A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed. I really appreciate it. Now this chapter is longer than i expected. I was having so much fun, i couldnt stop. I hope you like this one.

please review!

Chapter 4

Six weeks. For six weeks, Dan and I have been together. Things have been great. We had our ups and downs but it's been great. He's my McDreamy.

I was in the nurse's station looking for my interns. Apparently, George O'Malley was assigned to me too. Izzie walked towards me with O'Malley behind her. Izzie was wearing a huge smile.

"Hey" she said

"Hey. Hey George." I said and turned to a very happy Izzie "You fed the beast?" I asked. She nodded.

"So, Happy Birthday" She greeted me. I pretend to frown. "Oh come on, you don't look older. You're not old!"

"Oh please. Well, thanks anyways"

"What are the plans tonight?"

"Just dinner with Dan"

"Nice. No parties?"

"No. Not today at least." I answered. I looked at George who was standing and waiting patiently. "So, shall we?" I asked the interns. Izzie nodded so did George.

"Happy Birthday, Dr. Montgomery" he said.

"Thanks"

I saw Derek approaching towards us. Our eyes met and he offered a smile. Oh why, he's being nice today. He's been really snappy especially to me right now even though we barely talk. I've been receiving cold glares or he just completely ignores me. I never really understood why, but I don't really want to care now.

"Hey, happy birthday" He said.

"You remembered" I said. His memory isn't that good when it comes to our special days.

"Of course I did. Why wouldn't I?"

"You forgot the last time" I said coldly. He looked at me blankly.

"I'm sorry" He said. I shrugged and smiled at him.

"Well, damage's done" I said "I have to go" he nodded and I walked away from him. I'm in a happy place to be paying attention to Derek right now.

"So, party tomorrow at your place. I'll come over around 4 to help you set up" Miranda said as she planned my birthday party while eating lunch. I didn't really want to but she's forcing me to. This is one side of Miranda Bailey that no one ever expected.

"Do we really have to do this? I don't have friends. Who are we going to invite?"

"Oh please, you have friends. Izzie, Burke, Chief, people you work with, Addison. Maybe tomorrow night we aren't surgeons. We are people. And I'm pretty sure all of them are not on call tomorrow"

"Fine, if you say so"

"Damn right if I say so" She said. I chuckled. "And you can invite everyone you work with for all I care"

"Do you think it's ethical for me to invite Derek?"

"That reprobate ex-husband of yours?" she said and I raised an eyebrow

"Why do you keep on calling him that?"

"Because he is" she said nonchalantly.

"So, is it ethical?"

"I don't know. I mean, you work with him, but he's your ex. I don't know, Addison"

"Miranda! You always have an answer with these kinds of stuff"

"Well, right now I don't"

"Miranda…. You're not acting yourself"

"Oh Addison, dear, I am your friend. But I'm also thinking about the party I'm throwing for you tomorrow. And I'm thinking about my child who has a fever right now, who, by the way, I'm taking to your boyfriend tomorrow morning. I don't really don't have time to think about if it's ethical to invite your reprobate ex-husband." She said half joking.

"Fine, you know, you don't have to do this" I said also half joking. I know her tone when she's joking and she knows the tone when I'm joking.

"Oh go bug someone else about that, Montgomery" She said as she stood up and walked away. I just watched her and she turned around and winked at me.

"Fine, you Nazi!" I called out as I finished my lunch.

I got out of the elevatorand saw Burke talking to Cristina in the nurse's station.

"Dr. Burke, Dr. Yang" I greeted as I took my patient's chart from the nurse.

"Addison, so tomorrow, Bailey invited me to your party" Burke said

"Yes, are you and Cristina coming?" I asked and looked at Burke and then at Cristina

"Yes, of course. So, if I go do I finally get to meet this guy?" I smiled. I like talking about Daniel.

"Maybe, you'll never know" I teased and winked. Cristina excused herself and walked away. "Preston, can I ask you something?"

"Sure"

"Do you think it's ethical if I invite Derek tomorrow?"

