A/N: Long chapter alert – Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you like this next installment. (Yes, I changed the story name lol)

Chapter 8

The veins in Meredith's neck protruded and throbbed with every pulse. "All you do is play with my mind, Derek. First, you convince me to fall for you, only to later find out that you have a wife. And how did I find that out?"

Derek stuck his hands out pleadingly. "Meredith, just-"

"I had to find out by your wife showing up and telling me herself. And not only that; now I have to see you parade around the hospital together; my hospital. I gather you're staying in Seattle." Her eyes struck him down like lightning.

"Yes, we're staying in Seattle. Addison needs my support right now," Derek explained.

"Right now?" Meredith huffed. "What does right now even mean?"

"I didn't mean it like that, Mer." Derek shifted from one foot to the other and looked around to make sure no one was in ear shot. He leaned in closer, encouraging her to lower her voice along with him. "I just wanted to end this cordially. We have to work together."

"You don't think I know we have to work together? I'm reminded of it every day!" Meredith placed a hand on her forehead, willing the headache that was suddenly coming on to retreat. Her tone softened when she looked back up at him. "Derek, I love you. And I know you love me. I know what Addison did to you. So, pick me." She wrapped her fingers around his wrist and took a step closer to him. "Choose me."

Derek sighed and ran his free hand down the length of his face. "When I came to Seattle, I thought my marriage was over. I pursued you when I thought that there was nothing left to fight for in my marriage. But I was wrong about that, and I was wrong to pursue you when I didn't know for certain."

Meredith's eyes formed into two even slits. "So, that's it then. You go back to your marriage, and I go back to doing what I do, pretending that we," she gestured between the two of them, "never happened."

"I don't know if we can just pretend that we never happened," Derek admitted. "But maybe we could be friends."

Addison counted the tiles on the ceiling, wishing for Derek to return so the interns around her would stop staring at her like she had two heads.

She watched Izzie for a moment, intrigued by whatever it was that held her attention.

Izzie peered around the staircase and then whispered into George's ear until he joined her in looking at whatever lie behind the wall blocking Addison's view.

Finally, Addison stood and walked up behind them to see for herself.

It felt like someone had punched her in the gut and suddenly everything fell silent around her, the sounds of the party replaced by the pounding of rushing blood in her ears.

Meredith and Derek were standing inches from each other, her hand wrapped around his wrist. They were speaking in urgent, hushed voices.

Addison felt almost out-of-body as she pushed Izzie and George out of her way before stomping over to the pair. The sound of her heels clacking on the linoleum floor seemed to echo so loud, that it drew both Derek and Meredith's attention.

She stopped only to put her hands on her hips. She looked between the two of them incredulously, her eyes ablaze. "Would you care to explain why the two of you are cuddled up under the staircase sharing secrets?" She spit.

Meredith dropped her hand to her side and stepped away from Derek.

"Addie, it's not what it looks like-" Derek said, already regretting his decision to have the conversation with Meredith at the party.

"Don't Addie me," Addison replied. "What it looks like is the two of you were in the same room for ten minutes and couldn't help but scurry off together. You left me on the dance floor, for god's sake, Derek!"

"Addison-" Meredith tried to cut in.

Addison held her hand up, holding eye contact with Derek and masterfully shutting Meredith down simultaneously. "I have no words for you right now, Grey. Derek, a word."

She stalked off, making a beeline for the front door, and burst through it, drawing attention from seemingly every person in the room and leaving a chilling breeze in her wake.

Derek rushed after her, sheepishly sliding past people on his way out.

Addison felt the rush of fresh air in her lungs, and she stepped out of view before bending down.

Derek jogged over to her, leaving a cloudy trail of his breath in the air behind him. "Addison, please let me explain."

"What I need you to explain to me, is why the hell you brought me back here if you had no intentions of cutting things off with her." She kept her head bent over, scared that the nausea washing over her would force the last few drinks out if she stood up.

"That's exactly what I was doing." Derek squatted down to her level.

Addison shot him a disbelieving look. "Oh, so that's why you were holding each other and standing mere centimeters apart. You might as well have jumped her right then and there."

"Just let me explain," Derek said softly. He placed a hand on her back and felt her flinch under his touch.

She was quiet and so he continued trepidly. "I had this feeling with you on the dancefloor. I don't know how to describe it. I saw her and I just… I don't know. I wanted to end it. She deserved me telling her in person. When I talked to her over the phone in Connecticut, it was... well I was just worried that my intentions weren't clear. That's all I was doing, I swear. It's you and me."

Addison scoffed quietly. "And you expect me to believe that with how the two of you were standing and speaking to one another? Just tell me, Derek. If I'm nothing more than a placeholder to you, tell me. You've punished me enough. The universe has punished me enough, okay?"

Derek scooted down and sat beside her on the ground, feeling the cool of the concrete through his suit. "She thought we were going to be together. She took it hard. That's all it was. I promise. I've ended it. I'm not trying to punish you, Addison."

