A/N - First of all, thank you so much for the wonderful reviews. I totally appreciate them. Second of all, I have a question for those of you who are kind enough to follow my story. I've had an idea of a second arc I could take the characters in this story on. It would involve bringing in Mark, and would deal with how Mer/Der handled being a couple again and all of their problems and angsty trust issues that they have due to everything that's happened between them. However, I also have an idea for another story which would alternate between following Meredith and Derek. It would deal with how things could play out after prom, but would generally be a more darker version of events then what happened in this story. (Still Mer/Der of course, because really...is there even anything else? lol) So that's my question, should I continue this story and introduce Mark and subsequent Mer/Der problems? Or would you guys prefer to see it wrapped up with the happy ending it has now...I'd add one more short chapter, basically an epilogue to cement the happy ending and then it would be done. And I'd go onto the other story...so yeah, if anyone has an opinion on what they'd prefer to read please comment and let me know!


Addison wasn't sure why she kept requesting Alex Karev. She'd done it at first because she was furious with the cocky little bastard, and she knew he hated OB/GYN. He hated everything that she did, so why not drag him along for the ride. Now though, perhaps it was habit. Or maybe she just enjoyed the fact that he was one of the few people in the hospital who didn't stare at her with eyes brimming over with pity. He never stopped being a smartass, bluntly civil at best. She could hear him coming from the moment he got off the elevator, flirting like a dog with some nurse before heaving loud sighs as he walked over to where she stood at the nurses station.

"Just can't get enough of me, can you doctor?" he asked, a heavy smirk upon his face.

"Karev, now is not the…" began Addison, turning around to glare at him. But her voice trailed off as she caught sight of Derek and Meredith, standing shoulder to shoulder as they looked at a chart. "…time for your attitude," she continued almost immediately, but Alex had already turned around to see what was distracting her.

"Right," he said slowly, glancing back and forth between Derek and Meredith, who were both grinning widely and oblivious of everything but each other, and Addison, who simply looked cross. "I'd forgot that this was the part of the day where we silently ogle Seattle Grace's golden couple." He nodded thoughtfully, watching as Derek and Meredith moved on and disappeared down a hall. Addison turned around, addressing the nurse sitting in a chair behind the counter.

"I want the files for all of my patients who've had surgery in the past twenty-four hours." Alex frowned and watched as the nurse left, returning with a stack of several binders. "And now," continued Addison, shoving the pile towards Alex. "This is the part of the day where you complete all of their post-op notes."

"Seriously?" he asked, his expression instantly turning outraged. "That's going to take all morning!" Addison just shrugged, forcing a smirk onto her face as she walked away.

She took the hallway that Derek and Meredith hadn't walked down, slowly weaving her way towards the stairwell. Karev irritated her, not just because he was a smartass, but because somehow…he always seemed to be right. He was right in a way that was almost painfully perceptive. The golden couple thought Addison bitterly as she took the stairs two at a time. Stairs were never easy in three-inch heels, but Addison lived in heels. Getting around in them had sort of become an art form. She didn't focus on where she was going, but simply kept climbing up and up, letting the discordant clang of her heels against the metal of the stairs pound a rhythm through her thoughts. In two days, Derek and Meredith had managed to go from being nothing more then a dirty whispered secret to the reconstituted sweethearts of Seattle Grace.

Addison supposed it had something to do with the way Meredith looked, as if she'd won the freaking lottery or something. The girl walked around smiling at patients, at nurses, at everyone. She just couldn't seem to help herself. And Derek looked happier then she could ever remember, as if he'd not only been given the sun and the moon, but all the stars as well. He was nicer to her now too, treating her to coffee while he thanked her for her advice about Meredith and told her how they had officially gotten back together. He'd given her a bare bones version of events, sparing her the details, but he couldn't hide the glow in his eyes as he talked about Meredith. He'd sounded like some little boy who'd just gotten his first kiss, and Addison had smiled and played along, not wanting to be the one who couldn't deal. She liked to lie to herself and pretend that she didn't care.

Finally, there were no more stairs left for Addison to climb. They simply ended at a small white door labeled "Hospital Staff Only. No Admittance." She reached out and grabbed the handle, swinging the door open as she stepped out onto the roof of the hospital. It was a cool day, with a slight drizzle in the air, and Addison's hair blew into her eyes. She sighed and tucked the shiny red strands back behind her ears, staring up at the gray sky as she walked across the brightly painted lines of the helicopter landing dock.

I don't care…she reminded herself. She sat down on the cement, the toe of her shoe scuffing slightly due to the rough surface. That was the problem though. She cared less about the damage to her shoes then about the fact that suddenly, everyone found the idea of the attending and the intern to be wonderfully cute. And Addison loved shoes. The dull mark across the perfect leather surface should be devastating. She ran a finger idly along the scuff and watched as gray clouds shifted slowly across the gray sky.

