AN: Hey everyone. Life is definitely happening at lightning speed. We're ramping up vaccinations where I am, so it's been a busy couple of days. But the good news is that in this story, we are more than halfway through the year! Thanks for sticking out! Thank you for reading and reviewing the last chapter.
This chapter is just a lot of Addek/Maddek/Maddison fluff, where they reminisce about their time in New York. There's also a bit of a flashback that complements the flashback from the previous chapter. I had originally written it for a later chapter, but though it would be best to fit it here.
As usual, hope you guys are staying safe! Much love to you all!
Richard had the bright idea of inviting his favorite attendings to a camping excursion. He said it would build camaraderie. And while they all looked at him skeptically, they agreed. Plus ones allowed.
So that was how Derek and Meredith, Burke and Cristina, Mark and Addison, and Richard, found themselves pitching tents in the middle of nowhere. Mark didn't want to bring some random girl and Addison wasn't dating, so they decided to just go together. They'd share a tent, and if Derek wasn't too pleased about, he didn't show it.
"Hey Addie, get me the last pole," Mark called.
Addison picked up the pole and handed it to Mark, starting on lining up the grommets from the tent's body.
Meredith looked suspiciously at Addison. "I didn't take her as the outdoorsy type," she whispered to Derek as he knelt and poled the tent himself. He was an eagle scout, and was pretty familiar with pitching a tent.
He looked over briefly at Mark and Addison attaching their tent's body to the poles and shrugged. "There's a lot of things you don't know about her," he answered. "She volunteered in a medical mission to the Amazon for a month when she was in high school. She can be outdoorsy when she wants to be."
Meredith raised a brow, not sure if the Addison of the 3-inch heels matched up with the Addison Derek was describing. But she did look like she knew what she was doing as she laid out the rain fly on top of the tent. Over to the other side she saw Burke and Cristina working on their tent. Or Burke setting it up and Cristina reading the instructions manual. It didn't seem like they were having much success.
"Remind me again why we're here," she said as Derek stood up to attach the body to the poles.
"Because the chief asked us to," cocking his head towards the direction of Richard. Addison had walked up to him to help him out while Mark finished staking their own tent.
"And he thinks this is good because?"
Derek shrugged. "I'm not sure, to be honest. But when he was our resident, we went hiking once in a while."
"Hiking?"
Derek nodded. "Inwood Hills the first time," he recalled. "And then Bear Mountain."
"Bear Mountain?"
He nodded again, laying out the rain fly on top of the tent, Meredith following him around. "Yup. We had fun. Me, Mark, Addie, and some other interns we were with."
Meredith never would have pictured Addison to be that type, but she had to admit she seemed awfully comfortable helping Richard. She was clad appropriately, and Meredith had to suppress a groan at that—how could she be dressed down and still look like Isabella Rossellini?
She watched as Mark headed to Richard's tent and helped him and Addison out. Mark and Addison were really comfortable with each other—comfortable enough to share a tent, even. She watched them laugh and throw jokes at each other, Richard shaking his head and laughing with them.
"Have they always been close?" she asked, eyes still on the trio.
"Who?" Derek replied without looking up, inserting the stakes on the ground.
"Mark and Addison," she clarified.
Derek looked up then, seeing Mark and Addison laughing. "Yeah, I guess."
"You guess?" she asked skeptically. She and Derek had been together for nearly a year now, but she couldn't say she had a real friendship with Mark. He was nice, but she wouldn't call him if anything ever happened to her.
"We were all in med school together," he explained as moved to the next corner of the tent. "Mark was friends with Addison first before I got the nerve to ask her out."
"But Mark was your friend first?"
"I told you, we were friends since we were 6," he replied, digging the stake deeper in the ground. "Can you grab me another stake please?" he asked.
Meredith grabbed a stake from the side and handed it to Derek. "But they're close too."
He nodded wordlessly, concentrating on driving the stake down.
"Does that bother you?" she asked, kneeling next to Derek.
Derek met her gaze and then furrowed his brow. "Why would it bother me? I liked that my girlfriend and best friend got along," he said pointedly. "Mark's a good guy. You'd like him if you spent a little more time with him."
"He made a pass at me," she stated plainly.
"Mark makes a pass at anything that moves," he said. "Not that it's right, but he's my best friend. It'd be nice if you could get to know him more."
"The way you've gotten to know Cristina?"
Derek shrugged. "I think Dr. Yang and I have a better relationship than you and Mark. Not that we're comparing. I think you'll warm up to him eventually."
Meredith pursed her lips, looking at the trio and then back at Derek. She liked Mark… on some level. He was kind and caring when he wanted to be. But as an attending, which was most of her interaction with him, he wasn't exactly the best. He treated his interns poorly, made them take care of his dry cleaning and get him coffee, something that interns were definitely overqualified to do.
But Addison seemed awfully comfortable with him. She shouldn't have been surprised—she'd seen them hang out at the cafeteria or at the nurses' station once or twice. Sometimes Derek even joined them. There was no doubt that the trio's friendship was strong.
Everyone finished pitching their tents, and then Richard decided to start a campfire. And when that was done, everyone found themselves gathered around it, already dark. Derek sat next to Meredith on a big rock. Burk and Cristina were on another rock. Mark and Addison sat on a big blanket, Richard beside them, bottles of beer in between. Everyone was roasting marshmallows.
Mark was whispering something in Addison's ear, which made Addison giggle. And Addison Forbes Montgomery definitely does not giggle—which earned herself a curious look from Meredith and a wary one from Derek.
Richard cast them a look. "I remember when you used to whisper like that to scheme on Derek," he said.
Mark turned to look at him. "We've never schemed on Derek," he answered with confusion.
"It was me and Derek scheming on Mark," Addison corrected with a smirk, meeting Derek's eyes as he nodded with a smile.
Richard's brow furrowed before he chuckled. "Ah yes, the frog in Mark's backpack?"
"That time we went to Bear Mountain?" Derek supplied. "That was classic."
"I never thought Mark could screech like a girl," Addison commented, nudging Mark slightly with her elbow.
Mark's face soured. "If I put a frog in your hair tonight and you scream like a girl, it'll be payback."
Addison shrugged, unfazed. "I am a girl," she replied flatly.
"Or how about that time you and Derek made up this rumor that I was a One Minute Man," Mark said, none too pleased.
"That wasn't me," Addison said innocently.
"It wasn't me either," Derek added, mirroring Addison's innocent face before he winked at her.
"Maybe it was Richard," Preston supplied with a grin directed to the chief. "I seem to recall the chief is a bit of a gossip too."
"That definitely wasn't me," Richard said with his hands up. "I have no interest in Dr. Sloan's sex life. I've seen more than I should because he always forgets to lock the damn door."
"Hmm, imagine having to live with him," Derek said, laughing as Mark glared at him.
"Imagine having to live with the two of you," Mark answered, pointing to Derek and Addison. "You two are so loud, I could hear you from a block away."
Meredith shifted uncomfortably beside Derek, but he didn't notice. "Yeah, but Addie and I always did it in private. We never had to hurt your eyes."