Addison turned her head to look at him. They shared a wordless conversation, a skill they had gained through so many years of marriage and friendship. A truthfulness shone in his eyes, and she felt the nausea receding slowly.

"I want to go home," she said.

Derek offered her his hand and helped her to her feet. "Let's go home, then."

She tried to pull her hand free from his, but he gripped it harder, albeit gently.

He caught her eye and gave her a longing and apologetic look. There was a wordless exchange and they both knew she had tentatively accepted the apology.

She felt the rush of alcohol in her head, or maybe it was the way Derek was looking at her that made her feel as though she was losing her balance.

There it was again – the surreal feeling of being next to Derek in this place. Addison had accepted his dismissal of her or maybe even his rejection of her, but this new relationship that echoed their past would take some getting used to. Because by a cruel turn of fate and circumstances, she now felt an uncontrollable urge to dismiss him, but that didn't dispute the fact that she wanted him.

An invisible force pulled her in two directions, one way towards Derek and the other to the parking lot. Her heart pleaded with her to find comfort in and give comfort to the man standing in front of her, the same man that had stood by her for over a decade.

She felt him brush his thumb across the back of her hand and she looked down, studying the way his thumb rolled over her veins and skin.

The door suddenly burst open, revealing a very drunk Cristina and Burke stumbling out and laughing together. Addison couldn't remember a time she had ever seen that studious man laugh so freely.

She looked beyond the open door and spotted Meredith near the back of the room, just in time to see her throwback another shot before the door shut again.

Whatever it was about that woman that had enamored her husband, she would have to let go. Who had once told her to let bygones be bygones? Susan? Or perhaps it was Naomi. Whoever it was, she was thankful for their advice. It seemed like the appropriate response in this situation.

Let bygones be bygones. She mulled over the concept in her mind, testing it out. If they were all three going to work together, hell, bygones had better be bygones.

Addison felt eyes on her, and she looked back up at Derek, but the moment had passed with Cristina and Burke's timely interruption. She gave him a small smile, to which he returned.

"Home?" he asked.

"Home," she answered.

Addison stared at herself in the mirror as she wiped the makeup under her eyes away, revealing a purplish hue underneath. She had been sleeping better with Derek, but the nightmares of Bizzy and that man had not relinquished. How many nights would she be awoken every few hours in a sheen of sweat and panic?

She watched as Derek appeared in the mirror, leaning against the wall behind her. He crossed his arms and looked at her thoughtfully. She imagined he was trying to admire her, but she felt scrutinized instead. She was far too aware of her gaunt cheekbones and bony shoulders to feel attractive.

As if sensing this, Derek pushed himself off the wall and took a few steps to press flush against her. He kissed her temple and whispered in her ear, "you're beautiful."

Addison closed her eyes, feeling the sting of unexpected tears welling up in her eyes. She forced them at bay and when she opened her eyes, Derek was staring right back at her through the mirror.

She knew her eyes were glossy with unshed tears, but before she could speak against it, Derek moved to her side and gently turned her chin so that he could press his lips against hers.

They stayed like that for a pregnant pause, but neither one of them initiated anything more.

When they finally broke apart, Derek's lips stretched into an amused grin.

"What?" Addison asked, unable to keep herself from grinning as well.

"You've got…" Derek tried to wipe under her eye. His face twisted into a grimace when he pulled his hand back. "Okay, you've got mascara everywhere and I definitely just made it worse."

Addison laughed and turned to look at herself in the mirror. There was, in fact, mascara specks everywhere from her half-washed face and wet eyelashes.

She picked up the makeup remover again and tossed him a playful look. "Let me finish up in here."

Derek nodded and placed another quick peck on her temple. "Happy New Year's," he said quietly.

Addison awoke to the sound of Derek's alarm blaring next to her ear. She felt him roll over and turn it off before scooting closer to her and wrapping his bare arm around her waist. The heaviness of him against her felt good and she relished the comfort for a moment before he shifted again and got out of bed.

She turned over, squinting through the sleep in her eyes to watch him turn on the shower and disappear into it.

He popped his head out a moment later, grinning like a kid in a candy store. "Want to join?" He asked playfully.

Addison sat up on her elbows and gave him a tired smile. She tried to make his face out in the light flooding from the shower. "I'm not the one that has to go in today," she reasoned.

"You can always go back to bed after a quick shower," he waggled his eyebrows and flicked water in her direction.

Addison laughed and plopped back down in bed. "Fat chance, McDreamy."

"Fiiine," he said in a sing-song voice. He finished up quickly and walked back into the bedroom, dripping in water.

Addison opened her eyes again, only to be hit in the head with a wet towel.

Derek laughed loudly and clicked the lamp on.

"Really?" She asked in an annoyed tone, but he could hear the smile in her voice. She tore the towel off and tossed it aside.

