"I got to go. I'll take the stairs. I'll see you around." Meredith mimicked Derek's voice for the third time to Christina. "Can you believe him? I say, 'hey, let's have some sex?' and he says 'I'll see you around?' What is his problem?"

"Have you seen Burke?" Christina asked, skimming her eyes over the surgeries' board. "I don't see his name up here."

"Maybe he is on leave." Meredith said picking at a sore on her skin.

"No, he can't be. Something is not right..and why is Erica Hahn's name on this board?" Christina exclaimed loudly.

"I think Derek is seeing someone..." Meredith said gloomily.

"Why is Erica's name on this board?" Christina repeated angrily.

"He's seeing someone and I'm going to find out who..." Meredith said ignoring Christina's question.

"Where is Burke's name?"

"Do you think it's that scrub nurse? Rosie, Rosa? I can't remember her name."

"Rose?" Christina asked, pulling at her face with her hands.

"That's it! Rose, I bet it's her. She's always giving him dreamy looks in surgeries. That bitch!"

"He would tell me right, if he went away on leave for a bit? I mean, yeah we broke up. He called off the wedding, but he can't- he just can't go away without telling me?"

"Do you think Derek could be seeing someone and not telling me?" Meredith asked sighing heavily.

"Meredith! Seriously! You're trying to talk about Derek now? I haven't seen Burke all day and I don't see him on the board and you want to talk to me about Derek?" Christina snapped quickly.

"Sorry, you're right..Burke, Burke...where is Burke? He must be on this board somewhere?" Meredith sang out, as she skimmed the board with her fingers.

"And why is Erica Hahn on this board for?" Christina asked in disgust.

"Because I am the new head of cardiothoracics, that's why." Erica said, crossing her hands over her chest. "And you are, the girl that broke poor Preston Burke."

x

"Have you moved on?" Derek asked placing a coffee in front of Addison. "Have you moved on from me?"

Addison placed down the magazine she was reading and rolled her eyes at Derek.

"Jesus Derek! I'm back in this hospital for 3 hours," she said checking the time on her watch, "and you can't even give me a minute of peace?"

"Answer the question Addie..." Derek said, pushing the coffee closer towards her.

"Fiiiiiine." She snapped stubbornly. "Yes, I have moved on."

"So you're seeing someone?" Derek asked, feeling a jealous stab of pain, cut into his heart.

"Yes." Addison said, avoiding Derek's eyes and taking a quick sip of her coffee. "Oh this is good!"

"What's his name?" Derek asked leaning closer.

"Does it really matter, Derek? You don't know him." Addison said bursting out laughing.

"Humour me...what's his name and what does he do?"

"He's name is Pete...and he works with me at Nay and Sam's Practice."

"He sounds totally made up." Derek said quickly.

"He is not!" Addison growled angrily.

"Does he make you happy?"

"Yeah, he does." Addison said smiling sweetly. "He's weird and different to other men..He's a quack."

"A quack?" Derek asked scrunching his face in confusion.

"He studied medicine...he has a degree and everything and yet, he specialises in Holistic practices." Addison said taking another sip of her coffee.

"So he's not a real doctor, then?" Derek laughed loudly. "He does all that voodoo shit?"

"That voodoo shit, has it's benefits...and there are a lot of people out there, that rather holistics and alternate practices to drugs and medicine." Addison said hotly.

"And he makes you happy?" Derek asked again, with hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Yes, and we've already established that."

"Then, why are you filing out this Cosmo quiz on whether or not, he makes a good boyfriend?" Derek asked, showing Addison her half- finished quiz.

"I was just killing time...I already know he makes me happy, Derek. Just like you knew with Meredith. She makes you happy."

"She used to make me happy," Derek said sighing heavily. "now, she just confuses me. She's too complicated. I just want a simple life..maybe have some children; I'm starting to get old...it's now or never. But I'm scared to have a kid with her. She's not like you Addie, she's not strong. She freaks out over the littlest things. That's not an environment to bring a child into."

