When you love someone, what should you do? Should you let them know? Should you keep it a secret? What if you loved two people and you've never done this type of thing? What do you do? Meredith and Derek or Meredith and Mark – not really sure who I want to be together yet. Mostly AU.

Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy. This story is for my enjoyment and hopefully the enjoyment of my readers. I love writing and I love Grey's Anatomy. So when I can conjoin the two everything is great.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Meredith Grey was the top in her field of work. Couples came to her all the time trying to figure out how to fix their relationship, if it was salvageable. Most of the time, her clients found out that the problems between them were easily fixable. Then they went home as a happy couple and sent her Christmas cards every year. It never failed.

However, right now looking at the couple before her she wasn't so sure that they would be one of the couples that would find out that they really loved each other. Her patients were Addison Montgomery and Derek Shepherd. Addison Montgomery was a beautiful woman; there was no doubt about that. However, there was something about her. Addison gave off the vibe that she was scared to lose her husband but she loved someone else. Addison's husband on the other hand gave off the vibe that he didn't want to be here, and he could never forgive the woman beside him. After seven years in the business Meredith could pick up this kind of stuff.

Meredith looked at the information on her clipboard as she sat back in her chair. Usually she waited for one of her patients to start speaking about what was going on in the relationship, but it had been ten minutes and no one had said anything.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Meredith Grey. We have about forty more minutes until your session is up. So I think one of you should start." Meredith tried to smile at both of her clients, but Addison looked nervous and Derek looked like he was pissed and didn't want to be there, at all.

Addison looked over to her husband and smiled weakly. He looked at her and his facial expression didn't change. She knew that they probably weren't going to be able to save their relationship, but she still hoped. Maybe a part of Derek wanted to save their relationship, but Addison knew what he really wanted. He really wanted out of the relationship. He didn't want to look at her. He would never forgive her, but she still hoped.

"Hi. Dr. Grey. Um…where should we start? We are new at this. I mean…we've never tried this before and my friend Naomi said that you were the best. So we came to you because we…I mean I messed up. I cheated on Derek. Which was a mistake, but I still want to save this relationship." Addison wasn't this type of woman she never rambled. She was very sure of herself. She was gorgeous and she had what she wanted in life, but right now. She was scared as hell, so…she rambled.

Meredith smiled at Addison, at least Addison was trying. She admitted her faults. She looked at Derek and smiled at him. "Derek…what about you?" She said in a soft voice.

Derek looked up at her, and his blue eyes met her green. She was gorgeous to say the least. Her hair was tied back away from her face, her skin was a beautiful semi-tan color and her body looked so soft. He wondered what his hands would feel like running across her body. He shook her head. He could not be thinking like this. He probably just wanted to get revenge on Addison. He could not be thinking things about his marriage counselor.

"You heard her. She cheated. I didn't do anything wrong." He said, gruffly. Derek knew that he probably had some fault in this, but he also knew that if Addison had ever did something he wouldn't cheat on her. He couldn't. He was raised to not do that sort of thing. He was raised to love one woman with all of his heart. He had a father, mother and four sisters – and unlike most other males he believed in forevers.

Meredith wasn't surprised to hear that Derek believed that he didn't do anything wrong. However, when she looked into his bright blue eyes she could tell what he was really thinking. She could tell that he felt at fault for this, but he wasn't going to admit it. Derek's eyes were very expressive and for Meredith she could reach the depths of his soul looking through his eyes, no matter how cliché that really was.

"Okay then." Meredith said clearing her throat. She couldn't be thinking about her clients eyes and how she wanted to get lost in them for days. No. She was trying to save a relationship, not make one for herself. And that was Meredith's secret.

She looked between the two of them again, trying not to look back into Derek's eyes no matter how tempting the idea was. She waited again for one of them to say something. Usually in this type of situation after one said something, the other said something quickly in return to counter what the other had said. But it seemed that Derek and Addison were not going to be her typical couple. She sat back in her chair – writing down a note that this couple was not like the norm.

She waited another few minutes as she watched Addison twiddle her fingers and Derek looked at her and then out the window. She leaned forward and then said in a serious tone. "I'm sorry but you guys really need to talk or I can't help you. Maybe you don't want help, so you shouldn't be here. However, you are here – so I think you want help. So you need to let me know what is going on. This isn't going to work if you don't talk. A relationship is built on communication. And that is what we are here to fix, your relationship" Meredith heard Derek huff, but he didn't say anything. She waited for someone to say something, anything. She needed them to speak or she would bail on them at least for a few minutes. She couldn't stand the silence.

