Disclaimer: None of it's mine, except for Patrick Dempsey. grin

Rating: Ugh, a gross G because G-rated stuff is nowhere near as yummy as R rated stuff.

A/N: Dedicated to Ashley for some angst and something to read. : D

Cleansing

Pristine, Meredith thought. She looked pristine with her perfectly formed curling-iron ringlets that shimmered a flawless red, with her large and wide eyes decorated skillfully with the right hue, her lips painted a suiting red, and her naturally pallid face that was unbroken despite the situation she was in. The finger pointing at her was manicured and Meredith wondered if the woman had ever done a day of hard work in her life with her unscarred hand that was a little less delicate than her own but still nonetheless feminine. Yes, she realized, this had to be Derek's wife because she was physically flawless and immaculate. This was the kind of woman Derek wanted: a stay at home wife to look after the kids, that came to his work functions and was the spitting imagine of what a wife should look like. Oh yes, she was nothing like the red-haired woman in front of her, whose eyes were glaring at her husband with ferocity.

"Meredith..." Derek said, clearly dumbstruck much like she was. "This is my wife, Addison."

There was smug smirk on the woman's face and a you-dirty-tramp look in her eyes. "Nice to meet you, Meredith."

Meredith's focus was fixated on the hand was outstretched, waiting to be shaken. Her mouth was slightly agape and all she could do was just stare up from the feminine hand to Derek, who she could tell in his mind was pleading for her to understand and forgive her.

"I...can't, Derek," she said stuttering, finally finding words.

It was then that she quickly escaped the awkward moment by hastily making a break for the sliding entrance doors. Behind her, she heard her name being called but she wisely ignored it and ran out into the rain that pelted down on her. Before she even made it to the end of the walkway, she broke down into tears and stopped running.

Within minutes, she was drenched to the bone but it hardly mattered. Her knees hit the concrete when they give in from under her. Leaning forward, bracing herself with her hands on the wet ground in front of her, Meredith cried out her frustration and lack of comprehension. The denial was slowly diminishing. She'd seen the wedding band on Addison's hand, seen the look of utter shock on Derek's face, and Meredith started to wonder how she hadn't suspected anything before. His pager would always go off and sometimes he ignored it. He kept to himself, always keep her an arm's length away so she didn't find out too much but still know enough.

When strong, masculine hands grasped her arms, trying to lift her up off of the ground, Meredith struggled and desperately fought off the attempt.

"Let go of me!" she exclaimed, trying to fight with her futile fists.

"Stop it, Meredith. Stop fighting me," Derek said softly into her ear, holding her to his chest while she pounded on it with her closed hands. "It's all right, baby. It's all right."

Meredith gave up and succumbed. He felt her relinquish and when she did, he sighed, kissing her head and then catching her when it took too much effort for her to stand. He looked behind him, searching for somewhere where he could sit her down since the car was probably too far away and Addison was still in the lobby, on her cell phone. Seeing a wooden bench a couple of yards away, Derek carried her like a prince would his princess. He sat her down first and then quickly took place beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders so she could continue to cry into his chest.

"Why, Derek? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think I would have to," was his simple yet honest reply.

"Of course you would! You didn't think that I was going to find out somehow in the future?"

He shook his head as he stroked her sopping wet hair.

"No, I didn't. I filed for divorce last Friday. My lawyer just mailed the papers the day before yesterday."

"Doesn't look like she'll get them," Meredith whispered, sitting up straight and wiping her eyes with the heel of her hand.

"Oh, no, she did. I sent them express. That's why she's here."

"Oh." She paused, looking into his crystal blue eyes. "That still doesn't make any of this all right, Derek."

"I know."

"I don't know what to do with you now."

"What's there to do? I'm divorcing her."

"But you lied to me. You lied to her. She didn't deserve that and neither did I."

"No, she deserved it."

"I doubt it."

"I found her in our marital bed with my best friend, Meredith. I think she deserves a lot worse than divorce papers."

Standing up, Meredith looked at the hospital, seeing Derek's wife watching them from inside. She knew that Derek had been too perfect, only she thought that when she found his flaw that it wouldn't be something as earth shattering as this.

"I'm going home," she stated, continuing to look at the hospital before she glanced at Derek, who was beginning to get up.

"Let me take you," he offered, silently imploring.

"Derek, you need to go talk to your wife."

"Addison isn't my wife, Meredith."

"Yes, Derek," Meredith said firmly, taking a step backwards when he advanced, "she is."

He stopped dead in his tracks and frowned at her, his mouth slightly parted. Somehow, he was getting the impression that he wasn't going to be seeing Meredith anymore, or at least not for a very long time. His heart started to break at that thought of not being with her anymore, not waking up next to her in the mornings, or not smelling the lavender in her hair. It saddened him to think that he had ruined everything when he never meant to. He never meant to hurt her, not anyone; maybe Addison though. Losing Meredith would be losing a piece of himself that she had awakened. He was prepared to let her go so easily.

"Meredith, I'm not finished with you," he said, confused.

"Well, Derek, I'm finished with you."

Slowly, she turned away after giving the hospital, Addison, one last hard look. The rain continued to assault her body but she soon realized that it was cleansing her more than anything.