03

Scandal creates careers.

That was what Addison Montgomery's agent had always told her. And it was true, in part. The right scandal at the right time could really launch an actors profile to the next level. After all in a world as harsh as the one actors live in you are no one until you're talked about. There is no such thing as bad press. Except there is. Because what her agent had failed to mention to her was that the wrong scandal at the wrong time could not just end, but massacre an actors career. Drag it through the dirt and leave it in shreds.

You ask her how a four time Oscar winning actress who was still in her prime found herself playing in some new teen tv show and she would laugh sadly and tell you this:

scandal breaks careers just as well as it makes them.

Joe's was a small but incredibly exclusive bar on the sunset strip, just a few minutes walk from the studio. Most of its regular cliental was cast and crew of various shows and films that shot in the near by studios. And Addison hated it. She didn't hate the owner; not at all. He was a decent guy who gave really great advice and free shots whenever she needed them. She didnt hate the fact that it was one of the few places in the city where she wasn't constantly hounded by press and fans. No. She hated the fact that it was located next door to the Viper Room.

Hated the fact that she could still see the blood stain on the sidewalk every time she walked by even though it had long since been washed away.

She looked up from her martini too see Meredith Grey walk through the doors, she smiled at the young actress. Meredith was young by from what Addison had seen working with her the last few days, she was talented. And she seemed like a nice enough you girl.

"Hey Addie," Meredith said tiredly, coming and taking a seat at the bar besides the slightly older woman, "Tequila please, and keep em coming" she asked Joe, God knows did she need it after her run in with Derek earlier. She could still feel his hands on her and- no. No. She was not going to think about that. Joe, the bartender nodded and poured her her drink as the two women sat in what could only be described as a tense silence for a few moments before Meredith sighed, downed her drink and turned to Addison, "do you think it's going to be a success?" she asked, "the show, I mean. Do you think it will be a hit, that the fans will like it? I mean, we've got the names - there's you, and...Derek," she tried not to blush at his name, cursing herself for behaving like such a kid, "and its such a well loved book series. But what if they hate it? What if I'm not what they wanted Katya to be? I mean, Richard's really pulling out all the stops, Izzie was telling me that Mark Sloan is even flying in early to film-"

"I'm sorry what did you say?" Addison interrupted the girl mid-ramble,

"Mark Sloan. He's flying in in the next few days to film some of the next episodes. I know he wasn't meant to be here for-" Meredith continued to talk but Addison wasn't listening anymore, paling significantly her grip tightened on her glass.

Scandal does not just involve one person.

...

Meredith had managed to avoid Derek successfully for the majority of the next day. They hadn't had any scenes to film together and when one had been on a break, the other had been filming. No interactions was good. It meant no flirting, or mcdreamy smiles, or inappropriate propositions.

But yet here she was, stood on the side of the set watching his scene. He was doing a police interview - well, "Jace" was and he was mesmerising. She had never actually just watched him act before. Acting with him was a different experience. She new they had chemistry. They obviously had chemistry, and now she thought about it, she remembered it from their audition, all those months ago. But even on his own he was extraordinary.

"And cut!" Richard yelled, "I think we've got it," the actors relaxed, and Derek looked about, noticing her standing in the corner watching. Their eyes locked and he flashed her that mcdreamy smile and her insides turned to goo. She smiled back and rolled her eyes - at herself, at him, at whatever power there was in the sky for putting her in this situation - take your pick. He didn't take his gaze from her though,

"Is he good?" A voice asked just behind her, Meredith started, turning to see one of the executive producers, Christina Yang stood besides her, "Because he looks like he'd be good?"

"I'm sorry?" Meredith asked in confusion, although she had a bad feeling she knew what Christina was referring too. The woman who was about the same age as Meredith gave her a board look,

"Mcdreamy over there, we all saw you two leaving Richard's together. So is he good?" Meredith laughed and folded her arms across her chest,

"I-"

"Grey!" Richard called, "I want you in hair and makeup for scene fifteen five minutes ago! We start shooting in twenty minutes."

...

