AN: Hey! Thanks for reading and reviewing the previous chapter. :) There were two people who asked about how I could write medical scenarios- I do have a bit of a medical background so it's a little easier to work around those. That said, I know it's not perfect as the hospital set-ups in different countries differ. But the medical facts are pretty much solid.
This chapter will show a bit of a canon Derek (e.g. moody AF and pretty childish). He was so petty when Addison first came to Seattle so unfortunately it's been hardwired in my brain that Derek is definitely immature in a lot of aspects. If I were to psychoanalyze him, it probably stems from being the only boy and his mother's favorite/ golden child, so he's used to getting his way. I'd like to hear your thoughts about it!
Anyway. On to the chapter!
Mark Sloan wasn't stupid. He could be purposely dense sometimes, but he wasn't stupid. And he most definitely wasn't blind. He knew for a fact Derek was still in love with Addison, and that Addison could still have feelings for him too. Addison was a little harder to read, and he was certain that after a divorce, she probably wasn't too keen on starting a relationship any time soon. Least of all with her ex-fiance.
But he knew Derek—knew those longing looks he sent her way, and the subtle attempts at spending time with her under the guise of friendship. But Mark also knew Derek wouldn't act on those feelings—he probably hasn't even admitted them to himself yet, or realized there could still be something between him and Addison. For one, he had Meredith, and Derek had the compulsive need to be the good guy that he would never hurt her if he could help it. But also, Derek had spent the better part of the last 8 years trying to get over Addison Forbes Montgomery and denying that there was an Addison-shaped void in his existence, and he wasn't about to give up that façade any time soon.
Mark was certain Derek and Addison just needed a little nudge. Maybe not to realize they still had feelings for each other and ultimately end up together. But they needed to rehash some of their past and talk about what happened, gain closure for the end of their relationship, even if it has been eight years since they broke off their engagement.
So one day while they were having lunch at the cafeteria, he suggested they all go to Westlake for a bit of shopping. Both Addison and Derek had given him skeptical looks at the mention of shopping, but he only shrugged.
"Addison needs some time outside the hospital," he had argued, "and she sure as hell won't go fishing with us."
Derek had given Mark a curious look, but at Addison's behest, he had agreed. So it was settled—they would all meet at Westlake Park on Saturday afternoon and accompany her to a bit of shopping, just to help wind down. Mark had made a good point when he said it was what Savvy or Nancy would do for her, so Derek agreed.
On Saturday afternoon, Addison and Derek stood at the park, waiting for Mark who was already 15 minutes late.
Derek gave Addison an apologetic look before he dialed Mark's number and waited for him to answer.
"Hello?"
"Mark, where are you? Addison and I are here," he said into the phone.
Mark sighed through the speaker. "I'm sorry man, I'm stuck at the hospital," he said as he shifted in bed, giving the blonde he just had sex with a wink. "I was paged for an emergency."
"An emergency?" Derek questioned incredulously, Addison looking at him with a bit of concern. "What kind of emergency does a plastic surgeon have?" he asked.
"Hey, plastic surgeons have emergencies," he said defensively. "I'm already about to scrub in," he said. "Tell Addie I'm sorry, okay? I'll make it up to you guys."
"Mark," Derek warned, somehow catching wind of Mark's ulterior motive. "What kind of emergency is it? You're not on call."
"It's a very emergent emergency," he assured as the blonde in his bed started nibbling on his other ear to get his attention. "I better go, the patient is already under and they're ready for me," he said, not giving Derek a chance to protest and clicking his phone shut.
Derek stared at his phone for a half second before he shook his head and looked at Addison. She had an expectant look on her face.
"He says he has an emergency," he stated dryly.
Her brow knit in confusion. "What kind of emergency does a plastic surgeon have? I thought that was precisely why he chose plastics."
"Your guess is as good as mine," he answered her apologetically, but inside he knew what Mark was up to. He was sure to get an earful from him once this excursion was over. He inwardly sighed and then smiled at Addison. "Well, no use wasting a trip down here. We can still go shopping."
Addison considered this before she nodded, blissfully unaware of Mark's hand in this solo time with Derek outside of the hospital. Shopping was shopping, and she wasn't going to turn down an opportunity to shop and have someone else carry the bags. So she grinned at him and led him straight to Sephora.
Derek stood dutifully beside Addison as she perused the blushes on the counter, sampling them on the back of her hand and asking Derek for his opinion. At any other time in the past, he would have groaned inwardly and protested vehemently at the thought of accompanying Addison to a shopping spree. The lady could spend hours debating which of two yellow dresses she was going to purchase, even if they looked like the exact same dress to his eyes.
"This shade is too warm don't you think?" Addison asked as she held her hand up to show Derek a swatch of blush.
Derek shrugged. "I'm not really sure I'm qualified to answer that question, Addie," he said.
Addison frowned, studying the back of her hand. "You can differentiate the AICA from the PICA in the Circle of Willis but you're not qualified to tell me if this shade is too orange?" she asked almost rhetorically. She shook her head, assessing the blush. "It'll look orange on me," she concluded, before she took another shade and swatched it. "What about this?"
Derek squinted his eyes under the harsh lights of the store. It was pinker, that he could determine. He shrugged again, burying his hands in his pockets. "It'll look more natural on you," he settled, smiling slightly.
Addison looked up and then chuckled. "That's kind of you to say, but you're right. You're the wrong person to ask," she said as she kept walking along the counter of make-up. "Matthew seemed to always know which shade of lipstick would look good on me. I guess that should have been a red flag. Stereotypical, admittedly. But whatever."
Derek shook his head with amusement. "You took him shopping a lot?"
"He was a much better trooper than you were," she laughed, "but somehow it didn't even occur to me why."
Derek shrugged. "Men are different. Some of them actually enjoy shopping," he said, following Addison along the counter.
She nodded. "I suppose you're right. But knowing the difference between robin egg blue and Tiffany blue should have been a dead giveaway. Also stereotyping here. God I have so much to learn."
He laughed at that. "All blue is the same to me," he answered diplomatically.
She paused from her assessment of the make up on the counter and turned to look at him. "No they're not," she stated. "Blue is your favorite color, but you don't like light blue, even if it does bring out the color of your eyes."
He stared at her before he nodded with a rueful smile.
"You like indigo," she pointed, continuing her walk down the counter. "All blue isn't the same to you," she said again.
He shook his head at her memory. Addison pointed that out to him, years ago. That his favorite color was blue, but not light blue. When she gifted him with a sweater in the perfect shade of the color, she told him plainly it was indigo, and he decided then it was his favorite shade.
When Addison mercifully finished perusing the make-up, they left the store and looked around. There were a lot of other stores she could go to—there was even a mall next to the monorail. But she looked at him and smiled apologetically. "Do you mind if we get some coffee? I haven't had any today and I have a caffeine headache."
Derek nodded, leading them to a nearby Seattle's Best and ordering them each a cup of brewed coffee. And then when he asked if he wanted to sit at the coffee shop, she shook her head and pointed to the small park they had met up in.
"It's a nice day out," she said.
So coffees in hand, they made their way to a park bench and sat down under a tree, giving them just enough shade and just enough sun. Addison sighed contentedly.
"This is so unlike you," Derek mused. "One store and you're knocked out?"
"Who says I'm done shopping?" she asked. "I just really need a coffee break, and I don't wanna carry around a cup while I look through the racks," she stated.
"You're strategic as ever," he said, shaking his head in amusement. "Remember that one time you, me, Sav and Weiss went to Woodbury Commons in Central Valley?"
Addison chuckled. "Which time?"
