Author's Note – I started this a few months ago, but made some revisions so I'm redoing it. This is my second Grey's fic and I didn't even finish the first one. Updates will be sporadic so please stay with me. By the way, I obviously don't own anyone! Happy reading!

C H A P T E R O N E

Plane rides had never been worrisome for Addison Montgomery-Shepherd, even when they were delayed and she would end up missing her connecting flight. She was normally calm and collected from takeoff until the landing. But this plane ride was completely different.

Addison wrung her hands tightly together in her lap, causing her knuckles to turn faintly white. Her stiletto-worn foot tapped repetitively as she stared over the man to her right and out the dirty airplane window with discontent. She would occasionally glance around to make sure no one was attempting to bother her without her noticing it.

She was not afraid of crashing. She was not afraid of poor weather conditions causing the plane to circle the air for hours before landing. She was not afraid of getting her elbow bumped by the flight attendant wheeling the drink cart down the aisle. No, Addison was afraid of seeing Derek Shepherd, her husband.

The last time Addison had seen Derek she had been begging him not to leave New York to move to Seattle. Her cheeks had been stained with salty tears and black eyeliner, her hair swept up in knots and her voice hoarse from crying and fighting. He had said such harsh words to her, arguing his point for leaving. And Addison was the first to admit it; he had a pretty damn good point.

The plane did indeed land safely in the Seattle Airport and Addison was forced to step off the plane to the grounds of the wet and dreary city in Washington. She wrestled with the idea of going straight to Seattle Grace Hospital to find Dr. Derek Shepherd before checking into her hotel room, but remembering that she needed a place to put her luggage, Addison caved in and took a ferryboat to her hotel first.

Wasting no time at the hotel, Addison quickly checked into her room, hung up her necessary clothing items on hangers and coated her face with a tad of refresher makeup that had with no doubt been tampered due to her travels. Once Addison was ready to go, she headed to Seattle Grace.

Addison wasn't entirely sure that Derek was working at 9pm on a Friday night, but seeing as Addison had to go to the hospital anyways to meet with Chief of Surgery Richard Webber about a case, it couldn't hurt to go to the hospital then. Chief Webber was most likely not up for visitors at that time of night, but it would be her excuse for her being at Derek's place of work as soon as she reached the city, Addison decided.

The doors to Seattle Grace Hospital slid open in front of her before Addison was ready to enter the building. The lobby was larger than Addison remembered. And whiter. Colder, even. Maybe even a little intimidating?

Addison ran her fingers over the lines on her purse nervously, twisting her head back and forth in search of the other Dr. Shepherd, besides herself of course. Few potted plants lined the floor, a dozen tables were scattered around and a large staircase was positioned in the center of the main room of the hospital. To the left of the entrance was the reception desk and just as Addison turned to ask the receptionist of Derek was working, she saw him.

His hair was longer than the last time she had seen him. Other than that, he was the same old Derek. Same warm eyes, perfect cheekbone structure and that heart-melting smile that made Addison's knees wobble since the day she met him in medical school.

"Addison…what are you doing here?" Derek asked, obviously surprised to see his wife in his new environment.

"Well, you would have known if you had bothered to return any one of my phone calls," Addison stated rather coolly and tried to sound more confident than she really was. "Your hair is different.

Derek sighed, looking exhausted. "A lot of things are different."

"It's longer," Addison noted, stating the first thing she had noticed when she saw him. "I like it. It's very…Russell Crowe."

"What are you doing here?" Derek asked again, more aggravated this time.

"What are you doing here?" Addison asked Derek, her tone growing antsier to match Derek's. "You just pick up and leave everything: your house, your practice, your friends. You had a life in Manhattan."

"Had."

Addison clamped her purse more tightly against her body. Her patience was wearing. She knew it wasn't going to be easy talking to the man to whom she had given everything for so long and then broke his heart.

Derek spoke again. "If you came here to win me back, you can forget about it."

"I did," Addison said, attempting to sound sarcastic. "I flew all the way across the country to reminisce over wedding photos, get drunk, fall into bed and make you realize you can't live without me." She paused to take a deep breath. "Relax, Derek. I'm here for work. I'm helping the T.T.T.S. case you guys admitted last week. And after Richard's briefing—"

Addison continued talking as Derek's expression changed from annoyed to angry and confused. "Richard knew you were coming out here?" He interrupted.

"He asked me to come," Addison told him. "Didn't he tell you?"

"No, he didn't."

"Hm, well, surprised," Addison said with a fake surprised tone. She leaned closer and whispered in his ear. "The hair thing, though. You know I've always had a thing for Russell Crowe."

And with that last lingering statement, Addison turned and walked away. She hoped that that last comment would make Derek remember – even if it were only for a second – the sexy, seductive Addison that Derek Shepherd had fallen in love with so many years ago.