Hi all,
I'm sorry for the shortness, I'm writing a research proposal and a paper for this week and I don't have time. I did promise I'd update soon so here you go. Please review and I hope to post the next chapter mid-week.
Queen Satan: HA! Nicely worded :) Hopefully your curiosity will soon be quelled
crazy-chica6: I missed Mark too, and I think he needed to go away for a bit. But he's currently making a guest appearence.
Addiekatefan: I always like reading ff after finishing something. Glad you liked it.
McDayDreaming: I'm glad they are too, yah!
Greys4evr: Thanks for reading, here you go!
Right Hand Blue: to deal with the starvation. Enjoy.
Previously: Mark arrives for a visit and is charmed by Gracie
Summary: Mark approves of the life that his friends created, Derek is concerned about Meredith.
Chapter 55: Not so Strange(r) Anymore
After Addison returned to the diner, the chatter eventually turned to Mark's love life and Derek and Addison heard about several women, including one in particular. However in typical Mark fashion, it didn't work out.
"She was great," Mark sighed as he finished his story, "but just not right for me."
"It shocks me that you haven't found the one," Derek remarked lightly, "I mean I know you were head over heels for Addie, but come on man."
Mark laughed, and it didn't sound forced, "after you guys left, I realized that it was the right thing for you both, and it shows," he nodded approvingly, "you look wonderful."
"Thanks," Derek threw a loving look at his wife, but turned back to his best friend, "seriously man, you have to find a Mrs. Sloan."
Mark shook his head, "time to show me this new house of yours," he hinted and Derek let him off the hook.
"I'm ready to go right now," Addison spoke up, "why don't we head back and we'll meet you there."
Gone were the days Derek would have hesitated, "I have stuff at the hospital to get," he acknowledged, "See you soon."
Addison gave him a quick kiss on the lips, and then reached for Mark's offered arm, "hurry up, the hot tub is waiting," she reminded him.
Derek watched them walk away, Addison teasing Mark about something and heard Mark's groan. He laughed softly to himself; they really were all good friends.
He headed back across the street and entered the hospital, nodding to a few people he knew, before heading up to neurosurgery; once there, he signed his charts and checked on his post-ops. It had been a good few days, successful surgeries and no one had died. He mentally knocked on wood and headed towards the nurses station.
"Sandy," the nurse on call glanced up at him.
"I'm headed out," he hesitated, "page me if anything comes up, but Dr. Nolan should be on call."
"We'll get him first, have a nice evening," she smiled at him. Derek tried hard to be nice to the nurses at all costs and it paid off, he didn't feel like dagger eyes were always following him. He knew that many surgeons were not so careful, and Mark Sloan – despite his good heart – had his moments. Many nurses back in NY steered clear of him. His thoughts drifted to Mark. He was thrilled to have his friend out visiting, but concerned because Mark seemed to attach so little to personal connections. Derek sighed inwardly, that wasn't fair of him he supposed, to make those generalizations. Mark held his friendship with Derek, and with Addison, very close. He had been a great caretaker of Derek's group of sisters after he met them, and he was endlessly thoughtful towards those he really cared about. Why then the lack of a partner? Derek knew that Mark was a bit of a manwhore, but still, he believed that Mark wanted and could have the type of relationship he and Addie made together.
Derek headed back towards the elevator lost in thought, but was diverted from his musings by a sniffle
He backtracked to the closet and glanced around him before pushing the door open. His heart tightened as he took in the figure sitting on the floor leaning against the storage rack, head on knees, crying as if her heart was broken.
"Meredith?"
Meanwhile:
"So you're happy," Mark studied the woman next to him who was concentrating on rush hour traffic.
"Yes I am," there was no hesitation in her voice.
"You and Derek are good," he waited for confirmation.
"Yes, we're finally back on track," he could see how content she was. It was like old times where they could have been the only two people on earth.
"How is he," Mark hated to break her happy world apart, but he had to know.
She shot him a questioning glance, "he's doing great Mark, he hasn't had any issues lately," although she appreciated his concern, she resented it as well.
"I believe you Addie, I've just known him a while, and I wanted to make sure that there wasn't anything I should know," Mark assured her.
"Okay," she took a soft breath trying to calm down.
"And you, are you thinking about more children," he knew he was pushing, but he wasn't around them anymore and therefore wasn't sure what they were thinking.
"The time is almost right, we got the house together, and we're both settled in and happy at our jobs," she responded, "we just want a little longer being happy and okay together before we really decide to bring a child into the mix."
It sounded like AddisonandDerek logic to Mark, smart, confident and cautious.
"I can't wait to be an uncle," he mused.
