Rain

Apologies

"Rumor has it you're headed to New York." Derek walked faster to catch up with him as Mark smiled. His tone was almost friendly.

"Where'd you hear that?" he asked, playing along. He had been planning to, but since the ominous silence on Moore and his' friendship, he decided to go on hold. Mark Sloan did not leave things unfinished.

"Good news travels fast. Actually, I was gonna scrub in on a peripheral nerve reconstruction." That piqued his interest and he glanced over at his ex-best friend. "But since it's your last day-"

"It isn't and I'd love to," he replied smugly, spotting the brunette ahead of them in the office to his left. She met eyes with him mouthed words to him. He pretended not to see, turning back to Derek.

"What? I thought-" The raven-haired man sounded confused.

"Oh, I was going. But now I'm not. Rumor has it there's a race for Chief." That wasn't the only reason but Derek didn't need to know that.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Good news travels fast. Especially when you have a chatty girlfriend." Her absence echoed in his core but he shook it off. It was fun to see Derek get riled up anyhow. "Anyways—" He patted him on the arm— "see you at the finish line." Spinning around, he left the neurosurgeon speechless.

.

"How many you got left?" Emily asked as she glanced down at her own charts to fill. Meredith sent her a sour look before counting.

"Three. So... are you and Sloan a thing? He never gives you bedsores," the blonde added grumpily, picking up her pen. Flushing, Emily shrugged. "And he doesn't give you errands."

"I don't really know, right now. We're not talking. Actually, he's not talking to me." She ducked her head to begin writing but felt Meredith's eyes on her.

"Is everything alright?" She asked as the door swung open. "I won't tell, promise," She added with a sympathetic tone. Shrugging, she shook her head.

"How are you and Derek?" She switched the topic and the blonde had a slightly silly smile at the name of her boyfriend as the door swung open.

"You told Sloan?" Turning around, she fixed a confused expression on her face. Emily looked up as well, meeting eyes with Derek. "Mark Sloan. You told him the Chief was stepping down, that I wanted the job."

"I didn't know that was a secret," Meredith said sincerely.

"He was leaving, Meredith. He was leaving town,"

"Okay, and now he's not?" she probed, confused. Emily bit her lip, drumming the pen against the table. Something about that hit her the wrong way. Mark was leaving? When was that decided? He had just decided without even telling her?

Was he really going to leave without even telling her? Derek's face was full of betrayal and Emily echoed his feelings but for a different reason.

"No, he's not. You gave him a reason to stay," the man snapped, opening the door and closing it with a slam. Standing up, the blonde opened the door, calling after him before returning to her seat.

"Mer, it isn't your fault," Emily mumbled, avoiding the woman's eyes. How could he just do that? "That was unfair,"

"I know," she acknowledged, continuing her charts. "So, about McSteamy?" Emily caved reluctantly.

"He didn't even tell me he was planning to leave. He didn't... it's like he doesn't trust me. How can - how can we be friends when he wouldn't even tell me that?" the brunette questioned hesitantly, twirling her pen. She was unable to write, unable to face what he did. He thought he could just leave her. Like everyone else did.