Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. They belong to Shonda & co.
A/N: This story is for the awesome Liz (agentaddek) who requested an Addek story and got my inspiration moving. I hope you'll enjoy!
One
It was just another normal morning in Seattle. Derek Shepherd sat on the deck of his trailer, nursing his morning coffee and looking at the beautiful view from his beloved piece of land. Enjoying one of life's little pleasures, and waiting – rather impatiently – for Mark to get there. It had become a daily ritual, when their schedules allowed it. Some days they went fishing, other days they just walked around and talked. About new leaves and dream houses, mostly. It was nothing extraordinary, but Derek appreciated the company. It kept his mind engaged in something other than his own thoughts.
When he was alone – when he had time to think – Derek couldn't help but acknowledge that feeling of disappointment that was becoming bigger every day. It was barely noticeable at first. He began feeling a little less proud of his job, a little less enthusiastic about his land and a little less optimistic about his life. And he brushed it off as a small bump on the road and went on with his life, but those little things kept growing until they occupied his mind every second he was alone with his thoughts. And that was why – while their friendship was still not what it once was – he cherished his morning talks with Mark.
"Hey!" Mark's voice stopped his train of thought, and he returned his greeting with a nod. "Got your mail. You have an actual letter this time."
"An actual letter?" Derek glanced at the pale green envelope for a second before shrugging and grabbing his fishing rod. Fishing and meaningless conversation was the perfect way to start a day. "Well, leave them inside, the fish aren't gonna wait for us."
"I'll leave the rest inside. I think you may wanna read this, though."
Derek gave Mark a questioning look before he walked inside, but he understood what he meant as soon as he looked at the envelope in his hand. He knew that handwriting as if it had been his own. The only question was, why was she writing to him? For a split second, he thought some terrible accident had happened and this was some sort of last letter she wrote to let him know what she really thought of him. It seemed like the only logical explanation for it, and she quickly ripped the envelope open, feeling more worried about her than he cared to admit.
"Happy 40th!
Best wishes from your still young friends,
Addison, Naomi & Sam (+Maya)"
His birthday? It was his birthday. He could hardly believe he'd forgotten his fortieth birthday. It was supposed to be one of those important events in a man's life, and he had completely forgotten. Something was definitely not right if he couldn't even remember his own birthday.
"She all right?" Derek snapped out of the shock when he heard Mark's question. Of course he knew who the letter was from; he knew her handwriting just as well as he did. Maybe a little bit worse... or just as well. He didn't know – or care – anymore. And of course he also thought something terribly wrong had had to happen for her to send him a letter, and was worried just as he'd been. Maybe a little more.
"She's fine. Just wishing me a happy birthday." He handed Mark the card as they started walking towards their favorite fishing spot, and let him read it himself. He knew Mark probably wouldn't believe it – he hardly did, himself – if he couldn't see it with his own eyes.
"A happy...?" He didn't have to look at Mark to know his face was probably showing realization right then. "Shit. Sorry, man. I forgot. You know how I am with this stuff."
He knew, because he was exactly the same. For the past fifteen years, Addison had been the one who reminded them of each other's birthdays. Maybe that's why he'd forgotten his own birthday this year. Because she didn't wake him up with some ridiculous – and often delicious – assortment of breakfast goodies to celebrate. Maybe that was also the reason why he'd forgotten his 39th.
"Don't worry about it. I didn't remember either."
Mark chuckled at that. "You forgot your own birthday? Man, you really are old. In fact, I see some grey hairs over there."
Derek instinctively brought one of his hands to his hair, as if Mark pointing at the area would magically bring in the dreaded grey hairs. "That's funny. You're a very funny man. We'll see how funny you are when you turn forty next month." They way Mark's smirk disappeared from his face was enough to make Derek laugh as they stopped walking and started getting ready to fish.
"The new leaf allows me to age gracefully, unlike other people." Derek laughed again and started fishing, only taking his eyes off the water when Mark handed him back the card. "It was nice of her to send it."
They didn't have to pretend they didn't both think of it as Addison's, no matter how many other names she'd written inside. She'd written it, she'd put the address on it and – if their guesses were correct – she had been the one who remembered. "It was nice, yeah."
They stayed silent for a moment, until Mark spoke again. "It was a cheerful message."
