Chapter Thirty Six: Run From the Memory

"A girl could get used to this."

Derek glanced up briefly and smiled at Meredith before his hand moved to her scrub pants, deftly undoing the tie and sighing in relief when they slid down and she slipped out of them.

He grasped her waist and turned them around so that her back and not his was pressed up against the wall of the elevator.

"I thought we had rules against this," she said, as his lips slid down her neck.

"Screw the rules."

His lips moved back up to cover her mouth. She wrapped her leg around his waist and pulled their bodies closer together.

Moments later the mood changed from playful to intense, and he hurriedly undid his own scrub bottoms.

"I can't believe we're doing this here," she said, glancing around at the four metal walls.

"Couldn't resist."

He stared at her, stopping for a moment to take it all in. He kissed her, let his hands roam her naked form.

"God, I've waited so long for this..."

He plunged inside of her. He met her eyes for one moment as he moved, rhythmically.

"I love you," she murmured, tilting back her head and letting her eyes slide shut. He kissed her neck.

"I love you, too."

Derek was awoken by an alarm. He groaned and quickly covered himself with a pillow when he noticed Addison watching him.

Sighing, she moved further away from him in the small trailer and waited for him to get up with her back turned.

As he sat up he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror: of the shiner over his eye, of his sleep deprived eyes, the two day's worth of growth on his jaw.

And written all across his features, the terrifying realization that once again, the love of his life had chosen Mark over him.

For the thousand time in the last two days the image of them together flashed before his eyes. He forced it out and went to Addison.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"Maybe better than you."

Addison abruptly turned away and moved toward the shower.

"Addison, come on."

She turned around.

"You told me you were going to try to get over it, Derek. You promised me."

"I am trying," said Derek.

"Trying? By punching her boyfriend in the hallway and telling the world that you're in love with her?" demanded Addison.

"He never said boyfri... I'm sorry. He just gets under my skin."

Addison sighed, wishing that it was because of her.

"It's actually kind of convenient. Ties it all up nicely," she said sarcastically.

"What?"

"No they're both sleeping with other people, specifically each other, it at least takes them out of the picture."

Derek dropped back onto the bed and buried his face in his hands.

"How long ago did you find out?" he asked abruptly, looking up. She sighed and leaned against a counter. He frowned, knowing he was on the cusp of learning something he didn't want to learn. "How long, Addison?"

Meredith was reminded of the first morning as she awoke, because what they'd experienced the night before had been so new. But it was better, less confusing, less terrifying. Less filled with the certainty that she'd made a mistake.

Noticing her stirring in his arms, he kissed her forehead.

"I missed you," she said abruptly.

"Mer we broke up for like, a day," he said, laughing.

"I know. Bad day." She ran her hand along the muscled arm she was resting on.

"Couldn't agree more."

She turned around in his arms so they were facing each other.

"Did Izzie take it well?" she asked nervously.

He shrugged.

"No. But she said she knew I'd been cheating on her, so maybe she won't be mad at you," he said hopefully.

"I didn't think you two were in enough of a relationship for this to be considered cheating," she said, moving out of his arms.

"We weren't really dating." He paused. "Because you always meant so much more to me and I couldn't get past it."

"So you want me to be your... girlfriend?" she asked hesitantly. He pulled her back into his arms.

"No."

"Oh," she said, feeling disappointed.

"I want you to be my wife. But I'm thinking you're not ready for that yet, so I guess we'll date first," he said.

"Oh."

"Dating's fun. We can have sleepovers and everything."

"Have sex a lot, to prove that it wasn't just fluke?" she suggested. He kissed her head.

"Oh, you can pretty much count on that."

She giggled and rolled on top of him.

"We have to tell my parents. Well they know, but we have to do it officially. But hey, at least my father's Chief of Surgery so you don't have to do it twice," she said.

"I know. I'm so grateful," he said sarcastically. "Though, I was looking forward to telling my boss that I was sleeping with his daughter in official and not personal capacity."

"Shame."

She leaned down, kissed him.

"Tell me about it."

"This is un-freaking believable," said Izzie flatly, banging George's door open.

"Oh. Hey, Izzie," he said in embarrassment, looking between her and Callie, who was with him in bed.

"Hey Callie."

Callie half rose, meeting George's glance in amazement.

"Hey, Izzie."

"Seriously. What is it with that girl? What's so amazing about her that it just makes men lose their minds?"

"Who?" asked George in confusion.

"Meredith!"

Callie stood up.

"I think I should just go."

Izzie glanced at her in annoyance, but didn't retort.

"You do get that I was busy?" demanded George, as Izzie walked over to lie on his bed. She scoffed.

"I just got dumped, and you can't take five minutes out of your sex time?" she asked.

"Wait, Mark dumped you?"

"For Meredith. Meredith!"

"He said that?"

"No, not specifically," admitted Izzie.

"When you went in to this, you pretty much told him that it was okay he was in love with her and not you," reminded George.

"So not helpful right now."

"Got it."

"You get that that's everybody now? Cristina and Burke, Addison and Derek, Mark and Meredith, you and Callie."

"You forgot Alex," said George helpfully.

"Alex never has a problem with any of it."

"Going in, you knew it had to end like this. He's a jerk," said George vehemently.

"Just because Meredith likes him doesn't mean he's a jerk," she retorted. George rolled his eyes.

"I don't think he's a jerk because Meredith likes him."

Izzie smirked, already calmer.

"Sure you don't."

Burke watched in amazement as Cristina paced the length of their boxes filled apartment, her hand resting absently on her rounded stomach. As she opened her mouth as if to speak and then closed it.

"Something wrong?" he asked eventually. She stopped abruptly.

"No, why would you think so?" she asked, her voice forcefully cheerful.

"No reason."

She continued her pacing and stopped several feet later, as if realizing she'd been doing it. She glanced suspiciously at him.

"Even if something is wrong, just because you're my boyfriend doesn't mean I have to tell you," she said. He smiled.

"Boyfriend? You're expecting my child, we're living together, and all I get is boyfriend?" he asked.

"There's not really a term for what we have."

He waited, and slowly she moved to sit beside him on the couch.

"If I do tell you, I'm going to be telling you as my... partner in life, not as my superior," she said firmly.

He folded his newspaper and raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Okay."

"It's about Meredith."

"And her McDreamy?" he guessed, smiling. Cristina frowned.

"No, actually. About... her McSteamy."

Burke stared at her, uncomprehending.

"Wait, Sloan? Meredith is sleeping with Sloan? I thought he was with Izzie."

"Apparently he didn't think as much of it as you seem to."

"That's what the fistfight was?" he asked.

"Guess so. Addison blew their cover."

Burke nodded, obviously caught amongst the intricacies of the situation.

"And uh, you're bothered by this?" he asked. Cristina shrugged and leaned against his arm, which he put around her shoulders.

"Sort of relieved, but it's going to get messy," explained Cristina. Burke chuckled.

"Bailey must be going insane. All of her interns, sleeping with attendings," he speculated. She scoffed.

"What, I'm carrying your child, we live together and all we're doing is "sleeping together?" she mocked.

"Well we could be. I'm far from adverse to it."

She laughed and swung her leg over to the other side of him.

"Better not get used to this. Once the baby comes we'll be way too busy changing diapers to have sex ever," she said, leaning in to kiss him.

"Which I'm guessing is my fault," he replied, eagerly kissing her back. She fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, smirking.

"Baby, just about everything right now is your fault," she teased.

Author's note: So some of you seem to think that the story is pretty much over now, which is not exactly true. I have three more chapters written, and I still have to attain more closure before I finish it off.