Cara tossed and turned in her sleep, trying to get comfortable, although a loud pop of frying bacon had fully awoken her. She frowned, seeming confused as it was 5:30 in the morning.

The Robbins sat up and got out of her bed. She slipped on her slippers before leaving her room, only to find Hope and Jackson cooking bacon and eggs in the kitchen.

"Cmon, we gotta have poached eggs." Jackson complained as Hope shook her head, "No, scrambled eggs are so much better." She insisted.

"Guys what the hell, it's so early." Cara mumbled tiredly, as she entered the kitchen now. She noticed the pair were in active wear, which raised more questions.

"We went for a run." Hope explained, as she could see the puzzled look on Caroline's face. "We're trying to act like people who have their lives together." Jackson assured her.

"You don't have your lives together... either of you." Cara reminded them as Hope smirked lightly. "Exactly, it's all an act." She declared before she asked, "What should we make, poached or scrambled eggs?" She asked the fashion designer.

"Poached, obviously." Cara tiredly answered before she wandered over to the couch. "Yes!" Jackson cheered before looking to the blonde, "You are my new best friend."

⋆⋅🩺⋅⋆

It had been a few days since the so called invasion. Hope was growing used to a lot of things... like Derek and Mark's ego filled banter and Cristina's cold attitude, but one thing she couldn't seem to adapt to was working with Lexie.

The ravenette had decided it would be best if the pair pretended like nothing had happened, and treat Lexie as she would any other colleague— with an occasional smile and a few words.

But why was she struggling to keep the little Grey out of her mind?

Hope currently stood in the locker room, shoving her belongings into her locker. The girl grunted, as her bag was a bit wide for the locker, but with a bit of a push, it fit.

"Your ass is in my way!"

Hope frowned, thinking that the comment had been aimed at her, but when she turned around to confront who had said it, she realised that it was Alex and he had been talking to Reed.

In the span of a few days since the merger, Hope could see something happening between Alex and Reed. Though she was sure that anybody with eyes, could see it.

"I was in the O.R. all night, sewing a hang glider's intestines back together. I'm kinda sore." Reed huffed, brushing off Alex's request. "I kinda don't care. Move." Alex ordered.

The Rodriguez openly snorted, as she found it amusing when someone were to put Reed in her place. More often than not, it was herself who would put the redhead in her place, so it was refreshing to see somebody else doing it.

The ravenette then began putting her hair up in a ponytail, wanting to keep her long locks out of her face.

"Hey, Alex. I just got a call from swender's office That Izzie has an I.L. -2 treatment this week that she hasn't called back to confirm." A voice piped up, belonging to Cristina. The Yang stood in the doorway.

"And?"

"And, um ... She's your wife, who could die." Cristina replied.

Hope just blinked in surprise, trying not to awkwardly laugh at this interaction. She kept her poker face and looked away, not wanting to draw any attention to herself. There was just more and more drama happening in this hospital every day.

"She'll show up. She's a crappy wife, but she's not an idiot." Alex declared as Cristina nodded. "Okay, uh, well, it's ... it's Thursday at 10:00, So you know." Before she left.

"Don't worry. Being ditched by cancer wife won't change my mind. You're still a douche." Reed suddenly huffed, before she left.

Hope rolled her eyes at her coworkers attitude, before she turned to Alex. "What are you looking at?" The Karev demanded. "You." Hope answered bluntly, catching Alex off guard. "I'm uh... sorry that this is happening to you." She insisted. Alex smiled weakly, appreciating the concern, before he got up to leave.

⋆⋅🩺⋅⋆

Sometime later, Derek had gathered the residents in a skills lab. This hadn't been familiar to Hope at all, as she looked around at the other residents, many of which she hadn't met.

"Microsurgery is about precision. The microscope changes your perspective radically. The hand-eye coordination required can be learned, but right now, I need naturals. Each one of you will get a chance to guide this pen through the hole in the cup. The person who makes a mark closest to the president's nose and doesn't hit the side of the cup gets to scrub in. Who wants to go first?" Derek explained, as Steve raised his hand.

"Take your time." The Shepard insisted, before Steve failed the task.

"Do over?"

"No do overs."

"Way to go, two." Cristina sarcastically called out, as Hope eyed her. The Yang was leant back in her chair, watching as if she had been expecting the other residents to fail. She had an ego, Hope knew that much, but the ravenette did find her to be quite amusing.

Eventually, Hope went up and attempted the task, but a frown graced her features when she realised that she failed. "Damn it.." The Rodriguez sighed, feeling disappointed in herself as she really wanted to impress the neurosurgeon, before she headed towards Jackson, to sit by him.

