Sometimes people come back into our lives for a reason.  Maybe it's to appreciate them more or maybe it's to help us realize how far we've come since they left.  Who really knows.  But one thing that I do know is that it always feels pretty damn good to catch up with them.  As doctors and surgeons, we sometimes forget about the people we meet along the way.  Those who helped us.  Those who mentored us.  We never truly appreciate how good we have something until its gone.

-

"I can't believe Addison is coming back today," Alison told her boyfriend with a big smile on her face as they were driving into work.

"I bet you're even more excited after what happened with Doctor Kenley, yeah?"

'Yeah," she nodded her head with a sigh as he gave her thigh a reassuring squeeze.

"Do you want to drive through Starbucks?" He asked her already knowing the answer.

"Yes, please," she gave him a smile.  "I want to get Addison some coffee too.  You know how she is about it bringing good juju and all."

They pulled up to the drive-thru window after there were a few people in front of them and got their coffee's.  Alison got two caramel brûlée latte and Mark ordered a cappuccino for himself.  

*

"I can't believe you're back," Alison exclaimed as she hugged Addison and she handed Addison the coffee she got for her.  "For good juju."

"Thank you," Addison raised her cup to Alison and took a sip.  "Is this the caramel brûlée one?" Alison nods her head with a smile.  "Not bad and I'm not back.  I'm just here to perform a surgery," Addison corrected her.  "But I miss you too.  Where's Clair?"

"Clair is at lunch with George," Alison told her.  "I know it's just wishful thinking."

"So fill me in," Addison asks Alison.  "How is everyone?  How is it working with Doctor Kenley?"

"It's the worst working with Doctor Kenley," Alison groaned.  "He only just recently started having me come back to doing surgeries after not letting me for a whole week."

"A whole week?" Addison's eyes widened.  "What the hell was he thinking?"

"He wanted me to do book work on the latest advancements in peds," she told her.  "And he took my pager away from me."

"What?" Addison shook her head.  "What the hell was he thinking taking away your pager?"

"Thought it was a distraction," she rolled her eyes.  "Mark told Richard though and everything is better.  I'm back to doing surgeries."

"Good," Addison agrees.  "It better.  So what else is new?"

"Oh," Alison exclaims making Addison jump slightly.  "Derek and Meredith aren't dating anymore."

"They aren't?" Addison raises an eyebrow, shocked at this new information.

"Nope," she shakes her head.  "Derek is with Rose.  You know, nurse Rose?"

"Our favorite nurse?"

"Yeah."

"Well, she's not my favorite anymore, I can tell you that."

"What?  Why not?"

"Derek and Meredith aren't together anymore.  Why aren't they together anymore?" Addison raised her voice slightly.  "Sorry I'm not yelling at you.  I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that they slept with each other during my marriage to Derek and they just end their relationship?  They can't do that!"

"Then talk some sense into Derek because I think you're the only one he will listen to."

"What about you?  You're his person."

"He won't listen to any of us.  Not me or Mark.  You are our last hope."

"Wow," Addison says shocked.

*

"Hey, are you okay?" Alison asks Alex as she notices him acting odd.  "Your not acting yourself."

"Ava or Rebecca just told me she's pregnant and I'm pretty sure it's my baby," he said freaking out.

"You slept with your patient and a married woman," Alison hit Alex's arm making him wince.  "What the hell is wrong with you?  Didn't you learn anything from Izzie?"

"Hey, Izzie and I are not the same, okay?  I need you to pipe it down and help me.  What do I do?"

"Well is she here?"

"Yeah, I don't know where she went though."

"I think it's important that she gets an ultrasound to see how far along she is.  Do you know where she is?"

"No idea," he shakes his head.  

"Well when you do find her I can give her an ultrasound if you want," Alison tells him.  "But if you find her when I'm in surgery you'll have to ask another doctor."

"Thank you," Alex tells him with a grateful smile.

*

Alison was in the conference room with Addison, Mark, Cristina, Richard and Alex as they were discussing their patients surgery.  Alison had never worked on a case like this before and it felt so good when Richard Webber asked her to be apart of it.  She immediately had sent a text message to her family group chat and let them know what had happened.  They were proud of her and how far she had come.  Alison was excited because she knew that by being on this case it would only help her if she ever had to come across a patient who had this exact diagnosis again.  Not only that but it felt great working with Addison again.  