Derek nodded again. "It was." He decided he didn't have to say that it was also fairly distant. Or that that had stung a little bit, just like receiving her birthday wishes grouped with those of their friends. It wasn't important enough to voice it. She wasn't important enough anymore.
"She seems cheerful now. When she came here... she seemed happy and cheerful." Mark said it as if he'd been talking to himself. Still looking at the water, and with a forced nonchalant air about it. And Derek couldn't blame him. She was their taboo topic. The one they avoided as if the mere mention of her name could break the fragile friendship they were still rebuilding. To be honest, Derek was quite sure it could.
"She did."
Derek's dry answer was enough to make Mark drop the subject, and they fell into another silence – less comfortable this time – and focused on fishing instead.
x.x.x
"Good morning, Dell!"
Addison's cheerful greeting startled him enough to jump a little on his seat. His boss had been in this bright and almost bubbly mood for two weeks now, and he couldn't help but find it slightly unsettling. Not that he didn't like this new Addison – she'd let him do more happy paps in two weeks than the old one had in seven months – but he was always waiting for the old Addison to come back as suddenly as she left. He had to admit, all the wondering was more nerve-wrecking – by far – than the actual scary boss.
"Mrs. Hernandez is waiting for you. She's with Pete, getting ready for the holistic water birth she requested."
Addison's right eyebrow arched up ever so slightly at that, and Dell winced in anticipation. If there was something that could bring the old Addison back in all her bitchy glory, that had to be the mention of a holistic water birth. And he was alone with her. Just great.
But the smile didn't leave her face, and she even thanked him when he handed her the file. "A water birth, huh? Well, I'll call you when the baby's ready to come. It'll be good midwifery practice for you."
And, with another bright smile his way, she kept walking, leaving Dell alone with his fears.
x.x.x
Back at the trailer, Derek was grilling the two rainbow trout as Mark pretended to be busy cleaning the fishing supplies. He knew he wasn't good at it, and he knew Derek would re-do the job as soon as he was back from the hospital, but he needed something to do while he tried to find a safe topic to touch.
The card – and its sender – was still present in the air, but he knew it'd be better not to talk about it for now. Not while they were still trying to get their friendship back on its feet.
After a few more silent minutes, and while they ate their fish, Mark finally spoke. "So, forty. Is this where you wanted to be at forty?"
"In my own piece of beautiful land, having the trout I just fished for breakfast and spending some time with an old friend?" And he smiled as he continued. "Sure. This is pretty much where I wanted to be at forty."
"No, I meant..." Mark gestured with his fork as he tried to find the right words. "I meant in your life."
Derek took a moment to think about Mark's question. Was this where he wanted to be in his life at forty? It was, in a way. He was the best at his job. His dream job. He saved lives on a daily basis and was respected by his colleagues. He lived in a nice city, in his own piece of land, knowing he could spend all his free time fishing, barbequing or just being outside. It was exactly what he'd always wanted. But it wasn't enough.
When he thought of himself at forty, he always saw himself surrounded by his family. A wife he loved and who loved him, a few kids to teach how to fish and play catch, and maybe even a dog. He'd always wanted to have the whole package by the time he was forty. He thought he'd be happy. And he wasn't miserable, but he wasn't happy. He couldn't actually remember the last time he'd felt completely happy.
"Not really." And he sighed and left the fork on his plate, the trout not looking so delicious anymore. "No."
Mark nodded and sat back on his chair, looking somewhere between thoughtful and determined. "Me neither."
"Is this your new leaf?" Mark nodded again, staring at his plate as if the trout could give him some advice. "It's one depressing leaf, if you ask me. The old one suited you better."
And Mark half-chuckled and shook his head, letting Derek take the plates inside. The trout really didn't look that appealing anymore.
x.x.x
"Morning, Nae!" Addison walked into the kitchen and went for the refrigerator, the beaming smile never leaving her face. "Violet, good morning."
Violet didn't look up from the file she was reading. "Still happy, I see."
"Healthy baby boy, ten fingers, ten toes and nursing like a champ. And I didn't even have to get my scrubs wet with birthing pool water." She poured herself a glass of juice and leaned against the counter. "I am still very happy."
"Good." Violet nodded to herself, not really paying attention. "Good."
But Naomi didn't agree with her. "Are you gonna tell us what's going on? You've been high on life for two weeks now, it's creepy and you're scaring Dell."
