Chance Encountered

Chapter 2

"So are you going to tell me anymore about this amazing woman you met last night?"

Preston asked as he and Derek pulled out their chairs at the table and sat down in the cafeteria with their coffee.

"What do you want to know?" Derek asked as he removed the lid to his coffee cup to let the steam out and began to sip on it.

"Well, let's start with a name." Preston said and took a drink of his own coffee while he looked at Derek for an answer to his question.

Derek smiled slightly.

"Addison."

Preston waited a moment for Derek to elaborate but when he didn't, he decided to dig a little deeper.

"That's it? No last name?" Preston asked.

"Umm, actually I never asked." Derek said a little surprised that he had not thought to ask for Addison's last name. Why hadn't he thought to ask her last name? That was a simple question. How could he have forgotten something like that!

"Okay." Preston said dragging the word out, "Did you get her number?"

He looked at Derek with a skeptical look in his eyes.

"No." Derek said quietly, and he leaned further back in his chair and avoided meeting his friend's gaze.

Preston looked at Derek with a look of incomprehension. The Derek Shepherd he knew didn't forget to ask women those kinds of questions, particularly the women his was interested in. And it was clear Derek liked this woman he had met.

He also knew Derek wasn't shy when it came to women but on the other hand, Derek wasn't overly cocky either.

Derek had a quiet confidence about him. It came from being the best in his field and being humble enough to not brag about.

If you asked Derek about the confidence he had in himself, he would reply it was just what he needed to be good at his job, a high level of self-confidence. This was the characteristic that attracted the entire female staff at Seattle Grace to him.

It helped that Derek could be charming without even trying.

It had always puzzled Preston how Derek never seemed to notice all the women practically drooling all over him. To him, it was kind of disgusting the way all of the nurses lusted after Derek but that probably came from the fact that Derek was just his annoying best friend.

"Wait, you didn't ask for her number?" Preston asked in total bewilderment.

Derek took another sip of his coffee and shook his head.

"No… I asked but she wouldn't give it to me." Derek said.

Preston felt a little relieved that at least the man had asked but he was also a little disappointed for his friend. But that was not going to keep Preston from trying to get a rise out of Derek.

"She shot you down and you are singing her praises this morning? Shep, I hate to tell you this but you crashed and burned." Preston said as he chuckled to himself at the look on Derek's face.

"I did not crash and burn!" Derek said in his defense. Put off by the fact that his best friend was laughing at him.

Derek had not crashed and burned. Addison had been amazing, they had had a great time talking and laughing until the wee of hours of the morning. Derek had to admit to himself that since the previous night not much else had occupied his thoughts except the redheaded beauty.

"Face it man, you are losing your touch." Preston said as he continued to jokingly mock his friend's lack of success.

"I am not!" Derek said a little too loudly, he knew Preston was joking but it still didn't keep him from getting annoyed at the man sitting across from him.

"Okay, then how are you going to see her again if you don't have her number or a last name?" Preston inquired, as he raised one eyebrow at Derek.

Derek looked away and mumbled, "I don't know."

He turned back to his coffee. The good mood he had been in this morning gone completely because of one, Preston Burke.

~x~

Addison was nervous. She was getting ready to start her first official day at Seattle Grace Hospital. And she was nervous about it but this was the good kind of nervous.

Addison was looking forward to meeting new people and making new friends. Finally getting the fresh start at her life actually started. Addison was ready to make a new life for herself completely independent from the hurt and pain she left in New York.

She wasn't ignoring that pain though. It was something she had to deal with. Her husband cheated on her. There was no way to ignore that but she didn't want it to consume her life.

She was ready to put that part of her life behind her and this job was a way to accomplish that. Well this job and the divorce papers she filed with her attorney back in New York.

Addison was also a little nervous about the fact that SGH was a teaching hospital.

Addison would have a group of young doctors turning to her to pass along her wisdom and knowledge. It was something completely new to her. She had never taught anyone, anything. She just hoped that she was good at it, and that they each learned something from her.

Addison finished putting her mascara on and took a step back. She examined herself in the mirror. Her hair was pulled back with a hair clip. She was wearing a black pencil skirt and light yellow top that was cut low but not too low.

"Good enough." She muttered to no one but herself.

Addison picked up her purse and the keys to her rental car, and headed out the door.

Richard Webber, Chief of Surgery, sat at his desk looking over documents.

He was ready for yet another busy day at the hospital, and today was going to be especially hectic. The new interns started today. And their inexperience and lack of confidence always served to be interesting to watch. Richard just hoped they didn't kill anyone.

His mental preparations were interrupted by a knock at the door.

He looked up to see Addison standing in the open doorway. Richard smiled at his newest star attending. He had been more than a little excited when Addison informed him that she was accepting his job offer.

"Addison! Good Morning." Richard greeted as he stood up and walked over to her. When he reached her, he gave her a hug, and patted her on the back. It had been too long since he had seen her.

"Good morning to you, I am reporting for duty, sir." She said, and jokingly gave him a military style salute.

Richard let out a small laugh and ushered her further into the room.

"Well, good, I am glad." He said as he smiled at her.

Addison sat down in one of the chairs before his desk, while he moved behind his desk, and sat down too.

"So let us get down to business. I have called for a staff meeting at 8:15 and at this meeting I will introduce you to the other attendings and the essential staff." Richard said, wasting no time in preparing her for her new position. And he also was just excited to have her working here.

Addison smiled and nodded as he continued. He could tell she was listening intently from the concentration on her face.

"After the meeting, we have rounds. You will meet your interns and the resident they will reside under." Richard said when he finally finished a semi-long informative speech about how the surgical wing works.

"Okay." Addison replied to let him know that she had taken in all of the information he had just told her.

"Oh and sometime today I will give you a tour." Richard said. He had meant to show her around when she had come in to sign her official contract but he had been called away. He had felt bad about not showing her the ropes and introducing her to everyone.

"That sounds good to me." Addison said as she stood up.

Richard followed suit and walked her to the door.

"I am really happy you are here." He said and gave her another hug. Richard was pleased to have one of his favorite former students working with him.

"So am I." Addison hugged him back, and could help but think about how happy she was to be there. She had a gut feeling that Seattle was going to be good to her.

End of Chapter 2.

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