Hope was not a morning person. It wasn't ideal, being a surgical resident, but it was an unfortunate fact.

The Rodriguez currently was laying in bed, trying to convince herself to get up and make some coffee. If she didn't have enough coffee before leaving the house, she may stab somebody.

With today being the first day of the merger, Hope was even more reluctant to get out of bed. She had gotten used to things at Mercy West, and now everything was about to change.

Mid thought, the Rodriguez had a puzzled expression, as she heard a loud thud from the living room. "Lola?" She called out, before she heard an "Ow, that hurt."

With Cara being a full time fashion designer, mannequins lived all throughout the apartment. Hope was used to it by now, but it wasn't really suitable for the small child living in their apartment.

Hope grumbled to herself, before she finally left her bed. Dragging herself out of her room, she found Lolita sitting on the floor.

"Morning, sunshine." Hope greeted, bending down to pick up the girl. "Why are you awake so early?" She asked Lola, as she walked them into the kitchen. It was still dark outside, as it wasn't shy of 5am.

Hope switched on the light to the kitchen, before she placed the smaller girl on a chair. "I can't sleep... I miss Mama." Lola answered, before Hope gave her a cookie.

The Rodriguez then took the coffee press from the counter, and began to make herself a coffee. "I miss her too." Hope answered.

"Can we go and visit her before I go to school, Aunty Hope?" Lolita asked, with her mouth full. Hope tried not to cringe at her speaking with a mouth full of food.

Truthfully, Hope found herself quite sad after she'd visit Angie. She never cried in front of the sleeping Rodriguez, or her daughter, but she always felt upset after seeing her sister.

The fact that it had been weeks now, and her improvement was minimal, worried Hope. At first, she'd just been relieved that Angelina was alive, but now she worried that she wasn't living, and just existing.

"No, sweetie. Maybe we could go after school?" Hope suggested to her niece, who complained in response.

"Lolita, please." Hope sighed, before she took a sip of her coffee. Lolita fell quiet, and sadly nodded.

"Why don't you go back to sleep for a bit?" Hope asked, approaching her niece. "You still have two hours until you need to get up."

Lola looked at her Aunt, about to refuse her suggestion.

"You can sleep in my bed." Hope then added, as Lola's face lit up. The older Rodriguez had an electric blanket on her bed, keeping it very warm throughout the cold Seattle nights.

"Okay!" Lola boomed, finishing off her cookie before she got herself out of the chair. The small girl rushed forward and hugged her Aunty, before she left the kitchen to go and sleep in Hope's cosy bed.

Hope smiled softly before she finished her coffee. Instead of placing her mug in the sink, she kept it on the counter, knowing full well that she'd clean her coffee press and make her second coffee of the day very soon.

⋆⋅🩺⋅⋆

Walking in the rain certainly hadn't been what Hope planned when she walked Lolita to school that morning, but the smaller ravenette didn't seem to mind.

As Hope held an umbrella over the pair of them, Lola held her aunt's hand with her tiny one. As they walked, she splashed her feet into the small puddles.

Lola hummed a tune as they walked along the path, seeming to be in her own world. Seeing how content the small girl was, made Hope miss being a child.

"There's my school, Aunty. There's my friend by the slide!" Lola chirped, as Hope glanced over at the playground in the school, where a small boy was waving at Lolita.

Hope had a small smile on her lips, before it fell. "He probably shouldn't be playing in the rain." The Rodriguez admitted.

The duo entered the school, passing by other mothers and fathers with their children. Weeks ago, these people had given Hope very odd stares, given her attire and cold expression, but now they'd learnt to mind their own business.

"My teacher is already inside." Lola pointed into her classroom, where her teacher was setting up their things.

"Class starts in five minutes, do you want me to wait with you?" Hope asked. When Lolita was first taken into Hope's care, when Angel was in a coma, she had grown overly attached to Hope.

The Rodriguez had assumed it was because Lolita feared she'd lose her Aunt, because it felt as though she was losing her mother.