"That time when Savvy got into an argument with the Hasidic Jew over a Kate Spade purse."
Addison grimaced at the memory. They both reached for the same purse, and it was the last piece, and Weiss had to intervene because Savvy wouldn't let up.
"Ugh, back then it wasn't funny, because Sav looked about ready to knock that lady's teeth off," she laughed. "But now when I think about it… god, that was freaking hilarious. It was Savvy at an intensity we had never before seen."
"I didn't think she'd be so passionate about a purse," he answered, laughing. "Did she get that purse in the end?"
Addison shook her head. "Weiss promised to buy her a Chanel if she'd just let the lady off the hook."
"I hope Weiss made good on that promise," he said, clearly picturing Weiss' normally calm demeanor turned flustered at his new wife's indignance over a piece of consumerism.
Addison shrugged. "He was a new associate at that law firm and he wasn't swimming in a lot of cash," she pointed. "Pretty sure he paid for that Chanel purse for an entire year off his credit card."
Weiss and Savvy married when Addison and Derek were in their second year of residency. Savvy always thought they'd follow soon after, but Derek didn't propose until after they were done specializing. Derek wasn't swimming in money either, and he wanted to save up for a ring that was worthy of a Forbes Montgomery. Addison always insisted the ring didn't matter, but Derek wanted her to have the best. Funny now, Addison thought—if Derek wasn't so obsessed with saving up for a 2-carat ring, they probably would have married sooner. How different would their lives be now? (In the end, the ring wasn't even 2-carats)
"He always did love spoiling her," Derek commented. He hadn't seen or spoken to Savvy and Weiss in a long time. He and Weiss kept in touch a bit after he moved to Boston, but just like the contact with Addison, it fizzled out soon after. Anything and anyone from New York was a painful reminder of what he had to give up in pursuit of his dreams. For a while, even talking to Mark was unbearable. But when Mark moved to Seattle with him right after both their fellowships, Derek found he was the only person who knew all of his history with whom having a conversation didn't immediately feel like an interrogation.
Addison nodded in agreement after she took a sip of her hot coffee. "Imagine how he spoils her now," she answered. "He's made partner at the law firm and he's raking in so much a year."
"I'm sure Savvy isn't hurting for money," he pointed. Savvy was a lawyer too, and came from a well-off family from the south. In a way, that was what bonded him and Weiss—the common pressure to give their women the best in life because they were used to the best in life. Addison could definitely afford all of life's luxuries, and that pushed Derek to want to be the best he could be, so he could provide for her in the same capacity. It was toxic masculinity, he knew now, but back then he was far too naïve as to believe it was what Addison would have wanted from him.
"She isn't," she agreed. "But she likes Weiss' thoughtfulness. All her money goes into their retirement fund."
"How long have they been married for now?" he asked after taking a sip of coffee.
Addison frowned in thought. "Ten years this year," she answered. "Wow. Time flies fast doesn't it?" recalling that she was a bridesmaid and Derek was a groomsman for their wedding. And that didn't seem all too long ago. Definitely not a decade.
"It certainly does," he agreed, taking another sip. "Any kids yet?"
She shook her head. "Savvy's mom died of ovarian cancer last year," she explained.
"Wait, what? Catherine died?" Derek asked in shock. He'd met Catherine before. She and her husband were supposed to be godparents at his and Addie's wedding.
Addison nodded sadly in confirmation. "Her aunt died of it too, and her cousin who's about the same age as us, Mandy? You remember?"
Derek nodded, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Catherine had passed.
"Mandy has ovarian cancer too."
"Addie, that's terrible," he replied woefully. "That must have been real tough on Savvy."
She shrugged. "She took it really hard. And then when it was clear so many women in her family were getting it, she got tested for the gene."
"BRCA?"
She nodded. "She was positive."
Derek felt his stomach drop. "Addison. That's beyond terrible."
"I know," she agreed. "The moment she found out she had the gene, she decided she wanted a total hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy, and a bilateral mastectomy."
"She came to you for that, didn't she?"
She nodded solemnly. "She and Weiss had a huge fight over it. She didn't have cancer yet, and Weiss couldn't understand why she was doing it. They were planning on having kids."
Derek thought of Weiss, and how horrible it must have been to be in his shoes—torn between wanting to start a family with your wife, but also scared shitless for her health. "Did you do the surgery?"
She paused and then she nodded slowly. "It was what she wanted. She wanted more years with Weiss—she didn't want to be a ticking time bomb. Having the gene increased her chances of cancer immensely, it was almost guaranteed she would have it. And she didn't want to sit around and wait for it to happen to her. She took the reins, took control of her life, and decided she wanted to grow old with her husband."
Derek nodded thoughtfully. "Did he come around?" he asked.
"You know Weiss. He always comes around," she said, smiling at Derek slightly. "She did such a brave thing. I'm so proud of her."
"How are they now?" Derek questioned. He could imagine the mix of relief and devastation in Weiss, how he might have needed a friend through all of that. Sadly, when they lost touch, he missed out on so many opportunities to be that friend to him. Weiss was a good man.
"They've started the process of adoption," she replied. "There's a little girl in China that they're going to adopt. I think they'll have her by the end of this year."
"That's good," he commented. "But I mean—as a couple? How did they survive that?"
Addison paused, thinking of the answer to that. From her numerous conversations with Savvy, she knew they had oscillated between relief, joy, resentment and sadness so many times that it was dizzying and exhausting. There were lots of fights, yelling and screaming and hurtful words. But they always forgave. And Savvy never regretted doing the procedure. It was for Weiss as much as it was for herself.
She turned to Derek then, eyes soft and meaningful. "Love," she said simply. "They just… loved each other."
Derek held her gaze, suddenly feeling that ache in his chest that was all too familiar and was getting all the more frequent with Addison around. There was so much he could say to that, how love was enough for some people, but wasn't for others. How love manifested differently with different people, with different couples. But that would take the conversation to the tangent of AddisonandDerek, and the ache in his chest protested vehemently at that.
When Derek didn't answer, she just smiled at him and then continued sipping her coffee. She often envied the love between Savvy and Weiss. It was so pure, so honest, it was clear nothing in the world could separate them. Not even a BRCA gene that changed their lives dramatically. She wondered how she and Derek differed from them. Why, if they loved each other so consumingly, it wasn't enough to keep them together. It was the same with Matthew, too. She loved him profoundly, but it wasn't enough. It seemed she wasn't enough. The love she had to give to the men her life just wasn't of enough value as to keep them together. She wondered painfully why. But she supposed she would never get an answer to that. Derek and Matthew were in the past now.
They finished their coffee, went around a little, until Addison declared she was tired after buying a single thing from Saks Off Fifth just to avoid Derek's questioning gaze. She thanked him for a good day and then parted ways, thinking of Savvy and missing her today more than any other day since she moved from New York.
"How did shopping with Addison go?" Mark asked as he sat next to Derek at the bar counter at Joe's 2 days after the excursion.
Derek scowled at him. "You set that up on purpose."
"I invoke my right against self-incrimination," he replied smugly, and then ordered a scotch from Joe.
"You didn't have an emergency."
"I did have an emergency," Mark defended. The kind that needed a bed and a whole lot of privacy, not that privacy was necessarily a prerequisite.
Derek shook his head with a snort. "Oh yeah? What was it? STAT rhinoplasty? STAT tummy tuck?"
Mark shrugged, taking the scotch from Joe. "I can't tell you, man. HIPAA and all."
Derek glowered, taking a swig of his scotch. "You're unbelievable."
"You're deflecting though," he pointed. "How was it?"
"It was okay," was Derek's clipped answer.
