Late Night Calling

Rating: K+

Pairing: Addison and Derek

Spoilers: The last moments for Derek in 2x03. Both kisses mentioned.

Summary: Derek makes a surprising visit after both of the women in his life kiss him.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Derek sighed.

He really had no clue what he was doing. There was no easy explanation for why he was standing outside of that door about to knock. He could speculate that it was out of anger, fear, or maybe it was out of desperation. All of those theories were fantastic when used to hide the simple fact that they were anything but true.

Sure, he felt all of those things.

He was angry. Derek had every right to be angry.

But it wasn't why he was there.

He was fearful of so many things he could not count them all.

But it wasn't why he was there.

He was also desperate to make all of the memories, thoughts, and feelings disappear.

But it wasn't why he was there.

Derek was standing outside her hotel room door because of his deep dark secret. It was that he knew she was right about pretty much everything. One would think that after fifteen years together that he would have learned she was always right. But when there was three thousand miles of space between them he could ignore that she existed at all. So she was neither right nor wrong if she was not in existence.

That was not so easy when they were in the same city. Not easy when she was in the same hospital, and it was not easy when his feet took control and guided him up to the NICU just to see if she was around. It was impossible to pretend she did not exist when her soft lips had touched his and it was uneasy to dispel the weird feeling of guilt he felt when Meredith had kissed him at the entrance to the hospital a short time later.

That led him back to his original problem.

Derek knew that he was there because he wanted to be. Derek knew that he was there because he had missed her so damn much. He was there because he was her husband, and she was his wife and there was really no other place that he belonged.

He sighed again, and raised his hand to knock.

Only a few moments later the door opened to reveal her. Addison was dressed in a light blue thin cotton robe with her hair pulled back off of her face. She furrowed her eyebrows at him, and opened the door further.

"Derek?"

He nodded, "Yep."

She shook her head, "What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?" He asked and for some reason he was scared that she would shut him out. She might reject him.

Addison smiled slightly, and stepped aside to let him enter. He walked into the plush hotel suite. The walls were a calming off white, as were the sheets, pillows, flowers, and chairs. They were only accented by the gold features scattered around the room, totally Manhattan.

It was totally her and him too.

Derek turned around in time to see Addison close the door. He was not sure what compelled him to do it but by the time she moved to step into the room, he had invaded her personal space. She was so close that their noses brushed, and one of her hands was on his chest.

"Derek?"

He slowly pushed back until Addison was up against the door. Derek put one hand on the door behind her head, and the other on her waist as he brushed his nose against hers. He moved her lips closer to his but teased her only… never committing to anything.

"What—what you do if I kissed you, right now?"

She inhaled slowly, and stared at him. "Kiss you back."

It was the only encouragement he required before he slowly pulled her into a kiss. Just like every other time they kissed, Derek felt something inside of him click into place. It could be put into so many cliché terms, he knew. Love of his life. All of those could apply.

But basically, Derek loved her.

Addison sighed against his mouth as he pulled back and stepped away from her, out of her personal circle. She opened her eyes and stared into his, he never broke the gaze.

"What are you doing here?" She asked softly.

Derek shook his head a little and turned around to the room. "I am not really sure."

He walked toward the huge picture window, and gazed out at the sparkling city lights of Seattle. At times like this he could imagine that he was back at home. On an island, surrounded by water, with the city all light up. It was his home for so many reasons.

Addison moved closer to the bed, and stood by the end as she watched him. The fleece jacket he wore was wet from the slight drizzle the city was being blanketed under. His jeans were old, and not new to his "new" laid back lifestyle of SGH.

It comforted her to know that not everything had changed, although he was no longer the polished, and primped-always wears a tie and jacket surgeon of NYC. He was still the guy that wore his favorite jeans with the grass stain on the knee as much as he could as often as he could because he loved them so much. Derek hadn't left all of his life behind.

She saw the weight of their situation weighing on his shoulders as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. It was a sure sign of his more distressing thoughts.

"Meredith kissed me." Derek whispered.

Her throat constricted on her.

Addison tried not to be shocked. She knew they had had a relationship of some sort. She tried her hardest not to feel jealous. It was really not her right to feel that way after what she had done. She tried really hard to be sensible, and understanding. But she failed horribly. Addison felt a wave of envy and anger rush through her at the knowledge that that intern had dared to kiss her husband.

"Oh," Was all that she could say. She had no real standing to be upset but she was. So it might be best to keep quiet.

"And—and I felt like I was cheating on you." Derek turned around and looked into her eyes.

He saw confusion in her blue orbs.

"All of a sudden, I wasn't this single guy trying to move on with his life. I was a married man, with a wife upstairs and there was no reason another woman should be able to kiss me. All of a sudden Meredith had no right to kiss me like a boyfriend."

Addison nodded and stayed silent but felt the jealous tension leave her body. Although, it still stung to hear another woman considered the young woman had considered her Derek, her boyfriend.

"I guess… I am here because this is our marriage. I want it more than anything."

Derek shrugged, "It won't be easy. It won't come quickly. I am angry, hurt, betrayed, and pissed off."

She nodded because there was nothing she could say to that. And really there was nothing she wanted to say to it either.

He walked back toward her and stood toe to toe with her. She could tell he was tired but from what she wasn't quite sure. Still, he mesmerized her. Addison never imagined her future without him in it. She was happy that despite her actions she might not have to do that.

Derek brought up one hand and ran a hand under her chin. His thumb traced a path across her cheek as he sighed but his lips turned up in a slight smile.

"I am still your husband."

She smiled in return as he let his hand fall to his side. Derek looked around awkwardly and started toward the door. Addison watched him the whole way and when his hand touched the door knob she called out.

He turned.

"I am still your wife."

Derek smiled as he opened the door. "Good to know."

The door shut with a click, and Addison was left alone in her empty hotel room. But for the first time since arriving in Seattle, she felt like she belonged and was wanted.

As she sat down on the bed and wrapped the covers over her legs she knew that she had the one thing she had been missing for months.

Hope.

End.

Please Review.