"Nothing's going on, Nae. I told you, I just... found the magic, that's all."
"Oh, come on!" Naomi was starting to lose her patience. Not that she didn't like Addison being this happy – she was glad for her friend – but something about her happiness appearing just when she came back from her lightning visit to Seattle made her think there was something she wasn't telling her. "We both know magic is not enough to turn you into... this."
Addison shook her head, but she couldn't say anything before Violet spoke again. "When magic is a euphemism for sex with a hot man in uniform, it can definitely turn you into that."
"Kevin has nothing to do with it..." Addison let out a quiet giggle at her friends' disbelieving looks. "Okay, maybe he has a little bit to do with it."
"You're giggling, now?" Naomi couldn't believe her eyes. "She's giggling. Violet! You hate happy people, say something to her."
Violet picked up an apple and shrugged at Naomi. "Look at her, she's even more of a crazy now. I like her."
"Come on! I'm not crazy, I'm just happy! I'm being Zen, and LA and happy, what is wrong with that?"
"It's freaking me out!" Naomi used the banana she was peeling to point accusingly at Addison. "You nearly have a nervous breakdown before boarding the plane to Seattle, and you come back being this sugary version of yourself, smiling and working with Pete and teaching Dell and sending birthday cards! Who did you sleep with in Seattle? Was it the lustful intern? Mark? Oh, my God, Addison Forbes Montgomery, was it Derek!?"
"I didn't sleep with anyone, Nae." Addison chuckled to herself, as if the thought was nothing short of ridiculous. "Being back there for a day made me realize I made the right choice. I am now officially too happy and cheerful for Seattle, and I'm very glad to be back home. I am exactly where I want to be at this point in my life."
Addison left the room after shooting them one last bright smile, and Naomi frowned at the banana in her hand, as if it was the reason for her friend being suddenly too happy to be considered sane.
"There's cake in the refrigerator." Naomi's face softened considerably at that, but she cocked her eyebrow at Violet a second later.
"Who baked it?" Better safe than sorry. Her life was confusing enough with Sam and Dell without bringing in the cakes.
"I don't know, a baker I guess. I bought it on my way here." She didn't feel the need to elaborate on the reasons behind that purchase. They both knew Cooper and Charlotte King were better left unmentioned.
"Good." And she took the cake out, feeling the promise of chocolate already lightening her mood.
x.x.x
Scrubbing out of his last surgery of the day, Derek couldn't stop thinking about Mark's question. He wasn't happy. But, more importantly, he was stuck. Everyone around him was moving on, changing and adapting to those changes, but he was exactly where he was when he moved to Seattle. Still dating but not giving it his all. Still alone, because he didn't let anyone get close enough to really feel that change. He was stuck.
Around him, people had obviously changed in the last year. Richard was trying to get his wife back and faced his job with new enthusiasm. Miranda had her new clinic and her new son. Preston was in a new city, earning prestigious awards. Meredith was changing medical history and seeming more and more similar to the old, happier Meredith he met when he moved to Seattle every day. Even Mark, a man who hadn't changed one bit since his hormones went crazy at sixteen, was turning a new leaf. And Derek was stuck.
"Do you remember the last time you were truly happy?"
Mark looked up from the chart he was reading, slightly startled by Derek's sudden appearance. "What?"
"The last time you were completely happy." Derek leaned against Mark's desk. "The last time you felt like your life was going exactly as it should be."
"I don't know..." Mark ran his hand through his hair as he thought about it. "The summer before med school. I had my spot at Columbia, I didn't have to work or study for two months and I could spend every minute of the day chatting up new girls or hanging out with my friends." He smiled at the memory. "That was the last time I felt completely happy."
Derek nodded and stared at the wall, almost as if he was pretending he didn't know Mark was in the room. "I can't remember the last time I felt as if there was nothing I'd change in my life. I don't think I ever did."
It was true. First, it was getting into college, and then into med school. Then having a girlfriend, becoming a doctor, getting married, starting his residency, becoming a neurosurgeon, the head of his service, the best in his field, and then Chief of Surgery. He'd been so busy waiting for each new thing he needed to get the whole package, that he forgot to enjoy what he already had.
"Maybe it's an adult thing, you know? Maybe adults with real lives and real jobs aren't supposed to feel completely happy."
But Mark shook his head at Derek's words. "Adults can be happy too. We just need to change what's keeping us unhappy and move on."
