The coffee sat on the table like some type of unexploded IED right in front of Addison's usual seat in the lawyer's office. It wasn't just any coffee; it was the one from the cafe down the road from the trailer, with the Colombian slow-roasted beans that made every coffee taste like manna from heaven.

This coffee was Addison's favourite thing about Seattle; it was the first thing she fell in love with Seattle. It was good coffee, great coffee, and the only person who knew about it was Derek and Addison knew it was Derek who got it for her because he was the only other person in the room.

"What is this?" her confusion was evident in the question.

"Coffee, I figured you could use some of the good stuff with Amelia in town."

"Is this your way of asking about her?" Addison questioned, finishing her journey across the room and taking her seat.

This was the first time Derek had verbally acknowledged that his sister was in town, visiting his soon to be ex. He was masterful at avoiding people, especially those he had a contentious relationship with.

"I'm more worried about you than her." Derek hummed. It wasn't even a lie. If anything went wrong, Amy would survive; it would be Addison who picked up the pieces. "The coffee is a peace offering."

"Peace offering?" Addison slowly repeated, testing the word out on her tongue, dragging her eyes from the paper cup up to his face.

There was a hint of nervousness there which most people wouldn't have noticed, but Addison did.

She noticed.

Addison always has, she probably always will see things about Derek that other people couldn't see.

"I… I was hoping we could talk. If that's okay?" There's a part of Addison screaming at her to say no, to tell Derek that she's not prepared to have this conversation.

Not here and certainly not now.

It would have to wait; it would be on her own terms.

But a larger part of her also wants to get it over with, and at least right now, it was just the two of them. No one around to stare at her and Derek and turn around to gossip about it. And it wasn't like they had much chance of talking one-on-one these days.

Nodding slightly Addison gave her consent.

"I'm sorry." It flows out of Derek like a breath, and Addison almost rears back in shock, just staring at him.

Of all the things that she expected from Derek, that wasn't high up the list.

Justification for what he'd done, excuses, maybe a reprimand for letting Amy stay in Seattle when he made it very clear that he didn't want Addison in contact with any of his family, but an apology?

"What?"

"I'm sorry for losing my temper and telling the entire world about the abortion." Derek flushed, embarrassed by his action. "Bailey's had a lot to say the last few days and… It took someone pointing that out for me to understand that… she's right.

I've had time to calm down and process everything. I haven't exactly been innocent in all this. I, erm.. the thing with Meredith. I probably should have waited like you did. But we're both happy right? Me with Meredith, you and Mark. We can move on and be okay."

Her and Mark?

Did Derek think she was in a relationship with- It didn't even matter, he could think whatever he wanted about her at this point.

"I've found a house I want to buy."

"What?"

"I have found a house I want to buy," Addison repeated stretching out each syllable buying herself time to recover.

"No, I heard you the first time I just-" he wasn't sure why they were suddenly talking about houses. Addison had her own funds and separate bank account, she didn't need his approval or his money to purchase anything.

"I'm paying extra to rush escrow and have the surveys done by the end of the week so it will end up being community property. If I get my lawyers not to go after the land the trailer is on would you be willing to do the same for my house?"

"Of course." It was a reasonable request, plus Derek wouldn't have gone after Addison's property, if this also guaranteed she didn't go after the trailer and his land it was a win-win. "The way I see it we have three options; one, you accept my apology, and we can be adults about this moving forward. Two, you accept my apology and any time we argue, you can bring up the fact that I told the entire world about your abortion. Or option three, I don't know what option three is cause you never figured that one out."

"Cute." Addison glowered, wondering if the options had irritated Derek when she presented them to him months ago as they did her now.

"I thought so." Derek grinned, "I think you even ended up kissing me once you finished giving me my options."

"We weren't getting a divorce then."

"We weren't together either." Derek countered. "The point is that I would like us to figure out a way to move forward. I don't think we are going to be best friends or anything, but we can be friendly."

"Option three was us getting a divorce and me moving back to New York. I would have grown the practice and thrown myself into work. Eventually, win a Harper Avery or three before moving to Europe. I would have kept publishing articles, and ten to fifteen years from now we would have met in Paris or Amsterdam at some medical conference back here in the States, and you would be a guy from my past, and I would be a woman from yours, and it would be okay because it been years and we've both moved on and lived rich, full lives. Mark will be somewhere, being Mark, probably married with a kid or two. You'll tell me about how everyone's doing, the kids will all be graduating or starting their careers, and we'll finally be able to look at each other and apologise for all the pain we caused, and that will be that."

