Fandom: Grey's Anatomy
Character: Addison & Derek
Rating: T
Status: In progress
Disclaimer : Characters and show belong to Shonda Rhimes. Title of the fiction belongs to the Umbrellas.
Author's Note: I've finally decided the length of this story. It will be 15 chapters long. I've already planned everything and, with 15 chapters, things won't get boring nor ridiculous. The last thing I want is my story becoming unrealistic, boring or taking like ten days to update it because I'll run out of ideas, eventually. That being said, I hope you guys will understand. & I'd also like to thank you all for your lovely reviews. Usually, I always send you a reply but this is my way to thank also the not-registered users, to those who I can't send a reply. Oh when I first wrote this chap, the end was completely different! Enough, enjoy the chap!

Just like ships, we float through each other's lives.

- Chapter 9 -

[ The Breakfast Club ]

It was 8.30 am when Meredith Grey arrived home. It had been a long night at the hospital and she couldn't wait to cuddle next to her boyfriend, Derek Shepherd. She knew his shift would start in eight hours and so did hers, so they had some time to spend together.

The blonde intern opened the front door and walked to her own bedroom. While opening its door, she realized that Derek wasn't sleeping in their bed but he was already dressed, ready to leave. Actually, he was putting his favorite dark blue coat on.

"Hey" she greeted him. A big smile curved her lips.

"Hey" he replied, absently. His mind was busy thinking about something else.

"Where are you going?" she asked him, curious "I thought we could spend some time together, you know" she added, walking closer to him. Her voice was malicious and seductive.

"I'm having breakfast with Addison" he simply said, giving her his best McDreamy smile.

"You what?" those two words came out f her mouth shocked and cold, almost angry.

"Breakfast. With. Addison." He repeated, pronouncing every single word clearly.

"I got that, Derek" she counteracted "But… why would you do that?"

"We need to talk about Melanie" he let her know, caressing her cheek.

"Melanie here, Addison there" she hissed.

"What's wrong, Meredith?" he asked her while walking out the bedroom.

"What's wrong, Derek?" she was now yelling at him "Seriously?"

The neurosurgeon didn't even reply. Meredith was pissing him off and he didn't want to fight with her that early in the morning nor to arrive late at his breakfast date with Addison.

"You still love her, don't you?" Meredith growled as he was opening the front door.

"Meredith, come on" he replied, coldly "Melanie's my daughter too"

"I know that... It's just…" Meredith swallowed, her voice was starting to tremble "I'm scared you'll take her back… I'm scared that you'll pick her over me, Derek" her voice was so low that he could barely hear her words.

"Honey, it won't happen" he reassured her and entwined her tiny body in a warm hug "I'll go now. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay" she placed a soft kiss on his lips.

Derek inattentively kissed her back, let go of her and left.

xxx

It was 8.55 am when Addison entered the hospital's Cafeteria. She had spent the last night by Mel's bed. The little girl woke up at 7.00 am and was feeling a lot better than the other days. Her skin was rosier, her eyes deeper, her voice louder.

That made Addison happy and relieved at the same time. Her only daughter was doing good, she would have been perfectly healthy soon. The redhead had something in her mind: she wanted to get Melanie discharged and move back to New York with her. Amelia and Archer would have taken care of her once back in their city.

The neonatal surgeon didn't spot Derek in the crowd so she just sat at a table, waiting for him. He arrived then minutes later.

"I'm sorry I'm late" he apologized, panting.

"Don't worry" she smiled as standing up.

"Good. Let's get us something to eat. I'm starving!" he exclaimed.

"Me too" she agreed.

The two Shepherds walked to the Cafeteria's retainers. A brunette girl with hazelnut eyes smiled at them, inviting them to order.

"I'll take an Espresso, two sugars, and a donut. For her a blueberry muffin and a Vanilla Latte, half sugar."

Addison couldn't help but smile. After all those years, he still remembered her favorite things to have for breakfast.

Derek realized that he had just done what he used to do first when they were in Med School and then when they were a married couple; he always ordered for the both of them. He knew exactly what she liked and what she didn't like to eat. He chuckled a little.

