AN: I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any other the characters involved. Enjoy this little tidbit!

Addison sat in the office, her lawyer to her left and an empty chair to her right. Across the table, Derek was staring at the papers in front of him. Divorce papers. He was finally going to sign them. Staring at the papers, Derek suddenly looked up at Addison.

"I'm sorry," Derek apologized.

"Derek, an apology this late in the game isn't going to change anything. I can't keep going on with this marriage," Addison said sadly. "I don't want to be a part of an eggshell marriage. I don't want to constantly be checking your coat pockets for another woman's panties."

"I know," Derek clarified. "I just wanted to apologize for everything that I've done. I know that I blamed you in the beginning, but I've realized that I'm just as much to blame."

With a flourish of his wrist, typical of a neurosurgeon, Derek signed the papers. He set the pen down and sighed. Their marriage was officially over. Addison wasn't sure how she felt about that. She knew that she was relieved that she no longer had ties to one person, she was free in a sense. But at the same time, she was also losing someone who had been a part of her life for the past decade.

Murmuring a goodbye to her lawyer, Addison walked out of the room and headed to the elevator. Dinging, the elevator arrived and she walked in. Standing alone in the elevator she allowed her body to just relax, her shoulders sliding back and rolling her head around.

As the elevator began to descend, Addison began to imagine every part of her life that had stemmed from her marriage. The practice back in New York had been an accomplishment she had only been able to achieve with Derek's help. Sure, she had the money and the means to establish a practice, but she wouldn't have had the support and love of the people working around her.

Those first few years at the practice had been good years. She and Derek sneaking in lunch or other meals together because the other was just an office over. They had even locked the doors on several occasions to sneak in sex. Couches weren't comfortable but when both of them worked all hours of the day, they had to make something work.

Yes, those had been happy years. The sex and lunch dates had been the highlights of Addison's day. But, then eventually the sex stopped and so did the lunch dates. Derek drove himself further into his work and Addison was left in an empty office with no one to eat lunch with.

Sometimes, Addison wondered how things would have changed had she and Derek had kids. Would Derek have caught himself before his work driven spiral could begin? Or, would they have separated even sooner?

There were so many what ifs, so many what could have beens. Addison leaned against the back wall of the elevator. Then, straightening back to her usual posture she pushed those thoughts from her mind. What ifs and what could have beens weren't important. All that mattered now was what she was going to do with the rest of her life and who she was going to do it with.

The elevator reached ground level and opened, allowing her to leave behind the elevator and her thoughts of the past.