"Why are you so sure?" Truth be told, Mark had never been known for his optimism. It was rather shocking to hear him talk about happiness and hope.
Mark debated whether or not to tell him what was on his mind. His common sense told him to shrug it off, but he had a feeling speaking up could be a good thing to do. "Because she did it, and she's happy."
He didn't need to explain. Derek knew perfectly well who he was talking about, and he had to admit he was making a good point. Addison did seem happy the last time they saw her, and his birthday card only agreed with that. "So... a change?"
Mark nodded at his friend. "A change."
x.x.x
"I'm coming!" Addison half-ran from her couch to the front door, cocking an eyebrow at the sight of Naomi holding a bottle of wine. "If you're here to talk me into going back to my old bitter self, you are wasting your time."
Naomi smiled at her friend. "I'm sorry I've been trying to rain on your parade." She really was. A few days had gone by since their talk in the kitchen, and she'd used them to nag Addison relentlessly about her – in Naomi's opinion – unhealthy happiness. "I believe you when you say you've found the magic, and I bring wine. In the spirit of friendship."
Addison couldn't help but smile – not that it was unusual on her those days – at Naomi, and she stepped aside to let her walk inside. "Get the blankets; I'll go get the glasses."
"So... you and Kevin, huh?" Naomi smirked at her friend as they sat on the deck. "How's that going?"
Addison smiled and handed her a glass. "It's going great, actually. He's mature, sweet, he makes me laugh, he's smart..." Her smile got brighter as she went on, and Naomi found herself smiling with her. "And, let's face it, the man's hot."
Both friends chuckled at that. "He sounds pretty perfect."
"He is." Addison nodded behind her glass. "He's perfect."
"So the thing with Pete is over?" Naomi wanted to make sure this cheerful Addison wasn't just a temporary thing until the big meltdown happened. She loved her friend, but Addison had never been good at making the right choices when it came to the men in her life.
"It's over. We talked about it like the adults we are, realized we're not what each other wants or needs, and decided to be friends."
Naomi nodded and grinned proudly at her friend. "Well, I'm glad you found the magic."
Addison smiled at her. "So am I."
x.x.x
"I've been thinking about what you said the other day."
Mark looked up from his scotch and turned on his stool to give Derek his undivided attention. "I say many things. Insightful things. Which one made you think?"
Derek let out a chuckle at that. "The one about adults needing change to be happy."
"You've been thinking about that since last week?" Mark smirked at him. "You really are getting old."
"Very funny." Derek looked at his glass. "Anyway. I think I do need change. And there's this hospital that's been trying to get me to join their team, so I've decided to accept their offer." He finished his drink and motioned for Joe to bring him another. "New city, new job, new people... I think it'll be good for me."
"You're moving?" Derek nodded as a reply, and Mark stayed silent for a moment. He did think Derek needed change, the man was obviously unhappy, but he didn't think change meant a different city. With both Addison and Derek gone, he'd feel more alone than he cared to admit. "What did the Chief think about that?"
"He wasn't happy." That was the understatement of the year. He distinctly recalled Richard telling him – or yelling at him – to ask Mark and Hahn if they wanted to leave as well so he could be the only attending in the hospital. "But he understands." At least he thinks he did. He hoped so.
"So what happens with you and Grey? I thought that was what you wanted." He wasn't the only one who thought so. McDreamy and Grey seemed to be the mascots of the hospital, for some reason Mark couldn't exactly understand. He thought golden couples were supposed to be... well, couples.
"Meredith and I... we need distance." In the few days he'd spent thinking about happiness and ways to find it, he'd realized working together wasn't helping with his and Meredith's. They didn't work out as a couple, and they'd never really been away from each other. They kept each other around, in some sort of middle ground between together and apart, and neither of them could move forward.
He'd be lying if he said he didn't love Meredith. He did. But he loved her with conditions. He loved her but needed her to give him more. He loved her but needed her to change. And he realized he'd been selfish when he asked her to change when he had no intention whatsoever to do the same. Derek loved her enough to realize she deserved to be loved unconditionally.
"And she agrees with that?"
Derek nodded behind his glass. "I don't make her happy. She doesn't make me happy. We both know it's best for us to have some time apart to be able to move on." The talk with Meredith had been surprisingly calmed, adult and almost painless. She really was trying to move forward.