"Remember that time we came home from a Broadway show and—"
"Mark was on the couch with—"
"This blonde he had picked up at the bar," Addison laughed.
"I couldn't sit on that couch for days," Derek answered.
"Me either," she agreed. "Or that one time on the kitchen island?"
Derek snorted. "Addison never cooked but she avoided the kitchen like a plague after that," he explained to Burke who had an amused expression on his face.
"Mark, let's face it. You've got a reputation," Addison said lightly.
"He did in New York, and he still does in Seattle," Richard stated. "42 nurses."
"43," Mark corrected with a sly grin.
"Just don't mess with my L&D nurses, Mark," Addison warned, turning her marshmallow around so it could roast on the other side.
"Or my telemetry nurses," Preston added thoughtfully.
"Oh, I don't know. Two departments sounds pretty drastic to me," Mark joked, earning himself a nudge on the ribs from Addison.
"And you better not be messing with the interns," Richard said. "These two dating interns is enough. I don't need another attending bedding one."
"Doesn't Addie get the same warning?" Mark asked, an innocent expression on his face as Addison groaned next to him.
"I don't think Addison would ever," Richard replied confidently, pulling a graham cracker from the bag and setting his roasted marshmallow on it.
Addison grinned triumphantly at Mark. "Unlike you, I don't have that kind of reputation."
Mark shrugged. "Derek didn't either, but look who he's dating now," he said, ignoring Meredith's subtle glare.
"Mark," Addison warned in a disapproving tone, catching Meredith looking displeased by Mark's comment.
"I'm just saying, you'll never know," Mark replied with a shrug, grabbing his marshmallow from the stick and putting it straight into his mouth. Addison grimaced.
"Yeah, any of the interns catching your eye Montgomery?" Preston asked.
Addison frowned as she turned to Preston. "No."
"Alex Karev maybe?" he continued with a thoughtful expression.
"Alex Karev is like a miniature version of Mark Sloan. Cocky. Arrogant. I'd rather not," Addison responded dryly. "I mean no offense to Meredith and Cristina. You're probably all friends."
Mark looked affronted. "Hey."
Addison shrugged. "No interns for me, thank you."
"How about attendings?" Cristina asked, seeming nonplussed as Addison and Mark gaped at her. Meredith had to stifle a giggle.
"I'm not interested," Addison responded flatly.
Cristina raised a brow. "I saw you having coffee with that anesthesiologist from England."
"Way to go, Addie," Mark said approvingly. "I've talked to that guy, Tyndall. He's doing that research thing here right?"
"He is," Richard confirmed before turning to Addison. "You were flustered when you met him."
"I was not flustered," Addison said defensively.
"Coffee though?" Mark asked with a mischievous grin.
Addison groaned. "First of all, it was tea, not coffee. And I'm allowed to share drinks with colleagues."
"He's asked me about you," Mark said. "He was on deck for one of my surgeries and he asked where I was from. I told him I was from New York, and he said you told him you were from New York too."
"New York is a huge place. Did he automatically assume we knew each other?"
Mark shrugged. "I told him we were old friends," he explained. "He called you 'absolutely delightful'," Mark teased.
"That sounds like a movie review," Addison retorted blandly.
"I think he likes you," Mark stated with a shrug.
"Well, too bad, because I'm not really looking for anything right now," she responded as she took a marshmallow from the bag and ate half the piece.
"That's a shame," Mark answered. "He seems really nice. Wouldn't you agree Derek?" he said, eyes twinkling as he looked at the dark-haired man.
Derek rolled his eyes. "I've only worked with him once," he answered shortly. "I can't say I have much of an opinion of him."
"He didn't ask where you were from?" Preston asked, brow raised.
Derek shrugged. "He did," he confirmed. "And I told him Boston."
Addison's brow furrowed at that, the confusion evident on her face. "Boston?"
"I may have misheard him. The accent makes it complicated," Derek answered, avoiding Addison's gaze. The truth was, he had answered New York. And he got the exact same response as Mark—Tyndall had asked about Addison. He knew right away he was interested in her, but he thought he was being a good friend by not feeding his curiosity because he knew Addison wasn't ready to date yet. That, plus a more self-serving ulterior motive he wasn't going to admit to anyone. Especially not in front of Meredith.
Addison looked at him skeptically but chose not to comment.
"It's a great accent," Cristina said flatly. "All the nurses are fawning over him."
"I hope you're not falling for that accent," Burke commented, turning his head to look at the Asian who was bundled up next to him.
"Oh please, like I'd fall for something as shallow as that," she replied with an eyeroll. "You should ask Meredith."
"Me?" Meredith answered, surprised. "I'm not an accent kind of girl."
Mark chuckled. "Too bad. Derek used to have an accent," he pointed. "Not into that?"
She looked at Derek curiously. "An accent?"
"I went to a French preschool," Derek stated plainly with a half-shrug.
Mark snorted. "Oh please, like that was a French accent," he said with an eyeroll. "He had a very New York accent all through high school. He shook it off in college, thank God."
"Hey," Derek rebuffed. "I did not have a New York accent."
"You did," Mark replied, sounding sure of himself. "Cawfee."
Derek looked confused, turning to Addison. "Did I have a New York accent?" he tried to confirm.
Addison shrugged. "Well if you did I didn't hear much of it," she said neutrally.
"He got rid of it when he went to college in Maine," Mark explained. "It wasn't too cool with the chicks. It still comes out sometimes though."
"Oh yeah, like when?"
"Like the time you got into a pissing contest with that guy Jake," Mark answered.
"Jake Krakowski?" Richard asked, to which Mark nodded. "I remember that," he said. "You were interns. You brawled on the hospital floor."
Mark snorted. "They exchanged words. Lots of them. And Derek's long lost accent came flowing through. I'll never forget it. I mean, I was on your side Derek 100%, but I nearly sniggered when you said 'You're not on-cawl, why don't you just do us awll a favah and ra-turn to Lawn-guy-land.'"
"What were you even arguing about?" Meredith asked, a little bewildered.
Derek shrugged. "He wasn't on call and he was messing with patients," he said, taking a piece of chocolate to put on top of his marshmallow.
Richard raised a brow. "With patients or with doctors?" he asked. "I remember it was about—"
"Krakowski hitting on Addison," Mark supplied. "You got that one right, chief," he said, clinking beer bottles with the chief.
Meredith exchanged a glanced with Cristina. The Asian only shrugged.
Addison groaned at the memory from more than 10 years ago. "Jake Krakowski wasn't hitting on me. He was just being nice."
"He was hitting on you," Richard confirmed, eyeing Derek who seemed to shift uncomfortably next to Meredith. "Even I could see it. I was glad Derek put him in his place with a fist to his face, but of course I had to pretend I wasn't too pleased with my interns making a fool of themselves."
"God, I forgot you punched the guy," Addison replied with a shake of her head. "But if it makes you feel any better, I don't remember the accent."
"You don't remember lawn-guy-land?" Mark asked with a smirk.