"I'm sure, if you give her some time...she'll come around." Addison said, swallowing at the chunk in her throat that was starting to hurt her.

"No, I don't think so. We both want different things. She was sex and no commitment. I want love and the fairytale. I don't know, maybe I should stop trying to change her...maybe I'm the one that needs to change?"

"No..." Addison said, reaching for Derek's arm. " No, you listen to me...You are the best guy that I know. You are not the one that needs to change. Someone will come for you; you deserve the best. A fresh start, someone who hasn't cheated on you and someone who won't drive you insane! Someone who will love you whole-souled and someone who will want all the things you want...the commitment...the kids...the fairytale Derek, you just have to have hope. Don't change; you are perfect the way you are." Addison said through foggy eyes.

"This Pete guy, really makes you happy, huh?" Derek said through foggy eyes.

Addison nodded. "He does." she whispered softly.

"More than I ever did?" Derek asked, instantly regretting the question, as he was dreading the answer.

"He's trying his best." Addison said taking another sip of her coffee. "I was a mess when I went to LA Derek; he's starting to release me from a lot of my guilt and suffering."

"So is this the reason that you won't have a drink with me tonight? I know you're not tired...you have to give me some credit, we were married for almost 12 years Addie!"

Addison opened and closed her mouth, ready to say something, but thought against it.

"You won't come tonight, because you're seeing Pete..."

"I can't come because it's too hard to be around you Derek." Addison said, "I've tried my hardest to move on and be happy...but I was miserable and depressed. Then, I met Pete...and he was there for me when I needed him; and he has helped me through everything...the tears, the pain, the agony... I can't have a drink with you tonight; because I don't want to sabotage all the work that Pete has done in healing me...He's invested too much time and effort in me and I can't...be around you, because I'm scared that I might get hurt...all over again...and I'm not strong Addie anymore Derek...I'm more fragile this time round-"

Derek leaned forward, cupped Addison's face in his hands and kissed her urgently, cutting her off mid-sentence. This kiss was different to any other that they had shared. When they were married he kissed her with the passion that a proud husband feels towards his wife and when they were trying last year to make their marriage work; every time he kissed his wife, he had Meredith in his mind. But this time...this time he was kissing Addison and Meredith was nowhere near his thoughts! Addison moaned softly against Derek's lips and he deepened the kiss. Derek could not believe how good it felt to be kissing her; inhaling her sweet perfume and savouring the smell of her strawberry shampoo. Nibbling gently at her bottom lip, Derek sucked down onto her lip and kissed her again.

"Derek!" Addison exclaimed snapping her eyes open and pulling away from him quickly. "What are you- ? I can't- "

"I just wanted to say sorry for hurting you." he said standing up and walking away. Leaving a very confused and emotional Addison speechless.

Addison ran her fingers over her tingling lips. The kiss was the best, she had ever experienced in her life and she definitely wanted more! But she was with Pete now; or at least she thought she was, until Derek had kissed her.

x

"Chief Webber?" Christina asked knocking onto his office door. "Do you have a minute, Sir?"

"Come in Yang." the Chief nodded, taking off his glasses and pointing to the seat in front of his desk. "You're here about Preston..I know."

"Yes," Christina mumbled softly, nodding her head in agreement. "Erica Hahn-"

"-Is his replacement." Richard replied solemnly.

"So...he's not coming back?" Christina asked hysterically. "He's gone? He's really GONE?"

"I'm afraid so. He handed me his resignation three weeks ago. The day of your wedding."

Christina bit down hard onto her lip, please stay strong! Don't let the Chief see you cry!

"If you need some time off work...some time for leave..."

"No." Christina said standing up quickly. "I'm fine."

"Christina!" Richard snapped sternly.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." she said forcing a smile. "I better get back to my interns," and with that she bolted towards the door. "Thanks for telling me." She said pausing at the door for a minute, before walking out of the Chief's office.

