Title: New Beginnings 2/?
Rating: PG
Pairing: Derek/Addison
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Following another phone call from Addison, Derek makes a decision.
He's actually surprised to hear from her again. Not because they left the last call on a bad note, but because he presumed that by moving away and having a new life he wouldn't be a part of it. You're pleasantly surprised and pleased that you can have an amicable relationship with your ex-wife, though he hasn't got used to calling her that. Sometimes he catches himself before the words leave his mouth, but sometimes he doesn't and the words "No, she's my ex-wife" follow.
He misses her, not that he would ever admit it to Meredith, but he does. Since the phone call a few weeks ago about Archer he hasn't been able to stop thinking about her.
The last phone call put everything into perspective.
She's miles away, getting on with her new life but she still needs you, and you can't be there to comfort her when she needs it. She phones completely out of the blue tonight and in tears. She can't even say what's wrong at first, just shaky breaths and a confession that she's done something awful.
"What's going on Addison?"
He doesn't mean to sound curt but he can't help her if she doesn't tell him what's wrong. After a few more hiccupy breaths she's finally able to string the words together.
"I'm the other woman"
It's barely a whisper but he can still hear her confession.
"I've turned into the other woman"
It's louder this time, more clear and he hears the words that he was dreading she said.
"What do you mean the other woman?"
"I've let myself fall for another woman's husband"
He doesn't know what to say to that. As much as he's here for her he's unsure whether he wants to hear the details of her love life. She continues before he gets a chance to say his thoughts.
"And it gets worse, the woman he's married to, is my patient"
"Oh Addie" he sighs.
"It didn't start out that way though"
He listens as she tells him the story of how they met, how they were attracted to each other without even knowing their names.
"He didn't tell me he was married"
"and you didn't ask"
"I didn't even ask him his name"
Derek inwardly sighs, knowing too well that Addison would be in pieces about this.
"How do you feel about him?"
He asks, though he's sure of the answer.
"I wouldn't feel this way if I felt nothing for him"
He pauses, unsure what to say next. That's when it hits him. That's why he feels uncomfortable about talking to her about her love life.
He's jealous.
He's jealous, even though he hasn't seen her in months and she's miles away. He's jealous, and he suddenly hates this guy who's turning Addison's life around.
"Derek? Are you still there?"
"Yeah Addie of course I'm here"
"Do you have any advice?" she says, breath still a bit shaky from crying.
"Yes, stop seeing him"
"What?"
"Stop seeing him now Addison, before it leads you into real trouble"
"I'm already in trouble"
"Addison, please think about what you're doing"
As he speaks, a plan formulates in his head.
"Just…wait"
"You're telling me to wait? For what?"
"Because I'm telling you too"
He knows that she'll listen to what he says, even though she doesn't want to hear it.
"Okay" she says in a small voice. "I'll wait"
He doesn't mention that she'll be waiting for him, because he can't quite believe what he's going to do himself. She says goodbye and they hang up with Derek's mind going a mile a minute at the thought of seeing Addison again.
He has to go. He's already lost her once and he's not going to lose her again.
He calls Richard and requests a few personal days off. He doesn't tell him why though, just in case he finds the whole scenario absurd and refuses to let him go.
Phone call made he moves into the bedroom to start packing. Its crazy, a voice in his head says. Travelling through the night to see a woman whose head is full of someone else.
Crazy or romantic? He thinks.
He'll leave Meredith a note he decides, short and to the point.
"Needed some time off, call you later"
As he finishes packing his bag he can't help but wonder what he expects to happen. If he could just see her, to tell her that she's wasting her time with this guy, that he misses her and he hates saying "my ex-wife". If he can just get to her and see her, who knows what might happen. And as he picks up his bag and leaves the trailer for the airport he can only wonder.