"I did not move here to take him away from you, Meredith," Addison started once Meredith entered the lab. The resident was surprised, she did not expect that to be the older woman's greeting to her.

"I…" Meredith trailed off, not really knowing what to say. That is indeed her current major fear, but she had been struggling to voice it out, in fear of sounding paranoid and petty.

In the three months Addison and Amelia moved to Seattle Grace, it's all Meredith could think about, especially when it seemed as if Derek and Addison had been frequently hanging out even when it isn't for consultations… granted, well, that there's the constant third party presence of Amelia or Mark and Callie and Arizona or at times, all of them, but still.

The mess of their past still haunts her and it doesn't help that her relationship with Derek is currently going through a rough patch.

"I wasn't…" Meredith tried once again. She did not want to look petty, much less in Addison Forbes Montgomery's presence. If Addison Montgomery-Shepherd once scared her for some reason, the woman's current set of names just downright made her tremble. It's as if she could just make Meredith disappear in just a snap of her fingers—that's how much power her name holds.

Addison has already established how she was far better than Meredith—no, Addison didn't say she was better but that's how Meredith felt whenever she's near Addison because the woman is practically perfect when she should be that kind of vindictive villain character ruining her and Derek's lives but she isn't and Meredith hates that.

Wait, no, she doesn't hate the fact that Addison isn't ruining their lives.

What?

"Oh, come on. Your husband might be questionably blind, but I see the looks you give us when we hang out. We were really close friends before we were... you know, and we're just trying to recover that." Oh, she knows. She perfectly knows because it's all Derek can talk about these past few weeks, Addison this, Addison that. Well, it was a mixture of his fun times with Addison and Mark or Addison and their med school friends but Meredith can't help how her ears ring whenever Derek says Addison's name.

"There's no need to lose any sleep about it because, well, I—there's just no need to worry, alright?" Addison gave her a sad smile if smiles can even be sad, and it really creeped Meredith out. Addison Montgomery was a fearless, sarcastic, happy, and borderline constantly "flirty" person (which actually confused her greatly and made her question whether the woman was flirting with her back when they were still fighting for Derek's heart), and everyone she meets knows that nothing can take the woman down.

As much as Meredith doesn't want to see it, she, and everyone else, is deeply aware something happened with Addison in California that made her come running back after almost three years of leaving Seattle, a place she despises.

If even Meredith, someone who gets to be the most "detached" person from Addison, can notice something's wrong, then why isn't anyone from her tight group of friends seem to be doing something?

"Yeah… thanks." Meredith just nodded, smiling back at the woman. She got a pat on the back—weird—as the redhead went out of the room.

"Keep 'em coming." Amelia eyed Addison warily as she downed her shot of vodka. Stupid California people. The sound of people entering Joe's distracted Amelia, making her turn to look at the newcomers, only to cringe as she saw her brother and Mark enter. She knew she had to stop them from going near the moment both men's eyes laid on them.

And when more people entered the bar, bringing in Callie, Arizona, and Bailey, Amelia knew she might lose the battle. It's five against one after all. But hey, she was once called Hurricane Amelia for a reason.

Amelia made Joe keep an eye on Addie before going to war. She stopped Derek midway, who was leading the race over who can get to Addie and Amelia's spot the fastest.

"Stop, leave her be." Amelia raised both of her hands, ready to push Derek if worse comes to worst.

"Amy, the both of you left the hospital three hours ago. Can you honestly tell me she hasn't been drinking since then?" Amelia had to bite her cheeks to not say anything.

"Just trust me, okay? Leave her be. At least… today, okay?" Amelia looked at the other people behind Derek who had the same mission as him.

The first ones to warily go were the three women, who obviously were reasonable enough to listen to her. They know when to back out respectfully and when to pick and prod on things because they understand. Why can't Mark and her brother be like that too?

"At least tell us what the hell happened?" Amelia just stared at Mark as the man looked at her earnestly, demanding answers. A lot. A lot happened in a pretty short time. And a one-line answer cannot cover it enough.

"You know she will kill me if I tell you," Amelia said matter-of-factly.

"She's going to poison herself with the rate she's going, Amelia," Derek snapped, his eyes not leaving his ex-wife's form, which was struggling to stay upright.

"The bar isn't big enough for me not to hear all of you hissing... talking 'bout me," Addison slurred, downing the gin Joe placed in front of her. Her numbed tongue didn't catch the shot being practically water. Though, Addison fleetingly wondered why the hell the liquid soothed her mouth instead of satisfyingly burning it.

"Addie, how about we go home?" Amelia asked, as she went over and held the redhead's arm tightly. This was the first time she was the responsible one and it is not fun at all. This is the only night Addison gets to do this to her.

"No." Addie breathed out. "I'm staying here 'cause if I go home I have to drink champagne and smile and watch the happy family and I don't wanna watch the happy family." The sob Addison elicited made Amelia's hold tighten on her arms. She was talking about a different home and it made Amelia's heart ache for Addie. And it just fueled her anger more to every person in the practice. It was one of the reasons why she went with Addie in Seattle—she also can't bear to watch them play house on Addie's behalf, as if the months with Addie did not happen.

"I should be the happy family," Addison whispered. "We were the happy family. He told me he wasn't the marrying type yet here we are. Fucking voodoo doctor."

Amelia watched as Addison downed another shot of the clear liquid again and when she looked at Joe and the man shook his head, she knew it was water.

"I hate him, Amelia. I wish him a lifetime of misplaced acupunctures and needles and toxic clays." Amelia did not even dare to look behind her and see the two knuckleheads listening to Addison spill the tiniest bits about her California life. "But I don't… I… wanna go back."