"Maybe I was too preoccupied with my boyfriend getting into a fist fight in the middle of the hospital to notice how he said Long Island," Addison said, rolling her eyes.
"You're a good girlfriend Addie," Mark replied with a pat on her back, making Addison swat him playfully on the arm.
"Yeah, you were a good girlfriend," Meredith quipped, earning her a curious stare from Mark and Addison. Derek turned his head to look at her, but she only shrugged in response.
Cristina looked at Meredith and then at Derek and Addison. "I hope this doesn't lead to Dr. Shepherd needing to validate anything Dr. Montgomery does."
Before Derek or Addison could answer, they were cut off.
"Oh, he'll be glad to do that," Meredith said sweetly, smiling at Derek. "He's a good boyfriend."
Mark had to stifle a grin by biting his lip, and Addison blinked as though she was trying to wrap her mind around what Meredith was talking about. There wasn't any alcohol within her reach, so it was clear this wasn't a drunken comment.
"Oh, excuse me," Meredith continued with fake innocence. "Or was it a good ex-boyfriend? I'm a little fuzzy on that."
"Meredith," Derek whispered warningly from beside her. But she just shrugged and popped a marshmallow into her mouth.
Richard cleared his throat and then proceeded to swiftly change the topic. After a while, Meredith stated she was tired and was going to bed, and everyone else followed suit. Derek stayed back, eyes on the dying campfire as the rest of the party retreated to their own tents.
He didn't feel like dealing with Meredith's pettiness tonight, although he would admit it must have been uncomfortable to be in that conversation. It was like his old life needing to be filtered from his new life, and he wasn't too pleased. Richard, Mark, Addison and him—they were all from a chapter of his life that was a lot less complicated than the one Meredith found herself in. Heck, even Burke would have fit perfectly in tonight's excursion. But the chief insisted that Meredith and Cristina come, and Derek didn't realize it would dampen the mood.
When the campfire was long gone, Derek remained bundled up on the rock he sat on with Meredith earlier. He was about to retire when the zipper of Mark and Addison's tent opened, revealing Addison tiptoeing from where Mark was snoring soundly.
She looked up, surprised that anyone was still awake.
"Sorry," she whispered, quietly taking a seat next to Derek. "I couldn't sleep. I forgot how loudly Mark snored," she said. "Why are you still up?"
Derek shrugged. "Not sleepy yet," he answered. "Meredith snores too."
Addison gave him a wry smile. "I'm sorry about tonight," she said softly.
"Don't be, it was good-natured fun," he replied with a shrug. "She's still learning to deal with it."
Addison frowned. "I'm still sorry though."
He sighed. "She'll get used to it," he settled, flashing Addison a small smile that he hoped looked comforting.
"I hope so," Addison stated. "She really seems like a great girl. And maybe looking past tonight's rather remarkable display of… possessiveness… I think she's good for you."
"Yeah?"
She nodded. "If I ever expressed jealousy or insecurity this way, when we were together, you wouldn't have taken it lying down. We would probably have had a huge argument about it," she said. "You're being really patient with her, and that's got to mean something."
"You were never insecure, Addison."
"I'm just saying… 10 years ago, if your significant other acted like this around you, you'd have taken the bait. But you're willing to be patient with her. That's a good thing. That means you think she's worth it."
"I guess," he answered dubiously.
"But just the same, I think we need to let up a little. I know we didn't do this on purpose tonight, but Meredith looks like she needs some help, and tonight's conversation about you defending my honor probably didn't help the situation."
He'd always known Addison to be level-headed. She had her moments of pettiness, but for the most part, she acted on matters maturely and sensibly. He shouldn't have been surprised that she was in Meredith's corner.
He nodded quietly, eyes fixed on the embers that had already died.
"I think she's good for you. Did you know that she got Stevens to make me some muffins?"
Derek shook his head with a small smile on his lips. "I know."
"That was sweet of her," she said sincerely. She was a little creeped out when Meredith handed the muffins to her awkwardly, but the intention wasn't lost on Addison. She knew Meredith was trying.
"It was," he agreed. "You didn't think it was weird?"
She shook her head. "Maybe a little. But she's making an effort." She paused, and then, "In fact, you're both making an effort. I'm sorry if my presence is making it difficult for you guys, but you're both trying, and I think that's a good thing."
"I suppose."
Addison smiled at him. "I really hope it works out for the two of you."
"Yeah?" he asked, turning his head to meet Addison's eyes.
She nodded. "You deserve to be happy, Derek."
Derek sighed. "You deserve that too. I'm glad you went on this little camping thing and got yourself out of the hospital."
She chuckled. "If I'd known it would have ended up this way, I'd have stayed back and gone shopping instead."
"It wasn't so bad," he replied. Well, it wasn't. Save for Meredith's sudden outburst at the end, it was pretty pleasant and he enjoyed the conversation. At least until Mark talked about that Tyndall guy—he wasn't too pleased with that.
"I guess. But it could have been a lot less awkward."
"It could have," he agreed. "But it was mostly okay."
"You have a lot to make up for with Meredith," she pointed.
"What do I have to make up for?"
She rolled her eyes. "You're such a boy. You guys didn't talk after s'mores?"
He shook his head. "I didn't want to deal with the cold shoulder."
"Derek… that's kind of girl code to try and make up." Derek turned his head and cocked it to the side but didn't say anything. Addison sighed. "You're such a boy," she repeated. "You'd think dating someone for so long would have taught you a thing or two about reading between the lines." she said, with a slight shake of her head.
"Addison, I'm not a mind reader."
"You're not," she agreed. "But… look, does Meredith usually have outbursts like that?"
"No?" he answered, confused. Meredith was one of the most understanding and unassuming people he's ever known. It was one of the reasons he fell for her. He surmised it was Addison's presence that was needling this side of her in a way that wasn't very pretty.
"Exactly," Addison said. "This is uncharacteristic of her. You should have gone in there and talked to her."
"Addie, I appreciate the advice. But it's unnecessary. I can handle it."
She shrugged. "You should definitely do the three-step apology tomorrow."
Derek gave a half-smile. "You think it'll work?"
"You won't know unless you try. But I think it's your best bet against a full-blown argument."
Derek sighed. "I don't know what's gotten into her these past few weeks. She's not usually petty."
"Then that's more reason for you guys to talk," she pointed.
Derek nodded but didn't respond. A comfortable silence fell between them, both lost in their own thoughts. Addison was right—Meredith wasn't usually like this. Addison's presence was bringing out the worst in her, and if he wanted things to improve, he was going to have to do something about it. It seemed like what he was doing wasn't enough. No matter how much he assured her, there were moments where the less rational side of her came through. Derek wasn't the biggest fan of it, but he loved her and he wanted to do what he could to assuage her insecurities.
He was whipped out of his thoughts when Addison sighed next to him.
"I should probably go back and try to get more sleep," she said, looking forlornly at the tent she shared with Mark.
He nodded. "I should head back in, too."
Addison turned her head and smiled at him. "It'll be fine, Derek," she assured him. "Try not to lose your patience with her."