Addison really wanted to say something but she didn't know what to say. I made love to my husband's best friend over and over for two months until he found us in bed. Now I'm here because I'm scared to lose my husband. Addison couldn't say that. Although it was the truth, she still couldn't say it. Addison didn't believe that Derek did something wrong, he was a great husband. He was always there for her – through the good, the bad, and the ugly. However, he wasn't the love of her life. His best friend was.

Both Addison and her husband watched their counselor stand up and walk out of the room, with a very annoyed look on her face.

Meredith walked out of her office and walked down the hallway, trying to get away from the couple that wouldn't talk. Meredith knew that it was the wrong thing to do, but she couldn't help it. She was dreaming about looking into Derek's eyes as he looked between her and the window. Addison wasn't saying anything. They were there and not doing anything. Meredith didn't like not knowing what to do. Meredith reached into her suit pocket for her cell phone. She quickly pressed the number two and then the call button. She needed to talk to her best friend right now. He usually knew what to do, even if he didn't know what it was like to be in that office.

She waited three rings, when she heard his gruff voice on the other end of the phone. She smiled.

"What?" He said, and Meredith could tell that she woke him up.

"Well good morning sleepy head." She laughed softly…remembering the time, but she didn't mind that. She always called him, waking him up.

"Mer…why the hell are you calling me at eight in the morning?" Mark said, running his hand over his stubble.

"Because I have two clients that aren't talking and I need your help." She waited for him to respond. "I know you aren't a counselor. I know that I have the degree for this, but I need your help." She begged in a voice that she knew always got him.

Mark rolled his eyes. "Fine…how can I help you with YOUR job?" He said leaning against the back of his bed, while he let a laugh leave his lips.

"What do I do? The wife cheated on the husband, and I think the guy she cheated on him with was a very important man to the husband. And they aren't talking. How can I make them talk?" She said, sitting down on a chair as she looked down the hallway watching as the door next to her office opened. At first she was pretty sure that it was her door, but then she noticed her colleague walk out the door. She smiled at him as he smiled at her.

Mark's eyes went wide. This couldn't be the two people in his life that mattered to him, other than Meredith that she was talking about. No…Derek and Addison couldn't be Meredith's patients because then Meredith would find out what he did and then she would most likely not talk to him again. So Mark was going to be optimistic and it was some other couple with something similar to what he was currently in. Plus…Meredith was guessing…she really didn't know if this was the story or not.

"What you should do is just talk. Talk about your life. Talk about your things. Hell, talk about me. Make your patients feel welcome and all that. I bet your patients would start talking after they learned about me. I'm a very important man…" Mark heard Meredith scoff as he was talking and then he continued. "and they would talk after they heard about me." He smirked although she couldn't see it. He knew that she knew that he was smirking. If Derek and Addison were the couple and they heard Meredith talk about him, they would certainly start talking.

"Oh yes…my patients will be all talk after I tell them about my egotistical best friend." She ran her hand over her skirt, smoothing it out. Just like her mind set was smoothing out as she talked about him and just laughed. Mark was always able to make her smile and he helped her when she needed it.

"Then why did you call me?"

"I don't know." She said in the same tone as he gave her, sarcastic.

"Okay since you don't know...I'm going back to sleep." He said, waiting for her to hang up first.

"Fine…I'll see you tonight right?" She asked. It was Friday and they usually went out together. It was their time to just relax and forget about work and just be best friends. It was their time to be together.

"Yes Mer…I promise I will be there."

"Oh and don't go off with any girls this time. I don't want to be alone." She laughed softly.

Mark rolled his eyes. "Fine." He said in a rough tone, but it was playful at the same time.

"Okay thank you. See you tonight Markie-poo." She teased him, using the name that Mark absolutely hated, especially when she used it in public. The thought just made her laugh.

"Bye Meri-Berry." He repeated the name that she didn't like.