"Yes. You work with him, Addison. I know you're divorced, I know you're dating someone now, and I know its going to be awkward. But it's your decision whether to invite him or not"

"Okay, thanks"

"Anytime, Addison" He said and walked away.

I went to Dan's place after an exhausting day at work. I knocked and as he opened the door that big smile of his and those green eyes mesmerized me again, it does every time.

"Hey there, beautiful" Oh God, there it is… he got me. Now I'm pretty sure I'm grinning like a high school girl. Tiredness is gone. I'm suddenly relaxed.

"Hey" I said and kissed him. We walked in and a candlelight dinner was prepared.

"Happy birthday" He said quietly as his arms are still around my waist. His face was about 2 inches away from mine.

"Thank you"

"I prepared dinner" he whispered

"I figured"

"Are you hungry?" he said still whispering

"Yeah" I said and I buried my face into his chest.

"Let's eat" he pulled away and kissed me lightly on the lips.

We walked to the dining table and started to eat. He's an amazing cook. Throughout dinner, we talked about random things and about our days. As we finished dessert, he looked at me in the eye.

"So, are you ready for your gifts?" he asked.

"Gifts? Plural?"

"Yeah, plural"

"How can I not be?" I said excitedly.

"So, first, here" He said and handed me a small box. I opened it and saw a key.

"Key?" I looked at him confusedly

"To my apartment"

"Ah, thanks" I smiled and leaned in to kiss him on the lips.

"You don't have to give me a key to yours if you don't want to yet"

"No, I'll give you one as soon as I get a copy of it. I want to give you one" I said

He smiled and took my hand

"Second… Addie," he started and looked at me straight in the eye again. My heart was beating faster since I didn't know what to expect "I think-- I love you" he stuttered. My heart melted and I smiled at him. He looked so nervous and I wanted to lighten the mood.

"Think?" I asked raising an eyebrow at him.

"No—I know I love you" he corrected himself. He smiled at me "You don't have to say it if don't want to" he said too quickly.

"No, Dan. I love you too" I said to reassure him. He smiled and I saw him release his breath. I chuckled because he is so cute when he's nervous.

"So, third… remember when you told me you're tired of being alone in your apartment all the time?" he stood up and went to the kitchen. My heart started beating faster. He came back holding a fairly huge box. He stood next to me and settled the box on the floor. He kneeled next to the box. I kneeled next to him and I opened the box. There was a cute little yorkie puppy in it with a pink ribbon tied around it.

"Daniel!" I exclaimed and threw my arms around him.

"Glad you like it"

"Thank you so much"

"You're very welcome" he said and kissed me again "So what are you going to name her?"

"I don't know" I said as I pick the puppy up and snuggled with it "But I know I love her though"

"So now I'm in competition with the dog?"

"Yes, and it's your fault, mister" I joked

"Hey!" I protested dramatically "What should you name her?"

"lets see… Georgia? Ginger? Sandy?"

"Sandy…" he said with a laugh "I dated a girl named Sandy. I like Ginger"

"Nah, she doesn't look like a Ginger" I said

"How would you know? She's a dog"

"She looks like a…." I said examining the puppy "Dakota"

"Dakota?" he looked at me weirdly

"Yeah, Dakota" I said. He took the puppy from me and looked at her.

"Yeah, she looks like a Dakota" he said and laughed.

"Hey, Dakota" I baby talked to the puppy. "I love you, you know"

"Are you talking to the dog or me?" Daniel asked and gave me that puppy face

"To the dog, actually. But I love you both" I said. He took the puppy from me and settled her on the floor as she ran around the apartment. He picked me up from the floor and kissed me passionately and took me to the bedroom.

"So Izzie will be here in a soon?" Miranda asked as she walked around my kitchen. I was sitting on top of the counter eating skittles as I watch her walk around.

"She called about 20 minutes ago. She said she's on her way" I said.

Today was the day of my party. Miranda and I were off so we decided to hang out at my place and prepare for the small shindig that night.

"So you invited that reprobate ex husband of yours?"