"Thanks, Addie," he said, accepting the light kiss she planted on his cheek before she stood up and headed back to her tent.
"Good night," she whispered before she turned to open up the zipper.
"Good night," he whispered back, giving a small smile and heading back to the tent he shared with Meredith. He hoped to God he could catch some sleep.
Turns out- the three-step apology was just the secret for all women, because after the nearly disastrous camping trip, Derek had used it with Meredith, to some positive results. She wasn't pleased, but in the end she recognized that it wasn't Derek's fault that the conversation went in that direction, and that given the company, something from the past was bound to come up. So she had let him off the hook with a promise of not stringing her along to another excursion with the same company. She couldn't promise she wouldn't claw Mark Sloan's eyes out, even if he was an attending.
A week later, Derek found himself looking at the surgery board, checking the schedule for his next OR. He had a craniotomy scheduled that day, one he knew would probably take a while to finish.
"Here," said a voice next to him.
He looked up and saw Addison holding out a take away cup, offering it to him. He took it with a questioning look.
"Thought you might need it," she said as she took a sip out of her own cup.
He tilted his head and then took a tentative sip. "Juju," he stated.
She nodded, eyes on the board as she scanned it for her name. "Heard the interns talking about a craniotomy with intraoperative mapping. Thought for sure that would be you."
"You just gave me juju," he said dumbly.
Addison turned her head curiously at him. "I did just give you juju," she confirmed. "You okay? You sure you're not the one who's going under today?" she teased.
"I haven't had juju in… a while."
She smiled at him. "Well, juju is still juju. It's good luck no matter where you are."
He returned the smile gratefully. "Thanks for this," he said as he took another sip.
"You're welcome. I will say that intraoperative mapping has gotten me pretty curious too," she told him. "You should expect a full house."
"I'd be more excited if I didn't know already know how it's going to end for my patient," he said dryly.
She furrowed her brow as she took a sip. "What do you mean?"
"Glioblastoma," he said simply.
Addison cringed. "Yikes. That must really suck."
"My patient just finished college. And he's going to die within a year," he said glumly.
"I'm sorry," she replied softly, turning to meet Derek's eyes.
He sighed and then waved his hand. "Hazard of the job. You know that."
"I guess I do," she answered in agreement. "It's still never easy though. You lose a patient in this stage of your career and it's still as hard as losing your very first one."
He nodded thoughtfully. "Remember when Richard made you think you killed that baby?"
Addison made a face at the memory. "Yes, I do. He said he was trying to teach me a lesson."
"You didn't speak to him for a year."
She shrugged. "I still don't know if I'm a better doctor because of it. I'm only glad it didn't traumatize me enough to quit being a doctor," she said as she took a sip of her juju.
"Like anything would make you quit being a doctor," he answered her seriously.
She chuckled at that. "Maybe if I got into Julliard."
Derek hummed thoughtfully. "I forgot you wanted to go to Julliard."
"Yeah and Bizzy was totally against it," she answered with a slight shake of her head.
"You never did anything just to please Bizzy though," he said before taking a sip of his hot coco. "In fact, I think you'd go out of your way to piss her off."
"I guess you're right," she conceded with a small smile. "But for the record, I didn't become a doctor to please Bizzy. I wouldn't have gone through so much trouble just for that."
"How is Bizzy these days?" he asked, thinking of his almost mother-in-law and how, if he were being tremendously honest, it was a small reprieve not to have to deal with her in exchange of a broken engagement.
"Same as ever," she answered, eyes back on the board. "Anyway, I gotta go. I have a C-section scheduled in a few. I'll come by to watch your surgery if I don't get paged."
He nodded. "Thanks for the juju, Addison. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome," she replied, smiling at him. "Good luck."
In the middle of his surgery, Derek looked up to see Mark and Addison in the gallery. As Addison had predicted, it was a full house. Everyone wanted to see an awake craniotomy—even that guy Tyndall was in attendance. He caught Addison's eye. She smiled at him encouragingly. Mark was still talking next to her, unaware of the quick exchange between the two doctors.
He focused his attention back on the patient, and when it went as smoothly as possible, all things considered, he was sure it could only be because of the juju.
"Addison, over here!" Mark called, spotting the redhead looking for an empty table at the cafeteria.
She looked over and saw Mark and Derek beckoning her. Tray in hand, she walked over and gave them a grateful smile. "Hello, boys."
Derek made room on the table for Addison's tray. "Hey Addie."
"Did you just get out of surgery?" Mark asked, taking a french fry and popping it in his mouth.
She nodded as she took a seat and began opening the lid of her salad. "Had to sew a cervix shut to stop preterm labor," she said as she took her fork and took a bite of her greens.
"Sounds rough," Derek commented, setting his drink down.
She shrugged in response. "It was okay. I have an intern monitoring for contractions. Hopefully with a bit of bed rest, she'll be fine." She paused, looking at Mark. "What about you?"
"Cleft palate surgery this morning," he said as he took another fry. "Pro bono."
Addison raised her brow. "Really?"
Derek snorted next to her, earning him a glare from Mark. "Mark never does anything pro bono unless there's publicity involved."
"There isn't publicity in this Derek," Mark said. "It was out of the goodness of my heart."
Addison looked at him suspiciously. "I didn't know you had a heart."
"Hey!" Mark answered affronted. "I called you out here to come sit with the cool kids, and this is how you repay me?"
She shrugged, forking more greens. "You're not that cool."
"Oh, like the pink and squishy is cool?" he countered.
"Well, it is," she said matter-of-factly before taking a pointed bite of her salad.
"We're not that cool, Mark," Derek said.
Mark threw a French fry at him. "We are, and don't you forget it," he said. "What would Mama Shepherd say if she finds out you've been telling all the girls here neurosurgery isn't cool?"
"Mama Shepherd won't care," Derek said, not sparing Mark a glance as he bit into his sandwich.
"That's right," Addison agreed. "Mama Shepherd only cares that the golden boy is fed," she said, patting Derek's back. "I think it's why she disliked me, too. She knew I was terrible in the kitchen," she continued thoughtfully, stealing a French fry from Mark's tray.
Mark snorted. "Couldn't feed Derek to save your life?"
"Couldn't feed the both of you," she pointed. "Imagine being in med school and Mama Shepherd coming in to give you the side eye because you could burn water."
Mark chuckled at that. "Yeah, that apartment's fridge was always well stocked. Honestly at first, I thought it was you. And then I caught Derek's mom sneaking in one morning to load up the fridge."
"You didn't know my skills in the kitchen were dismal?" she asked, brow raised in question as she took another fry from Mark's plate.
He eyed the fry suspiciously and then shrugged. "It was my first time living with you. I didn't know your cooking skills sucked until you tried making instant ramen and you burned the noodles."
Derek laughed at the memory. "That was hilarious. Addison was so hungry, she was mad as hell when those noodles came out black."
Addison groaned. "Well, whatever I lack for in cooking, I totally make up for in mise en place, right Derek?"
Derek nodded in agreement. "Ask Addison to julienne anything, and she does it with surgical precision."
