Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me. I just like to play with them.

A/N: This scene popped into my head after the episode Into You Like A Train so I thought I'd post it here. It's a continuation of the conversation between Addison & Izzie about how important it was for Izzie to hate Addison.

It's just my interpretation of the characters but I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 1

Addison was being a coward. And she knew it. But how much more could she realistically be expected to take? It was bad enough that her marriage was falling apart, and it was mostly her fault. And that Derek was barely speaking to her. And that he was calling her Satan. Satan. But did the whole hospital need to know? All day, every day she noticed the sidelong glances as she walked by and the way conversations ground to a halt every time she walked into the room. She'd heard the whispers and the nicknames.

So was it really any wonder then that she was hiding out in an on-call room, pretending to be resting while things were slow but really just needing a few minutes to collect and compose herself? It was exhausting, being witty and blase. Playing the part of the wicked witch of the East and pretending none of it got to her. She'd done her residency at one of Manhattan's busiest hospitals. Had worked 60 hour shifts, guided women through 36 hour labours and done 20 hour surgeries but one shift at Seattle Grace and she was bone tired exhausted.

Closing her eyes she stretched out as much as possible on the lumpy mattress and tried to ignore the aching pain behind her eyes and the tightness in her chest.

There was a squeak of shoes just outside the door and Addison tensed, waiting. The doorknob jiggled and started to turn. Biting back a groan she turned her head to see who it was coming in. The door squeaked open and Izzie Stevens slipped through. Addison didn't know whether to be annoyed or relieved. Stevens was one of Meredith's friends, so her dislike for Addison was automatic. Which Addison could appreciate. If you weren't loyal to your friends, what kind of friend were you? But at the same time, she didn't sense the same degree of judgement and distate from Stevens that radiated from the other interns.

Stevens took two steps into the room and halted as she caught site of Addison. "H..Hey. Dr. Shephard."

"Dr. Stevens." She inclined her head in the interns direction then turned her attention back to the metal framework of the bunk above hers.

"I don't. Hate you," Stevens said, her voice so soft it was barely audible.

Addison turned her head.

"Meredith is my friend. And what she's going through right now sucks. It really, seriously, sucks but I don't hate you. Even she doesn't hate you. Not really. Even though she wants to, she doesn't. And I'm not just saying this to advance my career because I don't know what specialty I'd like to go into but I enjoyed working with you today and I'd like to spend more time on your service. If you'll have me." Having said her piece, Stevens climbed up onto the top bunk and settled there, leaving Addison staring into the space she'd vacated.

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips.