Step by Step

Spoiler: End of Season 2

Disclaimer: Not mine!

A/N: Not sure if it's gonna be an Addek, guess it's going to be a suprise :D Reviews are always welcome

Step by Step - Prologue

Tonight she would be sleeping in the on call room in the hospital, because she had nowhere to go. She couldn't go back to the trailer. She couldn't look at Derek ever again. Not after this night.

She had known as soon as she had seen him and Meredith. Her heart had broken the second when she had seen him glance at Meredith. That's why she had followed Richard. Richard hadn't seen the glances this evening, so there was no way that he would want to speak about that. She wanted to avoid that topic as long as possible. God, she was no better than Derek. Running away from her problems and not facing them. Addison sighed and turned around there was no way that she would be able to sleep at the moment. She stood up to get herself a glass of water. She longed for a drink, but she wouldn't drown her sorrow in alcohol. No, Addison was too proud to do things like that.

She lay down again, but the sleep wouldn't come. All she could see when she closed her eyes were Derek and Meredith. Meredith and Derek. She knew exactly what had happened in that room, while she and Finn had both been waiting for their lovers to come back.

The doors of the on call room opened and Callie Torres came into the room. "Dr. Shepherd, I thought you'd have gone home."

Home? She didn't have any home. It seemed that everyone in this hospital knew her name.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Callie Torres, orthopedics. I was looking for Dr. O'Malley."

"O'Malley's not here." She was just turning around when she saw Callie come nearer. Addison raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you somehow?"

"You seem tired, Dr. Shepherd. You should go home."

"To that damn trailer? The love shack of my bastard of husband?"

Callie was shocked. "You … you know what happened?"

Addison snorted. "I am not blind and certainly not dumb. I just had to look at him and see it. It was written all over his face. I didn't even have to look at her, to see her avoiding his gaze. I know the signs, Dr. Torres."

Callie sighed. She felt sorry for the redheaded doctor. "You can crash on my couch if you want. It's far more comfortable then those beds, I think." She smiled softly at Addison and waited patiently for an answer.

They were not even friends, but Addison admired Callie for her helpfulness. "Thank you."

They went past the room, where Derek had slept with Meredith. Addison turned to look through the opened door. No sign of anything that could hint to the lovemaking that had happened there only a few hours ago. No sign, but a little black slip.

"You shouldn't do this to yourself Dr. Shepherd." Callie warned the older woman and tried to lead her away.

"I have to. I want to know why."

"You won't find the answer in this room."

Addison hung her head. She hadn't even cried now. She had promised herself to stay strong. But it wasn't as easy as it should be. Their marriage had been over for so long now, but she hadn't seen it, or wanted to see it. "I know. I … just … there's her slip." She pointed at the black little thing, lying under the barrow. She picked it up and looked at it. Then she looked at Callie. "Is it because she's thinner than me? Or because her being smaller than me?"

Callie didn't answer. It was not her place to do so.

"I should've never come to Seattle. I came her and destroyed their relationship, like Godzilla."

"You're certainly not Godzilla."

"But Satan." Addie said. She put the panties in her purse. She would give them to Derek tomorrow. The same moment when she would give him the signed divorce papers.