Chapter Text
”… How can I make this right? What I said – I’m not taking it back. I meant it, whether you believe it or not. Tell me, please, what can I do?”
Monica keeps reliving the previous day. That conversation. The look in Amelia’s eyes. How she left without a word. It seems like it’s up to Monica to figure out which path leads to forgiveness.
In hopes of bumping into Amelia around each corner she takes, Monica makes her way to the lounge and changes into her scrubs.
As she’s about to leave, the door swings open and Jo walks in.
“Beltran!” Her bright smile shines at Monica.
“Hey.”
“Welcome back! How was time away?” She heads to the coffee machine and pours herself a cup.
“Good. Good. The kids were lovely… But I’ve missed the OR.”
“Oh, I believe that. I had the best time during my first surgery. I love the twins and Luna, but this,” she takes a sip of her hot beverage, “my first week back was like a vacation,” she makes Monica smile.
“How are you? How are the twins?”
“Everyone’s great. We’re managing.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Also, Levi moved back to Seattle.”
“Levi’s back? Does he work here again?”
“Yes, fellowship.”
“I can’t wait to see him again.”
Monica offers to walk with Jo. They exit the lounge and when they’re just about to walk in the direction of the nurse’s station, Monica stops them.
“What-“
“Sorry, it’s just,” Monica’s mind can’t create words upon the sight of Amelia standing by the nurse’s station desk talking to a tall, blonde woman, who’s in navy scrubs, which means she’s an attending. But Monica’s never seen her, so she must be new.
Jo turns her head to see what caught Monica’s attention, “yeah, that,” she murmurs.
“What is, uh… what’s going on over there?”
“That’s Dr. Clayton,” Jo turns back to her, “the new Head of Ortho.”
“Oh,” Monica looks at her apologetically, “sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
Monica glances at Amelia and the woman she’s talking to.
“They seem- is it- she’s… Is Amelia twirling her hair?” Monica lets out in a sort of outraged tone. When she brings her eyes back to Jo, she sees her grinning. “What?” She asks innocently.
“Nothing,” Jo’s holding back from smiling. She’s quiet, but her stare is too luring.
“Fine,” Monica gives in – her need to know what is going on in Amelia’s life is too great, “out with it.”
“They’ve been hooking up. It’s strictly business. Amelia is having fun, but it’s not what she wants.”
“Hmm, you had that ready. Okay.”
“Now tell me,” Jo looks her dead in the eyes, “how are you planning on getting her back?”
“Wha- I’m n- why,“ Monica stammers, “who told you anything about- there’s,” Monica trails off. Seeing Jo’s expression, her efforts to play it cool are pointless, “did she say something?”
“She didn’t say much. Only cried on my shoulder for two weeks after you left. Which, knowing Amelia and her history of breakups, was surprising. But I think the only reason she didn’t shut down was because she felt the need to help me with the twins.”
“We didn’t- we were barely,” Monica stops to collect her thoughts and to ignore Jo’s reappeared grin, “besides, you’re more of a friend to her than to me. Aren’t you angry at me for hurting her?”
“Let’s say I’m an enthusiast of whatever you two had going on and I want to see more of it. Not in a weird way. And it’s not like you left because you wanted to hurt her, is it?”
“No. Never.”
Monica looks over Jo’s shoulder, right at Amelia, who meets her gaze. At first, she doesn’t show a reaction. Shortly, Monica catches a subtle flash of brows. The last nail in Monica’s coffin is Amelia turning back to the blonde standing next to her, biting her lower lip, and placing a hand on the woman’s forearm.
She excuses herself and enters the staircase.
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It’s wrong. It’s weird. Monica knows. But she needs to talk to Amelia. So, she secretly follows her to the cafeteria. Unfortunately, the neurosurgeon meets the tall blonde, Dr. Clayton, which discourages Monica from walking up to the woman she loves to apologize and confess her feelings. She waits until they finish eating, witnesses a somewhat affectionate hand caressing, then finally, Amelia gets up and walks out.
Hoping she’s right about Amelia going back to the Neuro Floor, Monica takes the stairs while Amelia gets upstairs in an elevator.
She’s careful not to get noticed as she follows her all the way to her office. Once Amelia’s inside, Monica waits a few seconds and enters.
She lets herself in and shuts the door behind her.
Amelia, surprised by the unexpected visitor, turns around. “Rude much? Haven’t you heard of knocking?”
Monica leans her back against the door.
“Would you have let me in?”
Silence.
“How are you?” Monica attempts to revive the conversation.
“Why are you here?”
“I want to talk.”
“I don’t.”
“Why didn’t you respond to my messages?”
“The same reason I don’t want you here right now. I have nothing to say to you.”
“So, you’re not at all happy that I’m back?”
“No.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“That’s not my problem.”
They stare at each other for a moment.
“You should leave,” Amelia sends her away, “you’re good at that.”
A beat.
“I had to go. I made a commitment.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
“I went to help kids.”
Amelia lets out a snicker, “no, no, no. You’re not going to make me the bad guy, some heartless monster, making it seem like I’m angry at you for volunteering to help children.”
“Fine.”
Amelia shrugs. “Well… goodbye?”
“Not yet.”
“Wha-“
“I am deeply sorry for how it went down. I never meant to hurt you, but I did, and I will do everything possible so that you forgive me.”
“If that’s what you need, then,” Amelia sighs, “I forgive you, okay?”
Monica frowns. “That’s it? Just like that?”
“What else do you want?”
“You,” Monica says without hesitation, “I want you.”
Amelia’s smile freezes. “Forgiven, not forgotten,” she retorts, “now, please, leave.”
“Okay. I’ll go,” Monica stops before shutting the door behind her and adds, “but this isn’t over, Amelia. I’ll find a way.”
On her way back to the peds floor, she’s joined by Jo and Levi in the elevator.
“Dr. Beltran!” Levi smiles widely. “I’m glad we have you back.”
“Dr. Schmitt. Can’t wait to hear what you have to say about Texas.”
“Only good things.”
Monica looks at Jo, “I need your help.”
Jo doesn’t catch on immediately. “With?”
She looks at Levi from the corner of her eye to see if he’s paying attention to them. He is, so she improvises, “with the thing we saw this morning. Whom,” Monica emphasizes suggestively, “we saw.”
Jo’s lips form a big O, then a cunning smile. “Of course. I have a few ideas.”
“I knew I could count on you.”
“We can go over some tactics tonight when you come over to my house.”
Levi chimes in, “I’m supposed to help you with the kids tonight.”
“I’m giving you a night off. You can go on a date with your boyfriend.”
Monica smiles at their interaction.
Jo returns her attention back to her. “I’ll be picking them up from daycare around 7.”
“Perfect.”
The elevator stops and Monica gets off with a hopeful attitude and determination, ready to use all and any measures to swipe Amelia off her feet and get her back.