𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 ━ jackson avery

039. ━ richard webber's 10,000th surgery

season eight // episode twelve
[ richard webber's 10,000th surgery ]

ELLIE SAT IN Callie's apartment the morning before her shift, bouncing Sofia gently on her lap, smiling at the little girl's giggles of happiness.

Julia, who had been cutting Arizona's hair, handed her a mirror. "Okay, take a look," she said. "I took a little more off this time."

"No, I love it. Hey." Both Ellie and Callie looked up at the blonde. "Look."

Ellie nodded. "Nice!"

"I want that," Callie said, standing up from her spot in the armchair. "Move."

"Oh, I've got surgery in an hour, so we'll do you tomorrow," Julia told her, putting away her scissors before crouching in front of Sofia who was snuggled against Ellie on the couch. "And you I will see tonight at Zola's party. Yes?" She stood up and looked at Mark. "Love you."

"See ya."

Ellie furrowed her brows at her brother, the same look on the couple's faces. "'See ya'?" she repeated incredulously.

Callie nodded. "Yeah," she agreed, looking at her best friend. "'I love you, too' is the appropriate response to 'I love you'."

"We've been dating for three months," he replied with a frown, looking around at the three women. "It's way too early for that."

Callie gasped suddenly. "Oh, no," she said, shaking her head. "No, no, no, no. This is classic Mark. He found out Lexie and Jackson broke up, and now he's getting cold feet about Julia. You and Lexie are over, okay? The ship has sailed... and sank."

"Well, geez," Ellie muttered, smoothing back Sofia's black hair.

"This has nothing to do with Lexie," Mark contradicted. "This has more to do with Ellie."

The woman in question looked up from her niece at her brother. "Me?" she asked, furrowing her brows. "What did I do?"

"You and Avery," he replied as though it was obvious and he took his daughter from her. "I see the stolen looks between you two."

Callie and Arizona looked between the siblings. "You like Jackson?" the blonde asked, a smile coming to her face.

"Oh, God." Ellie groaned and stood up, collecting her bag. "I am not talking about this with you guys. I'm not talking about this with my ridiculously overprotective brother and certainly not with my niece's mothers. Who are both my mentors, might I add? I'm going to work."

Callie smiled at her. "Oh, she totally likes Jackson," she said. "Look! Now she's turning red!"

"Shut up!" Ellie exclaimed, hurrying out of the apartment, slightly red in the face—either from embarrassment or disgruntlement; that was undetermined.