"The baby's heart is growing outside of his body," Cristina explained to the doctors.

"Less than two-hundred and only a handful had survived," Alex finished Cristina's comment.

"I've seen one of these cases ten years ago where one of the babies squeezed its own heart and died."

"He squeezed his own heart?" Alison and Miranda said at the same time in disbelief.  

"You said there was a possibility for a diaphragmatic hernia?" Addison asked ignoring their shock.

"Yeah," Richard nods his head and goes over to the computer to pull up his results to show everyone as they get up and follow him.

"You and I have got a lot of work to do on this little guy," Erica tells Addison.

"You up for it?" She asks the cardiologist.

"Always," she gives her a smile.

"What about my work?" Mark asks feeling under-appreciated with crossed arms.  "I grew an amazing flap with the babies own skin.  Pretend all you want but I know you're impressed."

"Very impressive, Mark," Alison pats his arm when she hears her phone ring and she gets it out of her coat pocket.  "Hello?" Alison asked as she answered the phone call from a random phone number as she stepped out of the conference room.

"Is this Alison Anderson?"

"This is she," Alison nodded her head even though the man couldn't see.

"My name is Jack Hemmingway.  I am Anthony Davis' attorney and I was wondering if we could have you come in for the trial on Wednesday as a witness?"

"Uh, yes.  I can do that," Alison nodded her head.

"We would like to interview you first if you don't mind?" Jack told her.

"Of course."

"When would a free day be for you to come into my office?  Anthony told me that you are a doctor."

"I'm pretty busy today but I could try to have off like an hour or two tomorrow?" She told him.

"Perfect.  If you can get tomorrow off can you ask your boss for three o'clock off?  It would only take an hour."

"I will, sounds good.  Thanks Jack."

"Thank you Alison, have a good day."

Attorney Jack Hemmingway.  Of fucking course he would get him.  He was known to be one of the best attorney's in Washington so it would only make sense that he got him.  

"Hey, you okay?" Mark asked his girlfriend as him and Addison came out of the conference room.

"Yeah," Alison nodded her head slightly as she put a hand on her forehead and the two attending doctors looked at her with concern.  "I got asked by Anthony's attorney if I could be a witness for the trial on Wednesday."

"Wait, Anthony as in Anthony Davis?" Addison asked shocked as Mark wrapped a comforting arm around his girlfriend.  "I think I heard about that on the news.  It's everywhere."

"Yeah," Alison nodded her head.  "They want to interview me first and then if they like what they hear they'll use me."

"Are you okay with that?" Addison asks crossing her arms.

"I'm doing it for his son," Alison shrugged her shoulders.

"Shit," Mark cursed.  "I forgot he had a kid.  I wonder if he's found guilty who he will live with?"

"I don't know," Alison said feeling bad for Bentley.  "I know he's staying with Anthony's sister right now.  He doesn't deserve this."

"He was a pretty cute kid when I met him," Mark nodded his head in agreement. "I'll be by your side with whatever you decide to do."

"You met Anthony's son?" Addison asks shocked.

"Yeah," Mark gives a small smile. "It was literally when I just moved down here. We met at the aquarium."

*

"Are you sure that your parents won't mind me coming?" Lexie asked Alison as they walked in the hallways.

"No way, are you kidding?  They love having people over for Thanksgiving.  They even have some of my brothers' friends over too.  Besides everyone will love you."

"Thanks again for asking me to come.  I really don't think I could do another Thanksgiving with my dad.  It would probably consist of him drinking his problems away."

"Sorry," Alison smiled sheepishly at the intern.

"Don't be," she waved a hand at her.

"Oh, whose this?" Addison asks the two as she gestured to Lexie.

"I'm Lexie," she greets the surgeon as she shakes her hand.  "Lexie Grey."

"Wait, as in Meredith-"

"Yes, but they don't like to talk about that," Alison tells her and the brunette nods her head in understanding.

"Got it.  Well, Lexie, would you like to scrub in for our surgery today?" Addison asks the intern.

"Really?" Lexie asks as her eyes widen in surprise.  "Yes!  I would love to!  I should probably let Cristina know?"