Mark raised a brow. "Just okay?"
"Well, what were you expecting?" he asked. "She shopped, I followed. She asked for my opinion on make-up, I answered. She needed coffee, I got her coffee."
Mark rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but what did you talk about? That's the more important part."
Derek narrowed his eyes. "You can deny it all you want, but I know you set this thing up."
"I didn't," he insisted, keeping an innocent look on his face. "I really did have an emergency." At Derek's apparent skepticism, he sighed. "At least tell me you guys talked about something other than the hospital."
"We did."
"What did you talk about then?"
"I can't tell you, man," he mimicked. "HIPAA and all."
"Stop acting like a child, Derek," he scolded mildly, taking a sip of his scotch.
Derek glared at Mark before sighing. "We talked about Savvy and Weiss."
"Savvy and Weiss," Mark repeated thoughtfully. "Now those are names I haven't heard in a while. How're they doing?"
"Savvy had a TAHBSO and a mastectomy because she was BRCA positive," he said.
"Ouch," Mark winced. "That sucks." He knew Savvy and Weiss. Often triple-dated it with them by bringing a new chick each time. They were very close friends to Addison and Derek, and their lives ran such a parallel course that everyone who knew them thought Addison and Derek would marry soon after they did. Of course, that didn't happen. It took another 3 years before Derek proposed. And then the engagement was called off.
He nodded. "It does."
"Tell me she got a good plastic surgeon for her breast reconstruction," Mark answered ruefully.
Derek shrugged. "Addison didn't tell me who did her mastectomy."
"I'm assuming Addie did the lady parts though."
He nodded again, a frown on his face.
"Must've been tough on Addie too. Those two are like sisters."
"Closer than sisters," Derek remarked. They were roommates in college and were inseparable ever since.
"Why'd she get tested for the gene anyway?" Mark asked, swirling his drink in the glass.
"Catherine died of ovarian cancer."
"Catherine as in her mom who was supposed to be at your wedding?" he asked in a bit of shock.
Derek nodded ruefully. "The same one."
"Wow. That lady was so full of life the last time we saw her," Mark commented. "Life is so short."
"It is," Derek agreed, still frowning as he stared at his drink.
"It's short, so don't waste your time," Mark pointed as he took another sip of his scotch.
"Mark."
He shook his head. "I'm just saying. That's a reminder for both of us."
"Are you sure about that? Because it sounds an awful lot like you're trying to imply something," Derek remarked suspiciously.
"It's a general reminder," Mark defended. "But if it hits a nerve, then that's on you Derek. Maybe there are some things you gotta think about," he said vaguely before he downed his drink and stood up.
"What, you're leaving already?"
"I've got an emergency," he said cryptically.
Derek rolled his eyes. "Seriously, stop it with the emergencies. You and I both know you haven't had a real emergency in at least 5 years."
"Derek. I have to take a shit, and I'd rather not shit here in a dirty public toilet," Mark retorted shamelessly. "So do you mind if go now?"
"Fine."
"Thank you, you're so kind," Mark answered with an eye roll. He clapped Derek's back as goodbye and then headed out, leaving Derek to think about what Mark had just said.
…..
Addison sat next to Mark and Derek at the monthly attendings conference the following week, one leg tucked under the other in the way Bizzy taught her. She was dressed perfectly in a black bateau cut dress that cinched at her waist. Her white coat was draped on her lap, her hand fiddling with it as they listened to Richard drone about the ICU needing to be evacuated for a thorough disinfection because of a strain of A. baumannii was cultured from a sample taken from a bed rail.
Derek sat next to her, his foot tapping rhythmically on the carpeted floor, not really paying attention. And Mark was being Mark, scanning the room for any cute new attendings.
When the meeting finally ended, Addison stood up and was about to walk to the exit with Mark and Derek to grab a bite of breakfast when she was called.
"Dr. Montgomery."
Addison turned to see the endocrinologist she had worked with on a patient with gestational diabetes, Dr. Paul Freedman, standing in front of her with two cups of coffee in hand.
"Dr. Freedman," she questioned, plastering on a congenial smile as Derek and Mark hung back to wait for her.
He offered her one of the coffee cups. "I thought you might appreciate some non-hospital coffee. These are from the specialty store on my way to the hospital from where I live."
Addison took the cup, confusion on her face. "Oh, thank you. That's really kind of you," she said sincerely. "But what's this for?"
Paul shrugged and flashed her a smile. "I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed working with you last week."
Mark and Derek exchanged a look. Mark looked immensely amused, and Derek clenched his jaw looking like he was ready to claw this guy's eye out. Mark had to stifle a laugh at Derek's hard expression.
"I enjoyed too," Addison replied unsurely. "But really, the coffee is unnecessary," she said, offering him a kind smile.
Paul shifted nervously from one foot to the other, an uncertain smile on his face. "Actually, it was to tell you I enjoyed… and also to ask if you were maybe free to have dinner this week," he said.
Addison raised a brow in surprise, a little surprised by the early Monday morning question. "I, um—"
"There's a nice Italian restaurant downtown that I think you'd like. It's by the water. I'd love to take you there if you're interested."
"Like… on a date?" Addison questioned and then cleared her throat. She could tell, even if she couldn't see him, that Mark was getting a huge kick out of this. Probably at Derek's expense.
Paul flashed him a smile. "I was hoping, yes," he confirmed.
Behind her, Derek went from flabbergasted to annoyed to outright displeased, and swiftly walked away without hearing Addison's answer. Mark called after him, which earned Addison's attention. She looked at Mark in question, brows furrowed. But Mark only shrugged apologetically before following after Derek.
With a sigh, Addison turned back to Paul and offered him a contrite smile. "Sorry about that."
"Not a problem," he said, looking at the space the two men left before settling his gaze back on Addison. "So… is my attempt at asking you out for a date working or do I have to maybe ask permission from Dr. Sloan and Dr. Shepherd?" he asked nervously.
Addison sighed and cast him another apologetic look. "Dr. Sloan and Dr. Shepherd aren't my keepers," she clarified. "But um… I'm not really sure I'm ready for that yet," she explained, trying to let him down gently. "Thank you for the invitation. You're a sweet guy, and this coffee smells lovely. But I just got out of a divorce, and I honestly would rather not, at this point, date someone I currently work with. It's just been… pretty traumatic," she continued apologetically.
Paul's face fell, but he quickly schooled his features. Addison looked genuinely sorry to turn him down, and he understood that she just wasn't at that point yet. "I understand," he said with a smile. "I can imagine going through a divorce is hard."
"I'm really sorry, Paul," Addison answered regretfully. "You're a nice guy, and I really did enjoy working with you. But I'm just really not…"
"I understand," he assured her. "There's no need to explain further." He paused, and then, "I hope this doesn't change how we work on patients together."
Addison shook her head, relieved. "It won't. I appreciate this, Paul, I do. Thank you."
"Thank you," he replied. A pause, and then, "Well, anyway," he said, gesturing to the coffee, "I hope you enjoy the coffee—they're single origin beans from Indonesia and they're phenomenal."
"Thank you," Addison said with a smile.
"Have a good day, Dr. Montgomery," he smiled kindly before leaving Addison alone at the conference room.
Well. That was something she hadn't needed to do in a while—turn someone down. No one had yet asked her out on a date since the divorce, and this was the first time since she started dating Matthew that someone had shown interest. While she was flattered Dr. Freedman made the effort, she really didn't think she could handle dating just yet, especially someone who worked in the same hospital. She had learned her lesson. If she could help it, she wouldn't.
