Title: How Far We've Come

Authors: Sara And Lizzie

Rating: T for language, mild sex

Disclaimer: Not ours, not ours, not ours.

Summary: Three years after the season three finale, Addison is fully entrenched in LA life. She has everything there: a boyfriend, best friends and a private practice. She's cut all ties to Seattle, until Meredith, terrified at her engagement to Derek, his flirtation with her sister and her attraction to a certain steamy surgeon, joins her practice. Can Addison help Meredith figure out what she really wants before it's too late?

Author's Note: We have two new fics coming out. This one and "Let The Angels Commit" which should be up next week, but we'll also be updating our other ones far more regularly. Promise.

REVIEW.

Can you tell me what my life is gonna mean if it's gone?

Meredith stared at Addison, and Addison stared at Meredith, unsure of what she felt. Her anger at Meredith had long since faded, but Los Angeles was her sanctuary. Her sunny, beachside oasis where all of the hurt, rain and confusion of Seattle faded into a distant memory, somewhere above the palm fronds. Only now, the torment of Seattle was staring her in the face.

Addison felt the anger rise inside of her, but forced herself to look at Meredith. Her eyes radiated the pain of someone lost, someone who was looking for a little sanctuary herself. "Do you two know each other?" Sam asked, looking back and forth between the two women.

Naomi rolled her eyes. Addison opened her mouth to say something snarky, but Meredith's eyes got wide. She clapped a thin hand over her mouth and bolted. Violet shrugged. "I'll make sure she's okay." She offered, hurrying towards the bathroom. Before Addison could utter another word, she felt herself being ushered into Sam's office, with Pete and Naomi in tow.

"What the hell is going on?" Sam asked, slamming the door. "What did you do to the new doctor?"

Addison glared. "The new doctor is the reason Derek and I divorced." She snapped, knowing she was being completely unfair.

"I hired the lusty intern?" Sam asked, blinking. Pete snaked an arm around Addison's waist, causing her to sigh.

"It's complicated, Sam." She said softly. "Like everything in Seattle, it was complicated."

Mark was sitting in his office, doing paperwork, when the door opened so hard it hit the wall on the other side with a bang. Derek strode in and slammed a piece of paper on his desk. Mark picked it up and began to read it out loud.

"Derek," he read, "I guess by now you've figured out that I'm gone. Well, not gone. Just for three months. A temporary transfer. I need to figure some things out, Der. I did something I'm afraid you'll hate me for. And there are things, big things I haven't told you. And there's you and Lexie. I need to be away. Don't give up on me."

Mark looked up. "Okay." He said slowly.

"You would have had to approve the transfer!" Derek thundered. "Where the hell did she go?"

Mark shook his head. "Derek…" he said. "She asked me not to tell you."

"She asked you not to tell me?" Derek shouted. "Why? What the hell did you do to her?"

Mark stood up. "Think about what you did!" he said. "What the hell is this thing with Lexie?" he asked. Derek looked at the floor guiltily.

"I don't know." He muttered.

"I'm not telling you." Mark said. "I'm sorry, Derek, but she has things to work out. Trust me."

"Trust you?" Derek shouted. "Trust you with my fiancé? Jesus, why the hell would I trust you?" Mark winced, remembering the night they had sat in his car, and he had leaned over those last few inches and fused his lips to hers. The look in her eyes had been torn, between horror at being the next ex Mrs. Shepherd and desire. He averted his eyes and shrugged.

Derek slammed the door, and left the room.

Addison clicked into the bathroom to find Violet leaning against the sink, and the sound of someone throwing up. "Meredith, are you okay?" Addison asked tentatively. She heard her vomit a few more times.

The toilet flushed and the stall opened, Meredith appeared, wiping her mouth with the back of her hands. "I'm fine." She murmured. Addison watched her as she splashed water on her face, and shook her head.

"You're approaching three months." She said. "One of these nights you're going to pop, and you'll be showing." Meredith and Violet stared at her, both gaping. Addison recognized a deer in the headlights sort of fear in Meredith's eyes.

"Does he know?" Addison whispered.

"No." Meredith said back, just as softly.

Addison looked at her, her eyes asking the question she couldn't vocalize. Meredith held up one shaking hand, revealing a glittering ring. "We're engaged." She whispered.

"Have you had an ultrasound?" Meredith shook her head. Addison nodded. "Come on." She said. She didn't speak again until they were staring at Meredith and Derek's baby on the ultrasound monitor.

"When's the wedding?" Addison asked.

"November." Meredith whispered. "We thought about inviting you, but…" she trailed off and looked up. "I'm sorry. That I'm here… it's just…." She shook her head.

Addison wiped off her stomach, and switched off the monitor. She sat down and dropped her head into her hands. She took a deep breath, and when she looked up she looked past her ex husband's ex dirty mistress turned fiancé, and looked at the girl who looked like she was teetering on the edge of a breakdown.

Addison sighed, knowing she would regret this somewhere down the road. "Meredith, tell me what's happening." She said.

"I'm pregnant. He has no idea, because he's too busy flirting with my sister to notice." She swallowed hard and tired to fight the tears falling down her cheeks. "I just… I kissed Mark. And I don't know if I can marry him if I don't tell him. But I'm terrified of what will happen if I do. And he just… my sister. And he asks me what's wrong, and I say I'm fine, when I'm afraid he doesn't love me and I know I'll be a terrible mother." She said very fast.

Addison shook her hands, staring, wishing she hadn't asked.