"I'll let her know," Alison says as she types something into her pager and sends it to Cristina.  "Cristina is her resident."

"Really?  How's that going?"

"I think she hates me," Lexie blurted out.  "I mean she's really smart, a genius even.  But because she's Meredith best friend," Lexie shrugged shoulders.

"Got it," Addison smiles slightly.  "Well, let's all have lunch and meet back in twenty?  I want to say hi to Clair first."

"Yeah," they agree and leave.

*

"So, how does it feel working with Addison again?" Mark asks his girlfriend as he's eating lunch with her.

"Amazing," Alison said dreamily as she popped a fry into her mouth.  "But it sucks that she's only back for a day."

"I know, I'm sorry babe," he lays his hand on hers on the table.  "I know I asked you earlier but are you sure you're okay with testifying for the defense for Anthony?"

"Yeah, I am," she nods her head.  "I don't know if he's guilty or not but if he is - those victims deserve justice.  I just feel bad for Bentley, you know? 

"I get it.  I hope the truth comes out in the trials, I really do.  So Lexie is coming with us along with Derek to your parents Thanksgiving?" He asks raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah," she nods her head.

"Do they have that many rooms?"

"Well, Derek was going to be staying at my brother Adam's house, Lexie will be sleeping in another room at my parents and we will have our own room which was my room."

"Not that I'm not dying to stay at your parents but why can't we just stay at a hotel?" He whined and she threw a fry at him and he caught it and ate it.

"Get your mind out of the gutter.  I'm dating a sex crazed man," she muttered.

"You love it," he teased and she scowled at him.

"Only sometimes," she muttered and he leaned in close to her ear as he placed a kiss on her jaw making her shiver slightly.

"Admit."

"Okay, I do," she finally conceded making him pump his arm up in victory and she rolled her eyes at the stupid gesture.

*

"You know I thought it would be weird coming back," Addison began to say to Miranda.  "But I have to say I find it strangely comforting that everything is the same here," she said making Miranda frown as she worked.

"Okay, in L.A. people say things but in Seattle there's a strange culture of wordlessness where I am supposed to suss what one is feeling by the slight raise of an eyebrow or the beginning of a frown.  Any chance you want to tell me what's going on with you, Miranda?" Addison asked the resident.

"Just a lot has changed since you left.  A lot," Miranda told her vaguely.

"Oh come on name one thing that has changed in this hospital."

"The clinic is actually making money.  The chief's wife left him.  Derek and Meredith broke up."

"Alison told me about them earlier," Addison commented with a huff.  "I'm going to have to talk some sense into the two of them apparently."

*

"Nikki Jones, twenty-five year old female," Cristina recites as she hands Addison the patient's charts.  "Thirty-five weeks pregnant.  Six weeks ago she was diagnosed with ectopia cordis."

"Which as you know means that your baby's heart is currently growing on the outside of his body," Erica told Nikki.

"Which doesn't get anymore bizarre the more times I hear," Nikki told the doctor.

"Not bizarre baby, just unique," the husband told his wife which made Alison give a small smile to them.  "Our son is one of a kind, wearing his heart on his sleeve."

"This surgery is going to take place in two OR's.  It will work like a dance," Richard tells them.

"Doctor Anderson, Karev and I will begin with the delivery," Addison tells them and the blonde doctor smiles at the couple.

"And I'll stay behind to close your incision," Miranda tells the couple.

"While I bring your baby to OR two," Alison tells Nikki.

"Where I'll work on your baby's heart," Erica says.

"And Doctor Anderson and I will work on your baby's intestinal problem," Addison tells them.

"Wait, intestinal problem?" Nikki asked confused.  

"We detected there might be a slight defect on your baby's diaphragm.  We just want to be prepared for every contingency," Miranda explained.

"I just wish I could keep him inside of me," Nikki says looking up at her husband.  "Keep him protected."

"It's protected no matter what.  By us.  By our love," her husband tells her.  

"Something about that guy makes me just want to punch him out," Alex said as they all left Nikki's room.

"And yet you didn't," Addison comments.  "For which I am grateful."

"I thought they seemed pretty cute," Alison muttered quietly but the group still heard her making Alex roll his eyes at her.

"Hippies," Cristina said in reference to the patient and her husband, thinking that Erica would like the comment.  "Annoying, huh?"