Meredith hung up the phone and placed it in her lap and then back down the hallway. She took a deep breath as she stood up. She could do this. She was the best marriage counselor in New York City. Couples came to her all the time, needing her help. Addison and Derek weren't any different. She just needed to go back in there and do her job. She walked over to the door and looked inside. Meredith was surprised to see both Addison and Derek both sitting in their seats. She must have not been gone that long.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to leave. Well that's a lie. I did mean to leave. I just needed a breath of fresh air. The no talking thing is a new thing to me." She laughed as she walked over to her seat and sat down. She looked at her watch, wanting the time.

"Okay…so we have a few more minutes left – and I know that we really haven't spoken that much. So…if you want to talk. Talk…if you don't. I will. I will tell you everything about me. And I'm sure you don't want to hear all of it, but talking is important in this job. So…" She drug her last word out hoping that someone would say something. However, two pairs of eyes looked back at her like they wanted her to talk. But she still waited; Meredith would wait a few minutes. And that's what she did…she waited a few more minutes in silence, then looked back down at her watch. "Well it seems that we don't have that much time to talk about me today…so if you want another appointment – make one with my secretary. I'm sorry that I wasn't that much help. I am better at this…I just hope that you will make another appointment so we can work on your marriage. You two look like you want to work this out…but we need to talk. So, if you want to talk again make an appointment. If you don't, well you still have my cell number so you can call me for anything. Have a good day." Meredith knew that she lied when she told them that they looked like they wanted to work on their relationship, but she was determined to be optimistic, someone had to be in this room. Meredith walked over to the door and smiled at both of them as they grabbed their stuff and Addison made a quick dash out the door.

Meredith took a deep breath as she waited for Derek to walk out the door. He stood up off the chair and walked over to her. The whole time that they were in the room he felt like he could talk to Meredith, however he couldn't talk in front of his wife. He couldn't do anything in front of his wife. He really didn't want to be around her more than he had to be. Meredith was about to hold her hand out to Derek while he stood in front of her.

"I'm sorry Dr. Grey…I just can't talk in front of her. If you knew exactly what she did…you would understand. I can't talk in front of her. I can't look at her without being disgusted." He said honestly as he stood in front of her, looking deeply in her dark green eyes. Her eyes were a new color to him and while he looked at her he fell in love with the color of her eyes. A part of him was telling him that he just wanted to get with Dr. Grey to get revenge on Addison, but Derek really knew it wasn't like that. He wasn't in love with her, but he liked being around her.

"Okay…well you want to just talk one on one?" She asked him while she smiled at him softly. She understood what he meant…okay so maybe she didn't know exactly but she knew from all of her other patients what he meant.

"Yes…that would be great." He admitted.

"Okay you can make an appointment with Maggie and we can talk. However, if you need to talk any other time besides appointments you can call my cell. I'm always available for you." She smiled at him as she held her hand out to him. Derek placed his hand around hers and smiled. There was a connection there.

"What about now? I'm free now. Can we talk now?" Derek shook his head so softly that it wasn't that noticeable. Meredith looked out of her door and noticed one of her most loyal patients walk into the office. She reluctantly looked back at Derek with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry. I'm not available now but I'm available in about two hours."

Derek couldn't believe that he was upset that she couldn't help him now, but she was a very popular counselor so he understood. "Okay…I might come back next week." He stepped away from her and then grabbed his coat off of his arm. "Thank you Dr. Grey for everything you attempted today. I'm sorry Addison and I aren't very good clients." He laughed sourly.

"You can call me Meredith." Derek calling her Dr. Grey sounded a little weird to her. "And you weren't that bad. I've had worse." She laughed softly.

"Okay thank you Meredith" he liked the way her name felt rolling off his tongue, but he wasn't going to say anything about it "and you know you don't have to lie to me."

"I'm not."

"Okay." He smiled not wanting to leave her presence just yet.

"Okay." She said as softly as he did.

"Have a good day Meredith." He said walking out her door, taking one last look at her.

"You too Derek." She watched him leave, and then turned back to her office. She couldn't feel anything for a patient…that was just crazy. And she wasn't even sure if she felt something for Derek. He was just nice, maybe she felt bad for him. He looked like he had been through a lot in his life; maybe they had that in common. There was just a friendly bond there…that's all that was allowed in her job. Although, she wanted to see him again - maybe she just wanted to help him, because that's what she did. She helped people. She didn't like patients in that way.

Okay…so this was my first chapter. I hope you liked it. I have a basic idea about where I'm going…I have ideas for about ten? more chapters. Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome.