Alright kiddies, here's the next chapter.

It's still the usual I don't own them. I'll never own them, so never sue me, please. :)

Home part 1

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Addison paced around the empty elevator, quicker with each 'ding' of every floor. She was back in Seattle, two days early, nonetheless. She caught a red eye back last night, told the door man of the apartment building to get her suitcases up to her room, and went straight to Derek's apartment.

She couldn't stop thinking about the last phone conversation they had, where she told him she had decided to move back to New York, even without him. That was two days ago, and neither had spoken since, neither had called each other since. It wasn't that she had changed her mind and she couldn't wait to tell him about it, because she hadn't. She still wanted New York, but if Derek didn't, then she wanted to know now—immediately. She couldn't go on for two more days wondering if what they had worked on for the last six months or so was a waste because in the end, they wanted different things and neither was willing to make the sacrifice.

She took her time when she got to his door, hands in her pocket clenching into tight fists. She closed her eyes and exhaled loudly and was about to—"Mark!" She jumped when she heard the door behind her opened.

He gave her a funny look, "You're back early…."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she cut him off. She really wasn't in the mood to talk to him at this moment. "Anyway, you're going to be late for work. And oh, don't tell Richard I'm back already."

"That's exactly what Derek said when he got back early…," he mused, "Without you…."

Her eyes widened, "Wha…what do you mean…. He hasn't been working?! Where the hell is he?!"

Mark deadpanned, "I don't know."

"Mark," she threatened.

"I don't know," he insisted.

"Mark!"

"Okay, okay! When I left to the gym, I saw him on his way out with his fishing gear." He paused, "He said he was going to "the land"."

"That bastard," she muttered under her breath.

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Derek sat motionless, staring at the old black and ivory keys of the piano in front of him. The piano that was his birthday present for Addison four years ago. He spotted it in a window display of a piano vintage shop in the Village one afternoon. He knew he had to get it the moment the store manager told him the details of the instrument. It was the same model as Addison's grandfather's piano; the one Grandpapa Forbes used to teach little Addie how to play in her childhood.

He grazed his fingers on the keys, he was not an expert at this, neither was Addison. She only knew the basic her grandfather taught her before he passed away, and he only knew "Over the Rainbow" she taught him before they were too busy to spend a moment sitting beside each other on an old piano. He struggled to find the correct notes as he tried to remember what Addison had taught him. Slowly it came to him, but the music that filled the room was still one of untimely tempo and incorrect chords.

"You missed a note."

He abruptly stopped and turned around, "Addie…."

She walked over and sat next to him. Gently, she placed her hands on the fingers and played the song flawlessly.

"You're back early," he said softly when she finished.

She nodded, "I need to know if…if…." She couldn't bring herself to say it, yet. "What is this, Derek?" she asked, eyes wandering around the empty house, postponing the real question she needed to ask.

"Something I've been working on…" he answered.

"You never told me."

"It was supposed to be a surprise."

She fell silent, staring at her hands on her lap.

He placed one hand on hers, "I wanted to tell you, many times, that this is what's been keeping me busy."

She looked up, "I'm sorry."

He smiled sadly, "I was hoping that I could hold off showing you until next month."

She gave him a questioning look.

"For your birthday."

"Oh…." She felt so guilty.

He chuckled, "And I was praying to all the gods that Savvy and Laurie wouldn't let it slip either."

"They knew?!" Her head already planned a three way call to New York as soon as possible; she can't believe her bestfriends knew all along.

"Yeah, I asked them to send whatever we're not selling here." He stood up and offered his hand, "Come on, I'll give you a tour."

She took it and followed him and Addison stood dumbfounded by what she was seeing as Derek showed her around.

As she made her way, she expected to see Derek lounging in his chair by the lake waiting for a trout to catch his bait, and she had already worked up her temper complete with a speech—and perhaps one shoe—ready to be launched at his direction the moment she'd see him in his stupid bulky fishing vest. But then she stopped midway through the ranting in her head as she pulled up into the driveway. There was a house—a big gorgeous house—by the lake, and there was no fisherman Derek in sight, just his car—and the house, and Addison slightly forgot about the anger, and the speech—and the shoe.

"When did you start?" she asked as he led her up the stairs.

"After we got back from Boston. I called up the architect and the constructor after I sold the trailer."

"It's great," she admitted.

He smiled, "Look, Add, I'm not using this house to make you stay. When I started this, I just assumed we were making Seattle home, I didn't ask you if that was what you wanted as well. If New York is home…."

She pulled her hand out of his and crossed her arms in a defensive gesture. This was the reason she came back early. The worst she had expected, he was saying it at this moment, and it terrified her.

"And if you don't want Seattle, then I don't want this as well."

"Wha…what…" she stumbled, all bubbles of thought of her packing and moving back across the country alone and again started to burst.

"I'm coming with you. You've made a lot of sacrifices for us already, now it's my turn." He uncrossed her arms and let them fell to the side, "So…I'm saying that I'm coming with you…to New York…home."

"Do you realize what you're saying?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

He looked slightly amused, "Yes."

"Because I won't take anymore of your sudden anger or whatever it is that comes up in that head of yours when something brings back old memory..." she warned.

"Duly noted." He closed the space between them, "It won't be easy, but I'm working on it. Seriously this time."

"And this house…?"

He reached for her waist, "We could always build another home."

"So…we're moving back to New York," she said it out loud, she needed to hear it.

"As you wish, we are. Are you still mad at me?"

"I did have a thing or two to yell—or throw—at you as I was driving here…."

He laughed, and then slowly leaned down for a kiss.

"Better, dear?"

"Mmm…do it again…."

He did—longer.

"Better."

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I have to break this you, but this story is coming to an end. The next one is the very last chapter. I knew I wanted this story to have this ending since I wrote the second chapter. I've planned this to be a ten chapter story all along. It's just writing the space between the then and now that gives me headaches and makes me suicidal, and it's your reviews that keep me alive. Ok, that is cheesy…but true…. Soooo anyway, read and give me some love. :)

Next chapter: Home part 2. Secret: eerr, this is the very last chapter, no secret for you!