"Kat there's no where for you to go, it raining real hard, baby, come on!" Jace yelled, reaching out and grabbing Katya's upper arm harshly, causing her to stumble slightly as he turned her back to face him,

"You do not get to just waltz back into my life and tell me where I can and can't go." Katya sobbed,

"That's not fair, Kitty Kat, I'm not-" Katya yanked her arm from his grasp,

"No. No you don't get to call me that." She snapped. His eyes flared for a second and he opened his mouth to yell back, but she went on, "We had sex Jace. That's it. It's what people do when they have an itch that needs to be scratched." She was cold, the ice queen of New York just as she had been when he'd left. He sighed,

"Why can't you just trust me, Kat? Trust that maybe I came back because I love you. Why can't you just let me in," Jace pleaded, reaching out and grabbing her shoulders gently, forcing their eyes to meet

- for some reason this struck a chord for Meredith and she subconsciously sucked in a breath. This was Jace, not Derek and she was Katya, not Meredith -

She looked away sadly, "I don't cry over people anymore, Jace." she said thickly, evidently trying not to prove herself wrong, "I promised myself that after you left. I promised myself that I would never again give someone that much power over me. You didn't break me, Jace Clifford, not nearly. But you did take that part of me with you when you left me to sit alone and silent in that big beautiful house and I am not the same person I was then. So you wanna know why I can't just let you back in? You're not worth the pain you will inevitably cause."

- somehow, she didn't think it was Katya telling Jace, it was all too suddenly Meredith imploring Derek to understand her. Understand that she couldn't just let him in. That she'd had a Jace (well sort of), that she'd had someone ruin her faith in love and men -

Katya turned to exit, this time Jace making no attempts to follow her. Instead he just stood staring at the place where she had been before with his jaw locked and eyes dark.

"Cut" Richard said quietly. He didn't need to say it any louder because the whole set was silent. Pin drop silent. None of the busy bustle that normally came with this line of work. Absolute, pin drop silence.

Derek snapped out of it quicker than Meredith, shaking his head and running his hands through his tousled hair before making his way over to a stunned Richard. Meredith remained exactly where she had stopped walking, facing away from everyone for a few seconds before taking a deep, shuddering breath and turning back towards her director.

Critics and reporters would later call it extraordinary. Because while the scenes they'd filmed the day before, the sex, the hot make out sessions had been electric to watch, this scene, this scene was what would really come to define the show. The raw magnetism between the two. The way in a single look, a single deep, shuddering breath they can convey so much. Richard just called it perfection, telling the pair that they were both free for the night but that he wanted them back on set bright and early.

Meredith saw Derek again an hour later as he stood by the reception, waiting to sign out. He didn't notice her presence leaning against the wall by the door at first, just leaned over to grab a pen that worked,

"That was amazing," she said suddenly, a ghost of a smile on her lips. He looked up at her before smirking and murmuring an agreement, before turning back to the paper. She still had this sort of awed look on her face. Not all acting felt like that, she was sure of that. "You practice lines, think about who the character is, why they're saying all of this, but nothing can prepare you for what it feels like actually doing it, in that moment. The chemistry." She paused as he tilted his head to look back at her, his eyes soft almost gleaming as he signed his name, "That was such a high." She almost laughed. He just kept looking at her, as though he wanted to say something, but instead settled for a nod, "I don't know why anybody does drugs." he smiled at this, his eyes still sparkling as he nodded,

"Yeah," he said softly. Completely entranced by this stunning little thing besides him. Because for her this was all new. She was experiencing it all for the very first time. She'd never been on a set before, not as an actor at least, never felt that spark of chemistry (not that he'd ever felt it quite to this extent either), and he just couldn't take his eyes from her. She flushed slightly, and smiled shyly before looking down,

"Yeah," she agreed, he bit his lip and shook his head, still grinning before becoming more somber as he noticed the time,

"I should- I should go," he said almost reluctantly, she looked up and caught his gaze again before nodding once,

"You should."

He gave her one last flash of that mcdreamy smile before murmuring, "I'll see you round," and then walked out the door,

"I see ya." She replied, more to herself than him.

Authors Note

Just wanted to take the chance to say thank you everyone who is reading and reviewing this story and liking where it's going:) it means the world to me that people are actually enjoying my work! I'm going to slowly start developing the subplots (such as the Mark thing and the Addison thing, whatever they may be) over the next few chapters and give the story a few more layers I hope and Mark will make an appearance in the next chapter, maybe Lexie too? What do you guys think about that? Shall I bring Lexie in soon or leave it for a while?

Anyway, I hope you like this instalment, I'll aim to have the next one up in a few days!

x