"I'm great at washing dishes," Mark offered, taking Addison's fork and getting a mouthful of greens.
"You are," Addison laughed. "You scraped off the burnt noodles from the pan I used to make that ramen."
Mark grinned at her. "That's just the validation I need," he said, offering Addison a fry. She took it with a smile and a slight shake of her head.
Derek looked between Mark and Addison, and the offending French fry which Addison just popped into her mouth. "You guys are disgusting."
"What?" Addison asked in surprise.
"I didn't know until today that you guys liked to share food."
Addison's brow furrowed but Mark chuckled. "I'd be asking if you I could take a bite of your sandwich, but you're gobbling that down faster than you can say neurocysticercosis."
Addison laughed. "Or Guillan Barre Syndrome."
"Or cerebrovascular infarction," Mark added playfully.
"Which is exactly what you'll get if you don't cut it out," Derek replied, rolling his eyes but flashing Addison a quick grin.
"Derek's just hungry," Addison said diplomatically, taking a bite of her salad. "Do you have anything scheduled this afternoon?" she asked seriously.
"I have a laminectomy," Derek replied. "What about you?"
She shrugged in response. "Patient rounds. And then hopefully I can get off a little early to buy some things for the house."
"I thought your house was fully furnished," Mark said, biting into his sandwich.
Addison shrugged. "A house is never really 'fully furnished'. There's always something you need to go out and buy."
Mark nodded. "That's true. Do you need any help getting those stuff?"
She shook her head. "No, I think I'm good."
"You sure?" Derek asked. "I get off at 5. Mark does too. We can help you out and then maybe grab some dinner."
She raised her brow. "Lunch and dinner with the two of you?" she teased. "I'm not sure I can take that much bromance."
Derek snorted. "Bromance?"
"What is it that they call you guys here?" she asked, laughing a little. "McDreamy?"
Mark laughed at that. "How do you know that?"
Addison rolled her eyes. "Mark, in case you haven't noticed yet, the gossip mill over here is pretty efficient," she said before looking at Derek. "Doesn't that embarrass you?"
Derek flushed slightly. "Just a little."
She smirked. "Just a little?" she laughed. "I cringed on your behalf when I heard the nurses talking about you and referring to you as McDreamy."
"They call me McSteamy," Mark volunteered, a proud grin on his face.
Addison wrinkled her face in mock disgust. "McSteamy isn't any better."
Mark rolled his eyes. "Don't judge the McNames. You have one too."
"Excuse me?" she asked, surprised.
"The gossip mill over here is pretty efficient," Mark mocked. And then he laughed. "You have a McName too."
"No I don't," she insisted, taking another fry from Mark's tray.
"Yes, you do," he said pointedly. "What is it they call Addison?" Mark said, turning to Derek.
Derek shrugged. "I don't pay particular attention to these McNames," he said.
"They're juvenile," Addison replied.
"They're McJuvenile," Mark grinned, to which she rolled her eyes. "But I'm not kidding, you have a McName too."
"Well, this McHospital has too much time on its hands," she replied as she forked more greens.
Mark grinned wider. "See, you're getting a hang of it."
"So what is it they call me?" she asked without looking at Mark, taking a bite of her salad.
"How about you guess?" Mark said, his mouth full.
"I guess as long as it's not something awful, like McStupid or McBossy, I'm good," she replied thoughtfully.
Mark laughed. "That's a good guess. But try again."
She rolled her eyes. "Mark, I don't have McTime for this. Just tell me."
"Guess."
"No."
"Guess," he insisted more urgently.
Addison groaned. "Mark."
"Oh for the love of God," Derek cut in, looking between Mark and Addison. "They call you McHot," he said to her.
"I thought you said you didn't pay attention to the McNames?" Mark asked as he swallowed a bite, that teasing grin on his face so knowing it made Derek want to punch him.
Addison's brows were furrowed before she chuckled. "McHot, huh?"
Derek sighed. "I heard Karev call you that a couple of times."
Addison paused, seeming to think about it before she shrugged. "I'll take it."
"Look at our girl preening," Mark said playfully, rubbing Addison's back. "You like it, don't you?"
Addison rolled her eyes, shrugging Mark's hand away. "It's better than what I expected so yes, I'm pleased."
Mark turned to look at Derek who was frowning. "He isn't too pleased."
Addison's eyes followed Mark's to assess Derek. "You don't agree that I'm hot?" she asked with a pout.
"Oh, he agrees," Mark said, winking at Derek who as scowling at him. "He just doesn't like it when other people seem to think so, too."
"Please," Addison responded with a shake of her head. "You of all people should know the appeal."
Derek smiled. "I do understand," he pointed. "Half this hospital thinks you're hot."
"Also a bitch," Addison pointed, "but at least I'm a hot bitch."
"That's true," Mark replied, watching Addison take another French fry. "Are you gonna finish my fries or what? Why didn't you just order your own?"
She shrugged. "Fries are better when you're picking them off someone else's plate. They're not nearly as good when you order them yourself."
Mark frowned before he nodded in concession. "That's true."
Before Addison could respond, Derek's pager went off. Mark and Addison turned to him as he checked it.
"Sorry guys," he said apologetically. "I have a trauma patient in the ER." He stood up and crumpled the paper from his sandwich and started to collect his tray when he looked at Addison. "Are we still on for dinner?"
Addison thought briefly for a moment before she shrugged. "I can handle shopping for today. We can do dinner some other time."
Derek nodded. "I'll catch up with you guys later then," he replied, standing up to deposit his tray and go to the ER.
From the other side of the cafeteria, the interns watched the three attendings interact. They couldn't hear anything they were saying, but it was clear they were taking turns teasing each other in a way that left no doubt their friendship went way back.
"I wonder what they were talking about," George said as he sipped his soda.
Izzie shrugged. "None of our business."
"You're not even remotely curious?" George asked.
"It's none of our business," she repeated. She looked over at Meredith who was busying herself with her hotdog. "Mer?"
"What?"
"You okay?"
"I'm fine," she replied, giving what she hoped looked like a very mature, very cool-girlfriend-vibe smile. "I'm glad Derek has friends."
"At least Dr. Montgomery wasn't eating Dr. Shepherd's fries," George said. "I'd be mad if she took fries from McDreamy. Only Meredith gets to eat McDreamy's fries."
Izzie cast him a curious look, and Alex scoffed next to her. George just shrugged in response.
"It's cool," Meredith responded. "Everything's cool."
All of them had varying degrees of skepticism on their faces, but Meredith ignored them. It was fine.
A few days later, Derek and Addison crossed paths at the nurse's station. She was writing on a patient's chart, George in tow. Derek was about to get a patient's chart, Meredith in tow.
"Good afternoon, Dr. Montgomery," Derek greeted politely, casting Addison a friendly smile as he reached over the take the chart he needed.
Addison looked up and saw Derek standing next to her. "Good afternoon, Dr. Shepherd."
George looked between the two attendings and then cleared his throat. "Good afternoon, Dr. Shepherd," he said, looking straight into Derek's eyes, faltering only slightly at Derek's confused look.
