Chapter 2
A/N: The long-awaited second chapter is now up! Enjoy!
The next few weeks pass in a blur of surgeries and procedures. Nothing much changes there; unfortunately, nothing much changes on the Addison/Meredith side of things either. The two have this comradery between them, a mutual acceptance that he doesn't quite understand but finds fascinating. (He's unsure if they'll give him an answer if he asks them - if they know the answer themselves)
Whenever Meredith is on Addison's service, he rarely sees either of them throughout the day, maybe once or twice in passing, but never long enough to get any kind of read on them. Instead, he gets glimpses of their days via the OR board. Nevertheless, he keeps an eye on them where he can, hoping to see an outward change. He sits in the gallery during their surgeries, hoping to see something, anything, that signaled that they'd seen what he already knew. He's disappointed when there's nothing.
Meredith has been on Addison's service for the last week; they'd been seen together in the halls a few times, walking closer together than just Attendings and interns should; it's never a mystery that the two spend their lunch working in Addison's office, though the redhead doesn't allow any other intern that same privilege. It irks him, just slightly, that neither woman see an issue with anything, but he manages to keep his annoyance from showing. Besides, keeping Derek away from Meredith had proven more difficult than he thought.
His best friend was constantly requesting the blonde for neurosurgeries, despite her need to get practice in the other specialties. McDreamy was being a McAss to the other interns, he'd overheard Stevens telling Karev and O'Malley one morning, all because he wasn't getting Meredith on his service. What seemed like every week, he went to the Chief to get Meredith on his service but was constantly turned down. He knew that the rejection was getting to Derek; he knew by the cold stares he threw the other Attendings when Meredith was assigned to them. His attempts to get Meredith alone to talk went unanswered, his pages ignored, or so Derek would tell him after work when they were drinking at Joe's.
He listened to Derek bemoan his "problems," while attempting to keep his anger in check. Never mind that he'd all-but pushed Addison to the side after their divorce was finalized, refusing to even acknowledge her attempt at a civilized friendship, but he'd been actively pursuing Meredith even before the ink was dry. When was he going to understand that he wasn't blameless in everything? Addison acknowledged her cheating, had been making amends, but Derek never saw past her mistake to realize that he'd cheated too. Sure, it was after the fact, and he could say that Addison and his marriage didn't exist after that night, but then why continue the marriage after Addison had shown up with divorce papers? And poor Meredith had been caught in the middle. He'd heard the whispers and rumors about her from the nurses, how she was a homewrecker and how could she? But how could they? How could the people that knew Derek was married not say anything? That was what pissed him off the most. Addison and Meredith were fed to the piranhas, wearing scarlet letters, while Derek was supposed to be a saint.
So, all in all, it had been a long few weeks, and everyone needed a break; it just so happened that Derek was stuck in surgery when he'd overheard Meredith telling her friends that she was going to the bar after work. And he hadn't meant to eavesdrop. It was just a convenient coincidence that he'd gone to get his charts at the same time Addison had sent Meredith after the labs in their case. So, he did the only logical thing and invited Addison - and Callie for an added incentive - out to Joe's after work. If he could get Addison out of the hospital setting, maybe then she'd see what was right in front of her. He could only hope.
The bar was buzzing by the time he joined Callie and Addison. His scotch was already at the table, the two women immersed in a conversation, already started on their drinks for the evening.
"Ladies," he greeted as he settled into the seat beside Callie, taking a grateful sip of the alcohol. It was definitely what he needed after today.
"You invite us and you're late," Callie said.
Addison laughed softly, muttering a "Typical" that he could hardly hear over the music and people.
"You know how it is," he grinned, casting a glance over at Bailey's interns, who've all managed to find a spot at the bar, "correcting intern mistakes is time-consuming."
"It's the handwriting really," Callie added.
"Hey, cut them some slack," Addison interjected, "we were interns too once."
"I definitely had better handwriting," he responded.
"That's why Richard had you re-writing your reports so much," Addison shot back with a wiry grin, and he was reminded of that intern year, how eager they all were.
"They really are something, aren't they?" Callie's voice brought him out of reminiscing, "You have a favorite yet?"
"O'Malley seems like a quick learner. The other interns call him double-oh-seven."
"Oh, that's not good." Callie replied with a soft laugh, one which Addison echoed.
"Addison does, don't you?" He teased, and Addison's cheeks went pink slightly, her laugh dying in her throat.
"I don't know what you're talking about. None of the interns this year want to specialize in OB or neonatal."
"You know what I mean."
"Oh please," Addison rolled her eyes and took a long sip of her wine.
"What am I missing?" Callie looked between them, "What, Addie has a crush?"
"Oh yeah she does."
"Ridiculous," Addison muttered, though her reddening face belied her.
"Is it Karev? Because I mean, he's attractive, in a rugged sorta way, you know?"
"No, not Karev," he grinned.
"Shut up, Mark," Addison glared at him.
"Oh, O'Malley then?"
"Nope," he replied, popping the p, "getting warmer though, Torres."
"Burke?" She guessed and then shook her head, "No, he has that 'secret' relationship with Yang. Is it Yang?" Callie turned to Addison, "Is it…"
"It's no one," Addison insisted, "Mark is reading too many romance novels."
"So, if I go over there and tell her to come over, you'll be fine with that?" Addison's glare could've melted him on the spot, and he smirked, "Fine, fine, I won't tell Torres that it's Stevens then."
Addison scoffed, "Like I'd have a crush on the person who fell in love with a patient."
"No, just the woman who slept with your ex-husband."
Callie looked between them, enthralled, waiting for Addison to dismiss the claim. Instead, Addison looked away.
Callie grinned, her eyes alight with mischief, "What, you deny all the others but not…"
"There's nothing to deny because I don't have a crush on anyone," Addison cut her off.
"You let her into your office to work. You don't let any other intern do that," he countered.
"People gossip, and it's distracting. I do working lunches with the other interns, just not in my office because the other interns don't get stared at all day by nosy nurses."
"She knows which OR room you prefer, your coffee order."
Addison arched an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips, "She knows your coffee order too, Mark. Do you want me to go around saying you have a crush on her too? She's detail-oriented, she pays attention."
"So hostile, Addie," he returned the smirk, "What do you think, Torres?"
"I think that I don't want to get in the middle of whatever you two have going on," Callie said, standing, "I'm going to get refills."
As Callie headed towards the bar, he glanced over at Addison again. She was refusing to look at him, her cheeks flush with both annoyance and embarrassment.
He smiled softly, "If it makes you feel any better, I think she likes you too."
That got the desired reaction, bright emerald eyes swiveling to his blue. But instead of the hopeful look he'd expected to see, he was met with a dark, stormy one.
"Don't," she hissed.
"Addie…" he began.
"Meredith Grey has had enough emotional trauma to last her a lifetime. She doesn't need to get involved with someone as fucked up as me," The bell chimed, signaling a new arrival, and he watched the light in Addison's eyes dim slightly. He turned to look, but a part of him already knew who'd just entered the bar, "Besides," Addison continued, her eyes following Derek's every move, "What chance do I have?"
He caught sight of Meredith then, glancing over at their table, not even aware of his eyes on her as she focused her attention on the redhead beside him. More than you think, he mused to himself.
A/N: Thanks for reading this chapter! More to come! Please review!