Addison was discharged from the hospital the next morning with strict instructions to take it easy and for Derek to continue the therapies. As Derek drove home, he felt heavier and heavier. Addison had been quiet the whole way home. He knew she wanted to know the truth.

Derek pulled up to the Brownstone, turned off the engine, and slowly turned to face Addison. He noticed she had an odd look on her face.

"What's wrong Addie?"

"I have a very odd image of my clothes all over the front lawn…Also a feeling of being cold and wet..." Addison said. She shook her head. "Weird, huh?" she said turning to Derek. He turned from looking at her and just stared at the door. Addison was remembering things. He was excited about that. It was a good sign that her memory would return; however, why did she have to remember that! He was so ashamed of how he treated her. Sure he found her in bed with his best friend, but it was still no excuse for what he did.

Memories of THAT night flooded his head. Throwing Addison's clothes out the front door. Her banging on the door, crying in the rain. Him walking out the front door never looking back.

Addison saw the pained look on Derek's face. "What aren't you telling me?" she asked slowly.

Derek put his forehead on the steering wheel and was silent for awhile. He finally sat up and looked at Addison.

"Addison, you are remembering what happened. The clothes on the lawn, being cold and wet. All of it. It's a memory."

She looked at him confused. "A memory? Of what?" Derek turned back to looking at the front door.

"Let's go inside. Get some dinner, and then I will tell you."

He got out of the care and helped Addison into the house. Once she was settled on the couch, Derek went to make them some spaghetti for dinner.

As Addison waited for Derek to return, she looked around the living room and foyer. Everything seemed so familiar yet there were slight differences. The wedding photo that used to hang on the wall was now laying over by the wall. There were other family photos on the walls that were more recent than Addison remembered. She got up and started walking around the room. It was amazing how much everyone had changed in 7 years! Some of the nieces and nephews she didn't even remember as they weren't born yet 7 years ago.

She sighed as she walked over to the stairs. She knew Derek would be really upset if she ventured all the way up the stairs, but for some reason she was drawn to them. She stood at the bottom of the stairs trying to hold onto a memory. Emotions of anger, hurt, despair, and regret flooded through her as she stood there. What had happened here to elicit that kind of response in her? She was still standing there when Derek came back in the room.

"Come sit down and eat, Addie." Derek said quietly. Addison walked over to the couch, where they began to eat in silence.

When they finished eating, Addison looked over at Derek. "Ok, Derek. We are alone, at home, and have eaten. No more stalling. What in the world happened to us?"

"Honestly, Addie, I am not even sure to begin. Over the last 7 years, you and I became increasingly more successful. We shot to the top of our fields. In order to do that, we worked very long hours. We didn't see each other for days sometimes. At some point, you began to realize what was happening. Every time you tried to bring it up, I didn't believe you. Slowly, I began to become indifferent to you." Derek paused when he saw the shocked look on Addison's face.

"We can stop if you want, love. This is a long story." Derek said, barely able to look at her.

"Keep going." Addison whispered.

"Ok." Derek said staring at the bookshelf. He couldn't look her in the eye during the next part of the story. "I don't really know when or how it happened, but I began to pull away. To check out of our relationship. Then, one night, I came, and I, uh, I" he stammered. How the hell was he supposed to say what happened?!

"Keep going Derek." Addison said. She knew in her gut what was coming, but she wouldn't believe him unless he said it.

"I, uh, found you having sex in our bed with some one else." Derek barely choked out. The tears he had been holding in spilled over at the point. He slowly looked up at Addison and realized she too was crying hard. He pulled her into his arms.

"Addie, you need to calm down. You are going to make yourself sick." he said rubbing circles on her back. He continued to hold her for another 20 minutes as she sobbed.

"I am sorry. So sorry." she sobbed. "It's ok, Addie. I have already forgiven you."

Instantly, Addison bolted over to the stairs. "I cried here that night, didn't I? That is why I have so many bad feelings over here."

Derek was quiet for awhile and then said, "I honestly don't know." Addison looked at him in confusion. Then she started to remember.

"You left that night. Didn't you? You kicked Mark out of the house, threw all my clothes on the lawn, and locked me out of the house." Derek looked at her in surprise. She was remember details he hadn't told her. "Addie, you are remembering!" he exclaimed. But she barely heard him.

"Then you let me back in. I begged you to stay. But you left. Then I sat here and cried until I fell asleep…." Addison finished and slowly turned back to Derek. The pain on her face was evident. He could tell, for her, remembering was like ripping off a band-aid.

"Yes, Addison. That is what happened." It was all he could say. He slowly walked over to her and hugged her. Addison clinged to him for dear life, as if she was afraid he would leave again.