With a sigh, she turned to look at the spot Mark and Derek had stood, wondering why they had taken off so suddenly. But before she could think about it much, she was paged for a consult at the ER and had to forget about the entire encounter all together. But she had to hand it to Paul Freedman—the coffee really was good.
A few hours later, Addison had finished two emergency C-sections and was ready to just sit down for a moment. She walked into the attendings' lounge and saw Derek and Mark there watching some mindless TV.
"Hey you two," she greeted as she took a seat on one of the plush chairs.
"Hey Addie," Mark greeted.
Derek just looked at her and nodded before turning his attention back to the television.
Addison looked confused for a second, but figured Derek probably just had a tough day or a difficult patient. "You guys in between surgeries?" she asked.
"I just finished an abdominoplasty," Mark answered.
Addison looked at Derek expectantly, waiting for him to answer. He only shrugged in response. Addison found it weird that Derek was being awfully quiet, but she shrugged it off.
"How was that coffee Paul Freedman gave you this morning, Add?" Mark asked, casting Derek an amused side glance before smiling at Addison.
She shrugged. "It was really good. He said they were single origin beans from Indonesia."
"Sounds impressive," he remarked.
"I didn't think I was a particular fan of single origin beans, but I guess there's really more to coffee than we know at the hospital."
Mark nodded at that. "Guess you'll learn a lot about coffee from him," he stated casually.
Addison tilted her head to look at Mark before she gave a slow nod. "I guess. I know my wine better though."
"You do know wine," Mark agreed on a laugh. "Maybe you and Paul can swap knowledge on the two most important drinks of mankind—coffee and wine."
Addison laughed at that. "Coffee and wine are definitely the most important drinks on the face of the earth," she agreed. "Water is overrated."
"It is so overrated," Mark chuckled, winking at Addison. Next to him, Derek stayed silent, his face showing the telltales signs of a scowl he was desperately trying to school.
"You okay, Derek?" she asked with concern.
"Fine," was his clipped reply.
Addison turned to look at Mark with confusion. What's up with him, she mouthed silently.
Mark looked at Derek and then back Addison before shrugging. He knew what was up—Derek wasn't particularly thrilled to watch someone ask Addison out on a date right in front of his eyes. But he wouldn't say that to Addison, and he definitely wouldn't throw Derek under the bus like that. He considered himself a good friend, and he knew Derek was going to profusely deny he was in a funk because of Addison. So he kept his mouth shut and didn't needle the issue.
When he followed him out of the conference hall earlier that day, he wasn't able to catch up with him. Derek went straight to a patient's room and kept working until his scheduled surgery. When he caught up with him in the lounge, Derek refused to talk, especially about what had happened. But Mark was no fool.
"Okay," Addison replied slowly, still looking perplexed. But she decided to ignore him and instead turned to Mark. "My patient has two uteruses."
"Two uteresus?" Mark asked in surprise.
Addison nodded. "Yup, uterus didelphys. Two of everything from the cervix up."
"Now that is pretty cool," Mark agreed in amazement.
"The best part is- she's pregnant."
"In both uteruses?"
"Yup," Addison confirmed, some excitement in her tone as she'd rarely seen a case like that in her years as an OB. "Pregnant in both, with two different gestational ages too. I couldn't believe it."
"Please tell me it's the same father," Mark commented dryly.
She shook her head. "I guess that makes it more interesting. It's two different fathers."
"Oh my god."
"Right?" Addison laughed.
"That is insane, Addison," Mark answered, laughing along with her and shaking his head. "You definitely have the most interesting cases."
"I know. Remember in residency I had that patient with the—"
"Would you guys tone it down, I'm trying to watch here," Derek cut her off sullenly, a sour look on his face even as he continued to stare at the television. He was radiating a very strong, annoyed energy.
Before Mark could placate him, Addison was quick to tell him off. "What is wrong with you?" she asked firmly.
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" Derek said, his voice rising. "You're not blind Addison, you saw me trying to watch. And you guys are being way too loud."
"Derek, you've been acting like a child since I got here. I don't know who put your knickers up in a twist, but you do not get to bitch."
Derek snorted. "You'd know about being a bitch right?"
"Excuse me?" Addison asked in surprise, suddenly very angry at Derek's display of immaturity. "What the hell did I do to you?"
"The three of us had plans for breakfast, and you just blew us off," he said sullenly. It was a flimsy excuse, but there was no way he was admitting to her (or to himself for that matter) that watching that guy Paul Freedman ask her out on a date put him in such a sour mood.
"I blew you off?" she repeated incredulously. "I finished talking to another doctor and I turned around and you guys weren't there," she said. "And even if I blew you off—for any reason—I still don't merit this attitude. So let me ask you again, Derek—what is wrong with you?"
"Leave me alone Addison," he responded angrily.
Addison rolled her eyes. "I'll leave you alone if you tell me what the hell is going on with you."
"Nothing is going on with me," he said through gritted teeth. "I just want some peace and quiet."
"Well you should have thought about that before calling me a bitch," she answered sarcastically.
When Derek didn't answer, she huffed angrily, shaking her head.
"Guys, just let up a little," Mark said slowly, now trying to placate both of them. "Derek, we're sorry we were loud. We'll be more considerate next time," he said. Addison flashed him an incredulous look, as if to ask why the hell they were condoning Derek's behavior. But Mark ignored her, knowing Derek had some issues he needed to sort out.
"This is insane," Addison retorted. "Now we're apologizing for making conversation?" she said to Mark.
"Addie, calm down. Let's just all—"
"I'm leaving," Derek announced as he stood up. "You two definitely don't understand what peace and quiet means," he said as he abruptly left the room.
Addison huffed angrily. "Whatever, I don't care," she called after him. When Derek shut the door behind him, she turned to Mark. "What the hell was that?"
Mark shrugged apologetically. "He's probably just having a day."
"And that gives him the right to take it out on me?" she asked in frustration. "I'm not a punching bag, Mark."
"I know you're not," he sighed. "I'll talk to him."
"Don't bother on my account," she answered, suddenly drained of energy. "I'm just gonna go back to my office. I need to put my head down."
Mark looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Red."
"It's not your fault," she said on an exhale. "I mean, I'm well aware Derek has this… side, you know? I just didn't think I'd have to deal with it since I'm not even dating him anymore. I don't have to put up with it."
"You don't," he confirmed, knowing exactly what Addison was talking about. Derek may seem like the perfect, dreamiest, most swoon-worthy surgeon, but there was a dark side of him too. It showed up when he had a particularly rough day—losing a patient on the table, getting lambasted by a patient's family, or, later on, when things reminded him of Addison. He could be mean and immature and immensely petty, and Addison put up with a lot of that through the rigors of residency together. Probably more than she should have.
"Is he like that with other colleagues?" she asked tiredly. "Or with Meredith?"
"Not in recent memory," he responded truthfully. After a pause, he looked at Addison meaningfully. "Why don't you just go back to your office and rest? I'll handle it."
"God forbid that Derek Shepherd runs amuck in the hospital hallways without a chaperone," she answered sardonically, rolling her eyes. "You're not his keeper, Mark. Let him be."
"It's what friends are for," he said wryly, thinking of all the times he's saved Derek's ass in the past. Derek has of course done the same for him, but they've both gone through emotional trauma and it was their brotherhood that helped them through.
"Not that I think it's what Meredith's job is, but Derek has a girlfriend," she reminded. "I put up with a lot of that crap and I learned not to take it lying down. Meredith has to learn to put him in his place. If it's always your job, Mark, you're being less of a friend by condoning it."
Mark shrugged but didn't answer her. Instead, he said, "So, did you land yourself a date with Paul Freedman?" he asked curiously.