"Likewise, O'Malley," he answered bemusedly before turning his attention to the chart.
George saw Meredith casting him a question gaze, but he shrugged in response.
"Busy day, Dr. Montgomery?" Derek asked, eyes not leaving the chart he was perusing.
"Hmm?" Addison asked distractedly. "Yes, I suppose it's been a busy day. O'Malley here has been a magnet for toxic patients. It's only 1pm, but we've already had 2 emergency OR's this morning."
George flushed next to her but said nothing, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and waiting for Addison to give him instructions.
Derek gave George a quick once over before going back to the chart. "Your intern looks exactly like Jason Bridle," he said casually.
Addison looked up and then turned her head to face Derek. She had an unreadable expression before she shook her head. "That's mean."
George looked again between the attendings, his brow furrowing in confusion. Derek gave him another once over.
"It's true. He looks exactly like him."
"He does not," Addison insisted.
"He doesn't just look like him, he has the same magnetic force for toxic patients too."
George scowled, but Addison came to his defense. "You know as well as I do more cases mean more learning. More learning means you turn out to be a better doctor."
George nodded and grinned slightly at that, standing a bit taller. Meredith watched him with narrowed eyes.
"He still looks like Jason Bridle."
"Who is Jason Bridle?" Meredith asked curiously from behind Derek, looking between him and Addison.
Before Addison could reply, Derek answered for the both of them. "One of Addison's interns when she was a resident. Notoriously… nervous… and always had the worst patients coming into his shift."
Addison scowled. "He wasn't notoriously nervous."
Derek snorted. "Just perpetually anxious then," he retorted. "He brought in three triple-As in one morning—"
"And I was in surgery all day," Addison replied blandly. "Yes, I recall."
"Three triple As?" George interjected. "That's a lot."
Addison nodded. "I agree. One triple A is enough."
"Did they all survive?" he asked curiously.
"They did," Derek confirmed. "But Addison barely just did."
"What happened?" George asked, ignoring Meredith's suspicious gaze.
Addison shrugged. "You know a triple A repair takes time."
"She was in the OR until midnight with Jason Bridle. She didn't have time for coffee. And Addison without coffee is not a pleasure to deal with," he grinned.
"Stop," she replied with an eyeroll.
"So if you ever want to please Dr. Montgomery, coffee or coco is the way to go," Derek continued to George. "Bring her a cup if you find yourself in a pinch before a surgery. Addison eats interns who don't study before an OR."
"Don't teach my intern that," Addison said indignantly. "Interns are here to learn—"
"And they'll learn their attending's little quirks, which will be to their advantage too," Derek pointed.
Addison rolled her eyes again. "You can't teach my interns how to bribe me."
"You bribed Sellers when you wanted in on that diaphragmatic hernia repair."
"I'm insulted you think I had to bribe an attending just to get into a surgery," she replied haughtily.
Derek shrugged. "Everyone else bribed him with donuts. But you got the surgery anyway."
"That's because I didn't bribe him," she said matter-of-factly. "I did it of my own merit."
Derek hummed thoughtfully before turning to George with a smirk. "I like caramel macchiato," he said to him.
"Stop, Derek," she said warningly. "And you don't like caramel macchiato."
"I don't?" Derek asked, turning to look at Addison, clearly confused.
She sighed and faced him. "No, you like vanilla lattes," she responded. "Now stop pestering me and my intern, we're trying to work."
Derek smirked but turned his attention back to the chart, oblivious to Meredith just about seething next to him.
"Dr. Montgomery, what kind of coffee do you like?" George whispered to Addison after a moment.
Addison rolled her eyes. "Nothing you're supposed to know," she stated.
"But you like banana muffins don't you?" he asked. "I saw Izzie making banana muffins for you one time and—"
"O'Malley, you're scrubbing in on my surgeries no matter what food I like okay?"
"Oh," George replied, flushing. "Thank you."
There was a paused silence as both attendings concentrated on their charts and both interns stood awkwardly next to them. Meredith and George exchanged unsure glances, with George shrugging at Meredith's silent sulking.
With a sigh, George leaned in to Addison and then whispered. "Dr. Montgomery? I'm not Jason Bridle, right?"
Addison groaned. "George," she said testily.
"I'm sorry," he exclaimed, taking a step back and putting his hands up. "I'm sorry, I'm just. I'm not nervous, Dr. Montgomery. Or at least, I don't think I am. I'm just easily confused and—"
"George," Addison said again, pinching the bridge of her nose, but George ignored her.
"But I work really hard, and I don't bring in the most toxic patients. I'm not a magnet for—"
"Dr. O'Malley…" Addison continued with a sigh.
"And even if I were a magnet, I wouldn't just up and leave and—"
"George!" Addison said loudly, effectively shutting George up. George flushed. Addison looked at him with immense confusion on her face before she sighed. "George…"
"Yes, Ma'am.. Doctor… Ma'am…" he stammered, feeling himself sweat just a little at Addison's confused look. Meredith and Derek also turned their eyes to him, both looking equally questioning.
"George… just calm down okay? Dr. Shepherd didn't mean it."
"What didn't I mean?" Derek asked, confused as he heard his name.
"About Jason Bridle. Take it back. My intern is having a panic attack," Addison said in exasperation, waving her hands towards George.
"Addison—"
"Just take it back Derek," she cut him off. "Please."
Derek sighed. "Fine, Dr. O'Malley. You're not like Jason Bridle," he said. "He doesn't even know who that guy is," he muttered next to Addison's ear.
Addison ignored him, hoping that was enough to placate the nervous intern so she could do her job.
"Remember when—"
"Derek," Addison warned. Nothing that starts with 'remember when' ever went well with Meredith around, and Addison wasn't about to cause the blonde any more trouble.
But Derek ignored her. "—everyone got Sellers those bagels because he was gonna do the gastroschisis repair?"
"Yes, I remember," Addison said shortly, recalling the memory of the flurry of interns who got Dr. Sellers his morning bagel in the hopes of being allowed to scrub in on his surgery.
"He had 14 lox and cream cheese bagels by the end of the morning—"
"And I think it was 22 cups of coffee from all over Manhattan," she interjected, chuckling a little.
Derek nodded. "Right, and he gave away all those bagels—"
"To the NICU staff—"
"And to the interns on the other service. And there was overflowing coffee—"
"The best ones," Addison agreed.
"God, you'd think that culture would have survived," Derek grinned with a shake of his head.
"You're just like Mark. Interns are doctors. People. They're not food factories."
"Oh, don't I know it," Derek said, turning to wink at Meredith who was frowning next to him. He went back to his chart and then saw that his patient was pregnant. "Well, look what I've got."
"What?" Addison asked distractedly.
"I have a patient with a brain tumor and she's 18 weeks pregnant."
Addison sighed and then peered over to Derek's chart. "A meningioma."
"It's in the parietal lobe."
Addison frowned, skimming the pages of the MRI results. "With dural attachment to the falx? That's—"
"Dangerous, I know. It's compressing the corpus callosum."