Derek blinked, truly shocked at the level of detail Addison had behind option number three, "You think Mark is going to get married?" he asked, stumped by that tidbit of fictional prediction. That was the most shocking part of the story, everything else he could see playing out, including the part Addison won three Harper Avery by then because she was just that brilliant.

Addison wasn't sure if it was up to her to mention the changes she saw in Mark or not. The men's relationship had understandable soured over the last few months, and with Derek offering no apology to Mark, he was done trying to make amends and win his friend over.

"Yes." she simply stated, not wanting to provide any more information than she already had.

The conversation and the forecast of the future had turned a little morose, trying to inject some levity into the situation Derek said the first thing that came to mind which wasn't even useful. "I don't know why we keep having these heavy conversations out of nowhere."

"Oh, I don't know. Sitting in a public place and

having deeply personal and private conversations seems to be on-brand with us." She teased. The amount of private information the two had let split into Seattle public space was mind-boggling. "Anyways, you're the one who bought the coffee and brought up the future."

"You really think you're going to end up being someone from my past?" Derek asked.

The question had a hint of something in there that Addison refused to identify. Whatever emotions or regret Derek was feeling was up to him to sort out.

"You don't?"

Addison didn't see a way back to ever being with Derek again. A part of her still wanted it, wanted him but whenever she started playing the picture in her head the 'movie' just kinda freezes.

There was the idea of making up, somehow figuring things out, but it never went beyond that. Sure she still wanted to kiss him but she couldn't picture herself doing that now.

The fantasy froze. Her mind recoiled at the idea of picturing a future together which was bizarre because it also hurt that she now won't have a future with him.

Was that progress or just hurt feelings and trauma?

No matter how much she tried to deny it her heart still belonged to Derek Shepherd. Her mind on the other hand rightly refuses to participate in that foolishness.

Before she could go any further with that line of thought, Addison's phone started ringing, wanting any excuse to get out of talking to Derek she picked up.

"Montgomery-Shepherd," she welcomed since she'd had yet to drop the Shepherd part in her phone greetings.

Derek lost track of the conversation once Addison started speaking French. It was so rapid and fluent that he couldn't even begin to guess what was being said. She ended the call with an "Au Revoir" before returning to her seat, staring at the coffee he got her.

Derek didn't get a chance to tell Addison that her coffee was on the verge of turning lukewarm when their lawyers walked in.

It wasn't good news. Given the number of assets, they'd both accumulated and the unfortunate post-nuptial contract Bizzy had somehow managed to get them to sign one Labour day weekend years ago their divorce would take a few months longer.

Derek watched Addison walk out, leaving his peace offering on the table. Whether it was because it was stone cold by now or because she wasn't ready to be friendly just yet, he didn't know.

Making a split-second decision, Derek chase after Addison leaving the coffee behind as well. With the amount of money paid to the lawyers, they could see to a single coffee cup.

By the time Derek got to street-level Addison was already in her hired town car asking the chauffeur to take her to the restaurant for lunch.

Her mind kept replaying the meeting mostly the part where Derek had alluded to Addison having gone back to Mark.

Was that the reason he'd been behaving like this all along?

Did it matter?

His belief didn't justify his actions.

It wasn't until the next day when Derek had approached Addison making small talk that she'd realised that she hadn't given him an answer on whether the two of them could move on and remain on friendly terms.


x.x.x.x


Richard looked at the spreadsheet in front of him breaking down departmental costs.

Figure wise Addison's department budget had increased yet donations alone could be used to brace two or three of their failing departments.

His phone ringing pull Richard out of the tunnel of paperwork he had to work his way through. "Webber speaking," Richard greeted, for a person to get his phone they'd have to have gone through several people.

"I see you are still at the hospital" Adele sighed, she tried giving her husband the benefit of the doubt when he said he'd leave work on time today.

Yet here they were, the time to clock out had come and gone with an extra half an hour added to that and Richard was still in the hospital.

"Adele-"

"You promised me, Richard."

"I lost track of time, I'm on my way. Just hold on for a second and-"

"If you can't keep your promise to me today of all days then it's probably best if you didn't come home at all."

Adele hung up not giving him a chance to explain about the emergency that happened that afternoon meaning he had to step into surgery and help out.

The surgery had been a success but it was unplanned and had thrown his entire day out of schedule hence why he hadn't already left.

Taking a few seconds to shut down his computer, Richard wondered if he should stop off at the flower shop on his way home or if it was better to just get there as quickly as he could.

He honestly had every intention of leaving the hospital that night to go apologise to his wife. Unfortunately just as he was about to switch off his office light for the day one of the nurses informed him that Ellis Grey had been brought in via ambulance due to an accident at her care home.

