𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓, 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑛

𝒙𝒗𝑖.

season 4, episode 2

george slammed athena's door open, athena and cass woke up with a fright and both girls glared at him. "sorry. i'm having a crisis, it's an athena advice worthy crisis." athena softly smiles at george, cassandra leaves the attic understanding the situation. her sister gives the best advice, she's had a whole lifetime of it so she knows the athena advice protocol pretty well by now.

"what's this crisis then?"

"i understand if you can't help me because callie is your friend but i just need someone to talk to," athena nods at him to continue. "she said she loved me, and..and, you know, my dad he..oh god, he loved her. and, you know, when he died then he...i shouldn't have gotten married." athena's eyes slightly widen at his confession. 

"you should...it sucks. it really does, it sucks so hard. but what sucks more is being in a marriage you don't want to be in. you should be honest with her, tell the truth." there was a slight pause, athena and george move to lay down on athena's bed. athena turns her head to look at george. "do you love her?"

george looks at her with sadness in his eyes. "i do. just not in the way she needs me to." athena nods in understanding and the two friends stay in silence before getting ready for work.

once arriving at the hospital and getting changed into their scrubs, the group of doctors split ways. athena spots derek and richard by the board and skips over to them in her usual bright and shiny manner. she crosses her fingers behind her back and hopes that either of them has a cool surgery she could blackmail her way into.

richard and derek spot athena coming in their direction. "what do you think of the board?"

"could use a good clean. there's left over pen ink on it." she reaches a hand out and wipes off a smudge of ink from a past surgery.

"that's not what he meant." derek rolls his eyes at her and she shrugs her shoulders at him.

richard ignores athena's comment and resumes his previous board conversation with derek. "i didn't do it. i'm delegating. i am being a delegator. i'm doing it all different, making time for my wife."

"i'm sure adele appreciates how hard you delegate." athena rolls her eyes. richard is not a good delegator.

derek snorts at athena's sarcasm. "oh, yeah? she talking to you yet?"

"she will when she sees i'm a delegator. i...i should move that surgery up there."

"not what i heard." athena says in a sing song voice. she actually hasn't heard anything, the last time she spoke to adele they just gossiped about mark.

"what did you hear?" richard's head snaps in athena's direction as he put his hands on his hips. athena just grins at him. "yeah, right. whatever. it's good. it's fine. i'm delegating. see? being a delegator." richard leaves as mark walks over to the two friends.

"what's wrong with the chief?"

"he's a junkie.oh, and athena's winding him up."

"him? you're the one who looks all strung out. and when isn's she winding someone up?" athena smacks him.

"i'm just tired."

"let me guess. you and meredith are back together, and you've been up all night doing the horizontal salsa."

"mambo. horizontal mambo. and meredith and i, we're just friends." at the same time as derek athena mutters out a soft devil's tango.