forty-four

a glass of champagne before walking around the venue, ready to impress the people so they could donate money to the hospital. After a conversation with someone, Allison walked up to Cristina and Meredith the same exact time Owen did.

"We are in trouble." Owen stated, "Avery bet the farm on this party."

"I just want to be home." Allison groaned, "I can't impress people. I suck at that."

"Listen to you three." Cristina rolled her eyes at her friends, "This is not that difficult. Just be charming. Use the same skills you would if you were picking someone up at a bar." She looked at Meredith, knowing that's how she met Derek, "I know you know how to do that." She looked at Owen, "And you need to practice if we're gonna get serious about meeting new people."

Owen sighed, "You need to let that go."

"Ooh." Cristina hummed, "Richie rich, ten o'clock."

***

Allison decided to charm the man by flirting with him, asking questions that she didn't really care about. She used her charm by smiling and talking all about the wanders of Neurosurgery and the hospital.

"Where can we put our donation?" The man asked her, pulling out his check book.

Allison smiled, "By that box under the stairs." She pointed at the box. The man began to walk off as she thanked him.

After talking to more people, Jackson began his speech when one of the entertainers fell and got injured. Ari, the party planner who planned the gala made her way over there when the entertainer fell down on her.

The doctors gathered as they waited on the paramedics to come, and once they did Owen and Callie left to attend them, leaving the rest of the doctors at the gala, to continue to raise money.

Allison shared her idea with Jackson—although its awkward between them, they both decided to not let it affect work.

The party was dying down after the accident. There they were both of them leading the people to the gallery above the O.R. where Callie and Owen were operating.

"Okay." Allison smiled as she pressed the button to speak to Callie and Owen down the O.R. "Uh, Doctors, we have visitors."

"Now if you'll notice the pins that Dr. Torres is drilling into place—that is the external fixation I was telling you about."

One of the people in the crowd looked at the doctors beside them, "Are—Are we allowed to be here?"

Allison nodded, "Yes, we spoke with Irina's husband. He said that if there's one thing she believes in, it's that the show must go on. Now we showed you guys a circus tonight, but this—-" Allison gestured down the gallery, "This is the real show. This is what we do here."

"We are gonna get this woman back on her feet, and before you leave this evening. I would ask that you please consider helping us get back on ours." Jackson continued.

"How much do you need?"

Jackson and Allison smiled at one another, knowing their plan had worked, once Jackson looked away, Allison knew that maybe it was best to move on from him.

It's been weeks and he hasn't uttered a word about her confession—she wasn't going to wait forever and she took the silence as her answer.

***

The sound of the phone ringing made Allison quite nervous. The gala was not a success but they were able to get the money they needed.

"" The voice answered. Allison could hear some shuffling on the other end.

"Micheal, I love you." Allison began, "We're engaged and I know you need time to think but I'm choosing you."

"" Micheal asked, he couldn't help but doubt her word.

"Yes." Allison nodded, looking back at the hospital. "So I'll be waiting for you to come back from your trip."

Micheal chuckled, "

"Okay." Allison said, although she told him she chose him, she couldn't help but feel the guilt rise up—because in reality if Jackson were to confess to her, she'll choose the green-eyed doctor over and over again. To her it will always be Jackson Avery.

***

A couple weeks after the gala, Derek and Allison joined the research for brain mapping with Callie. The past few weeks, the three of them have been progressing. "Open your hand, okay, Mickey?"

Derek walked back to the computer, as Mickey tried to open his hand, "Like this?"

"Exactly." Allison smiled, "Like that."

"Yeah baby!" Mickey grinned, and the group of doctors clapped.

"Okay, now close it." Derek told him, "As he thinks about movements, we see brain activity here and here." Derek showed the images on the screen, "These areas lighting up. Now the brain-computer interface is the key to new possibilities, whether it be robotic prosthetics...for quadriplegics like Mickey..."

"Or letting me kick ass at 'Tetris' again." The room erupted in laughter, "Hey, check this out, you guys." Mickey held up a pinkie, "Hang loose!" The people began to clap once more, "Hey, where's Dr. Torres? How's she missing this? This is the best that we've ever done."

"Shane, text her again, will you?" Derek asked their intern in a lowered voice.

"Is something wrong?" Ross asked the two attending's, who's brows were furrowed.

"There's not a lot of temporal lobe activity." Allison quietly told him, as she pointed at the screen, "Nothing lights up here."

"Is it a bad connection in the sensor?"

Allison sighed, "I hope so."