"Wow, you and Grey behaving like adults? That's new."
Derek chuckled at that. "Moving is already paying off."
"And what about Rose? Was she also happy to hear the news?" It was his last – and desperate – shot at trying to make him stay. If Grey hadn't been enough, he doubted his rebound nurse would be, but he figured he had nothing to lose.
"No. Rose... definitely wasn't happy." The talk with Rose had been all but painless. He knew he'd used her, but seeing her say it out loud had been surprisingly painful for him. So much for being the always perfect McDreamy. "But she understood. I think."
"Well." Mark raised his glass and tried to sound as cheerful as possible. "I hope you'll find what you're looking for."
Derek smiled and did the same. "So do I."
x.x.x
"So I'll pick you up for lunch?"
Addison nodded, her broad smile matching Kevin's. "I had a great time last night... and this morning. Thanks. Again. For... everything."
Kevin smirked at that. "Oh, thank you. For everything." And the way he said that last word made Addison giggle slightly before taking a step back out of the elevator.
"See you at lunch." She turned around to leave, but she couldn't start walking away before she heard Kevin's voice behind her.
"Addison?" She turned to face him with a smile that only got wider when he placed a small kiss on her lips. "Have a nice day, doctor."
"You too, officer." She watched the doors of the elevator close between them before joining her co-workers at Dell's desk. "Good morning, everyone!"
"That was... very inappropriate." The tone in which Violet said it made Addison think inappropriate was code for disgusting.
"Well, I think it was sweet." Addison smiled gratefully at Cooper, but Violet glared at him.
"Well, of course you would think so." And she grabbed her coffee – and a box that looked suspiciously like it had a cake inside – and turned around, walking briskly towards her office.
Cooper sighed and went back to the file he was reading. "She's not very happy about me and Charlotte." Addison nodded and tried to think of something to say, but thankfully for her Cooper kept talking without waiting for an answer. "Anyway, if you have a moment later I'd like you to take a look at one of my patients. He's three months old and I think he may need surgery."
Addison took the file from him. "Sure. I'll go by your office as soon as I'm finished with Kathleen."
"Thanks." Cooper smiled at her. "And I still think it was sweet."
Addison chuckled and started walking towards her office. "I think so, too."
x.x.x
"So you really are leaving." Mark put the last of Derek's suitcases in the car while Derek locked the trailer.
"I really am leaving." With one last look at the trailer that had been his home for the last year and a half, he walked towards the car and held the keys out for Mark. "You sure you don't want it?"
Mark shook his head. "And go back to having to think of what to eat? I love the hotel life."
Derek chuckled and put the keys in his pocket. "Well, feel free to stop by and fish whenever you feel like it." But he suspected Mark only put up with the great outdoors for their friendship's sake.
"You still haven't told me where you're going to live."
"In a hotel, for now." Mark gave him a look. "In Los Angeles. I'm moving to Los Angeles."
"Los Angeles? You know she lives there, right?" Mark was pretty sure the city where Addison lived was the last place Derek should be moving to to get a fresh start.
"I know. But it's a big city and she has nothing to do with the hospital where I'll be working." At Mark's questioning look, Derek shrugged slightly. "I may have googled her last night."
Mark couldn't help but laugh. "You googled your ex-wife? That's very... stalkerish of you."
"I just did it to make sure I won't be running into her. This is a fresh start. No ex-anything allowed." Derek looked at his watch. "Anyway, I have to get going. My new Chief made sure I understood how important it is for me to be at the hospital tomorrow morning for my first day."
After an awkward pause, they shared a friendly hug, both of them realizing they were Mark and Derek once again. "Take care, man."
Derek smiled at him as he started the engine. "You too."
x.x.x
"What did you think?" Addison jumped slightly, not expecting Cooper to be waiting for her by his office's door.
"Brady's gonna need surgery. I talked to the parents and they gave their consent, so we just need to talk to Charlotte and let her know we're transferring him to St. Ambrose's."
Cooper nodded at her words. "I'll talk to her. He's my patient, so I'd rather handle it myself."
"All right." She smiled at him and put on her coat. "Let me know how it went when the surgery's over."
"Wait... you're not gonna go in?"
Addison shook her head. "I'm not in the surgical team. I'd love to scrub in, but I'm here as an OB/GYN."
"The parents want you in the case, though. They told me they googled you and are very impressed."