"How are the bridging veins?" Addison asked, setting aside her own chart to better study Derek's case.
"We'll have to do a CT-venography to map out the bridging veins and the Rolandic vein."
Addison nodded. "You'll do an OIA?"
Derek pursed his lips. "That's experimental."
"It is, but it was in the BMJ a couple of months ago, a case series at least."
Derek nodded, turning to Meredith. "Dr. Grey, what does OIA stand for?"
Meredith looked at Addison, who looked busy scanning the patient's chart and then shrugged. "Occipital interhemispheric approach."
"Good," Derek said. He turned to Addison. "If we do the procedure—"
"It has to be now. Patient position is—"
"Lateral semiprone," he supplied.
Addison nodded. "That means the longer you wait, the harder it will be to keep that position. The growing uterus—"
"I know," Derek sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"But if we wait?"
"It could grow bigger," Derek stated with a frown.
"There's bound to be some neurologic deficit here," Addison responded thoughtfully. "Especially if those veins are involved. I don't know how viable that's going to be for a pregnant woman."
"The worst that could happen is—"
"She becomes an incubator—"
"But we won't know which brain functions will be affected. With the falx—"
"I know," Addison frowned.
Meredith looked between Addison and Derek with a mixture of awe and jealousy. The two attendings were finishing each other's sentences. Like they had worked together all their lives and they knew exactly what the other was thinking. Meredith thought it was odd, because they hadn't worked together in eight years. But it seemed they were both very much in tune with the other. It was amazing to watch, but also immensely unnerving.
George looked over at Meredith nervously, also noticing how Addison and Derek were interacting seamlessly. He saw Meredith's frown turn into a scowl before she schooled her face when Derek turned to ask her another question. The attendings were oblivious—they weren't aware that they were finishing each other's sentences, or that it was apparent to those watching that they were. It seemed like just another day on the job, a well-oiled team working for a patient's welfare. And on the outside, that was exactly what it was.
When Addison and Derek had finished discussing theoretical treatment plans, Derek asked Meredith to run the necessary labs, unaware that Meredith was pissed. There wasn't much reason to be pissed—they were just two doctors working. But the chemistry was hard to ignore, and Meredith definitely was not pleased. So she took her orders and went her way, hoping the discomfited feeling she had would shed off soon.
Manhattan, 1998
Addison looked around the bare apartment. Derek's football trophy was gone from its usual place above the television. His favorite mug wasn't in the cupboard above the sink. His shoes weren't lined up in the entryway next to hers.
In the middle of the living room, he sat, boxes in front of him, sealing shut some of the last of his things to load up into his jeep the following day. They had decided—he was moving to Boston, without her. He would accept the offer at Harvard, and she would stay behind. Addison wanted to yell about how wrong this all was, but she couldn't. She couldn't find the words, didn't even know if she could get them out from the sudden tightness in her throat.
Derek looked focus. Clinical. A defense mechanism she knew he was using in order to school his emotions.
"I wrote down the forwarding address," Derek said matter-of-factly, "and put it up on the red magnet in the fridge. If I leave anything behind, you can send it there."
Addison nodded mutely.
"I think I got almost everything though," he continued as he secured the side of a box with packaging tape. "But I might have left a few bits and pieces. You can send them, or give them to Mark. He'll know what to do."
"Okay."
"I didn't get any of the linens. You can keep all of that. But I got a few towels—the red ones. I know you hate them because they bleed in the washer."
"Of course." She hated that red set—it stained everything they were washed with.
He stood up from where he knelt on the ground, looking around their living space with his hands on his hips, trying to determine what else he had left behind. This was it—surgical slicing of their lives, dividing property and belongings with a surgeon's precision, as if it was all their shared lives came to.
"The box over there," he said, pointing to a sealed box in the corner of the living. "That's not gonna fit in the jeep. Nancy said she'd drop by this week and get it to UPS. And then that one," he continued, pointing to a smaller box next to it, "Mark will pick up tomorrow after his shift. They're baseball cards and stuff. He'll keep them for me."
"It seems like you've got everything accounted for," she said hoarsely, trying to muster a smile as Derek met her gaze. "Anything else you may have left behind?"
His face went from stoic to sad in an instant, the façade of strength melting away at that. Anything else he had left behind? Only his entire life. The love of his life.
"Addie…" he started softly.
She waved a hand dismissively. "Just call me if there's anything you think you may have left. I'll check it out for you."
He nodded mutely, watching her shift from her position to inspect the boxes, running a finger over the edges, as if committing the moment to memory. He felt helpless. He wanted nothing more than to unpack those boxes, put his things next to hers where he knew they belonged. But after so many difficult conversations and anger and sadness starting to build, there wasn't much he could do.
He sighed, taking a seat on the couch. "Come here," he beckoned.
"Derek…"
"Just come," he replied, opening his arm out until she sat next to him tentatively. He put his arm around her, pulled her closer to him, and inhaled the scent of her coconut shampoo. They stayed that way for a moment, no sound filling the apartment except their breathing, a palpable sense of loss between them at what was to come when the sun rose the following day.
"I love you," he said quietly, into her hair, hoping the words seep into her mind and remain etched there forever.
"I know," she replied, shifting so she was closer to him. "I love you, too."
"I'll call you when I get there," he said soothingly.
She nodded into his chest. "You'd better."
"And I'll drive safely," he continued, knowing long drives sometimes freaked Addison out.
"Good."
There was a question on both their minds—hanging heavily. Was there a way to turn back time? They both wondered. Could they have made different decisions, ended up in different emotional states, so they wouldn't have to part? Was there a point, somewhere in the past, that could have altered the way their story was to play out? There were a lot, for sure. But truthfully, there was no use hashing those out. Whatever happened had already happened, had played a hand in the decision they had come to, and there was nothing to do but to move forward. No matter how much it hurt.
She pulled away from him slightly, tilting her head so she could look into his eyes. Let it never be said that she didn't love Derek Shepherd with all of her being. In that precise moment, mixed with all the fear and loneliness of it all, she felt an overwhelming sense of love. It wrapped her up, cradled her, assured her they were doing the right thing. She loved with every cell in her body that she could not find a reason for why setting him free was not the best for him. If anybody knew the talent Derek had, the distance he would go, it was her.
"We'll stay friends, right?" she asked timidly, also, in retrospect, very naively. How do you stay friends with the love of your life?
"Always," he assured her, kissing her forehead.
With a sigh, she pulled away. Derek watched her bite her lip, struggling to form words, as she fiddled with her fingers. Even in this state, she was absolutely breathtaking. And then she looked up, her eyes unexpectedly glassy with unshed tears.
She took his hand in hers gently. He felt it before he saw it, knew what it was that she had passed on to his hand without having to see it. He didn't think it was possible for his heart to break further.
"Addie…"
"You should take it," she said, her voice breaking as she pulled her hands away, finger now distinctly void of her humble engagement ring. The one Derek had saved up for for months and who everyone thought was too small for a Forbes Montgomery. Not that Addison minded, of course. It was never about the stone. It was about the promise. And now, even the promise was gone.
