The lunchroom was noisy, trays clattering, interns laughing and shouting over each other. At one corner, the attendings’ table stood out—not for their voices, but for their calm, measured presence. Derek Shepherd, Mark Sloan, Callie Torres, Addison Montgomery, and Owen Hunt sat together, observing. Their lunches sat mostly untouched.

Across the room, the interns’ table was chaos incarnate. Izzie Stevens gestured wildly while recounting a patient story. Alex Karev made an exaggerated, sarcastic comment, earning a laugh from George. Meredith Grey and Cristina Yang were locked in a tense debate over technique, heads close together, ignoring everyone else.

And then there was Natalia Romanova, slouched slightly, head propped on her hand, fork lazily moving through her eggs. Twenty years old, a prodigy, and painfully aware that she didn’t belong—at least socially. The others barely included her, and she didn’t care. She was too far ahead, too focused on observing rather than participating.

Derek stirred his coffee, watching her with a quiet fascination. “Look at her. She’s barely in the room with them, and yet she notices everything.”

Mark smirked, leaning back. “Better. Let her watch. By the time she speaks, she’ll own the conversation.”

Callie shook her head, amused. “She’s not even legal for most things, and she’s out here playing in the big leagues with these idiots.” She glanced at Alex and George, shaking her head. “I’d give anything to be that confident at her age.”

Addison tilted her head, studying Natalia over the rim of her glass. “She’s deliberate. Observant. Doesn’t react unless she chooses to. That’s… rare.”

Owen leaned forward slightly, elbows on the table, eyes still on Natalia. “She’s not just smart. She sees patterns. How people move, how they speak, what they care about. That’s dangerous.”

Natalia yawned subtly, bringing a forkful of eggs to her mouth without even looking up. The attendings exchanged small, knowing glances.

Derek murmured, “She’s going to make the rest of them look like amateurs before the year’s over.”

Mark laughed softly. “Good. Let her. The chaos is their problem, not hers.”

Callie added, smirking, “She doesn’t even have to try. The second she takes a lead on a case, they’ll follow her like she’s a god.”

Addison smiled faintly, a trace of concern in her eyes. “Just… make sure she doesn’t get bored. A bored genius is unpredictable.”

Owen nodded. “She’s sharp. Calculated. Dangerous in a good way. But let’s hope the rest of them keep up—or we’ll have a problem.”

The attendings lapsed into silence again, quietly watching the interns’ table. Izzie, Alex, Meredith, Cristina, and George continued their chaos, unaware of the scrutiny. Natalia poked at her eggs, completely detached, but every small movement, glance, and expression was noted by the watchful attendings. She might be the youngest in the room, but she was already leagues ahead—and everyone at the attendings’ table knew it.