"Well, I am an impressive woman." They both chuckled at that. "All right, if Charlotte doesn't have a problem, you can count me in."
"I'll talk to her." Addison nodded and thanked him before walking towards the elevator. "I'd appreciate it if you returned the favor by putting in a word for me at the police department. Some traffic tickets I'd like to see disappearing."
She laughed and pressed the elevator button. "I'll see what I can do."
x.x.x
"I'm coming! I'm co..." Sam stopped mid-sentence when he opened the door and saw who was on the other side. "Derek? What are you...?"
"Sam. It's been a long time; it's so good to see you." He shook Sam's hand – that had gone limp with the shock – and smiled at him, waiting for him to say something.
"Hi... hey! Derek. Derek Shepherd! It's... definitely been a long time." He snapped out of the shock and stepped aside so he could walk in. "Come on in, man. How have you been? Want something to drink?"
"Beer?" Derek looked around the apartment as he followed Sam to the kitchen. He had a nice place; he had to admit Sam's bachelor beach house kicked his bachelor trailer's ass. "You have a beautiful place here. I heard about you and Nae, by the way, how are you two doing?"
"We're doing good. Good." He could only assume he'd heard it from Addison, but he didn't know exactly how much she'd told him.
"I'm glad to hear that." Sam nodded while he grabbed two beers from the refrigerator, and Derek smirked when he saw what could only be described as a very sexy woman performing a not-so-sexy naked dance behind the next house's curtains. "Nice view you have here, by the way."
"Yeah, it's..." Sam almost dropped the beers when he realized what Derek was looking at. "It's a very nice view. Let's go to the living room, shall we?"
But Derek was still looking at the silhouette in front of him. If he didn't know better, he said it was... No, it couldn't be. She didn't dance around the house, let alone naked. But it really did look like... "You're gonna think I'm crazy, but is that...?"
Sam practically dragged him to the couch, not letting him finish his question. "So! What brings you here? To LA? I thought you were in Seattle, not... here."
"I was." Derek opened his beer and smiled at Sam. "I thought I'd drop by and thank you for the card. It was nice of you. All of you."
"Well, you're... definitely welcome." He vaguely remembered Naomi telling him something about Addison and a birthday card. "But a call would have been fine; you didn't have to come all the way here to thank me."
Derek chuckled at that. "I've accepted a job in town. I needed a change and I figured LA could be a nice place to live."
Sam choked a little on his beer. Derek lived here now? Did Addison know? He figured he didn't. He also figured this was the end of bubbly Addison. "It is a nice place. Very nice place. Change is also very nice... you know Addie lives here, right?"
"I know." Derek finished his beer before continuing. "I won't go anywhere near your practice, though. I'm here for a fresh start. I don't want to be on her way, I just want a new life in a new city, that's all."
"All, right, well, looks like you have it all planned out." They both chuckled – Sam more nervously than Derek – and Sam glanced at his watch. Naomi would be there soon, and it wouldn't be pretty if she saw Derek in his living room. "Listen, I hate to cut this short, but I'm expecting someone, and..."
Derek smirked and winked at him. "I see, don't worry about it. I have a surgery first thing tomorrow according to my new Chief, so I should go get some rest."
"Great." Sam led him to the door. "We'll definitely have a drink tomorrow night, though. To catch up?"
"Sure" Derek smiled and shook his hand again. "It's really good to see you again, Sam."
"Good to see you too."
x.x.x
"Montgomery. Are you sure you're not too soft for the OR after all this time with the quackery?"
Addison smiled at Charlotte and finished scrubbing her hands. She'd missed the OR. C-sections weren't the same as operating on a baby's brain. "I'll be just fine. I appreciate your concern, though."
"I'm only concerned about my hospital. By the way, our new neurosurgeon just signed his contract; he'll be working with you today. He's supposed to be the best there is."
Addison tied up her mask and chuckled to herself. "I know someone who'd be very pissed off if he heard you calling someone else the best neuro..." She stopped mid-sentence to stare at the person who'd just walked into the scrub room.
"Dr. Shepherd, it's good to see you again. I've just sent a copy of your contract to your office." She nodded at Addison. "This is Dr. Montgomery, the neonatal surgeon who'll be working with you today. I was just telling her about you joining our team."