"Addie, I can't," his voice thick as he tried to wrestle for her hand to beg her to please just take the ring back.
"I can't either Derek, please," she pleaded. "I can't keep it. It's too much."
"But it's yours," he said brokenly, his eyes now tearing up as his fingers wrapped tightly around the cold metal. It was light as a feather but somehow also heavier than all of the boxes he'd packed combined.
"It was ours," she corrected with a sad smile. "Keep it, babe. Maybe one day, you know. For the right girl?"
He shook his head. "For you."
"For me?" she asked in surprise.
He shrugged. "Maybe, you know? One day? Things might be right." When she didn't say anything, he sighed. "Addie, it will always be you." There would never be another 'right girl'. At least in his mind.
She sighed. "Then if that's the case, keep it, Derek. For when you're ready. For when we're both ready."
He shifted his eyes from her imploring ones down to the ring that was in his palm, his vision cloudy as a few tears fell. The ring—his entire life—sitting on his hand. He knew even then there would be no one else like Addison Montgomery. Not in this lifetime.
"Call me when you get there, okay?" she said, breaking the sorrow filling the room and moving to stand up. "I'll help you load up your things tomorrow. My shift doesn't start 'til noon."
"You sure?" he asked wearily.
She nodded. "You didn't think I'd let you go without a goodbye, right?"
PRESENT DAY
Addison finished her post-op notes after performing an exploratory laparotomy on a patient with ovarian torsion. The patient was young and she had just lost a fallopian tube and an ovary, and she wanted to check on her to make sure she was fine.
She made her way to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit, where patients were held before they were cleared to go back to their rooms. She saw Dr. Tyndall at the foot of the patient's bed, her chart in hand.
"On duty at the PACU today?" Addison asked with a smile as she stood next to Timothy.
He turned to look at her, returning the smile and lowering the chart a little. "Unfortunately, this is the only action I get today."
"It's an important job."
"Oh, I agree completely," he replied with a nod. "But it seems rather like the OR's ICU doesn't it?"
"It certainly does," she agreed. Her gaze landed on the chart in his hands. "How's my patient doing?"
"The sedative will wear off soon, but she has an epidural in place so we can top it up in about an hour or two."
"Stable?"
He nodded. "We can trans out right after her next top up."
"That's good," Addison answered as she walked around to the patient's side and briefly auscultated her chest. She looked up to check the monitor and was satisfied with the latest vital signs.
"The anesthesia record shows you finished the entire thing in 40 minutes," Timothy said, not bothering to hide that he was impressed.
Addison shrugged as she hung her stethoscope around her neck. "It only sounds impressive because it's labelled an ex-lap. But GYN ex-laps are relatively fast. You know what you're dealing with before you open up, you take out what you have to, and done."
Timothy hummed. "General surgery ex-laps are a bit more complicated."
"They are. You have a bowel perforation somewhere and you need to go through the whole tube just to find it. Not to mention how dirty an OR like that is," Addison replied with a shiver. Those definitely were not her favorite ORs as an intern.
Timothy chuckled as he closed the chart and led Addison to the station. "Do you have more ORs left for today?"
She shook her head. "Just teaching rounds this afternoon and then some paperwork," she answered, leaning on the counter and facing him.
He smiled, pausing for a moment before he took a breath. "Addison, we've worked together on a couple of occasions and you've given me the pleasure of a tea or two in the past weeks. I've enjoyed your company immensely, and I thought I might ask if you'd be interested in having dinner with me sometime."
Addison raised a brow. "Dinner?" she asked in surprise.
He nodded, a hopeful expression on his face.
"Like… dinner as friends or….?"
"Dinner as in a date," he confirmed, his bright blue eyes twinkling at Addison. "Forgive me for being forward, but I've meaning to ask for quite some time. I just haven't worked up the courage until today."
Addison thought about it for a moment, her hesitation about dating someone from work, or dating at all, still present. But Timothy seemed like a nice guy and he seemed awfully sincere about enjoying her company. She enjoyed his too.
With a sigh, she gave an apologetic smile. "Do you mind if I think about it first? I have a…. personal rule," she said while making a face, "not to date anyone from work after what happened with ex-husband. I appreciate the invitation, and I do enjoy spending time with you, but I'll have to think about it first."
"Ah," he said, hiding his disappointment very well. "Say no more, Addison."
"It's not an outright no," she offered.
He nodded. "I understand," he replied with an assuring smile. "The ball's in your court. Say the word, and I'll take care of the rest."
Addison smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you."
"Don't take too long to think," he said lightly, winking at her before he turned and checked on his next patient. Addison could only shake her head.
When Addison went home that evening, she kicked her heels off and poured herself a glass of wine. Her mind unconsciously kept going back to those bright blue, hopeful eyes. Dr. Tyndall was not just handsome and accomplished, but he was also immensely kind. In the few times she had worked with him and had spent time with him, she found that he was spirited, funny, personable, and caring. He was a true English gentleman, and if it were any other situation, she would immediately say yes to a date with him.
But she had her reservations about dating. In general. She wasn't sure that she was healed enough to play the game again, and it would be thoroughly unfair to anyone she dated if she wasn't in it for something serious. People in the dating pool her age weren't looking for a fun time. People were looking to settle down, a partner to build a home and start a family with. At least, that's what she presumed. So to play the game as if she were a teenager was just going to end in disaster.
She sat on the couch, tucking her feet, her gaze flickering to the calendar on the wall. She sighed. Today was one year to the day since her divorce with Matthew was finalized. There was a dull ache in her chest at the reminder. She liked to think she wasn't in the same place anymore—that she had moved on and picked up majority of the pieces of her life. But a year of being a divorcee wasn't exactly cause to celebrate.
She wasn't where she thought she would be at 37, that much was certain. But at the same time, she knew that Addison Forbes Montgomery was not one to be knocked out and kept on the ground. It has been a year too long, and it was high time to start opening herself up to new opportunities, including dating. She wasn't getting any younger, and she knew with time, her heart would heal completely anyway.
With a sip of her wine, she decided. It was time. Time to stand tall, to take the reins and steer her life in the direction she wanted it to go. There was nobody else who would take the reins for her, and for the first time in a long time, she was completely in charge. She was free to do what she wanted, and what she wanted was to move on. Completely.
AN! So that's July! We see more Timothy, and a bit more of him later on. We also see a lot of the original chemistry between Addison and Derek, and Addison/Derek/Mark- something i feel would have made Meredith terribly uncomfortable. i thought long and hard about the camping scene and Meredith's reaction. I re-wrote it so many times because I didn't want Meredith to appear too petty, but putting myself in her shoes and getting absolutely fed up with the situation probably would have made me less than adult (esp if you're an intern running on so little sleep!). George is also such a fun character to write.
Still working on the BER chapters. The last few are giving me such a hard time, trying to tie up the story so it'll feel like a solid ending. Hope you guys stay tuned for that.
Thanks everyone! Stay safe and get vaccinated!