Addison rolled her eyes. "If you must know, no, I didn't."
His eyes widened. "Why not? He seems like a nice guy."
Addison looked at him wryly. "I told him I wasn't ready to date yet. It hasn't even been a year since the divorce. And honestly, even if I were, I'd think long and hard before dating someone who works in the same hospital. I think I've learned my lesson."
Mark chuckled then. "Do what makes you feel comfortable, Addie," he answered. With a sigh, he stood up. "I'm gonna go check on Derek. You go back to your office and rest, okay?"
Addison nodded, watching Mark leave to help clean up the mess Derek made. Derek was too damn lucky to have Mark as a friend.
"You want to tell me what that was about?" Mark asked when he found Derek sitting in the gallery of a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, another routine procedure no one ever came to watch.
Derek shrugged. "I just wasn't in the mood."
"You were actually very pleasant this morning," Mark said lightly as he sat down next to him. "Until that guy Freedman asked Addison out on a date. And that sent you in a flying funk."
"That is not why," Derek said defensively.
Mark snorted. "Derek, you can lie to Addison, you can lie to Meredith, you can lie to this whole damn hospital. But I've known you since you figured out how not to wet the bed anymore, and I am almost 100% confident this mood has something to do with a certain redhead."
"Addison and I have nothing going on."
"Nothing that you guys are aware of," he said in that tone that made Derek want to punch him. "Or are willing to admit at this point."
"Mark, that's an insult to my relationship with Meredith." It was the true anyway—to imply that there was something going in between him and Addison was a total disservice to Meredith, and a blow to his integrity as a person.
Mark shrugged. "Just calling it as I see it," he said simply. "Look, you may not be willing to admit it now, but you're bothered that Addison was asked out on a date today. You can sulk about it, sure, but you can't treat Addison like that."
Derek said nothing, just continued watching the OR below. He couldn't admit, not even to himself, that seeing other men show interest in Addison still bothered him. Because it was clear as day she wasn't his, and he wasn't hers. And he had absolutely no right to feel bad about people wanting to take the hot new OB out. He of all people understood her appeal. But he wasn't allowed to concede to that.
Mark sighed. "I did set you up for last Saturday, so guys could spend more time together. Don't go one step forward and two steps back by being a complete jackass to her."
"Mark, there is no need to set me up with Addison. We're done. We've moved on. We're just friends."
Mark cast a skeptical look but didn't push it. "You still don't treat your friends the way you treated Addison today," he said frankly.
Derek was quiet for a long a moment, the scowl slowly turning into a frown. "Why did you set us up last Saturday?" he asked finally.
"Because I know there's a lot that needs to be said between the two of you, but you're both too stubborn to do anything."
"I appreciate that Mark, I do, but that's between Addison and I."
"It is between Addison and you," he agreed. "I only gave a little push. So you can get closure and she can get whatever she needs from you, and you can really move on with your life." He turned to Derek. "Look, man, I know you're trying really hard with Meredith right now, and it's about time that you did because lord knows how many women you've tried serious with and failed. But it's clear even to me that in order to move forward, you'll have to close that chapter with Addison. I know the timing isn't perfect—she's just gone through a divorce and she's at a weird place in her life right now. But you have to act at some point, and you're dragging your feet on this. She's been here four months now."
Derek was still. "What if I don't want to close the chapter with Addison?" he asked quietly. "Hypothetically, of course," he amended.
Mark snorted. "Hypothetically?" he asked with a raised brow.
Derek nodded, unable to meet Mark's knowing gaze. Those slate grey eyes knew him from head to toe. There was no hiding from him.
"Hypothetically, if you don't want to close that chapter, then you still need to do something. And that something starts with not being a total jackass to her."
Derek pursed his lips in thought. "She's our friend."
"She is," Mark agreed.
Derek sighed. "I do want her in my life, even if it's just as a friend."
"Then you better start acting like a friend," Mark warned.
Derek nodded. They spent the rest of the OR quiet, not speaking, Derek deep in thought.
When the ports were removed from the patient, Mark stood up to leave. But before he left he took one last look at Derek.
"For the record, Derek, she turned Freedman down."
"I didn't—"
"Save it," Mark said, raising his hand to stop Derek from denying it yet again. "You're welcome," he said, and then grinned slyly at him and left.
The following day found Derek seeking Addison out. He realized he had been a supreme ass to her, and she didn't deserve that. She was allowed to live her life. Men were allowed to look and to ask. And it was her discretion if she was ready or not. At this point, he didn't have any right to feel even remotely upset by anything Addison does with her personal life, with the exception of those allowed by the propriety of friendship.
He knew being friends with Addison was going to be a complicated thing. While yes, he was with Meredith and Addison was recovering from a marriage gone bad, he could allow himself the admission that maybe not everything with Addison was purely platonic. Looking back at the past few months, all the times his chest ached and his throat tightened, the longing looks and the wistful thoughts—he could safely say there were some lingering feelings for the redhead. But he had naively assumed those could be put aside in favor of friendship, reassuring him, her, and Meredith that it was totally okay to be friends and not have anything to worry about.
But it was proving to be a little more complicated than he had initially thought. Addison was hard to read. Sometimes she looked like she had more to say, like she might confess that she felt the same way about Derek. But other times she looked so pained over Matthew that Derek wasn't quite certain she knew what she really wanted. Her valiant attempts at friendship only served to confuse Derek even more. He knew he had to be careful. He didn't want to hurt anyone—not himself, not Meredith, and certainly not Addison who was already going through a lot.
After his impressive display of pettiness yesterday, he knew he needed to make amends. And he knew that if he wanted Addison to stay in his life, he'd have to act and be the friend she needed at that time. He had assured her that day on the roof deck that she would always find a friend in him, an assurance that echoed those they had promised each other after they broke up. We will always be friends, they had said. I will still be here for you, she had reassured. No matter what goes down between us, we will have each other's back always, he promised. But that went flying out the window when he moved to Boston, completely buried and forgotten after she had gotten engaged, only to be resurrected now in the face of turmoil in Addison's personal life.
He definitely did not help the situation by being such a jerk.
So he sought her out with every intention of being the perfect friend. He finally found her in her office. Her secretary Lucy had informed him she was working on a few papers. He probably should have brought a peace offering—maybe coffee. Or donuts. But he was too wrapped up in the words to say that he completely blanked out on all the other details.
Instead, he steeled himself and knocked on the door. When she beckoned, he opened it and saw her leafing through some papers at her desk.
She looked up, paused and blinked, before turning to leaf at the papers again. "Here to call me a bitch again today, or is it gonna be an insult I'm yet to find out?" she said without looking up.
Derek sighed and closed the door behind him, walking to the sit on the chair right in front of Addison's desk.
"I'm sorry," he said, eyes earnest as he looked at Addison, waiting for her to look at him. But she continued to scan through her paperwork.
"What in the world would you have to be sorry for, oh most perfect one?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Addie, don't be like that," he pleaded quietly.
"Don't be a bitch?" she asked, finally looking up and raising a perfectly arched brow at him. "I wasn't, but now I am," she finished with a shrug before bringing her attention back to the papers and refusing to meet his contrite gaze.
Derek sighed. Apologizing to Addison was usually never a painless process. She liked to make sure he knew exactly what he had done wrong and what he was apologizing for. She disliked it tremendously whenever he apologized for the sake of apologizing. He had to know exactly what he was sorry for. He had learned in their years of dating that there was a formula to it, and it appeared he was going to have to use it now.