He carried her up to their room and laid her on the bed. He continued to hold her until she fell asleep. The rest of the story would have to wait. She needed sleep to recover. For Derek, sleep was a long time coming. He kept thinking about the past 3 years. He knew he would never fully understand what had happened. He was just thankful they had a second chance.

The next morning Derek woke up to Addison walking around the room.

"When did we remodel?" she asked.

"You did." Derek replied. "After, I, uh….after I left" Addison just nodded. She walked out of the bedroom and went downstairs. She wasn't ready to face Derek yet. She was starting to remember more but she was having a hard time filtering through all the images. Right now, she just needed space.

Addison walked from the living room, through the kitchen, to the backyard. She found her favorite spot in the hammock under the willow trees. She laid down and watched the clouds go by. It was a beautiful summer day. Clear blue skies with a few clouds. A cool breeze.

Addison put her arm over her head and sighed. She thought her dreams over the past few days of Mark showing up to an anniversary dinner instead of Derek, of Mark taking her to a Broadway show for her birthday, of Mark holding her in his arms...were just that, dreams. Now she was pretty sure her memories were slowly starting to return. And then to find out that she had actually slept with Mark! Mark of all people! How could she do that to Derek? How could he become indifferent to her? None of it made sense. Derek said he had forgiven her. That did not sound like the Derek she remembered. He was stubborn. Very stubborn. It had taken him such a long time to forgive Amelia, his own sister. And what she had done was nothing in comparison to him finding his wife in bed with his best friend. Addison knew there was more to the story Derek had started to tell her last night. Of all her memories that were starting to return, she still had no recollection of Seattle.

"Addison!" Addison jumped up out of the hammock, shocked. She squealed when she saw her best friend.

"Savvy!" she ran over and gave her a hug.

"Sorry I was unable to come to the hospital. Jillian shared the flu with me. Gotta love 2 year olds!" Savvy said. Addison looked at her in confusion.

"Who is Jillian?" she asked. Savvy just looked at Addison. She thought Derek had been exaggerating when he said Addison had no memories from the previous 7 years.

"Um, " Savvy stalled. "She is my daughter." Addison was shocked.

"You are a mom! Did you bring her? Did I deliver her?"

"Addie, slow down!" Savvy laughed. She was unsure of how to proceed. "Um, yes, I am a mom. No, I didn't bring her, but I have a picture. No, you didn't deliver her. She is adopted from Ethiopia."

This was not what Addison was expecting. "She is adopted? That is really cool, Sav." Addison said as she looked at a picture of Jillian on Savvy's phone. It still shocked her that cell phones had advanced so much to also be cameras! "She is adorable!"

"Addie, do you remember why Weiss and I adopted?" Savvy asked cautiously.

"No, I don't." Addison said quietly. Savvy proceeded to tell her the story of her and Weiss coming out to Seattle. Addison was stunned. How could she not remember that?

"Sav," Addison began. "I am so sorry. It is so frustrating not being able to remember!"

Savvy took Addison's hand in hears. "It is ok, Addie. Your memories will return!" she said, squeezing Addison's hand.

"I am going to go and let you rest." Savvy said standing up. "Would you like me to bring Jillian by later?"

"That would be great, Sav!" Addison stood up and gave her best friend a hug.

While Addison was talking with Savvy, Derek decided it was time to catch up on missed calls and emails. After getting caught up on work and updating the Chief on Addison's status, he knew it was time to make the call he had been dreading. He needed to call Meredith back.

"Derek?" Meredith answered after a few rings.

"Hey." Derek answered. There was an awkward pause.

"Um look" "How's Addison?" They spoke at the same time.

"You go." Meredith said.

"Ok." Derek said running his hands through his hair. "Look Meredith. Prom was a mistake. I am sorry but I can't keep talking to you. Addison barely remembers the last 7 years. I need to focus on her now and if I keep talking to you, that won't happen."

Meredith was quiet for a long time. Deep down she knee this was coming, but it was still hard to hear.

" Meredith?" Derek asked after a while.

"I'm here. I understand. I am sorry about Addison's memory. I won't bother you anymore. Goodbye Dr. Shepherd." Meredith rambled as the tears flowed down her face.

"Meredith! Wait!" Derek choked out. He tried to stop her, but she had already hung up. He had heard the tears in her voice. He too started to cry. Even though he loved Addison and was happy they were working things out, or at least had started before she lost her memory, his heart aked at the loss of Meredith. He hated himself for hurting her...again.

It was at that moment Addison walked into the room.

"Derek? Who are you talking to?" She asked confused. Derek was sitting on the bed with his head between his hands. The sound of her voice made him jump.

" Addison!" He exclaimed jumping off the bed. "I was, um, I was…" he stammered. He knew he had to tell her the truth. "I was talking to Meredith."