She thought it would be nice to fling her pager off the roof, letting the small plastic shell shatter on the cement several stories below. And then…she could just sit up there all day, until the light drizzling rain had soaked her clothes and the gray sky had darkened into night. Finally, Meredith and Derek would be gone, no doubt together. Then she could go down the stairs and through the quiet hospital, she could just slip away unnoticed. She could try to forget the last eleven years of her life, forget that she had lost her husband. Addison closed her eyes, wishing that she could forget Derek loved someone else while she was still alone. She sighed, figuring this must be why Meredith had drank so much…the emptiness.

But even after the soft waves in her hair had fallen limp from an half hour in the rain, Addison hadn't managed to forget anything. She struggled to her feet, straightening out her skirt and her lab coat. She took one last look up at the empty gray sky before walking back towards the door to the stairs. Addison wouldn't run and she couldn't forget. That left her with just one choice. So she pulled her wrecked hair up into a bun, fixing a slight smile on her face.

And she marched back down the stairs in her fabulous heels and went back to work. Golden couple be damned and all…

-----

"So this is where all the interns disappear to," said Derek, walking in a slow circle as he examined the dark unused corridor lined with broken wheelchairs and gurneys. Meredith just shrugged and grinned at him.

"The vending machine over here has always got the best stuff." Her reply was followed by the soft clink and whir of a bag of chips being dispensed. She bent down to grab her snack before walking over to sit on one of the gurneys.

"That's because nobody even knows where this place is to use them," said Derek, still peering down the long and silent hallway. "Are we even in the hospital anymore?" Meredith shook her head, leaning forward to grab his arm as he paced past her. She pulled him down onto the gurney beside her.

"Stop worrying. It's nice here," she said quietly. "It's peaceful." She leaned back, her head resting against the brick wall as she closed her eyes. Derek made a low noise of agreement but didn't say anything, and Meredith could tell he was watching her. After a moment, she smiled and opened her eyes slightly to squint at him. "What?"

"Nothing…just now, I know one of the intern secrets." Derek grinned at her, looking proudly around the empty hallway. Meredith laughed and sat back up.

"Yes," she agreed. "But you don't get to take advantage of that."

"I don't get to take advantage?"

"Nope."

"But I want to take advantage," protested Derek. He frowned thoughtfully for a moment. "Are you going to take advantage then?" Meredith laughed again as Derek leaned forward, his arm reaching out to pull her closer.

"Probably," she said quietly, smirking as she looked up at him. A moment later their lips met and they kissed slowly, hands running gently through each other's hair. When they finally pulled apart, Meredith leaned her head against Derek's chest, his hand still playing with her hair. "Derek?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything you want," he said quietly, resting his chin against the top of her head. Meredith nodded, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"Why didn't you ever tell me about Addison? I mean before…when we were dating before…"

"Ohh…" Derek sighed heavily, not speaking for a moment, and Meredith began to wonder if she shouldn't have asked. "I was afraid," he said at last.

"You were afraid?" she echoed, tilting her head slightly so that she could see his face. "Of me flipping out? You know…I'm actually a very rational person." A small smile crossed Derek's face and he looked down at her.

"Of that, how you'd react," he agreed. "Of actually acknowledging that I had a wife who cheated on me with my best friend. It was easier to just pretend that never happened, pretend Addison and Mark didn't even exist. It hurt less that way." He paused, taking a deep breath. "And…I was afraid I'd lose you. I was terrified that you would hate me and leave, and I couldn't bear the idea of losing what was the one good thing in my life."

"Me?" asked Meredith, sounding slightly incredulous.

"You," agreed Derek. Meredith was silent for a moment, contemplating what he'd said. She wasn't used to this, the two of them just sitting and talking without a hundred arguments in the way. She could tell he was worried, his blue eyes were clouding over as he watched her, anticipating her reply. Meredith smiled softly, deciding she liked them without all the arguments and pain, and so she laced her fingers through his.

"You know," she began slowly. "That wasn't very smart of you. I wouldn't have left…you're not the type of guy a girl leaves if she can help it." He smiled hesitantly at first, and then stronger, causing Meredith to grin. She giggled, turning her face into his chest as she laughed.

"That's good…because you're not the sort of girl I could ever get over," said Derek quietly as he stroked her hair. The two of them fell silent, just laying together. There was nothing more they needed to say. And so they sat there until Derek's pager went off, and he grudgingly got to his feet. "I've got to get this," he apologized.

"Yeah I know," said Meredith. "Go on, go save someone's life." She smiled and shooed him away with her hand. He nodded and was halfway to the doorway when he turned around.

"You're staying in the dark lonely corridor?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Meredith groaned and reached for the files stacked beneath her chips and bottled water.

"The lowly intern has to do her post-op notes somewhere," said Meredith, smiling back at him. And the smile remained on her face as he nodded and disappeared down the hallway. She had barely settled down with her first file when she heard footsteps again echoing down the hall.