Step 1: Acknowledge what you did wrong
"Addison, I know I was a complete ass to you yesterday. I was having a bad day and I took it out on you. I called you a bitch and I snapped when I shouldn't have," he started, eyes trained on Addison. She bit the inside of her cheeks but continued going through the papers that were surely less important than she was making them out to be.
Step 2: Apologize and ask for forgiveness
"You didn't deserve that Addie, and I'm really sorry," he continued. She paused and then looked up, meeting his eyes. She was still frowning, clearly still unimpressed by what Derek could only assume was the incomplete apology.
Step 3: Explain what you will do differently so it doesn't happen again
Derek sighed. This was definitely the hardest part. Because he could admit there were times he couldn't control his emotions, and it was harder with Addison around. For things to be different, he would have to distance himself from Addison completely, because it appeared it was Addison who was bringing out the green monster from somewhere inside him. But he couldn't distance himself. Not only because Addison needed friends here in Seattle, but also because he needed her close to him, too.
Addison raised a brow at him expectantly.
"I know we said things weren't going to be weird between us," he started. "But it kind of is." He sighed again and took one of her hands in his, startling her. "We're at a weird place. We just pushed the past behind us and said we'd be friends, without discussing the things that went down between us and how we're going to move forward from it."
"Derek," she said tiredly. "You and I… we're not…"
"We keep saying our history doesn't matter. You married someone else and I'm with someone else, and for all intents and purposes we've moved on. But I still think, if we really want to be successful at this friendship thing, that we should talk about it."
"I don't know if I'm ready to open that Pandora's box, Derek," she admitted wearily. And she definitely didn't need to open that box, not when the one with Matthew was wide open and glaring at her constantly.
"We can't move forward unless we do," he answered seriously. "It's a Pandora's box for me, too."
"Derek…"
He sighed. "Addie, I care about you a lot. And the years after we broke up, I was a mess. I repressed so much of that. So even if I know there can't be anything more than friendship between us, I can't help feeling sad or regretful or angry when things remind me of what we had, what could have been."
Addison bit her lip, understanding dawning on her. "You attitude was about the date, wasn't it? About Paul asking me out on a date?"
"I know it's wrong," he answered without elaborating.
"But you have Meredith," she replied helplessly.
"I do," he agreed with surety. "We're so together. But you know what they say about first loves?"
Addison snorted. "I wasn't your first love, Derek Shepherd."
"You were the first one that mattered," he answered so earnestly Addison felt her heart race. "First love never dies."
She groaned then. "That was cheesy as hell. And incredibly inappropriate. Derek!"
He smiled at her wryly. "I will keep being inappropriate unless we talk about this. Us."
Addison looked at him seriously and then sighed. "Not today though," she acquiesced.
"It doesn't have to be today," he assured her. "I know you're going through a really hard phase right now, and I want to be the kind of friend you need."
"Thanks," she answered sincerely. She paused, and then, "so that's Step 3 then?"
Derek did a double take, blinking in surprise. "What?"
"Step 3—we're going to talk about how things went down between us so there won't be a repeat of yesterday?" When Derek didn't answer, she raised a knowing brow at him. "The Three Steps to Apologizing. Savvy taught you that. Don't think I don't know you were using a formula with me for years."
He smiled sheepishly. "Worked like a charm every time," he answered. "And it was Weiss who taught me that, not Savvy. I don't think you two understand how alike you are."
Addison chuckled at that, but nodded in concession.
"So am I forgiven?" he asked hopefully.
"That depends. Does this apology come with free food?"
"Walk to the cafeteria with me and I'll get you a bagel."
Addison wrinkled her nose. "Bagels here are disgusting."
"Oh, I should have known you'd be a bagel snob out here in Seattle," he answered with a laugh.
"You know nothing compares to the bagels in the tristate area. Bagels anywhere else are just sorry imposters."
Derek grinned at her. "Then I'll get you a muffin. Deal?"
She laughed. "Deal," she said, and then stood up to walk to the cafeteria with Derek.
"Izzie, I need a favor," Meredith whispered to Izzie as they walked behind Dr. Bailey during patient rounds.
"What's up? Why are we whispering?" Izzie asked, giving Meredith a curious look.
"I need you to make me some banana walnut muffins," she said, eyes darting between Izzie and Dr. Bailey as if she was conspiring against world peace.
Izzie gave her a puzzled look. "Banana walnut muffins. That's awfully specific."
Meredith shrugged. "I just need to give them to someone," she said, purposely being vague.
They rounded the corner to see Addison at the nurses' station talking with Mark, each of them holding a banana muffin and a cup of coffee. She was laughing over something Mark had said, nudging him playfully when he frowned.
Izzie caught sight of Mark and Addison, the sound of her laughter reaching her ears. Addison rarely laughed like that, and it was clear the only reason she was doing so was because she was with someone she was completely comfortable with. By now it was common knowledge that Mark, Addison and Derek were all old friends, together with Richard. And then she eyed the muffin in Addison's hand, eyes narrowing as she turned to Meredith.
"No," she answered.
"What?"
"No. No muffins, Meredith."
"Why not?" she asked indignantly. "It's a favor. I'll buy you the ingredients. I just really need to—"
"Suck up to Dr. Montgomery?" Izzie finished for her.
"No," Meredith whispered harshly. But at Izzie's stern look, she sighed. "Okay, fine. They are for Dr. Montgomery. But not to suck up."
"Then why?" she asked, keeping her voice low, still following Dr. Bailey.
Meredith shrugged. "I think I need to make an effort to be her friend," she stated simply. When Izzie raised a skeptical brow at her, she continued. "She's Derek's friend, and he always talks about how Addison needs people here in Seattle and, you know… I think it's the right thing to do, making friends with your boyfriend's friends."
"I don't see you asking me to make muffins for Dr. Sloan," she pointed.
"That's because he likes to butter other kinds of muffins," Meredith replied dryly.
Izzie grimaced but conceded to Meredith's point.
"So will you help me or not?" Meredith asked.
"You're trying to keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Izzie stated.
"Addison is not my enemy."
"No, she's just your boyfriend's ex-girlfriend and—"
"Ex-fiancee," she corrected swiftly.
Izzie rolled her eyes. "Fine, ex-fiancee, and you're trying to keep an eye on her, checking out the competition."
"Well, if your boyfriend's ex looks like Isabella freaking Rossellini, you'd feel the same way."
Izzie looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think she's more of a Catherine Deneuve, except with red hair, but I see the resemblance with Isabella Rossellini."
Meredith groaned and then rolled her eyes. "Not helping, Iz."
"How do you even know she likes banana walnut muffins?" Izzie asked curiously.
"I was her intern, and I'm observant," she answered.
"I was her intern too, but I've never paid to attention to what she eats," she said. "You're stalker level weird, Mer."
Meredith huffed impatiently. "Fine, Derek may have also mentioned it once when we were grabbing breakfast together at the cafeteria."
"What did he say?"
Meredith shrugged. "That Addison probably took all the banana muffins that day because there weren't any left," she replied. "But that's not the point. The point is—will you help me?"
"Help feed your insecurity?"
"No, help me get to know my boyfriend's friends," Meredith answered firmly.
Izzie seemed like she wasn't convinced but she sighed and nodded anyway. "You owe me."
Meredith grinned gratefully. "You can get all my interesting surgeries this week," she promised.
And that was how Meredith found herself with a box of Izzie's banana walnut muffins two days later. She knew from personal experience that Izzie made the best muffins, and she was certain these banana ones were far better than the muffins sold at the cafeteria.