Lolita shook her head, "I will be okay today." She decided, before she let go of Hope's hand and instead hugged her.

"Okay, I'll see you later then." Hope said, as she hugged the small girl back. "I love you."

"I love you too Aunty Hope." Lola responded, before she let go of her Aunt, and decided to head over to the playground.

⋆⋅🩺⋅⋆

Hope was surprised to see Jackson, as she exited the school. He was in his car, parked in a waiting bay.

It was their first day merging with Seattle Grace, and Jackson had offered to pick the Rodriguez up from Lolita's school. Truthfully, Hope hadn't expected that he actually would do it despite mentioning it.

"Morning." Jackson greeted, as Hope opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. "Morning Jackson." Hope responded, before she noticed two takeaway cups of fresh coffee sitting in the cupholder.

"I could get used to this." The Rodriguez smirked, as she took a coffee from the cupholder. Jackson chuckled lightly, as he exited the bay and began driving towards the hospital which was to be renamed Seattle Grace Mercy West.

"I suggest you don't, I just figured today would be a bit of a hard one." The Avery admitted, being a little vague though Hope knew exactly what he was insinuating.... That the Rodriguez would find today hard because she was working in the hospital that her baby sister was resting in.

"I appreciate it, J." Hope said, as she flashed him one of her sincere smiles. Jackson smiled back, before he went back to keeping his eyes on the road.

Hope continued to sip on her coffee, as she glanced out the window, wondering what the day was going to bring them.

⋆⋅🩺⋅⋆

Walking through Seattle Grace in bright orange was nothing short of awkward. April trailed behind Jackson and Hope closely, not enjoying the looks they were receiving.

They passed Callie Torres, whom Hope had grown to like. The Orthopaedic surgeon had been a newly acquired surgeon at Mercy West, and one that Hope found she tolerated more than most of her other coworkers.

"I hate this." April admitted, feeling a little intimidated by the stares they were receiving by the residents in blue scrubs. "Just glare back at them." Hope replied nonchalantly to April, as it was exactly what she had been doing.

The Mercy West residents entered their new residents lounge, which was to be shared with the current residents of Seattle Grace.

Hope found herself a new cubby, and began to place her things inside it when she heard a voice behind her speak up. "Can you take a different one?"

The ravenette turned around, her eyes landing on Izzie Stevens. She raised an eyebrow, unsure to why she couldn't place her things in the empty cubby.

"Please." Izzie pleaded now, a hint of grief in her eyes, which didn't go unnoticed by Hope. "Sure." Hope decided, as she took her things out of the cubby and moved them into a new one, before deciding to converse with Jackson.

It was then, Reed and Izzie had started fighting behind the duo, causing them to turn around. Reed had tried to claim the empty cubby that Izzie seemed protective of, and Reed wasn't willing to give it up.

"Would it kill her to stop irritating people for five fucking minutes..." Hope grumbled to Jackson, as Reed got on her nerves. She didn't understand why this empty space meant so much to the Stevens, but it would have been a lot more peaceful if Reed had just obeyed her wishes.

Alex Karev rushed over to the arguing residents, and moved Izzie away from Reed. "They took George's cubby!" The Stevens said to Alex, before the pair edged to the other side of the room, to talk more privately. Reed just continued to smile smugly at Izzie.

Moments later, Lexie Grey entered the lounge, hearing the yelling from outside.

Hope glanced over at the woman who had just entered the room, her eyes widening as she recognised Lexie instantaneously as the girl she had slept with only days ago.

"Holy shit.." Hope blurted, as Lexie snapped her head towards the ravenette, her eyes widening in the same realisation.

"What is it?" Jackson asked quietly before Hope responded lowly, "You see that girl over there?"

Jackson followed Hope's line of sight, eventually seeing Lexie. "Yeah... what about her?" The Avery asked before Hope reluctantly responded, "Well... I slept with her."