sunshine ━ jackson avery

001. ━ reunion

chapter one ━ reunion
( season six, episode five )

❝Maybe he has changed, but to me,
he's still the same man he was back
in New York.❞

ELLIE WALKED INTO the locker room, immediately being pounced on by a redhead. "Are you nervous?"

Ellie frowned. "April, it is six in the morning, I'm gonna need a lot more than just that."

"It's our last day at Mercy West. We go to Seattle Grace tomorrow," she told her best friend. "Are you nervous? Because I'm nervous. What if they don't like us? What if we're not up to speed? Oh, my god." April looks at her with wide eyes, "What if we fail?"

Ellie took her by the shoulders. "Apes, take a breath. It's too early to be freaking out. We're not going in blindly. It's just a different hospital with different people. Come on, we're surgical residents. We can handle anything."

Reed came in with Jackson and Charles following close behind. "You know, I'm kinda gonna miss this place."

Jackson snorted. "Which part? The crappy coffee or the slow machines?"

"Hey!" Ellie contradicted with a frown. "It may not be the most up-to-date facility in the world, but it still taught us all we know. I'm with Reed, it's gonna be weird not coming here every day."

"Instead we're going to Seattle Grace," Charles said with a sour face. "Why couldn't they have come here? Why are we all going there?"

"I don't know, Charlie," Ellie shrugged. "But as Jackie said, we have old technology. They're probably more up-to-date than us."

April pulled out her phone. "Does anyone know who the heads of each department are? I'm gonna look them up."

"Why not be surprised?" Ellie suggested, inching closer to the door. "I mean, isn't that the fun part of life? To be surprised?"

Her attempts fell on deaf ears as Reed, Jackson, and Charles all crowded around April who was scrolling through the Seattle Grace website. She read out the names as she went through all the heads of each department. "Miranda Bailey, General. Derek Shepherd, Neuro. Mark Sloan... Plastics."

They all turn their attention to Ellie who had been attempting to sneak out of the room without being noticed. Reed's eyes went wide. "You're related to Mark Sloan?!"

Ellie quickly shushed her. "Shh, okay, yes. He's my older brother."

"And you didn't tell us why?" Charles asked, quirking his eyebrows upward.

She slumped against the lockers. "Because the last time I spoke to Mark, I was yelling at him for breaking up Derek's marriage. It was around the time I was supposed to choose where to do my internship, so I ran off to Seattle, needing a fresh start. Then Derek tells me that Mark followed, trying to apologize to Derek, but he never reached out to me. I—"

"So, it's not a good relationship is what you're saying?" Jackson interrupted with a snort.

Ellie glared at him. "He's my brother and I love him. I always will, but at the moment, no, it's not a good relationship. Now, I'm off for rounds. See you." She turned on her heel and walked out the door, leaving her four friends silent. Jackson hurried after her.

"Ellie! Wait up!"

She turned around. "What is it, Jackson?"

"You didn't even tell me?" Jackson asked, giving her his best puppy dog eyes. "I mean, I'm your best friend. I thought you'd at least tell me."

"Um, first of all, Reed and April are my best friends."

"Ouch," Jackson said in a playful tone. "Uncalled for."

"Second of all," Ellie continued with an eye roll. "Nobody even knows that we're related."

"Why?"

She sighed. "Because he's one of the most renowned plastics surgeon in the country! I didn't want anyone to think I got into programs because of him."

Jackson frowned. "You don't need him. You're smart on your own with your photographic memory and all."

"Thanks." She chuckled, crossing her arms. "But when were you going to tell me, Jackie?"

"T—Tell you what?"

"That you're related to Harper Avery?"

Jackson stared at her in shock. "How did you know?"

She shrugged. "I mean, it wasn't that hard to figure out. I mean, 'Avery' isn't a very common last name. I connected the dots. Also, I read an article 7 years ago that mentioned Harper Avery had a grandson."

"Same reason as you, I guess. I didn't want people to think I got into med school and surgical residency based on who my grandfather is. Keep this our little secret?"

She nodded and held out her pinky finger. "Our little secret."

He locked his pinky with hers and chuckled "Thank you, Ellie."

"Anytime, Jackie."

"Okay, you can stop with the Jackie. Ellie!"

☀️

THE NEXT DAY, Ellie sat in the parking lot of Seattle Grace Mercy West staring out of her windshield window. With a deep breath, she got out of the car and walked towards the entrance. As she looked around, she saw a familiar figure. With a smile across her face, she walked over to the man, his back turned to her.

"Hey there, stranger."

The man turned around and his smile widened. "Ellie?"

"Surprise," she said with jazz hands before pulling him into a tight hug. "How are you, Derek?"

"I'm good. I didn't know you were working here."

She nodded. "Courtesy of the merger. Any chance you happen to know the way to the residents' lounge?"

"3rd floor."

"Perfect... And is he here?"

Derek sighed. "He is. Probably in an on-call room somewhere."

"So, nothing's changed," Ellie nodded to herself. "That's good to know. I'll see you later, Derek. Don't want to be late on my first day."

"Ellie, wait!" She turned around with a sigh. "He has changed. We've put all our differences in the past."

"Good for you. Really, Derek. But, I can't do that."

"Why not?" he asked.

She sighed and shrugged. "We've been in the same city for two years. He hasn't even called me. Not once."

"Can you blame him?" Derek asked her. "The last time the two of you talked, you were having a screaming match."

"He deserved it," she mumbled under her breath. "You might be right, and for all I know, you are. And maybe he has changed. But, to me, he's still the same man he was back in New York. I'll see you later."

"Um, Ellie."

"What?" she snapped, impatiently. Derek pointed behind her and she slowly turned around. She looked into the bright blue eyes that were looking down at her.

"Elizabeth?"

"Mark."

☀️

━ author's note:

Well... here we go again...

I never thought I would have to restart this story but here we are and I'm restarting it. I hope if you read the original one that you'll stick with it again.