"Oh," Addison shot him a glance, "seriously Mark?"
"Why not," he looked slightly offended.
"Well," she hesitated, "you've never really been interested in kids."
"I like kids," he protested, "didn't you see me with Gracie?"
Addison shrugged, "she's one kid Mark, and she's not yours so it's not like that means a huge amount."
"What part of, uncle, wasn't clear?" He glared at her.
"Right," she responded, "sorry."
She saw the look of uncertainty on his face and felt bad, he had gotten along relatively well with Gracie and she knew that he wanted to be an uncle, that part of him probably liked kids even more than he realized.
"Our kids will be really lucky," she finally said.
His eyes shot to hers and softened seeing the understanding and sincerity in hers.
"I could rent a place out here for a month during the summer so I could spoil them rotten, where's a good place to look," he asked.
"Slow down there," she cautioned, "they're not in existence yet."
Mark shrugged, "okay if you say so."
Minutes later the scenery was far more remote and Mark made a face, "Addison?"
"Yes," she kept driving.
"You aren't some crazy ax murderer are you," he inquired, "you're not taking me far away to dipose of the body once I'm dead are you?"
"Mark, we don't live in the city," she reminded him rolling her eyes.
"Or in the suburbs," he remarked glancing at the window at the trees.
She rolled her eyes as she made a left up the driveway, and Mark whistled as they pulled up to the house.
"Damn Addie," he climbed out and grabbed his bag from the backseat.
"It's nice huh," she said, "makes living out here alright by me."
"Yeah I guess it does," he dropped his stuff on the floor and headed into the living room while Addison went to find them some drinks.
"What would you like," she called out.
"Anything's good," he responded his eyes taking in their new life. He was impressed; it was stylish, but friendlier than New York.
"You've really made this place into a home," he headed towards the kitchen.
"We felt like an open place was good for us to spend time in together," she poured him a drink, "the brownstone wasn't really about living, it was about having a place to sleep."
"Here's to you and Derek," he raised his glass to hers and she smiled back.
Back at the hospital.
Derek closed the door behind him and studied the figure, it was certainly Meredith Grey.
"Meredith," he stepped closer.
"Dr. Shepherd, please go away" he knelt in front of her at the use of his title.
"Meredith," he tried again. She was freaking him out.
"Please leave," she begged him, her voice shaking.
"Not until you tell me what's wrong," he settled onto the floor next to her. He debated wrapping his arm around her, but decided to let this conversation run its course. He didn't want to spook her.
"It's not a big deal," she protested still not looking at him.
Derek didn't bother to respond to that, instead he waited. She couldn't deny that she was upset if she wanted to and the fact that he wasn't going to leave would eventually cause her to crack. Suddenly a thought came to him.
"Is Gracie alright," he asked worriedly, ready to leap into action if he needed to.
Meredith nodded, "she's with Lexie."
Derek fell silent again, breathing fully, and his mind working furiously, what had happened to her?
"Did the medivac go okay," he inquired, "did something happen in the field."
Again, a shake of the head and nothing was said.
"Meredith, if you don't talk to me, I can't help," he finally said patiently.
"There's nothing you can do to fix this," she whispered. His mind was once again filled with horrible images.
"Are you pregnant," he inquired suddenly and was rewarded by the sight of two horrified eyes.
"God no," she wiped the tears away and managed a shaky laugh.
Derek mentally crossed that off the list and studied her face trying to figure out what had gotten to the young woman, who was normally so composed.
"I'm not good at guessing games," he finally said, "is it that you're sick, having trouble with rent, lost a patient, please talk to me."
"Mark Sloan," those two words were not what Derek had anticipated.
Part of him groaned internally, how had he gotten to her so quickly? Then he frowned in confusion, he couldn't have.
"What about Mark," he hesitated, "did you meet him today, I thought you were out, how'd you know he was around," he asked.
"Gracie," she finally said, "she met him."
Derek felt like an idiot, Gracie would have told Meredith all about him.
"She probably isn't that attached yet to him," he said finally uncertain in tone, Gracie wouldn't mind when Mark left. He knew Meredith was concerned about her daugther making attachments that weren't going to last.
"It's not that," Meredith said looking down.
"Right," he hesitated again trying to figure out what was going on.
There was silence from her end and then Derek felt like he'd been hit over the head, it wasn't possible, was it?
"Meredith?"
She met his gaze seeing the disbelief in his eyes, and her eyes welled up again.
He stared at her and watched as the tears spilled down her cheeks, suddenly it was all starting to make sense, horrible horrible sense.
"Is he Gracie's father," he croaked out.
