredith. "I need to take this. Just sign the papers, Mer. I'll see you tonight." He gave her a smile and walked away. Meredith sighed deeply and looked down at the papers once again. She knew what needed to be done. She knew what the right thing to do was now...