Walking as fast as he bucklely knees could carry her, Christina hurried towards an empty supplies' room and locked the door behind her quickly. In there, for the first time in four years, she wept; mourning the loss of the love of her life.

x

"What are you so gloomy about?" Callie Torres asked walking into the attending's lounge.

"I think I'm still in love with-"

"-Don't start with that Meredith Grey shit, please." Callie said cutting Derek off and holding up her hand in the air. "I've heard enough about that girl to last me a lifetime."

"I was going to say, my ex-wife...you know Addison?" Derek said dropping his head into his hands.

"HA! You're a funny one, you are." Callie said laughing hysterically. "You're in love with Addison...now? Like after she's moved to LA and is not around? Geez, you are one messed up man! What did Grey do to you?"

"I have to tell her that I love her." Derek said standing up quickly.

"Sure, that's easy...ring, ring," Callies said making a phone gesture with her hands. "..'hey Addie...it's me Derek, your ex-husband..guess what? I'm still in love with you.' Smooth, very smooth. I bet she will hang up on you...Ooooh Ooohhhh no. Even better she will drop the phone!"

"Why are you laughing for? I thought you were her friend?" Derek asked frowning at her.

"Oh, I am. She was the closest thing I had to a best friend in this place and we've kept in touch...and she's moved on. She's long over you, buddy...so back off."

"She told you about Pete?" Derek asked.

Callie raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "How do you know about Pete, Derek?"

"She told me-"

"-You haven't call her already, have you? Man, you have got to stop fucking with her head, Derek! Leave her alone, Pete makes her happy...so you need to back off!"

"Wow, that's for your support Callie, I thought we were friends." Derek muttered.

"Us? No way." Callie said shaking her head at Derek. "You're friends with Meredith...get out!"

"And you're friends with Sloan!" Derek hit back quickly.

"Sloan is better than Meredith! Sloan is a better person too!"

"Sloan is the reason why my marriage fell apart; the reason I moved to Seattle and got involved with an emotional cripple in the first place! If it wasn't for Sloan, I would still be in New York, with Addison...probably staring a family!" Derek said almost yelling.

"Well you can't change the past, Derek...but you had your turn with Addison and...you blew it! You chose Meredith...you moved on and broke her heart. You didn't see her broken like I did! She was brave for you! 'Let's stay friends, Derek! Everything is cool.' But do you know what she was saying behind your back? Do you know what she was suffering? Walking these corridors and hiding in an on call room, every time she turned the corner and saw Meredith? NO YOU DON'T!" Callie said raising her voice at him. "Addison left because of you in the end! Because it was too hard for her to stay and pretend any longer. Sloan is a better person than you...and that's why I am his friend and not yours!"

"Fine, as if I care that you like Sloan more than me. It doesn't bother me at all. What's that saying... 'Birds of a feather, flock together...' I mean, you did cheat on George with Sloan, so I can see why you defend him-"

"I did not cheat on George! We had broken up!" Callie growled furiously, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Whatever...it doesn't really concern me. But you don't get a say in my life either. I know I have been an idiot...I should have never given up what I had with Addison for Meredith...I can see that now, and maybe I've fucked up...maybe I've blown it. But I don't know that til I talk to her and I find out for myself!" Derek said walking towards the door.

"If you really love her, like you say you do Derek." Callie said walking closer towards him. "You will let her be, she's happy in LA...she's moved on..she's with Pete now. Don't complicate things for her.."

"When was the last time you spoke to Addison, Callie?" Derek asked.

"Last week...why?"

"And you guys are still close and everything, right?"

"Yeah, we are- she tells me everything...what are you getting at?"

"So you knew then, that she was coming to Seattle Grace today for a surgery; since she tells you everything?" Derek asked smugly.

"What?" Callie asked shaking her head in disbelief. "Addison is here? Here today?"

"Oh...sorry. I guess she doesn't tell you everything, then." Derek said walking out of the attending's lounge with absolute satisfaction.