"Some things never change, huh?" he joked, trying to snuff the tension out.

"Apparently" she giggled.

The Shepherds walked to a table, sat and started to eat, peacefully.

"How is Melanie doing today?" he asked, carefully.

"She's fine" she replied, politely.

The scene got awkward once again. They were silent, chewing their food, trying to avoid the real conversation they should be having. This was the first meal they had had together after almost four years, after all.

"I should have called you back" he broke the ice. His voice was uncomfortable.

"I appreciate that, Derek" she hissed, without looking at him.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he continued. It was like he was begging Addison's pardon. He didn't want to fight with her but he wanted her to know that he was really sorry for running away like that.

"Let's not talk about this" she swallowed the last piece of her muffin "About us" she cleared her throat, trying to be strong. The memory of that night was still vivid in her mind "We're here for Melanie. Remember?"

"Absolutely" he agreed "I was serious when I said I wanted shared custody. I know it will take time but I want to be here with her. The thing I want the most now is being part of my daughter's life"

"The point is…" Addison started and took a deep breath "Melanie's just gotten out of a high risk surgery. She'll need to process the news of you being her father" she looked down.

"Does she even know she has a father?" he asked her, out of the blue.

"Kind of" she sighed deeply "I told our daughter that her father moved to another state before she was even born. She also knows that you're my husband and that we're not together anymore because I messed up"

"Shit!" he contested, his voice a little louder.

"What I was supposed to tell her, Derek?" she asked, trying her best not to raise her voice because she didn't want to fight with him once again.

"I don't know" he whispered, looking down and shrugging.

"It hasn't been easy for me" she confessed.

The guilt started to take over Derek's soul. Those words hit him like a punch in the face. Honestly, when Addison told him the truth about Melanie, he hadn't thought about his wife raising a child on her own.

"Like you said, let's not talk about the past" he suggested.

She smiled at him and allowed herself to get lost in his blue eyes just for few seconds. Memories flashed before her eyes but she couldn't think about all the precious moments she had spent with Derek Shepherd in her life, she had to think about her baby daughter.

"So…" she cleared her throat "You really want to be a part of her life, don't you?"

"She's my daughter too, Addison" his voice was now calm, relaxed.

"I know that" she smiled, noticing that every time he used the word daughter related to Melanie, his eyes sparkled, vivaciously. An incredible warmth surrounded her heart "We'll tell her the truth. Soon. I promise"

"I've lost too many years of her life already" he admitted "I'd like to do it as soon as possible"

"Just give her few more days. Please"

"One week" he offered "Fair enough?"

"Fair enough" she nodded "You see…" she inhaled and exhaled deeply "We've been civil around each other for like half an hour!"

They burst out laughing simultaneously. For just one moment, their eyes met. Derek's eyes were full of joy, happiness; Addison's eyes were shining more than diamonds. For the first time in years, they were laughing their hearts out together. She felt complete and warm inside, he felt the comfy feeling he hadn't felt in almost four years.

"Well…" he broke that moment because he was starting to feel embarrassed "I should go now"

"Actually…" she mumbled "I should go too"

The two doctors left the Cafeteria and walked together out of the hospital. He was headed to Meredith's house, she to her hotel.

The weather was dizzy and foggy. She hated that. He was used to that.

They took few steps to Derek's car and then they stopped and stood one in front of the other.

"It's been nice… you know" he whispered "Talking to you again. I mean, talking to you for real"

"Yes" she half-smiled. She didn't want him to go, she didn't want him to leave her. No matter how much he had hurt her in those days, she loved him so much that she would have forgotten all tears she had shed for him.

He gave her a quick pat on the shoulder, mumbled something and left. She felt the urge to kiss him, to hug him like she used to do when they were young but she knew that it'd be inappropriate so she simply smiled and walked away.

The redhead called a cab and during the run she cried some silent tears. Not tears of sadness, tears of loneliness. She had just realized how lonely and abandoned she felt. Melanie was all she had but she also needed Derek to feel complete. Probably, she would have never gotten him back but she needed to believe that, eventually, things would have gotten better for the two of them. She needed it in order to survive.