She carried the box carefully with both hands, trying to give them something else to do but shake. Yes, she had a bit of an ulterior motive. She was scoping out the competition (not that she would ever admit that to anyone else). But she wasn't lying when she said she wanted to be friends with Derek's friends. He was already making a huge effort with hers, getting to know her housemates and fellow interns. And truth be told, Derek didn't have a lot of friends in Seattle. With the exception of Mark and possibly Richard, he spent most of his time alone or with Meredith. Addison was the first "friend" she's met since Mark, and she wanted to be the good girlfriend and get to know her better.
She didn't think they would start bonding by swapping stories about Derek, comparing notes about his qualities as a boyfriend. But she did sincerely want to get on her good side, if not also for the fact that she was a great surgeon and an amazing teacher, and she could definitely benefit from knowing her. So it was a two birds with one stone kind of thing—for Derek, and for all the medical expertise that came packaged with Addison Forbes Montgomery.
Meredith spotted her just as she left a patient's room, chart still in hand. She quickly caught up to her.
"Dr. Montgomery?" she called, making her way to Addison.
Addison turned around and saw Meredith walking towards her. "Dr. Grey. Can I help you with anything?"
"Do you have time?" she asked nervously, still clutching the box of muffins in her hands.
Addison looked at her in the eyes as if to read her, before she cocked her head to the side. "Walk with me," she answered as she started to walk, eyes on the open chart she was holding.
Meredith kept with her pace. "I heard from Derek that you haven't been eating very well since you got here," she said.
Addison stopped walking and raised a brow, turning to look at Meredith. "He said that?" shock in her voice as she imagined Derek making such an unnecessary comment to Meredith.
She shrugged. "I guess we've also noticed you lost some weight."
Addison pursed her lips and paused for a brief moment before she continued walking, eyes back on the chart she was holding. "You know as well as I do what working in a hospital is like, Dr. Grey."
Meredith nodded. "That's true. I mean, I guess I just wanted to…." She stopped and then Addison stopped, and before she knew it she was shoving the box of muffins into Addison's unready hands. Addison, surprised, almost dropped the box, but quickly got hold of it with the chart still in her hands. "Here," Meredith said finally, flustered.
Addison looked at Meredith with confusion. "Dr. Grey?"
"These are banana walnut muffins. Izzie made them," she explained, feeling like she was talking faster than she had intended to. "They're really good. I noticed you always get a banana muffin from the cafeteria, and I figured you'd like some homemade ones," she finished nervously.
Addison's brows were still wrinkled in confusion, eyes going from the box to Meredith and back again. "That is… very thoughtful of you Dr. Grey."
Meredith smiled awkwardly. "I just wanted you to try them," she said.
Addison looked unsure. "Well… thank you," she replied, the confusion not completely wiped from her face. Meredith looked like she was about to say something, so Addison kept looking at her expectantly.
"I know this is weird, Dr. Montgomery," Meredith said hurriedly. "But you're Derek's friend, and he doesn't have a lot of them, and I thought it would be nice if you and I got to know each other more."
Addison pursed her lips. "Dr. Grey, are you trying to bribe me for friendship with some… muffins?"
Meredith shook her head quickly. "No!" she exclaimed in vehement defense. "I just wanted to do something nice. Any friend of Derek's is a friend of mine," she finished with an apprehensive smile, hoping to God she looked convincing. But by the look Addison was giving her, it was apparent she was immensely skeptical. As she should be. Meredith couldn't blame her.
Addison assessed the younger woman in front of her. She was shifting nervously from one foot to the other, her hands were buried in her white coat pockets, and her dirty blonde hair was collected not too neatly in a low ponytail. She looked every bit like the intern she was—overworked, tired, anxious, but terribly determined to succeed. Addison had to give her credit for the effort, and for the magnanimous display of bravery.
"Okay…" Addison replied slowly, shifting her arms so she could hold on to both her patient's chart the box of muffins properly. "That is… very nice of you, Dr. Grey," she said as she cleared her throat.
"Please call me Meredith, Addison," she said. "I mean, can I call you Addison?" she amended, realizing that she had just called her senior by her first name without asking permission.
Addison sighed. "Outside of work you can call me Addison…. Meredith," she replied, testing out her name. "Thank you, Meredith, for the muffins. And thank Stevens for me, too."
Meredith nodded. "I hope you like them," she said. "Maybe we could hang out some time… you, me and Derek. It could be fun."
"Sure," Addison said dryly, still thoroughly confused by what was happening. Desperate to get out of the awkward situation, she flashed Meredith a kind smile. "Thank you for the gesture, Meredith. I appreciate it. I'll be sure to tell you how they are, although I'm certain I'll love them," she finished.
"You're welcome," Meredith smiled anxiously, watching Addison give her one last look before walking back to the counter swiftly. She exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding and resisted the urge to smack her head against a wall. That could have gone infinitely better. But at least the deed was done.
Unbeknownst to her, Derek had rounded the corner and had seen the entire exchange. He watched her corner Addison as she walked out of a patient room, and shoved a box of muffins into her unready hands. Derek was enormously perplexed, if a little amused, by Meredith's gesture. A friend of Derek's is a friend of mine, she had said. That was sure to haunt her for days to come.
Schooling his face to keep from look too amused, he walked up to Meredith who was muttering to herself.
"Did you just… shove a box of pastries into Addison's hands?" he asked, his tone light and teasing.
Meredith whipped her head at Derek's voice, surprise written all over her face. "Oh god, please tell me you did not just see that."
"I unfortunately saw all of it," Derek replied, finally unable to keep the amusement out of his features. He saw and heard every last bit of the cringe-worthy conversation between Meredith and Addison.
Meredith cringed visibly. "I need the earth to swallow me right now."
Derek chuckled, bemused. "I think it's cute… and sweet," he said, "if a little displaced."
Meredith groaned. "Derek, you're not helping. I just embarrassed myself in front of—"
"Your friend," Derek finished for her, grinning in a way that was maddeningly teasing. "Any friend of mine is a friend of yours remember?"
"You're terrible," she replied, pouting, feeling her cheeks redden at the words. "I was only trying to—"
"I know what you were trying to do," he assured her, wrapping an arm on her shoulders and kissing her temple. "I think it's sweet."
"You don't think it's psycho? Izzie probably thinks it is. Oh god, Addison probably thinks it's psycho."
"Addison is probably weirded out but she won't hold it against you," he said. "And she definitely won't bring it up to embarrass you. She's not that kind of person—too classy for that."
"Derek."
"Relax, Mer. I think it's sweet that you're trying to be friends with her."
"I'm doing it for you," she replied, just so it was clear she wasn't doing it for Addison.
"I know you are. That wasn't easy for you, I'm sure. But you did it anyway. And I appreciate that," he said sincerely.
Meredith exhaled again before smiling at him gratefully. "You mean that?"
"I do," he nodded. "Thank you, for making the effort with Addie."
Meredith nodded. "Thanks for recognizing it."
"Not a problem," he replied, starting to walk with his arm still on Meredith's shoulders. "Now how about we forget all that awkwardness and go home?"
Meredith grinned at him, only too happy to forget about the awkward encounter with Addison Montgomery.
A week later, Addison was searching for a patient's chart at the nurses' station but couldn't find it. Her patient was scheduled for a total abdominal hysterectomy the following day, and she just needed to make certain about a detail from the patient's medical history.
"I presume you're looking for this," said a voice with a heavy British accent from behind her.
Addison turned her head to see Dr. Timothy Tyndall holding up a chart.
"Susan Baker?" Addison asked, gesturing to the chart.
Dr. Tyndall nodded. "Susan Baker, scheduled for a total hysterectomy tomorrow. I'm the anesthesiologist on deck," he smiled, walking to the counter and handing Addison the chart.