After a few moments of staring at her eyes – the only thing he could see thanks to the mask – he finally realized why they looked so familiar. "Addison."
"Oh, you know each other?"
Addison glared at Derek. "Vaguely." She couldn't believe he was now working in her Los Angeles. Her city. "I'm all done here. I'll see you in the OR, Dr. Shepherd."
Derek could only nod, still too shocked to speak. "Well, I have a hospital to run, so I'll see you after the surgery. Good luck, doctor. It's good to have you with us."
x.x.x
"Do you think we should tell her?" Naomi looked worriedly at her friend from the gallery. Just when she was beginning to like this new and smilier version of Addison...
"I don't think so." Sam massaged his head, which'd started to hurt after hours of talking about Derek. "I mean, he did say he didn't want to see her, so we shouldn't worry her for nothing."
"Worry who?" Cooper sat down next to Sam and took a sip of his coffee.
"Addison's ex-husband is in town."
"Addison has an ex-husband? Why didn't we know that?"
"She doesn't like to talk about him." Naomi cocked her eyebrow at Cooper then. "What are you doing here?"
"Brady is my patient." He pointed at Derek, who'd just entered the OR. "And I wanted to see this. See that guy? He's new here, the best neurosurgeon in the country, according to Charlotte. I can't remember his name."
Naomi shot up from her seat and pressed her face to the glass in front of her to take a better look. "Derek Christopher Shepherd."
"Shepherd! Yeah, that's him. You know him?"
"Well." Sam sighed and rubbed his temples. "I guess we won't need to tell her, after all."
x.x.x
"Ready to start, Dr. Montgomery?"
Addison didn't look at Derek. "Ten blade."
They didn't talk to each other for the first hour of the surgery. They were both good enough at their jobs to be able to work together without giving each other any indications. Addison broke the silence a few minutes later, without taking her eyes off their patient. "What are you doing here? Haven't I been punished enough?"
"This has nothing to do with you, Addison. I just needed a change of scenery."
"A change of scenery?" Addison let out an indignant sound. "This is my scenery. You made it perfectly clear that yours has rainbow trout and poison oak all over it, and my scenery has white sand and beautiful people. You can't use my scenery."
"Don't be ridiculous." Addison shot him a killer look. "Look, I didn't even want to see you, all right? I came here because I was offered a job and I figured the change would be good for me. I didn't know you worked here, it didn't say it on the internet!"
"I don't. And you googled me!? What kind of sick man googles his ex-wife?"
"A man who doesn't want to see his ex-wife and just wants a fresh start!"
"Well, you can't get a fresh start here." Addison shook her head. "I live here. This is my area, you said you just wanted Seattle and you had Seattle, you don't get to come here with your hair and your memories and talk about fresh starts!"
"What does my hair have to do with it!?"
"Your hair is a part of you!" Addison took a deep breath. "You, Derek. You. The man who I cheated on, the one who cheated on me. You and your hair and your memories of adultery can't be in my life anymore."
"Can we please drop this until after the surgery?" Derek looked at the baby on the table. "I have this baby's brain open here, and I don't want all our adultery and bitterness leaking inside."
"What!? What are you talking about?"
"Stevens." Derek cleared his throat, slightly ashamed of himself. "She has a theory."
"Don't." Addison shook her head. "See? You get here and you take the whole city of Seattle with you." She sighed and looked at the patient again. "We'll finish this conversation later."
"Thank you."
x.x.x
"Listen, Addison, I..."
But Addison cut him off as she dried her hands. In the three hours of surgery, she'd had plenty of time to think about the fact that he was now apparently living in LA. "No, you listen to me. I've moved on. I'm Zen. I'm LA. I'm happy. And I will not let you ruin that. We can peacefully co-exist in the same city. You'll stick to your hospital, I'll stick to my practice, and we'll co-exist. I can keep my new life, my new friends and my new... magic, and you can get your new scenery away from all that."
"All right." She nodded at him and moved to exit the scrub room, but he stopped her before she reached the door. "Addison? I really didn't think I'd see you. I honestly don't want to mess with all those new things of yours; I'm just trying to find mine."
"I appreciate that." And she half-smiled at him before walking out, almost bumping into Charlotte when she came in.
"Beautiful work, Dr. Shepherd. You'll be a great match with St. Ambrose's."
Derek smiled and shook her hand. "Thank you, Dr. King. I hope I will be."