"Go away," Erica said, irritated as Addison and Alison looked at each other with a smile on their face and shook their heads.  

"Erica doesn't like Cristina," Alison filled Addison in and Addison looked at Erica amused as she crossed her arms.

"It's not that I don't like her it's just that I'm trying to teach her that you shouldn't have to sleep with your attending to get ahead.  If you are as smart as you say you are let that do the talking."

"Hey," Callie greets Addison and the group.  "How great is she?" Callie asks Erica.

"She's great."

"Did I tell you?" Callie asked.

"You told me."

"Did she tell you?" Callie asked Addison.

"Tell me what?" Addison asked confused.

"Anything.  Everything."

"Does she know you're divorced?" Erica asked and Alison put a hand on her forehead.

"I knew I forgot to tell you something," she exclaimed.

"Your divorced?" Addison asks Callie, shocked.

"Which as it turns out," Erica began.

"Is the best thing that could have happened, really," Callie finished her sentence as the two began laughing.

Addison shared a knowing look with Alison as they were both thinking the same thing when the two left.

*

"So wait, you and Meredith are doing a clinical trial on people with the tumor that guy who was attacked by a bear has?" Alison asked her person as she popped a purple grape into her mouth and ate it as her snack.

"Yeah," he nods his head stealing one from her.

"How is that going?"

"It's alright.  We start surgery on the bear guy today."

"Oh good," Addison says as she found Derek and Alison together on the bridge.  "Just the man I wanted to see. You broke up with Meredith Grey?"

"Well we're doing a clinical trial together if it makes you feel better."

"Derek, I hugged her.  Hugged her and you're not even together with her anymore.  What the hell happened?"

"Who told you?" He asked pouting and not answering her question.  He caught Addison glancing slightly at Alison and Derek let out a gasp.  "I can't believe you told her."

"Sorry," Alison smiled sheepishly.  "But she wanted to know what all had changed and I thought she was the one person who get through to you."

"No, no," Addison waved her hand at her fellow.  "Don't apologize to him when he doesn't deserve it.  Okay," Addison sighs giving in.  "Tell me about the clinical trial."

"Well, if it doesn't go well I'm killing people for a sport.  When I walk into an OR, I'm an expert," he explains to his ex-wife and person.  "I can stop a bleed and I can remove a clot.  I'm an expert. In a clinical trial, I'm experimenting.  Groping around in the dark, hoping to do the right thing.  She wants greatness from me.  She's expecting greatness."

"Okay, seriously, Derek.  What are you doing?" Addison asked him.

"I'm seeing somebody else," he told her but she already knew from Alison.  "She's lovely," he tried to convince himself.  "She's really lovely."

*

"So did you find anything else out about Ava?" Alison asked Alex as Addison was now chatting with Clair and catching up with her.

"Izzie says her intern couldn't find the pregnancy," Alex complains.  "And apparently they're doing a test now without my consent."

"What do you think?" Alison asked him.

"I don't know," he shakes his head.  "I don't know what to think," but he did.  He was just afraid to say it aloud because it made it that much more real.  "But I can take care of her.  And the baby.  I'm not father material but I can take care of her.  If she needs me."

*

"I'm going to be making the incision from there to here," Alison tells their patient as Addison lets her take charge.

"What you said before about further complications," Nikki started to say to Addison.

"No, we can't think like that," her husband cut her off.  "There's nothing else wrong with him.  Our intention is to have a healthy baby.  He'll be strong and happy and healthy."

"Don't you understand what we are trying to tell you?" Alex asks the husband in a rude tone.  "I mean chances are your baby is going to need a hell of a lot more than just heart surgery."

Alison pinched his arm and he whipped it away from her fast and rubbed it.

"Did you just pinch me?" He snarled at her.

"Yeah, to get you to shut up," she murmured back to him and Miranda gave the two a scary look that made them stop talking.

"Doctor Karev," Addison gave him a look.

"Chances are he won't," the husband told the resident.  

"You can't cross your fingers and close your eyes and hope it will all go away," Alex bites back at him and all of the doctors knew he was out of line, but Alison knew it also probably had to do with Rebecca's news earlier.

"Doctor Karev," Miranda chastises him and the husband comforts his wife.  

