A/N: It occured to me when writing this chapter I wanted to take this series into a different direction. I like Addison and I like Meredith. I think they could have a very comical friendship. Addy has too much self respect to try and hold on to a man who isn't in love with her anymore. So from here on out. Addison and Meredith are going to be friends in my world. It may seem OOC, but I like wrting a friendship between the two. Not to mention it would drive Derek insane. I don't want Addy to be looked at like the woman who came in and stole McDreamy away. I want her to be happy, thriving, and funny. She's at her best then.

Addison was pleased. For the better part of the day, she had managed to avoid Derek, who she knew was probably ready to lobotomize her. She and Meredith had maintained a level of professionalism, even managed to get along, and laugh at all the strange looks they had been getting all morning long. She had never liked being looked at with pity, so they had made the best of the situation.

She wasn't surprised to see that Meredith was a good doctor. After all, this was Ellis' Grey's daughter. It was in her observations of her that she realized that the person hardest on Meredith was in fact Meredith herself. That was something Addison could relate too. That was what had driven her to defend Meredith so ferociously when their patient attacked her intern, implying Meredith was homewrecker. She had simply explained to the woman that she had in fact cheated on her husband first and if anyone was the wronged woman, it would be Meredith. Then she told her to apologize.

Gossip apparently was the nurse's favorite past time here and once Addison excused herself from her patients room, she headed to the nurse's station. The women were overwhelmingly nice to her and she asked them who had been checking on her patient. The response was given up eagerly. She gathered them all around and informed them in no uncertain terms that if she ever caught them discussing a doctor's personal life with a patient again, she would make sure they were suspended.

Addison Montgomery-Sheperd really didn't like being pitied.

Meredith had been surprised to hear Addison tell the woman that she owed Meredith one hell of an apology. She had been set to hate the woman, simply based on the fact that she had been and still was legally Derek's wife. She was hard to hate though. She was kind to her patients and from what she had seen, a terrific doctor. Neonatal wasn't the easiest profession to be in. Meredith didn't know if she could do it. Granted, she strongly disliked kids, but it was especially hard to watch a child who was sick.

She had expected her boyfriend's wife to be ordering her around to get coffee and such, but Addison didn't do any of that. She treated Meredith with the same professional courtesy that she might have treated anyone else with. They were most certainly in an awkward situation and Meredith liked to think she could be as gracious as Addison was, but deep down she knew she probably couldn't.

Derek had only crossed her line of vision once and he had looked at her worriedly, but she'd simply flashed him a smile and continued on with her day. Idly, she was curious if he was worried about what she and Addison were discussing, if they were in fact getting along. That in itself brought a grin to her face that did not go unnoticed by her attending.

" I'm not certain I want to ask what that smile is about ,Dr Grey, " she heard Addison's voice come from behind her.

" Just a funny thought, " she replied as she went back to finishing up the paperwork she had been working on.

" Well, I could use some humor today. Want to share this funny thought, " Addison put a cup of coffee down in front of her.

Meredith couldn't help but look surprised.

" Just picture Derek's face if he thought we were trading notes on him, " she sipped at her coffee.

Addison did the same, thinking about it for a moment before grinning back at the intern.

The nurses around them looked at them strangely.

" So I just heard the strangest thing, Shep, " Derek turned to see Burke approaching him.

" Oh and what's that, " Derek asked curiously, stopping and allowing the other doctor to catch up with him.

" That your wife and your girlfriend are getting along quite well, " Burke grinned.

Derek groaned. That could not be a good sign.

" You know how hospital gossip is. Maybe people are just imagining something that isn't there, " He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince more, himself or Burke.

Burke let out a laugh, and slapped him on the back as he walked away.

" Keep telling yourself that, Dr. Sheperd."

He finally got the opportunity to see for himself when he was once again waiting for Meredith to finish up. She and Addison both stepped off the elevator, drinking what Addison liked to call "ju-ju" and laughing heartily about whatever it was they were discussing. He blinked to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Nope, his eyes weren't deceiving him. They were actually getting along. They both looked up to see him staring at them, jaw slack and they parted ways. Meredith approached him casually.

" I think I just witnessed something from the Twilight zone, " He said by way of greeting.

" What? We were just talking, " Meredith shrugged innocently as she put on her jacket.

" You were just talking to my soon to be ex wife, " He deadpanned.

" Would you prefer us tearing each other's hair out?"

" That would be less weird than what I just witnessed, " Derek replied.

" Oh, lighten up. She's only going to be here for a few days, " Meredith rolled her eyes as they headed out the door into the wet Seattle night.