"Addie, let's just get you home, alright?"

"I have to go back… maybe if they'll see me it will go back to you know, when she was gone?"

"Addie…"

"I know but it wasn't fair."

"Addison." Amelia glared as her brother went to Addie's other side, making the drunk woman turn to look at him.

"You're Derek." That made Derek look at her amusedly. "But… Derek was shot… didn't he die?" Derek raised an eyebrow at his little sister, who was just holding her forehead in frustration.

"Screw it. Give me one, Joe," Amelia said, catching the bartender's attention.

"Yes, I was shot, Addie. But I didn't die," Derek said, supporting Addison's struggling form.

"He okay now?"

"Yes."

"Good. I wanna go home." When his little sister sighed after downing her drink, Derek felt Addie lean all her weight on him. He watched as Amelia stood up to get ready and he felt a hint of disappointment, as he wished right now that Amelia isn't as caring to Addie.

"How about I take her?" He offered, looking at Amelia. He saw how there was a flicker of hesitation that flashed on her face as she looked at Addison, contemplating the pros and cons.

"I won't do anything, Amy," Derek rolled his eyes.

"I don't know… I should…" Derek smiled at his sister, actually proud at the moment as he saw that she was indeed capable of being responsible… though it was no surprise because Amelia always liked Addie better than everyone else. More likely because Addie was the only one on her side when everyone else turned their backs on her during the time she needed them most.

"I'll make sure she gets settled in okay. You have fun here, you deserve it." They both know that Amelia struggled with the two craniotomies simply because they were scheduled too close to each other and Derek was in another surgery all day. After a moment's hesitation, Amelia nodded, sitting back on her stool by the bar.

"Don't let her drink too much, Mark." Both of the still somewhat sober people rolled their eyes at him. Of course, he'll be back to his debatably "protective" and "judgmental" brother. "I'm serious."

"Take care of her, Derek. Please?" When Derek looked at Amelia's eyes, he knew how she badly wanted to tell them what's going on with Addie, but it was obviously not her story to tell. They were all just waiting for Addison to burst and they don't even have a clue what to do.

Once upon a time, Derek knew exactly what Addison wants and needs. But, that was before. And he hates how he feels like he doesn't know Addie anymore, despite it being supposed to be that way. They divorced, parted ways, and went to move on with their lives and he was okay with it. But now that he saw Addie, he felt this giant weight pressing on his shoulders as he saw with his very own eyes how she wasn't his Addie anymore, the person who he can read so well even with closed eyes.

He carried a passed out Addison out of Joe's, ignoring the piercing looks her other friends were giving him. Between him and his ex-wife, he was the one who spent more time in Seattle, yet she still managed to win over the few sensible people in the hospital.

The ride to Addison's house was quiet, with Addie remaining unconscious in the passenger seat. The house was one of the things that rang the red alarms for him and Mark. In the time Addison stayed in Seattle when they were blindly playing fire with their crumbling marriage, she never once showed any hints of buying a house on her own and making her stay permanent. Yet this time, without any heads up of her moving back, she bought a house and nothing screams serious California (and New York) issues than that.

Derek carried Addison inside, the woman muttering incoherently. Her skin was clammy, but had he not known how Addison's relationship was with alcohol, he would have sent her to Seattle Grace rather than back at home.

He gently laid her down on her bed, the woman moving to her usual fetal position. Derek placed a kiss on her forehead and stared for quite some time. He was about to leave when Addison began to sob, making him stop and rush back to her.

"Addie…" He tried to shake her awake, but she just continued sobbing, making Derek go crazy with what he has to do.

"I don't want to leave Lucas." Derek just stared, not knowing his next move. Her eyes were half-open, and he knows how they really can't see anything past the drunken vision and tears.

"I don't want to leave him…" Addison continued and Derek cursed. He has no idea what she was saying and as much as he wants to pry and question the woman, he wishes right now that Amelia was the one who brought Addie home. Because she knows exactly what to say.

"I want to stay." Derek just held his ex-wife's flushed cheeks, wiping the tears that were continuously falling from her eyes.

"Make me stay." Derek's breath was caught in his throat when Addison looked directly at him with those sad eyes. Her hand was gripping his sleeves tight enough. He did not move his hand off of her face, and when she weakly pulled him closer, his body just moved along with the force.

He felt Addison's hand travel to his nape, making him feel something in his chest. This was the first time in a long time that he was this close to Addison, and he wondered how the hell he forgot his ex-wife's intoxicating charm, that even at her lowest points she still manages to be the most beautiful person in the world.

No.

He was pulled even closer and his mind was screaming at him to pull away, and Meredith. But it was as if he was frozen and all he can manage was to let Addison lead whatever the hell this is.

You're not even drunk, Derek.

When their lips were a centimeter apart, Addison's whisper finally broke him out of his trance.

"I don't care if you're in love with her. Please make me stay, Pete, please." He did not know whether it was the name that woke him up from whatever he was experiencing, or the way Addison spoke those words in the saddest voice he had ever heard from her, making him feel heartbroken for her over something he doesn't even have a clue about.

He pulled away, though not hastily, but it still made the woman sob harder, keeping her now empty hands closer to her body, as if she expected it to happen as if she was used to it.

He stayed there even though his mind was telling him to leave and go home to his current wife. He stayed because he can't will himself to leave Addie sobbing alone in a big house, obviously drunk enough to not see the reality anymore. His mind was reeling with questions and he was desperate to pick up his phone and call Naomi or Sam since both Amy and Addie weren't saying anything. But something was holding him back so he just continued to stay beside Addie until the woman stopped crying because sleep and exhaustion and alcohol won over her body again.