"I was trying to prepare them," Alex tells the resident, trying to justify his outburst.  "They're having a baby.  And the baby's going to be all screwed up into a world where his parents are unprepared."

"Just because his parents want to see the good in it all doesn't mean they aren't prepared for the challenges they could face," Alison tells him impressing Miranda and Addison.  "They might just be trying to make light of the whole situation.  And could being the key word.  We won't know exactly what all we are dealing with until we open her up."

"They want to talk about being in love.  As if that has anything to do with having the ability to raise a baby!  A sick baby!  He's not prepared - I was trying to prepare him."

"Right now you are feeling all of your feelings right out in the open," Miranda told him.  "Do me a favor and stuff them back in."

"Interesting advice," Addison says to the short resident.

"Don't start with me," she grumps back making Addison and Alison snicker at each other as they walk away.

*

Both Nikki and their baby had made it out of surgery.  After Nikki had hemorrhaged and Alison had taken the baby, Addison went back to help Miranda take care of the momma as Alison worked with Erica and Mark.  Lexie was amazed at the whole surgery and thankful that Addison allowed her in.  

He was now being watched to make sure he will do well in recuperation.  Alison did in fact have to be called as a witness for Anthony's trial.

"Please put your right hand up and repeat after me," the woman said and Alison did as follows.

"Do you promise to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

"I do."

"Please have a seat."

"Alison Anderson," the prosecutor spoke into the small microphone.  "you were Mr. Davis' girlfriend, correct?"

"Correct," Alison nods her head and she noticed the twelve juries over to the right.  

"For about how long?"

"Six months."

"And in these six months, did Mr. Davis ever tell you anything odd about his business?"

"No sir," she shook her head as she glanced at Mark.

Anthony noticed she wasn't looking at him and turned around to notice she was looking at an older man and by the look he was giving her, he assumed that this was her now boyfriend.  

"And did he at any point give you any passwords, invite you to his business, etc.?"

"I did go to his law firm."

"It's a simple yes or no question.  Let me ask it again.  Did he at any point give you any passwords, invite you to his business, etc.?"

"yes, I did go to his law firm."

"I believe she answered that earlier," Judge Bristol said.

"Maybe she did maybe she didn't," the prosecutor said.  "But she needs to answer a simple yes or no."

"She did say it without saying yes," Judge Bristol answered for Alison as Alison stayed silent but then she leaned toward Alison.  "We would like just a yes or no answer though," she told her quietly and Alison nodded her head.

"Okay, I'll move on," the prosecutor said.  "Did you ever notice anything out of the ordinary when you visited his law firm?"

"No, I did not."

"What about his personal life?  Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?"

"Just how rich he was," she commented and some of the people watching the trial cracked a small smile.

"He likes nice things, correct?"

"Yes."

"What did he tell you he owned?"

"Two private jets and the latest Tesla at the time when we dated," she said and she wondered if she shouldn't have said that.  She felt her hands get sweaty and she wiped them against her pants.  

"Ms. Anderson, did he ever loan you any money or offer to pay for anything?"

"No, he didn't offer me any money but he paid for dinner, which is what men do when we go on dates with them."

"I want to go back to an answer you had said before that when you discussed what he owned.  Would you say that he ever traveled too much?  Maybe even brought you with him?"

"No to both of those questions."

"Ms. Anderson, you've had a couple of days to be able to watch this trial now, correct?  You've had time to form an opinion."

"No."

"No?  Why do you say no?  It's been a couple of days with the trials in this case.  You dated the man.  Shouldn't you want to protect him?"

"I say no because I barely have time to watch the television anymore given my job.  Even though I dated Anthony, that doesn't mean anything.  If he did wrong then I think he should pay and those victims should get their money.  That doesn't mean I'm going to lie about it to protect him."

"Ms. Anderson, what is your profession?"

"I'm a surgeon."

"At Seattle Grace Hospital, correct?"

"Yes," she nods her head.  

"Your brothers are in the military, correct?" The prosecutor asked and she looked at him quizzically as she was wondering why this had to do with Anthony's case.

"Yes, but how-"

The prosecutor cut her off.  She was going to ask him how the hell even knew about them.  She was going to ask him why this even had to do with the trial.  She didn't like it when people used her siblings against her.