After a bunch of failed attempts by other residents, Jackson stood up and attempted the task at hand. "Nicely done. If somebody improves on that, I'll be out of a job." Derek confessed before the Avery smirked, "Well, I guess you might need to retire, then."

The boy had a smug smile on his face, as he walked back to sit by Hope. "You're a cocky prick, you know that?" The Rodriguez asked with a teasing grin. "You remind me everyday." Jackson replied, nudging her back in a teasing manner.

Cristina finally approached the set up and attempted the task, and let out a surprise gasp when she had failed.

"Okay. Dr. Avery, You'll be scrubbing in." Derek announced, as Hope looked proudly at her best friend. "Nice." She declared.

⋆⋅🩺⋅⋆

"I hate the clinic." Hope grumbled, as she looked through the vending machine for a large can of redbull to help her through the rest of the day.

Upon finding one, she clicked a few buttons and bought it from the vending machine. "Although... a patient is offering to knit me a scarf, all because I helped to remove a disgusting splinter from her hand." The Rodriguez added.

"Sounds like loads of fun." Jackson spoke sarcastically, as he'd been rubbing in the fact that he was helping Derek on a rare surgery. "Boastful isn't a good look." Hope reminded him, which made him laugh because he knew she was incredibly jealous.

Lexie suddenly approached the vending machines, as she gave Hope and Jackson a smile. Hope, who had remained stoic and tried to keep Lexie away from her so she didn't form any sort of attachment, could have sworn she felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of Lexie's smile.

Hope quickly glanced away, not wanting Lexie to see her expression, although Jackson absolutely saw it. "Keep it in your pants, Rodriguez." Jackson whispered, before the brunette playfully hit his shoulder, "Shut up." She huffed.

"You're nervous, right, about being in there that long?" Lexie asked Jackson, once the best friends had stopped tormenting eachother. "Me, too." The Grey answered, before Jackson could say anything.

Jackson seemed surprised, "What do you have to be nervous about? Shepherd didn't even let you compete." He confessed, as Hope thought about it. They hadn't seen Lexie earlier that morning along with the other residents.

Lexie shook her head, "No. That's ... that's because he needs me to maintain his care while we're in there. I'm his doctor, basically."

Jackson scoffed, "Wow. So you fell for that? 'cause, I mean, it sounds ... It sounds more like you're his bitch."

Hope snorted, earning an unamused look from Lexie. "What?" She asked the Grey. "I may be gay, but I would happily be Derek Shepard's bitch." She admitted, "I'd do anything to stand there and watch him work."

The Grey seemed surprised, before she glanced back at Jackson. "No. I'm ... that ... it's ... I'm ... I'm not ... You're gonna need to take a break eventually and ... and ... and you're gonna need to stretch. You're gonna need to pee. And when you do ... I'll be there to take over." She explained to him.

Jackson shrugged, "Yeah, I don't ... I don't take breaks." Lexie had a look of surprise, before she asked, "You seriously think You're gonna last all day in there?"

Jackson just nodded. "I've done it before, yeah. But that's because I know how to stop taking fluids before a long surgery. Have fun playing nurse. I mean, it sounds ... Neat." He teased the girl.

Hope tried to bite back a giggle, before Lexie gave her another unpleased look. The Rodriguez quickly dropped her amused expression and gave the girl her usual stoic look before she opened her can of redbull.

"Don't listen to him. He'll probably have to take a break due to dehydration or something." Hope shrugged, hoping to make Lexie feel a little better, although it didn't seem to.

⋆⋅🩺⋅⋆

After spending more time in the clinic, Hope now sat in the gallery, watching Derek's surgery. The Rodriguez had a blue knitted scarf around her neck, which was made from one of her earlier patients in the clinic.

Owen entered the room and took a seat beside Cristina, which caught Hope's eye. She wondered if they were a couple. "I'm sorry about the contest." Owen said quietly before Cristina asked, "Who told you about that?"

Owen replied quickly, "No one." Before he explained, "I just... Well, I overheard people talking in the pit. It sounded hard." Cristina frowned, "Well, it wasn't hard. It was a moment of ... You know what? We ... we don't have to discuss it. Watching Lexie in a diaper is punishment enough!"

Hope blinked in surprise, before she looked over at Lexie, realising that you could see the diaper through her pants. The Rodriguez tried to stifle an amused snort, as she didn't want Owen and Cristina to know that she had been listening to their conversation.

"Wh... what? Lexie is wearing what?" Owen asked, laughing openly. "Well... that ... that is a reason You should be glad that you're not down there." He replied, hoping to lift Cristina's spirits. Cristina huffed, "No, that is the reason I want to be down there."

"What?" Hope suddenly blurted, in an amused tone. Cristina turned to her, not even seeming bothered that the Rodriguez had overhead their conversation. "Lexie gets to pee in a diaper, and I don't!" She complained to the ravenette.