"You did the right thing, Richard, kids are nothing but abject failure and disappointments." Ellis greeted apropos of nothing

"Can talk about something else?" It was sometimes nice being able to re-live memories with Ellis but today wasn't one of those days.

"You have them and you think they are going to be great, better than you," Ellis continued either not having heard or choosing to ignore Richard. "Then she disappoints you day in and day out. There's nothing great about her Richard, she's average, leading an average life copying off other people's work. She doesn't even have the guts to live her own life just copying mine. That girl didn't want to be a doctor, she just wanted to be me and she's so bad at it. A disgrace. She's part of my legacy and she's a disgrace. I don't know how, but that girl is going to ruin my name. She's going to ruin it with her inferiority. She's a nobody trying to be a somebody.

She's going to steal someone's work and pass it off as her own.

She's a snake. The ultimate cuckoo.

She'll slither into someone's made life and make it her own.

Thatcher shouldn't have stopped me.

I should have drowned her.

I should have DROWN HER!

DROWNED HER!!

You have to do it, Richard, you have to kill her! Don't let ruin your life or someone else's. Get RID OF HER.

Do IT!

Do IT!

She'll only disappoint you!"

By the next morning, Ellis Grey's little meltdown had gone around the hospital.

"Even her own mother knows she has to sleep around to get ahead."

"Nolan, come one she can hear you," Frieda whispered trying to get her friend to stop talking.

She felt bad for Grey having your mother saying she should have killed you is just...

"Please it's not like Ellis Grey was lying. Look at the surgeries she's got since coming here. When was the last time any of us got to assist in half the things she's done? We are residents and she slept her way past the queue into surgeries and everyone is pretending that she hasn't."

Nolan was angry and venting out his frustrations and if baby Grey just so happened to hear what he thought of her then so be it.

"Why don't you shut up before I make you?" Karev fumed.

Coming in this morning and hearing about the rant Ellis Grey went on last night brought up too many memories of his past.

"Is there a problem here?" Bailey walked in asking eyeing her fellow resident and interns.

"None, we've got labs to do." Frieda threw out pushing Nolan out the door. Her friend might be spoiling for a fight but only an idiot chose 'The Nazi' as their opponent.

"Okay, good... anyways, Dr Shepherd wants to know if you'd like to spend the day with your mo-"

"NO!"

Meredith didn't need time with her- with Ellis, she needed to learn. She needed her job and to be a medical intern and to do her job.

"Great, I'll let her know."

x.

Addison really had the biggest heart of anyone Amy knew. It was a shame that more people didn't see this side of her.

"Amelia?"

Right, Addison had asked if she would be okay with attending tonight's NA meeting alone. "I'll be fine, I'll see you back at the hotel."

Giving in to her urges Amy pulled Addison into a hug, it's been four days and neither had delved past any surface issues still unsure about how the ensuing divorce would affect their relationship. But right now Amy wanted to hug Addison for being a brave, kind and amazing role model who allowed Meredith Grey to hide out in her office and scared others away.

It took less than a second for Addison to return the surprise hug she'd just been given. Letting out a sigh, Addison realised she was grateful to Amy and Savvy for giving Addison the support she didn't know she needed.

"Hey, erm.. you know, the new house will like have multiple rooms, so erm... if you wanted to visit, at any time, you can. And we should go celebrating tonight, not sure you heard but I did get nominated for Doctor of the year." she bragged wanting something for Amy to focus on than that awkward attempt of letting her know she'd always have a room at Addison's home.

x.x.x


Denny Duquette hated hospitals, he hated needing them. He hated being in them, he hated the false hope they gave that this time would be the time his heart got sorted out.

Denny hated almost everything about it, but he did like coming here seeing Izzie Stevens. He likes listening to her gossip and rant. He liked hearing about her day, even the part he didn't like, like when she talked about her boyfriend.

He'd seen both Dr Shepherds' in passing and he'd seen Meredith Grey but the whole thing didn't really interest him. What was interesting was how flushed Izzie's cheeks got and the blazing eyes and the confused furrow in her brows.

Denny Duquette wanted more time to get to know Izzie, maybe convince her to dump Karev. He wanted a life with the passionate intern in front of him but that didn't matter because once again his heart failed him.


Reviews and comments welcome. Sorry it's taken so long to come back to this but the world has been...*sigh* so I just haven't been posting. I have to Chapter 45 written on my computer but it always seems stupid/pointless posting a fanfic with the state of the world.

Now that Covid is over but no, not really it isn't there is an invasion. I just... Yep. Stay prayed up people and help one another.