The Starting Line (Reupload)

12

Eleanora sneaks into the house, gently closing the door behind her. She lets out a sigh of relief when it doesn't creak or bang, nodding to herself.

She had stayed in Mark's hotel room last night, even though she had promised Mer she would come home. She'd practically been living there with him since they became "official" a week or so ago, and she only returned to her house to grab her things.

But Derek had moved in a few days ago and was badgering Meredith to tell him where exactly Eleanora had been staying. So, just like that, Eleanora promised to end Meredith's suffering by coming home last night to make some kind of dinner. Only... she forgot, sort of. When Meredith questions, she argues that it was entirely Mark's fault because it was. Mostly.

Eleanora ran her fingers through her hair, slightly stressed. She turned around, jumping and letting out a scream when she found Derek with a hammer standing in front of her.

"Derek Shepherd, what are you doing?" She screeched, placing a hand over her heart to try to calm himself.

Derek smiled, looking at the hammer with slight pride. "I'm redecorating the study. I discovered that one of the bookcases has a squeaky shelf and I needed to fix it. I'll turn it into an office once everyone moves out."

Derek then walked into the study, humming quietly to himself. Eleanora raised a single eyebrow in question as she watched him disappear, walking slowly to see him through the door.

He turned to her and pointed the hammer at her. His face looked stern and honestly reminded Eleanora of Enzo. It was all 'big brother seriously protective', and Eleanora shifted under the weight of it.

"Don't think I didn't notice you weren't here last night. Meredith promised you were going to make your carbonara and I was so excited. So, you never showed up and we ate cold pizza from the fridge."

Eleanora giggled nervously, backing away slowly. With him starting to question her, her own question of 'What do you mean when we move?' escaped her mind.

"I'll make it for you tonight, okay? I promise, Derek!" With that, Eleanora turned on her heel and ran up the stairs, her eyes wide and her face a little flushed.

A smile crept onto her lips as she realized she felt like she was 19 again, sneaking into her parents' house after spending the entire night with her boyfriend.

She loved it.

____

Eleanora sat next to Cristina in the conference room, humming the music from the headphones they shared as she flipped through an article.

She looked up as Meredith sat down and gave her friend a welcoming smile. "Hey, Mer-"

"You didn't come home last night." Meredith interrupted, looking at her. "You left us for dirty, nasty sex with McSteamy, and I don't know how to feel about that."

Cristina huffed, typing on her phone. "I find it hilarious." She looked up for a moment, thinking. "You're like a teenager, and Mer and I are your mothers who feel like we've failed in life."

Eleanora sighed, pouting as she returned her attention to her article. "I don't think I made fun of you two that much over the McDreamy and Burke stuff. It seems wrong and just plain rude for you to do it to me."

Meredith reaches over Cristina and caresses Eleanora's cheek with a playful, teasing smile. "But you love us."

Eleanora laughed, shaking her head as she closed the article when she noticed the Chief take the podium. He was going over the hospital's new set of rules and teaching style, which made Eleanora a little nervous.