"Yeah" I said and sighed "It's up to him whether to come or not. I was just trying to be nice so I invited him"

"Is Danny coming?"

"Yep" Crap, if Derek came and Daniel will be there, woah, I don't know what to do "Which now I suddenly regret inviting Derek"

"Come on, so what if Derek comes?"

"But still, it's awkward"

"Yes, but you have to face it. You moved on. You're happy with Daniel, who you love and who gave you a puppy"

"Yeah…" I said "Hey, where's my Dakota?" realizing I haven't seen her running around me or Miranda.

"Right there, crapping in the corner" Miranda said pointing at the corner of the kitchen near the trashcan.

"Eww, Dakota!" I said walking over to the dog and cleaning up after her "You got to be toilet trained!" I scolded. "Why does she pee and crap at the same spot all the time?" I whined

"She's a dog, Addie"

"I know… I know" I said as I walked to the sink and washed my hands.

After awhile, someone knocked on the door. I opened it and saw Izzie with Meredith and George behind her.

"Hey" I said.

"Hey, I brought them with me since they didn't want to drive here" Izzie said holding cake "I hope its alright"

"Of course, of course" I said leading them in my apartment.

"Hey, Addison. Happy birthday" Meredith greeted and handed me a gift and smiled at me, so did George.

"Hey, come in, make yourselves comfortable" They came in and I led them to my kitchen. Dakota started running towards us. Izzie settled the cake on the table and ran to Dakota.

"Awww, a puppy!" She said taking her and started playing with her "Since when did you have a puppy?"

"Since last night. Dan gave her to me"

"What's her name?"

"Dakota"

"Aww, hey Dakota"

We got to the kitchen and Miranda looked at her interns.

"Aren't ya'll too early?" she asked George and Meredith

"I took them with me…. To save gas" Izzie attempted a joke. Izzie treated Miranda differently outside the hospital since she started to become my friend. But the other interns aren't that close to me or too comfortable with Miranda.

We started talking while preparing for the party as people slowly came.

Daniel walked in with a bouquet of flowers in hand. People looked at him since well, they don't know him.

"Hey" I said and walked to him and gave him a kiss.

"Happy birthday" he whispered in my ear "And why are these people looking at me as if they're going to throw scalpels at me" I laughed at his comment

"Oh shut up" I whispered back. Dakota came barking and running towards us. Daniel picked her up and started talking to her.

"Well, hello to you too, sweetie" I smiled at him and he put the dog down. We walked towards my guests and introduced him.

"Guys, this is Daniel. Dan, these are the people I work with, and you know Izzie and Miranda" I introduced.

"So we finally meet you" Burke said as he stood up and walked to Daniel and shook his hand. "I'm Preston. Nice to meet you"

"Nice to meet you too" He said. Preston leaned in and whispered something to him. Daniel smiled and said something that I didn't really catch.

Daniel started to socialize with everyone and I felt relieved that everyone was having fun and Derek hasn't arrived yet. Or maybe he will not come. I don't know. I walked towards table to get something to drink and Daniel stood next to me.

"Are you having fun?" I asked him

"Yeah, of course. Are you?"

"Yep"

"So, what did Preston whispered to you?" I asked curiously.

"Nothing. He just told me to take care of you" he said and I smiled at him.

Someone knocked at the door. I went to open it and yes, he came, Derek was there with a present in his hand.

"You came"

"It would be rude not to" he saidand offered a weak smile. I let him in and everyone's eyes were on him as they looked back and forth to him and Daniel.

"Woah, what's with the looks?" I asked trying to lighten up the mood. Then I looked to Daniel, who was smiling.

He walked towards us and offered a hand to Derek.

"Hi, I'm Daniel, I don't believe we've met" he said with a genuine smile on his face

"I believe we haven't. I'm Derek" He said. I couldn't really read his reaction. And then he forced a smile. I know that smile, a forced smile, a smile that I'm used to seeing since I moved to Seattle.

i know its a really bad place to stop. I'll update soon, i promise. But first, please review.