"Let's say that they were killed in action," he continued on with his story with no emotion or care about Alison's feelings right then.  "That it was a wronged death that wasn't supposed to happen but it did."

Alison could feel her throat tightening up and tears were clouding her eyes.  She rubbed her hands against her pant leg as she wasn't liking what she thought he was about to ask.  Mark didn't like it either and he could tell the judge was about to object but still allowed the prosecutor to ask.  He didn't like seeing his girlfriend upset and he could see how much she loved her brothers.  This wasn't right.

"How would you and your family feel if you had consulted in a lawyer.  A lawyer who you were supposed to trust, completely oblivious to the fact that you don't know anything about the law and lawyers.  What if you were promised twelve million dollars and you were never paid that amount?  How would you feel?"

"Wh-why would you even as-ask t-that?" Alison asked hyperventilating and crying as her shoulders started shaking.  "M-my brothers a-are alive," she murmured to herself as she seemed to reassure herself.  Everyone's heart broke for Alison as they saw how hurt she was over the hypothetical question.  "T-they're a-alive, right?"

Everyone had realized that the prosecutor did wrong right then.  

"Ms. Anderson, I'm asking how you would feel-"

"That's enough, Ethan," Judge Bristol told the prosecutor.  "She will not answer a hypothetical question that is obviously very sensitive to her.  We will take a lunch break but I want to speak privately with the lawyers.  You may step down," she tells Alison as she hands her a water bottle and a tissue and she walks numbly out of the chair and towards her boyfriend.

What Alison wasn't expecting that all the channels that were covering this trial like CNN, Fox News, The View and CBS all agreed that this was totally uncalled for from the prosecutor.  That they all respected and supported our military troops and Alison Anderson's brothers, whose privacy was violated.  

Meanwhile, back in the court room, Anthony wanted to tell Alison how sorry he was but he also knew he wasn't allowed to talk to to her.  Besides, it wasn't his place to do so anymore.

"Hey, it's going to be okay," Mark told his girlfriend as they were outside the courtroom, and he wrapped her in his strong, comforting arms as she hugged him and burrowed her face in his chest and he kissed the top of her head as she cried into his shirt.  "I love you."

He wasn't sure how the trial was going to go but he was glad he asked Richard for the day off so that he could be there for Alison as well.  

The trial ended for the day and they would meet back tomorrow.  Jack had pulled Alison aside, apologizing profusely to the blonde surgeon for the way that Ethan acted in there, but still asked if she could come back tomorrow to which she agreed.  He also relaid a message from Anthony as he apologized as well.

"What time do you want me here tomorrow?" She asked Jack.

"Is ten in the morning good with you two?  I know you both are busy surgeons and I'm sorry for taking up your time."

"It's okay," Alison gives him a small smile.  "I can do that.  Mark might not-"

"I'll be here," he tells Jack and Alison could swear she fell a little more in love with Mark right then.

"Excellent," Jack tells the couple.  "We will see you both here tomorrow.  Thank you again and I can't tell you how sorry I am that happened to you, Alison."

"Thanks Jack," she tells him and the lawyer leaves leaving the couple alone as they walk hand-in-hand to her Toyota RAV-4 of the latest year which was a 2009, but she allowed him to drive as he helped her calm down.

"What do you say I drive through Panda Express and I get you your favorite meal.  We head back to your place and I get a bath ready for the two of us and we have hot, steamy sex?"

"I like it," she scrunches her nose a bit and he squeezes her thigh in comfort.  "I love you, Mark Sloan."

"Doesn't everyone?" he teased.

--

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS ALMOST 5,000 WORDS!!! omg!  I meant to get it up yesterday but I wasn't even close to being done yet.  I know there was a lot in this chapter and I hope you guys liked it.

What do you think so far about the trial?  What about the prosecutor and how he handled Alison?

Can you believe it - there were snow flurries where I live today!  SNOW FLURRIES!  On the plus side whose been listening to Taylor Swift's new revamped Red album?  30 songs!  I am!  

also p.s: I am not a lawyer or an expert on trials but I'm basing this kind of around what's happening with Tom Girardi and Erika Jayne right now.  some things will be different but don't come after me if some things aren't correct lol.  love you guys!!

- brooke