"What was he doing down here?" Meredith looked up to see Christina, followed closely by Alex, walking towards her.

"Huh?" asked Meredith innocently.

"She was probably doing him on the gurney," suggested Alex as he fed his money into the vending machine.

"Ugh," groaned Christina. She had been a second away from sitting down next to Meredith, but she frowned at the gurney and crossed over to lay down on the empty one opposite it.

"We were not having sex," protested Meredith. "We were just talking."

"Right…" said Christina, rolling her eyes.

"Seriously," continued Meredith, ignoring the amused looks Christina and Alex were exchanging. "So…I heard you actually got Izzie to leave the house," she said quickly to change the subject. Alex shrugged and nodded.

"She hadn't been out since the funeral," he said quietly, suddenly seeming almost embarrassed. "I thought it'd be good for her."

"She said she had fun," said Meredith, grinning at him.

"Oh. Good."

"And your blushing," announced Meredith happily as Alex stared intently at the floor.

"Evil spawn's got a heart," laughed Christina. "A soft, squishy heart brimming with…"

"Shut it Yang," interrupted Alex, tossing his pop can at her. She opened her mouth to say something back, but Meredith shot her a look. She shrugged and rolled her eyes again, but stayed silent.

"Izzie's going to be okay," said Meredith quietly, more to herself then the others. She knew that one trip out of the house with Alex didn't equal a complete recovery, but after the past few days, somehow…everything was starting to feel possible.

-----

Meredith was staggering backwards, trying to unlock the door to her house while also unzipping Derek's jacket. That wouldn't have been so hard, except for the fact that he kept kissing her neck.

"That…" murmured Meredith, gasping and stepping back from him. "…is distracting." The sky was rapidly growing dark outside, and Meredith was in a hurry to get inside. She had spent most of the day in surgery with Bailey, and now that she and Derek were finally outside of the hospital, she didn't want to waste the whole evening fiddling with the lock to her house. "There," she announced happily as the door finally swung open. She flung her keys onto the table in the hall and pulled Derek back towards her, pausing only to kick the door shut with her foot. Derek smirked as he leaned back in to kiss her, letting both their coats fall to the floor.

They staggered backwards, bumping into things as they walked down the hallway together. Meredith lifted her arms up as Derek peeled her shirt off. As soon as the fabric had passed past her face, her lips found Derek's mouth again. As they moved towards the couch in the front room, Meredith hesitated and turned her face away slightly.

"George?" she called loudly, causing Derek to wince and rub his ear. "George?" shouted Meredith again, leaning back to peer down the empty hallway.

"Okay…shouting another man's name when I kiss you?" began Derek, fitting his fingers through the belt loops of her jeans and working the buttons open. "It's terribly distracting." Meredith grinned and looked back at him, reaching up to mess his hair.

"Oh get over yourself," she smirked, leaning forward and sucking on his lower lip. "I'm just checking to see if they're home." She turned away once more. "George? Izzie?" Again there was no response.

"See?" said Derek, leering at her as they both shed their jeans. "Nobody's home."

"Hmm…interesting. I suppose this means you only want me to shout your name now?" Meredith pushed him down onto the couch, sighing happily as his lips began to trail slowly down her stomach.

"Probably," he agreed, and they grinned at each other as he pulled her down on top of him.

-----

When the door to the house finally opened again, Meredith and Derek were still on the couch. She was dressed in his button down shirt, and he was laying down with his head in her lap. "See…someone's home now," she whispered, trailing her fingers through his dark hair.

"Hmmm…" he answered quietly, the sound a low murmur in his throat, as he closed his eyes.

"Izzie!" said Meredith happily, as her blonde roommate appeared in the doorway. "You went out again!"

"I did," agreed Izzie. "I'm not an invalid you know." She sounded slightly cross, and Meredith looked up hesitantly.

"I know," began Meredith apologetically, but Izzie shrugged and smiled.

"Umm…I went to talk to Bailey again."

"You did? That's great." Izzie shrugged again.

"Yeah…I had a few more questions for her," she said quietly.

"So you're coming back?" Meredith looked hopefully at her friend.

"I might be…I don't know. I'll see, but yeah…maybe…" She started to shrug but ended up smiling when she caught sight of the expression on Meredith's face.

"Good," said Meredith happily.

"Yeah…good," echoed Izzie in agreement as her attention drifted down to Derek. He was still laying with his head in Meredith's lap, a half smile on his lips as she played with his hair. "So…" continued Izzie, her smile transforming into a smirk. "McDreamy's really back?"

"McDreamy?" repeated Meredith. She glanced down to look at Derek. He had opened his eyes, seeming rather embarrassed to have the two of them calling him McDreamy in front of him. Meredith laughed and made a face at Derek, but nodded her head. "Yeah…he really is back," she agreed softly.