Addison took it gratefully. "Thank you, I just wanted to make sure she's not on anti-platelets," she said.
"She's not on any medications," Timothy replied. "I just did my pre-op checklist."
Addison nodded but opened the chart to check herself.
"You'll be doing the surgery tomorrow?" he asked after a second, blue eyes scanning Addison curiously.
Addison looked up and gave a short nod. "Bright and early tomorrow at 7," she replied.
Timothy offered her a dazzling smile before cocking his head. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Addison," he said.
"Yeah, see you," she replied, watching him walk away and getting a distinct feeling getting to know Dr. Tyndall was going to be interesting. By then, news of a visiting consultant from England had spread like wildfire through Seattle Grace. She had heard the nurses talking about his remarkable English etiquette, how he was such a gentleman to all the ladies, opening doors and pulling out chairs, the whole shebang, and how the very act of him speaking was enough to make knees go weak. The nurses at Seattle Grace apparently had a thing for English accents. But what she had heard most about him was how his piercing blue eyes always looked with so much intensity, enough to make hearts melt. He was always warm and kind, making you feel like you were the only person in the room. They called it the Tyndall Effect, which was ironic considering his blue eyes and how the sky was blue precisely because of the Tyndall Effect, a scientific phenomenon. Addison had to shake her head at that. Timothy Tyndall was definitely giving the hospital's resident McDreamy and McSteamy a run for their money.
The following day, Addison was scrubbed in and waiting for Dr. Tyndall to finish up with the epidural. He had a look of immense concentration as he inserted the line into the patient's spine, his fingers adroit, sure and steady and getting the job done in one swift motion. Addison was impressed—she's worked with anesthesiologists who had to do one or two tries before getting the epidural in. But Dr. Tyndall was fast and efficient.
When it was done, the orderlies turned the patient on her back and Dr. Tyndall put her to sleep.
"All yours, Dr. Montgomery," he said once the patient was under, flashing Addison a smile that she could depict even from under his mask.
Addison thanked him before she took her place by the patient's side, a resident assisting her and the scrub nurse at the foot of the OR table.
"Ten blade," she said, and then made her first incision as the circulating nurse called start time.
There was comfortable silence as Addison and the resident started to dissect the patient's abdomen. By now, this was rote to Addison—carefully taking apart skin and subcutaneous tissue, cauterizing bleeders and cautiously exposing her surgical field. No one spoke except for Addison as she asked for particular instruments she needed—scalpel, retractor, forceps, clamps. Everything was routine and rhythmic, something that was comforting to Addison. In the OR, she was herself. There was so personal life to be dealt with. No floorboards shifting beneath her. This was where she was most at home.
When she finally exposed the uterus, she glanced briefly at Dr. Tyndall, who also consequently glanced up at her from monitoring the patient's vital signs. His stunning blue eyes met hers, and Addison swore she saw them twinkle.
She smiled from underneath her mask, eyes crinkling, before turning back to the patient.
"How's your research going, Dr. Tyndall?" she asked, hands and eyes busy dissecting the ovaries and fallopian tubes from the abdominal cavity.
"Timothy, please," he corrected. "But it's progressing quite well, thank you for asking."
Addison nodded. "We get a lot of critical care patients here in Seattle Grace, but probably not as much as Oxford."
"You do get a considerable amount," he agreed. "It's been a pleasure working here so far, I must admit. Vastly different from England."
"Yeah?"
He nodded. "The cafeteria food is different, first of all," he chuckled. "While the coffee is good, the tea selection is deplorably dismal."
"The English and their tea," she commented brightly. "I used to love going to high tea."
"You've been to Britain, Addison?" he asked curiously.
She nodded. "I spent a semester in Cambridge as an exchange student in college," she replied. "I'll agree that the culture is very different."
"It certainly is. But I don't find that to be necessarily bleak."
"It isn't. It makes things more interesting," Addison agreed, continuing her ministrations on the patient.
"Have you been back since?" he asked.
"I went to London about twice after college, but not back to Cambridge. I have an Aunt who lives in Notting Hill. We'd take a taxi to Kensington Gardens and have high tea at The Orangery."
"The Orangery is definitely a very beautiful place to have high tea," he said with an approving tone. "I presume that's followed by some shopping at Harrods."
"Well, you're right about the shopping," she answered, "but we preferred Oxford Street. Harrod's makes me dizzy."
"And claustrophobic," he added. "It's more of a tourist trap anyway."
Addison nodded in agreement as she worked to dissect the uterus from the abdominal cavity. "What about you, have you been to the US before this?"
"My father took me on some medical conferences in New York City when I was child."
"How was that?"
He shrugged. "I adored my father immensely, and I was always too happy to accompany him on his trips."
"Your dad's a doctor too?"
He nodded. "Phillip Tyndall. An incredibly accomplished neurosurgeon in England. His grandfather was a first cousin twice removed to John Tyndall, of the Tyndall Effect."
Addison paused briefly, eyes meeting that of the resident who was assisting her, and who was currently struggling to keep a straight face. They should have known he was somehow related to the Tyndall Effect. Oh, if Timothy only knew what people were saying about him.
When Addison didn't answer immediately, he continued. "The Tyndall Effect is—"
"Particles scattering light," Addison interrupted. "I know. I just didn't know you were a Tyndall of that Tyndall."
"Well, John Tyndall didn't have any children, so we're only very distantly related. But the family name has lived on."
Addison nodded. Those blue eyes too, she thought—so apt as a Tyndall. "That's a really interesting piece of family trivia," she commented lightly.
He nodded in agreement. "It is. What about you, Addison? Anything interesting from your family?" he asked innocently.
You mean aside from an adulterous father and a dysfunctional mother, she wanted to say. But she shrugged. "I descended from a bunch of English coloners in Connecticut, if that's what you mean by interesting," she answered wryly.
He burst out laughing then. "My goodness, Dr. Montgomery, quite the humor you have. But I'm sure being a Forbes Montgomery comes with a myriad of history."
Well. It wasn't a secret that Addison was a Forbes, and also a Montgomery, but she did find it a little unsettling that Dr. Tyndall would know all of that. But she just shrugged it off.
"Oh, you have no idea," she answered flatly.
Timothy chuckled a little at that. "You are a complete character, Dr. Montgomery. Truly a breath of fresh of air. We don't have so many people quite as blunt as you."
"Welcome to America," she replied, also laughing a little.
They finished the surgery in relative silence. Timothy went back to monitoring the patient, and Addison and her resident concentrated on the surgical field. When it was over, Addison thanked Timothy and moved to scrub out and work on her post op notes.
While typing out her operative technique, Timothy caught up with her. He still had his scrub cap on but his mask was off. He was smiling at her.
"You did very well in there, Addison," he complimented brightly.
"Thank you," she smiled before going back to type.
Timothy stood right next to her, watching her carefully before he cleared his throat. Addison looked up.
"Perhaps, as a change of pace, I can invite you for some tea instead of coffee after you're done with your post-op notes."
Addison stared at him for a moment. There was nothing wrong with getting a mid-morning snack with a colleague. She did that with Miranda or Mark all the time. So she nodded without overthinking it.
"I'll just be a minute," she said with a smile.
"No rush, I'll just be here waiting," he replied, flashing her a warm smile, bright blue eyes crinkling with satisfaction.
AN: End of chapter!
Mark is a really well-meaning friend. And Meredith is also pretty well-meaning in this chapter. We get a flashback in the next chapter, so I hope you guys stick around for that. Thanks so much for reading this far! Take care!