"Meredith? Is that some one from Seattle?" Addison was confused by the way Derek was acting. She also was confused why that name elicited a jealous feeling in her.

Derek couldn't look at her. He walked to the window and stared out over Central Park. It had always been one of his favorite parts of this house. It looked out over a very special part of the park.

15 years ago

Derek walked around his dorm room nervously.. He couldn't believe Addison had said yes to going on a date with him! He had been asking her all semester, and she finally said yes. She was so beautiful! He was still in shock that she had chosen him over Mark. That never happened!

The two med students went out to dinner at a cafe near Central Park. Addison was having a pleasant time with Derek. He was so different from the other boys she had dated in the past. He didn't come from money. That much she was sure. He was so sweet and attentive. He was a perfect gentleman as well...opening doors for her, pulling out her chair.

After dinner, the couple decided to walk around Central Park. It was a cold December night. Derek was glad for the temperatures because it gave him a good excuse to put his arm around Addison. As they were walking, they came to a bench and sat down. Derek looked up at the row of expensive houses a little way across the park.

"I am going to own one of those houses someday." he said wishfully.

"You want to own a Brownstone?" Addison asked surprised. It took Derek a minute to figure out what she was talking about as he had no clue what the houses were called. He just knew you had to be rich to live in them. For a small town country boy who grew up with little money, those houses looked like mansions!

"Seriously, Addie!" he exclaimed jumping up off the bench. "Can you imagine living in such a large house! ?! You could have servants. Never have to clean. Have enough rooms for all your children to have their own!..." he stopped talking, a little embarrassed. Addison just smiled up at him. It had been a long time since anyone had called her Addie. Derek just said it naturally, and she loved it.

She wasn't really sure what to say to him. She knew he didn't know who she was or how rich her family was.

"As long as the house is filled with love." she said quietly. She looked down at the ground. Derek sat back down and took her chin and tilted her face towards his.

"I wouldn't want it any other way.." He then leaned in and kissed her gently.

The bench they had sat on had been removed a long time ago, but his dream of owning a Brownstone had come true. What had happened to the house full of love though? To a house full of kids? He continued to stare out the window a little while longer.

Addison knew that look on him. The look of guilt and shame. She walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Derek?" He turned and pulled her into a tight embrace. He buried his head in her hair.

Addison hugged him back. She was still confused as to his reaction but sensed he needed to be close to her. Eventually he pulled back.

"Meredith is the rest of the story."

"The rest of the story?" Addison asked slowly. She backed away from Derek and walked over to the fireplace. She sat down in one of the recliners and waited for Derek to sit in the other. He began to tell her how he left NYC after finding Mark and her. At first, he wasn't sure where he was going to go. He just packed some of his stuff and started driving. It was the next day that he remembered their former mentor Richard Weber and told them they would always have a job at his hospital in Seattle, if they ever wanted it. So he called up Richard, and a week later was out in Seattle.

"And you met Meredith there?" Addison asked staring into the fire.

"Yes." Derek said quietly. He couldn't tell if Addison remembered anything or was just making assumptions.

"Do you remember anything from Seattle, Addie?" he asked. She looked at him with a faraway look in her eyes.

"Honestly, I don't know. I am starting to think I remember events over the last 7 years, but none of them are in Seattle. All of it is here. I do know that when I hear the name, Meredith, it makes feel nervous and jealous…" She turns back to look in the fire.

"How much more do you want to know?" he asks cautiously.

Addison is quiet for a long time. Does she really want to know what happened in Seattle? It seems like her brain has completely blocked it out. She is starting to get some of her memories back from before that, but why not Seattle? Why not events that are more recent? It must have been really bad if her brain was preventing her from remembering.

"Not now, Derek." She says standing up. "I think I just want to sleep for awhile. Savvy and Weiss are bringing their daughter by later tonight…."

She looks over at Derek. He doesn't seem shocked that they have a daughter. Of course he doesn't. He remembers the surgery she apparently performed. He remembers their friends adopting a baby.

"I think I just want to be alone Derek." she says turning away from him. Derek walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her.

"Ok, Love." he says kissing her temple. As he is walking out of the room, he turns to look at her.

"Addie?" he says. He waits until she is looking at him. "Just remember. You haven't heard the rest of the story yet. Before we came to NY, after we found out about your brain tumor. We were in a good place. We had begun to forgive each other." He starts to turn to leave to room.

"Derek, I love you." she whispers. He turns around and covers the distance between them.

Holding her tight, he says, "I love you too. Always." After giving her a kiss on the head, he turns and leaves the room. Neither of them are sure where to go from here, or what they future holds, but they are both sure that together, they will figure it out.

Let me know what you think! Would love to hear from more people reading this!