"You ... you wanted to pee in the diaper?" Owen asked, as Cristina turned back to him. "Oh, God. No, no. I want to have to pee in a diaper, to be in a surgery so difficult and so long that my only option Is to put on a diaper and pee in it."

Hope laughed, as she got to her feet. She approached the glass and frowned. "He hasn't made a single cut.." She stated, as Cristina scoffed, "Are they just gonna Let him stare at the thing all day?"

⋆⋅🩺⋅⋆

Time had passed and things were finally beginning to happen, which piqued Cristina and Hope's interest. Jackson's voice could be heard through the speakers. "Crap. Oh, crap. Oh, crap. Oh, crap."

Hope raised an eyebrow, as she adjusted her knitted scarf. She then noticed how stiff Jackson's hand looked, and instantly wondered if it was due to dehydration.

"What is it?" Lexie asked the Avery. "It's my hand. It's cramping." Jackson replied to the Grey. Derek answered, "Damn it, don't move. Don't move."

Jackson's eyes widened as he looked at the monitors, "Ah. Nurse: B.P.'s dropping!" He spoke, visibly panicked. Derek sighed, "Okay, we're touching the cord. If we disturb it any more, we run... pulse is down to 52." He explained to Jackson and Lexie.

"It's getting worse, guys. It's..." Jackson said in a panic. Derek quickly tried to calm the Avery down, "Easy, easy. Don't move. Easy. Don't move. Just take it easy."

Derek looked to Lexie, and wordlessly the Grey understood to take over from Jackson as his hand cramping could ruin the surgery.

"Okay, it's okay. Just stay still. I'm ... I'm going to reach in." Lexie spoke as Jackson let out a groan, worried about foiling the surgery. "Hey, close your eyes and breathe. Okay? It's just a spasm." Lexie continued, as she'd taken the tools from Jackson's hand, and the Avery stepped away.

Hope watched, seeming impressed as Lexie took over. She'd remained calm the entire time, despite how panicked Jackson became.

⋆⋅🩺⋅⋆

The day had finally come to it's end, which brought Hope and Jackson to Joe's bar. "Cheers." Hope smiled, as she and Jackson clinked their glasses together. "Here's to me not foiling the surgery today." Jackson spoke, embarrassedly.

The pair talked and drank for a bit, before Jackson excused himself to go to the bathroom. It was then, Hope saw Lexie at the bar, ordering herself a drink.

The Rodriguez gripped her beer, before she approached her. "Hey." She greeted. Lexie looked up, a little surprised before she received her drink. "Hey." The Grey answered.

"Good job today." Hope said, with a slight smile. "I told you Jackson might struggle with dehydration. I kept telling him that it wouldn't hurt to drink some water." The Rodriguez confessed as the pair awkwardly laughed before Lexie frowned, "What is this?" She asked.

Hope seemed confused. "What do you mean?" She replied, as Lexie glanced at her drink for a moment before she looked back at her former one night stand. "You avoid me at work... and everytime I try to talk to you, you walk away." Lexie spoke, "So why now are we on talking terms?"

Hope broke eye contact with the Grey for a moment, "I haven't been avoiding you... I just don't talk to anybody at work..." Hope trailed off before she realised, "Except Jackson" She added, as he was practically the exception.

Lexie didn't really know how to respond, and didn't want to pry. Fortunately for her, Hope was willing to explain herself to a point. "I don't do well with people." She began, as Lexie kept her eyes on the ravenette, listening intently.

"It's nothing personal... the people I get close to have a tendency to leave. So I push them away first, to protect myself from the inevitable heartbreak." Hope confessed, unable to meet Lexie's eyes as she felt slightly ashamed.

She was often perceived to be a bitch, and at times Hope could be... but she didn't have the intention to be mean. She kept people at a distance in order to protect herself.

"You make it sound like every relationship is doomed to end." Lexie replied as Hope shrugged, "In my experience, it is." She spoke, before she took a swig of her beer.

"I'd like to prove you wrong." Lexie announced, as Hope looked at the Grey with a confused experience. "I'd like to be your friend, if you'll let me."

Hope was quite taken back. Whenever she'd given somebody just the tip of the iceberg on why she was so aloof and distant, they'd usually see that as a sign to stay away.... But Lexie was different... and persistent. She could see a connection between the pair, and she wanted to be there for Hope.

Hope didn't know if it was because she could tell Lexie was genuine, or perhaps it was the smile she wore that caused the Rodriguez's heart to skip a beat, but she wanted to give Lexie a chance.

"To friendship?" Hope asked, holding out her beer bottle. Lexie nodded, "To friendship." She spoke, before they clinked their glasses together.