"Sorry, it was so dark in here. I couldn't see you under all those blankets," he said nonchalantly.

Addison picked the towel back up and chucked it at him.

Derek ducked and laughed again. "Now, that's not fair. You could definitely see where you were throwing that."

A smile bloomed across Addison's face, and she got out of bed, making a move for the towel again, but Derek wrapped his arm around her waist and threw her back on the bed before flopping down beside her.

She looked up at him lazily and he planted a kiss on her forehead before capturing her lips with his. He leaned back, a content look on his face.

"I love you, but you could have definitely used that shower," he joked.

Addison gasped and smacked him playfully on the chest. "I love you, but you're getting water all over the bed. And me, for that matter."

Derek shook his head like a dog, splattering cold water all over her.

"Derek!" She exclaimed, holding her arms out in helpless defense.

He laughed again and sat back, helping to wipe the droplets away from her face. "You sure you want to stay home another day?"

Addison sat up and picked at the comforter between her legs. "Yes, I'll be in tomorrow. Richard doesn't have me scheduled for anything yet, anyway. I'm sure he's going to assign me Karev again. I actually liked Stevens. That Karev is a headache."

Derek nodded and sat up with her. "I haven't worked with them, but I've heard a thing or two about Karev." He got up and slipped into his scrubs.

Addison finally relinquished the warmth of their bed and made her way to the sink. "I was thinking we could order in some Chinese tonight. What do you think?"

Derek scrubbed the discarded towel against his hair, drying the remainder of it before responding. "Sounds like a perfect start to the new year." He took a quick glance in the mirror before grabbing his last minute things for work.

"I'll be back tonight. Shouldn't be a long day," he promised.

Addison nodded as she brushed her teeth. "Bye," she mumbled through the toothpaste. She caught a glimpse of Derek throwing up a quick wave before stepping out of the trailer.

Addison flipped through the pages of her book, counting how many she had left until the end of the chapter. Five more pages before she could watch trashy reality TV instead, guilt free. She was just about to tuck a bookmark on the last page she read, despite being so close to the end, when she heard someone rapping on the front door.

Timidly, she left the warm confines of her nest on the couch, and she peeked out of the window.

To her disbelief, Mark stood on the other side. He was dressed sharply, as always, even if a bit more rugged. His leather jacket hugged his muscular arms and his hair lay in a perfect, gelled swoop. Mark, her Achilles heel.

She threw the door open, sending it flying on its hinges, and looked around, as if Derek would emerge from the woods, pitchfork in hand. "Mark, what the hell are you doing here? How did you even know where this place was?"

"A man is nothing without his connections," Mark grinned.

"Why are you here?" She asked again, more impatiently this time.

Mark dropped the act and took a step closer. "You know why I'm here, Red."

Addison took a step back. "No, I really don't. Would you care to explain to me why you're standing on the front porch of my husband's home, you know, the man you got into a fight with at my mother's funeral?"

"That was badly timed, I can admit that." Mark nodded at himself and the backhanded comment. "But I don't know if I would call this a porch." He patted the side of the trailer and acknowledged the "deck" leading up to it.

Addison rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to play along. She said nothing, waiting for him to answer her question.

"Okay," he said finally. "After the funeral, I was worried about you and whatever it is that's going on. I know you, more than you would care to admit; and I know you don't let people in easily." He rested his body against the trailer, looking Addison over carefully. "There was a time you let me in."

"And you see where that got me," she stated coolly.

Mark grinned again, but there was sadness behind his eyes. "That's fair, I suppose." It was his turn to act coy, giving her a chance to answer in her own time.

"There was an incident on Christmas. Some guy that doesn't matter. It's handled. Okay? Will that stop your incessant questioning and showing up on my doorstep uninvited?"

Addison could see the anger creeping up Mark's neck. He had the same look he did the day of Bizzy's funeral.

Mark pushed himself off the side of the trailer, standing to his full height. "No, not okay. You can't just tell me 'Some guy on Christmas. It's handled. Yada, yada, yada.'"

"Well, that's all you're going to get. You can't be showing up here unannounced like this anymore. I mean it, Mark. Go back to New York." Addison stepped back until she was inside the threshold of the trailer, and she moved to close the door, but Mark caught it.

"I'm here, Red. I'm always here for you, no matter what. You know that, right?" He asked her, his tone gentle and pleading.

Addison gave him a long look before nodding. He slowly took his hand off the door and she let it fall close.

"I'll be in Seattle for a while," he called out from the other side. "I've got nothing but time, Red."

She stood staring at the door like that for what felt like an eternity, and she knew Mark did too, because she could hear his boots creaking against the wood when he finally left.

A/N: I know I may be making Meredith a bit more villainous than she is, but let's face it, she did throw herself at Derek in the show time and time again lol. Don't hate me, Meredith stans!

Ch.9 coming soon.